VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND.  APRIL 21, 1894
NO. 16.
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN.
United States Department of Agriculture,
Weather Bureau. Orop Bulletin of the Indiana Weather Service in Go-operation
With the Agricultural Experiment Station
at Purdue University, Tuesday, April 17,
1894.
Cool temperature prevailed and rain and
snow fell the first few days of the past
week while the latter part was warm and
dry and much plowing and seeding was
done in many counties. The rain and
snow and later the warm sunny weather
were very beneficial to wheat which in
many fields has recovered again, it turns
fresh and green again loosing ite unheathy
brown color; rye is in good condition; in
the northern portion oats is coming up
and in the central and southern portions
the frozen oate, clover and potatoes are being replanted; pasturage and meadows are
fresh and green after the rains; in many
counties the damage to frost Is now estimated to be less than first anticipated;
frost formed on several nights.
SOUTHERN PORTION.
Posey, Gibson and Vanderburg counties
—The cool rains were beneficial to wheat
which shows now but very little damage
from the March freeze; grass is doing well;
there will be some fruit of the late blooming variety; plowing progresses nicely in
Vanderburg county less so in Gibson
county.
Dubois, Spencer and Warrick counties.—
Much rain fell the first part of the week
and but little plowing for corn could be
done; the warm weather following the
rain Improved wheat; rye was not injured
in March.
Orange, Harrison and Floyd counties.—
The cool rains and snow retarded crops
and farm work; wheat is recovering but
slowly; in Orange county not much of the
frozen oats will be replaced as it Is getting
late and seed is scarce.
Scott, Clark and Washington counties.—
Wheat looks better after the rain and during the warm dry weather much plowing
for corn was done; much clover and oats
is being resown and potatoes replanted.
Switzerland, Jefferson, Ohio and Dearborn counties.—The cold rains on Monday
and Tuesday followed by snow retarded
the growth of vegetation and plowing for
corn could only be done the last days of
the week; wheat is recovering but slowly;
the late apples were not injured and there
wiU be some cherries.
Jennings, Ripley, Jackson and Bartholomew counties.—The first few days were
cool and rainy, the last three days were
warm with sunshine; wheat and rye look
vigorous; oats are being sown over again;
corn and melon planting will commence
next week.
Lawrence, Daviess and Green counties.
—Wheat is recovering slowly, the brown
ish look is disappearing; some oate will
make a fair crop yet but most has to be re-
s own; cherries and late fruit were not
killed; much rain the beginning of the
week but warm and sunny the latter part
when much plowing was done.
CENTRAL PORTION.
Clay, Vigo and Owen counties.—Cool,
cloudy and rainy first part of week and
warm, sunny weather the last part; crops
made but little progress but wheat looks
well,the brown color it had is hardly perceptible now; oats mostly resown; much
bloom is showing on the plum; a few stray
peach blooms;but little plowing was done.
Shelby, Johnson, Rush and Decatur
counties.—Cool, cloudy weather retarded
crops and plowing, but warmer, sunny
weather the last part of the week caused
wheat and grass to become green again.
some oats, which it was thought was in
jured, are coming up again;  plowing for
corn is pushed rapidly.
Fayette, Union and Randolph counties,
—The rains were of great benefit to wheat
and grasses, which are recovering finely
and are much improved; there is some
hope for apples, plums and cherries; plowing is being pushed vigorously.
Henry, Madison and Hancock counties.
—Cool rains retarded crops and farm work
but the warm weather following improved
everything much; plowing for corn made
some progress, some farmers are finished;
oats and timothy are being resown; cattle
are scarce; young pigs are doing well.
Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties.
—The general prospect and condition of
wheat and olover as compared with last
week, Is decidedly better; wheat is getting
green again and a fair crop is now anticipated; oats and potatoes are being replanted; the report on fruit Is still conflicting.
Montgomery, Putnam, Vermillion and
Parke counties.—The rains and warmer
weather later caused wheat to regain its
natural color; grass and some oats are improving; fruit apparently is not so much
damaged as first supposed; plowing for
corn is pushed rapidly.
NORTHERN PORTION.
Lake, Porter, Jasper and LaForte counties.—The oold, northerly winds, sleet and
snow did no damage but retarded the
crops; wheat, rye and meadows are looking well but grow slowly only; oats are
coming up, all not sown yet; not much
plowing for corn done yet; fruit is considered safe except peaches.
St. Joseph, Marshall, Elkhart and Kosciusko counties.—Rain and snow retarded
farm work but the week ended in fair and
more favorable weather; wheat and rye,
are improving slowly; oate seeding is
nearly done, some had to be resown;
clover seems to be all right; grass looks
well; early potatoes are being planted;
spring farm work just fairly commenced.
LaGrange, Noble and Whitley counties.
—Cold rains, sleet and snow retarded
farm work and crops until the end of the
week, when warmer weather improved
everything; wheat, with little exception,
looks very well; oats are not all sown yet;
the ground is still too wet and cold; grass
advances slowly; apple buds are swelling
and indicate a fine crop; peaches and
cherries are all right in Noble county.
Steuben and Allen counties. — The
weather unfavorable except on the last
few days; wheat did not improve much;
it still looks brown, but with more favorable weather it will recover; early apples
are killed, also pears and cherries; but little plowing and seeding was done; the
ground is still too wet and cold.
Adams, Jay, Wells and Blackford counties,—The rains benefitted oate and grass
and the cold temperature checked the
growth of the rank wheat; rye is improving; oate are all sown, that sown early and
had come up was hurt less than first reported; the ground is in good condition
and breaking for corn progresses rapidly;
fruit in Jay county Is not all killed.
Huntington and Grand counties.—Rain,
sleet and snow at the beginning of the
week, the latter part warm and fair; wheat
and grass are growing slowly; all oats is
not sown yet; grapes are not hurt but
apples and peaches.
Carroll, Miami and Cass counties.—The
advancement of wheat, grass and farm
work was retarded by cold rains and snow
early In the week, later the weather was
more favorable; some oats were re-sown
and some potatoes were re-planted; plowing for corn progresses nicely in Cass
county; in Miami county most of the fruit
is still safe; in other counties some apples
and cherries are not killed.
Howard, Tipton and Clinton counties—
The latter part of the week the weather
was warmer and more favorable to crops;
wheat and grasses improved rapidly; oats
and clover sown early have to be resown;
plowing for corn progresses nicely; in Tipton county all is sown.
White, Tippecanoe, Benton and Warren
counties—Wheat and grass improved with
the rain followed by warmer weather; oate
sowing is nearly done and it is coming
up well; grass is in good condition; plowing for corn progresses favorably.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Per C. F. R. Wappenhans,
Weather Bureau, Assistant Director.
PURDUE PRIZE SCHOLARSHIPS.
Suggestions to Competitors.
EniTotts Indiana  Farukb:
Many of those who competed for prize
scholarships last year did so by attempting
to grow a prize crop of corn. The unusually severe and protracted drouth of 1893
caused a failure of every attempt in this
line. It would seem wise, therefore, for
those who desire to win scholarships this
year to compete in at least two classes. It
is suggested that competitors attempt to
grow a prize crop ot corn, oats, wheat or
potatoes, and that they also attempt to se
cure a profit of 25 per cent on the investment in sheep, calves, swine, poultry or
eggs. It will be comparatively easy for
any young man or young woman to win a
scholarship in this^way or by producing
fl6 worth of butter from one cow in eight
consecutive weeks.
SUCCESSFUL COMPETITORS IN 1893.
Owing to the "hard times" in 1893 many
of the young men who attempted to win
scholarships did not finally report the results of their work, as they were short of
funds with which to take the course at
Purdue.
Mr. J. E. Mcintosh, of Hardinsburg,
Washington county, won a scholarship
with swine. The figures of his report are
as follows: Original cost of swine, $17 32;
ooBt of feed, $4 15; cost of labor, 50 cents;
total outiy, ?21 97; amount of sales, ?27 84;
net profit, $5 87, or 26.7 per cent.
Mr. W. G. Bradford, of Marion, Grant
county, was successful in winning a scholarship in making butter. The cow, a nondescript as to breed, was fresh March 25th,
and the test began April 15th, continuing
eight weeks. She produced an average of
9 1-16 pounds of butter per week for eight
consecutive weeks. This butter was sold
for f 17 25, which was $3 26 above the requirement last year. The butter was sold
during the first six weeks at 25 cents per
pound; during the last two weeks at 20
cents per pound.
Mr. O. M. Hadley, of Danville, Hendricks county, tried for a scholarship with
potatoes and also with poultry. Owing to
the drouth he failed with potatoes, but
was highly successful with poultry. Although I have not the figures at hand, I
recall the main points of his test. Mr.
Hadley purchased the young chicks,
rented a brooder and sold the product as
broilers. He made a net profit on the in
vestment of over 42 per cent, while the requirement was but 25 per cent.
Mr. W. C. Smith, of Montmorenci, Tippecanoe county, secured a yield of over 60
bushels of oate, which would have entitled him to a scholarship in Class 1, but
owing to the pressure of work he was unable to keep the data necessary to a satisfactory report.
These examples serve to show that it Is
not a difficult thing to win a scholarship
in some one of the several classes set forth
in the scholarship circular to which atten
tion was called in a recent issue of the Indiana Farmer. Those who intend to
compete for a scholarship will do well to
compete in cJa^s I, trying oate, corn, wheat
or potatoes, and also in class III in which
it will be necessary to make 25 per cent
new profit on the investment with different kinds of live stock, or in class IV in
which case they must produce $16 worth
of butter from one cow in eight consecutive weeks. If any young man or woman
will try with a will to compete in two
classes they will be reasonably sure of
winning a scholarship in one or the other,
and even though they should not be permitted to come to Purdue, the study and
effort put forth will be of lasting benefit to
them in their work on the farm.
It is hoped that a very large number of
farmers' sons and daughters will see fit to
compete for these scholarships.
A circular giving full information relative to these scholarships will be sent to
all applicants. Instructions for competing
in the several classes will also be sent upon
request.   Address the undersigned.
W. C. Latta,
Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.
Is Salt a Fertilizsi?
£dxtobs Indiana Fakmkb:
The use of salt for fertilizing purposes is
still prevailing to some extent, and especially in such agricultural regions where
fertilizers have only recently been introduced, and where the principles of artificial manuring are as yet little understood.
It is true that salt occasionally produces
upon some crops and upon certain soils a
moderate increase of yield, for a season or
two, but the apparent benefit is not lasting. On the contrary such applications
leave the soil in an impoverished condition; that is, a continued application of
of salt is followed by decreasing yields.
The effect of common salt is really explained by the fact that it acts as a solvent
upon potash compounds contained in the
soil, and potash being plant food causes an
increased yield. Salt in this manner acts
as a stimulant and enables the plant to
draw from resources already present in
the soil at a much quicker rate than would
be the case under normal conditions, and
instead of increasing fertility, it promotes
a rapid exhaustion of the soil, which becomes apparent as soon as the plant food
stored therein has been consumed.
Anyone familiar with agricultural chemistry knows that salt does not contain
anything that may serve as plant nourishment. It is a simple compound of chlorine and sodium. Chlorine, if anything,
is injurious to plants, hence the disastrous
effect sometimes observed where salt is
used at the time of planting, or in too
large quantities; while sodium, though
not harmful, cannot by any means assist
plant growth. The small quantities needed
are always and abundantly present in
every soil, and it is not any more advantageous to fertilize with sodium than it
would be to use sand or silica as a fertilizer.
Now it has been recently claimed by
one evidently not familiar with the simplest agricultural principles that soda may
take the place of potash, and he even went
so far as to recommend common soda as a
fertilizer. How could this be in the face
of the fact that ashes of plants usually contain ten times as much potash as soda? It
is true that Prof. Wagner demonstrated
that plants, when oversupplied with sodium did absorb more of this ingredient
than they would have done had the supply been normal, but there is no experiment on record to show that any plant
can live and grow without potash. The
ill advised farmer then who follows such
extravagant theories and tries to feed his
crops with soda will waste his money and
shorten his crops. B. Von Herff.