(HicucxixX %%&XXJ&.
Frost has killed Texas sugar cane.
Milton, la., had a rat  hunt by    clubs,
n which 2,G7<! rats were killed,  ono  side
winning by 112.
James Mcintosh and tho two Misses
Evans were drowned while driving on the
ice at Mason City, Ia.
Four of the children of the Rev. Louis
Freeze, the German minister at Champaign, 111., have died of malignant diph-
theria,and it was reported that another one
was not expected to live.
Reuben Eisenhart, foreman at tho Cameron mine an Shamokin, Pa., which has
has boen on fire several days, was overcome by black damp while in the mine
and died soon after.
Georgo II. Hill, a young man living
near Sandusky, O., was thrown from a
wagon by a runaway horse, last Friday
night. The lines caught about his neck
and he was dragged to death.
The Mississippi river is dangerously
high. The water in some places is but a
few inches below the top of the levee.
Weak places in the levee are being
strengthened. Great anxiety prevails at
Pine Bluffs, Ark.
Aultman, Miller Co., Akron,0. have just
received a diploma of award on the Buckeye Binder for first prize in the harvest
fields of Australia. The contest was made
at Traralgon Australia in December, the
time of their wheat harvest.
Master Abraham Lincoln, son of Mr.
Robert Lincoln, the United Statos Minister, to London, who has been suffering for
a long time from a malignant carbuncle on
left side below the arm pit, died on the
morning of the 5th. He was a grandson
and namesake of President Lincoln.
If the report of tlie geologist who has examined the field can be relied upon, gold
and silver in paying quantities havo been
discovered on the farm of Jeremiah Stauf-
fer, near the Mt. Vernon, Pa., ore mines.
Stanton, the geologist, states the rock assays about §290 in silver, and from $600 to
?1 000 in gold to the ton.
There is a great excitement in vicinity
of Fountainhead, Summer county, Tenn.,
over the appearance of spotted fever, or
malignant meningitis. James Chaney,
his two children and a niece have all died
within a week or 10 days. James Simson
has lost two sons. In all, there have been
six or seven deaths, and there are several
new cases. Those who take it live only a
very short timo, some dying in twenty-
four hours.
Suggestion to the Governor.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In your March 1st issue you say "The
governor asks for suggestions. One suggestion we would offer is that an effort towards road improvement should be made
with tho purpose of having all public roads
free, just as streets and sidewalks in our
towns and cities are free."
Yes, and so say I if the thing is brought
about in a way consistent with justice to
all. Unless I am wrongly informed as to
matter on this line, an illustration of what
I mean is in tho following: A lives in the
township in which is located some part of
nearly all the pikes in the county as it
contains the county seat. B who lives in
an extreme out township having no pikes
to speak of does not have to travel far until ho is out of his own township and soon
reaches one of the main pikes of the county in another township, and, at a point
some eight miles from the county seat and
which is a toll road. B says he and his
township are strong tor free roads and no
wonder, if as I am told he will not have
anything to pay, while A  who  does  not
uso but one mile of the same road will be.
assessed heavily as he is liable for all   the
pikes in his township.
I believe the sentiment favorable to free
roads is practically universal, when it can
be shown that justice and equity to all aro
observed. The toil roads should go, but
it will not be done soon without some
changes in the law upon the subject. Obtain them at a fair cost, and equitably assess the burdens and you have free roads.
As an editor knows overy thing lot him
shed full light on this whole matter, please.
Vox PoruLi.
—The suggestion you, and those situated
as you are, would make to the governor
then is that the law relating to buying the
toll roads should be so amendedasto make
the burden of paying for such roads fall
more equally upon those using them than
now the case. Of course you are right in
this, and it is just such suggestions as this
that the governor needs to aid him in
bringing the matter before the Legislature
with such force and clearness as will be
most likely to secure tho end desired. All
farmers would be glad to have good freo
roads and should willing to pay a just proportion of their cost. The question to be
decided is who should be assessed to purchase the toll roads and how should the
assessment be proportioned. Here is room
for considerable friendly and fair discussion. Let us have it. The owners of high
priced land along the pikes and near the
county towns will look at the subject in
one way, but thoso at a distance, whose
lands are less valuable and who will use
ten miles of the pike to one of the other
class will have something to say too.—Eds,
Needed Legislation.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I see in your paper of last week a column
headed "Needed Legislation." It occurs
to me that our Legislature could do our
farmers a vast amount of good by passing
a law granting county commissioners privilege to levy a tax each year for the pur-
poseof making freegravel or Macadamized
roads. The present condition of our roads
is such as to enlist the hearty support of
every tax payer in the country for such a
law. N. E. II,
Editors Indiana Farmer:
IMPORTANT   AMENDMENT   TO    OUR    INSUR
ANCE LAWS DEMANDED.
Under the above heading in your issue of
March 1st, I was glad to notice your very
generous proposition to publish from time
to time the views of your readers on the
new laws we need and the changes that
should be made in those we have. Now,
brother farmers, I submit, could a suggestion be moro timely, or a proposition more
liberal? The Fabmeb very wisely intimates that now is the time to make our
wants known, and generously offers us
space in its columns as a medium of
INTERCHANGE OF THOUGHTS AND   SUGGESTIONS,
and thus acquaint the next Assembly of
our Senators and Representatives with the
wants and wishes of their agricultural constituency. Let us no more sit down and
complain that our interests as farmers aro
are ignored. Let us not forget that we
eacli hold in our hand, and at our disposal,
a unit of the power that controls, or modifies our common welfare. We have among
us men of talent, men who are capable of
instructing and educating the masses and
of ably advocating and urging our claims
even in the halls of legislation. But the
farm, with its varied and ceaseless cares,
claims our presence and attention all the
year round. Thus we are almost wholly
deprived of meeting each other and consulting as to our best interests as do those
of other trades and professions. Such
being the case the
COLUMNS   OF   OUB   AGRICULTURAL   PAPERS
seem to be the only medium loft us through
which wo can confer with each other and
enjoy tho privilege of an interchange of
views and suggestions on topics pertaining
to our interests as tillers of tho soil.
Reverting to the subject or question of
needed legislation" I have something to
suggest—something I feel confident, when
properly presented and duly considered,
will arrest the attention and meet the approbation and approval of nine-tenths of
the property holders of Indiana, those of
other professions as well as farmers. Under the head of laws governing insuranco
companies I suggest the necessity and justice of adding an act by our Legislature
holding each and every
INSURANCE COMPANY
doing business in Indiana responsible, in
case of total loss for the full amount insured on buildings. As the law now
stands it seems that irresponsible, incompetent or unprincipled agents are allowed
to travel over the country, in many cases
insuring buildings at from 50 to 100 per
cent higlier than they should be insured.
As often occurs some farmer meets with a
loss of a barn or dwelling. Woll, how
about the adjustment? After a lapse of
perhaps months of time, while the sleek
solicitor is in some other part of the State
securing high insurance on a good round
commission, the Hon. Mr. Adjuster dashes
into the "burnt district" displaying as
much pomp and dignity as some foreign
potentate would manifest in the presence
of his private subjects. After said dignitary has carefully viewed tlie premises, comparing the foundation of tho ruins with
the description as given in the application
for policy, and perhaps finding no serious
discrepancy or hole through Which his
company might
ESCArE ALL RESPONSIBILITY
it suddenly dawns on his mind that the
insurance was 50 per cent too high, which
he proceeds to demonstrate by figures,
being himself, of course, as pertains to
architectural costs andcalculationsa math
ematical expert. Well, as his livery rig
and coachman await his lordship at the
farmer's gate, Mr. Adjuster closes his
memorandum and, while lighting a fresh
cigar, informs the timid farmer that ho
will adjust the loss at certain figures (perhaps two-thirds or three fourths, the
amount stipulated in the policy) and if
brother farmer does not accept such offer
the company, he says, will carry the mat-
tor to the court of an adjoining county.
Brother farmers
IS THE PICTURE OVERDRAWN?
Have not similar cases of insurance and
adjustment [?] happened under your observation and to your knowledge? When
a farmer insures his property in good faith,
paying the premium therefore, and afterward such property or building be totally
destroyed by fire, I ask should not such
company, whose agent executed such insurance, be held fully responsible for the
full amount of insurance? If not, why
not? Senator Mount as we regard you as
one of us and knowing as we do, that you
will have a voice in the next Legislature,
what say you as to tho justice of our claim ?
Brother farmers let us hear from you on
the above topic, or any other you consider
of general interest to farmers. I believe it
is the object of tho Farmer company to
make it a first class farmer's paper and the
discussion through its columns of matter-
pertaining to our interests I believe to bo
the wish of its editors. J. N. C.
Switzerland Co.
Take Care of Stock and Implements.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
While in the replies to Dr. R.'s letter it
has been proved conclusively that farming
does pay, there is ono point in successful
farming I do not think has been presented
with sufficient force. That is the necessity
of taking care of what we do accumulate.
We commenced on a farm of a littlo less
than 200 acres, with a mortgage of ?5,000
and a debt of ?300 for  outfit  for  farming
we did not borrow money to furnish the
house or buy a driving horse and  buggy).
In less than three years we wore ablo to
buy 40 acres more and keep tlie notes on
the homo farm paid off, to ditcli and keep
up all other improvements besides. In
less than six years wo paid off the mortgage, had more in tlie house and more
stock on the farm than when we commenced and we did it more by being careful than by making large sums.
If the business man should practice tho
wanton carelessness of many fanners the
bankrupt list would be doubled if not
trebled.
We would think it insanity if an implement dealer would bring on a carload of
wagons and run them out beside the fence,
or a lot of plows and get them all covered
with soil and let them stand out exposed
to the sunshine and the rain until he could
sell them. Yet it would not be moro flagrant extravagance than is practiced by
many farmers, who go in debt for such
things, use them and then leave thom
"year in and year out" exposed to the elements. When we bought our piano of one
of your music dealers, ho camo with his
agent to make tho sale. During the day he
went with our little boy for a walk, to the
barn. When they returned he said in his
German way of putting things, "Well Mr.
It. I makes you one very great gompli-
ment, you takes care of your machinery."
Then he told of a speech he had made at a
Grange picnic, after a speaker who had deplored the low prices and dull times for
tho farmer. He said he could not say as
tho gentleman before him, that it was the
low prices made tho hard times for tho
farmer. He thought they brought it on
themselves by their carelessness, he had
seen so many farms with nice largo* barns
and yet the farm machinery run up by the
fence to go to destruction.
So I think it is carelessness in both stock
and machinery that brings hard times. Often my husband has gone to town on a
stormy day (would walk two miles rather
than tako his horse out) and would find the
hitching rack tied full of horses and teams
and tlieir owners standing around the
stoves.
• When through with his business he
would prepare to start home, someone
would say, What is the use to be in such a
hurry? You can't do anything to-day.
He would tell them stormy days wero his
busiest days; it took so much moro work
to make his stock comfortable.
He always takes such days to add any
needed changes about the barn. Perhaps
it is a longer rack, so tho sheep can get at
their hay without crowding, possibly a
door needs adjusting, or a partition moving so the young cattle .can have more
room, or by a little change, the old horso
that has been his faithful friend can have a
stall whero it can move around and not get
stiff. And in like manner the comfort of
all the stock is looked after, while many
farmers are sitting around the fire and
their stock, if sheltered at all, have very
uncomfortable stables. Economist.
Fountain Co.
A Sample of Many Letters.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
The advertisement of the Empire Reapers and Mowers I placed in your paper has
paid for the cost several times. I consider
the Farmer the best advertising medium
for agricultural machinery, of any in existence.       Yours very truly
W. H. Dillman, State Manager.
Hickory King Corn.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Last year I gave this corn a thorough
test on a good ground and was very much
disappointed in it. It makes lots of fodder,
but the ears are small, hard to shucK and
are sot so high on the stalks that they are
not easily gathered. The grains are large
and the cob small, but I do not think
enough of it to plant it again.     W. B. O.
Carliuville, 111.