WEATHER CROP BU:
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Of tbe Indiana Weather. Service ln co-operation with
tbe United Btfctei Signal Service for tbe week ending
Batnrday, July 4,1891.
The weather was very favorable to the
harvest and growing crops; but little rain
fell, except in few counties, where passing thunderstorms on the 2_d caused an
excess in precipitation especially in Grant
county; the temperature was about normal
with average sunshine everywhere.
In the southern and central portions,
wheat is harvested with an excellent and
abundant yield of good quality, in the
northern portion some fields yet await the
reaper; hay is secured in most localities;
rye and oats are matured and cutting will
commence next week: berries are gathered
in great abundance and tree fruit promises a great yield except apples.
SOUTHERN PORTION.
Worthington, Greene Co.—The past week
has given the bast weather for curing
wheat and good growing for corn and
grass; thrashing of wheat commenced;
the yield is good of excellent quality and
millers commenced to grind it. Rainfall,
1.19.
Vevay, Switzerland Co.—The weather
has been favorable for crops in general;
the wheat harvest is completed; rye and
oats will be harvested next week; the
prospect for all remaining crops is favorable; fruit will be abundant excepting apples; injurious insects are scarce; caterpillars alone are infesting trees; small
fruit is more abundant than ever known.
Kainfall, 0.35.
Troy, Perry Co.—Light rain on the 28th
revived vegetation; corn is doing well but
it needs rain; oats is short; a heavy crop
of peaches is ripening. Rainfall on one
day.
Marengo, Crawford Co.—The weather
has been very favorable for stacking and
curing wheat; corn is growing very rapidly and is of good color.   Rainfall, 0.50.
Princeton, Gibson Co.—Wheat threshing
is progressing favorably, the yield is as
much as expected; corn is in good condition and looks well; hay is nearly all saved
in good condition; plums are ripening;
pasturage is drying up for want of rain.
Rainfall, 0.75.
CENTRAL PORTION.
Indianapolis, Marion Co.—Very favorable weather to harvesting continued all
week; corn stands well but soon needs
rain.   Rainfall, 0.32.
Mauzy, Rush Co.—Most of the wheat is
harvested; corn is growing rapidly; pasture is good, live stock in excellent condition ; an immense clover crop has been
harvested; timothy Is in bloom; raspberries are a good crop.   Rainfall, 0.32.
Farmland, Randolph Co.—The weather
has been splendid for harvesting, the past
week and farmers have made good use of
it in cutting wheat and making hay;
wheat is nearly all cut; corn is growing in
fine condition.   Rainfall, 2.87.
Columbus, Bartholomew Co.—Bat little
wheat threshed yet, quality good, yield
not so great as straw indicated, but a full
average; corn in fair condition, but beginning to need rain; clover hay about
aUcut.   Rainfall, 0.10.
NORTHERN PORTION.
Delphi, Carroll Co.—The wheat harvest
is over and the wheat seemed in good con
dition, promises a yield of possibly 25
bushels per acre of excellent quality; corn
is growing well, it is clean and the prospect for a good crop favorable. Rainfall,
1.88.
Point Isabel, Grant Co.—The weather
has been very favorable to all growing
crops; corn is growing very rapidly and
indicates a large crop; a heavy rain fell
Thursday  evening which was very bene
ficial to corn, potatoes and gardens; wheat
is all cut, threshing will commence soon
and the yield promises to be very large;
fruit and berries are quite abundant.
Rainfall, 1.22.
Angola, Steuben Co.—The weather was
rather cool and cloudy for harvesting;
haying is nearly all done; the wheat harvest has begun and the yield is very good;
corn is growing nicely; had a good rain
Thursday night which was very beneficial
to corn and other standing crops; fruit is
abundant.   Rainfall, 0.70.
Marion, Grant, Co.—The wheat crop in
shock is better than expected; corn is
growing nicely, the hay crop is very good
and the weather is very good for curing it;
the prospect for fruit is better than for
years.   Rainfall, 1.08.
Columbia City, Whitley Co.—Thejpast
week has been warm and dry, we have had
no rain for two weeks until the 2d when a
good soaking rain fell in the evening benefiting all growing crops; the clover hay was
harvested in excellent condition; wheat is
being cut but there are many fields yet uncut; oats will be a small crop; corn is doing well now but it is quite small; apples
have nearly all fallen off.   Rainfall, 1.28.
Logansport, Cass Co.—The weather the
past week has been very favorable for
crops and harvesting; hay was all made
without any rain; corn, oats and potatoes
promise a very abundant yield: wheat is
mostly cut, no thrashing is done yet and
the yield can not be estimated yet. RainfaU, 0.36.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Per C F. R. Wappenhans,
Observer Signal  Service,  Assistant Director.
My Method With the Army Worm.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Two years ago about now I wrote you a
descriptive article of my first experience
with the army worm, as they had come as
if by magic in a small piece of rye containing something like 9 acres, a part of
about 60 acres of reclaimed swamp land
thoroughly tile drained, easily farmed as
a sand bank, and for some years had been
cultivated in corn and potatoes.
The object of writing my article at that
time was for information, by way of criticism, etc., as I concluded they had been propagating from year to year along the fences
and a large open ditch coursing through
the land, feeding on the weeds and grass,
but the cultivated crops, especially potatoes which they do not feed upon, did not
afford them food sufficiently convenient
to do much injury, as they soon succumb
to the burning rays of the sun on freshly
plowed land, and a woods pasture bordering thejother side where hogs were allowed
to range no doubt destroyed them as fast
as they came that way.
As no comments or criticisms came
from the publication of my *>rticle in the
Farmer, and having no complete works
on entomology, I wrote a full description
of my first experience and observation of
them, also conclusions, to Prof. V. Riley,
Department of Agriculture, Washington,
for a complete history of their habits.
In the absence of Prof. Riley, who was
then on an extended tour of observation
through Europe, his assistant, O. O. Howard, wrote me a very interesting letter in
reply, and also sent me some able reports
of the United States Entomological Commission, including a supplementary report for that summer, and containing my
letter to them, with other descriptions of
insect visitations in various places
throughout the country.
Barrels of worms could have been gathered on that small piece of rye, so I concluded to let them have it, bnt started the
mower and plow, mowing the rye stalks
down, raking and burning, followed by
the plow encircling  the  field to check
foraging to fields anew, yet millions escaped and began their ravages in the
woods pasture, but the hogs were brought
in there, and ina very brief time, to say
the least, routed the ravaging host completely.
A piece of this same reclaimed land, adjoining thejpiece devastated by the worms
two years ago, was in rye last year, but
was not molested in the least, as none appeared at all.
But now for a second experience, as another part of this land, about 30 acres, is
in rye this year and the devastating hosts
swooped down upon it, not unlike some
of the Egyptian plagues that infested the
lands of tho Pharaohs, devouring the
leaves and branches of each stalk, even to
a great portion of the grain. But I grieve
not, neither allow the spirit of enkindling
wrath to rack my mortal frame, as through
the infinite goodness of the all wise Creator
may we glorify his works in yet other
ways. Not a great way off a herd of
swine, numbering a hundred or more, entered not into by devils nor choked by
running down into the sea, but whose
flesh would tickle the palate of the most
obstinate Hebrew, were he not an incarnation of superstition, was invited down
into the rye field to partake of such a feast
of sweetmeats as would rival the daintiest
dish of any "pig tail" outside the realms
of the Celestial Empire.
Seeing there was no possible chance of
saving much of the rye I consented to let
the worms have it and let the hogs have
them, but as the rye was bounded on one
side by meadow and on another by corn,
and the foraging army was sending out
their picket lines and guards in advance
of the main body, I began making hay
and plowed a few deep furrows in the
first corn rows, and by the aid of a few
young porkers baited along the outside
soon flanked their lines in such away as to
throw them back on their intrenchments
"amongst the rye," where surrender and
certain annihilation became only a question of a few days at the farthest.
Taking out a mixture of salt and wheat
bran this morning (which, by the way,
should be kept constantly in good supply
near watering places) and calling the hogs
up, I was inclined to think that if the
health of the hogs can be maintained, no
loss would result from apparent devastations, but more probably a profit, as the
sap in the rye stalks has supplied the half
eaten grain, and being stripped of the
beards and most of the husks the hogs
have every advantage in feeding.
Fifteen acres of this rye and the aftermath of 15 acres of meadow, with less
than a ton of .hay, was all the feed received
by 100 two year old sheep (breeding ewes)
for nearly four months, and when turned
off the first of April they were in the very
best condition. If the crop of rye had not
been molested, I believe it wonld have
made 25 bushels per acre, but as it is the
crop is profitable.
According to the many reports to the
Department of Agriculture the history of
the army worm in this country dates back
a century and a half, or to 1743, when
"millions of devouring worms appeared
in armies, threatening to cut off every
green thing." They; appeared again in
1770, in the Northern States, generating
suddenly in vast armies, devastating the
country for two or three hundred miles
in extent. From that time on down they
have occurred in different localities, and
in different States, committing much damage in their expeditions, on the crops.
The army worm is hatched from eggs
deposited by the fly or moth the first
warm days of spring, under and near
where the blades join the stalks of rye,
grass, etc., usually hatching out in about
one week. The condition of the weather
has much to do in regard to the time it
takes to bring forth a brood. Riley claims
that from two to five broods may be
hatched during a season, and tbat the
moth, or the worm, will hibernate in the
trash and rubbish, or even in the soil.
The worm is a most voracious feeder
and will consume a blade of rye or wheat
in a short time. When they first begin to
feed extensively, they are more than a
half inch in length, looping themselves in
their movements, but they grow rapidly,
and by the time they have reached an
inch, or inch and a half in length, crawl
at a lively rate, making four to six rods an
hour.
Rye or grass of extreme rank growth on
moist land has a tendency to attract the
fly, consequently those places are first infected, and soon, under their prolific natures, they become so numerous that necessity compels them to forage, and when
they start in any direction, scarcely turn
from their course, even plunging inte
ditches and creeks, and as they can't stand
mush water, soon go to the bottom.
Upland. Miello.
Farm Implements.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
About every subject of any importance
has been discussed through the columns of
the Farmer, but there is one very interesting subject  that I would be pleased to
have discussed.   That  is the merits and
demerits of  our  farm implements.   By
their discussions the manafactarers would
find  out  the  needed improvements   on
these implements.   One badly needed improvement is our on cultivator.   The way
they are at present you can't  cover weeds
in  the row  if any size, because the dirt
strikes both sides at  the same time keeping the weeds upright and merely putting
dirt around them.   Now what we want is
an adjustable slide to  shorten the beams
about  four  inches.   By shortening   the
beam'on one side about  that distance the
dirt will strike the weeds and bend them
over, when the other side will cover them
up.   This  season  is  the first year that I
have ever used the  tongueless cultivator
and my experience  is that I would not
take a tongue  cultivator  as a gift, and be
compelled to use it.   No one can convince
me of the  utility  of hauling the  tongue
and a parcel of stay rods, amounting to a
good many  pounds, when  without these
useless  appendages as good work can be
done. The tongue to a cultivator is a nuisance altogether.   In turning around at a
rail fence yoa are most sure to catch a rail
on the  end  of  tbe   tongue; besides the
horses come around sidewise breaking the
most of corn for ten feet   from the fence.
But the most objectionable feature is that in
hot weather  the horses have to carry the
tongue and are bound together by breast
yoke, making them hot and weary  while
without the tongue the horses are free, as
with a harrow or breaking plow. In turning around  with  a tongueless  cultivator
the greatest  practical difference is  seen.
You can turn  short  and  close   to  the
fence, breaking less corn. D. M.
Newton, HI.
How to Test Melons.
In my young days I was laughed at so
much for pulling green melons( for I could
not decide when ripe by thumping) that
I put my wits to work to decide in some
other way; and after experimenting for
years I at last learned to tell very easily,
and I will give the result of my experiments for the benefit of any who may ever
be in a like dilemma. My plan is this: I
draw my thumbnail over the melon, scraping off the thin green ekin. If the edges
of the skin on each side of the scar are left
ragged or granulated, the melon is
ripe. But it the edges of the scar are
smooth and even, and the thumbnail has
dug into the rind in places; and the skin
does not come off clean, then the melon is
green. You can easily learn on two melons, one ripe and the other grean (after
they have been cut open) and noting the
difference.—-From the Georgia Farmer.