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"INDIANA FAMREtt.
Devoted to Agricultures Horticultures mechanics and the  Useful Arts.
D. P. Holloway, W. T. Dennis,J
R. T.Reed.—Editors.        \
RICHMOND, MAY 15, 1855.   ^vSE&V?.***. „.
Puhlishsrs.
The Good They Do.
Among the many advantages of Agricul-
' tural papers, there is one which is generally
overlooked, but which is nevertheless of no
small importance, viz: the encouragement
they hold out and the facility they offer to all
classes, but especially young men and boys,
to learn to commit their thoughts to paper.
What is most needed to make up the columns
of an agricultural paper, is a plain and simple statement of facts, descriptive of the manner of raising a crop, the results of different
kinds of culture, and a multitude of other
things which any one who can write at all,
can communicate.    Here, then, is a cottinu-
*al inducement held out to all who havo any
facts of this kind in store, (and who has not?)
to give them to the public. And in no other
way can this be done than by bringing into
exercise that most important talent, which, but
for some inducement of this. nature, might,
and would in hundreds of instances be forever
dormant.
The art of composition has been greatly
neglected in common schools; and many are
there who are allowed to grow up to man-
hood with a settled belief that they cannot
write, because they have never studied grammar and rhetoric, nor been taught the mysteries of the art; but when they are told that the
facts they are in possession of are wanted by
tho public, and absolutely needed, and that
"all they have to do is to write them just as
they tell them, many are induced to make thc
attempt, and having once done so, are often
surprised to find with what case the work is
-accomplished.
It is in this way, by bringing out all of this
sort of  talent among farmers and farmer's
sons, (and it certainly abounds hero quite as
much as elsewhere,) that agricultural papers
do a vast amount of good.    And, indeed,
when we consider them in all their bearings,
it may well be questioned whether any other
class of papers in the country could not better
be dispensed with.    Let them, then, be supported. ^_______—
SOW The wheat crop has greatly revived
within the last fortnight, and now promises a
most luxuriant harvest.
Provide Plenty of Winter Forage.
The experience^f the past winter should
teach all who have stock to provide for, that
ample preparations are necessary in order to
ensure, under any emergency, a full supply.
Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and
other States, lost hundreds, perhaps thousands,
of cattle and other stock the past winter, for
want of a sufficiency of hay, straw and other
rough food, and a large number of those that
survived, will not, for a twelvemonth, recover from tho effects of their starving. In fact,
the loss throughout the country from this
cause is almost incalculable, to say nothing of
the vast amount of intense suffering which
the poor dependent brutes have endured.
The general and unprecedented drouth of
last summer and fall was the great cause, and
though we do not expect such seasons often
to occur, it is well, when we have it in our
power, to provide for the emergencies which
follow. And in order to do this, it is necessary to have an eye to the subject early in the
season. The farmer should consider how
much stock he will have to winter, and then
endeavor to provide a third more hay and
rough food, as well as grain, than they will
be likely to consume. He will remember that
there are five months which, stock have to be
fed, and in this length of time they will necessarily consume a very large amount of
provender. Those who have any experience
in wintering stock, are well aware of this.
The first thing that a farmer can do, is to
have plenty of meadow. He should keep up
double as much as he thinks will make him
plenty of hay, until he sees that his hay crop
is likely to be good. When this is fully ascertained, ho can pasture a few acres more, if his
stock need it. When his flaxseed is cleaned
off, tho straw, instead of being thrown out to
the weather, or hauled to fill up aome ugly
gutter, should be mowed away, or.carefully
stacked, co as to keep bright until winter. A
ton of bright flax straw is worth morj than a
ton of wheat straw for cattle and sheep, and
some even prefer it to good timothy hay. Tho
chaff is also of gieat value. Wheat and oat
straw should be carefully stacked.   It is a