.INDIANA FARMER.
•Devoted to Agriculture, Horticultures Mechanics and tne Useful Art*.
D. P. Holloway, W. T. Dennis,}
It. T. Reed.—Editors.        !
RICHMOND.  JUNE 1, 1855.
(Holloway & Co., Publishers.
i    Vol. IV; No.  15.
i
State Premium List.
We published in the last number of the
Indiana Farmer, the List of Premiums to be
awarded at the next State Fair.   No other
paper in the State, that wo have noticed, has
gone to the expense of doing it. Our object
has been to give it as extensive a circulation
as possible. It is a liberal list, far more so
than any heretofore offered, and it is to be
hoped our agricultural and mechanical friends
wilt give it their attention. Almost every im-
maginable branch of domestic industry is noticed; and from tho discretionary authority
Jl .given to the committee on Miscellaneous arti-
1    cles, every article, possessing merit, will be
-i    awarded   a  premium.   The wealth of our
Jf   State is to be found in the productions of her
fertile soil and her workshops, and such an
exhibition as should be made, and which can
I ^*   be made under this list of premiums, would
\   give the highest and best evidence of the sub-
c.    stantial   ability   of our   State.   We ask the
•i    friends of Indiana  to  make tho next State
*    Fair an exhibition of wbnt can be done by
t-    her enterprisinar farmers and skillful mechan-
^-f*   ics.    We invite especial attention to the list of
premiums to be  awarded to girls under 16
years of age.   It will prove a beautiful feature
in the exhibition.    Next year we trust a similar list will be made out for the boys.
)
Cisterns.
A writer in the Rural New Yorker condemns the use of cement cisterns on account
of their making water "hard," as His termed,
and their liability in loose, gravelly ground
to crack and leak, and recommends wooden
cisterns as cheaper, less liable-to leak and always to keep the water "soft." We had supposed that the superiority of cement cisterns,
was established beyond all question, until we
noticed the above. The idea that cement
which has become hardened to the consistency
of solid stone, and which increases in density
by time, will dissolve in the water sufficiently
to make it 'hard,' is simply absurd, and would
piovoke a smile from every washwoman who
has used water from a cement cistern. The
difference in the original cost is not worth a
moment's attention when we consider that
cement cisterns, properly constructed, will
last a life-time, and keep the water pure and
free from unpleasant smell, while the wooden
ones soon commence decaying, its sides become slimy and a most disagreeable odor is
imparted to the water. There is no difficulty,in getting cement cisterns to stand firm in
earth however loose, if a few simple precautions are observed in building. The principal
cause of the^ cement cracking, is in consequence of the great pressure of the water,
when full, and the porous condition of earth,
behind the walls. To remedy this, the walls
should be first plastered over with stiff clay
mortar and afterwards carefully pounded down
or rammed against the sides until a firm wall
is formed to receive the cement. A single
brick wall built about six inches within the
sides of the pit, and the space between filled
with stiff clay mortar well puddled in, will
make a far better foundation for the cement,
though more expensive. Another cause for
cemented walls cracking, is tbe use of common'
plastering sand, which often contains a portion
of earthy loam, in mixing the mortar, instead
of coarse, sharp, and clean sand containing
fine gravel screened so that none larger than
a hazlenut shall be permitted to go in. This
will make the mortar very "short" as workmen term it, and very difficult to put on, but
when once on firmly, it becomes in a short
time as impenetrable as the solid rock iUelf.
Sowing Com for Fodder.
We observe in the proccdings of a meeting
of Farmers in Ohio, several old farmers gave
their experience on this subject, and among
them there was considerable diversity of opinion as to the best method of sowing. Tha
plan of drilling in rows eighteen inches apart,
seemed to have a decided preference over sowing broadcast. One old, experienced farmer,
gave it as his opinion that it was all lost time
and a waste of ground to sow corn for fodder
when there was almost if not quite as good
in our cornfields every year. His plan wai
to cut off tho tops close by the ear, as soon as
the corn becomes hard, and before the blades
have changed their bright green color. He
never knew any injury to result from topping.