VOL. XXVI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., AUG. 1, 1891.
NO. 31
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN.
Oft.. Indiana Weatll.r B.rvle. In co.op.ratlon with
t_»*X_.t«dStates Weither Bur«i*a far til. w.._ «ndln_
8atar_.*-, July 25, IS91.
The rainfall during the -week was badly
distributed over Indiana; while much
rain fell on Thursday in many localities,
in most but little fell; the temperature
continued cool during the nights and
quite warm during the day with much
sunshine; threshing of wheat and haying
continued in some counties; oats is harvested with a poor yield; potatoes are apparently in fine condition and water melons very abundant; corn in many fields
needs rain very much; wherever good
rains fell on Thursday, corn, pasture and
potatoes, etc., were much refreshed; tobacco in the southeastern portion stands
unusually fine and a great crop is expected
by present appearances; the absence of
weeds this year is much commented npon.
SOUTHERN PORTION.
Worthington, Greene Co.—The drouth
has damaged thecorn crops, especially late
planted, which is short and needs rain and
warm weather; pasturage is short; hay is
all cnt and is nearly all harvested; it
yields not more than one-fourth of an
average crop.    Rainfall, 0.50.
DeGonia Springs, Warrick C 3.—Very
nice rain fell on the 23d which will be of
.incalculable benefit to corn and pastures;
hay is nearly all cut and secured in excellent condition; plowing for wheat has
commenced.   Riinfall, 1.45.
Vevay, Switzerland Co.—The outlook for
maturing crops is auspicious; the potato
crcp is superior to those of preceding
years; no artificial means to prevent the
ravages by potato bugs has been needed
and the tubers are now of the most nutritious and perfect growth; kitchen garden vegetables are so abundant that tbe
prices for them are not satisfactory for the
producer; the tobacco is unusually fine,
the yield will be enormous and from present indications will bring a good price.
RainfaU, 0.58.  .
Troy, Perry Co.—Cora, potatoes and
clover are doing wel ; we are getting
splendid rains; hay is being harvested; a
light crop is reported. "
Mount Vernon, Posey Co.—The weather
was fine for farm work; about' half of the
wheat is threshed; corn looks very promising, pasturage is good and stock in
good condition; the market is supplied
with home grown water and musk m elons;
not much wheat arrives at the price offered, the market is dnll at 75 cents per
bushel.   Rainfall. 0.58.   .
Columbus, Bartholomew Co.—Wheat is
nearly all threshed and saved in good
condition of good quality, average 20 bushels per acre; there is a fair crop of timothy;
oats is light and corn and pasturage need
rain.  Rainfall, 0 25,
Marengo, Crawford Co.—The rain on the
23d came j ust in time to help the corn and
to prepare the ground for plowing for
wheat; hay is about all in and wheat
threshing well along.   RainfaU, 0 80., *
CENTRA- PORTION.
Indianapolis, Marion Co.—Dry weather,
cool during the night and warm and
sunny during the day continued; the
rains on the 23d were quite beneficial to
corn but more rain is needed to mature
■■» plant.   Rainfall, 0.43.
Farmland.RandolphCo.—Thedryweath-
er gave away to fine showers on 23d which
were much needed in this county, the
•ate corn wiU be much benefited. Farmers wUl make hay.   RainfaU, 0.45.
Richmond, Wayne  Co.—The tempera-
wve3aSqUlte,avorablebuUheneedo*:r8in
«teginning to tell and unless rain comes
very soon, corn on  upland fields and clay
•™*. wiUba a failure; in bottom lands
and vaUeys corn looks luxuriant; late potatoes are suffering for want of rain also;
wheat is all harvested and being threshed
with good returns; oats looks well and is
being harvested with a better yield than
expected; an immense hay crop is secured.
RainfaU, 0.03.
NORTHERN PORTION.
Delphi, Carroll Co.—Wheat threshing is
progressing all over the county, with a
scarcity of machines owing to the unheard
of yield, which wiU exceed 25 bushels per
acre. A heavy rain, wind and thunderstorm passed on the afternoon of the 23rd.
Rainfall, 1.21.
Shideler, Delaware Co.—Wheat is being
threshed, a good yield of good grain; a
heavy rain and hail storm passed about
1:30 p.m. July 23d, the hail did mnch
damage to oats and corn.
Marion, Grant Co.—No rain of any
amount for several days; corn will be but
half a crop nnless it rains soon, it is almost wilting in the field; pasturage is
getting short also.   RainfaU, Trace.
Point Isabel, Grant Co.—The largest
wheat crops by far ever raised in this section ia fast being threshed; the yield will
average 25 bushels per acre; one field, it is
reported, averaged 40 bushels; the quality
isexceUent; other email grain has made a
splendid yield; corn, pasturage, etc., are
suflering very much for rain; a light rain
on Thursday did some good but more is
needed.   RainfaU, 0.29.
Logansport, Cass Co.—High temperature
and absence of rain is telling very materially on corn in many fields; corn is short
and it curls up during the day; while
some fields are very good and seemingly
not affected by the hot dry weather, others
are very much so; wheat is all threshed or
stacked; corn promises a good yield; oats
is mostly all cut.   RainfaU, 0.02.
Angola, Steuben Co.—The weather is
dry with much sunshine and rather bad
for crops now; wheat is nearly aU secured
and being threshed, it yields from 25 to 35
bnshels per acre, of an excellent quality;
corn holds its own yet, it is of good color
bat rain is needed.   Rainfall, o! 41.
Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co.—The past
week was too dry for growing crop3, but
the showers of Thursday refreshed grass,
etc., considerably; corn is looking well,
early potatoes are abundant and of good
quality.   RainfaU, 0.32.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Per C. F. R. Wappenhans,
U. S. Weather Bureau Assistant.
Fruit  Notes   Prom the Purdue  Experiment Station.]
Editors Indiana Farmer:
STRAWBERRIES.
Our strawberries which last year comprised 108 varieties were cut down so that
this year we have but 63,andsome of these
will be discarded, they having proved
themselves unworthy of further trial on
our grounds.
Warfield, Bubach, Jessie, Logan, Itaska,
and Cumberland_yere planted last year
in plots containing two square rods while
the others have been grown in single rows
20 feet long. As usual Jessie was injured
by the frost this spring so that we got
practicaUy nothing from it. It is of no
use here or anywhere else where late frosts
abound. I set out another bed of them
this spring and if it does not do better
next season I shaU discard it entirely.
Bubach gave us the largest berries and
brought the most money of any one variety. They sold readily in onr home
market, it is too soft for shipping long
distances, at $3 per bushel when the market was full of ?1 50 berries, and while ordinary fruit was retailing at six and seven
cents per quart, these were selling at 15
cents.    Moral—raise large, fine looking
berries for market If you  expect lage returns.
Haverland was one of the first to ripen and
continued in bearing over four weeks making a longer season than any other variety. It is a grand, good berry for the home
market. Logan and Cnmberland fell below the average this year, while Itaska
was almost a failure.
Warfield gave ns the greatest quantity
of fruit, but owing to the fact that the
plants were too thick in the row,they were
a little under size. This will happen if
aUowed to have its own way. However, I
am of the opinion that it is one of the best
general purpose berries of those which
have generally been tested. For canning, I
our private families aU ask for it, because
it makes a fine appearance in the can, and
then it*is tart enough to have some body
to it when we come to eat it. Brunette
was sent us last year by GranviUe Cowing,
of Muncie, and it promises to be one of
best berries for family use that we have
tested. It it not overly large, but very
even in size,and of most excellent qualtiy.
Clingto is another good berry. It ripens
a few days after Bubach and produces a
good quantity of very fine berries. Cloud
does not come to the average. I shall discard it.
Crawford is a very fine berry, and if was
a little more vigorous in its habit of
growth, would stand well up toward the
head. Edgar Queen gave us some line fruit,
and judging from a single season's trial I
am inclined to recommend it. For a late
variety, Eureka has given good satisfaction. It is also firm enough for a shipping
berry.
Gandy is another very good late variety.
In fact this or Eureka ought to go with
some of the earlier varieties in order to
lengthen the season.
GreenviUe is a new variety from Ohio
and if the Farmer has not tried it, it
ought to. It was a great success this year.
Gypsie is another good famUy berry.
Hattie Jones also comes in for her share
of glory. It makes a very attractive appearance and will sell well in any market.
In fact Indiana and Illinois are producing
some very fine varieties of strawberries.
Katie Pearl, Lovett's Early, and Miami
all dark red, excellent quality, fine home
berries.   Lovett's Early produces the finest very early berries of any variety I
have tried.
Michel's Early was a complete failure.
Pineapple also a failure. '
Puritan does not make any plants.
Shuster's Gem is a  magnificent variety
if we may judge by a single season's trial.
I am well pleased with it so far.
raspberries.
Owing to the mUd winter all onr varieties came through in good condition.
Even Early Harvest blackberry was not
injured, bf the red varieties * I place
Thompson's Early Pride, Muskingum,
Brandywine and Cuthbert among the
best. Golden Queen ia the best yeUow
variety, although Caroline ripens first and
so perhaps onght to be given a place. Of
the black caps for early, Carmen, Lovett,
Progress and Tyler are all good. For
medium, Acme, Hllborn, Johnston's
Sweet and Ohio have done weU. For late,
Gregg and Nemaha hold first place. Of
course, everybody wants Shaffer for can
ning.
BLACKBERRIES.
The season for blackberries is not over
yet, but we have fruiting, Agawam, Ancient Briton, Early Cluster, Early Harvest, Early King, Eldorado, Erie, Gainor,
Jewett, Lucretia, Minnewaski, Snyder,
Stone's Hardy, Taylor, Wallace and Win-
dom. All of which are giving good satisfaction, except Eearly Cluster, Lucretia
and Windom. The last two (dewberries)
are. doing absolutely nothing this season,
and Early Cluster never has done anything.   Unless rain comes soon the crop
of  blackberries  will  be
third.
cut short  one-
J. Troop.
Miller's Murmurings.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In the closing paragraph of my former _
article.I alluded to the difficulty in getting
the farmers to unite, as many of them
seem to prefer the counsel of slick tongued
wire workers of the various kinds of professional schemes, than confide with one
another.
Consequently we will have to acknowledge that farmers have to share in the duplicity of erring fate. Indiana has _a law
that provides for farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance, whereby ten or more resident
householders of one, two or three counties may organize themselves into an association for mutual compensation, if any
of the members meet, with loss by fire.
But how many avail themselves of such
law? Very.few. MilUons of money is
being paid into agents hands of foreign -
companies each year that, if kept at home
in first ^hands would materially lighten
the expenses of the farming community.
Seventy million bushels of wheat for Indiana, and down, down goes the price.
A few short weeks ago and men talked
of a doUar, and a dollar and a quarter for
wheat, agreeing to hold 60 or 90 days
should the price be less.
Some of the first to get "rocky" and let
| go heeded not the voica of the brotherhood, but yielded to the influence of others and away goes one and all, regardless
of future prospects for higher prices.
It has become a notorious fact that farmers aid in ^destroying a healthy trade in
this one article of traffic by rushing to the
markets direct from the machine. Many
advantages are taken of them, to insure
the dealers against probable losses liable
to ensue in one way or another.
Wheat if properly handled can be held
in bins by the farmer, and though it may
never be declared the equal of gold or silver bullion in value to the issuing of bills
of exchange, yet it has no little significance of being a commodity of convenience
at any time to meet the wants of the farmer.
A few weeks ago I marketed wheat
thrashed four years this harvest, and the
miU6rs commented upon the bright smooth
quality of the grain.
Of course the wheat was dry when put in
the bins, but I had previously sprinkled
the floors with fresh slacked lime and the
bugs and worms usually getting in such
places did not find agreeable lodging there.
Upland. Miller.
Blgr Wheat Yields.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I just finished threshing 70 acres of
wheat yesterday. I sowed 18 acres in
corn with onehoige corn drill, both ways,
% oi a bushel each way, 2d of September,
the yield of which was 400 bushels, or 22
bushels to the acre. -^
Another field of 20 acres, summer fallowed, yielded S15 bushels, or 31 bushels .
to the acre.
Another field of 26 acres, oats slubble,
plowed and thoroughly harrowed and
rolled, on which I put 200 pounds of bone
meal with the wheat, l_j bnshels to the
acre, sowed about the &5th of September,
that yielded 1,085 bushels, or 41% bushels
to the acre.   Who can beat it?
Frank ,'Bakeh.
Bourbon, Marshall Co., Ind.
The Grant monument hasn't been built
and it is not at all certain that it ever will
be, but the announcement is made that
the committee will place on sale abont the
first of September a large engraving showing the monument and grounds as they
wiU appear when the former is completed. An engraving showing the present
bare condition of the ground ought_to entice more ubscriptions.