VOL. XXX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., FEB. 2,1895.
NO. 5.
MecauX %cQisUtion.
Editobs Indiana £'abmkb:
As moat of the stook In j ared by careless
hunters Is shot by those who own no prop
erty in the country, would lt not be a good
law that would make It a punishable offence for any one, not a land owner, to
own or have in his possession either fowling pieceor.rlfl.? E E Heacock,
Washington Co.
—That would be too great a restriction
on the rights of the citizen, but the man or
boy with gun has no right to trespass on
private property without permission from
the owner.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
I see in the good old Fabmeb tbat quite
a number are writing on the road question.
Now, the law is about ai gocd as you will
get it, only there might be a little more tax
levied so as to give the trustee enough to
put in all bridges and culverts and grade
the road and pay for the gravel. Then let
the citizens haul the gravel on the roads
free. Or let each one on the line to be
graveled put on two yards for each acre
they own on each side of the line, and the
next one baok ot them one lead. They can
thus make a road in two or three years and
be out no inoney, thus saving court expenses also. J. S. Hoss.
Hancock Co.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
We, as farmers of the Gas belt and of
the most favored part of Dataware Co.,
should look to our interests by appealing
' to our State paper and making known oui
wants through you to our legislators
1st. We want the read law left as it is.
21. Cut all salaries from president to
supervisor. 3d. A law governing our upper and lower courts. Here in Delaware
Co., our circuit courts runabout 315 day**
in the year, and our commissioner's conn
runs whenever Muncie needs a new bridge
and 1 think when they get a gas well on
the poor farm, they will be able to run
the year round.
An Old Subscbibbb and Tax-payer.
Delaware Co.
the road law that will take the work out
of the hands of the farmers and give it to
professional jobbers. We are doing very
well as it is, so let well enough alone. We
need a fee and salary law that will be just;
one that will not make men rich in one
term. Repeal the law making county assessors. Simplify the election law so that
a man of common sense can vote and have
lt counted. The law that Is of the moat
importance and spoken of the least is the
liquor law. We need a radical change in
that, so that it oan be executed when violated. It won"d not hurt my feelings if
there was a strict prohibitory law passed,
In fact I think it would be the best thiog
for the people that the Legislature could
do. If the party that now controls the legislature wishes to remain in power it had
better lend a listening ear to those who are
asking for something to be done to help in
this great question. A great many men
voted for the party that controls the Legislature, hoping that something might be
done in this direction, and if there is not
their votes will go somewhere else hereafter. W. J Morgan.
Morgan Co.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
Permit me to state through your needed
legislative column that I desire a change
in the liquor law of our State. I should
prefer entire prohibition if such a thing
were possible at the present time. If prohibition is not possible at present, then I
am in favor of adopting the South Carolina dispensary system. We need a change
that will close every saloon or dram shop
in the State. The South Carolina plan
will do it. Half a loaf is better than no
bread. If liquor must ba Bold as a beverage the State "ought to handle it, and the
whole traffic ba taken-out of the hands of
individuals. If there is any profit in the
liquor business the State ought to have it.
Every dollar of it should go into the State
treasury to help defray the expenses of
the Slate and lessen the taxes of the people.
1 wish the Legislature would appropriate
money for the construction of the State
Soldiers' Home.
I do not want the fish and game laws repealed.
I do not believe in sending everybody
to the alms house who happens to need a
little temporary relief from the township
occasionally. C. Eossomon.
Lafayette.
Editobs Indiana Fabmxb:
I read with much interest the draft of
the law regarding fish, orchards and gardens. I Immediately clipped it out and
sent it to our senator. Judge Duncan, with
the earnest request that he not only vote
for it but do all in has power to get it
passed. Living in the edge of a village I
bave for years seen my orchards and vines
stripped of their fruit, in my presence,
oftentimes and literally no recourse was
left me. Frequently the choice fruit I had
tended and cared for expressly to give to
some invalid was not only taken but the
tree or vine, irreparably injured. As we
bave no fruit market in the smaller towns
and villages these losses are often irreparable. The second olaase of the law I con
sider especially important. Please repub
lish the proposed law with editorial comment.
The enactment of suoh a law would give
an impetus to trait culture that would result in lasting benefit to the State. Urge
all your readers who are engaged in horti
culture to write to their senators and representatives asking not only their support
of this bill but requesting them to use
their influence in securing other votes for
its passag.. Laura D. Wobley
EUettsville.
—Mrs. Worley's suggestion is most ex
callent. We urge our readers to follow up
these needed legislation letters in the
Fabmeb by personal letters to senators
and representatives. If all who are interested will do as Mrs. Worley has done the
desired legislation will be enacted, no
doubt of it. Before we complain of the
Legislature for not doing what we want
done let us leave no effort undone in our
power to make, to keep the members in
mind of our wishes and hopes at their
hands.
to look after cannot take the time to compete with those "gentlemen of leisure;"
and he dare not draw a seine, consequently he must buy his fi.h or do without.
Then again there is a lawless element that
is secretly and constantly using the seine,
more greatly to their benefit, Inasmuch as
no law abiding person would think of
using a seine.
2: The quails; yes, the poor little,
coveted Bob White. The fish do not come
out in fields and orchards and eat up the
chinch bugs, cut worms, eto., while the
quail whioh is abundantly proven to be
such a friend to our agricultural interests
is pursued by whom? Onr same city
friends above referred to. Yes, they can
hardly wait until the date the law allows
of their being killed, and I have heard of
them starting -wl<h dog and gun before lt
was fairly light to pursue and kill the
farmer's best bird fil«nd, poor Bib White.
I say to our honorable body of law
makers, enact a law prohibiting their being killc d at any season of the year for a
term of at least 10 year*?; or, what would
be better, forever; yes, forever. Of course,
we hear the argument that we had as well
kill them as let them live just to freeze to
death in winter. But my observat'on is
that this is not the case. Ot course, there
are some instances of whole coveyes being
fonnd frozen, but it is the exception and
not tbe rule. There are also many de-
stoyed by hawks,#eto, but-the more we
have the more there will be that will es
cape. B F. C.
Hob Roy.
Editobs Indiana Fabmkb:
I have been much Interested in the articles in the'Farmer oh legislation. Same
of them look very sensible, and some of
them look a good deal as though some f el -
low wanted a job. We want no changes
that will ~ make any more offices to fill or
make taxes higher. We want no change in
Editobs Indiana Fa3kkb:
Another word or two in regard to needed legislation. Aside. from the saloon
question, which is of eqnal imparlance to
all the rest, the farmer needs some legislation for his protection and special benefit, and from the many suggestions that
might be made I wish at tbis time to
speak of two in particular: 1. Our present
fish law. I do, indeed, concur with A. O ,
of Carroll county, and others on this subject, for it is surely an imposition for the
farmer to see his city friends (?) and "gentlemen of leisure" basking on the sunny
banks of the very streams which he (the
farmer) pays tax on, and while he is trying to make a crop by hard and honest
toll his fish are yanked out and appropriated for the benefit of others. The farmer
who Is industrious and has muoh business
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
The farmers of the State, on the appreciated invitation of the editors of the Indiana Farmer, are, a few of them, suggesting some needed legislation for the
action of the' present Legislature. I am
afraid that most of these suggeUions will
be forgotten or swallowed up in the more
important (more Important in the estlma
tion of the average law maker and profes
s'.onal man) blennlel struggle of the In diana
Universtty.
Whether the Indiana University is to
remain at Bloomington "forever," or
whether it is to go to Indianapolis now or
at any future time, is a question being a
good deal discussed In some sections of the
State. Whether this discussion is alto
gether in the interest of education or
whether there are other and less worthy
factors at work to produce it I do not now
wish to say. I have no intention, at this
time, to take sides in the matter. But there
is another phase of the universary
question to which, it the editor
will let me, I will devote a few
sentences. Like the "horse leeches two
daughters," this institution comes before
the Legislature every session with the
clamorous cry of "give, give." No matter
how hard the times are, no matter how the
working common people have to try and
strain to make both ends meet; no matter
how much more of the products of the
farmer's toil a given amount of salary will
buy, still there Is no let up to official and
professional demands. Salaries mnst not
only be sustained, but increased. These
Cte.ars, no doubt, owing to the meat on
whioh they feed, have grown so great as to
feel themselves insulted it they are asked
to share the lot of common mortals.
The last sentence I would not have written but that I read the other day in a magazine "that a college-bred man was more
than one hundred times the superior of
other men." Now, while admitting the
advantages and desirableness of education
I do not believe a word of it, and I must be
excused for challenging the statement. If
the "other man" does not assert himself,
there is danger that in these days of colleges and universities he will drop out of
sight altogether. That there have been
1 many great men, and superior men, grad-1
uated from colleges none will deny. Bnt
there have also been many miserable failures.
There bave also been many great men,
and • superior men, in all the useful walks
of life, whose college education was very
limited. Thanks to P.ovidence wearenot
dependent upon college! for brains, although to some extent we may be for their
cultivation. But this has been better pnt by
another untitled man, than I can put it,and
calling to mind the old adage that, "a man
may as well be hanged for an old sheep as
a lamb," I will quote it for the benefit of
whom it may concern, hoping that the
reader will not take me in earnest but in
fun:
"What's a' the J argon o' your sc hools,
Your Latin names for horns and stools;
If honest nature made ye to.Is,
W hat sairs your gramme; s?
Ye'nl better taen np spades and shools,
Or knappin' hammers.
"A set o' dnll conceited hashes
Confnss their brains ln college clas.es.
They gang In i tirks and come oat asses,
Plain truth to speak;
And syne they think to climb Parnassus
By dint o' Greek!
"ale me ae spark o' nature's fl.e,
That's a' the learning 1 desire;
Then tho' I drudge thro' dub and jLlre,
At pi .ugh or cart;
My muse" tho homely in attire,
'  May tench the heart."
Now, in closing this article allow me ' to
ask two or three questions: Should the
State tax all the people for the benefit of a
part? Is it any more the duty or province
of the State to qualify men for the legal or
medical profession than lt is to teach them
to be blacksmiths or brickmakers? Does
not experience teach that private enterprise and individual munificence will always furnish opportunities for the most
advanced education to all who are fitted for
It and desire it, and Is lt not, to say the
least of it, a waste ot time and money to
try to force it upon any othei? How many
men who would have made excellent mechanics or farmers have we seen made
wholly unfit for anything by the foolish
and cruel endeavor to lift them to a position for which nature never Intended them?
Have not private Institutions of learning
turned out as well educated men as State
institutions? Should the educational dnty
and powers of the State extend further
than to provide good and sufficient facilities for a oommon school education, equally in reach of all her chl.'dren?
I leave these questions without argument lo the consideration of any who may
think worth while to read them.
Claud Hopper.
My notation of Crops.
Editobs Indiana Fabmxb:
My regular rotation Is oorn, wheat and
olover, 40 acres of each. I have raised -l.OOO bushels of wheat in the last four years;
40 acres each season, and not one grain of
rye, chess, cockle or mustard.
I pasture my clover, feed.out my hogs
on the clover sod In the fall; put on 200
wegon loads of manure; plow deep with
three horses In spring; thoroughly prepare
the land and plant to corn, cultivate shallow and often. In the fall cut up all the
corn and make the ground just like a
garden bed, but use no fertilizer of any
kind. I then sow to wheat with a two-
horse drill. With this rotation I have not
only raised heavy crops, but my land is
getting better every year.
Jay Co. Jacob Listenfelt.
Editobs Indiana Fabmkb:
I am having many enquiries for Bark-
shires rttatlng they saw my sd in the Indiana Fabmeb. I have seme nice pigs old
enough to ship now, also someyoungsows
old enough to breed, all at reasonable prices
if taken soon. Some bf them will make
show animals. Wishing the Fabmeb success I remain, J. F. Elliott.
Vincennes.