VOL. XXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, MARCH 19,1887.
NO 12
A Land Measuring Device.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Seeing the directions in the Farmer of
January 22, for making an instrument to
survey land with, reminded me of a home
made implement  for the  purpose that is
used here. Take two strips of pine, or
some other light wood, about 7 feet long,
1 by 2 inohes thick. Fasten the strips together at the top, spread them at the bottom bo that the points will be exactly 5' _
feet apart, then nail on a cross piece so
that the pieces will be held firm so they
cannot spread. The strips should be
shaved to a sharp point, or if iron points
are fastened on they would be better, as
they slip on hard ground if you are not
careful. When you want to measure you
take the implement, set one of its feet on
the ground, then bring it in line with the
side of the field. Then turn it so the other
foot will touch the ground, continue
turning it so as to make it step, as a mechanic does with a pair of compasses,until
you have measured the Bide of the field.
Then divide the number of steps you have
made with it by 3 and you will have the
number of rods you have passed over, as
3 steps makes a rod.
ANOTHER CONVENIENCE
on a farm is a set of stakes. They are
often wanted to start the first row with
the oorn planter or marker, and dozens of
other plac ss. If you have the socket of an
old hoe that is worn out, or an old socket
chisel, take it to the blacksmith and have
him straighten and sharpen it. Then get
good straight grained timber, that will
not break if a horse steps on it, apd fit the
sockets on to it. You will have a stake
that can be set in any ground that is not
too hard to plow, and will seldom blow
down. A convenient length is the width
of two oorn rows, which is from 7 to 8
feet. When not in use keep them in the
tool house and you will always have them
convenient for use. D. M. A.
Oarp in January.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
It is generally supposed that carp do not
feed in mid-winter, and therefore cannot
becaught with hook and line. On Saturday
Jan. 29, the ice was about all off our pond,
and one of my boys caught three large
fish, using bread orust for bait. The water
is clear and fresh, coming from a strong
spring. We have mirror carp only, and it
is interesting to see the golden spotted
beauties come to the surface, tumbling
over each other in their eagerness to get
the food which we now give them every
two or three days. There are more than
50 carp ponds within three miles of here.
Jonas Scholl.
Fayette Co. Feb. 8.
(Delayed.)
Written for the Indiana Farmer.
A Home in South California.
J. F. MBNDENHALL.
We have had another good rain,so I will
write another letter for the Indiana Farmer. It will please our friend Learning Jr.
of Tippecanoe Co. Yesterday was the
first disagreeable day we have had for a
long time—perhaps three months—and the
gathering clouds and fitful winds ln conjunction with the falling barometer indicated that the continued dry spell was
about to cease, and a fall of rain about to
come which would gladden the hearts of
all, and set at rest any fears of drouth
These signs were not in vain, for early in
the afternoon drops began to fall which
increased to a regular power by night, and
continued all night and most of to-day
About two inches of rain has fallen, and
the soil is well soaked. Farmers are happy over the assured bountiful crops, and
will redouble their diligence and make
this fair land, always so beautiful and
favored, blossom with its wealth of wheat
and fruit.
Bat the croakers, alas! what will become
of them ? They must now admit that in
this pleasant land of ours can always be
found good crops and happy people.
Our Tippecanoe county friend asks one
or two questions which I will try to answer. His first question is: "How about
Indiana." Well, it is a good State, ono of
the very best in the Union, not quite so
good as Ohio or Pennsylvania, or Southern Michigan, but a delightful State to
live in a good part of the year, and equal
to any Central State for money making.
It is full of malaria in mSny parts, and
has some pretty fair-sized blizzards every
winter. For a corn and hog producing
State it hardly has an equal, and for hay,
cattle and horses it stands away up toward
the top notch. For a good growing S ate,
where land will advance over present
prices, Indiana cannot "hold a candle" to
Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado or California.
We have had considerable experience in
Indiana. I have lived in the center of the
State over 40 years, and my mother has
lived there over 50 years. We both live
here now, and like this State much better
than Indiana. Land in Hamilton county
which cost us $65 per acre 16 years ago, we
sold in 1885 for f52 per acre, and probably
it would not bring $50 to-day. It was in
much better condition the day we sold
than when bought. I notice a house and
lot advertised in the Indianapolis Journal for sale at $6,000 which cost $12 000 a
few years ago. A house and lot was sold
a few months ago for $6,500 wbich cost
$14,000 a few years ago. This it not very
encouraging to beginners. But matters are no worse in Indiana than in many
other Eastern States. A friend of mine
from New Hampshire tells me he cannot
get $3,000 for his farm to-day, while a few
years ago it was valued at $5,000.
Many things have conspired to bring
about this great decline in Eastern real
estate, but space will not admit a mention
of them now. Matters will right themselves in time no doubt, and all those who
enjoy living in Indiana should stick to
the good old State.
Mr. Learning asks how long people live
in this State. Persons born and reared
here live longer on an average than those
reared in Indiana. Many sick people
come here (torn all parts of the United
Statnjs and some die, which cuts our average duration of life down a notch or so.
It is a blessed thing to have one plaoe in
the United States where sick people can
go to and get well. We do not have a
population composed of invalids as Mr.
L. would have us believe, and truthfully,
do not hear as many complaints about
sickness as we did while living East.
Persons are not troubled with malaria
unless living in low, wet places, and
diphtheria among children is hardly
heard of. Those afflicted with catarrh can
get well, in many places a few miles from
tbe coast, and we rarely meet with consumption unless  brought from  the East.
Mr. Learning speaks of our sand and
sage brush. We have a million acres of
land contributive to this city and almost
every acre would be benefited by the addition of a little sand. Thousands of acres
of our hill and valley land are covered
with adobe soil, as rich as the finest river
bottoms of Indiana, but it dries out and
becomes very hard, if left unworked, during the dry season. A little sand would
make it almost perfect, and easy to work.
There are sand hills 500 miles north of
here which are disagreeable to deal with,
but I have seen many acres of these reclaimed and now  under lino  cultivation
As to sage brush, I have never heard of
its troubling any one. Very little of it is
seen in the hundreds of thousands of acres
surrounding Los Angeles, and I imagine
it would be much easier to clear up than
underbrush in Indiana. As to the water
we drink, it is better than from the water
works of Indianapolis, or half the wells in
the samo city. Our best doctors say we
have as good water as is used in any Eastern city. We have many wells in the
city 60 to 100 feet deep, and the water is
pure and good. There may be poor water
in some parts but I am not acquainted
with those places.
We have a great deal of sunshine,about
300 days in a year at least, and in morality
we think we are a little ahead of many
Eistern cities. Los Angeles is not a border town. The inhabitants do not wear
arsenals, nor shoot at the drop of a hat.
In enterprise, good order, good government and good morals it ranks as high as
any city of the same Biza. Financially we
are in pretty good shape and have no complaints to make. Daring the past year
buildings have been erected in this city
costing in the aggregate over $2,000,009,
many of them substantial business blocks.
From 11,000 inhabitants in 1880, we have
grown to 47,000 in 1886.
We do not grow as much corn in this State
as Indiana does, but with half the inhabitants we raise more wheat and twice as
much barley. Horses are not fed on oorn
but on rolled barley which is better. Last
season South California shipped East
700,000 boxes of oranges, 300,000 boxes of
fine raisins, 5,000,000 gallons of wine, and
a $1,000,000 worth of walnuts, olives, dried
fruits etc. During the year 1836, 100,000
orange trees were planted in Los Angeles
oounty. The honey crop of South California is  perhaps 1000   tons a year,   and
while no sweeter than Tippecanoe county
honey, lt sells for 3 to 7 cents a pound.
We oould see it snowing to-day, on the
mountains a few miles north of the city
which is near enough for old winter to
come, while here in the city the flowers
are in full bloom, and the birds are singing merrily in the pepper trees.
Los Angeles, Feb. 6 1887.
Our rate to the end of  1887, from  this
date, is only 80 cents.
^elmnanj.
Jno.Eli.iott. V. 8., Veterinary Editor, 83 East Wabash street.   Telephone 281.
Wart.—Please send me a cure for a wart
on my Alley's leg. It has been there one
year; been cut off once and burntoff once.
R. W. B.
The only way to remove warts is to dissect them out of the skin with the knife,
bring the edges of the skin together with
sutures and treat as an ordinary fresh
wound.
I should like to learn through your valuable paper if mares in foal are more apt
to abort if kept in floored stables than otherwise. If so, how long before foaling time
should they be removed from floored
stables? D. H. H.
We do not know as the kind of floor has
anything to do ln producing abortion except on a plank floor they are more liable
to slip.   Slipping is a frequent cause.
Warbles or Grubs.—My cattlo are
troubled with what we call grubs, on their
backs. What cmses them? also what
shall I do for them? I have taken the
Farmer f jr two years and would not do
without it for twice the amount paid for
it. We all hail it with joy from th*. oldest
down. J  R H.
Warbles are small tumors containing
grubs which are deposited under the skin
by the gad fly. The eggs are deposited in
their situation in the latter part of the
summer or beginning of autumn where
they remain until late in the following
spring, at which time they make their
escape in the form of a grub preparatory
to other transformation, finally appearing
in their parent form of the gad fly. They
are <• mcealed in a small abscess from which
being pressed the grub makes its escape.
They are not of any importance to the
well doing of the animal except they appear in excessive quantities.
COSTLY EXPBBIEHCE.
The oounty commissioners of this,
Marion county, have just paid the sum of
$72,350 to the Indianapolis, Decatur and
Springfield railway company, being the
amount of judgment against the county
recently obtained in the Supreme Court.
The principal of the amount allowed was
assessed and collected 18 years ago, and
the law requires that suoh money shall be
kept as a special fund, but it was used
contrary to law, and the paying out of the
amount in a bulk is a big draw on the
county. The attorneys for the railroad
get one-fourth of the amount. The county wanted the railroad and subscribed
liberally for it, but as the road was not
completed in the specified time, the commissioners thought they might save the
money to the county, but the courts, after
long delay and heavy costs and lawyers
fees, say no, and we have another dearly
bought lesson In honesty.