EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Give   Experience  ln  Spraying   Frnit
Trees, Formulas and Effect.
Probably onr writers got two topics
mixed, "Care of an orchard," and "Spraying an orohard." At least no copy has
arrived on this topic while other topics
have been much favored.
Some inquiry has been received by mail
on spraying. Let me suggest to Mr. B*
and others interested that they send
stamp to the Farmer Co. for the spr a j ing
calendar they have published for the
benefit of their subscribers.
In general no iron rule holds in spraying. Some years attacks of insect and
fungous pests are mild and not muoh felt;
but many years they are exceedingly destructive. Probably on an average four
years ont of five would pay, and two or
three years out of five it would be the
salvation of the crops and often of the
trees themselves.
Don't let any one tell you that it "don't
amount to nothing." Any man who is
posted and whose judgment is of value
won't say so. On bad year's spraying is
very effective, both to frnit and leaf.
Only one rule of spraying is safe, 1. e. to
spray every year to guard the orohard as
an insurance against depredations of insects and fungi.
The Cornell bulletin speaks of two applications of-Bordeatrx mixtnre making
tbe difference between seven per cent of
tbe fruit being first-class and 42 per cent
The seven per cent was fruit from unsprayed trees.
The writer once took a fruit grower nnder some Vandever apple trees to look np
into the calyx for signs of worms. The
apples were two-thirds grown. In counting we noticed that about three In every
fire were wormy where not sprayed, and
abont one in every five where sprayed.
Probably more careful spraying would
have been still more efiioient.
The Bordeaux mixture is used especially to combat fungi. The scab fnngus
make frnit one-sided and the leaves
spotted.
Other fungi cause rot in grapes and
other fruits. The formula for Bordeaux
and other mixtures aro given in the calendar referred to.
Trees should be sprayed till they drip
freely. Experiment shows that more
good is done by liberal use of the spraying liquid. But it is surprising to note
that two good sprayings, one Just before
the buds open and the other with Paris
green added and application made soon
after the blossoms fall, will save the bulk
of the crop and leaves from the two pests
of scab and insects.
A few years ago the pear slug appeared
on cherry leaves at onr place and ate the
'eaves to skeletons. One spraying with
kerosene emulsion literally wiped them
ont.
The best machine to nse is a force
Pump made of brass with an airohamber
and the Vermorel nozzle. The McQowen
nozzle is a very good one also.
I have,not spoken of the knapsack
"Prayer. A good one is very handy in
small orchards and small trees, also for
Plum trees and bushes, grape vines, etc.
A spraying outfit ls not expensive, and
if ln good order a farmer can spray his
little orchard and his small fruit with
ont little trouble and expense. The re-
anltis mostly smooth, flne fruit, without
worms or mold, or rot; also a healthy,
vigorous growth of trees.
One experiment is reported where one
'ow of Baldwin apples was not sprayed,
while the rest of the orohard was sprayed.
*M« row failed entirely ln fruit, while
ne other trees bore an enormous crop.
Many believe that the failing of fruit
"? 8et" ^ often the result of scab fungus,
uhM in injuring the blossom so that
"nit ig not fertilized, or else Injury to the
70nn8 frnit Itself.  It is also thought that
fertility and tillage have much to do with
failing to "set" and ''dropping."
Let those who spray for codlin-moth
remember to make the application immediately after the blossoms fall.
The cracking of quinces and pears may
be controlled by the proper nse of Bordeaux] mixture. The rotting of plums
may be effectively controlled by spraying before the buds open, and again when
the blossoms have fallen, and again when
the plums are two-thirds grown.
We are planting a fine lot of potatoes—
Carmon Nos. land 3, R. N. Yorker No. 2,
Craig, New Queen, Freeman, Ohio, Michigan Rose. I received a half of one "Sir
Walter Raleigh" sent ont by the Rnral
New Yorker. I cut it into single eyes
and half eyes and planted in flower pots.
We use the Robbins planter.
We tried harrowing our wheat and oats
gronnd this year and sowing English
olover after the harrow. The gronnd
was too firm to allow the seed to take
root readily without breaking the crust.
The surface was not cracked much on account of rain. A shower next day or two
filled the scratches and our seed is coming np "awful nioe."
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.64, May 29.—What causes soil to become hard, cloddy and dry? The remedy.
In writing don't fail 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,
P08TAL OABD OOBRESPONDENOE.
Jennings County, April 30-—Fine
growing weather; had a good rain to-day.
Apples blooming very nioe; cherries and
plnms badly hurt by frost; people generally backward with their breaking on
account of bad weather. Peaches also
hurt by frost. John Denny,
Ripley County, May 3—The Weather
in Ripley Co.—Snnday morning it was
32°, noon 34°, night 38°, Monday morning
40°. Frnit O. K. I think. It snowed
nearly all day Sunday, but melted as it
fell. J. Bennett.
—It was almost exactly the same here in
Marion Co.—Ed.
Bartholomew Co., May 1.—Weather
very cool for May 1; wheat prospect
abont 50 per oent; very little corn planted; oats well started and large acreage
sown; sheep shearing begun; wool 13 to
16 cents; cattle scarce; hogs few, bnt doing well; peach buds killed, other fruit
and berries plenty and all right so far.
E. A. J.
Harrison Co.—We have had a few
days of settled weather at last Farmers
are throngh sowing oats, and are in the
midst of corn planting. The peaches
with all other kinds of fruit are all right
yet. Wheat that was sown early is good,
but the late is not worth anything. We
will have about 80 per cent of a full crop
in this country. Clover and all other
grasses are growing very slowly.
B. W.
Tipton Co, May 1.—All through April
the weather was very changeable; some
very cold rains which caused some loss
of small pigs; but little oats sowed on account of the wet weather. Small frnit is
not injured very much yet, but the mercury stands only 4° above freezing this
evening; farmers Behind with their work,
bnt few are through plowing; no oorn
planted yet; wheat looks well, but ls very
thin on the ground; pastures and meadows look well; health usually good.
C. G. C.
Laporte County, April 30.—Still cold
most of the time, with now and then a
warm day. On the 28th we had 81° in the
shade, the only real warm day we have
had. To-day (30tb) we have oold north
wind and mist, with 45°. Plums nearly
all killed by hard freeze of 10th and 20th;
cherries and pears safe so far; no oorn
planted; work late on both farm and
garden, and no trees in full leaf yet;
everything late. Mrs. B. A. Davis.
Qttmj nxx& &n&xozx.
If my memory serves me, there was a
decision in the Supreme Conrt to the effect that the county commissioners had
no authority to allow stock to run at
large on the publio highway, deciding
that the public highway was not a publio
common!. If there is such a decision
will yon please give me the Bubstance of
it. L. L.
There is such a decision rendered by
the Appellate Court of Indiana, Dec. 1,
1896, in the case of Beeson, et al. v. Tice
from Hamilton oounty. Stock may be
herded on the highway, but may not run
at large. A statute of Indiana makes it
the duty of the road supervisor, upon
view or information, to impound animals
found running at large on roads.
Will you kindly inform me if a man
has a right to herd stock on the highways,
and if so, and the tenant objects, has he a
right to herd in the highway joining his
farm, and how can one go to work to prevent it? A Subscriber.
It has been decided by the Appellate
Conrt of Indiana that one has a right to
herd stock on the highways of Indiana.
If, however, one pastures stock on the un-
traveled portion of the highway adjoining the land of another, he may be liable
for trespass. A public road is not a common. It is used by the publio under the
right of eminent domain and outside of
this use by the public for a road, the
owner of the fee has the absolnte domin
ion over the soil.
I have a farm of 154 acres on which
there have been no improvements. I
would like a plan for laying off the
grounds, or the address of some one who
makes such plans. I want to clear out
tbe east part of its woodland, leaving
enough for shade, and placing my buildings and orchard there. The farm Is second bottom with gentle rise to the North.
If you will give such advice or address
through your valuable paper you will
greatly oblige a subscriber.       W. C. P,
—We know of no such person, and we
doubt very muoh whether any one else
could plan for you satisfactorily. If you
are like most men you will like your own
plan best. Besides to plan intelligently
the planner would have to be present
and that would cost too much.
Fish and Fence Laws.
Editor* Ihdiaha F_.k____:
Please publish in your next issue the
changes, if any, that were made by the
last Legislature, in the game and fish
laws and also the fence laws. L L.
Ripple, May 3.
Some amendments to the fish law were
made, making the commissioner responsible for a strict enforcement of the law,
and allowing him $10 for each conviction
Several sections were added to the fence
law, among them one defining a lawful
fenoe as any fence whether of wire, rails
or boards, sufficiently tight and strong to
hold hogs, sheep, cattle, mules and
horses. If of wire or boards it mnst be 4
feet high at least, if straight rail i% «•
and If worm rail 5 ft. high. The new law
is rather lengthy. Please tell ns exactly
what you want to know about it, and we
will copy the section.
■   ■   , e.	
James Crosby and wife, of Graves
county, Kentucky, were poisoned by eating canned blackberries, and are now at
death's door.
CAUSES OF THE HARD TI__£S.
An exchange gives the various opinions regarding the hard times. Among
them are these: The existence of corporations; hostility to corporations; the
gold standard; the free-silver agitation;
the Wilson tariff law; the Dlngley tariff
bill; the manufacturer says it is the fear
of free-trade; the consumer says it ls the
tariff; each controllng party says itis the
other party; the Populists say It is both
of them; the Prohibitionists say lt ls the
liquor traflio; the preachers say it is the
devil.
No doubt the farmers would say it's the
low prices for produots; but what causes
low prices is the question people oannot
agree on,
HOMIHY COBN.
The Indianapolis hominy mills, this
city, grind about 16 cars of shelled white
corn dally. The grains are large, flat and
flinty. Johnson county has in recent
years furnished the best seed, but we
have not learned the name of the variety
They do not handle ear corn, the farmers
generally preferring now to shell to save
the hauling. It would be well for our
readers in central counties to learn what
variety is in demand there and plant it,
if they wish to sell oorn; they will always get the top of the market. Of
course the better plan is to feed the corn
and sell it ln the shape of beef or pork.
The weekly crop bulletin issued here
says: Cool night--, with frost on the
morning of April 27th, which apparently
did no injury, were followed by several
warm days, which were favorable to farm
work and growing crops, especially in
the extreme southern portion; but near
the end of the week the weather became
cold again, with rain and snow all of
Sunday; plowing and seeding, which had
progressed during the pleasant days, were
checked again. But little corn has been
planted yet, as the ground is still too cold
and wet. Oats seeding continned; the
early-sown oats have come up. Wheat,
clover, meadows and pasturage were improved by the rains.
We see it reported that a large new
beet sugar faotory erected at Menominee,
Wis, has been sold on mortgage. The
plant cost $215,000. We have not learned
the particulars, bnt presume that the
farmers did not grow beets enough to
keep the factory running long enough to
pay. This is likely to be the trouble in
this State, unless the capitalists desiring
to go into the bnsiness will contract with
the farmers to take a certain number of
tons of the beets at a specified price.
Little Greece, thdugh defeated in several battles, still holds out and will not
listen to those who counsel peace. It is
sad to think that this noble, brave and
patriotic people must be blotted out as a
nation and the country divided between
Turkey, Russia and the rest. England,
Germany and France ought to be disgraced among tbe nations by allowing it
to be done.
An immense fire in Plttsbnrg on the 2d
destroyed property to the value of nearly
$3,000,000.
The markets are qniet, with a downward tendency.
The Facta About that Coffee Berry.
Editobs Indiana Ka____j_:
So many ask me about that blown up
new wonder, the German Coffee Berry (?)
Well, I have raised it here in Indiana.—
Four years ago I grew some and found it
to be nothing under the sun but that old
common "Soja Bean," a poor forage crop,
but as to making good coffee of it, it is
simply a miserable humbug. It is worth
about 3 cents per lb., instead of $3 per lb.,
theprice for which it ls sold.
Jefferson Co. G, Camebkx,