VOL. XXIX
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.  JAN., 20, 1894.
NO.S.
White Leghorna.
The White Leghorns are one of the very-
best egg producing fowls—Leghorns are in
fact to the poultry family what Jerseys
are to the cattle family. They are graceful and stylish in carriage, their pure
white plumage, bright red combs, keen
and vigilant eye, quickness of movement
and grace makes a nice'.flock of,well kept
white Leghorns on a lawn or farm a very
pretty sight. In Leghorns there has been
quite a change in the last 15 years, the
comb has been reduced some, the tail
lowered to a graceful'position, instead of
th« old fashioned squirrel tail, the leg
has been lengthened some, they are bred
to a larger size and are more pleasing to
the eye, while retaining their chief
characteristic of great productiveness and early maturity.
Send Petitions to Congress.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In answer to the article signed Baxter
"Vestal, "Shall we send a delegation to
Washington?" I wish to say that a better
plan would be to get petitions from every
county in the State to protest against the
Wilson tariff bill and send a committee of
three persons with it to Washington. A
large delegation cannot effect more than
this plan will and it would save much useless expense. The proper way would be
for the F. M. B. A's. of each county to
attend to the petition in their respective
counties and send them to their headquarters to be taken to Washington by
men who are well qualified for that purpose. Wm. W.
nent organization with the proper offlcers
for same, and the Wayne County Farmers'
Institute, which just closed ono of the
most successful institutes of the State,
owes its success in a large measure to the
Hoosier Reading Circle, composed of the
families of ten farmers adjacent to the
beautiful and historical town of Centre-
ville.
This circle, believing the institute could
be made more interesting by having some
additional help, procured the services of
the Hon. W. I. Chamberlin, of Ohio, who
i _ a master worker in an institute. With
him we had the able gentlemen furnished
by the State, and last, but not least, the
very able home talent, consisting of Mrs.
Homer, Ind., Jan. 13,1891.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Sales are good for this time of
year. I received to-day enquiries
for eggs from Galveston, Texas.
They have come from New York,
West Virginia, Iowa and all bordering States. The Farmer surely has
a wide field.        Yours Truly,
/ Geo. O. Anderson.
Indianapolis, Oct. 31,1893.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I wish to say-to you that I^have
had more enquiries and made more
sales from my little '■ad." in your
paper than any like "ad." I ever
had. I cheerfully recommend your
paper to brother poultry breeders
as one that will pay. Wm. Tobin,
Breeder of fancy poultry.
INDIANA FERTILIZER LAW.
Protests Against the Wilson Bill.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In your last) issue "Observer" wants to
know if the farmers  are  willlDg thatall
the protection they now receive, under the
presont  law,  shall  be blotted  out at one
stroke by the proposed Wilson .bill?   I am
not willing, but  the question  arises how
am I to  help myself?   Mr. Ve3tal thinks
the farmers ought to send a delegation to
Washington to protest against the passage
of this bill,  but I  think the  plan utterly
useless; it is too  late now.   The majority
in Congress were Bent there almost for the
express  purpose  of  tinkering  with the
tariff;   they  were  pledged to  a revenue
only, but the Wilson bill does not comply
* with their pledges.   It 'is evon perhaps 50 per cent worse on the farmers.   They have been warned perhaps a thousand times to  let  the
tariff alone, but it is  almost their
sole business to  tinker.   The time
to protest against the Wilson bill is
at tho congressional election of 1891.
There we can make a protest clothed
with power.      I believe  that the
people can send a majority to Congress that  will  repeal the  Wilson
bill, or any other "revenue only"
bill over the President's veto.   This
is the kind of protest I expect to
help make. E. E. PuiLLirs.
Hendricks Co.
Farmers Not Protected by lt.
-fT*"-..'   ^*^__s_.1 »_~!r-3_,   -^ ______.2_~^-~~^_r   __~ —_—.-/-^r<L    —___."■ __ -_-_z.
i-
Edltors Indiana Farmer.-*'
Many of the farmers who use _~-_^r
commercial fertilizers are desirous i-^V.
to have a more stringent fertilizer
law passed that will fully protect
them from inferior or fraudulent goods.
The large amount of money annually expended in this State for commercial fertilizers emphasizes the importance of a more
perfect system of fertilizer control.
An unsuccessful attempt was made to
secure a revision of the State fertilizsr law
last winter. It is is believed that the failure to secure a revision of the law was due
to the fact that its purposes were not fully
understood by those most interested.
As the fertilizer question comes up at
many of the Farmers' Institutes, it seems
proper that the importance of a more perfect fertilizer law should be kept before
the farmers. If the various Farmers' Institutes will pass resolutions in substance
like the following, they will do much to
pave the way for a revision of the fertili
lizer law in the next General Assembly.
I>REAMI.LE AND RESOLUTION.
Whereas, The farmers of Indiana pay
annually more than $1,000,000 for commer
cial fertilizers, and
Whereas, It has been found that the
present fertilizer law does not fully protect farmers from fraud In the purchase of
fertilizers,
llesolved,  That  the   Indiana  Fertilizer
Law should be so amended as to provide
for an inspection in the open market of
the fertilizers actually offered for sale, in-
; stead of a factory inspection as at present.
The form glvon above is only suggestive
and may be amended if desired     This
" matter is respectfully submitted   to the
,;: local Institute officers and farmers general-
» ly, in the belief that there is very urgent
I need of a fertilizer law that will give the
r]  farmers adequate protection.
7      W. C. Latta, Supt. Farmers' Institutes.
': Purdue University, Lafayette, Jan. 13.
-   *S^~—*r>Xf_/"^-sS" "**-••£=-__>    ~*e-*n=---       -
Quack Grass, Etc.
KdHils Indiana Farmer:
In the Farmer of Dec. 23d we read
about the Taylor mad stone being
in a family for70 years. I have
often heard of mad stones, but I
never knew what they were, so 1
looked in Webster's dictionary but
I cannot find the word mad stone
init. Will you tall ts what a mad
stone is and where does it come
from,'and what does it consist of?
In the Farmer of Dec. 30th, we
_\___^_. ^~_~__Z^^^fe   faw an article about Quack grass,
^g^^^T^
A Debatable Question.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
That the millionaire question now agitating the rank and file of the American
people is a pro and con question, all sensible people will have to admit.
The natural make-up of man is selfish
and he arrogantly assumes that wealthy
possessions not obtai**ed by himself are
illegitimate and calculated to be detrimental to others. Be it so or not, the
most bitter opposer to the millionaire
would find an excuse and change his views
should he accidentally become one of
them, and could, were he a man of ability,
show up the advantages of the "illfgal
wealth" to others called unfortunate. This
itself demonstrates that there are_two sides
to this question.
Also, it is not a fact that the millionaire,
by inheritance ir sagacity, has responsibilities unknown to the sinewy man
whose capital is muscular strength, and
who, from inability to financier, would
starve his family had he to maintain
them undirected. Thus viewing it, I
would take the affirmative and expect to
win in behalf of indisputable truth, and
consider it not detrimental to humanity.
Georgetown.                        A Farmer,
. _» .	
The Beading Circle.
Editors Indiana Fabmeb:
The Hoosier Reading Circle met at the
home of Mr. Parrett, whose beautiful
home and farm have'been described beforo. Our circle has prospered and done
well. It is now entering on its second
year, and with past experience we anticipate a bright future.   We have a perma-
PAIR OF WHITE LEGHORN FOWLS.
V. C. Meredith, Mrs. W. S. Commons, Mr.
Oler and many others, and I challenge the
State to excel us in attendance and interesting programs. The institute will be
held here next year. J. A. C,
Reply to "Observer."
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In an article in the Indiana Farmer
signed "Observer," the question is asked
whether the farmers are willing to tear
down the fences respecting the protective
tariff on farm products? In the first place
I would say that many farmers voted to
tear down the protection and now feel the
effects of it on themselves, therefore they
are opposed to it now. Every voter ought
to inform himself what is best for the peo-
plo of this country before he casts his ballot, and not be deceived by cunning poll-
tic'ans. When the protective system is
removed from any industry the balance
will feel the effect, as one is dependent on
the other to some extent. When a large
manufacturing establishment is shut
down that employs a large number of
men, the purchasing power of these employes is curtailed, and the farmers in
that neighborhood are affected thereby
more than those farther away, and so it is
throughout this country. In national
questions, especially the tariff, we must
take a broader view, concerning the effects
of the whole country and not only in local
affiirs. As long as there is so great a difference in wages paid to labor of any kind
between this country and the rest of the
world, protection to ot-_r industries, farm
ing included, is a necessity for the welfare
of the people of this country.     Wm. W.
Hang up the warning sign for that
troublesome weed. While it is true
our stock like to eat tho grass
it is almost impossible to get rid of
it where it once gets a good hold. I believe nothing short of a cremation of a
wholo farm with 500 degrees of heat will
destroy it. I know whereof I speak. You
can put piles of it on a stump for a month,
then throw it down and give it molsturo
and it will grow again. I saw it plowed
up with two strong yoke of oxen. You
could put a log chain around it and drag
it all over a field; it is almost impossible
to tear it to pieces. Keep up the warning
sign.
Mr. Vestal's proposition would not work
at all. Nine out of every ten of our Congressmen would not look at a farmer in
Washington City; this is after the election,
you know. Charles H. Frech.
HuntiDgton Co.
—A mad stone is a light, porous stone
that is said to adhere to the place bitten by
a mad dog and extract the poison. They
are not found in any particular place.
For Sugar Beets Next Summer.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I have just received a statement of the
saccharine contents of a small lot of sugar
beets raised on our farm near Morristown
last year and sent to the Purdue University a few weeks ago. Prof. H. A. Huston
states that they contain in the-juice 12 2
per cent sugar, with a purity of 74 4 per
cent, which 'seems to me very favorable for our part of, the country. We have
already plowed 16 inches deep, one acre of
land on which to raise sugar beets next
summer, and I have the promise of several
of my neighbors to do the same.
Shelby Co. Chas. F. Muth.