VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND , SEPT. 1, 1894.
NO. 35
Irrigation ln Indiana.
Editors Indiana Fahmjch:
Irrigation in the near future Is one of
the improvements essential to Insure successful agriculture and is bound soon to
enlist the earnest attention of our farmers
Drouth has been so often destructive to
our crops of late years aa to make farming
a very uncertain and unsatisfactory oocu
nation. It is high time that we were investigating the matter and seeking to find
out the best method of applying it.
Some of my neighbors have been practicing Irrigation upon a small scale, but
enough hss been done to demonstrate the
utility of such work. One of my friends
having a fine spring at the foot of the high
bluff on which his comfortable residence
is situated affording an abundance of clear,
cold water, tried sprinkling his large to
mato patch frequently during 1 ist Bummer's Intense drouth with the happiest
results. His tomatoes were very large,
smooth, well-formed and very abundant—
the finest he ever raised In 50 year's farm
Ing. A lady friend of mine having a large
onion patch and nothing but the ordinary
house pump to depend upon for a supply
of water, would pump up water through
the day, filling her tubs and barrels. Late
of an evening she would sprinkle her
onions liberally with this luke warm
water. She raised a remarkable crop of
large, round, smooth onions, which well
repaid ber for all her trouble. Another
friend tried irrigation by sprinkling his
turnip patch—his turnips were so large
they oould hardly find room to grow in
the patch.
I am a surveyor and civil engineer by
profession and have given some thought
to this subject. I would suggest that
farmers club together and construct, by
building dams across the creeks and small
rivers at suitable points, so as to form
reservoirs that will retain a large amount
of water for summer use in case of drouth.
Let each farmer provide himself with a
large two horse sprinkling wagon, similar
to the sprinkling wagons used in towns
and cities for sprinkling the streets, so
constructed that lt can be raised or lowered and go to work with lt when the dry
spell of weather sets ln and let the sprinkler run every day, even if he has to hire
an extra hand to drive it, and it will pay
better than any other implement on the
farm.
Farmers who live on the uplands, too
far from the streams, can form reservoirs
by running the water into basins or hollo wt; most of such farms contain one or
more such places; or they can supplement
the same by running the waste water from
their pumps Into said reservoirs. If there
be no such natural depressions on their
farms they can make them by plowing
and scraping it will not take any more
work to make such a reservoir than to
plow and scrape out a fish pond.
In this oounty, Shelby, the natural fall
of the rivers is from four to seven feet per
mile and of the smaller streams still more,
hence there exist no insuperable obstacles
to prevent the formation of reservoirs by
throwing dams across them.
I have written these suggestions rather
for the purpose of calling the attention of
our agriculturists to the matter and of
opening up a discussion of one of the most
important improvements that muat come
to the front, before the close of tbis century. Wm R. Nobris.
The
A picnic wagon containing SS people was
struck by an electric car while crossing a
bridge near Btllaire, O , on Sunday and
waa thrown from the bridge. Two of the
horses were killed and the other two
wounded. Eight persons were severely
hurt and the driver may die. The fall waa
20 feet. The car and wagon are total
wrecks.
Unemployed   Won't  Work on the
Farm.
Editobs Indiana Fakmkh:
There Is much being said through the
press about the scarcity of farm labor in
different sections of the oountry, while ln
the towns and cities innumerable hoBts of
men and women are idle, and thousands
dependent on others for daily sustenance
ln a charitable way.
Again, much talk haa been indulged in
about skilled and unskilled labor, which
applies, of oourse, to those engaged in the
various kinds of employment to be had in
cities, and lt begins to look as though an
all-round laborer was rather a scarce
aaticle.
As carpenters, masons, plasterers, hod-
carriers, shovelers, clerks, copyists, messengers, etc., each has his especial plaoe,
and that alone or nothing will suit.
One morning not long ago I drove into
one of our would-be cities and manufacturing (?) centers of the gas belt to get
some repairs for my mowing machine,
and having to wait a little while sauntered
down street to where a crowd of men were
assembled in front of the news bulletin
board discussing the strike, then at its
height in Chicago. Men with nothing to
do, and probably not a dollar In their
pockets, differed in their views as to who
was to blame for the trouble, yet sympathized with labor, of course, aa they themselves were idle; and just then a farmer
drove up in search of men to help thresh,
calling out: "How many hands can I get
here to help thresh to-day?" A shout
went up: "There's a chance for some of
you." But it had to be repeated several
times before they understood what was
Intended, and when one of them turned
and wanted to know: "How much is there
in it?" The old man ssys: "What's ln it?
Why, a little hustling of your body, all
you can eat and a 'bit' an hour, or about
$1 25 a day." No reply was made and the
crowd of idle men soon vanished to the
surprise (?) of everybody, for threshing
was not the kind of work they wanted
just then.
Late years this is about the rule and not
an exception, as farm work is not relished
by the man who has onoe engaged in
"knocking" around town, and the farmer,
too, often finds that kind of help very unsatisfactory.
For five months or more the great majority of our farmers have been rushed
with work, telling late and early, because
of a certain amount of work to do, and
they necessarily had to keep moving to
get through. To them it seemed that no
profit oould be realized after paying the
expenses incurred by hireing much help
at the present prices of what they had to
sell.
On the one hand men are idly sitting
around the loafing places of towns and
villages with an air of "retiring" disposition, and on the other there are farmers
pressed with worked and doing two or
three times what they should, and yet
from all appearances the benevolent fund
for next winter will necesarily have to be
Increased largely over that of last winter
through assessments of the taxable property, for there appears to be no better way
to equalize the burden of support than by
that method; and indirectly the farmer
has to pay all bills and complacently will
have to stand it, as he alone is the one in
possession of the "God-given rights of
man's inheritance in the soil."
Grant Co. Miello.
Tbe Big Wheat Yields.
Editobs Indiana   I'ihuii:
"What has caused the unusual and extraordinary yield of wheat for the last
harvest?"
We answer tbat the drouth that has prevailed for the last two seasons has had the
effect to bring to the surface by capillary
attraction the plant food held in solution
ln the ascending moisture, thereby making the surface toil richer in the operation. If you will notice the same cause
has given a deeper green to the foliage of
the forest, orchard and garden, showing the
presence of an abundance of plant food to
produce the healthy and vigorous growth
we see everywhere. What has been taken
down in seasons of excessive rains is in
part restored in seasons of drouth. So we
see that all things are perfectly right.
Dearborn Co. 8. Platt.
Keep the back barnyard as neat as the
front; have the manure pile, the old board
pile, the rubbish pile, always under cover
Make the neatness of your plaoe noticeable, and teach not only your own boys,
but the whole neighborhood, lessons ot
beauty and thrift,
Editobs Indiana Fashes:
A dry summer brings plant food to the
surface by draining moisture from below,
leaving it where the next crop planted can
get it; alao ground was better prepared
than usual by early plowing and preparing a good seed bed. Corn ground was
"burned out" until it was fine and mellow; a good growing, late fall and spring,
and no freezing and thawing to lift the
plant. Under like conditions I predict a
good crop next year, as good conditions so
far exist, namely: No surplus rains so far
to carry away the stored plant food.
Kosciusko Co. A. T. C.
The Fairs.
On Tuesday last one of the greatest fairs
ever held ln Northern Indiana opened in
Butler, DeKalb oounty, it being the seoond
annual street-fair. The citizens pay the
premiums.
BOONE COUNTY.
Tbe Boone oounty fair was held at Lebanon last week. It is said to be the most
successful fair ever held. Tbey deserve It,
as ail departments were well tilled and all
premiums were well contested for.
HANCOCK COUNTY.
The annual fair of the Hancock County
Agricultural Association was held on their
beautiful fair grounds near Greenfield.
The attendance waa very good and the exhibits were excellent, all departments being well tiiled; especially may this be said
of the live stock departments. Gov.
Matthews waa judge in  the cattle ring.
What a Horse can Draw on Metal Ralls.
Editobs Indiana Fahmkb:
A horse can draw one and two-thirds
times as much on metal rails as on asphalt
pavements and three and one-third times
as much as on Belgian blocks, five times
as much as on ordinary Belgian blocks,
seven times as muoh as on good cobble
stone, 13 times as much as on ordinary
cobble stone, 30 times as much as on an
earth road and 40 times as much as on
sand.
Now if we had such good roads how
much more would our horses be worth?
I would thank some experienced person
if they will give through these columns
the oost of building such roads.
A Reader.
Value of Neat Fences.
Ki>iT"Bs Indiana Fabmeb:
The farmer who takes proper pride In
his farm always feels a pleasant satlsfac
tton In knowing that his fences are what
they ought to be. The farm looks enough
better and is worth enough more with a
good fence to make it well "worth while"
to see that It Is ln good condition. A tumble-down fence has a tendency to prejudice a stranger against a place, when its
owner should get the blame. Good gates
and bars that can be depended upon to do
the work re*mired of them, are valuable
adjuncts to every well-regulated farm.
W. M. B.
MORGAN CO , ILLINOIS.
The annual fair of the Morgan County
Agricultural Society was held on their
beautiful fair grounds near Jacksonville,
Aug. 21 25. The attendance was all that
oould be asked for. The exhibits were
very fine, especially in the cattle and swine
shows.
TIPTON COUNTY.
The Tipton oounty fair was very good ln
every respect, but the live stock department was not as large as usual. The
crowd was very large. The exhibit in
live stock department being so small, may
be due to the fact that so many fairs were
held the same week In the near vicinity.
HAMILTON COUNTY.
The annual fair of the Hamilton County
Agricultural Society was held on their
new fair grounds at Sheiidan, and was a
success in every way. The attendance
was unusually large and the exhibits In
the live ste ck department very good. Cal.
Sturdivant was superintendent of the
swine department, and made this feature
a success. A large exhibit was tbe consequence, over 200 head of hogs being on exhibition.   Premiums were paid in full.
1,400 Bushels on 47 Acres.
Editobs Indiana Fahseb:
To sum up our share of the good things
in Carroll county's great grain crop for
MM viz (to be exact:) Wheat 47 acres,
will by weight make 1,400 bushels; oats
three acres, 200 bushels; hay 30 tons; potatoes, garden stuff and small fruit a satisfactory crop. Corn quite satisfactory, considering severe drouth. We had a good
rain Saturday the 11th, inst. J. H.
Carroll Co.
Clover has many virtues as a fertilizer,
but do not expect it to renew the soil In
a miraculous way. It Is the very best aid
to the good farmer, but needs to be supplemented often by mineral fertilizers,
and for all early crops, by nitrogen ln
more available form than clover only can
furnish.
CABTHAQE, OHIO.
No doubt one of the largest fairs held ln
Ohio, Is the Hamilton oounty fair, which
Is held at Carthage, about eight miles from
Cincinnati. The grounds are beautifully
situated, and of easy access from the oity.
The fair of 1894, was pronounced by all
present as tLe best ever held. The attendance was the largest, and ithe exhibts the
finest, especially may this be said of the
live stock department. Every class was
filled to overflowing. Tbe success of the
swine and sheep department was due to
the untiring efforts of its superintendant,
Capt. E. C. Ellis, of Crestview, O , whose
love for the swine is unbounded. Over
400 head of swine alone were viewed by
the visitors; all breeds were represented.
If a new breed was exhibited, a class was
made for lt. Every breeder was made to
feel at home, and kind treatment awaited
him. The judging was done by E. E.
Cooler, of Liberty, O., who showed no
partiality; his judgment was never questioned. At the close of the fair, Capt. Ellis
was presented with a gold chain and
charm, speeches being made by Ben j M.
Allen, Greenville, O , Willis Whinney, Salem, O , Orvll Walter, Lebanon, O., and
Chas. A. Kurzs, of the Indiana Fabmeb.
The fair was a success In every way. Capt.
Ellis is a candidate for member of the Ohio
State Board of Agriculture, and we trust
he will be elected.
An attempt was made last week to rob
President Andrew Jackson's grave. His
grave is at his old home, The Hermitage,
12 miles from Nashville, Tenn.