VOL. XXX.
KVu-
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MAY 11, 1895.
NO. 19.
WBATHEB OROP BULLETIN.
* United States Department of Agriculture,
Weather Bureau. Orop Bulletin of the Indiana Weather /Service in Oo-operation
With the Agricultural _Experirnenl Station
at Purdue University, Monday, May 6,
1895.
Much sunshine and exceedingly high
temperature prevailed throughout the
week, only light scattered local rains on
Thursday. Crops did not advance much
and rain is yery muoh needed for everything except farm work, which is well advanced on most farms. Wheaton favorable soil is still ln fair condition and quite
promising, bat on day and loss adapted
soli the prospect for a fair crop grows less
from day to day; in the southern portion
in few fields wheat is jointing; in general
it is not stooling out well and ln some portions of the northern section it is baokward
in La Orange oounty some of it is only six
inohes high; if rain comes soon nearly an
average crop is still expected. Rye ln all
portions promises a fair crop. Oats are
coming up very slowly. Potatoes are all
planted and coming up most everywhere.
Corn planting progresses, in most counties
nearly all has been planted, none in a few
counties in the northern portion; in a few
counties in the northern portion planting
has b_en suspended, as injury from the
army worm is feared. Some of the corn
-has -come up. Garden vegetation is well
advanced and apples, pears and oherries
have been full of bloom; peaches also in
few northern counties. Clover and timothy advance only slowly and grass is green
but short.' Cut worms and army worms
are injurious especially in few southern
counties also potato bugs have made their
appearance, but the little green insect on
blossoms did not do much damage. Wells
are failing again in several localities.
Sheep shearing continues and is ended on
some farms. Hogs are scarce; cattle ln fair
oondition.
SOUTHERN PORTION.
* The rains on Thursday were more general than in other portions of the State and
the sunshine and warm weather all the
week' were very favorable and in general
the crops in most counties of the southern
portion are more advanced and in better
condition. Wheat in general stands fair
and promising; in Sullivan county it is
jointing on sandy soil; in Soott and Orange
counties it is leas promising and in Bartholomew and Swiizsrland counties it is
not stooling out well; in Gibson county it
has not suffered for rain yet and in Spencer
county it has a good color and stands high
at this time of the season. Oa'.s is coming
up but advancing only slowly. Potatoes
are up and in Dearborn oounty they have
been worked over. Gardens are all made
and vegetables well advanced. Timothy
and grass is short and clover is being injured by out-worms in Spencer county.
Corn planting is nearly done in many
counties and in Bartholomew, Jackson
and other oonnties the oorn haa oome up
nicely. In Lawrence, Dubois, Harrison,
Jennings, Orange and Warrick counties
oorn planting is held baok for fear that the
cut worms may injur it. In Knox county
Plowing for corn is not ended yet. The
army worm is doing muoh damage in Dubois, Greene, Warrick and Washington
counties to olover, corn and gardens, and
potato bugs are numerous in Dubois and
Jennings counties. Apples, pears and
cherries are fall of bloom In Dearborn
county, more so than ever before. Grapes
begin to bloom in Gibson county; in Jackson county cherries and raspberries are a
failure: and hogs and cattle are scarce but
borses are abundant.
CENTRAL PORTION.
Warm and sunny weather was beneficial
to crops and favorable to farm work but
the showers were light and not so general;
In Randolph and  Delaware counties the
showers were heavy enough to be of benefit. Wheat still holds its own, in good soil
it is very promising bat in gravel or clay
soil less so; to insure an average orop, rain
is needed soon. Farm work- is well advanced everywhere; in Montgomery
county more so than ever before. Barley
is short yet and oats is advancing only
slowly; in Fayette and Wayne counties it
is not in very good oondition bnt in Union,
Boone and Parke counties it promises
quite well. Gardens are made and truck
is growing nicely. Apples and pears are
in full bloom, in some counties there was
more bloom than ever before, promising
an abundant crop; in Marion and Union
counties many buds are dropping off; in
Wayne, Fayette and several other counties
the small green insect did no serious harm
to the buds. In Jackson county grapes
are from eight to 10 inohes and tho prospect is good. Clover and timothy are in
good condition in Vigo county. Pasturage is short but green. An immense
amount of tomatoes will be planted in
Parke county for factories. Corn planting
is nearly done and coming up nicely; cutworms are injuring lt in Dscatur, Marion.
Union and Madison oonnties. Sheep
shearing is ended in Franklin county.
Stock is in good condition.
NORTHERN PORTION.
It was warm and sunny, and light showers fell only in a few localities. SpriDg
work is well advanced aud crops backward, but in fair oondition. Rye and
wheat in lowlands is in fair condition and
not injured yet by the drouth, but on uplands it Is less promising. On some fields
ln LaGrange oounty it is only six inches
high and the poorest_ at this time for
years; and yellow in some places, Oats
is but small yet, it holds its own and
with sufficient rain will make a good orop,
especially in Warren, Carroll and Miami,
Whitley and Cass counties. Potatoes are
all planted in Allen, Steuben, Wells and
other counties and they have come up in
Miami and Tipton counties. Clover looks
well. MeadowB are backward, pasturage
Is short but green, but stock makes but a
poor showing in Miami county. Corn
planting is progressing; the ground is too
dry for sprouting; in Tipton county it has
come up; no oorn has bsen planted yet la
LaPorte and Starke counties and in Lake
and Adams counties planting has only
commenced. Apples, pears and cherries
are blooming and promise wr.ll; peaches
in Elkhart and Whitley counties; straw*
berries are all right, but raspberries and
blaokberries are' injured in Miami and
Kosciusko counties; fruit trees set oat this
spring have to be sprayed to save them in
Elkhart and Wells counties; insects did
no damage to fruit blossoms in Clinton,
Wabash and Miami oonnties; sheep shearing has begun in Kosciusko oounty; wells
are falling ln Carroll county.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Servioe.
Per C. F. R. Wappenhans,
Weather Bureau, Assistant Director.
How It Works In Practice.
Here is the way the income tax decision
affects one rich man: Income from real
estate, 173.000; income from Government
bonds, $22 600; income from city bonds,
|12,000; Income from other sources, f5,000
He received a total inoome of ? 112,000 daring 1894, and under the law as it stood
would pay a tax of over $2,000 As the
law Is left by the Supreme Court he will
have to pay a tax on only J1.G00, or $32 —
Boston Herald.
Luther Smith, of Logansport, got on the
cowcatcher ot a Vandalia engine to ride to
Maxlnkuckee, last Sunday evening. The
engine struck three horses that were running loose and Smith was killed ln the
wreck.
OJumj mux QtiBwcxs.
gtixtz U-enjs.
Editors Indian* Fabiieb:
Please explain the "full moon" ln your
next issue, telling what causes it, eto.
Branchville. J. R S.
The moon Is full when lt Is directly opposite the sun, from our stand point; that
is, when we are directly between the sun
and the moon. The dark of the moon Is
when the moon is between us and the
sun, or nearly so.
Editobs Indiana Fabxxb:
The enclosed bugs are to be found by tho
bushel In my oronard. They have been
heavily sprayed with phosphates of copper
with a small amoant of Paris green. What
are they and what will be the result?
Brooklyn. C. M.
The Insects you send are aphides or plant
lice. They are not likely to do the trees
much damage. iSpray them with kerosene
emulsion. It has often been described in
these columns. Half pound soap to one
quart coal oil, churn together till they
form a complete mixture. Then add ten
times the amount of water, and spray.
Kditobs Indiana Fabmeb:
1. Will some of the readers of the
Farmer give a recipe for making different
kinds ot hard soap from wpod ashes and
grease or tallows?
2. Has Iron weed any medical quality,
or has lt any worth whatever?
3. What is the cause of potato vines
having no seed balls, as they did 10 or 15
years since? Several varieties do not even
bloom; is it becaused they lack fertilization, or have they lost their former vigor
or vitality?
4. Will anything kill or drive off the
blister bsetle or potato bug that eats every
green thing that comes ln his wa>?
Bainbridge. H. S. B.
1. Who has a good tried recipe for soap?
2. Not that we can learn.
3. There Is no reason we can think of,
and we somewhat doubt your statement.
Has any reader noticed what our correspondent refers to?
4. Switching the vines with a handful
of twigs will drive the blister bugs out of
the field. They will return again, and the
switching must ba repeated several times,
till their term expires, which fortunately
is not long.
William I.9e, of North Vernon, is 100
years old.
The advance guard of the army worm
has reached Oakland.
The 10 year old son of Felix Craig, of
Middletown, was killed by a train.
L'ghtnlng Instantly killed Joseph Ellis,
20 years old, near Warren, while working
in a field.
William Mugg, Sr., a pioneer of Taylor
township Howard county, is dead. He
was 73 years old.
An old gas well in the vicinity of Fort-
vino was "shot" a few days ago, and a 50-
barrel oil well was developed.
Dolly Smith, six years old, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, of Marion, was
instantly killed by an eleotrlc car.
The county-seat removal question Is being revived in Lake county, Hammond
disputing with Crown Pjint for a relocation.
Whilo working at moving a log with a
hand spike a few days ago, Edward Neville, ot Shelbyvllle, bit on half his tongue
by the spike slipping and striking him
under the chin.
Miss Anna Smith, daughter of George
Smith, near Loogootee, while on her way
from tho kitchen to the smoko house to
procure a piece of meat, slipped and fell,
and the knife which she was carrying
penetrated her right lung. Her recovery
is doubtful.
Barn burners are causing much alarm at
Tipton. There have been several cases of
arson, on the night of the 21 culminating
in the destruction of six stables belonging
to E. H. Shirk, •William Picken, Sr , S J.
Boyer, Mrs. J. M. Clark, Edward Holmes
and William Picken, Jr.
William T. Woodward, of Munoie, aged
20, died last week of lockjaw. He stepped
on a rusty nail two weeks ago and was believed to be out ol danger, wheu he took
dangerously Ul with the fatal ailment
April 30th. He was a painter by occupation and a popular yonng man.
Must We Change Our Sytem of Farming?
Editors Indiana Fabiieb:
We have had nine years of drouth i i
this part of Indiana, and if lt Is to continue, we must turn our attention to some
more pr ..table crop than corn. Our soil
being dry and very hard clay subsoil, is
well adapted to whoat, bat at the present
price this crop will not pay, and oorn is
out of the question. Now lf the above
conditions are to prevail the farmers of
this part must do two things: First adopt
a more thorough system of cultivation,
plow deep, then cultivate as deep as you
plow, then frequent, rapid, level surface
cultivation. Subsoiling has been resorted
to here. Can any one give me a pointer
as to the kind of plow and how to use it?
Now the second thing is to grow the kind
of crops that will mature easily, and before this drouth comes. Plant good seed
of an early variety. Are beans a profitable crop on our soil? Will some, one having experience give all details.
Logansport, Feb 6, Subscriber.
We are surprised to learn that there have
been so many drontby years in Indiana.
If this be true there is good reason for
making changes ln our staple crops and
modes of farming. Our friend's suggestion reminds us of the title of a new illustrated monthly that comes among our exchanges, the Irrigation Age. It is published at Chicago, and the editor no doubt
believes that irrigation is to be the principal resource for success hereafter in our
western farming regions. We must learn
to preserve all the moisture that falls, and
to cultivate more carefully. Beans do best
on a soil somewhat sandy.
f&zmvnl 2|cws.
The cotton acreage in Arkansas is likely
to do reduced 50 per cent from last year.
A l«dy in Cape Elizabeth, Me , carelessly
laid her hot curling iron on a bed, By
prompt aotion they saved the house.
No tree has yet been measured which
was taller than the great eucalyptus in
Gippsland, Australia, which proved to be
150 feet high.
A Kansas lesturer on irrigation had a
slim aud let c. in Lt Crosse, because the
roads were so muddy the .armeis couldn't
get into town.
The widow of John Brown, of slavery-
day fame, llve3 in a pretty oabln in the
Sierra Azure mountains, about 50 miles
from Sau Francisco.
Henry Stephens fell into a mining shaft
110 feBt deep atStottsCity, Mo.,andlanded
ln ten feet of water. He was drowned, as
not a bruise was fonnd on his body.
Paris has 86,150 horses, of which 15,081
belong to the Omnibus Company and 11,-
117 to the cab companies. From 16,000 to
17,000 horses a year are slaughtered for
food.
A terrible cyclone swept over a strip of
oountry several hundred yards wide and
16 miles long, ln Kansas, on the 1st inst.,
killing 12 persons and seriously Injuring
many more.
The richest gold strike during the laat
two years has been on the Anderson prop-
erty, near Lswlston, Wyo. The vein is
20 feet wide, part of which will run nearlv
J10.000 a ton. /
Two hundred thousand tons of syndicate
wheat stored at San Francisco Is to be sold,
and all the iron ships in that harbor and
many others en route have been chartered
to carry it to Liverpool.
Dispatches from Oklahoma and Kansas
points report a general rain on the 1st inst.
In Oklahoma a drouth lasting almost nine
months is broken, and, while wheat is be-
yonnd help, corn, oata and cotton will be
greatly benefited.