VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND.  FEB. 10, 1894.
NO. 6.
FARMERS"  INSTITUTES.   *
Successful Meetings  ln January—Prospects for February.
Editobs Indiana Farheb:
We have just closed a series of highly
successful Farmers' Institutes in January.
The sudden cold snap of January 22d
interfered materially with the attendance
at some of the meetings in Western and
Northwestern Indiana. Taking tho January institutes as a whole the attendance
has been far better than ever before. A
number of meetings have reported as high
as 300 to 500 present, and one county, Kosciusko, reports 1,000 present at the closing
session. The halls in several cases were
insufficient to hold those who came to the
institute. This was notably true in Steuben, Dekalb, Allen, Whitley and Kosciusko counties, and judging from the
newspaper reports just received, the halls
In several other counties were crowded to
the utmost. The official reports show that
the interest is better this year than ever
before. Mr. T. B. Terry, the veteran institute worker of Ohio, who has attended
institutes for a series of years in States
east and west, writes concerning several
of the meetings that he has attended recently in our State, that he does not see
how they could have been better. Other
workers send in the same flattering reports as to the intelligent Interest on the
part of the people attending the institutes.
There is a very general verdict on the
part of the institutes that have been held
in favor of more adequate provision for
this work to the end that the work may
compare favorably with institutes in other
States. There is quite a general desire
that an annual report of the institute work
in this State should be published as is the
case in Wisconsin and some other States.
OUTLOOK FOB FEBRUARY INSTITUTES,
The programs of the February institutes
are many of them already in the hands of
the printers or ready for distribution.
Judging from the programs that have
come to this office, a number of these
February institutes will be as successful
as any ever held in the State. The several
chairmen of the February meetings are
making an earnest effort to have their respective institutes more fully advertised
than heretofore. A schedule of the February meetings will be found elsewhere in
this paper and should be consulted by
evory one who desires to attend and enjoy the benefits of these institutes.
SrEAKBRS FOB FEBRUARY.
Mr. J. Q. A. Sieg, of Harrison county,
an ex-member of the State Board of Agriculture, will attend institutes in Morgan
and Brown counties. His specialties are
"Principles of Breeding" and "Fertilization of the Soil." He is one of the most
highly successful and intelligent farmers
of Southern Indiana. Mr. T. E. Bowles,
of Hamilton county, will attend institutes
in Morgan, Brown, Johnson, Tipton and
Clinton counties. Mr. Bowles began life
as a poor boy, and by industry and steady
attention to business he has risen from
the position of a tenant farmer to
the ownership of an excellent farm in the
gas belt in Hamilton county. His specialties are live stock and business methods on the farm." Mr. Robert Mitchell
of Gibson county, a member of the State
Board of Agriculture from the first agricultural district, will attend institutes ln
Howard, Starke, Fulton and Marshall
counties. Mr. Mitchell is too well-known
to need introduction to Indiana farmers.
His specialities are wheat, and truck farming. Mr. C. B. Harris, of Elkhart county,
a member of the State Board of agriculture
from the fourteenth agricultural district,
will attend institutes in Howard, Starke,
Fulton and Johnson counties. Mr. Harris
malf es i*. specialty of dairy farming, ana has
had a long and successful experience with
the silo. Messrs. James Rliey and S. E. Kelsey, the former of Boone county, and the
latter of Newton county, will attend Institutes in Greene, Sullivan, Vigo and Clay
counties.   Mr. Riley is a highly successful
producer of farm seeds and is also a grower
of prize taking swine.   Mr. Kelsey's spec
ialty at present is horses although he has
had extensive experience with cattle and
swine as well.   He will discuss "The' importance of live-stock in general upon the
farm," and the "Necessity of husbanding
the soil resources."   Mr. J. N. Babcock, of
Lagrange county, will attend institutes in
Tipton, Clinton,  Tippecanoe and Benton
counties.   Mr. Babcock began his career
in Indiana as a school-teacher and eked
out a few additional pennies after school
hours   by   cobbling   shoes.    Beginning
without a dollar he is now the owner of one
of the best farms in   Lagrange county.
He discusses the usual farm topics, and iD
addition "The farmer as a citizen and as a
student of liis business," and "The attractions of rural life."   Mr. Cal. Husselman,
of DeKalb county, will attend institutes in
Tippecanoe and Benton counties.   He is a
highly successful dairy farmer, and swine
grower and  general farmer.    His specialties are "Swine Growing,", "Small Fruits"
and "Farm Drainage."   Dr. D. W. Voyles,
a highly intelligent farmer of  Harrison
county, will attend institutes in Hamilton,
Marion, Madison and Delaware counties.
His specialties are "Principles  of Breeding," "Dairying" and "Soil Fertilization."
Mr.   H.   S.   K.   Bartholomew,   of Elkhart   county,  will   attend  institutes  in
the same counties to which Dr. Voyles is
assigned.   Mr.  Bartholomew  is a rising
young farmer who Is especially interested
in   general   farming,    horticulture   and
Farmers' Reading Circles.   He is a highly
Intelligent and very   promising young
farmer, and has been, since its organization, president of the State Farmers' Reading Circle, and a most indefatigable worker
in behalf of the reading circle work and
higher education for the farmer.
W. C. Latta,
Supt. Farmer's Institutes.
reading the reading circle is doing an excellent work.
The reading circle books for this year
are Masterpieces of American Literature
?1, Flske's Civil Government 75 cents, or
Plant Life on the Farm f 1. Books can be
had by sending postal note to W. If. El-
son, Indianapolis.
Masterpieces of American Literature
contains (-elections from 13 American
authors, with a portrait and a brief biographical sketch of each. Franklin's Poor
Richard's Almanac is itself a valuable
essay on industry, frugality and pride.
"Tho Ploughman," by Holmes is a magnificent address to "the hero of the
plough," while Lowell's Abraham Lincoln
and Emerson's Character of Washington
are worthy to be carefully studied. These
are only a few of the excellent things
found In The Masterpieces. An outline of
each selection will be sent free of cost with
each copy of the book.
Fiske's Civil Government was so popular last year with members of the circle
tbat tho committee decided to retain it on
the list this year. Mr. Fiske is one of the
foremost of historical writers, and his
government is as interesting as a novel
and as instructive as a text. It is a book
that every farmer should read. It consists
of short chapters with suggestive questions
seed and better culture; must have better
stock and give them better care.   The best
of everything will pay.   "There is always
room at the top."    Mr. J. I'.   Applegate
said: "If a farmer grows but 100 bushels
of wheat on 10 acres, he grows it at a loss.
If he grows 100 bushels on 5 acres, he can
make a living.   If lie grows 100 bushels on
three acres, he is making a profit."   How
many of us are growing it on three acres?
A few are, but how many?   And yet it
can be done.
Mr. O.   F.   Lane  said that an acre of
clover contained fertilizing elements equal
in value to $130 worth of commercial fertilizers.
The papers on orcharding by J. P. Applegate and Prof. Ragan wero highly appreciated.
Prof. J. C. Arthur, of Purdue, gave us
some valuable remedies for plant diseases
and injurious insects. Scab on potatoes
may be prevented by immersing the soed
potatoes for two or three hours in a solution of corrosive sublimate, two ounces of
the sublimate in 15 gallons of water.
Mr. T. B. Terry, of Ohio, gave us a most
Interesting talk on "Planting and Cultivation of Potatoes," and one also on "The
Wife's Share"—not the wife's share of the
potatoes, but the wife's share of the
"pecuniary wallet."
Our people are greatly interested in this
Institute work.    Our representatives  in r; Sed-^oTioh "and te'thus" wp^cVaUy
the Legislature who vot© against an ap-       _.   _ . _-        -   -
Farmers' Institutes.
PUTNAM COUNTY.
The Putnam County Farmers' Institute
was held at Bainbridge Jan. 11 and 12. It
was a slendid success in every particular.
The program was well carried out as arranged. Each speaker responded promptly when called to the discussion of the
subjects assigned them. Tbe subjects
were all of vital interest to farmers, and
they were most ably presented. Indeed,
It was a matter of surprise to Dr. J. C
Arthur and other visitors that the speakers were farmers and farmers' wives- He
supposed they were professionals. A
marked degree of interest was manifested
by the audience at each session. Several
of the papers read were requested for publication. The average attendance was 437.
Considering the other attractions in the
county at the same time, a poultry show
at Roachdale and one also at Greencastle,
the attendance was very satisfactory, and
shows the interest farmers and their families are taking in this institute work.
We shall not attempt to synopsis of the
papers read. The gist of them all are that
farmers must get out of the old ruts;
must abandon the old slip-shod methods
and adopt the newer and better and progressive methods.
Farming used to be done by physical
force. Now it is largely done by mental
force. It is brain against brawn. We
must study as well as work; must adopt
more scientific methods; have smaller
farms. It must be Intensive rather than
extensive farming that will pay in the future. We must have increased fertility of
soil, better preparation ol the soil, better
propriation tJ sustain tbis work ought to
be retired to private life, and our representatives in Congress who refuse to vote
for an appropriation to continue the Experiment Station at Purdue ought to be
banished to the Sandwich Islands.
W. H. Rice, Sec'y.
At the St. Joseph County Institute last
week Mayor Leeper, of South Bend, made
the charge that more farmers were un
made at Purdue University than were
made there. His audience did not believe
the statement, but passod resolutions
unanimously endorsing the institution as
worthy the support of tho farmers.
We regret to learn of the death of Hon.
W. H. Morrison, of Wisconsin, widely
known as the efficient superintendent of
the Farmers' Institutes of tbat State. He
was an eminently useful man and his
name will long be held in high regard by
the farmers, not only of Wisconsin, but of
all the Northwestern States.
A three days' institute will be held at
Lafayette on the Uth, 15th and 10th inst.,
at which Messrs. Husselman, Babcock and
several members of the faculty of Purdue
will read papers.
James Riley, of Thorntown, discusses
wheat and corn culture at the Clay county
institute at Center Point on the Kith and
17th. An interesting program has been
arranged.
suited in reading oirnl*. u?e.
The Indiana School Journal says: "The
Indiana Farmers' Heading Circle is an
enterprise that deserves the co-operation
and support of every good citizen. It is
along the general line that most teachers
are already working on and tbey should
land a hand whenever opportunity offers
in this phase. A teacher should be Interested in everything and anything that will
promote the general intelligence of the
community in which he teaches."
The Hoosier Farmers' Reading Circle
met at the comfortable home of Mr. and
Mrs. J. A. Commons, with all members
present but one, showing plainly that the
interest is not abating, but gaining. Mrs.
Dunber had a most excellent paner on
poultry farming. So was that of Thomas
Jackson on sheep busbandy. I shall try
and send the Farmer some extracts from
each of these papers. The Indiana Farmer still remains the favorite with the club.
We meet every first and third Tuesday
of each month. We are just now finishing
Civil Government, and will take some
other subject after next meeting. We
hope to be able to have Miss Andrews or
some other lady lecture on culinary matters before the winter closes.
J. A. C.
gtixtc QCX08.
Reading- Circle.
In connection with the State agricultural
meetings held at the State house, Indianapolis the first week in January, the directors of the Farmers' Reading Circle had
a meeting at which President H. S. K.
Bartholomew, Prof. Latta, Mrs. Merediths
J. G. Kingsbury, Jas. A. Mount and W.
H. Elson were present. Much confidence
was expressed in the ultimate good that
must come from the reading circle movement. It has great possibilities and will
develop into a helpful and powerful agency
in the uplifting of the farmer. Like all
other movements some one must take tbe
lead in irganizlng local circles and it was
suggested that the institute affords an excellent opportunity to consider the question and take active steps for organizing
local circles. In naming suitable books
Bnt] laying out a systematic course of
Theodore Crowl took seven drinks of
whisky at Laporte and died.
Judge John R. Cravens and wife celebrated their golden wedding at Madison.
As the result of the Murphy meetings at
Dunkirk, Peter Zeigler closed his saloon
and quit the business.
A revenue agent confiscated an illicit
distillery on the farm of John Lacer, near
.Bremen. Six barrels of whisky were
among the spoils.
While George Lee, of Jefferson county,
was milking a restless cow, his head resting against her Hank, the animal gave a
sudden lurch, bending him almost double
and dislocating his spine. He died from
the effects.
H. W. Perkins, of South Bend, was a
soldier of the late war and was shot in the
palm of the left hand. The bullet was
never cut out. It gave him no inconvenience until recently, when he experienced
a stinging pain at the base of the middle
finger. Examination showed the bullet
under the skin, it having worked down
from the palm,   He has ha4 it cut out,