VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND , SEPT. 8, 1894,
NO. 36.
The Fairs.
The Hoopeston, 111., district t^-Mltural
association closed a suct'sasful fair last
Friday. The fair was held upon their
beautiful fair grounds adjoining the city
of Hoopeston, 111. The attendance on
Thursday was estimated from 8,000 to 10,-
000 people, in faot all trains were heavily
loaded with fair sight seers. The exhibits
were large and very fine. In the cattle
ring were Oreen Bros., Indianola, 111., and
Williams Bros., Goblesville, with Shorthorns. In the swine department were
Wilkina A Son, New Lancaster, Hamilton
Oarr, Arabia, Elwood Oray, Rainsville,
and Perry H.; Davis, Talbot and Crane
Bros., Wingave, with Polands; Wiggins &
Sons, Tipton, H. E. Keelor, Henning, 111.,
with Chester Whites, and U. Puzey A
Sons, Falrmount, HI., with Berkshires
In the sheep pens were Crane Bros., Win-
gate, and Carpenter A Anderson, Watseka
Hi., with Shropshires.
The annual fair of the Decatur County
Agricultural Society was held on their fair
grounds near Greensburg, Aug. 28 31.
During the year 1893 no fair was held on
this ground, but this year a successful fair
was the result. The management spared
no pains in making this fair a success.
The attendance was very good, and the
display was all that could be asked. While
the display ln the live Btock department
was not large, yet it waa fine. The cattle
department was represented by Robbins
A Sons, Horace, and W. D. Pearce A Son,
New Castle, with Shorthorns; Henry Eck-
ert A Son, of Madison, and N. H. Garrett -
aon, Pendleton, with Jerseys. In the
swine pens were A. 8. Gilmour A Co.,
Greensburg, with Polands and B.rkshlree
and Sidney Conger, of Flatrock occupied
the sheep pens with a fine flock of Oxford
downs. The present officers intend to
make the Decatur county fair one of the
largest county fairs in the State. Mr. A.
8. Gilmonr is general superintendent.
The annual fair of the Clinton County
Agricultural Association was held on their
beautiful grounds adjoining the city of
Frankfort last week and to say it was a
success would be drawing it mild. Al
though on Thursday the best day of the
fair, the management had to contend with
a circus, yet the attendance was very good.
The business men of Frankfort joined
hands with the fair and made elegant displays. Every department was well filled,
especially may thi s be said of the live stook
department, which was filled to overflowing and contained some World's Fair
stock in addition to other stock which
have been priza winners at all the State
and county fairs. So many single exhibitors were to be found ln the horse department that space does not permit ua to
enumerate them, but ln the cattle ring we
found such breeders as J. G. Robbins A
Sons, Horace, and J. O. Stout, Hollands-
burg, with Shorthorns; O. P. Heavllon,
Jefferson, and G. A. Stanton, Greenwood,
with Holsteins; Simpson A Hogue, Vincennes, with Polled Angus, and William
Gray, Wesley, with Jerseys. In the swine
pens were herds of Berkshires of W. G.
Riley, Thorntown; Chester Whites of Willis Whinery, Salem, O ; Poland Chinas of
8. D. Ghere, Thorntown; Jno. Ghere,
Frankfort, M. O. Keever, Sclrcleville, and
W.F. Kerlin, Rock field. While the sheep
pens contained auch breeders as Uriah
Cook, West Mansfield., (>., and Brouse A
Son, KendallTllle, with Merinos; N. W.
Wilson A Bro., Muncie, with Cotswolds;
and Wm. Gray, Wesley, and W. P. Kerlin,
Rockfleld, Shropshires. Persons who attended the fair went home fully satisfied
that Clinton county ia capable of holding
one of the beat oounty fain In the State.
The racing was very good.
Weather and Crop Notes.
f.ditowi Indiana Parmkb:
We have had several weeks of extremely hot, dry weather, and it has had an injurious effect on many fields of oorn In
this vicinity. Today we are having cool
showers, which will help the crop somewhat. Occasionally, though, there Is la
field that Is too badly burned up to be
benefited by the rain. The fields that have
received the most cultivation show a decided advantage over those that have
been poorly cultivated. Fields that have
not been cultivated since harvest have
suffered the most.
I have been through my oorn three
times since harvest. This Is the first time
for five years that I have done any work
in the oorn field after the corn was too
large to be plowed with the two-horse cultivator. Judging by present indications,
I will have three times as much corn per
acre as I have had any year in the past
five. We have had two good rains since
harvest that have helped lt materially, but
I attribute much of Its present thriving
condition to the frequent and careful cul
tivatlon it has received.
I am not certain as to how long it is expedient to keep cultivating the corn crop.
I went through mine two weeks ago, stirring the ground from an Inch to an inch
and a half deep. I wish now that I had
gone through it once more. One of the
best farmers in this oounty told me this
morning that be has his men in the cornfield now stirring the ground very shallow. He says that his corn is greener and
fresher than that of any of his neighbors
who laid theirs by some time ago. I believe that we can raise a fine crop of corn
even in dry years, by giving the crop the
right kind of oare.
THE WHEAT CROP.
Threshing has been in progress for several weeks, and while there are no such
large yields of wheat around here as some
of those reported from the central part of
the State, the yield is better than ln any
previous year. The increased yield per
acre in this neighborhood can be attributed largely to the decreased acreage sown,
and more thorough work done in cultivating and seeding. One man told me a
few days ago that he made up his mind
last year to sow leas wheat, and put the
same amount of work on the reduced
acreage that he had been doing on a larger
area before. The result is that he almost
doubled his yield per acre this year. These
results help to confirm the statement often
made by the editors of the Farmbb, that a
little land well tilled is more profitable
than a larger amount indifferently cared
for. The statement will hold true of all
the crops raised on the farm.
THK STRAWBERRY PATCH.
Last spring, I set out eight rows of strawberry plants 140 feet long. They were set
the 19th of April with the ground in excellent oonditlon. They have been cultivated about once a week since that time.
The ground is perfectly clean and quite
moist. The strawberry vines are thrifty.
The runners have been kept cut off to
some extent, but not so much as in last
year's patch. The plants have received
more than twice aa much cultivation as I
ever gave one in a previous year, but I believe It will pay. In fact I feel partly recompensed now in the satisfaction it gives
me to see how much better a strawberry
patch looks when it has been well cultivated than one which has been only half
cared for. One always feels better in contemplating work well done than that
which is poorly done.
H. 8. K. B.
Several Wisconsin towns are ln danger
of destruction by forest fires.
The agricultural experiment stations ex
pend more than a million annually, but
this is an amount of leas than 25 oents to
each farmer  in  our  large  country, and
none are found to murmur.
Notes on a Trip Through Old  Virginia.
ViuniKh Indiana Pahmkb:
Leaving Marlon, Indiana, Monday August 13th, for a trip of a few days over the
Big 4, and C. A O. railroads to Old Point
Comfort and Washington, D. C, I send
you a few items that may Interest your
readers. The drouth tbat has prevailed
throughout the region north of Ohio has
materially affected the corn crop no doubt,
but from appearanoes the recent showers
will be very beneficial and the oorn will
be In the aggregate benefited muoh.
Leaving Cincinnati about 10 p. m. oould
see nothing of the country south until
daylight, when we found ourselves following up the Kanawha river. There was not
muoh of intetost to note excepting the
mountains, whioh afford some very fine
scenery.
Our first stop was made at Staunton,
Va , containing about 10,000 inhabitants.
This plaoe has been noted for its flouring
mills ln the past, and a large mill near the
depot was running in full blast, also large
elevators in connection handling considerable quantities of grain; prioe 51 oents.
Soon after leaving Staunton wo cross
the famous Shenandoah valley, and a
more picturesque sight is not to be seen
anywhere than that from the railroad,
looking down over the winding river and
the roads coursing through the farms that
dot the landscape below. The soil is red
In  color and doubtless   very productive.
Our next stop Is made at Charlottesville,
famous as being near the home of Thomas
Jefferson and the State University of Virginia founded by him. Procuring a carriage we at once proceeded to make a visit
to Monticello the home and burial spot of
him who was the author of American Independence. To say much on this interesting topic would require a separate article, and here I can only refer to aome of
the points of interest ina hurried observation. The location of the old house
which stands just as Jefferson left it, Is
upon a promontory, or point which was
leveled down to an area of two or three
acres in extent, encircled by a drive way,
that affords a birds eye view of the Havana valley, and Charlottesville several
miles away. The brick used in the construction of his house, studio and servant's quarters are said to have been im •
ported from England. Tho house ia of
unique design, with basement, angles and
the third story, or top, principally for a
ball room of circular form and arched
roof. At right angles from the basement
on two sides, are double walls arched over
a passage leading to his studio on one side,
and servant's quarters on the other. A
few fine, old Linden trees, three or four
feet In diameter, still continue to thrive
in the grove about the door yard, which
were brought from France and set out
when mere sprouts. Another thing of interest to me wss a weather vane and rod,
surmounting the north veranda roof, with a
dial plate fixed in the ceiling for registering
the oourse of winds. This matter may
seem like a small one to some, but Jefferson no doubt had learned the advantages
to be gained by observing the course of
the winds and probable occurrence of
storms in the management of his farm.
Jefferson lies buried on the slope back of
his residence in a piece ;of woodland bordering the roadway on either side, as do
other members of the family, the plat being surrounded by an Iron pioket fence.
A plain monument perhaps 16 feet high,
resting on a large base, covers his grave
with this inscription: Thomas Jefferson,
author ot the Declaration of American Independence, of the state of Virginia, Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.
Our next stop was made at Richmond,
i where a few hours were spent in a carriage
I ride about  the city  and through  Holly
wood cemetery,' which is of considerable
interest, as being the resting place of a
number of eminent men who have figured
in the history of the oountry. Presidents
Monroe, Tyler and Jefferson Davis of the
Southern Confederacy lie buried here. A
magnolia tree 15 or 20 ft ot, high stands at
the head of Tyler's grave, at his only
monument If such lt can be called. Richmond bas a fine oity hall, and a magnificent hotel Is being erected by Mr. Gantz,
the millionaire manufacturer of cigarette
fame.
From this point we came to Old Point
Comfort, which Is becoming quite a seaside resort. Have been through Fortress
Monroe and several other places of interest about here.   More anon.
Old Point Comfort, Va. Mif.li.o.
Sugar Bounty Payments.
Total bounty paid for beet sugar produced In California, Nebraska and Utah In
1891 and 1892, $240,098 56; In 1S92 and 1893,
$531,363.81, and up to March 1 of current
year, $610,935,59. Total bounty paid for
sorgum sugar produced In Kansas and
Minnesota In 18*.il and 1S92, $22,197 28; in
180- and 1893,119,817, and up to March 1 of
current year, |10,'.'2!i. Total bounty paid
for cane sugar produced In Louisiana ln
1891 and 1892, f6,882,,)89..**3; in ls92and 1898
$-Yr.M,865.54, and up to March 1, 1894,
$1,057,108. Total bounty for cane ; sugar
produced in Mississippi in 1891 and 1892,
117(1,301.73; in 1892 and 180k, J174.943.90,
and to March 1 of current year, $113,193 24.
Total bounty paid for cane sugar produced
in Florida 1891 and 1892, $18,233.79; in 1892
and 1893, $3,960 15. Grand total of bounties paid for cane sugars ln 1891 and 1892,
$7,077,3111; in 1892 and 1893, $,-,763,830, and
up to March 1, 1894, $1,770,301. Total
bounty paid maple sugar In 1891 and 1892,
$2,405; in 1-92 and 1808, £60,119, and up to
March 1 of current year, $116,434. The
grand total of all bounties paid up to
March 1,1891, for all kinds of sugar produced ln the United States was $19,230,.
806 30. The foregoing list of payments are
as reported by the secretary of the treasury.
Feeding Wheat.
If no mill Is convenient my experience
Is that one of the very best ways of feeding wheat is to soak it at least 12 hours before feeding. The objection to feeding
wheat whole and without soaking is that it
is bo hard and the grains] so small that
more or less of it will be swallowed without mastication and of course will not be
properly digested or assimilated and consequently will prove a loss. I had fed
wheat to hogs several times and my experience is that it will always pay to grind
when It can be done without too muoh extra labor or expense, and when this cannot be done conveniently the next beat
plan is to soak until thoroughly softened
before feeding. This makes it easier to
masticate and the more thoroughly it is
masticated the better it will be digested
and assimilated.—N. J. S. in Nebraska
Farmer.
The imports of potatoes for May, 1894,
aggregated 790,000 bushels, valued at $326,-
000, against 692.000 bushels valued at $374,-
000 for the corresponding month of laat
year. For the 10 months ending May 31,
1894, imports amounted to 2,771,000 bushels, valued at $1,179,000, compared with
4,139,000 bushels valued at$l,982,000 for the
period closing with the same month in 1893.
Exports for May amounts to 17,800 bushels
valued at $12,775, compared with 17,420
bushels valued at $18,360 for the same
month last year. For the 10 months ending May 31, the exports were 766,123 bushels valued at $626,000, against 800,000 bushels valued at  $660,000  for the same period
Of 1893.
The enormous excess of imports
j over exports suggests great possibilities to
potato producers.