VOL. XXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, MARCH 6,1886
NO  10
FIEIsW   KXPERIMENTS AT   PUKDUK
UNIVERSITY.
Karly ..uthering of Seed fern.
by prof. w. c. latta.
No. 4.
Kvery year our farmers suffer great loss
from defective seed oorn—a loss which ia
just as unnecessary as it is great. We
may sometimes console ourselves with
the thought that we have done all we
eonld, and that our misfortunes are the
resnlt of causes beyond our control. Not
so in the case of poor seed corn, for it is
the result of ignorance or carelessness.
Now tbat many farming are facing the
unpleasant prospect of having to buy seed
corn at a good round price, it may be an
opportune time to call attention to the
fact that it is not only possible but easy,
for every farmer to produce his own seed
oorn. The secret of success lies in gathering the corn early enough to get it well
dried befere severe freezing weather cornea.
The corn may be gathered very early—
even in the "roasting ear" stage; and if it
is hung up in a dry room or loft in whioh
the air can circulate freely it will cure and
grow with certainty.
The above statement finds confirmation
in the experienoe of many enterprising
farmers, and in the seed tests of many
careful and exact experimenters. But as
"line upon line and precept upon precept"
seem to be necessary I will give the results recently obtained here in testing the
germinative quality of early harvested
corn.
ACCOUNT OF THE EXPERIMENT.
The corn that was tested is a medium
early, yellow dent, which, when planted
by the middle of May is mature enough
to cut by the,middle of September. Two
ways of harvesting the corn were followed.
One was, pick the ears and dry them by
the fire for a week, after which they were
hung in an open loft. The other way was
to cut and shock the corn in the ordinary
manner, except that the center of the
shock was allowed to dry two days before
the outside portion was cut. The shocks
stood exposed in the open field nntil early
in November, when the corn was husked,
and selected ears were hung in the loft
beside the ears that had been picked. The
picking and cutting of the corn proceeded
simultaneously, on the dates given in the
table below. As might be expected a part
of the earlier cuttings molded badly.
Some ears however, even of the first cutting, were quite free from moldiness and
these were selected for tasting. Early this
month (Fel).) the com was carefully tested
by Prof. Troop with the results shown below in the table. The figures for the cut
and shocked corn give the average of two
trials.
TABLE SHOWINtl PER . RNT OF O KRMINATION
When l'ickesl .terminated When cut _ (terminated
Aug. 13       His per cent Aug. IS      ! 100 per ceot
Aug. 21.       10" per cent Aug. 20        IH per cent
Aug. 27      liro per cent Aug. 27      ;IOO per cent
sept. :t        ad per cent Sept. I       101 per cent
Sept. 10      100 per cent Sept. 10        98 per cent
The per cent that germinated is high in
I-oth cases. As a matter of course there-
suits are much better with the picked
corn, all the ears of which were tested ln
each case, whereas only selected ears of the
shocked corn were tried. It is evident
from the above table that  seed corn  may
be secured before the sharp autumn frosts
occur.
SITQOESTIONS.
1st. Grow a variety of oorn that will mature every year. It will pay to do this,
even though you produce a few bushels
less per acre; because you will get a higher
per cent of merchantable corn, and frequently have an opportunity of furnishing seed oorn, at a paying price, to your
neighbors who grow only the mammoth
varieties. No special precautions are necessary to secure seed of the earlier varieties, except to store the crop in narrow,
well ventilated cribs. I speak from experience as we sell considerable quantities of
crib corn every year for seed.
2d. Those, who will persist in growing
corn that won't get ripe, should select
their seed from the standing corn in time
to get it thoroughly dried, before freezing
weather returns. If the oorn is picked
late in August, or very early in September, and at once hung up in an airy plaoe
it will generally cure all right. The more
open and sunny the room or loft is, the
better for the corn. To be absolutely certain of good seed from the late varieties,
however, the heat ot a lire is necessary.
My next papar will give the results of
our co-operative test of a commercial fertilizer on the corn crop of 1885.
I_afayette, Feb. 26, 1886.
Written tor tbe Indiana Farmer.
THB  RUSH   OOUNTY   FARMERS'
OLUB.
Interesting Statistics on Oounty Expenses, Criminal Costs, Etc.
BY D. I., THOMAS.
To day the Rnsh connty farmers held
one of their most interesting meetings.
The court house was filled with interested
listeners while Lee McDaniel discussed
Our Taxes and Public Expenses. He had
carefully studied the latest volume of Indiana statistics and compared the classified
expenditures of Rush and other counties.
He said thia was no party question but
concerned every citizen. The habit of denouncing public officials is wrong. If
their salaries are too high farmers are to
blame for electing legislators who make
suoh laws. For we have it in our power,
being in the majority, to control legislation.
The criminal prosecution of Indiana
costs $150,000 per annnm. or an average of
$1,600 per county. Rush paid as high as
$5,312 (caused by some prolonged murder
trials). Our liquor licenses amount to $1,-
600. This increases crime and pauperism
and taxes. But we should not blame our
commissioners nor saioonists, bnt ourselves for providing such laws. In Rush,
taxes for school purposes amount to $61,-
631; all other taxes $62,747. Here is onr
great burden. County school superintendents' salaries cost the Stato $102,921, or an
average of $1,197 per county. Indiana has
13,615 school teachers employed at an average of $2 75 per day for 126 days per year.
And not satisfied with tbis the teachers'
State association recently resolved that we
shonld have a law to furnish all children
with books and stationery.
One year ago our State was in debt $4,-
876,000 and the debt is increasing. The indebtedness  of  counties  average  $40,000.
And according to Bradstreet's report there
are 45,000 farmmortgaged beyond redemption! Many counties are virtually bankrupt.
Rush oounty pays $3,468 for books and
stationery. The average for each county
is $1,600.
All over the State the worst leak seems
to be in the clerk's offices; for everybody
runs there and helps himself. If an effort
is made to pass a fee and salary bill the
county officers will kill lt by lobby influence.
Every interest—doctors, lawyers, mechanics—except the farmer's is hedged in
by law.
Rush pays $5,112 for the paor by townships for  partial support,   medicines, etc.
The 3,193 paupers in the State cost annually $665,000.
The speaker related a case of a man who
moved to his neighborhood recently. Mr.
McD. agreed to write a letter for the man
to his relatives in North Carolina. He
said: Tell John to como, for he can find
work every day. Tell Sallie to come and
bring her five children. We can take care
of one and put the other four in the
Orphan's Home. Tell grandpap to come
too; for he can be kept at borne without
going to the poor-house. Now, isn't this
advertising Indiana benevolence? Are we
to be taxed to support orphans and paupers living in North Carolina? I used to
think that our paupers were mainly
foreigners. But investigation proves they
are nearly all native born.
Our Children's Home costs $3,593 and is
kept in town where there are greater temptations   than would be   in the  country.
Put the Home in the country where the
children can learn to work, and their
morals and health may be improved.
Some other county expenses are: jury
fees $578; county offioers, $7,468; bridges,
$7,261; public buildings, $729; assessors,
$2,187; bailiffs fees, $780; county superintendent, $1,189; county attorneys, $150;
fuel and gas, $721; femalo reformatory, $98.
The pay of court stenographer was $700
—an unjust burden. He had not been
able to learn of muoh usefulness connected
with Board of Health.
DISCUSSION OF THE ADDRESS.
Dr. Arnold said it was worth more than
all the stump speeches made in the connty
in the last ten years. The most valuable
he ever heard In the oounty. It told just
what we need to known. The people are
the parent of all law. And if we don't
know the particulars how can we vote or
legislate intelligently?
Hon. J. J. Spann said the record of our
present oounty officials will compare favorably with any we have had for 20 years.
The trouble is, too many tax payers do not
give In tbe full value of tbelr property.
They should be made to do so. The middle class pays too much tax In proportion
to   their  worth.
A. M. Kennedy never knew a majority
of legislators to be farmers although they
are in a majority at the ballot box. But
he knew of one legislature where there
were 40 farmers in the Lower House. But
when the farmers' claims were being
pushed, only about half a dozen of the
farmer members stood up for their rights.
The others were either hood-winked or
lacked moral courage. Too easily misled.
The music of the silvery tongued orator
was too much for them. In appointing
committees in tbe legislature, invariably
the committee on education is made up
of ex school teachers; committee on judiciary is made up of lawyers,   and so on.
tax is laid on farm
Over one-half of our
land.
Rush oounty is in debt $40,000, and this
is easily explained. Several years ago the
commissioners made a mistake in the
levy and an excess of $12,000 was collected.
Tbat had to be refunded. Then $.15,(100
had to be paid for soldiers' bounty. The
two debts in tbe shape of bonds have been
carried till now. But the extra levy of
five cents will soon liquidate that old debt.
Q. H. Puntency was a warm advocate
of the Orphan Home. It should be separate from the poor house. And by being
kept in town the matron could economize
in all her purchases.
B. L. Thomas argued that if people
would teach their children to attend to
their own business and not interfere with
orphans all the orphans would soon have
homes in private families and a general
home would not be needed.
Geo. W. Campbell claimed that our present plan of hiring the orphans kept at so
much per day had an evil tendency. If
anything was saved in purchases it did
the county no good but Inured to the benefit of the matron. It was a temptation to
provide scantily for the orphans. The
Home should be on a farm and a manager
employed on a salary. In addition to
health and economy the children would
be trained to habits of industry.
Eiisha King thought the subject bad
been ably handled. He was proud of our
school system but condemned its abuses.
When he entered school such a thing as a
school fund was unknown. Was opposed
to officials taking constructive fees. He
used to think when the old State debt was
paid off our taxes would decrease. But
when it was about paid off both the tax
and debt increased. When the population
and wealth increases the rate of taxes
should decrease.
Judge Culleu was highly pleased with
the addres *. If friend Kennedy is correct
about so many farmers In the legislature
getting hood-winked we had better not
send any more. The trouble is with the
people. If one party nominates a competent man and the other party an ignoramus it makes no change in tbe party vote.
Each side votes the "straight ticket." The
result is that a great many men are sent
to the legislature who, if the bridle was
pulied off when they get to the Union
Depot, tbey could not find the State House.
If you want to correct vicious legislation
let the people attend the primary conventions and see that competent men are put
in nomination for legislative offices by
both parties.
If every piece of property was justly
taxed the farmer's taxes would come down
in an hour.
G. W. Thomas claimed that formerly
orphans were bettor cared for than now.
The private family Is the best place for a
child. If it is supported through a benevolent spirit it will be better cared for than
if supported for pay. Being taxed to support the poor, dwarfs  our  benevolence.
Note.—Some years ago an orphan girl
when she reached her majority sued the
farmer who had raised her from early
childhood, for wages for the labor she had
performed. A relative of the girl who inspired the suit was not on good terms
with the farmer. The case was tried twice
in onr Circuit Court. The second jury
gave her a verdict of $1,000 for her services
during her minority. The judgment and
costs bankrupted the farmer. That incident coupled with the general disposition
to meddle with orphans makes it difficult
for them to find homes in private families
in this county.
Mr. McDaniel gave snch good satisfaction that he was appointed to lead the discussion upon the same subject at the next
monthly meeting.
Rushville, Ind., Feb. 20.