VOL. XXV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., AUG. i_3, 1890.
NO. 34
Written for the Indiana Farmer.
GOOD   WHEAT   YIELDS  AT   PURDUE.
Record of Thirty Varieties on the University Farm.
•BY PROF. W. C.  LATTA.
The following is a complete list of the
varieties of wheat, grown the past year on
Furdue University farm, with their respective yields; calculated in bushels per
acre:
1. Velvet Chaff. 37.4
2. Ontario Wonder .25.9
3. Velvet Chaff(whlte smooth) .22.8
4. Hedges l'rolilic 36.9
5. Mealy 35.1
6. Currell's Prolific _.0
7. Wyandotte _.l
8. Velvet Chaff. 33.6
9. Dietz Longberry 33.9
10. Velvet Chaff (brown smooth) 34.5
11. Fulcaster 32.8
12. Fultz 31.8
13. Egyptian 311.0
14. Michigan Amber 34.0
15. Velvet Chaff _ 33.3
16. .Michigan Amber 35.0
17. Velvet Chaff (white bearded) 34.'J
18. Red Fultz 36.2
19. Sibley's Imperial 30.4
20. Poole 3ll.fi
21. Golden Cross.... _.l
22. Velvet Chaff. __.2
23. (lerman Emperor 39.3
24. Raub's Black Prolific -27.3
•25- Original Red 37.3
26. European 41.8
27. .few Monarch -.28.7
28. Improved Rice .28.3
_». Velvet Clinir.  .  -.38.7
;». Hermies Winter  *
31. Early Red Clawson 43.5
32. lllndoostan - 15.9
33. Lehigh No. 6 22.2
31. Reliable .27.4
35. Valley 27.5
36. Velvet Chair. .". 31.3
* Not threshed because affected with "Bunt."
Numbers 1, 8,15, 22,29 and 36 are duplicate parts of
Velvet Chaff wheat.
These wheats were grown side by side
in a good soil, naturally drained. The land
was manured in the winter of 18S7-8 at the
rate of 1114 loads per acre. It also received,
last fall, a dressing of 280 pounds per acre
of a low grade fertilizer, which proved to
have but slight effect on the yield. The
previous cropping has been, grass 1887,
corn 1888, oats 1889. The factors which
were chiefly instrumental* in producing
the good yields were:
1. A fertile, but not too rich soil.
2. Early and thorough preparation of
seed bed.
3. Sound, plump seed.
4. Thorough drainage.
5. Rotation of crops.
6. Manuring a preceding crop, whic h
prevented too rank growth and consequent
rusting and lodging of wheat.
A more detailed report of these wheats,
including average yields for several years,
will be given in a bulletin soon to be published. The bulletin will also contain a
report of "thick and thin" and early and
late seeding as well as an account of fertilizer tests showing net profits and losses
resulting from their use. Every farmer
in the State is entitled to the bulletin free,
which can be secured by addressing a
postal card to Agricultural Experiment
Station, Lafayette, Ind.
August 19,1890.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In your issue of to-day I see you draw
on the Journal and the Sentinel for some
account of the recent "disturbance" near
the mouth of Conn's creek, Shelby county.
Will you allow one who has, among
others, "been there," to state that the J.
and S. men wore magnifying goggles.
The country was not "aroused for miles
around by the sound of the explosion."
There was no detonation or seismic disturbance distinguishable at any distance,
though the rush of gas and roar of flame
did "astonish the natives" for the few
minutes they lasted. But no "great noise
continued to proceed from the interior of
the earth;'.'   no geysers spouted 15 feet
high, and no fissures were made to a depth
f 30 or 40 feet that you or I could haveo
seen. Nor was any grave yard "torn up"
and its dead exposed, and no stones were
hurled irom their places of the sizo named
by the Sentinel, for no such stones were
thero; and the "rock bottom" of the river
is mud—only that and nothing more.
Friction in the sub-strata caused by constant use of nitro-glycerine explosives
may have caused the explosion, certainly
there was no "volcanic action" or "spontaneous combustion." Remember this
was not Trenton gas, but doubtless a gas
generated somewhere in the tertiary formation and gathered into a "pocket."
Adams, Aug. 10. J. H. W.
Varieties of Wheat.
The Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station has issued its bulletin, giving the
summary of this year's experiments with
wheat.
The test was made on a piece of bottom
land, about seven acres in area aud vory
uniform in quality. It was in clover in
1889, and was plowed for wheat after removal of the seed crop of clover. Nearly
all tho varioties were moro or less affected
with stinking smut; the relative injury
from which is indicated iu the last column of the table. All the varieties suffered more or less from the winter killing
during tbe severe freeze of March. In the
next to the last column of the table is
given the per cent of injury from this
source, as estimated about April 1st. Each
plot was exactly one-tonth acre in size.
The yield is given in bushels per acre.
Variety.
&*-     -1   _    t 3
*._    *i>   *"£
1.3-     £_       .
t_
£.
1 Wyandotte 4.70 21 2
2 Velvet Chaff. 31.50 20 2
3 Farouhar  29.45 18 10
4 McQuay 33.58 22 10
5 Mediterranean .29.33 2> 1
6 Sibley's New Golden .28.53 42 0
7 Tasmanian Red , .29.29 35 1
8 Gypsy 29.50 25 2
9 Democrat 30.41 22 0
10 Deitz 31.93 -> 1
11 Reliable 36.16 25 2
12 Valley ....... _. 3..16 Ml 1
13 Egyptian 34.00 25 1
15 Patagoniau Trigo 17.50 85 2
16 Red Fultz 32.50 33 2
17 1'OOle 29.66 35 2
18 Michigan Amber 31.08 33 2
19 Vltter 24.16 45 1
20 German Emperor 30.06 30 2
21 Hungarian 23.33 12 15
21 Geneva 26.29 12 2
23 Nigger 31.75 12 1
24 Dtehl Mediterranean 27.50 30 1
25 Miller's Prolific 23.00 7 1
17 Golden Cross..... 30.00 40 1
28 Missouri Blue Stem _.16 35 2
29 Seneca Chief 31.04 35 1
30 Velvet Chaff. 35.25 15 0
31 Sheriff. 27.91 15 2
32 Big English 28.91 17 2
31 Tascan Island .25.2. 12 1
34 Surprise 29.33 12 0
35 Royal Australian _ 32.66 10 0
36 Golden Prolilic „ 32.75 15 5
37 Red Brazilian 32.33 35 0
38 Red Russian 19.41 85 1
39 Finley. 38.00 25 1
40 Fultz 31.20 25 0
41 Hicks 84.66 3 1
42 Rocky Mountain 27.58 22 0
45 High Grade   29.13 22 0
46 Ontario \Vonderv 25.08 5 10
47 Currell's Prolific... 31.83 10 1
48 Mealy 31.08 8 3
49 Improved Rise 27.45 50 0
50 Extra Early Onkley 25.51 6i 2
51 Silver Chaff. _. 29.58 10 1
52 Martin's Amber 29.12 10 0
53 New Monarch ,.21.66 17 25
51 Theiss 25.41 12 0
55 Oregon 26.62 17 0
Of the above named sorts, Silbey's New
Golden and Tasmanian Red appear to be
identical with Mediterranean. Reliable,
Valley and Egyptian resemble ' each other
very closely while growing, but show
slight differences in the grain. Red Fultz
and German Emperor seem to bo simply
new names for the old Michigan amber.
Pole resembles them closely, but is slightly earlier, has a shorter straw and a more
drooping head. Hungarian and Geneva
can not be distinguished in the field; the
one, however, is very smutty, the other
not so. Diehl-Mediterranean, Golden
Cross, Missouri Blue Stem and Seneca
Chief, are also identical. We also have
the same wheat nnder the names of
"Raub's Black Prolific," "Michigan
Bronze," "Brady I>ake" and "Andrew's
No. 4." Royal Australian is simply the
old Clawson. Finley is another name for
Fultz. We also have Fultz under numerous other aliases in our complete general
list of wheats, which comprises about 250
so-called varieties
—It will De noticed that tho much boasted
New Monarch was one of the poorest varieties at the Ohio station—Ens.
Written for the Indiana Farmer.
The Wood   Supply,
BY N. J. SHEPHERD.
I have found that it is more economical
to burn dry wood than green. My plan is
to cut the wood when green and pile it up
under a shelter and not uso it Ull after it
has dried. More and better heat both in
the cook and heating stoves can be received in this way than by using it part or
all green. The wood cuts and splits easier
whon green, and hence the work should
be done at this time. By having a supply
stand in the woodshed, advantage can be
taken of time for adding to the supply
when it will least interfere with the other
farm work. Often some time can be spared
during the latter part of summer, before
the corn cutting or wheat sowing commences. There is nearly always plenty of
time during the winter that can be spared
for this purpose, and a supply should be
secured that will last at least during the
working season. To attempt to burn green
wood, and to cut it only as needed, from
week to week is paying a very largo price
for fuel considering the saving that can be
made, both in time and-work besides the
better results secured. With a good horsepower and a circular cross-cut saw the
wood can be prepared yery economically.
Another good plan is to use the common
hand cross-cut saws, and cut into proper
lengths for tho wood and then re-split and
pile up. A woodshed where the wood
can be piled up and kept dry while it is
seasoning can always be made profitable,
besides proving a blessing to the wifo and
daughter. If you have never tried the
plan arrange to give it a fair trial this
winter. Have well seasoned wood left
dry in the shed especially for the purpose,
and it will be some time before you will
go back to the old plan of cutting only as
needed.
Eldon, Mo.
—We had a serious notion of giving our
correspondent a sound scolding for sending such an article as the above, for publication in our columns. AVe felt a little
wrathy to think that our readers should
be suspected of such ignorance as not to
know that green wood was not to bo compared to dry for fuel. Does N. J. S. think
that the readers of the Indira Farmer
are such a set of stupids that they must be
told of this in such a serious way? Then
we thought that even though they do
know better, there are some who need to
be reminded of their duties often and
again. So we let the stale, oft-repeated advice go in, for the benefit of that portion
of our readers who must have 'iline upon
line," to keep them in mind of the simplest aud plainest duties, and stir them
up if possible to make ready for the winter, while there is a time of  leisure.—Eds.
Home Insurance Companies.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I have read the article of J. A. Mount in
regard to farm insurance, and can heartily
endorse it. Experience jias proven to us
that it is a very cheap form of  insurance.
Four years   ago we  organized  here, in
Madison county, a farmers' insurance
company. Wo have a president, a secretary and treasurer, and a director for each
township. A membership fee of ?5 is
charged. That is all it costs until there is
a fire, then the loss is adjusted, and a sufficient amount is assessed to liquidate the
loss.
It will be four years tho 18th of September since we organized. During that time
we have had two fires, one requiring an
assessment of 40 cents to the $100, and the
other other 15 cents to the $100. Thus an
insurance for four years has cost us 55
cents to the §100, besides our membership
fee, but tha£ is a lifetime right.
We are careful who we take into our
company, consequently have no trouble in
collecting our losses. We are the capitalists and also the policy holders. We make
money by taking our risks ourselves. We
have no oflicers receiving high salaries, no
advertising, no rents, no dividends, we
mako money by saving.
It is said that stock insurance com-
panies.on an average,find that it takes but
little moro than one-half of the premium
to pay the losses by fire, leaving nearly
one-half of tho premium to pay the ordinary running expenses and profits.
Wo can heartily encourage farmers in
other counties to organize for mutual protection. It is our duty to avail ourselves
of every opportunity that will enable us
to protect ourselves and save money.
Pendleton. John I.. Thomas.
Association   of American   Agricultural
Colleges and Experiment Stations.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
A delegate convention of this Association has been called to meet at Champaign,
Illinois, at noon of Tuesday, November 11.
Attention is called to the following articlo of the constitution of the Association
respecting membership:
"At any regularly called meeting of the
Association each college established under
the Act of Congress approved July 2, 1802,
and each -"experiment station established
under State or Congressional authority,
and the Department of Agriculture, shall
be entitled to one delegate, but no delegate shall cast moro than one vote. Other
institutions engaged in experimental work
in tho interest of agriculture may be admitted to representation in this Association by a majority vote at any regular
meeting of the Association."
In accordance with the requirements of
the amendment to the constitution adopted at the last convention of the Association, the permanent committees on chemistry and on horticulture and the standing
committee on college work are hereby
designated to present a portion of the subjects coming before them iu the general
sessions of the convention.
The program of the meeting will be announced at an early day.
Henry E. Alvord, Chairman.
II. P. Armsby, Secretary,
State College, Center Co., Pa.
C0NGEESSI0HAL.
The prospects are that the Federal election bill, sometimes called the Force bill,
will not pass Congress this season, if ever.
Senator Edmunds has offered the following amendment to the tariff bill:
That whenover tho President of the
United States shall be satisfied that a
sugar producing country, whence sugar is
exported into the United States, has
abolished its duties or taxes on the importation of the principal agricultural products of the United States, he may, by proclamation, diminish or wholly remit the
duties imposed by law on sugar, or any
grado of sugar, produced in and exported
directly from any such country into the
United States, as long as such products of
the United States are admitted free of
duty of tax into such country and no
longer.