Wrllt _ for the Indiana Farmer.
Agronomics—No. 2.
BY JOHN M. BTAH_
In the characteristic assertion of the
city paper, noticed in my preceding article,
tho point ia made that the _<*_er lives
better now than forty years ago. Very
true, and all good people are glad of jt.
Very many farmers are wasteful but very
few are extravagant, as that word is generally understood. Twenty-live years ago
a farmer's carriage was a variety here, in
weatern Illinois. In fact, at that time
there were only two in the township in
which I resided. We went to town, to
church, to fuuerals, to social gathering*.,
in tbe farm wagons, and some thought
their livers were all the better for the jolting. Xow in tbat same township there is
not a single farmer that has not a carriage.
On some farms there are more than one—
the son has his, so he can take his girl riding when some other member of the family wishes to use a carriage. Twenty-flvo
years ago we would go live miles to see
a "cottage organ," and sit around with our
mouths open while some easy piece wai
played; now tbo organ is not good enough,
. "its out of style," and the girl must have
a piano and take lessons until she can play
(or thinks she ean) "classical music," whatever that is. Twenty-five years ago the
children tiptoed over a carpet when they
came to one; ju.t now the women folks
are ^discussing whether a body brussels
will be good enough for the parlor. In the
*.ixtl©s we were proud when we got cane-
seated chairs and a lounge; * now the hair
cloth parlor set is out in the summer
kitchen. Twenty-five years ago my family subscribed for the Independent, the
_. Y. Tribune, and tbo local paper; and
we exchanged with a neighbor and got
the American Agriculturist and Uodey's
Lady's Book, and people thought we were
quite literary! The publishers of our best
magazines say that the large majority of
their subscribers are country people, and
farmers now get at least live times a. many
newspapers as they did only twenty years
ago. Why it seems only -yesterday when
the -woman that had two chromos in her
house could hardly keep down on a social
equality with the woman that had only
one. Now we must have oils and water-
colors and pastels and crayons that the
girls have done. Twenty-five years ago
the woman made nearly all the men's
clothes; now even our working-clothes are
bought ready made and some farmers go
to the tailors for Snnday suits. And the
tailors and clothing merchants tell me
that farmers Ijave not only discovered
what a fit is, but that they are actually
particular to get it. Only yesterday I saw
a farmer boy reject a pair .of trousers because there was not braid down the ..legs—
something that it appears is now "the
style."
lam heartily glad that farmers live
better and higher. They are on a higher
plane, and it is altogether good that they
should be. God made beautiful and fine
and elevating things to be used and enjoyed, and a man is both happier and
better because of magazines and books and
music and paintings and carriages and
handsome furniture. A nice dwelling has
a tendency to make a man better, not
worse; good neat clothing raises a man up,
it does not pull him down. If farmers can
afford this better living, it is wholly a
good; it depends whether or not we can
afford it. I can safely appeal to every
honest aged reader who distinctly remembers the former times—I can safely appeal
to such that farmers can better afford their
present style of living than they could afford then their style of living fifty years
ago. Th8y are not now so often or so hard '
pinched for ready money; we do not have j
o  hoard so carefully to get enough for the'
tax gatherer; fewer farmers are in imminent danger of losing their farms to the
money lender; and it is far easier for a
poor man to get a farm and home. This
is true, notwithstanding the persistent and
vociferous lying of demagogues.
But we have most reason to rejoice at
the higher plane of living of farmers because it is the best evidence that they are
beIter paid for their labor. The political
economists have discovered a new "law
governing wages." It is lhat tbe laborers
in any occupation will continue in it only
so long as tbey receive for their labor such
renmueration as will permit such a style
of living as the mass of then, isaccu&tomed
to. Some readers may think that this ia
putting the cart b«fore the horse; others
that it Is only Interposing a proposition.
But whether tho accustomed plane ot living fixes the wages, or the wages fix the
accustomed plane of living, it is certain
that a higher plane of living proves higher
wages. This, of course, is to be appplled,
not to individuals,buttomasses;altbough,
of course, a large majority of individual
cases must fall within the rule. That tho
accustomed plane of living fixes the wage
is, ltwoulds_ui,abundantly prjved. Thus
without exception, child and women labor
In factories docs not Increase tbe earnings
of tho family. They earn just as much
whei- only the adult malos work In tho
factory aa when the children uud women
also work. When the latter enter the factory, competition Is sharpened, and the
wages of the adult males fall. The whole
family earns what will permit of the
former style of living, and no more.
Formerly women and children worked ln
the fields much more than now. If they
returned totlie.ields, tho famlly would not
earn more. The lessoned employment of
women and children ln field work is of
Itself splendid evidence that farm labor is
now bettor paid; and that farming ls now-
more profitable, the better living of farmers better evidences than doos any comparison of prices of land or labor, of rents,
or of products bought or sold.
Quincy, 111.
"What Has Been Done for  the Farmer?"
Kditors Indiana Farmer:
This letter is a reply to D. K., who wrote
under the title "What has been done for
the farmer?" in your Issue of October 18th.
How Is a farmer going to save more than
he spends, when he sells his corn at 19
cents a bushel, which was the selling price
last Christmas in Fountain Co., and the
actual cost of .raising a bushel of corn,
is 25 cents, and when wheat sells for 70
and 75 cents? Thisyear we receive, in our
State, better prices for our grain, but this
is due to failures elsewhere. How can a
farmer save when it takes over a bushel of
corn to buy a pound of coffee? When lt
takes 70 bnshels at 20 cents, to buy a $14
suit of clothes? What would a city gentleman think of such a suit for Sunday?
He usually pays 30 or-10 dollars for a tailor
made suit. If the farmer's wife should
buy a cashmere dress, and hire it made of
the same quality of dress goods and make
as a banker's wife would wear, it would
cost 20 or 25 dollars, which would tako 100
bushels, at 20 cents, for the $20 dress. We
will have to let the city folks sneer at our
blue jeans, checked shirt 'and cow hide
shoes, as we cannot afford better; since
one man with one team, can only tend
about 25 acres of corn, which, if he has a
crop of 45 bushels per acre, will amount to
1125 bushels of corn. His team, in one
year's time, will eat about 180 bushels,
which would leave 1015 remaining, irhe
sells at 20 cents, he receives $20!. The cost
being 25 cents per bushel, his loss is $52.25.
Not only does the farmer lose In his corn
crops, but in other farm products in
proportion. Very few farmers attend theaters, or take any pleasure trips to the
mountains or sea.   If the farmer Is not in
some way aided, it won't be long until he
cannot even afford to give his children a
good common school education. 1 would
like to know tbe man's occupation who
signed his name D. K., in the Ism ana
Farmer of October ISth. I am not au old
maid or widow, and if I was, I would not
care to become his wife, for I would have
to wear calico dresses aud cow hide shoes.
My opinion is, that he is not a farmer.
What is a saving to the farmer, is not a
loss to some one else. If he receives good
prices for his grain and stock, he can in
return pay his* hired help good wages.
The farmers hire but little help, because
they cannot afford it. If thefarmers prosper so will the merchants, bankers, teachers and all others.
No, we do not want the salaries of teachers reduced. I taughtin tbepublicBt-liools
for three years, and from hearing others
tell their experience, and from my own, I
think school teachers would nover become
rich teaching school. Tho teachers can
barely earn a good living, and will have
"nothing left to supp _ t them when thoy
be._ine old. If their wages aro reduced,
they must have longer terms. Thefarmers are anxious for au education, and if
they are prosperous, the teachers will receivo b«Iter wages and longer terms. Let
us lessen the salaries of our public oflicers,
not so low as that tho olllces will be filled
with j-ersons who are Incompetent, but so
thero will not be such a heavy burden for
tho laboring, class to carry. The salaries
of our officers were fixed when wheat was
$1 a busbel, and .corn 40 and 00 cents.
We cannot afford to pay our olllcers such
exorbitant prices as long as we have to
soil our products at such low prices as wo
do.
Wo havo not In Indiana, had as many
failures as the two Dakotas or Kansas, and
why have wo so many farm mortgages?
Simply becauso we receive too low prices
for our products, and Congress has passed
no bills to aid us, and we havo to llv*, and
therefore our farms aro mortgaged.
Certainly the one who loans to the
farmer is just as much entitled to his
remedy as If he had loaned to some one
elso. That is not the point. We must appeal direct to Congress for help. We do
not want help given us, but give us a
chance to help ourselves. Wo must be
better represented in Congress. Many
farmers who go West have merely enough to
take tbem there, and if they donot prosper
they. have not the means to bring them
away. The farmers do not want to take
from private individuals money without
security or interest, but let the Govern
ment issue greenbacks, lending to them at
one or two per cent. Farmer Smith keeps
what he has if he wears rough clothes,
eats rough food and travels afoot, on
horseback - or In the wagon. While if
farmer Jones lives as prosperous people
live, in these days, such as the oflicers ana
bankers, his farm will be mortgaged.
What is the cause of farmers seeking
other employment? Because the farm
will not support him and his family and
save anything for old age. Yes, the success of every business depends upon the
manner in which it is managed. Tbe
farmer manages his farm, but he does not
fix the prices at which his grain and stock
sell. Ills enemies are no longer in ambush, but have boldly confronted him
and have taken the larger portion of his
dally earnings. But the farmers' organization will soon be able to resist these
Impositions.
I think the farm ought to look tidy.
Some neglect this through carelessness,
bnt the majority do so because they have
not the time to do it themselves, and can
not hire much help just so long as he sells
his products at a low price.
Often his tools are left unsheltered, because he cannot afford to buy lumber to
shed them.   Grumblers spoil any  profes
sion. The farmers have long been grumbling about the prices of farm products,
and have not investigated tbe cause of all
this, until about tho past two years. The
result of their investigation is that organizations have been formed with the motto,
"United we stand, divided we fall." Kach
one is working for better times.
Mrs. 11. G. A. M.
Ayleswortb, Oct. 2Sth.
An Experiment ln Wheat Culture.
Kditors Indiana Farmer:
1 have been making some experiments
ln wheat culture tbis season aud would
like to use enough of your valuable space
to give my brother farmers some outline
of wheat I have done, hoping that I may
give some suggestions that w ill be of juse
to others, and perhaps receive some In return that will bo of future value to me.
The piece of ground upon which I have
been expeiimeutlng is a thirty-acre field
of what is known in this country as sugar-
tree land; it Is sllj htly rolling. The soil
of the valleys is black, whileon the upland
It is a light clay loam. Ten acres of this
field was, during the past season, in oats
and the reuuluder In corn,—ss much for
the character of rhe soil.
1 first commenced operations by hauling
out upon the oat stubble seventy- five loads
of woll rot'tod straw manure. 1 then broke
theground as shallow as possible at that dry
time, the fust week in August, and as soon
as tlio ground was plowed ran over the
field with a heavy plank drag; about the
tenth of August we had a good rain, and
I then started a harrow and harrowed' It
throe times with spring-tooth and once
with a Scotch-harrow; then rolled it down.
On the 10th day of September, I drilled
lnthe wheat,usingbotween .'iand(i pecks of
Lake Shore wheat to the acre. Tho other
2) acre* was as I havo already said,in corn,
I cut tho corn a . early as possible finishing Sept 20. I then plowodaboutlivoacres
with a breaking plow, plowing as shallow
as possible; dragged, harrowed, and rolled
it, and thou drill it in with a two horse
fertilizing drill, using seven pecks of
Fultz wheat and one hundred and seventy-
five pound., of Curries' Guano to tho acre.
After drilling 1 rolled the ground down
solid with an Iron roller. On tho remainder of this field, fifteen acres, I merely
ran a spring-tooth harrow- ahead of the
drill; and drilled the same amount of
wheat with ono hundred and seventy-
five pounds of raw Bone Meal and Superphosphate of Lime per acre.
As It may be of interest to some of your
readers to know tho coat of putting in a
wheat crop in this Iway, I take from my
books the following statement of expense:
I....1 wheat. 6. bu »li. ! nat _t -i. r bushel __.(%! 00
One an.l one-half tons fertllln-r   « u)
Labor, lirifiarlnis ground ami putting In crop... 15 50
Total e*|n-ns<. of 30 acre.of wheat...™ (no 50
This estimate does not include the
value of the manure hauled on the
oat stubble, as I do not think it fair
to charge the land with .the value of the"
manure which has originally been taken
from it. As the reader will readily observe, I have prepared twodilfcrentsoilsin
three different ways, and^have used four
different manures; three commercial fertilizers, and one of common barnyard manure. At the present writing, Oct. 26th, I
have never had a finer prospect for wheat.
The question Is.wlll the result justify the
extra expensel) I would be glad to have
any suggestions from older and more- experienced farmers. What I have done
has been merely In experiment, the success of which only the futuro will determine. a# £, '
Decatur Co.
A _i__ looking pumpkin, one of 40 upon
the same vine, was left at our offlce last
week, by Mr. S. M. Patton, of this county.
It is a prollfio variety at least.