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LIBRARY.        .
VOLLX
INDIANAPOLIS, NOV. 11, 1905.
NO 45
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HOW TO  GET THE  GREATEST   VALUE
FROM  THE  CORN CROP.
Feed all tbe Cora on the Farm.
1st Premium.—It has been demonstrated both by experience and by practice,
that the farmer who sells beef, pork and
mutton that lie has produced aud fed with
grains grown on the farm and fed with
money per acre oft his land, and per dollar of his capital, than the oue who grows
grains and sells them. If we nre to
produce a surplus to be sold iu foreign
markets, it is best to export that surplus
in the most condensed and marketable
form, rather than in the original crude
and bulky state. In the long run the
farmer will make Uie most money who
devotes his fields to the growing of crops
to feed stock, making use of nil the raw
products at home, thereby not only saving
much of the cost of transportation but
also maintaining the fertility of the soil.
By doing so the corn belt farmers will
maintain their preeminence in agricultural
lines. Experience of the'past few
months has shown me that tbe men who
stuck to feediug, and were not tempted
by high prices to sell their corn, have
made the most money.
Our theory and practice is to feed all
the corn we raise on the farm. We begin just as soon as it is fit to feed. The
maimer of feeding it should be an important item. The feeding may be to any
stock that .pays the former the best. We
have found the most profit in hogs. Keep
good pure bred stock of all kinds, if possible, but I believe if any kind of stock is
kept it pays better to feed the crop on tlie
farm than to haul it directly to market.
It seems to me that the only rational
method for business on- the farm is in
feeding as much grain as possible to good
stock. The soil fertility is thus kept
on the farm, and our fields become more
productive from year to year.
Of course, in order to get the greatest
value from the corn-crop the fodder should
be shredded. The eorn shredder is in
use intensively in this part of the country for saving the food value of Uie corn-
fodder. By this meUiod the feed is put
where it can be had when needed, and it
is in good shape to feed.
The advantages of fodder over ordinary
liny I find to be many. (1.) It is a byproduct, costing but little. The grain is
expected to pay for raising the crop, arrd
the fodder is so much extra gain, while
hay is a main product, requiring the use
of land for a year. (2.) It is free from
dust. It is a good food for horses that
have heaves or are thick-winded. Fodder gives animals a glossy coat of hair.
(3.) It is far superior to timothy as a
milk producer. (4.) It's manure value
is a considerable item.
Feed your corn on the farm, shred
your fodder, and save money.
Kosciusko Co. M. A.
Fodder Should be  fed in Stables.
2d Premium.—Feeding the enUre crop
to good live stock is the best way to get
the full value of the corn crop. The fodder should be saved and fed out through
the stables. It makes good rough feed
and by its use the supply of manure can
be increased. The refuse of the fodder makes good bedding for the stock,
and is a good absorbent, thus taking up
the liquid manure.
The manure can be applied to the wheat
field during winter, benefiting the wheat
mill making a stand of clover more certain. A heavier growth of clover is
usually obtained from manured land, thus
making more feed from the fodder that
has  been  fed.
If the manure is uot wanted on the
wheat, it can be applied to clover sod for
corn; thus increasing Uie next year's
corn   crop. •
It is noticeable that on farms where the
corn fodder is saved ami fed to stock in
the stables, and Uie manure carefully applied to the land, that the fertility of the
farm and tlie crops produced are better
thau where the corn fodder is wasted or
fed  in  a  careless  way. By   using  the
fodder, more stock can be kept and kept
at less expense than where hay or other
feed is used.
The grain can be fed to all kinds of
live stock with profit. On many farms
it is the principal grain for horse feed.
Many farmers are using crushed corn for
milk cows, thus adding to the milk supply and its products. The soft corn
can also be fed tp the oattle, making either beef or milk. Corn fed to hogs usually pays a profit, and especially when fed
early in tho fall. Hogs fed on corn
when it begins to harden take on fat rapidly, and the weaUier being warm and
the price for hogs good, makes it a good
time to dispose of part of Uie corn crop
through the hog pen.
Where water is convenient, a small area
of corn can be hogged down. It saves
the work of feeding, and all the refuse is
left on the land. Corn makes good
poultry feed. Its use will enable the
hens to go through the winter in good condition and pay for the corn with the eggs
produced.
Tliere are reasons when it would seem
best to sell the corn on the market, but
taking oue year with another many of
our best farmers prefer to feed the crop
on the farm ami increase its productiveness. W  .J.
No. 500, Nov. 18.—Give some examples
of the good that can be done by Farmers'
Institutes.
No. 507, Nov. 25.—Explain the value of
clover to the farmer.
Premiums of $1, 75 cents and 50
cents are given for the best, second and
third best articles for the Experience Department each week. Manuscript should
be sent direct to the Indiana Farmer
Company, au-d should reach us one week
before date of publication.
CORN    SHOWS.—HOW     TO    MAKE
THEM  BOTH  POPULAR  AND
EDUCATIONAL.
Fxlltors Indiana Farmer
The excellent and abundant corn crop
is stimulating desire and effort to hold exhibits, under various auspices, in many
parts of the state.
While corn exhibits should be encouraged, the customary methods of conducting them result only in a com show, a
crowd, and a distribution of prizes to the
lucky winners.
Such exhibits, without losing anything
in attractiveness or popularity, can be
m.ide truly educational to nil, and especially encouraging and helpful to the
toys and girls of the farm.
To aid all who desire to conduct really
valuable and educational corn exhibits,
the following suggestions are respectfully
offered:
1. Limit the competition to boys and
girls between the ages of 10 and 21, living
on farms in the country;
2. Let each exhibit consist of the best
ten ears of corn, grown on the home farm,
and selected by the exhibitor;
3. Engage a corn- judge, approved by
the Slate Corn ('rower's Association,
whose duties shall be:
(a) To judge the several exhibits of
corn by the score card adopted by said
association;
(bl. To instruct the competitors iu
judging corn by the same score card;
(c) To supervise the work of judging
ten ears or com, grown on the horn efarm,
The corn should all be brought to the
place of exhibition early the day before
the public exhibit, to enable the judge to
carefully score each exhibit by the score
card  the same day.
The competitors should be assembled in
a separate room, say, ten o'clock, the
next morning, and be carefully instructed
by the judge how to judge com by the
score  card. While   this  instruction   is
being    given,  the    corn  exhibit    may  be
thrown open to the general public.
Early in the afternoon, the actual work
of judging by Uie competitors should lie
conducted in the presence, and under the
supervision of the expert judge, each competitor being given ten- cars of com previously scored by said judge. To avoid interruptions, exclude the public during the
judging. This work should be concluded
about 3 or 3:30 p. m., at which time the
public may be again admitted to the hall.
As soon as the judging is completed, a
committee should carefully compare the
scores made by the several exhibitors with
scores previously made by the expert
judge. The competitors in the judging
contest should be ranked according to the
nearness of approach of their respective
scores to those previously made by Uie
expert judge for Uie corresponding samples. That is, from 100, each competitor
would be cut one point for each point of
departure from the markings of the expert judge on the several items in the
score card. For example, one who varied ten points, in the aggregate, from Uie
expert judge's markings would be marked 90 per cent; another varying only five
points, would be marked 05 per cent and
so on.
It is not necessary that the competitor
should judge his own com. It would be
rather better for him to judge another
sample, as the temptation to high markings would thus be avoided. As a safeguard against any partiality, the corn
should be registered only by number, the
names of the exhibitor being kept separate by the committee in charge of the
exhibit. •
School officials and school teachers
should be requested to suggest awards
that would be useful to the l>oys and
girls, the aim being to select such awards,
if possible, as would be, in ' themselves,
educational to those who win Uiem. In
this connection, it is suggested that the
boy or girl making the best score, should
be awarded his, or her expenses, in attending the Annual Corn School at Purdue University, January 8-13, '00. This
would be a very fitUng award to either
boy or girl, as there will be lines of instruction especially interesting to both
sexes.
If thought best, other awards might
be offered for the first, second, third,
fourth and fifth best exhibits of corn. In
this connection editors of local papers
might be induced to send their papers, for
a longer or shorter time, to the successful competitors, according to the rank
of  their  respective  exhibits.
It is hoped that newspapers, business
firms, or public-spirited individuals, who
contemplate conducting corn exhibits will
lind tho foregoing suggesUous helpful.
The plan outlined above, is also, commended to Fair AssociaUons, Granges,
Farmers' Clubs and Farmers' InsUtutes
<>s a means of popular and pracUcal education for the youirg people of Uie farm.
The Corn Growers' AssoeiaUon has
printed a brief circular giving directions
and suggestions for selecting corn for exhibit. This circular will be sent by Uie
undersigned, to any address, upon request
W. C. Latta, Prof, of Agriculture.
Purdue University,  Ijifayette.
THE  COMPULSORY  SCHOOL  LAW.
Kdltorti Insil-itia   Knmier
1 am an old subscriber to your paper,
and think it the l»est paper published for
the practical farmer. I would like ft
few questions answered Uirough your
query and answer column.
1st. Is the compulsory school law of
this state, an amendment to the original
school law, or is it an independent law
to itself?
2d. Does the present law require the
patrons to keep the children in school, regardless of the distance which they must
travel to reach a school?
3d. If thore is a limit to Uie distance,
what is Uie limit, aud what provision does
the law make for children living beyond
that limit? A Subscriber.
—-On submitting your queries to Hon.
F. A. Cotton, Superintendent Public Instruction, he makes Uie following reply:
The Compulsory Education Law in Indiana was first passed by the Legislature
in 1890. In 1901 the law was amended.
The law cimpelling children to attend
schools docs not make provisions whereby
there is a limit to the distances to be
traveled by the pupil. In most townships where pupils live more than two
miles from thu schoc.1 buildings the town-
chip trustoes provide free transportation
for pupils to and from school.
Enclosed you will find the Compulsory
Law of Indiana which I trust will be
satisfactory. Following is the act referred to:
"Every parent, guardian, or other person in the State of Insliana, having control or charge of airy child or children be-
t've-n the ages of s.-ven (7) and fourteen
(Ml years, inclusive, shall l>e required to
send sueh child or children to a public,
private or parochial school or to two or
all [morel of these schools, each school
year, for a term or period not less than
that of tho public schools of Uie school
corporation where the child or children
reside: Provided, further, That no
child in good mental and physical condition shall for any cause, any rule or law
tc the contrary, be precluded from attending --chovls when such school is in session.
We attended a big sale over near Hamilton, Ohio, a few days ago, where 140
buggies and other vehicles, driven from
the farms for ten miles around, were
strung along the fences for a quarter of a
mile. Several . hundred people attended
the sale. It was on a large Miami Valley farm and among the articles sold were
forty implements of various kinds, including harrows, cultivators, mowers and reapers, manure spreaders etc. Every thing
went low, except the hogs. Full blood
Polled sVngus cattle brought scarcely
more than common stock.
We witnessed part of the great automobile contest at the State Fair grounds
track last Saturday. It was a thrilling
sight to watch a machine shooUng by at
the rate of a mile a minute, 88 feet a
second.