jol. XXHI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, APRIL 14,1888.
NO. 15
CHOP REPORTS.
a the Three Central Western States.
nfluence of Tile Drainage on Pro'duc-
tion in Indiana.
ountles.
Ice	
Varren	
linton	
luntiDgton...
ipton-	
> abash	
Our crop reports from the. three States
re from the several counties, down to
ipril lst. Last autumn and fall when the
resent growing crop of wheat was sown,
was exceedingly dry, as will be remem-
■ered. It is the theory of some that ex-
ended tile drainage is hurtful in very
lry seasons, and it is interesting to look
* nto this matter in the light of facts. The
iroduction of wheat per acre last year,
nd the present condition of the growing
rop, both throw much Important light on
his question. Here are the facts as to
ast year's yield of wheat per acre on tile
irsined land, and on land not tile drained
Ter acre on tile Ter acre not tile
drained, bush. drained, bush.
18 12
18 12X
18 12
IS 12X
17 11
...            17 12
These counties are a fair sample of the
-suits throughout the State as to the pro-
uction of last year on these two classes of
nd. And so it is as a rule true thiB year
at the highest condition of the wheat
iant is found on tile drained lands. But
very dry fall, together with little snow
nd March freezing, have all contributed
s>|o the low condition of the crop on April
st. The winter frost was not out of the
~ Tonnd when our reports were made, at
east that was true in the central and
lorthern sections of the three States.
INDIANA.
The area of wheat is 94 per cent of a full
rop for the entire State.   In the 34 coun-
tes of the Southern division,the condition
'f the plant averages 80 per cent.  Of these
ounties,Posey reports the condition April
1 st at 100 per cent, which is a full average;
Wo 100,  Dearborn  85, Floyd  90, Harbison 90, Franklin 85,and Pike 95 per cent
In the Northern division of 27 counties,
he condition  averages 71 per cent.   Of
tese counties DeKalb reports 100,  Hun-
.ington 98, Elkhart 90, LaGrange '85, and
fenton, Jasper, Kosciusko,and St. Joseph
0 Per cent,with all others lower. The cen-
r&l division of 31 counties is on an aver
lge th» lowest  in condition,  being but
4 Per cent.   Madison and Shelby counties
ePort the condition  at 90 per cent, How-
jrd, Morgan.Randolph and Tippecanoe 85,
Nation 80 and all others lower.
Clover has suffered also  from  the dry
,     and snowless  winter, the condition
or the State being only 59 percent.
Amothy meadows are not so  bad, the
'ndition being reported at 82 per cent,
^ch is very fair for April reports,
ihe prospects for both apple and'peach
.°Ps are excellent.   It is reckoned if 10 to
^Percent 0f the buds mature fruit, that
wop will be a good one.   Our reports
.liv* onAPril  lst that  the apple buds
e were 88, and peach buds 80 per cent.
. ibo? aDd barley for con<-titl°n, are a little
Liv W      ' being M and 78 respectively
April t^t0°k Me  lnSood  condition  foi
/   'the lowest report being on cattle of
M
are  in good  condition  for
3 p^ 9st report being on cattle of
'CeoST' h°rSe8' 8he6p and h0gS  beiDg
;      J. OHIO.
Hlrl th"** °f Wh6at 1S PUt at 88 Per   cent.
*g» for ,t°nditi°n °f tbe Plant at 70> aver-
:ion i9 "J6. entlre State.   The low condi-
^«vaiia!i     Uted to the same causes that
:pn'<lownir,^ndiana-   SU m™*™ *™
* '^King b*i        and flve at 85'the others
<      Cl0VfiP Id
'"dian, (treP°rte<i »little better than in
Timot'h     condUion b«ing <*.
-< ^iats hi Jk18 fair for APri1'  being M>two
the .-5,     than in Indiana,
i
-
"PPle and peach crops are  also ex
cellent at this date, there being 93 and 86
per cent respectively of buds alive.
Rye and barley, which are larger crops
there than in Indiana,aro put respectively
at 72 and 68 per cent.
Live stock are, for sheep 89, the lowest,
and all the others above 90 per cent for
condition.
ILLINOIS.
The area of wheat is 83 per cent, and the
condition for the State reported at 69 per
cent. In addition to a dry fall, "fly" was
reported in several counties, damaging
the plant last fall.
Bath clover and timothy meadpws are
reported lower than in either Indiana or
Ohio, clover being 54 and timothy 70 for
condition.
The apple and peach crops promise large
here also. Apple buds alive 90, and peach
80 per cent.
Rye and barley is about as in the other
States being 74 and 67 per cent for condition.
Live stock are not so high in condition
as in Indiana and Ohio, cattle being but
80 per cent, hogs 88, with horses and sheep
92 and 91 respectively.
The table below gives the several items
reported on as
AVERAGES BY STATES.
Indiana. Oblo. Illinois.
Wheat, per cent of average
crop sown..       94          88 83
Wheat, per cent of condition     72         70 69
Clover, per cent of condition.. _..i>9» 64 „ ..54.
Timothy.percentofcondition     82          84 70
Apple buds, per cent alive...-      83          93 90
Peach buds, per cent alive....      80         86 80
Rye, per cent of condition      84         72 74
Barley, per cent of condition      78          68 67
Horses, per cent of condition     92          91 92
Cattle, per cent of condition.      88          91 80
Hogs, per cent of condition...      91          95    '     88
Sheep, per cent of condition-     91          89 91
We have frequently known too hasty
conclusions as to the condition of wheat
fields, and where the plant supposed to be
killed was plowed up, when fields along
side of them left to grow, in the outcome
yielded a good crop. A few days of warm
sunshine will develop the growth of the
plant if it is not killed, and farmers
should not act hastily In this matter.
The remarks of many of the reporters
are given, showing other points in the
crop outlook.
REMARKS OF REPORTERS—INDIANA.
Jasper Co.—A cold, wet, late spring;
frost not out of ground.
Kofcf jusko Co.—The weather all through
March very hard on grain.
Noble Co —Wheat, much of it small
growth; last five weeks' freezing and
thawing very hard on same. Rye and
barley little grown. Of clover, last year's
sowing a poor set on account of drouth.
Peach buds uncertain. Spring is wet,
cold and backward, and feed Is scarce.
Wabash Co.—Stock of all kinds looking
well; best I have ever seen.
Allen Co.—In three townships, over glOO
worth of sheep killed by dogs in three
months.
Cass Co.—Great demand for good brood
mares.
Randolph Co.—Wheat looks bad.
Hancock Co.—Small fruit prospect fair.
Howard County.—Frost nearly out of
ground. Ground froze three feet, the
deepest ever known.
Clinton Co.—Wheat looks as though
about dead,but may come out better than
expected.
Monroe Co.—A very wet and late spring.
Warrick Co.—Ground cold and wet.
Jackson Co.—Feed scarce and stock poor
in flesh.
Ohio Co.—Cause of stock being below
average is scarcity of food.
Jennings Co.—A great many horses
have died; feed scarce and high; cattle
poor. More than the usual number of
deaths have occurred this spring.
Ripley Co.—Milch cows cheap. Pigs
scarce. Early sown wheat good, no fly.
Peach buds are O. K.
Decatur Co.—All clover sown last spring
killed out by the dry weather.
Wells Co—Wheat and clover badly froze
out.
Miami Co.—W heat badly killed on * clay
land; spring backward.
Montgomery Co.—Clover sown one year
ago was almost ruined by drouth; what
was left, and old clover, badly winter
killed.
Union Co.—Last spring's sowing of clover is a failure.
Rush Co.—Cannot tell much about the
condition of crops yet.
Jay Co.—Wheat, clover and timothy
badly winter killed. On account of drouth
last fall wheat got a poor start. Partial
thawing for many weeks settled the earth
from wheat roots and killed it. Much
wheat will be plowed up for oats,
Floyd Co.—From present appearances,
there will be a full crop of fruit. Clover
and timothy badly heaved. Drilled barley
is better than broadcast.
Sullivan Co—Spring is late. Not much
oats sown yet.
Harrison Co.—No farm work to amount
to anything done yet.
Jefferson Co.—Much of the wheat that
now looks bad, may improve if the
weather is favorable.
Delaware Co.—Wheat seems killed and
looks bad, but may revive some.
Morgan Co.—Clover of last year.'s sowing,
did not winter, an well as that one year
older.
Crawford Co.—Prospect good for a flne
crop.
Hendricks Co.—Clover, timothy and
wheat all greatly damaged by freezing.
Grant Co.—Potatoes badly frozen; no
plowing yet for oats; frost not out of
ground.
Switzerland Co.—But little snow the
past winter; late wheat dead.
Gibson Co.—Spring with grass is here, a
welcome visitor.
Posey Co.—Wabash out of its banks.
Water in wells continues low on uplands.
Washington Co.—But little oats sown;
stock healthy.
Clark Co,—Weather fine; work behind,
because of wet weather.
Spencer Co.—Broadcast wheat froze out.
Washington Co.—Wheat has improved
since the 25th of March.
REMARKS  OP   REPORTERS—OIIIO.
Brown Co.—March has been hard on our
wheat.
Van Wert Co.—Owing to drouth last fall
wheat was late being sown, and got but
little start. It wintered very well considering we had but little snow, but has been
injured by freezing and thawing. Some
epizootic and a little cholera.
Madison Co.—Peaches did well here
years ago, but can't grow them now.
Sandusky Co.—Grapes and all kinds of
fruit in good condition.
Richland Co.—The apple and peach buds
are all fine.
Defiance Co.—The hogs are healthy, and
what sheep there are, are good.
Paulding Co.—Everything looks favorable for a good farming season.
Logan Co.—A very hard winteron wheat,
but little snow, and the ground did not
thaw out from the time winter set in.
REMARKS OK REPORERS—ILLINOIS.
Clark Co.—Wheat badly damaged; very
wet; no oats sown.
Cumberland Co.—Weather fine; feed
very scarce; wheat badly injured, but it is
hard to toll what the crop will be at present.
Fulton  Co Spring backward; no oats
sowed.
White Co.—The dry weather last fall
hindered the sowing of wheat, also affected the condition.
DeWitt Co.—The dry summer and cold
winter injured clover.
Adams Co.—Wheat green but badly
spewed outr-appearance deceptive.
Crawford Co.—Clover where pastured
close in fall all killed.
Shelby Co.—Wheat has Buffered much.
A few warm days will tell the tale.
Jasper County.—It is very muddy; feed
scarce.
Montgomery Co.—Rather a sorry showing for 1888.
Clay Co.—Wheat coming out; feed all
gone; weather fine. .
A Plan for a Farmers' Loan Company.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
According to promise we send herewith
the leading features of a Loan Company
for Farmers,—which are intended to be
merely suggestive,—as fully drawn articles of association would be out of place in
a brief newspaper article.
1. Organize with president, secretary
and treasurer.
2. Form articles of association, subscribe stock—elect nine directors for the
firat year; certify to the whole before a
notary public; file a copy with the county
recorder and also with the Secretary of
State.
3.. Make the capital stock, say $50,000—
with shares of $100 each—payable 25 cts.
per week.—all shareholders being members and entitled to one vote.
4. The stockholdersshall meet annually
to elect directors and officers.
5. The directors shall meet each month.
They Bhall have general management,
grant loanst fix • the terms,- decide on security, settle bills, etc., and serve without
compensation.
6. The president shall preside at all
meetings, have custody of all notes,bonds,
mortgages, sign all orders for money, etc.,
serve without compensation.
7. The secretary shall attend all meetings, have a stated time and place to receive all moneps, keep the books ef the
company, which shall include the account
with each stockholder. He shall pay all
moneps to treasurer, sign all orders for
money, give bond, and receive such pay as
the directors may determine.
8. The treasurer shall pay money on
order of president and secretary, keep
an account,give bond, and serve without
compensation.
9. Have a membership fee of 50 cents,
and a tax of five cents per week on each
share for expenses, and five cents each
week on each share for non-payment of
dues,and let stock be cancelled when fines
and dues equal the amount paid on that
stock.
10. Loan money on stock, approved security ,or first mortgage at 0 per cent, payable quarterly.
11. Let preference for loans be taken
by the person bidding the highest premium.
12. Let any stockholder have the prlvi ■
lege of withdrawing—by giving 90 days
notice, and receive all he or she has paid
in, less fines and othercharges.
13. Let no stockholders have more than
10 shares at any one time.
14 Let each member of the association
have a pass book, in which the secretary
has made a record of the holder's account
with the association, and given receipts
for stock paid.
15. Appoint an auditing committee to
examine the books each year.    '
16. A borrower who is a stockholder
may return his or her loan at any time.
17. AU the accumulations of the association less expenses, are to go toward
making the shares of stock full, and the
association shall continue until each shareholder receives the amount of his stock,or
until all shares are redeemed.
A well managed association ought to pay
in full in six years, when, at the rate of
payment on stock only three-fourths of
the stock would be paid in. This would
make any investment profitable, besides
such a company would accomplish many
other desirable ends.
Terre Haute. W. R. Halstead