SWEET VERNAL OEASS.
From bulletin of Stato Agricultural Experiment Station, No. 2!). Grasses of Indiana, by Prof. J. Troop.
Spikelets three flowered, with only the
central ono perfect, in a spiked panickle.
Avtltoxantltaiii odorttttim, I— (Sweet Vernal grass). Frequently used in lawns on
account of the pleasant odor which is given
off .af ter being cut an 1 while drying. It is
sometimes found sparingly in meadows,
wheijo it imparts a very pleasant odor to
the hay, and cattle eat it with a relish. It
is also used by the Indians of Northern
Michigan in making fancy baskets. It is
not a profitable grass for the farmer on account of its small size and its habit of
growing so thinly on tho ground. May,
June.
We shall givo descriptions and illustrations of othor varieties from tho Bulletin,
iu future numbers.
Written for the ludiana Farmer.
Keeping* Warm.
JOHN M. STAHL.
Though this has been an unusually mild
winter so far, something about keeping
.warm will not bo amiss. I have seen it
stated in several^papers thatthe groundhog has not yet taken to his hole; that he
has spent all this unseasonable weatherin
carrying bedding into that hole; and that
the only rational conclusion is lhat we aro
yet tp have a very cold winter. Prof.
Blake assures us that winter will not only
- linger in the lap of spring, but Scarcely vacate his place for summer. Therefore what
I have to say may be worth to each reader
the price of the paper for a century, more
or less,
, I have always found it more difficult to
keep warm my feet than any other part of
my anatomy. When a boy herding cattle, I had my feet very severely frost bitten. Flesh once severely frozen is easily
frosted again, and for year after year I had
frosted feet, giving me much pain and inconvenience in the spring. I am troubled
some what yet; but not so much as formerly, as I have learned how to dress my
feet better. I have discarded overshoes.
I found that 1 would wear my overshoes
right along for a month, and then forgot
them and beforo I could get to them my
feet would be frosted. You may say that
any; person so careless deserves frosted
feet. Did you never forget your overshoes?
If you wear them in the house, they are of
little benefit to you out of doors. If you
take them off when you come into the
house, you are very apt to forget them,
at least once during the winter. Inquiry
and observation among my acquaintances
show me that I am not the only person
who forgets overshoes; and incline me to
believe that overshoes are indrectly responsible for more frost bites than they
prevent.
Better than they are ileece lined boots or
sheees. It is hard to get these old fashioned
but superior article in some places, but
don't end your search until you have
found them. Get them so large-that they
will be loose with heavy woolen socks.
In fact, they ought to be large enough to
admit of your wearing two pair of socks
on occasion. Have a pair of slippers to put
on when you go in the house. You will
not forget to put on your boots. Fleece
lined boots and heavy woolen socks will
keep your feot warm, and to put on your
slippers is no more trouble than to take off
overshoes. Get home knit socks of homespun yarn, if you can. Homespun yarn is
looser and has more looso fibre. It makes
warmer, softer socks than factory spun
yarn; and a woman will knit a softer,
warmer sock than a machine will.
The big w-oolen comforter for the ears
and throat is a nuisance. It is to warm.
When worn, especially if the weather has
moderated, the  ears  and  throat are over
heated and made sweaty and the pores
opened; and the comforter is forgotten or is
not well put on and tho throat is chilled
and "sore throat" results. I don't believe
in hardening by exposure; but equally
bad is hot house forcing. We persons who
wear a heavy woolen comforter are oftener
aillicted with sore throat and ears than the
person who does not wear anything. I
havo not worn anything over my ears,
when my hands were free, for years, I
give my ears a rub occasionally and thus
keep the blood circulating. If I can not
well use my hands, I tie a cotton or silk
scarf over  my  ears.   Cotton or silk  is as
the alum that will dissolve when powdere*
Keep up the application for about two
hours—till the red, swoolen parts are like a
washerwoman's thumbs. Plunge hands
or feet in a vessel, containing the water,
adding very hot water to keop up tho temperature. Dip cloths in the water and
apply'jthem to the ears, etc.
Quincy, 111.
Pleaso state through your paper what
you understand to bo the meaning of the
general pension law. Does it increase, or
add .J.S per month, to the pension of soldiers, not drawing a pension on disability?
Hamilton Co. A Solihek.
The  "Dependent   Pension" bill, which
SWEET VE
warm a covering as the throat or ears
should have—is better than heavy woolen
stuff.
But not having enough clothin? to keep
properly warm is extravagance of the worst
kind. Especially should tho lungs be well
protected in this climate of ours. Wool
should be worn liberally in winter. Some
people can not endure wool next to the
skin. Those of us who can are apt to think
their imagination abuses them, but their
discomfort is real. Let such wear next the
skin a suit of summer underwear, with
woolen underwear over it.
For frost bites which have not been
thawed with ice or snow and therefore
have become; very tender and painful, I
know of no application t near so good as
water as hot as can be borne, containing all
'.SAL okas*.
has recently passed the Senate, provides
for pensions for all soldiers dependent on
manual labor for a living, and who are
now from any cause disabled; pensions
same as for disability contracted in service; no increase.
The "Service Pension" bill, now being
urged upon Congress by Gov. A. P. Hovey
and others, provides a pension of _-s per
month to all soldiers who served DO days
and over, and were honorably discharged;
this would give an increase of said amount
to all now drawing pensions.
Whether either or both of those bills be-'
come laws depends, of course, on Congress
anil the President^
Please inform me where I can get pure
blooded Derbyshire Red Cap chickens.
A. G.
Who knows?
glxc 'gnxxxxt
Po3tal Oard Correspondence.
INDIANA.
Crawford Co., Feb. 7.—Wheat looks remarkably well; some peach blooms out;
nearly every person has, or has had la
grippe, no fatal cases. J. M. J.
Harrison Co., Feb. 7.—The prospect for
wheat is very flattering for this timo of
the season; witli favorable spring there
will be a very large yield in this county.
It. A. IS.
Gibson Co., Feb. 7.—Keiads nearly impassable; pastures good; crocuses and
jonquils in bloom; stock iu good condition; the prevailing sickness is slightly
abating. E. J.
-  Fulton Co., Feb. 7.—Wheat looking yellow on account of recent freeze, but roots
all right;   three   inches  of  snow to-day;
stock in good condition and feed plenty.
G. B. W. 11.
Greene Co., Feb. 7.—Weather during
tho week has been changeable, with only
two fair days and they wero warm and
springlike, week ends with sloet snow and
rain; roads bad. W. B. S.
Johnson Co., Feb. 8.—The weather tho
past week has been quite changeable.
Teusday warm and pleasant. Thursday
and Friday cold and rainy and to-day
snow and a small freeze, a hard week on
wheat, which has been growing fast, a
large number of farmers will attend tho
Marion and Johnson counties Institute at
Greenwood next week Feb. 18 and 111.
11. W. W.
Hkxhy Co., Feb. 7.—Wheat brightened
up considerably during tho warm weather
of the past week; but it is not yet near so
green and fresh looking as it was in the
middle of January; there is still some
pasture in the grass fields; other food
plenty; stock in good condition; mean
temperature of the week 44° warmest, U!>°
on 4th.; coldest 28° (ith.; rain 3 days.; snow
1; but little of either. W. D.
Owen Co,, Feb. 7.—Mercury to-day Ii5°;
insects floating in the air; frogs jump into
streams as ono walks through pastures;
the first robins came to-day; roads very
muddy; a complete embargo on trade and
travel; coldest weather this winter was on
morning of January Sid when at sunrise
mercury stood at 2° below zero; farmers
aro organizing rapidly into F. Jl. B. A.
lodges in this county. A. IJ. M.
LaPorte Co., Feb. 8.—About four inches
of light snow on the ground, that came
yesterday, colder this morning,*14° abovo
zero; wheat still all right; Prof. I. It.
Hicks' calculations about February hits
sometimes here, the "reactionary storm"
that he said would come on the ,'!d, camo
with a hard rain of threo inches and somo
thunder- and. lightening, but the "cold
wave" did not follow, wo had nice days,
and^warm,.'. >° to 70°, then yesterday (7th),
this "storm period" commenced with live
inches of light snow and moro coining,
which he thinks will continue until about
tho 12th. Mits. Ii. A. Davis.
ILLINOIS.
Winnkhago Co., Feb. 7.—Change to cold
Saturday morning, everything frozen;
farmers doing chores and getting wood;
roads too rough to do any teaming; no
special news. C. W. P.
OHIO.
Logan Co., Feb. 7.—We have had a Aery
mild open winter, the like has not been
known by the oldest settlers of tho
county, so continued warm. Warm and
rainy seems to bo tho order of tho winter,
with bnt little snow so far; stock of _il
kinds look well; feed plenty; sheep high
and in demand; cattle very low'in price
and not much demand for them; peaches
mostly killed; wheat looks line; there is
full average crop put out. C. F.