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VOL. LXI
pnRLIC LIBRARY t INDIANAPOLIS, MAY  26, 1906.
NO. 21
ABOUT THE SILO.
Round Silos Are Best.
lst Premium.—The fodder should be cut
aud tamped in the silo to make it air
tight. Bound silos give best results, as
the weight of tlie silage helps to pack it
nnd keep out the air. The silage will be
more valuable as a dairy feed, if the corn
is cut and filled in the silo when all the
ears are in roasting ears or glazed, as this
is the best stage to fleed sugar or other
corn to dairy cows, when fed from the
field, to get best results in milk and butter. The ensilage increases the flow of
milk and produces more butter fat. Also
it makes the cows keep in better flesh during winter than tbe same amount of corn
and fodder fed in the dry stage. It keeps
the cows fn healthy condition, if they are
uot fed too much at a feed. Give it to
them sparingly until they are used to it,
lInn gradually increase the amount until
each cow is eating from 30 to 40 pounds a
day. Ensilage loses its value if allowed
to  mold. Take  about  2  to  2\_  inches
oil the top of silo each day. Tbis prevents molding. More cows oan be kept
in good condition from the same acreage
of coin if it is put iu silo than if fed on
dry fodder and ground feed.
Floyd  Co. Dairyman. ,
Reduces Feeding:   Expenses.
2d Premium.— It is stated upon good authority that it is possible to reduce the
cost of grain on beef cattle from one-third
to one-half by the judicious use of silage.
This seems to be indicated by both experiment stations aud farm feeding experiments, and stands a strong argument in
favor of the introduction of silos on every
farm, because silage is well adapted for
feeding to all classes of farm live stock. I
know of no better feed for sheep than
good corn silage. It is an excellent feed
for beef cattle, because of the large yield
obtained and the low cost per ton. It is
especially valuable to the dairyman who
is carrying on winter dairying, largely increasing the flow of milk over what cau
be obtained by dry feed alone. Many
of tho best dairymen of tbe country, who
are making dairying the most profitable,
do not pasture at al), but feed silage in
connect-On with other feeds the whole year
round. Silage comes  nearer* being  an
all round feed than most any other feeds
and is certainly better than any other form
lhat corn can be put in. The silo solves
Ihe troublesome corn stalk question, and
in  the very best way.
Pilling the silo is an important matter.
Every silo owner has his own method of
tilling his silo. Some run large gangs of
men, and believe that by so doing they are
reducing the cost of filling. About ten
men can do the work, and do it well, if
conditions are favorable. Handling the
corn in the field is an important matter to
demand attention at silo filling time. Tbe
corn binder is the tool for cutting the crop.
It pays and pays well to thoroughly pack
the silage in while being cut and put into
the silo. Widespread interest in silos
and silage has been created recently, and
accordingly a large number of silos will
be built this year. L. R. G.
Topics  for  future  numbers:
No. 534, June 2.—Tell how to use Port-
laud cement iu making walks, floors, etc.
No. 535, June 9.—What do you believe
to be the best way to put up timothy
hay for greatest value?
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, and should reach us one week before date of publication.
WHAT THtY SAY OF THE AUTOMOBILE?
We do not wish to shut off the automobile discussion entirely, only to check it.
So many wanted to have their say that we
simply could not make room for their letters iu full. We give below extracts from
a few of the left over letters, and will
make room for two or three short articles
Entitor   Iridium!   Farmer:
There is one thing sure; if the mahout
with his red devil is allowed the privilege
of the road he is sure to raise inferno as
be has done heretofore; either the man
with tho horse or the mahout with the red
devil must quit the road; which shall it
be? Are you willing to risk the lives of
your loved ones where the mahout goes
with his horse-frightening infernal machine? But they say they are going to
originate a horse that won't scare. Of
what account would a horse be that won't
scare at a buggaboo from sheol, with the
mahout toad on top of it? I wouldn't
have  such  a  horse.        It  would  be  like
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Farm Residence    of    Joseph Smith, near Mulberry, Indiana.
each week, especially if they contain anything new on the subject.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
Before the elder Kingsbury left for the
South, he requested me to ask a number
of representative farmers for their views
and to furnish a digest of the same. * * *
One fanner pronounces the machine an
unmitigated nuisance, that ought to be
abated for the public safety. One spoke
in terms of strong approval; saying tile
fuss that is kicked up over it is selfish and
childish. Some have appeared unconcerned; 1 or 2 prophesying that in the near
future the question would die off and
cease to be discussed, about as it has been
with bicycles.
Not a few farmers have answered what
they think of it by buying it for themselves; and none of these would go back to
horse flesh, for ten times the cost.
My own opinion is that the tide of invention is on, and no amount of
debate will check it. It is,
like every other good tiling, besets with
difficulties, aud the difliculties are to be
reduced by management and not by abuse.
1. The horses must go through the process of educating, and there will always
be some green unschooled horses that will
scare.
2. There must be a heavy damage laid
on scorchers who scare horses by reckless
running.
If a man can be caught and convicted
of refusing to stop and look into mischief
he has caused, let his penalty be so heavy
that his machine will be unprofitable to
him.    *    *    * Walter S. Smith.
Lincoln's horse he got for the saw horse;
it would be dead.    *    *    *
Simpson  Chambers.
Harrodsburg.
Editors Indiana  Fanner
Of a half dozen farm papers that come
weekly to my table I always read your
paper first. I like it best of all for its
practical common sense discussions on all
agricultural subjects. But honestly the
half baked contributions on the automobile are gradually undermining my good
nature. * * * Vou Mr. Editor have
a splendid opportunity to know better
than we farmers that tbis subject will (lis-
appear in a very short time, because the
auto will be everywhere and will go everywhere and no one will fear it; but on the
other hand will  bless  it. Of all  creat
ines on the earth tbe poor horse will be
blessed by this invention of man beyond
words to express and wil therefore be
compensated for his groundless fears.
One would judge from your contributors on this subject that Indiaua bas
either a bad lot of automobilists or a jealous, ignorant lot of farmers. We have
no such troubles here in Nebraska with
automobilists. It is true our horses get
frightened but we take it as a matter of
course and patiently get our horses as-
quainted with them. Five farmers in
my neighborhood own automobiles, and
hundreds of others in the country are looking forward to a good crop year when they
can own one also. The farmers out here
are not back-woodsmen who are so afraid
of the cars they must be blindfolded and
backed into them every time they want to
take a trip. For five years I have driven
an automobile back and forth between my
farm and this city and I never had any
trouble with my neighbors. I always
slop and lead by, an unruly horse and care
for the women and children I meet as if
they were my own. The distance is 15
miles, a long journey in Indiana, but a 50
minute trip in my automobile, and two
hours by team. Time is money and I
could not afford to spend two hours ou
tbe road when 50 minutes is sufficient with
much more comfort in an automobile.
There are automobilists who ought to be
fined for their selfishness and perhaps
soundly thrashed in the bargain, and there
are farmers who ought to be given a few
lessons on christian charity and the progress of the times.
Fremont, Nebr.        Dan V. Stephens.
Who are   Our Candidates lor the Legislature.
Editors Indiana  Farmer:
Some of your readers would like to have
you prepare a list of the candidates so
far nominated for tlie legislature, both
senators and representatives, with their
business or profession. I have been noticing the nominations as made, aud I estimate that about tbree-flourths of the
inembers so far are members of the legal
profession, as 1 predicted. In this senatorial district a very nice young lawyer
was nominated by our party, although a
large number of the delegates were from
the industrial classes; but the bosses from
the county seats were so powerful that the
other candidates were pushed aside and
the nomination made by acclamation.
It is now understood that a very young
lawyer is slated by tbe bosses of the
same party, for representative from this
county. What  can   the   taxpayers  ex
pect in the way of economy? I predict
that the next legislature will be owned
and controlled by tne office-holding class,
state, county and township. I see no
remedy, unless the tax payers assert their
manhood and rights by pledging themselves to each other, regardless of party
affiliation, not to support lawyers for the
legislature.
Machine politicians and office-holders
care but little for tbe welfare and burdens of the masses, so long as they cau
hold on to the teat, and keep fat themselves. As 1 heard one of their tools
remark recently, when he wanted to manipulate a township convention by a piece
of rascality, ''They (meaning the people)
will forget all about it, before the election." Let the farmers and all other industrial classes serve notice on the party
bosses, that they are willing for the lawyers to bave their share of representation,
but no more; and that would give them
perhaps two out of two hundred members
of the legislature. B. J.
Greene Co.
Yellow spectacles for weak eyes were
recommended by Dr. Motais in a paper he
read before the Academy of Medicine at
Paris. The doctor declares that yellow
is very soothing to weak eyes, and that
for fifteen years he has prescribed glasses
of this color with excellent results.
When one with normal eyesight stands
at right angles to a ray of sunlight it is
easy to see floating dust particles which
are not discoverable with the aid of the
strongest microscope. What is seen by
the unaided eye is not the particle of solid
matter, but the cone of light reflected
from it and occupying a much greater
space.