VOL. XXI
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, MAY 8,1886.
NO 19
THB  CHOPS.
Acreage and  Condition of the Crop-
in tbe Central West—Condition
of the L.ive Stock.
Our crop reports for May 1st, it will be
noticed are quite favorable. The early
days of April were not favorable, bnt the
last three weeka of that month ushered in
an early spring. The old saw, late Easter,
a late spring, has been quite unreliable
this year. The first of May found the
spring season about two weeks earlier
than an average. The wheat plant, the
grass and all vegetation is fully two weeks
growth in advance cf the average - pring
season. Even here in central Indiana
■ome corn fields were planted during the
last week of April. Since our April report the condition of the wheat has advanced in all three divisions of Indiana,
as well as in Ohio and Illinois. It will be
noticed that in Indiana for the whole State
the advance is three per cent. The general outlook for crops thus far has rarely
been better at this date.
WHEAT SUMMARY.
Indiana—Fer cent of condition 94; same
r0     date last year it was 64.
exac.   Ohio—Per  cent of  condition 96;   same
She is *»t~ *—. y**r ~4-
governs-Hinois—Per cent of condition 94; same
dairy-w.8 last year 59.
Such a ast year at this date there were but
should b;n counties in Indiana which reported
custome condition of wheat up to the average
is relieve1 "0. Now there are 42, ten in the
and free ;hern, 13 In the central and 19 in the
slavery tbern d ivisions. About the same ratio
cause miiproved condition exists in Ohio and
T      Illinois compared with   last year, indeed
considerably better than in the latter State.
Thus far it is seen   that good wheat crops
are promised this  year in the  three great
winter wheat States.
OATS.
Indiana—The area is 92 per cent, as compared with 94 last year.
Ohio—Area 90, last year 97.
Illinois—Area 97, last year 98.
The reports from all the States give
the plan t considerably more advanced than
at same date last year, and this is equal to
two points more, as it is the early maturing crop that is always the best.
CLOVER AND TIMOTHY.
Indiana—Clover, condition 88, timothy
94.   Last year, clover 71, timothy 94.
Ohio—Clover, condition 87 timothy 93.
Last year, clover 87, timothy 64.
Illinois—Clover, condition 84, timothy
94.   Last year clover 79, and timothy 93.
APPLES AND PEACHES.
The per cent is considerable above that
of same date last year on apples. In Indiana it is 89, Ohio 88 and Illinois 87. The
per cent of peach buds alive is low in all
three (States, 26, 24 and 23 respectively.
RYE AND BARLEY.
It will be noticed that the three States
are reported nearly alike for condition of
these crops, all well up toward a good
average. Many counties grow but little
cf either.
Altogether it is seen that the May crop
outlook isa decidedly good one, better
than for several past years at this date.
Many of our reporters state that a large
crop of corn will be planted this season,
that planting has   commenced, and   all
conditions so far very favorable.
INDIANA—AVERAGE  BY COUNTIES AND DIVISIONS,
The following table gives the averages
in per cents compared with a fnll average
area and oondltlon at same dale In other
average years, and not of any particular
year:
Indiana Counties.
Xarlhern l»l» l.l-n
Adams	
Allen	
Kenton _	
Carroll	
Cass	
DeKalb	
Klkhart	
Fulton	
Huntington	
Jasper—	
KtlSCill3_0	
I .in:range	
Lake	
Laporte	
Marshall	
Miami	
Newton—	
Noble -	
Porter	
Pulaski	
Starke	
Ht. Joseph	
Steuben	
Wabash	
Wells	
White	
Whitley	
Average	
Ventral Dlvlelon
llliic-kti.nl	
Boone „	
Clay	
Clinton	
Delaware	
Fountain	
Grant	
Hamilton..	
Hancock	
Hendricks	
Henry	
Howard—	
Jay	
Johnson -	
Madison	
Marion..-	
Montgomery	
Morgan.._	
Owen ,	
Parke	
Putnam	
Randolph.	
Rush	
Shelby	
Tippecanoe	
Tipton	
Union	
Vermillion ...
Vigo	
Warren	
Wayne -	
Average	
•iciiillcc.nl I.i, Lion
Bartholomew ,
Brown	
Clarke	
Crawford	
Daviess	
Dearborn.—	
Decatur	
Dubois.	
Favettc	
Floyd!	
Franklin 	
Gibson 	
Greene	
Harrison  „	
Jackson	
Jefferson..—	
Jennings- _	
Knox	
Lawr -nee	
Marti n„	
Monroe	
Ohio	
Orange 	
Perry— 	
Pike	
Posey 	
Ripley	
Boot.	
*_
A fi
S|>encer	
Sullivan	
Switzerland..
Vanderburg.,
Warrick	
Washington..
Average..
MO
100
IKI
IK'
We
95
■
9S
lew
WI
7
ao
wi
IKI
■
WI
95
■
95
95
*
95
IKI
95
wi
KM
£ e
-a ».
fi
M
101
W)
IKI
IUJ
!V>
fill
M6
MO
100
wo
96
76
90
110
100
90
75
95
70
Iii
Ml
lex
WI
n
7*.
io
vi
im
NO
IKI
IKI
IKI
H
75
SO
90
100
90
106
Du
100
1(10
Del
90
100
90
7.ri
■
li"
HO
Si
100
1(«)
IKI
M
Wl
WI
1110
100
86
IKI
K
IKI
IKI
IK)
SS
IKI
IKI
IKI
m
wi
so
■
IK'
Wi
100
120
101)
let)
IK)
IOO
100
80
»i
86
100
100
75
Jt
to
75
IKI
Wi
W5
IKI
IKI
■
M
HO
75
Wi
W'
WI
lit!
IKI
Ml
ll»
MU
SO
IK)
IKI
IK)
IK.
IK)
Wi
W5
IK)
IKI
IKI
IKI
lim
IKI
|KI
NO
■
S5
WI
9i
N
II"
95
H
■
■
IKI
10
1511
Itm
IKI
Wl
96
95
Wl
Il>l
■
n
_ =
A 6
o
96
100
■
Wc
ts
Hi
IKI
IKI
11W
100
100
100
100
DM
IKI
M
■
10C)
lew
01
Wl
Wl
Wl
Sll
Wl
lt,t)
IKI
i-a
It
611
IK)
IKI
IKI
IKI
75
IM
IK)
IKI
HO
90
IO
100
IK.
SO
100
100
100
90
ae
IK
IKI
l»l
IKI
IKI
100
IKI
85
m
so
■
W)
Wi
IKI
.VII
IKI
IKI
HO
H
7c I
Si
a
81
HO
IKI
IKI
9u
96
IKI
9S
IKI
IK)
MO
95
95
95
IKI
IKI
IKI
IKI
IKI
8.
95
Ik.
IKI
lim
Ic
itm
lcm
HO
95
96
Hi
75
■
Wl
100
MO
95
■
75
Ml)
um
UO
ICO
ion
10;
wi
93
86
100
90
-3
4
95
lcm
lcm
!«5
IK)
IK)
lcm
M0
lcm
at
lcm
so
lcm
95
wj
95
lcm
ao
IK'
lcm
IKI
um
IKI
um
Itm
lcm
95
ao
H
IKI
Me
65
aa
IKI
tfi
lcm
SH
um
IKI
IKI
95
Id
lcm
lim
wi
sic
75
W)
Wl
Wl
Wl
Wi
Wl
w.
H
lcm
HO
IKI
lcm
•*)
-i,
5ci
90
100
90
an
IK)
Wl
.so
IKI
Ik)
IKI
al
IKI
lcm
1110
I'll)
W)
M
loll
85
lcm
75
60
Wi
IKI
85
IK)
UO
SCI
75
um
100
Mil
80
70
100
75
100
80
sic
NO
lilO
2d
IH)
W)
7s
90
IKI
9S
IK)
IKI
um
lcm
State, and Ohio two points lower. Indiana stands a little better than either Ohio
or Illinois in the oondltlon of the hogs,
and the same is true as regards sheep.
These comparisons will be found in the
condensed table of averages by States:
811
Wl
IKI
50
ai
IK)
75
Wl
80
Ino
+l
lcm
W)
I'll
H
Um
M
95
IK)
SC)
IH)
HI
96
100
100
100
100
100
100
90
80
10)
90
100
LIVE STOCK.
In condition of live stock the three
States stand very close together also. In
horses Indiana reporta it two points higher
than either Ohio or Illinois, while in cattle Illinois is one point higher than this
AVERAGE BY STATES.
J
_
_
q
Wl
M
91
es
<M
aa
■x
set
M
97
97
94
H
_
O
95
W)
Wi
87
9:t
88
24
M
at
H
98
w
91
a*
O
a
94
Oats, average per cent of crop sown.	
Oats, per centof condition	
Apple buds, per cent alive _.
Peach buds, percent alive ...
Barley, per c ent of condition 	
»7
96
81
91
87
23
91
91
90
95
89
90
MAY 1.—REPORTERS' NOTES.—INDIANA.
Putnam Co.—A few peach blooms here.
Owen Co.—Farmers pretty well up with
their work.
Howard Co.—Corn planting begun.
Warren Co.—Planting oorn haa  begun.
Grant Co.—Vegetation more forward
than usual.
Tipton Co.—Everything flourishing.
Union Co.—Some corn planted.
Randolph Co.—Hog crop short one quarter or more.
Parke Co.—Wheat and grass in prime
condition.
Hamilton Co.—I never saw better Bhow
for good crops.
Montgomery Co.—Wheat shows great
vitality.
Posey Co.—The whole vegetable creation
in prime condition. Seedling peaches
full average crop, budded not so .'good.
Apple trees too full of blossom.
Qibson Co.—Much plowing for corn done.
Lawrence Co.—Some peach trees full of
bloom.
Fayette Co.—Very few stock hogs.
Deaitorn Co.—Farm work well advanced.
Floj d Co.—Some corn planted, potatoes
coming up.
Jackson Co.—Wheat never looked better.
Jefferson Co.—Old meadows 50 per cent
better than new.
Monroe Co.—Some corn planted.
Perry Co.—Earliest spring for 20 years.
Harrisen Co.—Overflow of Ohio river
makes seeding late.
Kosciusko Co.—Everything blooming
that grows.
Marshall Co.—Small fruit prospect good.
Cass Co.—Season two weeks earlier than
last year.
Wabash Co.—Distemper considerable
among horses.
Huntington Co.— Fruit prospect excellent.
Jennings Co.—Large number of mares
and colts lost in foaling.
may 1.—OHIO.
Fairfield Co.—Work progressing finely;
no complaints.
Lucas Co.—Very few peach trees alive.
Hardin Co.—Wheat suffering from
drouth.
Auglaize Co.—Oats not quite all sown.
Licking Co.—(.round never in better
oondltlon.
Clinton Co.—Wheat winter killed on
undrained land badly.
Putnam Co.—Rain needed here.
Miami Co.—Fruit crop will be a good
one.
Hocking Co.—All flne for good crops.
Jackson Co.—Fine  crop outlook on all
hands.
MAY 1.—ILLINOIS.
Clark Co.—Promising crop outlook.
Edgar Co.—Spring farm work well advanced.
Crawford Co—Too wet to plow here.
Sangamon Co.—Everything looking fine.
St. Clair Co.—Wheat is being damaged
by chinch bugs.
Washington Co.—Chinch bugs destroying the wheat.
She. by Co.—Good prospect for abundance of small fruit.
Union Co.—Dry; corn planting going
forward.
B >nd Co.—Fine farming weather, but
cool.
POTATO CULTUEE.
The following suggestions on this subject by a writer in Vick's Magazine for
May will be valuable at this time. Potatoes are becoming more and more a farm
crop in this State, and it is important to
be posted in the most approved methods
of cultivating them,
"Potatoes do well on corn land that has
been manured for the oorn crop. Good
sod land can also be used. A deep, mellow seed bed should be secured by deep
plowing and thorough pulverizing. Manure and moisture are essentials. Old
manure can be plowed in. Some of the
bast crops are raised with commercial fertilizers.
"Plant in drills or furrows, from four to
six inches deep, according to the soil, light
sandy soils, deeper, heavier soils more
shallow. Drop the sets and cover them
with a couple of inches of soil, and then
sow the fertilizer in the rest of the soil.
"(lo over the field with a common harrow, running lengthwise of the rows, just
before the plants push their noses through,
and thus destroy all the weeds; afterwards cultivate flat through the season,
using only the common cultivator.
"One of the best ways to use stable manure for a potato crop Is to plow it In in
the fall.
"Planting whole potatoes gives the best
yield, according to the trials of the New
York Experiment Station; half tubers are
next best; quarter tubers next;single eyes
yield least. Trials made at the Rural
New-Yorker grounds favor cutting to two
eyes; other trials correspond with both of
these results. The best way Is not yet
known.
"Paris green or London purple to destroy the potato bng, is more economically
applied with plaster or ground gypsum
than with water, and the results are better.
Mix one part of poison with one hundred
parts, by weight, of plaster. Too much of
the poison injures the foliage. If sufficient
care is nsed in the thorough mixture of
the substance, Paris green can be used in
the proportion of one to one hundred and
fifty."
Three little children at South Hope,
Maine, obtained some pills, and playing
they were sick swallowed several. < )ne of
the girls, aged six, died in great agony.
The others are very sick, but will recover.
The pills are supposed to hava contained
strychnine.