*•,,*__ ':__.«___. laM
VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND , SEPT. 22, 1894.
NO. 38
Deep Plowing snd Subsotllng.
Editors Indiana Fabhkb:
Excessive drouths show the want of
moisture. A sufficient amount of moisture stored in the earth would supply this
want even if no rain fell from the time of
planting orops until harvest time. With
the prevailing system of shallow plowing,
and in the absence of subsoil plowing,
crops begin to suffer after the rains have
been withheld for two or three weeks.
The great want is deep plowing, to the
depth of one foot or more every season,
and subsoil plowing, merely to loosen up
the subsoil, to the depth of two feet. In
all probability the subsoiling need not be
done more than once; for with deep plow,
ing each season and the subsoil onoe
broken up to the depth of two feet the
moisture of rains would keep that mellow
condition that would enable the soil to absorb all the moisture of rains, carrying it
deep down in the earth where it would be
stored for the use of the crop, and when
needed it would be brought to the surface
by the capillary action of the earth.
If this is true—and it cannot be for a
moment doubted—what great advantage
would result from a single subsoil plowing to the proper depth and the practice
of deep plowing each season. The office of
moisture is two fold; first to supply moisture to plants which is taken up by the
roots and used to promote growth of
plants and the production of fruit; seoond
to make available the plant food in the
earth and in the air. Water dissolves the
plant food so that it can be used by plants,
for in no other form is plant food used by
them. Moisture then is the great desideratum. It is the great supplier and promo
ter of growth in these two ways. If the
entire cultivated portion of the earth was
properly and truly cultivated there would
be no damage from long dry spells of
weather; and, in fact, there would not be
those protracted drouths that so frequently
occur, if water were stored in the earth,
for the air wonld be kept in a moist state,
and rains would be more frequent.
The condition of the atmosphere regulates the temperature. The sun is as hot
on one day as another in the summer season, but the heat felt is oppressive one
day and cool and pleasant another. The
hard surface of the soil, made so by shallow plowing for a term of years, allows the
moisture of rains to escape by evaporation,
and when excessive rains occur it is carried oil into the creeks and escapes the
nse of the husbandman entirely. If the
water were stored in the earth by proper
cultivation the runs and creeks would not
dry up and become a great nuisance, producing disease and death as is now the case
in time of protracted drouth.
Health, plenty and prosperity would re
suit from a proper system of soil culture.
The weeds that now invest every "nook
and corner" produce miasma, disease and
death, besides the loss of crop occasioned
by their presence everywhere. A proper
system of farming would subdue the
weeds and would increase the yield and
improve the quality of crops, while the
labor would gradually be diminished each
By the adoption of these and a few other
simple rules, the productive capacity of
the soil may be increased in an almost unlimited degree. Oo about the large cities
where gardening is conducted, and it will
be seen that the lands have been so enriched that f 100 per acre annual rent is
paid for their use. This shows what may
be done by a proper system of cultivating
the soil. In addition to all that has been
said, there are still other ways in which
lands may be still further increased in fertility. All manures should be carefully
saved and judiciously applied, no waste
material that may be turned into fertilizing material should be allowed' to go to
waste on the farm, but should be used in
that way that the most may be got out of
it. All stubble ground from which small
grain has been taken, should be plowed
and sown to either oats or rye, and this
work should be as thoroughly done as
possible, and the growth of the crop may
be turned under the following spring.
This would make an immense amount of
good clean fertilizing material.
There is no way that "pays" so well as
the right way, and no way that pays so
poorly as the neglectful way generally
practiced. The soil everywhere Is being
robbed of its fertility by a false system of
farming, and the time Is near when a
change of methods must be adopted.
Boone, Iowa. E. 8. Teag auden.
The great hindrance to the use of a better
system of farming is the prevailing practice of putting too great an area in cult!
vated crops. The soil is depleted of fertility, and the yield of crops is constantly
diminishing. By deep plowing and subsoil plowing the soil is made much richer,
and it is made richer deep down. Every
one knows that earth brought to the surface from great depths is soon converted
into productive soil by the action of the
elements, and by plowing deep and sub-
soiling, the air is allowed to act on the
soil, making it more productive by the increase of fertility imparted by the combined action of the earth and the air.
Mlello's Washington Letter.
Editobs Indiana Fashes:
Since I was in Washington some years
ago a great change in the way of building
and improvements has taken place.
Washington no doubt has more miles of
the best paved streets for driving teams
and wheelmen than any other city in America. There is considerable to interest the
visitor at all times, and the city is recognized by some as chief among the resident
cities of this country for the social cast of
its people. In talking with one who has
made the place his home for a long time,
he said: "We have a more desirable class
of people to associate and mingle with
than most other cities which have large
manufacturing interests employing an
undesirable class of the foreign element "
Well, I found no difficulty in "keeping
off the grass" on going upon Uncle Sam's
pasture lot, surmounted with acres of
granite, set in archltectual order for the
host of "cribbers" who infest its several
compartments; but was surprised and disgusted in looking on the insignificant little pithole termed the Senate chamber,
and said to be a model of parliamentary
usage and respecter of "courtesies" becoming an assembly of men. I could but
think how it had become a close rival to
that great concern where fortunes are
made and lost, situated in the metropolis
bordering on the great lake. Only a short
session was held for the day, yet the evening papers were filled to the brim with
"legislative news." As one of my informants said, "furnished by the quill-
drivers to enable the publishers to 'sell
their papers.'" So goes the business from
day to day.
Going into the Treasury building with
but little time to spend, I asked one of the
watchmen to direct me to the chief places
of interest, and following a guide, was
shown a package of bonds, taken from
among many more, deposited in a large
vault by and for the security of our
national bank currency. Next the gold
and silver vaults, one containing $103,000,-
000 in coin silver. Then was shown the
"macerator," ocaupying an "engine
room" and other paraphernalia, that reminded me of the Davis it Rankin cream
separators, only about 25 times larger,
that many of our Western farmers have
been experimenting with the last few
years. "This," says the guide, "ia the
macerator for destroying  the  mutilated
currency or bank note paper. It is taken
in, after being counted, put in packages,
cut lengthwise and several times the other
way, and is placed in the machine, which
contains many knives; then is filled with
hot water, when the motion of the apparatus soon reduces it all to pulp. Formerly it was dried and burned, but now it
is monufactured into toys and paper
weights, and sold to the people as souvenirs." Says he: "The Government made
a record one year ago last July in destroying more money than in any one month
in its history," naming the millions,
which I forget; yet it was so great as to
cause me to think: "Who was it that
asked to have that money canceled? Was
it the National banks? And did they not
do so for a purpose best known to themselves?"
From here we went to the Government
Bureau of Printing and Engraving, and
saw the process of making money out of
small sheets of paper costing but 9 trifle.
From the time one of those sheets of paper, large enongh for six bills, has had
the various colored silk threads thrown In
the pulp or paper when forming the sheet
at the right place, it passes through the
hands of 61 different people, and is counted 52 times, reaching the cage containing
one man who puts the finishing strokes to
the "filthy lucre."
Washington Monument, 550 feet high, is
near here, and we go aloft to get a bird's
eye view of the capital city. It requires
an appropriation of about f 10,000 a year
to accommodate those who have a fancy
for taking a flight heavenward, and keep
ing watch. Numerous inscriptions and
historical designs are noticed on the inner
walls from the car of the elevator, as the
15 minutes is taken going up, or down, by
the time table.
The public parks are very fine in and
around Washington, and more are being
added as the years go by.   More anon.
Miello
an attachment designed especially for the
purpose, very fair work can be done, but
when it can be done without too much inconvenience, it will be found mnch the
better plan to use a regular clover huller,
with re-cleaning attachment, so the clover
seed will be taken out as thoroughly as
possible and be cleaned ready to sell.
Clover wastes at every handling, and this
is the case whether handled in the straw
or the grain after it Is cleaned. A huller,
with an attachment for re-cleaning and
sacking up, if properly managed, will reduce the waste very considerably, while
the cutting with a self-rake reaper, and
threshing as fast as gathered up in the
field, will lessen the work in this respect
considerably. Care must be taken to dry
thoroughly and keep dry after threshing.
Some fields are yielding as high as five
bushels per acre, and this, at present
prices, will pay better than wheat or oats,
and especially when the value of the first
crop for hay is considered.
The straw after threshing makes good
bedding for stock and can be used to good
advantage for this purpose. If stacked up
carefully the stock will pick out and eat
considerable of it during the winter, if
placed where they can get to it.       N. S.
Saving- Clover Seed.
Editors Indiana Fakmer:
More clover has been cut for seed this
year in this locality than ever before, and
so far as threshing has progressed the
yield has been very satisfactory.
The first crop was cut reasonably early
for hay. This was done so as to give the
plants plenty of time to make a good
growth. If the first cutting is delayed
too late it is often the case that tbe dry
weather we so often have will cut the second growth very short, while if out early,
so that the plants can receive the benefit
of two or three showers, they will make a
good start to grow and it will then withstand considerable dry weather without
damage. The second cutting is made after
the larger portion of the leaves and stems
turn brown. If the threshing is to be in
good season, a self-rake reaper is one of
the best implements to use in cutting.
This will leave the clover In small
bunches, as it is cut, and be convenient to
load upon the wagon with no extra handling. If cut with a dropper it will be necessary to use a rake or fork and rake to
one side, so as to cut without tramping
over what has already been cut; or it can
be cut with a mower and be raked into
winrows with a sulky rake and left until
ready to thresh.
Clover should be handled just as little
as possible, and this is one advantage of
the self-rake reaper; it reduces the handling to a small amount. After cutting it
is allowed to remain undisturbed for some
time. This to let the stems soften and
partially rot.
The cleaner is set in a convenient place
in the field, the same as if threshing wheat
and oats out of the shock. The clover is
then gathered up with the fork and thrown
onto a wagon and hauled direct to the machine.   With an ordinary separator, using
It Was a Good Wheat Year.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
The principal reason in accounting for
thb heavy yields the past harvest Is that
it was a good wheat year. This Is the simplest and best explanation. Man's finite
powers are very weak when compared to
the infinite. An exceptional yield in isolated casses might truly be attributed to
special care of the farmer; but when such
yields are the rule and not the exception,
we have to credit nature and not man. If
the drouth caused it by storing plant food
in the soil, then the chemist has failed to
discover the formula used, since it is impossible for man to produce uniformly
good crops of wheat. It Is well enough
for us to have a standard of good farming,
for a.istocracy is an inherent tendency in
man, and it gives the few a chance to lecture the many; but when it comes to growing good crops of wheat the standard isn't
always in it. I think but very few farmers can say that the best piece of wheat
they ever grew was the one they prepared
in the best manner. Our best piece of
wheat was sown in a careless manner,
among clods, late in the season.
The seemingly impossible yields which
are reported from favored localities, as
from fruit in California or tbe tropics,
oats in the northwest, onions in the Bermudas, etc , show the possibilities of nature when at her best and are surely sufficient to account for a general Increase in
yields when nature decides to support the
farmers' efforts.
Clay county h-s the heaviest corn crop
in her history. We had a heavy yield of
wheat and a large acreage; but the present
indications are tha'. but a small crop of
wheat will be sown this fall. Hog and
hominy will be our main reliance the coming year. Ralph W. Moss.
In estimating the cost of farm crops,
either the amount of rent paid or the interest on the money value of the land
should be charged to the crop raised. If
the crop is one which is sold off the farm
and returns nothing to the land, the manure used in growing such crop should
also be charged. If the crop is fed on the
farm and the manure saved and returned
to the soil, then only the labor of hauling
and spreading the manure shonld be
charged. It is the land which produces
the plant food contained in the manure
and the soil, and not the farm stock,
which should be credited with its value.
If the manure used is charged to the crops
raised, the manure made ought also to be
credited.