VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND.  JUNE 30, 1894.
NO. 26.
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN.
United States Department of Agriculture,
Weather Bureau. Orop Bulletin of the Indiana Weather Service in Oo-operation
With the Agricultural Experiment Statinn
at Purdue University, Monday, Jv «■ 25,
1894.
The temperature and rainfall wereaboev
normal. The weather during the past
week was an unusually favorable one for
crops of all kinds especially pastures, oats,
and corn. Showers were quite general
throughout the State on the 17th, 21st, 22d
and 24th, which in combination with
warm weather had a most beneficient
effect. Severe wind, rain and hall storms
damaged crops in several localities, lodging standing giain and destroying garden
truck. Wheat harvest progressing rapidly
in nearly all portions of the State; in most
sections the yield is reported to be above
the average in quantity and the grain of
excellent quality. It was lodged and
tangled in some parts on account of wind
and heavy rains. Corn has made rapid
growth, bas good color and promises a
largo yield. WUl be a certainty if like
weather continues. Cultivation progressing satisfactorily. Clover cutting nearly
completed and in many localities clover
put away. Pastures good, but in some
localities short. Timothy short but of
good quality. Oats in fair condition and
promises better than expected. Potatoes
—the crop promises to be an unusually
large and good one. Stock doing very
well. Tobacco transplanting about completed. Garden truck in fair condition.
The crops in general are reported to be in
much better condition than for a number
of years.
SOUTHERN PORTION.
Gibson, Posey, Warrick and Spencer
counties.—Wheat harvested generally; an
average crop in quantity and quality;
corn, although small is in good condition
and only needs rain to insure a fine crop;
oats fairly good; clover, grass and timothy
short; all crops needing rain.
Dubois, Orange, Crawford and Perry
counties.—Wheat harvest progressing rapidly and will yield above an average; corn
growing rapidly and of good color; vegetables scarce and gardens need rain; hay
harvest will soon begin.
Harrison, Floyd, Clark and Washington
counties.—Corn and oats have been growing; not quite enough rain; clover cutting
nearly completed; wheat not shocking as
well as expected; pastures good and stock
of all kinds doing weU.
Switzerland, Jefferson, Dearborn and
Ripley counties.—Weather unusually favorable to crops in general; from indications wheat wUl be one of the best crops in
this section; corn thrifty and promises a
large yield; potato crop will be good; barley all cut; corn, oats, timothy and pasture
grew rapidly; stock doing well.
Bartholomew and Lawrence counties.—
Splendid growing weather; wheat harvest
has begun; quality and quantity excellent;
corn, oats and vegetables doing weU; a
large crop of potatoes promised; clover
hay about made.
Greene, Sullivan and Knox counties.—
Corn growing nicely and its cultivation
progressing satisfactorily; wheat is maturing under exceUent conditions; harvest
underway; potatoes splendid; meadows
fair; clover nearly all put away; tobacco
transplanting about finished; oats promises
a better crop than usual.
CENTRAL PORTION.
Vigo, Clay, VermilUon and Fountain
counties.—Wheat doing very well; considerable in shock; rye cutting in progress;
oorn doing well, has a good color; timothy
meadows will be short; garden truck do
ing fairly wall; pastures dried up in some
localities, otherwise good; oats good; berries abundant.
Parke, Putnam, Hxmeand Montgomery
counties.—Corn improved and doing splendidly; wheat mostly harvested in bottom
lands and ripening on uplands; clover
light but good; oata doing finely; potatoes
abundant; pasture improved; garden truck
doing nicely.
Madison, Marion, Hancock and Hamilton counties.—Very favorable weather;
sufficient rain and warm sunshine; clover
hay nearly all made; wheat harvest commenced; prospect good as to quality and
quantity; potato crop excellent; corn growing rapidly; stook doing well.
Wayne, Randolph, Union and. Franklin
counties.—Rye and barley harvested; tobacco best known for years; wheat harvest
begun on low lands; promises an extra
ordinary yield; pastures good; stock doing
well; oats rather short gardens first class;
clover and timothy light on account of
drouth; corn in fine condition and "laid
by" in some localities.
Decatur and Shelby counties.—Clover
hay harvest in progress; corn in fine condition; growing rapidly; laid by in some
localities; potatoes excellent; wheat harvest commenced with splendid prospects
for a fine yield; lodged in some localities;
garden truck and pastures doing finely;
raspberry crop good.
Owen, Rush and Johnson counties,—
Corn growing very fast; the yellow has
nearly disappeared; harvesting wheat has
commenced; the grain is good; corn doing
weU; clover mostly cut; timothy light and
pastures getting short.
NORTHERN PORTION.
Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties.—Clover harvest progressing finely;
corn clean and growing nicely; rye beginning to turn; oats heading out; hay crop
little short; wheat and rye lodged in some
places; strawberries and cherries abundant; poor prospeot for apples; no peaches.
St. Joseph, Pulaski and Kosciusko
counties.—Hay making commenced; stock
and pasture in good condition; potato
crop will be large; wheat in splendid condition and ia beginning to turn; corn is in
fine shape and well cultivated; crops of all
kinds wiU be abundant.
Elkhart, Noble, Whitley and Lagrange
counties.—Clover hay being made; it is
light; timothy Ught; berries promise good
orop; wheat In splendid condition; oats
looking fairly well; corn and potatoes
growing nicely; pasture getting short;
heavy rain and wind storm did some damage to crops.
AUen, Steuben  and  Wells counties	
Oats doing well but short; corn doing
weU, on old ground dying off; potatoes
fair; haying commenced; wheat begins to
change color; stock of all kinds doing
wells; aU crops needing rain.
Blackford, Grant and Huntington counties.—Wheat ripening fast and will be cut
in a few days; potatoes, pastures and
small truck growing slowly; oats good
but short.
Miami and Carroll counties.—Wheat Is
beginning to turn with prospects of a good
crop; corn growing rapidly; potato crop
wUl be large; oats doing finely and heading; clover hay wiU be short; timothy
will be good but short; pastures improving; clover cutting and corn plowing in
progress; fruit prospect Improving.
Cass, Tipton and Clinton counties —Hay
harvest begun; corn doing well; wheat
ready to cut next week and looks well;
garden,plants doing fine; everything in
products prospering.
Benton,.Howard and Tippecanoe coun
ties.—Week very favorable to vegetation;
vegetables and growing crops doing exceptionally well; hay making commenced,
will be short; no preceptible danger to
corn on account of hall; cattle very much
bettered; oats very promising.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Per W. W. Dbnt,
Weather Bureau, Acting Asst. Director.
MANAGEMENT OF CLAY SOILS.
[The numbers of the essays published
refer to the order of publication, and not
to the awards.]
PRIZE ESSAY NO. 20.
In treating this subject it becomes necessary first, to mention that clay soils differ
in different localities as much as the various soils differ in themselves, as clay,
sand, muck, etc. Therefore I shall attempt
to give the best method of managing clay
soil in my own locality. As we are not
always sure of a rain just at the time when
we might need It we must follow on a line
that we may succeed, wet or dry.
Plow the ground when in good order, if
possible. Defer plowing, as much as possible, untU near the planting season and It
will greatly facilitate in the cultivation.
When the ground Is plowed we should
partly work It down, not too much, for
fear of a beating rain. It will become
harder after a hard rain, if it Is worked
down too fine, than it was before plowing.
But if not worked any it is liable to become dried out hard, if dry weather continues loBg, so we might not be able to
plant until too late in the season.
So far as the tools to be used are concerned, that wiU depend largely on the
season. If wet, harrows should be used.
If dry, the drag and roller should be used
for pulverizing the soil. With crops that
havo to be cultivated the ground should
invariably be worked after a rain so as to
keep it from baking. Work as soon as
dry enough. To do the soil justice It
should invariably be broken deep.
Clay soil can best be kept from washing
in ditches by keeping it rich. Crops
should be rotated so as not to exhaust the
properties whioh are required to grow any
one crop. Any quick growth crop will exhaust the soli more than a long growing
one, hence one great necessity for rotation. If you want your land kept In a
good lively condition don't pasture it
when it is wet.
PRIZE ESSAY NO. 21.
You invite correspondence as to methods of cultivating corn upon clay soils.
Last spring I measured off five acres, and
hauled on the field all the manure we
could rake up; plowed the ground eight
Inches deep, harrowed thoroughly and
planted to corn; plowed three times and
laid the corn by with a one-horse harrow.
This made the ground smooth and free
from all lumps, and did not seem to injure
the corn by breaking surface roots. We
had a severe and protracted drouth. During this dry weather the corn kept green
and the ground loose and moist. This
condition I think was secured largely by
the blanket of tine, loose soil which my
harrow left, and which prevented the
moisture from beneath escaping. On account of the dry weather the crop was
shortened, but made a fair yield. This
field was sown to wheat and waa in fine
order for drilling in September.
It is my purpose to use this method of
laying corn by the coming summer, so
weU pleased am I with the result obtained
on this five-acre field. The implement
used was common one-horse, A-shaped,
with teeth three fourths of an inch square.
I want oorn laid by level; the ground retains moisture better and gives a good
seed bed for faU grain, and makes a good
surface for seeding down to timothy or
clover. I believe clay loam corn should
be plowed deep the first and second limes,
then the third and fourth times I want
shallow cultivation by some good Implement, one or two-horse. Such an implement I want to buy. No root-pruning for
me in tbe corn field if I can help It. I
might add, the variety planted was Riley's
Favorite.
PRIZE ESSAY NO. 22.
My experience and observation have
taught me that the following management
of a clay soil, in our iUustrlous "Posey
Co.," is practical, profitable and highly satisfactory to the farmer. Take for example
a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and
divide It as follows in forty acre tracts:
The first forty acres should be used for
buildings, lots, orchards, garden, vineyard,
permanent pasture, meadow, etc. Second
forty acres should be in clover, one half
pasture and the other half to cut for hay
and seed. The third forty should be in
corn, and the fourth forty In wheat. Thus
we see, there are three forty acre fields to
be used in rotation. Farms of various
sizes may be divided proportionitely.
First comes clover in my rotation, for
where it grows luxuriantly, as It does
here, profitable crops of corn and wheat
can be grown. After both crops have been
harvested from the twenty acres, and frost
has killed the pasture on the twenty acres
that have been used for that purpose, and
you have taken your stock to the permanent pasture, then apply all the manure
you have on your farm or can get readily,
to the thlner portions of the field, then
break this forty up in the fall for corn.
This system of manuring will have a tendency to keep your fields of even fertility,
which Is quite necessary in raising small
grain and clover seed.
FoUowlng the clover and manure with
corn, we are almost sure to have a heavy
yield. Cut as much of corn for fodder as
can be fed to stock on the farm, and then
take a disc harrow and prepare that part of
the field for wheat. The remaining portion of the field, if any there should be left
of standing corn, should be sown in wheat
with a one-horse drill, providing the corn
stands straight enough to admit of this
method of sowing; if not, gather the corn
a Uttle early, which can be done with perfect safety by using ventilators in the cribs
and not bulking too deep. Then break the
land with a large, heavy plow, so as to
turn the stalks clear out of sight. Run
the smoothing harrow and then the roller
over the land before drilling wheat, or if
it should be impossible to get all of the
field sown In wheat In due time, the next
best thing to do is to sow the remainder in
oats in the spring, which crop Is very useful and essential as feed, but not a very
profitable crop In our county, although 1
suppose it would have to be included in
the rotation farther north.
In the spring when the time arrives to
sow clover seed, take the smoothing harrow and harrow the wheat field and sow to
clover. This preparation will help start
the clover seed and be of benefit to the
wheat, which is almozt certain to yield a
bountiful harvest of good, clean grain, provided your seed was clear of chess and
cockle.
We have now the rotation of clover, corn
and wheat. Crops diversified in this manner and intermixed with stock raising on
the farm will maintain the fertility of the
clay soil of this part of the State, and Is almost sure to crown the efforts of the
farmer with success and his mind with
contentment.
Near Lyons, Ia, Norman Clark and a
woman named Jennie Riley took refuge
under a tree in a thunder storm. The
woman wa9 killed and the man fataUy Injured by a bolt of lightning.