VOL. LV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.. MARCH 3,1800.
NO. 9
The Changes of a Century.
Kditors Indiana Farmer.
The year 1900 marks the end of another
century. How very few are alive today that
were living in the 18th century, and those that
are—what an experience they must have. Do
we realize the great changes that have taken
place in every branch of Industry in the last
100 years? One hundred years ago Indiana
was a wilderness. Where populous cities now
are there were nothing but forest trees. The
old log cabin, with the clapboard roof, and
puncheon floor, and stick and mud chimney
on the outside, and a piece of greased paper
for window lights, have long since given way
to the modern building, with all Its comforts
and conveniences. The tallow candle and old
dip lamps that were made by putting a twisted
wick in a vessel containing grease, have given
way to kerosene and electric lights. I remember the first coal oil lamp we ever had.
People were afraid of them. Oar's one evening got to sputtering, and I, thinking an explosion about to occur, threw it out doors.
The light went out and the chimney broke,
but no explosion followed. After waiting a
while I picked lt up and put lt away and made
some further Inquiries about the habits of the
article and finally concluded I was worse
Beared than hurt. Coal oil was then worth 50
cents a gel)on.
The flrst half of this century sewing machines were unknown. In the sixties they sold
from $90 to $150 dollars each, and then were
not near as good as the $17 machine the
Fabmeb offers you. Bicycles, telephones and
phonographs were unknown, and had anyone
suggested that euch things could be, he would
have been called crazy.
Roads were trails through the heavy timbers,
full of roots, ruts and stumps, and ln wet
places corduroyed. A great deal of the time
they were Impassable. The sickle and grain
cradle, which comparatively few know how to
use today, have been superceded by machinery
so far ahead of them that lt does not seem
possible, in so short a time, that such changes
could have occurred. A like improvement in
the threshing of grain has been made. I re.
member trying to use a flail once, but I hit
myself euch a terrible rap on the side of my
head that I concluded it would be more to my
advantage to handle tools that I was more
familiar with.
Olothing was made from flax and wool spun
and woven at home. Wouldn't tbe young
folks kick If they had to weave and spin as
our grandparents did? In summer people
went barefooted. I can recollect seeing men
and women at church barefooted. Food wae
heathful and plenty, euch as lt was. Bread
and milk or mush and milk for supper was almost the regulation diet, and with meat, potatoes and Orleans molaeeee were the prlnci"
pal food. It was a common practise for
children to stand up to eat their meals. "It
made them grow bigger" they were told.
Canned goods were unknown. O.ffee wae so
expensive that parched wbeat was often used
as a substitute. Sugar also was worth double
what II ls now, eo piee were very scarce, and
when they were made sugar was used very
sparingly. Farm products brought a small
price; dressed pork sold as low as two cents
per pound; wheat, 40 cents per bushel. There
was no market for vegetables; dally labor received bat 35 to 50 cents per day, Just think,
all this great change has occurred in but an
ordinary lifetime. How thankful we of the
younger generation should be to our ancestors
for the advantages we enjoy.
Let us strive to continue in the road of
progress, and who knows but what we may
yet be able to look back and tee as great an
improvement (ln eome branches at least) as
our parents have done. W.
Carroll Oo.
Practical Hints About Alfalfa.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb.
Valuable as alfalfa may be, both as a forage
plant and fertilizer, yet no farmer cares to
expend money and time experimenting with
it, till he understands some of its nature and
habits.
When we know that alfalfa was grown 500
years before Christ, and used ln tbe campaigns of Cyrus the Great, we wonder why it
is eo little understood by the Anglo Saxon
race.
This country ls just beginning to recognize
it, and it ls destined to play an Important
part ln American farming. It started eaet
from California a few yeare ago, and hae
worked its way as far ae the Mississippi river;
east of which, as yet, It ls but little known.
The experiment stations understand it, but
chiefly by way of experiment and analysle.
There lt stands
But farmers are beginning to think about
it, and are asking all eorts of questions concerning 11, ae to what lt is; how and when to
eow and harvest it; what kind of soil lt require; where to find the seed, etc , etc.
As to what lt le: Il ie a variety of clover—
simple clover, nothing more, nothing less. I
doubt If one could tall the seed of alfalfa
from the seed of red olover. But alfalfa has
eome epeclal characteristics: It ls perennial,
and may be just as good in or- 20 .-ears after
1* le sown as when two years old, It ls taller
than red clover, stouter, more prolific. (In
Colorado we get three crops.) It has larger,
longer roots; purple bloom, and ls one of the
finest honey plants known. A good stand
resists the encroachment of all weeds; even
the Russian thistle ls held at bay.
Prepare the soil ln the same manner as for
red clover, and sow just as you would sow
that clover,—In the spring, of course, and the
earlier the better, but so Els not to be _d jured
by frost or freezing. In Colorado we raise
Bpring wheat, and for the most part our alfalfa ls sown with wheat. We find the wheat
a good nurse crop, keeping down the weeds
and sheltering the young plants. We have no
trouble In getting a good stand.
As to the amount of seed per acre there ls a
wide range of advice. Some say 10 pounds;
others 30. As a rule 10 ls too little and 30 by
far too much. If the stand ls too thin the
stem ls too woody, while If too thick 11 may
lack vigor. A good, heavy, healthy stand
makes a more succulent and nutritious feed,
I would advise 16 to 20 pounds per acre. Be
sure that your seed is fresh and of good quality.   Buy only of eome reliable firm.
It should be cut just as the bloom begins to
show well. If left till ln advanced bloom the
stems will be hard and fibrous and past their
best nutrient quality. The last cutting may
be more advanced, if the season will permit,
but must not take the frost. Like clover alfalfa is sensitive to rain or heavy dew during
harvest.
A word now about soil. If your subsoil ls
rock, shale, or Impenetrable clay do not sow
alfalfa, It depends on the subsoil as absolutely as it does upon the soil In the furrow,
and unless it can penetrate two or three feet,
at least, lt is positively no use to try it. It is
a subsoil plant, and being such ls of the utmost value to land that can be penetrated by
Its roots. It feeds, to a great extent, on air,
and deposits large amounts of nitrogen,
which iu connection with its subsoiling power,
makes it Invaluable as a leguminous plant
Again if your land is wet or springy, or the
subsoil ia of this character, do not spend
money or time experimenting with alfalfa.
Any attempt will be futile. Ita roots will not
live in soil continuously full of water. It
must have air, Where crawfish build th-'
chlmmies In the oak flits alfalfa could no.
live, but there are millions of acres in Indiana where alfalfa would grow and thrive.
Denver, Ool. W. G. M. Stonb,
Domestic Science at Purdue University.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb.
For three years Purdue University haa offered a course ln domestic science ln connection with the Winter school of agriculture
The first two years there was no response and
the management wsb somewhat ln doubt as
to whether thie kind of Instruction were de-
slrad by the peop'e of Indiana.
With the beginning ot the present term of
the winter course, Jan. 8, a class of 20 ladles
in domestic science was formed. This course,
as ls now being given, covers 11 weeks and Includes lectures on Sanitation, by Prof. Severance Burrage; Bacteriology of Yeast and
Bread, by Miss Eatherlne Golden; Chemistry
of Domestic Life, by Prof. W. E Stone and
22 lectures on Domestic Economy, by Mrs,
O. H. Robertson.
Tbe lectures on Sanitation Include personal
health, houee sanitation, Impurities of air
and water, milk and other foods, Infectious
diseases, consumption as a contagious disease, school sanitation, accidents and emergencies. The lectures on Bacteriology Include
nature and effects of fermentation, the kinds
of ferments and their application to bread
making, nature, use and properties of yeast,
forme on the market and methods of determining good yeast, bread, Its relation to flour
and yeast, causes of sour and heavy bread,
he work in Domestic Economy includes
both lectures and practice work ln cooking.
The general scope of the course will he seen
from the following outline: (a) botany, chemistry and nutritive properties of foods, selection of meats, and the cooking and serving
of different foods; (b) arrangement, ventilation and plumbing of the dwelling, and the
sanitary care of cellar, kitchen, dining and
sleeping roome, etc.; (c) practice ln cooking
and serving of foods and in the care and decoration of the dining table,
In addition to the foregoing the young
ladles receive Instruction ln floriculture, horticulture and farm dairying, and they also
take many of the practical lectnres by specialists. The course ls a very practical one ln character and limited ln scope as yet, Should there
be a desire for an extension of this work, provision will be made for its enlargement ln
future.
The women of Indiana, especially those of
the country, have seemed somewhat backward
ln their attitude toward Industrial education
for girls. Other states are making decided
progress ln this direction and many of them
are for outstripping the Hoosier state. The
Ohio State University, Michigan Agricultural
College, South Dakota Agricultural College
Eansas Agricultural College, Iowa Agricultural
College and others, have had for some time
fully developed woman's courses including
domestic science and the other subjects
named above. It rests with the women of Indiana to say whether they will have such a
course at Purdue. Women are now entering
almost all the professional and business callings and public sentiment permits this without protest. Women should therefore be
broadly and thoroughly trained that they
may enter upon life's work with the same opportunities for success as the men. A great
majority of women will, in the future aa ln
the paat, find their proper sphere in the home,
and all thoughtful persons will agree that the
woman who la a true home-maker and thoroughly trained for her sphere ls of more Importance to the welfare of the country than
the woman In business or professional life.
This being true, a thorough, scientific training in housekeeping and homemaklng will at
once be recognized.
The present course ln domestic science at
Purdue, planned especially to meet the needs
of farmer's daughters, should steadily grow
Into a complete, rounded collegiate course
which would combine a general education ln
English,    mathematics,   literature,  history,
general s .lence, music and art with a thorough technical training ln the science and art
of housekeeping and homemaklng. Such a
course would tend to elevate housekeeping and
homemaklng to their rightful position among
Industries for women, and prove of Inestima
ble benefit to the home, the community, the
state and the nation. W. 0. Latta.
Purdue University, Lafayette.
Henry County Institute.
Editors Indiana Farmer.
I think If the success and failures of our Institutes were given a short notice, with the
causes lt would be the means of encouraging
some that have become Indifferent to the
grand work.
A few years ago at our Institutes (Deleware
county) standing room ln the large court
room was almost at a premium, but from
some cause unknown at this time the attendance has been falling off until a much smaller room would accommodate them; which ls
to be very much regretted. At the same time
Henry county has been progressing until the
large court room became Inadequate and they
were given the opera house, but at their last
Institute, January 19 and 20, that proved too
small, and but for the want of speakers they
would have had an oveiflow meeting, and
ever.-'-'_iiy seemed interested. The towns
people came out and greeted their country
friends cheerfully, and during the whole institute there seemed to be a greater degree of
pure social friendship manifested than ie
usual at our institutes. One item connected
with lt no doubt served to add much to the
social feature as well as the comfort of the inner man, and that was the dinner. Instead of
speakers and visitors having to go to hotels
or restaurants, they were invited to go over to
the large E, of P. hall, where dinner was served free by a committee appointed by the
president, who took charge of the well filled
baskets, brought ln by the good farmers'
wives and families. Henry county certainly
has a right to be congratulated on her institute work, and if ehe will add just two more
very important things she would come very
near being a banner county ln such work.
One ls a good live agricultural and horticultural society, and the other ls a live wide
awake grange ln every township ln the county.
Will you please to publish a form of constitution and by-laws, under which to organize
A. & H. societies. Mas. O. F.
Catch Crops.
Editors Indiana Farmeb.
A friend writes that his clover failed last
summer, and he le out of hog pasture. He
wishes a catch crop suggested.
If he has a bluegrass pasture that he can use
a couple of months in the spring, he can get
abundant late pasture from rape or sorghum,
If my friend had sowed rye ln the fall when
he saw that his clover had failed, it would
have settled the question of early pasture. I
do not think much of rye after harvest. But
lt would have given him time to produce
a spring crop. I would sow 3 or 4 lbs. of
Dwarf Essex rape seed per acre. Break the
ground and fine lt and sow with a clover seed
sower and harrow ln. This may be done as
early as the ground will work. Rape ls not
Injured by ordinary frost. After two months
lt is ready to pasture. It has the same danger
tor cattle and sheep, especially lambs, ln
bloating as clover, so one shouldlet stock eat
something else, bluegrass, or silage, or bay,
Rape does not taint the milk of cows unless
fed almost exclusively.
Henry says that one acre of rape will pas.
ture 25 lambs two months and yield 762 \bt.
increase. For pigs, he saye that experiment
shows that one acre of rape is equivalent to
2,600 lba. of grain in pig feeding. It bears
drouth well and even prefers high dry land.
Carmel. EH, Colldis,