EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
SELECTION   AND   CLEANING
SEED WHEAT.
OP
Does   it
pay  to   Change
Climates?
Soils   and
REVIEW.
Am sorry that the omission ln the
Farmeb of topics made this one too late
for copy, as I hoped to see a general expression of varieties used in different
communities.
Near here we grow some of the old
Fullz. One man says it averaged him
over 23 bushels on GO acres last year. Another neighbor grew Fnltz beside Red
Russian, and the latter beat it 10 bushels
per aore. The Dlehl Mediteranean has
mostly disappeared. The Gold Dust is
out of date. It shatters so badly. The
Red Clawson is too chaffy, not plump and
hard. The Michigan Amber is fairly well
liked.
1 believe the Red Russian is liked best
here. It is not the Red Russian that was
extant many years ago, but was brought
from Central Russia about 15 years ago,
by a special agent of the American Seed
Co, of Rochester, N. Y. 1 bought it at
the mill at Indianapolis at $150 a bushel.
Itis a hard, red wheat, smooth and stiff
strawed. Mine has averaged, on about 40
acres a year, near 25 bushels per acre, except in 'JV. when nhinch bngadestrnyed it_
This year we have one field of 13 acres
that we think will yield over 25 bushels.
Last year we had a patch of potato ground
wheat, five acres, that we guessed at 35
bnshels per acre. This wheat often
weighs 61 or 62 pounds.
Cleaning—We always "fan" seed wheat
of course, and one who has not tried it
will be surprised at the amount of trash,
straws, white caps, etc, he will get out of
"awful olean" wheat.
This year we, like our neighbors, had to
cut rye out. We got it from the thresher,
and we are kicking against any rye being threshed till the wheat is done. One
man is paying nearly $40 to have the rye
taken out of 35 aores. His brother
threshed some with the rye in it, and was
offered 30 cents for it atthe elevator,when
No. 2 was going at 70 cants. They didn't
want his rye wheat at 30 cents.
T. B Terry, of Ohio, cleaned his the
best he could and then spread it on a
white sheet and picked the cockel out.
One could get a start of seed that way
very well.
Mr. Cox, near Westfield, has kindly
written on growing strawberries, and in
it you will find some berries that are peculiarly adapted to day land,—real genuine white beech land, and some to black
land. Sa with wheat. Oar land is so
much alike that we use Red Russian on
both kinds, bnt trade our seed from black
to clay and the reverse.
Lat me suggest that farmers don't be in
too big a hurry to sell this crop, as there
is considerable shortage in the European
crop, and agricnlture, which has been a
bad competitor dnring a few years j?ast,
will almost have to look to the government for seed.
We have 70 acres that we can spare in
onr rotation for wheat nextyear. We are
increasing onr acreage a little, thinking
that whatever our next year's crop may
be it will find empty elevators, which is
some help to prices. In other words we
expect a paying price for wheat this year
and next
The writer may take his annual outing
on the bike next week. In these trips I
am to gather praotical data of value to
farmers, both on practioal farm topics
and on sooial progress.
No. 74, Ang. 7.—Preparation of soil and
manner and date of seeding.
No. 75, Aug. 14.—How may one prepare
» rnusay, greasy dinner?
No. 76, Ang. 21.—Desoribe a meal that is
in good taste and does not lie heavy on
your stomach.
No. 77, Aug. 28—Preparing bees for
winter.
No. 78, Sept. 4.—Choice varieties and
planting of llower bulbs for winter
blooming.
EXPOBTS AHD IMPOSTS.
The U. S. Bureau ot Statistics reports
for the fiscal year just closed, as follows:
Exports of domestic merchandise, $1,032,-
91)8^80; increase over 189(3, about $170,000,-
000.
Total exports of domestio and foreign
merchandise, $1,051,987,01)1, as compared
With $S82,G0G,93S for 1890
Total imports of merchandise during
the fiscal year Just closed amounted to
$704 373,905, of which $.'181,9:12,005 was free
of duty. The total imports were about
$15,350,000 less than last year, and the excess of exports over imports for the year
was $287,013,180 Tais is an excess of about
$185,000,000 over last year, and an excess
of about $2.S,0C0.0O0 over any previous year.
The imports for June amount to $81826,'
110, as compared with $50,163,710 for Juno,
1890
The exports of gold, including ores, for
the fiscal year 1897 amounted to$40,359,780,
as compared with $112,109,947 for 1890 Too
imports of gold amounted tc$85,013,575, an
inorease of about $51,500,000 over 1S90. The
exports of silyer during 1897 amounted to
$61,94G.(. 18, and the imports $2016:i3,_27. ..The
excess of gold imports over exports,there-
fore, was $44,653,795, and the excess of ell
ver exports over imports $31,113411.
THE HEW WEED LAW.
Onr attention has been called to the act
of our last Legislature on the destruction
of noxious weeds.   It ia as follows:
Any land-owner, between the 1st of
July and the 20thdayof August, who cuts
down and destroys such weeds along his
lands on the highway shall be allowed
for such work $1 25 per day, eight hours
to constitnte a day's work, nnder the direction of the road supervisor, and to bo
credited upon his road tixes.
After the 20th day of August the supervisor is empowered to secure the services
of any resident property owner to cut
down and destroy such weeds, who shall
be credited therefor upon his road tax.
If this law is enforced in all sections we
will soon be rid of the docks, burrs,
thistles, etc., that are wont to thrive ln
waste places and infeot the fields. Each
farmer interested should pnblish this
law among his neighbors, and see that
its benefits obtain in his own neighborhood, at least.
THE BAHKEBS OIT CUKRENCY LEGISLATION.
The bankers' association, at their annual meeting held last week in Saratoga,
passed a resolution giving their view of
the proper solution of the ourrenoy question. It does not necessarily follow that
it is the plan that will suit Congress or
the people.   It is as follows:
"We recommend retirement of all government paper, and that a safe bank currency, under government supervision,
be substituted. The preliminaries of
such action could be prepared on sonnd
economio lines by a commission seleoted
for their eminent qualifications to formulate a plan to be submitted for the consideration of Congress."
If such a commission as that suggested
in the resolution should be appointed, it
is to be hoped that men of other occupations than that of banking be seleoted
for the purpose.
A friend at Seattle writes us that gold
dnst is arriving there by every steamer
from Alaska. One of his acquaintances
had Just arrived with $65,000, and another
with $27,000. The gold excitement ls running high there, and everybody wants to
get to the Klondyke region, as soon as
possible.
THE ELWOOD FAIB.
The second annual fair of the Elwood
Agricultural Soolety will be held on
their beautiful fair grounds adjoining the
city of Elwood, the week of Aug. 30th to
Sept. 4th. The premiums havo been increased on live stock and decreased in
the speed department. This ls the only
fair association in the Stato doing tbis;
they believe in letting the raoo meetings
give largo purses, and agricultural fairs
giving large premiums on llvo stock and
farm produots. Chas. Dellority, Elwood,
is Heoretary.
Partial failures in the wheat crop ln
foreign countries give assurance that the
price of American wheat will continue
good. It ls estimated, for example, that
the shortage in France is about 09,000,000
more than last year. Russia's deficit
will be very heavy alao. Notwithstanding these facts and others similar, we
may oxpeot lluctuations In our home
markets. Exports of wheat aro considerably increased already over those of
last year. Daring the lirst two weeks of
the month the aggregate shipments of
wheat and Hour amonnted to 2,502.606
bushels, against 2,167,071) bushols the same
time last year.
Wo should try to understand the ma
chinery we use, for we then will have a
positive advantage over tho man who
gives tli* subjsct no attention. With
somo this Is a "gift," but any man with
ordinary intelligence can become master
of hia working tools. Not only will thero
be a saving from wear and tear, but a
man will always take better caro of that
in which he has a special intorest.
POSTAL 0ABD 00RBESPONDE1.OE.
IiAronTE Co., July 23 —Nioo rain on the
19th, but gronnd was getting dry again;
wheat turning ont fair, better than was
looked for and ot fine quality; corn has
made a grand growth and bids fair for a
good crop; ryo good, but oats will bo
short; apples small crop and poor quality so far; early potatoos rather a poor
crop, but late ones will be better.
Mrs. B. A, Davis.
Kosciusko Co, July 24.—Rtin ia mnch
needed over a large area of the county;
pasture lands drying up; young clover ls
perishing in many fields; wheat is yielding unusually well, many fields making
2'i bushels per acre, some reporting as
high as SO bushels to the 100 dozen sheaves;
potatoes will not be a full crop, bugs destroying many patches entirely; an immense crop of hay hia been secured In
good condition; apples have fallen lately
and are very scabby; raspberries and
blackberries dried up badly on thecanes;
a good orop of huckleberries ls being secured; with favorable season a good crop
of tomatoes will be ripened.        A. T. C.
«cuct.aX gems,
J. E. Brewer, of Abilene, Kas., shipped
more than 7,500,000 eggs in 1896,
Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham
are still the foremost industrial centers
of Europe.
Oranges have been grown ln Lyons,
Kas., the owner of a tree having picked
three this season.
Five buffaloes werejborn ln New York
in one week. This is probably as many
as have been born west of the Mississippi this season.
It almost exceeds bollef that last year
300,000 visitors paid for admission to tho
house in which Shakespeare lived 300
years ago. Among the vast throng of
people forty nationalities wore represented,
Falrvlew, Senator Gorman's farm near
Laurel, Md, has produced this year the
enormous crop of 3,000 bushels of wheat
from 100 acres. The Senator sold 2,500
bushels of his crop as it came from the
thrashing-machine at 'VA cents a bushel*
A Gardiner, Mo, cat wandered Into
Oak Grove cemetery one day last week,
went to a certain lot, laid down, was
taken in a fit, and immediately died.
In agriculture, although the area under cultivation exceeds by 3,000,000 acres
the total farm area of Great Britain, the
Middle States have not held their own
with the West, snd all of them together
do not raiso food onough for tho single
State of Pennsylvania,
The Indians do a large trado In Buffalo
bones, which they collect on the plains
and dispose of to sngar refiners, who
find that theso bones are superior for
their purpose. On the routo of the Canadian Pacifio railway there are piles of
white bones to be seen awaiting transportation.
£tatc Sews.
The blaokborry crop ln Bartholomew
county ls the largest known for years.
Jasper Dayo, ninety-one years old, living near Rossvllle, fell in front of a train
on the Monon lino and was killed.
Two twelve-year-old boy«, named
Rogers and Handy, of Petersburg, were
drowned while bathing In Whito river.
After suffering intense pain for a
month, Joseph Tharp, of Muncie, fonnd
a splinter snugley imbedded In bis oye.
Leander M. Hubbard, of Evansville,
will probably die, tho result of the giving away of a small blocd-vessol below
his left knee.
Amanda Reynolds, near Ohio City, a
demented women, who esoaped from
home in her night dress, was .truck by
an Erio freight train and instantly killed.
Thoro ls much alarm at Elkhart over
tho discovery of the fact that a herd of
cattle, out of which fifteen milch cows
wero sold, is aillicted with tuberculosis.
It is feared that the milk from the affected cows Is being used in Elkhart.
Mrs. Mary Frilz, of Allen county, owning a good farm, while overseeing the
wheat harvest, stumbled and fell on a
sheaf, from whioh a sharp stick protruded. This struck her ia the abdomen,causing an irijury resulting fatally, despite a
surgical operation.
Frank I.lnderinyer, a farmer near Hen-
ryvllle, was dragged from a cultivator by
a pair of frightened horses. He had the
lines fastened around his body and when
the animals took fright he was unable to
free himself.* He was dragged almost two
miles.   His injuries will prove fatal.
Henry Thomas, a colored oonvlot in the
prison north, under sentence from Marion county, attacked James Batty, foreman of the Winterbotham cooper shop,
with a knife, cutting him in the stomach
and on the breaat before he was knocked
down and disarmed. Batty escaped fatal
hurt.
Two horses hitched to a mowor in a
field belonging to Smith Fry, of Greenfield, who is seventy-two years old, became frightened and ran away. The
mower caught Mr. Fry, and dragged him
across the field, crushing his ribs and
badly injuring his left leg. He was hurt
internally.
Last week a boy named Edward Harvey, living fonr miles below Evansville,
was shot and fatally wounded by Otto
Istmus. The lattor was showing Harvey
a pistol which was not supposed to be
loaded. He snapped it several times to
prove this, and then pointing the weapon
at Harvey, pulled the trigger and the boy
fell with a bullet in his left side. Istmus
is about seventeen years of age,