*     !
.      1
i
Written for the Indiana Farmer.
Transportation—No
Western farmers keep a steady stream
of expletives play ing on the railroads, snd
just at present the expletives coming
from Kansas and Nebraska are unusually
large and sharp cornered. The Kansas cr
Nebraska farmer produces five bushels of
corn; the railroad carries them to Chicago;
and the railroad takes the proceeds of
three bushels and the farmer is allowed
the proceeds of two bushels. The farmer
is confronted with the fact that transportation amounts to more than production
and harvesting! While the rates of transportation to production is not so large in
the case of all articles sent from the farm
or those brought to it, we must remember also that Chicago is not the ultimate
market; the cost of transporting the corn
from the producer to the consumer is
more than the cost of taking it to Chicago.
The cost of transporting our grains and
hays from the producer to the consumer
very nearly equals the cost of their production. In home cases, as of hay sent
from Illinois or Indiana to the Cotton
States, the cost of transportation is two to
five times what the
farmer is allowed for
production.
In view of the fact
that the cost of transportation to the consumer equals all we are
allowed for rent of land,
preparation of ground,
seed, cultivation, harvesting, storing, and
hauling to the railroad
station, it is not hard
to see that we should
take a lively interest in
railroading as well as
farming. In its effect
upon the prosperity of
farmers, transportation
is of greater moment
than any thing else outside of farming itself.
Compared with transportation, the tariff or
the silver question
are miserably insignific ant. Politicians
are careful to keep our attention on the
small matters, that we may neglect the
weighty matters. When politicians try
to throw the tariff dust in our eyes, we
should remember that for every fortune
made from the protected industries, there
are ten fortunes ten times as large, made
from transportation. The Huntingtons
that buy princely sons-in-law, the Pullmans that own little cities, and tho Goulds
and Vanderbilts that are. stronger than
legislatures and courts, made their millions out of transportation. There is certainly something wrong with that institution which takes from the farmer three-
fifths of his products and which bestows
such enormous fortunes upon its favorites, and which, further, builds up such
dire monopolies as the Standard Oil Co.
Without any partisan purpose, but simply to make an apt comparison, if the
yielding of fortunes is evidence of thievery, we should stop for a time crying
"robber tariff" and cry ten times as ioud
and ten times as long, "robber transportation!"
With us transportation is almost synonymous with railroading. Notwithstanding the millions that have been misspent
on, and the yet more millions stolen from,
our channels of water transportation, railroads transport the bulk of our farm products and fix the charges for all domestic
transportation. If, in our efforts to eradicate abuses that have sprung up in our
transportation system, we consider only
railroads, we  will  not  have overlooked
one aid to the abolition of thoso abuses
will be greater and wiser considerations of
water transportation. It is a significant
fact that now, when the prices of farm
products and of manufactured goods are
so very low, when the profits in farming
and manufacture are so very small, railroads are realizing such profits as they
have scarcely known before. Koads that
have watered their stock to such extent
and have .ou_trueted._o many unnecessary
spur lines that only the most favorable
conditions would allow of a dividend at
all are now declaring very handsome
quarterly dividends. When other industries, legitimate in operation and subject to
competition are deeply depressed, railroading is unusually prosperous. Now, it
does not follow that railroading prospers
on the misfortunes of other industries,
but it is certain that it is not subject to the
conditions that fix profits in those other
industries. This is a significant fact, at
least indicating that there is no real competition among railroads and that they
have inherently or have assumed the
attributes of natural monopolies. Of this
hereafter.
Let me explain right here that I am not
one  of those continually  berating  rail-
rich clay loam. This was divided into
three equal parts—one part received five
two-horse wagon loads of partially rotted
stable manure, scattered evenly over the
surface, after the ground was plowed, and
before planting. The manure was plowed
in with a double shovel plow, which was
followed by the harrow, mixing it thoroughly with the soil.
One part received an application of phosphate at the rate of 400 pounds per acre,
sown broadcast before the first and second
plowings of tho corn. One part was left
without manure.
The result on this acre was quite a surprise to me.   It stood as follows:
_i acre with no manure .28 bu. 2*'_ lbs.
.'._ acre with stable manure 23 bu. 55    lbs.
'*, acre with phosphate y .28 bu. 35*4 lbs.
Each part \vas of equal fertility previous
to the experiment, and had exactly the
same treatment in previous years.
Another experiment was on thin clay
soil. This was divided into four parts,
containing 73 hills each. One part was left
without manure. One received phosphate
as in the first experiment; to the third
was applied stable manure at the rate'of
about 20 tons per acre, spread in the fall;
tho fourth received a similar dressing, except that it was applied in the spring just
THE GREAT HARVESTER WORKS OP WM. DEERING, CHICAGO, ILL.
roads nor have I any sympathy with the
bitter prejudice against railroads in general that exists in some quarters. Railroads
perse are a good thing, an essential thing,
and have been of wonderful benefit. But
this does not lessen the evils that have been
permitted to grow up in railroading and
which are so largely responsible for high
transportation charges.
The farmersof this country annually pay
tens of millions of dollars to have their products transported to the ultimate market;
the matter of transportation is of enormous moment. As the cost of getting his
product to the consumer is borne by the
producer, just as we reduce transportation
charges will we increase the price we get
for our farm products. If the profits in
farming are now eight per cent, which is
certainly putting them high enough, by reducing transportation charges eight per
cent we will double our profits.
I apprehend that transportation charges
may be lessened by, 1st, the development
of water transportation; 2nd, the government ownership of railroads; 3rd, the increase of the home market, and, 4th, so
changing farm products as to give the
same value less bulk and weight.—To be
continued.
Quincy, 111.
Experiments in Manuring for Corn.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I made some experiments last season in
manuring for corn, which proved to be of
considerable interest to myself,"and which,
with your permission I will give to your
much of importance; but we will find that' readers.   The first was on an exact acre of
Average
per acre.
43 bu. 50 lbs.
68 bu. 10 lbs.
59 bu. 10 lbs.
88 bu. 50 lbs.
before the ground was broken. The exact
acre in the first experiment contained 3,285
hills, and since each was planted with the
same machine those in the second experiment contained each 1-45 of an acre.
They yielded as follows:
Plot. How Yield
manured. In lbs.
1 No manure 68
2 Phosphate 106
3 Spring manured :l 8*_
4 Fall manured 138
The phosphate used was tho Gold Coin,
purchased of E. Rauh & Sons, Indianapolis,
at $1 25 per hundred.
The corn in these tests was all planted
and cultivated alike. A number of practical lessons may be drawn from these
tests, but I will only take space to call especial attention to two. First, that the
phosphate paid well on the thin clay soil,
but not on the rich loam; and second, that
the fall season is the time to apply stable
manures. It not only pays largely in the
increased yield of corn but also in helping
to avoid the rush of work in spring and
the injury done by hauling when the
ground is soft. W. V. King.
Bargersville, Ind.
—Such experiments as these of Mr. King
are interesting and valuable, and we shall
be glad to have many more of them. The
result in his case is like that at the "Purdue"
farm. Fertilizers do not pay on land that
produces 80 or 90 bushels of corn to the
acre without them.—Eds.
am a ytrmrg Indiana farmer and have been
a'reader of your most valuable paper, now
a little over two years with much pleasure
and profit. I pronounce it among the
very best anywhere on the globe. I have
never been anything but a farmer and
consequently find much interest and solid
comfort in its folds. I am not very experienced yet, in this branch of industry,as I
am but 20 years of age. I want to direct
attention to the article in tho Farmer of
February 22d, "What of flax industry." I
am not very well acquainted with flax
growing as it hasn't been raised in this
locality for some time. Mr. Pierce seems
to bring out the color and profit of the
subject very nicely and fails to mention
any drawbacks to it. I wonder if he ever
raised any flax on land of his own, year
after year. I fear not, as I am inclined to
think the raising of flax is very hard on
land, I can't give testimonials to this, but
wish to call the attention of brother farmers to it. But that is the principle reason
why farmers do not raise the fabric more,
in Madison county, than they do, not because the soil is of poor quality, for we
have as good a soil here as there is in the
State, but farmers find it to their interest
to raise a crop that will pay a fair income
and profit, and retain
the necessary strength
of the soil. Even if it
don't pay quite so
much profit on a single
crop, it will pay in the
long run. Wheat,corn,
oats and cattle are the
chief crops and stock
raised, with the^excep-
tion of mutton sheep,
which are raised with
somo profit. Hogs are
considerably raised, but
not with very much
profit on account of
disease. A largo per
cent of the Madison
county farm have lost
heavily, during the past
year on account of
cholera.
Twish to ask Brother
Pierce   if  he can state
what    it   will  cost  to
transport  the   flax  straw to   Peru, from
Pendleton, or   Anderson, as I would like
to try a crop of it again sometime.
I once thought I must quit your paper
it at the end of the year, not because it
wasn't a good periodical, but for lack of
cash, but I came to the conclusion that it
paid me largely to take it, and now I can't
do without it. I). W. T.
Pendleton.
A Word About Flax Culture.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I feel as though I would love to make
few remarks in behalf of the farmers as
Trading* Direct With the Farmers.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
The Grange in this part of the State
would be pleased and especially favored if
parties wishing to trade direct with the
Grange would advertise in the Farmer.
Advertise any thiDg they have to sell, stock
grain, dry goods, groceries, hardware, farm
implements etc. Also those wishing to purchase should make it known through the
Farmer. The fee we may pay for insertions in the paper is nothing compared
to the exorbitant prices we pay for our ignorance. We will purchase what we need
by wholesale if parties friendly will make
themselves known. Advertise, or correspond with grange, No. 785. Or with Daniel Atkinson, Sr., Lecturer of Lookout
Grunge No. 785. Daniel Atkinson, Sr.
Salamonia.
—The suggestion is a good one but there
is no doubt but many of those who adver-
tiso with us now will sell in the way suggested by Mr. Atkinson, if buyers will
bulk their orders and have the goods sent,
all at the same time.—Eds.
An effort is being made to free tho-
gravel roads of Greencastle township,,
Putman county.