VOL. XXVIII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. JUNE 24, 1893.
NO. 25.
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN.
Department of Agriculture United States
Weather Bureau. Crop Bulletin of the Indiana Weather Service in Co-operation
With the Agrictdtural Experiment Station
at Purdue University, Tuesday, June 20,
1893.
Very little rainfall; in most localities
none; exceedingly high temperatures and
much sunshine prevailed uninterruptedly.
Under such favorable conditions crjps
grew and matured very rapidly, and farm
work could be carried on to advantage.
Wheat is ripening everywhere and the
harvest of a big crop will begin within a
few days; in a few fields it has already begun. Clover is being cut; in most localities there will be gathered a heavy crop.
Corn is growing very rapidly; it stands
well in clear fields. Oats, rye ana grass
are maturing fast with a splendid promise;
early-planted potatoes are being dug,
while later planted are in bloom. The
prospect for good and abundant crops in
general, except fruit, is at present very
flattering.
SOUTHERN rOBTlON.
Jackson Co.—Continuous hot, dry
weather has advanced all crops very
rapidly, and good progress has been made
in farm work; wheat ls ripening very rapidly and much, of the crop will be harvested this week; the grain is plump and
the yield in .quantity and quality will be
considerably above an average; corn is a
good stand and growing very rapidly, and
oats and grasses are rank and vigorous;
cherries aud berries are an average crop;
melon plants are doing well; general crop
outlook promising; no nosious insects.
No rainfall.
Greene Co.—Meadows and potatoes need
rain; corn looks well; the wheat harvest
will begin next week; fruit is dropping,
and peaches, apples and pears will be
scarce.   No rain.
Crawford Co.—Warm, sunny weather
permitted the cultivation of corn, which
was planted very late; wheat is in line
condition and the harvest is very near;
some have commenced already; the fruit
crop is almost a total failure.   No rain.
Dubois Co.—The young corn and oats
look well; the wheat harvest will begin
next week with not quite so heavy a crop
as last year.   No rain.
Gibson Co.—The weather has been very
favorable for farming and the growing
crops; wheat is ripening fast and will be
ready to cut by the 21st; a heavy crop of
clover is being cut, corn planting is just
finished and much plowing was done; a
fine crop of raspberries just began to
ripen.   No rain.
Warrick Co.—Corn is all planted and doing well; the first wheat we cut was on the
15th: oats are heading; clover is ripening
late; meadows in general are quite weedy.
No rain.
Vanderburg Co.—Corn looks well but
needs rain; wheat is almost ready for the
harvest; clover is being cut; timothy will
be a large crop this year.   No rain.
Posey Co.—Some wheat was cut on the
17th, a large crop o. clover has been saved
in good condition; late planted corn is
growing nicely; rain is needed.   No rain.
Sullivan Co.—Wheat looks well and cutting will begin about the 25th; corn is all
in and doing well^grass is in fine condition and some clover has been cut; this is
remarkable weather crops all maturing
fast, I never saw corn grow more rapidly.
No rain.
: Bartholomew Co:—No rain has fallen
during the past eleven days; wheat is ripening, and premises an abundant yield;
the drouth has proved slightly injurious
to potatoes.   No rain.
Jefferson Co.—The weather was very
fine for ripening corps; much wheat and
rye will be cut the next week; clover
makes a line crop.   Kainfall 0.G5.
Franklin Co.—The weather has been
very favorable to farmers; corn is growing
rapidly; the wheat harvest will begin in
one week, later than usual.   Kainfall 0.35.
Perry Co.—The weather was favorable to
farm work; corn is all planted and a good
stand, some fields are ready for the plow;
wheat is doing well; clovor ia being harvested but not so good a crop as last year.
No rain.
Clarke Co.—Dry weather prevailed during the week, and farmers have been busily employed in plowing young corn; no
corn will be planted after this week; wheat
is beginning to ripen; some clover hay
was made during the week.   No rain.
Dearborn Co.—Corn is up and growing
rapidly, it needs rain; wheat is turning,
barley is ready to cut; the clover harvest is
ended; the short crop of strawberries is
gone; the prospect for other berries is better.   Kainfall light in few places.
Decatur Co.—Crops are in splendid condition; wheat is turning yellow, ready for
cutting noxt yrcok; the clover harvest is
proceding; early potatoes are maturing
and will yield a good crop; fruit is dropping badly.   Rainfall, 0.02.
Owen Co.—The weather has been very
beneficial to corn and wheat, the latter is
ripening very fast and will be ready to cut
next week; a little rain will be beneficial
just now.   No rain.
Lawrence Co.—Lots of sunshine; wheat
is ripening very fast; harvesting will begin next Wednesday; corn looks well, but
needs rain; oats promise a full crop; a
good crop of raspberries now in the market.   No rain.
Floyd Co.—There has been no rain during the past week and the ground is getting very hard; potatoes need rain badly;
wheat harvest will begin in a few days;
peaches are falling.   No rain.
Pike Co.—All growing crops were benefited by tbe abundant sunshine and high
temperature; corn, especially, made remarkable progress; some scab has been
noted in the wheat; a good crop of clover
is being harvested, but timothy will be
light.   No rain.
Brown Co.—Warm, dry weather prevailed during the week, and corn, potatoes and youcg crops are in need of rain.
No rain.
CENTRAL PORTION.
Marion Co.—Warm temperature and
sunshine every day matured wheat and
caused corn to grow rapidly; all crops are
very promising; corn fields plowed; potatoes in bloom.   No rain.
Randolph Co.—Fine weather for farmers
prevailed; corn plowing is the order of the
day and the corn is clean and growing
fast.   Rainfall 0.G8.
Clay Co.—The weather has been very
favorable: all crop conditions are improved; a large acreage of corn has been
planted in good condition.   No rain.
Union Co.—All crops are in very promising condition; the rain of last Wednesday was very beneficial to corn; the
ground had become very hard. Rainfall
0.50.
Hendricks Co.—Another week of clear
weather and sunshine most of the time
with some local showers on Thursday;
everything on the. farms is growing
nicely; wheat and clover are looking very
well.
Wayne Co.—Wheat, corn and oats in
very good condition; the latter is light;
the clover harvest has begun; strawberries
are good and abundant; tomatoes are a
poor crop and but thriving; cherries will
yield about half a crop and there is a poor
prospect for apples.   Rainfall 0.10.
Boone Co.—A grand week for corn
plowing and for the maturing of wheat;
both crops have improved much and corn
is in an unusual fi ;e condition; early potatoes are affected by tho drouth. No
rain.
Montgomery Co.—The high temperature
whick prevailed during the week was
beneficial to grass and wheat, but strawberries were slightly injured.   No rain.
Fayette Co.—Growing crops were greatly
benefited by an abundant shower on the
lGth inst.   Rainfall at Connersville 0.98.
NORTHERN rORTION.
Tlppocanoe Co.—Tho weather has beon
quite warm, perhaps a little too dry for
oats but very favorable to all other growing crops.   Rainfall 0.09.
Steuben Co.—The weather has been very
favorable to work the corn which promises
to be a good crop this year.   Rainfall 0.10.
Elkhart Co.—Warm weather prevailed;
wheat is done blooming under the most
favorable conditions; everything looks
lovely; corn especially is clean and doing
well.   Rainfall 0.20.
-—Koscuisko Co.—The weather lias been
the best; abundant warm rain and sunshine; wheat is approaching maturity fast
and promises a good average crop; flies are
in some fields; corn and oats are doing
well; hay will be an immense crop. Rainfall 0.75.
Fulton Co.—The weather has been warm
and pleasant and very favorale to crops.
No Rain.
LaPorte Co.—During the past week fine
growing weather prevailed; corn is doing
well and looks fino; no clover is cut yet;
wheat headed well; where it was winterkilled it is thin on the ground. " Rainfall
at Hatches Mills none; at LaPorte 0.80.
Cass Co.—The fair wealher and high
temperature have been very favorable to
all crops; small fruit yields a fair crop,
but apples and pears are dropping off.
Rainfall 0.12.
La Grange Co.—Warm, dry weather prevailed in the central and southern portions
of the county; in the central and southern
portion, however, a heavy rain fell on the
16th inst; haymaking will commence next
week; potatoes are in bloom, and promise
a good crop; stock is doing woll, and potatoes are in good condition. Kainfall at
La Grange, 1.00 in.
De Kalb   Co.—The* weather  during the
past week continued favorable to the growing crops;, there will be an average crop of
wheat, and  prospects  are favorable"for a
good crop; oats are in splendid condition;
and grass  never looked  more promising
for a good crop of hay; small fruit will  be
abundant.   Kainfall at Auburn, 1.00 in.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Per C. F. R. Wappknhans,
Weather Bureau Assistant Director.
State Experiment Station.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
If not too late, please say to Faumeu
readers, that tho Tippecanoe County Agricultural Societ3* has a sort of a basket picnic at the Experiment Station, at Lafayette, on Saturday next, June 24, to see the
Station and its work. We should be glad
to see all here who can come, no matter
from what part of the State. Let the
editors of the F r.h-r come We have
lots of interesting experimental work to
be seen, and <he University grounds are
now in their full beamy.   Cordially,
Lafayette, Ind.     C. S. Plumb, Director.
NATUBAI.   AHD   ABTIFICIAL   DRAINAGE
OF INDIANA.
At the end of the glacial period, the land
embraced within the 300 by 150 miles now '
comprising the State of Indiana, wa
nearly a level plain, with an elevation of
about 1,000 feet above sea level. In the
years subsequent, the force of the waters
from rainfall has made the rivers of the
State and numerous lesser water courses,
which have become wonderful systems of
natural daainage. The Wabash river, rising in Ohio, has an elevation above sea
level at the Ohio State line of 820 feet, and
where it empties into the Ohio, 313 feet
only. Thus the water has cut away over
500 feet in its course across this original
level plain. The lesser rivers and streams
show the influence of the water in about
the same ratio to the distance they flow.
With the exception of the small sections
in the north and northeastern part of the
State, the trend of this drainage is to the
southwest. The small sections referred to
are drained by the Maumee riever into
Lake Krie, and the St. Joseph river into
Lake Michigan. As a result of this flow
to the southwest, part of the table lands
and general surface of the State, once
nearly level, have been lowered several
hundred feet. The great body of marsh
table lands in the Kankakee valley, not
yet reclaimed, lie nearly 700 feet above the
ocean, 150 feet above the Wabash river,
and nearly a hundred feet above Lake
Michigan.
The open drainage system is rapidly being supplemented by tile drainage in
every section of the State where the soil is
underlaid with clay. This is especially
true of the table lands lying north of an
east and west line runnirg 20 miles south
ofjlndianapolis.and of the level lands south
of that line resting on clay subsoils.
Wherever complete tile drainage has been
accomplished, it has nearly doubled the
productive capacity of the lands. Under
its influence wheat production has nearly
doubled per acre. There are now about
30,000 miles of tile drainage in the State,
and the work is still progressing rapidly.
Live Stock for 'World's Fair.
Editoes Indiana Fab_*ek:
Please request your readers in Indiana
who intend to exhibit live stock of any
kind at the World's Fair to at once notify
the Live Stock Committee, that we may
get their names and address in the catalog that will be issued in June.
This does not apply to the breeders who
have already notified us. Your committee, believes breeders who fail to show at
the Fair will regret it all their lives, and
never again will have such a chance to advertise our stock at the greatest fair ever
lield. Sid Conger,
Chairman, Live Stock Com.
Flat Kock, Ind.
Nonsense About Tomatoes.
An idea has gained currency during the
past few years that the tomato as an article
of diet is likely to produce or encourage
the terrible disease of cancer, and not long
ago it was also stated that the use of this
vegetable had been forbidden at the cancer
hospital. So widespread has this notion
become that Dr. Marsden, chairman of the
medical committee of the cancer hospital,
London, has thought it advisable to give
it official contradiction. He says that his
committee has been inundated with letters
on this subject, and he begs publication
for the following statement, which we
hope will settle the matter once for all. It
Is the opinion of the committee "that tomatoes neither predispose to nor excite
cancer formation, and that they are not
injurious to those suffering from this disease, but on the contrary are a very wholesome article of diet, particularly so if
cooked."—Chamber's Journal.