VOL. XXVIII.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND.  OCT. 7, 1893.
NO. 40.
LAKGEE YIELDS OF WHEAT.
If the matter of wheat growing is carefully looked into, it -will be a surprise to
many that the yield is frequently so
small. The reason is due sometimes to the
fact that the seed bed is so cloddy and.in-
differently prepared. Wheat cannot germinate amongst clods. The ground must
be well pulverized. But there are other
causes also for the small yield. About
five pecks per acre is usually the amount
used in seeding. A full average crop, according to the Department of Agriculture,
is 14.5 bushels to the acre. Now this is
about twelve fold return, yet a strong plant
will stool into 12 culms, and culms which
contain from 50 to 60 grains are not extremely rare. A plant which produces so
little as 12 grains is rarely found. The
only inference to be drawn from this is
that the great bulk of the seed sown fails
to yield at all, and the crop is the product
of but a very small portion of the seed
which is committed to the ground. Now
it is the business of the farmer to find out
whether it is necessary to continue using
so much seed, and, if it is, can not we
adopt methods of. cultivation which will
make a larger portion of it operative? If
four-fifths of the seed is wasted, as now
appears to be the case, can we not save that
and grow our present crop from the remaining fifth? Or if we must use so much
seed, can we not make a larger proportion
..Otit produce some result? To accomplish
either of these we should begin at tbe very
foundation, and be sure that every seed
placed in the ground is good and know
that it will germinate under proper conditions. It is very* easy to test the seed
before sowing in a box of moist, warm
earth, and if more than 10 per cent fails to
germinate it should be rejected. Then,
knowing that your seed is good, and counting upon 90 per cent of germination, suppose you sow a piece less thickly than has
been your habit, and watch the result.
Have the ground in such condition that
' there shall be no good reason for any perfect seed failing to germinate, rand give
each one room to stool out so that it can
make the full twelve culms, if it has the
power to do so. It seems to be indisputable that we are either using a great deal
of poor seed or that we are sowing in such
a manner that much of it is prevented
from developing by being crowded out of
the contest. When a yield of five hundred
or six hundred fold is possible, it is hardly
wise to confess that twelve fold is the best
that we can do. . .   ■
COMPROMISE OK SILVER.
Delegations from Washington state that
the silver and anti-silver sides of the IT. S.
Senate^have agreed on a compromise bill,
which will soon be passed. It embraces
the following points:
"First, the repeal of the purchase clause;
second, the coinacn of a specified amount,
two or two and a half millions per month
until the total silver coinage is $700,000,000,
then the coinage of all the bullion in the
Treasury, and fourth, the sale of gold
bonds to increase the gold reserve to an
amount which will be deemed sufficient to
insure the maintenance of gold and silver
money at a parity."
France before ceasing the coinage of silver, coined up to 1800,000,000, and that
country has less than 40,000,000 population. She maintains this great /Volume of
silver at a parity with gold. Her internal
or domestic trade is not near so large as
ours. With over 60,000,000 of population,
and a far larger domestic trade per capita
than France, we ought easily to maintain
¥1,000,000,000 of silver at aparity with gold.
With a domestic trade growing far more
rapidly than foreign, and with the capability of making and producing nearly all
we need at home, it is time to begin sounding the notes of national independence,
and moulding onr own financial system
independent somewhat of the whims and
influences brought to bear on the peoples
of other nations. We have done this in
shaping our other institutions. If France
just across the English channel, and in
the shadow of Great Britain can do this,
as she has, there ought to be resource in a
greater np tion to do it. At the present development of national wealth we ought
very soon to carry our own bonds and securities, and keep the interest on these at
home also. If new ones are to be issued
they ought to be in such denominations as
will allow the small as well as large investors to take them.
"Justice" thinks we are too hard on the
millionaires, and defends that much
abused class quite skillfully. If all, or
even a majority, or even a respectable minority, of our money kings were of the
character of the very few she alludes to we
might feel like agreeing with her, but the
fact is that not one in a thousand of our
millionaires has the public spirit and
charity to found and endow institutions
for the public good, and when they do so
they too often impose such conditions as
independent people feel humbled in accepting. The beneficiaries are made to
feel their inferiority and dependence. The
stipulation made by Girard, forbidding
the Bible to be admitted to the institute
bearing his name is an instance. The
power and opportunity to amass great
wealth does not tend to generosity. What
seems to be such in many cases is the result of conscience working through affliction. God, in his providence, took away
the only son of Senator Leland Stanford,
and in memory of the son the great Stanford University, near San Francisco, was
erected and magnificently endowed. If
the son had lived where would the money
have gone? Into larger vineyards and
wineries, and more fast horse ranges and
stables, perhaps." It is proper and right
that free universities and charitable institutions should be erected, but there is a
better way to do it, than to wait till some
millionaire dies, or meets with some overpowering bereavement. The dollars of one
hundred thousand common people will
build as much and do more good, probably, than $100,000 given by one rich man.
much hay will it yield? Is the seed in the
first (like English) or second crop?
If it is any improvement over the English and common red clover I want to get
it. R.
Wayne Co.
—We do not know that Crimson clover
is any better than Red or English clover.
Indeed we doubt whether it is as good for
our soil and climate. Flint says it is not
equal to Red clover either in quality or
quantity, either for feed or fertilizer. It
is a native of Italy, and in that mild climate succeeds well, but it is not yet proven
to be hardy enough for this latitude, although good farmers like James Riley,
who have tried it, think it is. Don't try
much of it. It is too late now to sow it
this season.
In the past week 78 manufacturing concerns of one kind "and another, started up
wholly or in part, while 20 shut down or
reduced forces in operating.
Wants to Know About Idaho, Etc.
Editors Indiana Farmeb:
I am a Hoosier, and would like to hear
from farmers who have settled in western
Montana, Idaho and Washington. I came
here to look at the country and do not like
it. Please give the desired information
through the columns of our Indiana
Fakmer. Subscriber.
Iiarimore, N. D.
Advertise Your Clover Seed.
EDITORS IXDIAXA   FiBUES!
I think some of the farmers in the clover
growing section of Indiana who have
clover seed to sell would do well to advertise in the Farmer. Why not mention it
in your paper? The farmers of western
Indiana to a great extent are buyers instead of producers of seed, so an "ad"
might be beneficial all around.
Tippecanoe Co. J. C. S.
—This is a good suggestion. A short ad
can be put in our "For Sale" column for
25 cents, and it may sell all you have to
spare.
Scarlet Clover.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I see some parties giving their experience with the Scarlet or Crimson clover.
That is something new to me and I would
like to have some information about it.
How is it any better tban the ordinary red
clover?   When is the time to sow it?   How
Beecher and the Slave Girl.
One of the finest scenes ever witnessed
in a church is related of a Sunday morning at Brooklyn, when Beecher told aboat
a friend of his who had called his attention
to the peculiarly sad case of a young girl
who was to be sold that week, but who,
haying fallen into the hands of a slave
dealer less obdurate than some, had obtained permission to try to collect from
charitable souls her own purchase price
that she might gain her liberty. Beecher's
help had been implored and he had
brought the girl there that morning. He
called her up and said: "This girl will be
sold to-morrow unless we save her to-day.
Her price is $1,200," and sat down. Without another word the deacons sprung up
and began to make a collection. Women
who had no money with them tore off
their ornaments to place on the plates,
and two men walked up to the platform
and told the preacher that whatever the
collection might be they would guarantee
the needed sum, and the girl was free.
And then the vast congregation of 3,000
people, Sunday morning though it was,
rose and cheered in gladness of thanksgiving.—Exchange.
Jesse Dinius and his brother Shirley,
near Bracken, were victims of a runaway
accident while handling a colt, in which
Jesse was thrown out of the cart and killed
by striking a fence.
Mrs. Emily Richmond, of Huntington,
tossed a box of dynamite caps into the
stove, not knowing their nature, and there
was an explosion which wrecked the stove
and badly damaged the interior of the
house. Mrs. Richmond was severely injured.
Fire broke out in the Ingleside coal
mines, near Evansville,su_Foeating fourteen
muleB and destroying twenty-five loaded
cars and fully as many empty ones. Several
of the miners, who attempted to descend
the shaft, narrowly escaped suffocation.
After several hours' work the fire was controlled, but it will take a week or more to
repair damages.
While attending the fair at Huntingburg
little Elmer Main, six years old, accidentally stepped on the foot of Ollie Savage,
seventeen years old, and he apologetically
said, "I didn't go to do it." Savage thereupon kicked Elmer in the stomach, making a similar remark. The boy died of the
injury and Savage was arrested for murder.
Alfred Mullen, twenty years old, son of
Louis Mullen, near Fletcher's lake, in Cass
county, while driving with two young
ladies undertook to run a race with a
friend who was on horseback. In attempting to pass his competitor he overturned
his vehicle into a ditch and was fatally
hurt, dying the same night. The young
ladies were badly injured, but escaped
with their lives.
Killing "Weeds.
Writing from Wisconsin a correspondent says that weeds and gra-s grow under
his sidewalk, and up through the boards,
in summer. Under the sidewalk he has
placed coal ashes, and he does not see what
else he can do to stop the growth of the
grass and weeds. The trouble complained
of is a great disfigurement to a walk, and
a very common one. Grass will grow
there ashes or no ashes. Our advice is to
take up the walk now and treat the surface
under it to a dose of kerosene oil. It is not
likely that the grass and weeds will grow
there next Summer, if that is done. Kerosene is rank poison to vegetation, as some
have found to their sorrow when using the
kerosene emulsion in which there was too
much kerosene. It is a good time right
here in this connection to again warn
those who use the kerosene emulsion upon
trees in the Spring to be careful and not
have it too strong.
Mntc Qexos.
Weak Stomach strengthened by Beecham's Pills.
R. L. Kaylor, "our Bob," of this office,
is stopping at the Palmer House, Chicago.
Mrs. Phoebe Randall, of Muncie, died
from burns caused by her dress taking fire
from a pot of coals.
Mrs. Ann Elizabeth Evans, of Ft. Wayne,
died from the effect of drinking ice water
while in a heated condition.
Evansville business men have forwarded
a car load of provisions to the yellow fever
sufferers at Brunswick, Ga.
A bean lodged in the windpipe of Bessie,
six years old, daughter of James Barker,
of Marshtown, and she is dying.
t&entml Qsxoa.
Three hundred Indians are indulging in
a ghost dance in South Dakota.
"Garland" Stoves and Ranges cook food
and warm rooms for many millions.
The cholera is still prevalent in Europe,
but the number of cases is decreasing.
Clifford M. Claverty, a tight-rope walker
fell a distance of ninety feet at Trenton, N.
J., and sustained injuries which will prove
fatal.
Free Methodists in convention at Aurora,
111., have decided that the World's Fair is
ungodly, and one commits a sin in visiting it.
In Montgomery County Ga., five negroes
were hanged from the same scaflold. This
was the first hanging in that county since
the war.
One hundred and fourteen deaths from
cholera are reported to have occurred on
board the mail steamer Carlo R. from Santos, Brazil, to Sardina.
A disastrous prairie fire occurred in the
west part of the Cherokee Strip and scores
of settlers lost their property and narrowly
escaped with their lives.        $
Cherokee Indians have chartered six
town sites in the Strip and expect to make
them the commercial centers of the New
Territory. The Cherokees are backed by
the railroad companies.
Forty-five men were buried by the caving in of the Mansfield mine fn Michigan
near Crystal Falls. The river near began
to rise and the mine was soon flooded.
Only a few of the miners were saved and
37 are known to have been killed, i
Geo. Walker, probably the biggest man
in the United States, died at his home in
Rockland, R. I., of typhoid- fever. The
deceased weighed 500 pounds and was five
feet eleven inches tall and his waist measurement was seventy-two inches. He was
forly-two years of age.
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