VOL. XXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, MARCH 26,1887.
NO. 13
Written for the Indiana Farmer.
VARIETIES OF CORN
Tested at Purdue University*
Saventeen varieties of corn were grown
in 1886, side by side, under identical conditions. The soil on which the varieties
were grown is a dark loam, naturally
drained, and considerably worn. Owing to
extremely dry weather in June and Jaly
the yields were reduced probably one-
fourth.   The planting was done May 14th.
How About California?
Editors Indiana Farmer:
"A contented spirit is worth all the
world," and we are glad that H. Learning,
Jr., the Farmer correspondent of January 29th, is one who possesses it. I am
sorry to disturb his peace of mind, but
the spirit moves me to reply, and I cannot
resist. A gentleman having heard of California strawberries in January, said
•'Never mind, we will have plenty in
Jane, when they have none." Mr. L. is
evidently laboring under the same delusion.   We s,were through" with peas and
YIRLDS PER ACRE, PER CENT SHELLED CORN. ETC
Name.
orop id so.
8S
88.
=._!__
1
86.8
84.9
84.4
81 9
Purdue Vellow Dent	
Early White Dent 1	
Boone Connty White Dent 2	
Duplicate of No. 1.	
, Vlttum's Premium Yellow Dent 1
I Sutton's Dark V ellow Dent 3	
Duplicate of No.l    	
j Learning  yellow dent)    86.1
9 Ea ly White Champion 4    82.4
io Duplicate of No. I       	
11 Ki.ey's Favorite (yellow dent) 2	
12 Kureka Yellow Dent 4	
1, Duplicate of No.l 	
14 Murdock Yellow Dent 1	
16 suflVrn's Champion White Pearl 1	
l(i Duplicate of No. 1      _      	
17 ueyton's Small Cob rearly yellow dent)
10 Dresser's Very Early White 1 -
l»|   upllcate of No. 1	
20 Smith's Mixed Calico Dent 	
21 Unnamed fwhite dent) 1	
*>2<Duplicate of No. 1	
93 Oooley white 1	
2_j Little Wills (white; 6
•£, Duplicate of .No. i
2
u'.'i
13.8
11.0
13.8
12.8
Crop 1880.
[ft* ><
,8 81 .'3|
Nr,   1
?■..-
87.*»
83.2
M 0
hft.O
....
79.7
82.6
85.7
846
84.4
82.9
8t.ii'
80.S
"w.T
83.0
10.1 i 86.0
12.4    81.7
8.9
9.1
10.8
18.9
87.B
88.2
74.8
81.6
4
11.2 !
10.8
12.1 |
10.'6
11.4 |
lb'.if
11.8 j
11.9
12.1
10.7"
10.5
8.8"
9.6
ioo"
12.4
80.6
89.1
5
100
100
100
"iob"
ioo
"9V
ioo
"ioo"
100
ioii
ioo
9.8
7.8
e
87.17
34.84
45.69
81.%
35.76
81.25
80.97
3-..20
82.94
88.29
4i..;
88.89
42.24
44.21
45.62
40.00
35.20
43. at
89.70
38.V9
48.74
39.70
DO. 98
28.72
42.80
1 irom lhiuo-S tTDiversity. 2 irom Job. Kliey. Tuormowii, lit..; A
from J.Sutton, Moutmorencl, fnd.: 4 from O, Pemlnger, Cieves, Ohio-
5 frum Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.
All the varieties were fairly matured when
cut, Sept. 17th and 18th. The husking
was done Nov. 13th, at which time samples of aU the varieties were placed in the
loft of a building in which there was no
fire. The oorn was weighed at husking
time and the yields per acre were calculated from these weighings, allowing 75
pounds to the bushel. The germinating
power of the samples Btored in the loft
was determined in the last week of February, 1887. The data in columns 1 and 2
of the table were obtained from weights
taken May 12,1886, the data in columns 3
and 4 were obtained from weights taken
February 28, 1887. All the varieties except No. 1 were donated to the College.
The parties from whom donations were
received are given in the above table.
It will be noticed that in nearly every
Instance there is a shrinkage in the
weight of the ears and in the per cent of
shelled corn, and that the large varieties
show the greatest shrinkage in weight of
ears. These results are due, doubtless, to
the severe drouth which probably told
most heavily on the larger sorts. I am of
the opinion that the high and naturally
drained land of the College farm will not
develop to full perfection the large varieties of corn. The results, however, might
have been quite diiiorent in a wet season
or even in an ordinary one. The experiment will be continued.
We solicit,   for  trial,  s-unples of   seed
corn, (eight or ten ears each), to be sent by
express to the address given below.
W. C. Latta,
March 19,1887. Lafayette, Ind.
lettuce in July also, but had only to, as
the children say, "do it over again," as he
could not, lf he wished. If we took the
pains he is obliged to, in order to bave
them at all, we oould have them any day
in the year. We might also have "buckwheat cakes and sausage" if we cared to.
Will he please tell us what that class of
people do the rest of the year, who live in
tents eight months? Here, they might
easily finish out the year, but there, tbey
must get rather more of the "spice of life"
than they care for. Cake that is all spice
is very overpowering. He "would not
have autumn and winter left out." He
must be one of these who delight in working with all their might six months of the
year, to get wood to burn, and something
to eat the other six. If so, he has a perfect
right to do it, but many prefer a climate
where "the good things of this world"
may be obtained more easily. Since the
"two good rains," whioh oalled forth Mr.
L.'s remarks, we have had enough more
to insure us here, what no one living can
assure to him, where he is, a fair orop of
all farm products the coming season, and
if we have as muoh more as the present
prospects lead us to expect, we will have a
large one; and more, we know we will
have favorable weather for harvesting
them, of which he oan never be sure
Many are the crops I have seen ruined
there, becauseof a few days of bad weather
ln harvest-time.
True, Indiana  strawberries are as good,
what there is of them,   but there is only a
taste in one of  them, and they only last a
month,   while  here   we   have  them   in
abundance, and I dare  not tell how larg£,
Alpheus  J. Wagner,  a resident of La-  ail the year, and the eagerness with whioh
porte for 40 years  died Saturday morning I they are sought after by new-comers from
of measles, aged 69 years. Indiana, and  other States,   prevent their
ever becoming a drug in the market, and
goes to show that Hoosiers can appreciate
them, outside of the month of Jane—when
they can get them.
He would not "exchange apples for
oranges." Neither would we, but we have
just as many, and just as good apples,
with the oranges thrown in, to say nothing of apricots, figs, nectarines, Icquots,
guavas, and many other fruits he never
sees. We are glad our Hoosier friends
oan enjoy wading around in the mud, in
rubber boots, but Californians can afford
to sit in the house, and watch the rain
from the window, knowing that though it
may pour for a week, they will not be
obliged to havo rubber boots to go out in,
when lt does stop,
True, there are many invalids here, but
they are those who having lived ln Indiana until they could live no longer, come
here, and often live many years. An invalid is very rare among those who have
always lived here, and I have never seen
a sickly child here. I do not know what
the limit of life is, but I have known of
108 years being reached.
Yes, W. D. H. should viBit California
and report as suggested. Of course we
have sand, what would our delightful sea-
beach be without it? There may be sagebrush in some parts of the State, but I
certainly never have seen any. We have
a dry season each year, but I have seen
twice as much dust, and Buffering from
drouth, in Indiana, when it had not rained
for three week, as here when it had not
for six months. "The kind of water we
have to drink," is as pure and healthful
as can be found in any State.
■ 'Is it all sunshine, morally, physically,
and financially?" Alas; no, such a Paradise is not to be found on this earth. California bas Its drawbacks, It rains some
times,-we are glad to have it—and human nature is much the same the world
over. In this place of 6,000 or more residents, and as many transient visitors each
year, there is rarely more than one person
in jail, or county hospital,—tramps, and
drunken persons are seldom seen, ladies
are perfectly safe to walk the streets, un-
at ten ed, at any hour day or night, and
workmen of ordinary capacity, seldom
fail to procure work at any of the trades,
or on ranches, at nearly double what they
would receive for the same labor In Indians, and "strikes" are entirely unknown.
I have no wish to disparage my native
State. It has many pleasant features, and
is a fine place to emigrate from, but after
a fair trial of both Indiana and California,
I must say 1 know of no town in Indiana
that can make an equal showing with the
above.   "If any, speak."
We are glad Mr. Learning is so well
satisfied with his surroundings, and hope
he will stay where things are so much to
his liking.
"Where ignorance is bliss, etc.
There are limits even to California, and
we don't want every one to come here,
else we should have no room for ourselves.
Santa Barbara, Cal.       M. C. B. Wood.
(imeral Unus.
Two Evansville doga got into a fight and
knocked down a gun that was standing
against a wall. The weapon was discharged, shooting one of the dogs through
the heart.
Lake Tahoe Is to be used to Irrigate
land in Nevada.
Nearly all the east Tennessee hamlets
have oaught a boom.
Snow Is yet lying five and six feetjdeep
in some of the Maine woods.
Hlllsboro, O , has decided, by a big majority, to close the liquor shops.
Chinese are returning to Vancouver,
B. C , under government protection.
Michigan declares war on sparrows and
oilers a bounty to devil sling fiends.
The Keystone Bridge Co., have advanced the wages of employes 10 per cent.
A guard has been set over the vault ln
which Mr. Beeoher's remains are deposited.
Mrs. Anna Larson, of Victoria, Illinois,
nearly 109 years, thonght to be the oldest
person in the State, is dead.
A big fire at Chautauqua Sunday last,
destroyed the children's temple, the amphitheater and fifty cottages.
The tobacco planters ln the upper Cumberland (Tennessee) district have decided
to put In only light crops this year.
Willie Studebaker, aged five years, Hhot
himself through the heart while playing
with a revolver at  home, in Jacksonville.
An Arkansas lion, measuring six feet
five inches in length, and weighing 152
pounds, waa killed recently In Hempstead
county, Arkansas.
The Canadian government ha* decided
to send an exploring expedition to Hudson bay this year, to report on the question of its navigability.
The city and province of Venice was
last week visited by a severe snow storm
whioh caused a complete suspension of
railway traffic. The snow was five feet
deep.
Nitural gas has been flowing aud In use
at the town of Westfield, N. Y., since 1826
—also at Leechburg, from one well for 18
years past, and at Now Cumberland for '.Jl
years.
A disastrous explosion of dynamite occurred on the 15th in a stone quarry at
Lobosltz, Bohemia, All the men at work
in the quarry at the time were blown to
atoms.
A tornado swept through the town of
Tampa, Fla., at f> o'olock Thursday afternoon, demolishing a number of horses
and fatally Injuring a woman and two
children.
Fire was discovered at 3:30 o'clock last
Friday morning in the new Richmond
Hotel of Buffalo. The building was totally destroyed and seven lives known to be
lost. Five other persons are in a dying
condition, and a doz3n othersBeriously Injured.
A remarkable darkness enveiopud London at noon on the 15th. It was as dark
as midnight ln the region of Charing Cross,
Whitehall and the Strand, and the atmosphere became pitchy black. In the east
and southwest portions of the city it was
somewhat clearer. Snow fell heavily at
the time.