VOL. XXIII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, NOV, 17,1888.
NO. 46
Cereal Products ln tbe United States.
Foreign critics, in an unpleasantly sarcastic manner, and home critics in a bantering manner, ridicule the Yankee for
his "love for great things " In both cases
the ridicule is unjust. The Yankee is accustomed to great things. He is a citizen
of a great country in extent and population. He sees great natural resources developed into great national wealth. Everything he sees in his country is great. In
a land of great lakes, great mountains,
great rivers, great forests, great prairies'*
great valleys and great stores of wealth,
It is only natural that the citizen should
be influenced by the width of his views
and the magnitude of the objects visible
the him. Among the great things of the
United States, and prominent because of
its close relation to life and comfort, is
the great cereal crop. In the growing of
breadstufls the United States leads the
world. During the past score of years
the cereal crop of the country has increased very largely, the aggregate production
of wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat and
barley rising from 1,491,412,000 bushels in
39 to 2,666,108,000 bushels in 1887, while
the latest estimates of the crop of 1888
places the total for this year at the enormous and unprecedented total of 3,163,-
000,000 bushels, again of over 112 per cent.
The following table gives an interesting
showing of the great cereal crops of the
country during the past five y6ars, ths
figures for 1888 being based on the latest
government report:
1884. 1885.
Bushels. Bushels.
Wheat..-       512,764,000 357,112,CO0
Corn—    1,795,528,000 J,936,176,000
°«9       583,628,000 629,409,000
%e         28,640,001 21,756,010
Barley         61,208,000 58,360,000
Buckwheat         11,116,000 12,626,000
it is clear that the receipts for the remaining eight months must be light The difference in the quality of the two crops is
somewhat startlingly stated, and if it
should be carried through the year the
shortage in weight will prove to be far
greater than any estimates have yet made
it.
Total    2,992,879,000
18S6.
Bushels.
w°eat       457,218,000
c°™     1,665,441,000
°"3~-       621,134,000
Rye         24,489,0r0
B"ley         59 428,000
Buckwheat        ]1,.69,000
3,015,439,000
18«,
Bushels.
458,329,100
1,456,161,000
659,618,000
25,000,000
56,000,000
13,000,100
Total    2,812,579,000 2.666,108,000
The estimated figures for 1888 are as follows: Wheat 405,000,000 bushels; corn 1,-
W»,000,000 bushels; oats 700,000,000 bush-
to ; rye 25,000,000 bushels; barley 59,000,-
000 bushels; buckwheat 14,000,000 bushels;
'°al 3,163,000,000 bushels.—The Milling
World.
 »    •    s	
Grain Movement for Two Years.
Chicago Business gives the following
fi?ore3 regarding fie movement of whsat
western points for the past two years:
"inter wheat receipts at all western
Points from July, lst,1888, to October 20th,
,,. Bushels.
^'0*0  5,tS8,000
J-Lonls  fins nun
Tol«lo..._
. 8,818,000
. 6,671,0X1
'01t 4,281,000
' M Citv...  ,,,45,000
qDOll°a  15141100
Detr,
Total..
r.,    "- a>,,o,,ww
'the above receipts only 20 per cent
^dedNo.2.
Winter wheat receipts at all points from
""y 1st, 1887, to July 1st 1888:
^Icago
ti- Loui»r	
JolWo...  	
"troli "	
£'"'»« C'iiy™
Wn«nnati...
Bushels.
    4,456,413
 12.640,00,
....   9,628,000
....   6,920,000
    1,351,000
....   1,610,000
Written for the Indiana Farmer.
Our Southern Letter.
BY E   C. S.
Qf °'al 3',505,413
the "wbeat received at all points for
l88Ryear f fom Jily 1st, 1887, to July 1st,
**• over 50 per cent graded No. 2,
'OEa the fnrnonlno tohlo If ^(11
th«the
o'the
the foregoing tables it will be seen
r«ceipts for the first four months
8538fw>Urrentcrop year have been only
li,t r* Panels less than for the whole of
con«M°I> year*  lDMmuch «w the crop 1«
"lerably smaller this year than last,
As the Fabmeb has been so faithful to
chronicle the yellow fever news the past
summer, perhaps a few notes on Camp
Perry will not be dull reading for our rural friends. At Melbourne, Fla., our home
we were two hundred miles from any fever
infected district, but our winter's work
waited for us in northern Alabama, so one
bright October morning we closed the door
of our little cottage and started on our
irksome journey. Visions of fever and
quarantines haunted our minds as we
seated ourselves in the little sail boat
which ooriveyed us safely to our nearest
railway station, forty miles down the river
Here we raluctantly bade goodby to the
dreamy Indian river land and turned to
greet the yellow ribboned officials who directed us to the county clerk's office to
have our health certificates properly signed. For 150 miles further we knew when
we crossed a county line, by the entrance
of a new set _of .quarantine officers, who
would read our papers and pass us on.
Word was dispatched from headquarters
down our railroad line that a new route
was open around Jacksonville, and tickets
were sold us accordingly. One lady and
her son were given through tickets over
this route to New York City, but alas,
when we reached the suburb where we
were to change to the locked c iach which
was to whirl us by or through the infected
districts, there was no train to meet us.
Same delay had occurred and the dispatches were sent out too soon. What
now? Well, we were In the county in
which Jacksonville was located, and every
other county in the Sta'e was quarantined
against it and other States. The world,
we might say, was quarantined against
Florida. So, as law-abiding citizens, when
asked what we would do, we answered
"Ten days in Camp Perry." But before
reaching camp we must spend a day in the
stricken city. It was a bright day, and
from ten o'clock until five we were in the
solitude of the pestilence. The quietude
was so impressive that the passing of a
physician's carriage, or a hospital cart,
would almost startle us. We remained in
the ladies' waiting room at the depot,as the
chief of police assured us we were perfectly safe there, as it was fumigated every
night. The clocks were all silent and we
could have written our names ln the dust
on the ticket agent's window. Thousands
of people have left Jacksonville since July,
but were transported free on the Govern
ment train. The long day ended at last
and we were on our way to camp, amused
by the fact that a devout Catholic lady in
our waiting party had mistaken us for a
genii! German Catholic—it was only our
Hoosier serenity and determination to
make the best of things, and we beguiled
the time picturing the delights of «amp
life. Forty miles from the city we stopped
at the Government camp, a beautif al spot
on the bluffs of the St. Mary's. The air
was pure and bracing. We were shown to
our little shanty which was provided with
two cots and two chairs. Soon a sable errand boy appeared;with a new tin wash
basin, tin cup, and seven blankets. At 9
a. m. we were visited by the health inspector, also at 4 p. m. Any "suspects"
were removed at once to the hospital camp,
At 6__ <-■ m>, 12 m. and 6 p. m., the bugle
called to meals. Breakfast In Uncle Sam's
long dining hall consisted of nioe light
bread, butter, steak, omelet, rice, sirup,
and coffee. We seldom make coffee at our
house, but we thought of Dr. Brown and
his sensible physiology, and drank our
cups with a relish—minding the part about
the milk and sugar. Dinner found our
colored waiters passing tomato soup, roast
beef, baked potatoes, mashed turnips,
stewed lamb, grits, bread, butter, rice,
custard. Supper came in due time with
light bread, butter, rice, apple sauce, corn
cakes, sirup, tea; and we thought as to
health fulness, even Dr.. Brown would not
object to the bill of fare. It was provided
in abundance and well cooked, and we
wondered what some of the people meant
when they complained audibly of Uncle
Sam's charity. Perhaps they were yellow
fever convalescents.
At 4 p. m. a little boy passed down the
rows of shanties and tents, giving each
tenant a candle from the basket on his
arm. Soon after the evening meal was
finished a huge pile of pine logs was lighted in the center of the large open square.
The sweet strains of a violin called tbe
people together, and, as they listened to
home songs, love ballads and old plantation melodies, their faces, lighted up by
the blaze of the oheerful fire, one would
hardly have guessed that that circle of a
few hundred people were refugees from
the dreadful scourge. About 8 o'clock
candles were lighted at the camp fire, good
nights were whispered here and there,
while the sweet strains of "Home, Sweet
Home," told us that the impromptu mu-
slcale was ended.
At 9 o'clock the bugle sounded, lights
were out and silence reigned, save the
lone watchman's tread. At only one
other point were we detained in quarantine, and reached our journey's end safely,
passing through the stricken city of Decatur, Ala., in locked cars. But »mid all
the memories of sad scenes and bright
ones on our weary journey, Camp Perry
will ever be as a beautiful rest by the way.
Mountain Home, Courtland, Ala.
which is the following for a fracture Take
a reed, split it, throw the knife up in the
air, bind the reed around the fractured
part, and say the following: "Huat,
Hanat, Huat, Isla, Pista, Fista, Dsmiabo,
Damnustra,"and the fracture will be well.
Varro divides the animal creation into
three parts—the lesser, the sheep, goat and
swine; the greater, oxen, asses and horses, and those not profitable but necessary
to the care of the others—the dog, the
mule, and the shepherd. In the purchase
of an animal four thing] are to be considered, the age, the shape, the pedigree and
the price; and in the care of an animal
four more things, feeding, breeding, rearing, and curing the distemper.
VABRO HAS THE FOLLOWING ON HOOS.
They are fed on acorns, beans and barley. They roll in the mire with as great
pleasure as man takes in his bath. Hogs
breathe through their ears, instead of
their mouth or nostrils. When a wolf gets
a hog he runs to the water with it, to cool
it, so that the hot flesh will not burn his
teeth. A sow in Arcadia became so fat that
a field mouse made a comfortable nest in
the folds of her flesh and brought forth its
young. So saith Varro, who is mentioned
as the first scholar of his age, renowned
for his profound erudition, for his insight
into the laws, literature, and antiquities
of the country. He was regarded by Petrarch as the third great luminary of
Rime, being only inferior in lustre to
Cicero and Virgil.
Bloomington. Riley Halstead.
Agriculture Among:  the Old  Romans.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Varro was a great Roman scholar. He
lived about 2,000 years ago, and wrote extensively on agriculture. In the last few
hours I have been curiously interested in
him and his writings. He gives us some
notion of what the Romans were doing
and thinking.on rural subjects in the time
of Ceasar and Pompey. I find I have
marked the following things:
BULES FOB SELECTING A FARM.
It should be at the foot of a well wooded
hill, with an eastern exposure. If it is in
a hollow valley,it will be exposed to storms
and floods. It should not be in front of
a river or a marsh, because you will then
be tormented with smallginsects. Such
as will get into you through your mouth
and nostrils and produce all sorts of diseases. If you own such a villa sell it, or
give it away, or abandon it. You should
be careful of the climate and soil. You
should see that it is easily supplied with
water, and near some town or the sea.
There should be but few implements near
your purchase because that signifies that
the soil is easily cultivated. Select a farm
on which there are many old casks and
vessels, bucause that signifies abundant
produce.
THE MOST PROFITABLE  CBOPS
Varro puts down one acre meadow;
two acres vineyard; three acres garden;
four acres willow grove; five acres olive
plantation; six timber.
He says put the rich field in oorn, the
moist field in turnips, or radishes; put
figs on the chalky land and willows in the
water.
Varro gives a great many recipes for
making all sorts of cakes, puddings, etc.,
and for fattening hens and geese and for
preserving fruit. He furnishes also many
recipes for • the cure of ' diseases, among
Written for the Indiana Farmer
Storing Seed Corn.
BY N. J. SHEPHERD.
If the best quality of seed corn is secured
in the spring, the proper storing is quite
an important item. It must of course be
carefully selected; this is the first important step; then it must be properly stored
in order to keep it in a good condition;
this is the liext important item.
At the start care must be -taken to dry
thoroughly. My experience is that if
seed corn is thoroughly dried out before
storing away, and then is kept dry, it will
stand very hard freezing without injury.
But if stored away moist it is easily damaged ; or if allowed to g»t wet and then
freeze the vitality will be considerably
lowered, if not killed so that it will not
germinate. The only objection to storing
seed corn in boxes or bii s is the danger
from rats or mice getting in and damaging
it more or less. Outside of this I have
never had any difficulty in keeping seed
corn in a good condition stored in tight
boxes and perfectly dry.
Another plan requiring more work is to
leave the Inner husks on the cars, then
plaiting them together and hanging up
where they will keep dry. Some care
must be taken in doing this as there is the
same danger to guard against aa when
stored in bins or boxes. Unless suspended
a sufficient distance from the ceiling or
joists by a wire or stout string mice will
be able to get to it.
Wire screws with hooks are made to
screw down into the cob, and with the
hook or ring can be readily hungup.
They can be tied together, either with
small wire or stout twine, and hung up,
and preserved in this way.
Some recommend smoking the corn
thoroughly. This may aid some, but I
am inclined to think that the virtue lies
more in the thorough drying than anything else, for I am satisfied that if the
seed corn is selected early in the fall, before it l as had an opportunity to get damaged, and then is carefully dried and
stored aa as to keep dry it will keep in a
good condition with the vitality unimpaired. It is the getting wet and freezing,
or storing away before it is properly dried
out that aflects the vitality, and properly
storing Is fullylaslimportant aa selecting
in the fall.