EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
BEST MATERIA!.   POR   ROOFING.
Experience in Fainting Roofs.
Material.
1st Premlnm.—As the Indiana Fabmeb
la published ia the interest of the farmers of this country, we presume that this
question applies to that class of oitizens,
if so, we regard slate as being too heavy
and will spring your building unless especially prepared for it, (and that adds
cost). Then the freezing and thawing
will be eternally breaking the slate.
As for the steel or tin roof the average
farmer is too careless, as a few month's
neglect to paint may ruin the best roof
except galvanized, and they are too expensive, although there are some cases
where metal has to be used.
In a general way we regard cypress or
red cedar as being far the best material
for roofs. The shingles are not expensive, and almost any one can lay a shingle roof, and rightly too.
Yellow cypress or red cedar, will last
almost a lifetime without any further
care, but can be improved by applying
one gallon of raw linseed oil (not boiled)
to the square ;(10 feet square,)applied the
same as paint, this prevents checking,
and no lint will form. It leaves a very
hard, smooth surface, whioh renders it
spark proof. Cedar under this treatment
turns almost raven black, whioh adds to
the appearance of your building. A
shingle roof will not last as long by being painted, as lt will without paint. In
painting you form a welt, or ridge, along
the butts of the shingles, which retains
the water, keeps the shingles damp and
they soon decay. Use pure linseed oil,
no paint, and one coat every five years
will preserve your roof until you wish to
change to more modern plans. This ls
experience and observation.      F. C. M.
Burlington,
2d Premium.—I would prefer yellow
pine shingles dipped in boiling linseed
oil to any other kind of roofing. Iron or
tin roofing is very good where we do not
want to save the water from it as they
always have to be painted to insure durability. Robber and paper roofing are
being used to some extent. The paint on
roofs cracks up in three or four years
and washes off in the cistern and makes
the water unfit for use, this is why I object to an iron or tin roof. As painting is
quite expensive, I do not believe lt is
profitable to paint a shingle or board roof
because the painting in a few years
would more than buy a new roof. Shingles should not be cut too thin;one-half
inch is about the right thickness.
Shingles or boards should be sapped and
well seasoned before putting on.
Harrison Co. W. B.
reasons give me first quality shingles,
because they last the longest with least
repair and in the end are the cheapest;
and because .the average farmer who is
possessed of good common sense can do
the work himself to suit himself, and
save that much money to buy his wife a
patent dishwasher, or a lightning ohurn.
(1!—Ed.) H. S. Blatchley.
Bainbridge.
3d Premium.—The best material for
roofing, for me, is good sound roof-boards
for sheeting, and either cedar or pine or
first quality yellow poplar shingles well
nailed on. The best quality of cedar or
Pine shingles will last from 30 to 50 years
■with very little expense for repairing,
whereas a poor quality will last from 8 to
12, and have to be patohed a half a dozen
times. "Whatever is worth doing at all
is worth doing well," and "a thing well
done is twice done." Poor shingles on a
'oof are dear as a gift. Corrugated iron
'oofing on a dwelling house, If painted
*ed or a dark color, draws the heat of the
inn, and in the summer makes a room
almost unendurable and has to be re-
Painted every few years. This is objectionable for "the same reason and soon
tnsts out, especially where it is nailed,
"oofing coated with gas-tar is an abomination both to the sight and the smell,
&nd rarely gives satisfaction.  Tor these
mixed with the tin roofs of pure tin;
they are a nuisance. This is made by
dipping tin twice into a fluid containing
20 pounds of zinc to the square. A church
near here has had that roof for nine
years, and on cleaning out the gutters
the other day there was not a trace of
rust and it had never been painted. On
the new roof, seen yesterday, there were
two strips of common tin placed beside a
Ella Rock-wood.
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We Come With Flowers.
H. G. Sweeney.
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2. The love - ly   flow'rs, their per • fume rare To     us     they free-ly     give;
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on a pike, within a mile or two of post
and express offlce he's pretty near it at
home.
No. 59, April 21.—The vegetable garden
—what, when and how to plant and cultivate; name one good and rare vegetable.
No. 60, May 1.—Taste and beauty about
the home outside the house. Includes
painting, lawn, flowers, fences, eto.
No. 61, May 8— Give experience in
spraying fruit trees, formulas and effect.
No. 62, May 15.—Soiling crops.
No. 63, May 22.—Hatching and care of
turkeys.
No. 6_, May 29.—What causes soil to become hard, cloddy and dry 7 The remedy.
In writing don't fall to note new points
not generally known;, also other points
of real experience. Address all copy 10
days before publication.
Let subscribers write experience only
on practical topics. We do not desire
essays but a pithy, chatty experience. A
sort of heart to heart talk, such as you
enjoy with a neighbor.
Carmel, E. H. Collins.
P0BTAL OARD 00RRESP0NDEH0E.
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Moboan Co., April 10.—Wheat mostly
looking very badly; a few pieces coming
out; some oats sown; no plowing for
oorn, on account of wet weather; heavy
rain on the eighth, followed by heavy
snow that night. A.H.
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Copyright, 1895, by Fairbank & Rolieon.
Other articles on the subject are by J.
B. B, Cloverdale, who favors V crimp
sheets of steel, easily and rapidly put on,
oheapand durable if properly painted;
byD. M. L, Carothersville, who advocates paper or rubber roofing, painted
and sanded; W. R. M, who recommends
tar paper coated with coal tar; W. H. L.,
of Union Co, who advocates slate, as
cleanest, safest and most durable, and in
the end cheapest.
review.
Two things are an abomination on a
farm: a rotten fence post and a rotten
roof. Both are exposed to destructive
agents that iron itself cannot withstand.
Even slate Is crumbled by the frost and
broken by the hail.
According to our correspondents and
other sources of information, we have
four kinds of roofing especially suited to
that purpose. Yellow cypress, red cedar,
hemlock and galvanized tin;. These
shingles are not expensive and the tin
costs about the same as slate—say $7 a
square. But any handy man can put on
the tin himself, and the cost on board is
|5 a square. I visited a new house near
here yesterday to see this "tin roof." It
is corrngated and in shingle style, so as
not to have the slack appearance of common metal roofs.  One must not get it
manhole, and they were blaok with rust
in this one winter. The owner showed
them to me and said I'll have to paint
them.
I have a steel roof on a kitcheD, and a
bank cellar. If kept painted about every four years it is durable and good, and
is easily painted, and does not leak at all.
As F. C. McC. says "farmers are too careless to keep a steel or tin roof painted."
It's a nuisance and expense too. It's like
resetting your oak posts every 10 years
Steel, if exposed, becomes cold so qnick-
ly that it will dampen almost every
night and rusts rapidly. Over steam engines at our mill it rusted from below,and
if painted on the under side before applying, it could not be repainted and finally
rusted.
Some of our people have slate roofs and
they require a heavy frame. If one slate
is broken, or faulty, It is difficult to re.
pair. You must not walk on a slate roof-
It is a clean roof; bnt so Is a galvanized
tin roof clean. A tin or iron roof does
not hold the day's heat long into the
night, as tons of slate do.
Our baby has Just awakened up In the
room above me and Is singing and crowing, and I imagine, if a farmer has
red cedar posts, galvanized roofs and
natural gas, with plenty of fruit and a
good wife and nice baby, and ls located
Habkison Co, April 5—Some fields of
wheat are looking fine while others will
be plowed up and planted to corn. The
ground has not been fit to work in since
last fall; some farmers have mudded in
some oats while others are waiting for
theground to get dry enough to work;
the peach trees are iu full bloom; thus
far we have a fair prospect for a fine fruit
crop. B. AV.
Laporte Co, April 9 —Wheat on good
land still looks well; weather still cold,
34° this evening; very little gardens
made; plowing for oats and corn; grass
has not started much; stock doing well;
lambs plentiful and "frisky;" butter
15 cents, eggs 8, corn 18 and 20 cents*
Peach buds nearly all killed, plums and
cherries look first-rate, raspberries have
wintered well and bid fair for another
big crop. Later, April 10, ice froze % of
an inch. Mrs. B. A. Davis.
Allen Co., April 10—Wheat is poor;
some will be plowed up. It looks bad in
Whitley and Kosciusko counties as well
as here; oats is sowed on lots of wheat
fields; stock is in good condition but not
plenty; no hog cholera here yet; hogs
selling at %\i to 4a; cattle the same, according to quality; corn plenty and
cheap, from 18 to 20 cts.; oats same price;
wheat 85 ots; hay sells at the barn to
balers for $7 per ton, and at Fort Wayne
market by wagon load, from $7 to $9;
there will be a large clover crop here
this year for seed as there is much sowed
and it is all right this spring; snow here
Friday two inches deep; fine prospect
for April cherries and pears good so far;
the buds are beginning to swell; health
generally good. H. S.
Vineless Sweet Potatoes.
Editobj Indiaha Fa _____•:
Yon spoke in a recent number asking
your readers to give their experience
with vineless sweet potatoes. I have
been raising the California white vineless for fifteen years, and for an all
around sweet potato I have never found
anything that would equal it. The vines
are from one to three feet long. It is a
good yielder and a good keeper, and very
dry and mealy. I have no potatoes for
sale. G.T.K.
Kennard.
If Mr. K. has sprouts to spare he will
do well to advertise the faot in onr For
Sale column.