VOL. XXVIII.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND.  SEPT 16, 1893.
NO. 37.
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN.
Department of Agriculture United States
Weather Bureau, Crop Bulletin of the Indiana Weather Service in Oo-operation
With the Agricultural Experiment Station
at Purdue University, Tuesday, September
12,1893.
The drouth continued with very excessively warm temperature and much sunshine. In the southern portion of the
State good rains fell on Saturday and
Sunday over a few fields, but coming too
late, did but little good. Corn is now irrecoverably ruined and the crop will be
exeedingly small; mnch being cut for
fodder. Tobacco is suffering much. Not
much plowing for wheat has been done,
as the-ground is too hard and dry for
breaking, and but very little wheat has
been sown. Pasturage is brown and withered, and the stock is being fed as in winter. "Water is very scarce in many localities. The leaves are beginning to wither
and fall like late in autumn, and in many
localities in the northern portion fires in
the forest and the fields are beyond control,
doing much damage. Even should good
rains come soon they will be of little benefit, except to revive pasturage, increase
the supply of water and put the soil in
better condition for plowing and seeding.
Grasshoppers are very numerous.
 ,. --SOTJ*r__ER_. PORTION."     '
Switzerland Co.—The drouth continues
with unabated vigor; not one drop of rain
has fallen for 13 days to revive languishing nature; the usual compensation from
dew has also failed, and meadows are
withered; forests are Bheding their foliage
prematurely; corn and tobacco share a
like fate; indeed, the outlook for the
future appears most discouraging, and the
bright prospect earlier in the season will
disappoint the farmer; should an early
winter set in much privation will be experienced; an alarming amount of sickness from autumnal fever prevails in consequence of the dry and hot weather. No
rain.
Jackson Co.—Local showers badly distributed have brought partial relief, and
the general crop outlook has slightly improved; much corn, however, is injured
beyond recovery and at best the yield cannot exceed half an average; wheat sowing
will be late and the indications are that
much less than the average acreage will
be cultivated; generous rains would yet
make good pasturage, but the late vegetable crop will be short.   Rainfall, 0.87.
Greene Co.—No rain and warm temperature continued and pastures are dried up,
with great scarcity of water on the ridges
which abound in the county; many
farmers refrain from sowing wheat because of great numbers of grasshoppers
infesting the fields; these pests have damaged some fields of corn.
Jefferson Co.—The condition of crops remaining unharvested has not improved,
and a gloomy outlook continues; the
drouth is terrible; corn which it was expected would yield at least a half crop
will yield five or six bushels per acre; it is
turning yellow and late-planted is soft.
Kainfall, 0.02."
Vanderburgh Co.—Warm and dry, with
cool nights; corn is cut for fodder; pastures are dried up and look as if swept by
fire; the potatoes are very nearly past recovery; clover hulling progresses; the
yield is about one and a half to two bushels per acre; the ground is very dry, but
plowing for wheat is being done rapidly;
a large acreage will be sown.   No rain.
Decatur Co.—Continued dry and very
warm weather has blasted the prospect for
late corn and all other late crops; early-
sown corn is dry enough to burn inlthe
field; the cisterns are all dry and the wells
are getting very low; stock must be fed;
this is the worst drouth that has visited
this county for 28 years and humanity
suffers from it.   No rain.
Dearborn—Continued dry, clear weather; corn is drying up very fast; pasturage
is gone; many springs, wells and cisterns
are dry; no seeding done.   No rain.
Perry Co.—The past week has been dry
and warm; pastures are dry and parched;
most farmers are feeding stock; the soil is
too dry for plowing.
CENTRAL PORTION.
Marion Co.—Dry, warm weather continued; corn is ruined, while the upper
part of the plant looks green in many
fields the plant is dry and the ear small
and black; the leaves are withering and
falling off the trees; everything is covered
with dust.   No rain.
Randolph Co —Still dry, no rain since
August 26th; corn is being cut; very little
seeding Is done yet.   No rain.
Johnson Co.—The drouth still continues
and is getting worse every day; the falling leaves are raked and burned; corn is
being cut, fed or put in shock; a large crop
of clover seed is nearly all threshed; the
ground is too dry to plow for wheat; the
water famine still continues.   No rain.
Clay Co.—Another dry week; corn is beginning to ripen and is almost beyond
help by rain; medium clover seed ia not
yielding equal to expectations; pastures
are not reviving; seeding is delayed because of dry weather.   No rain.
Shelby Co.—No plowing for wheat has
been done yet; everything is suffering for
the want of rain; none has fallen since
August 25.   No rain.
NORTHERN PORTION
Cass Co.—Continued hot weather prevails; farmers are feeding their stock in
different localities; no wheat has been
sown yet; farmers are all ready, except in
some places where the ground is too dry
to plow.   No rain.
Allen Co.—The drouth still continues
unbroken; everything is drying up; no
wheat sown yet; the ground is very dry;
the farmers are busy cutting corn, and digging potatoes; grasshoppers are very numerous; the temperature continues with
warm days and cold nights; fires are doing
much damage.   No rain.
Porter Co.—The weather still continues
hot and dry with cool nights and warm
during the day; rain needed badly. No
rain.
LaPorte Co.—Dry weather continued;
fires in the swamps and marshes in many
places, and much hay has been burned
where the fires could not be controlled;
the farmers are cutting up th6ir corn for
fodder; but little wheat sown on account
of drouth and hard ground.   No rain.
Tippecanoe Co—The exceedingly hot
dry weather of the past week has hastened
the maturing of corn and thus had an Injurious effect; the week has been unfavorable to grass also as well as to the proper
preparation of ground for wheat, and also
decidedly unfavorable to wheat where
sown. - No rain.
Steuben Co.—The drouth still continues
unbroken; no seeding done on account of
ground being too dry; corn is being cut
with apparently about half a crop; thrashing all done; a very light crop of clover
seed and quite high; potatoes yield a very
light crop; but few pumpkins and
squashes; no buckwheat sown.   No rain.
Kosciusko Co.—Weather still continues
hot and dry; wheat ground generally prepared, and waiting  lor rain; corn about
half cut on low grounds, and is fairly well
eared considering the drouth, but on high
rolling fields it has but few ears; all feed
is being saved with unusual care; stock
being dry-feed, the same as in November*,
clover seed of the "Big kind" is turning
out unusually well; common red clover is
light.   No rain.
Elkhart Co.—The drouth still continues;
no rain has fallen during the past week;
trees begin to show effects of dry weather;
pasturage nearly everywhere parched;
feeding stock now becoming general;
grapes are not growing to full size; corn is
in shock or being cut; it is a full half crop;
wheat sowing and preparing soil are
nearly at a standstill.
Whitley Co.—The past week has been
very hot; temperature above 90° several
days; drouth continues; stock is beiDg fed
generally; no wheat sown; very little
plowing being done. No precipitation this
week.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Per C. F. R. Watpenhans,
Weather Bureau, Assistant Director,
Mixtc Mcxos.
THE IBBIGATIOH COHGBESS.
Governor Markham, of California, has
issued a proclamation calling the attention of the people of the trans-Mississippi
States and Territories to the International
Irrigation Congress, which is called to
convene at Los Angeles, October 10,1893.
The citizens of the arid States are invited
and urged to send full delegations to the
Congress, which promises to be the most
notable gathering of its kind ever held in
this country. The railroads have practically made a rate of one fare for the round
trip from tbe Missouri River, and a rate
of a fare and a third from points west of
the Missouri River. Details of the Congress can be secured from C. D. Wiliard,
Secretary, 137 South Slain street, Los
Angeles, Cal.
Columbus and Frankfort are short of
sugar.
Grasshoppers are raiding the cornfields
near Zelma.
Fires are damaging farms and forests
near Houston.
Since August 19, there have been 69
cases of small-pox in Muncie, with only
two deaths.
There is a case of small-pox in this city
—a young lady who contracted the disease
while on a visit to Muncie.
The physicians in the dispensary of this
city, vaccinated about 200 last Saturday to
prevent the spread ol small-pox here.
The fastest time ever made was made on
the J. M. A I. R. R. last week, making 105
miles in 115 minutes,including eight stops.
42 miles were run at the rate of 35 minutes
and 34 seconds. This train consisted of
five cars and the engine.
A boiler furnishing power for a clover-
huller in Randolph county exploded with
tremendous force. Charles Lambert, the
engineer, was Instantly killed, and Albert
Pike had his collar-bone and two ribs fractured.   A horse wss also killed.
The matter of getting and maintaining
a full crop of whatever we may attempt to
grow is of the utmost importance. A few
hills which fail to start because of poor
seed, a few more which aro injured by the
horses tramping them while cultivating, a
few killed by insects or disease, and away
goes 10 per cent of the crop—and 50 per
cent of the profit. Our very best farmers
are now making this a matter of special
attention, and using such methods and
implements as will make most certain the
maintenance of a full stand.
The races given by the Indianapolis
Driving Club at the State fair grounds
last week were enlivened by the presence
of several noted horses. On Thursday
Nancy Hanks, the "Queen of the Turf,"
gave an exhibition trot making a record of
a mile in 2:04% minutes. Once before, at
Terre Haute she beat this speed a trifle,
her record then being 2:04. We are glad
to be able to say that gambling devices
were not permitted during these races and
good order was maintained throughout.
When pool-selling is abolished there will
be still less objection to the sport.
 .
The great drouth has not yet broken in
Central Indiana at least. A slight shower
fell on Monday afternoon, but it was only
a sprinkle, hardly enough to lay the dust.
The last rain we have had here fell on the
21st of June. There was a small shower in
July and one in August, botb together
making less than inch and a half by the
rain gague. Southern Indiana and Illinois, however, had a splendid rain on
Sunday night. What's the matter with
our parallel?
 «	
By a collision on the Pennsylvania road
near Colehour, 111., 12 persons were killed
and 13 hurt. The wreck was the result of
a blunder of the train dispatcher.
©encraX Uewjs.
Beecham's Pills will save doctor's bills.
The boll worm is destroying cotton fields
in Arkansas.
A bull and a stallion, both valuable,
killed each other in a light near Oakland,
111.
Lockport, La., was visited by a tornado
on the 7th inst. Six persons were killed
and many injured. Many buildings were
destroyed.
Last Sunday was the hottest day of this
year in Minnesota and the Dakotas. The
thermometer registered °99 and 100° in
many places.
There is another baby girl in the White
House, born Saturday noon. This is the
first President's baby ever born in the
White House.
Hard times seem to be over in St. Louis.
Eleven thousand seven hundred and
ninety men who have been out of employment for three months, will all have work
by the 20th. The factories are all resuming operations.
THE SHELBY C0TJHTY FAIB.
The annual fair of the Shelby County
Agricultural Society was held on their
beautiful fair grounds, near Sheibyville,
last week. The exhibits were large,
especially In the live stock department.
The attendance was very good. The officers are all young and energetic men,
which no doubt accounts in good part for
the success of the fair.
After a long -and seemingly inexcusable delay Governor Matthews has asserted his authority over the violators of
the law in the county of Lake and put an
end to the disgrace of Roby. He issued
orders that no more prize fights should be
held there, and to enforce the order prepared to send 500 State militia and a gat-
ling gun to the place. The fight did not
come off and there will be no more at
Roby.
In planting ornamental trees about the
home, see if you can not introduce something _ew, instead of following the example of all your neighbors. Variety of
trees adds to the picturesqueness of a
landscape, and you can do something
toward it. The cut leaved weeping birch
is not very much known, but it is one of
the most beautiful and satisfactory of all
trees for lawn planting.