VOL. XXIX.
INDIA.NAPOLIS. IND , NOV. 10, 1894
NO. 45
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Be Kind to tbe Old Horee.
Editors Indiana Fabmeb:
Your editorial recently urging farmers to
keep or to kill their old, worn-oat horses,
rather than sell them for a small sum to
end a miserable life in the hands of some
garbage man, or rag dealer in the city, reminds me of my treatment of the death of
an old companion "Nellie," a horse I had
driven upon the streets of Indianapolis for
26 years. She died about two weeks ago
in the pasture where she had rested for
several seasons. No harness had been put
upon her for a year or more. She was in
her 30th year. A neighbor who knew her
asked If would sell her. I said, Yes, for
one thousand dollars. She had no pedigree to give her especial notics in the
horse world, but her beauty, her progeny
and great speed commended tbe notice of
those who hai met her as a rival. A
clergyman of the city who had known her
Slid: '-If Iamsofortunateasto go to Heav
en I expect to see gocd horses there "
Indianapolis I. K. Shkupe.
■Why We Follow a Three Year Rotation
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
A rotation of crops is necessary that we
may continue to till the soil without becoming in a manner b-rren. Continuous
cropping in tbe same crop or similar crops
is both detrimental to the soil and usually
to the salable product, as for instance—
cotton in the south and wheat in the
northwest.
A rotation to be successful must first,
enrich the soil, second, be a change of class
or family of plants; third, consist of pro
fitable crops either for sale or home consumption; fourth and last but not least,
must be short enough to avoid the numerous perennial weeds.
Oar rotation is olover, corn and wheat,
and we think for oar soil it can't be excelled ef pscially if handled as we do.I Our
soil is deficient in vegetable matter or
humvjs, and nitrogen. For Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois there is no better sgsnt to
supply the deficient nitrcgen and humus
than medium red clover; hence we put
clover first in our rotation, and we care for
it as if it was our dearest friend, as indeed
it is, since it is the very foundation of our
agriculture. We always mow the wheat
stubble; next year cut crop of hay and
seed; thus it makes a feed crop and sale
crop also. Here is one of our nicest points
in our threo year rotation—after the clover
seed is off we have the best place known
to put the manure and we scatter it as it
is hauled and continue to d o so all winter.
Now we have a leguminous plant in our
rotation two years in three so ite can have
a representative of the grass family two
years in three; hence we plant corn the
greatest nitrogen user on the manured
clover sod. The corn crop is the one that
brings in the ready money without taking much fertility from the farm. It goes
away in the shape of light, butcher's hogs
at about seven or eight months of age.
When the corn is cultivated properly it
affords us the easiest and readiest means
of producing wheat in competition with
the northwest. It is already a clean,
mellow, firm seed bed which a single cultivation at sowing time renders almost
perfect. We can raise wheat In this way
for less than 40 centa so we continue to
raise it not alone for profit but more for
the reason that on onr land no other cereal
gives as good chance for clover. Oar soil
is deficient in phosphoric acid to produce
a first-class wheat crop, so we apply bone
meal to wheat, when sown. The am
monla gives the clover a fine start in the
spring, which almost insures a gocd
stand.
We have either a hoed crop, or clover on
the land during the season when weed
growth is most rapid, and some growing
crop on it in winter, to prevent leaching
of fertility during winter rains.
Considering the uses we make of the
bulky by-products of our rotation, and
the class of live stock ws keep to handle
these products, we can not see where we
can very well improve our rotation now,
but we have a few improvements in view
which we shall try ln the future, and If
successful will report the exact facts in the
case. We are not perfect in our work at
"The Clover Leaf," bat we aim to do our
best considering the circumstances.
Camden, O. Dewitt.
Results With Potash on Potatoes  North
and South.
Editobs Indiana Fabmkb:
Potash is cheapest when in the form of a
chloride, but there are those who insist
that for some crops the chloride or muriate la a bad form. It Is doubtless true that
the sulphate is better for tobacco and sugar beets, but we are far from being satis
tie! that the muriate of potash is not the
best form for potatoes. Our own observa
tion ha< lead to the conclusion that muriate of potash is not only cheaper than sulphate but Is better for the potato crop.
The same appears to be true at the New
Jersey station where the muriate gave better results on potatoes than the sulphate.
Visiting among the market gardeners in
Easton, N. C , we took special pains to see
In what form they use! potash for the po
ta'o   crop.    One  of   the largest growers
I" there, who used annually 400 tons of com
merclal fertilizers, and whose crop of
early potatoes covers 150 acres, and aver
aged over 200 bushels per acre, said that,
he invariably gets the best results from
the use of the muriate and does not now
use any other form.
The Kentucky and the Massachusetts
stations both find its use profitable. In
Kentucky the application of f4 80 worth of
muriate of potash increased the value of
the potato crop f28 20 In Massachusetts its
use gave an average increase of 4' _, bushel
per acre. At the Connecticut station
"muriate of potash proved profitable with
potatoes in nearly every case, when not interfered with by bad weather or other interfering causes." At the Michigan station 240 pounds of sulphate of potash, costing |3 .50 per acre, "gave a gala of more
than 75 bushels per acre over an adjoining
unfertilized flat" The same amount of
muriate of potash, 240 pounds. Nitrate of
soda 400 pounds. Ground bone gave nearly
the same results at a much higher cost. It
is to be regretted that no comparative ex
perlment of muriate and sulphate alone
seems to have been made. At the West
Virginia Station the application of 800
pounds of kainit per acre increased the
yield 40 rer oent or about 35 bushels per
acre, while nitrate of soda produced no
material increase ln the crop. At the Ore
gon station 400 pounds of kainit nearly
doubled the crop, that is the unfertilized
land gave si;., bushels per acre and that
treated with 400 pounds of kainit gave
145;.; bushels per acre, and a specially prepared high priced "potaeh fertilizer" 400
pounds per acre, gave 28 bushels per acre
less tban the simple kainit, while costing
much more. The Michigan station found
that sulphate of potash gave equal results
with muriate aud cost less, and the bulletin further says "that on fairly rich soil
the addition of nitrate of soda or sulphate
of ammonia to bone and potash is done at
a financial loss, If not at a reduction of
yield." This ia the point we wish particularly to call attention to as emphasizing
the difference between growing potatoes
North and South. It is evident from all
experiments that additions of nitrogen
North do not have the same effect as in the
South, on land of the same quality. In the
South potatoes aro|grown as an early crop
during the season when nitrification in
the soil is not very active, and additions
of nitrogen are found profitable. In the
North they grow things  In seaaon and ln
a soil fall of vegetable matter; artificial additions of nitrogen are not needed.
W. P. M_»S8_BY.
Written for the Indiana Tanner.
To Wyandotte Cave  by Wheel.—No. 2
BY UEO. N. COTTMAN.
Corydon, Harrison oounty, ia one of the
historic spots of Indiana. Here, from 1813
to 1825 the Territorial and State capital
was 1-cated, and here was framed our
constitution and early laws. The old State
house, built in 1811, still stands and bids
fair to out-last the generation of modern
buildings, the walls of solid stone masonry
being not less than two feet thick. It Is
crowned by an octagonal cupola or spire
and is two stories in height, the upper
story being reached by an outside stair
case. It is about 40 feet square and presents something of a contrast to our present splendid capitol.
When their dapper new brick court
house was built some were for tearing
dewa the old building (so little reverence
has the average citizen for historical relics)
but a better sentiment prevailed and the
lower apartment is now uaed for a court
room. In the county archives are several
volumes of venerable records in faded
writing Interesting tp one of antiquarian
tastes. The writer, much to his surprise,
found his own name (a rare one in this
State) among those of some jurymen who
served on an assault and battery case 70
years ago.
One of the features which the townsmen
point out with pride Is the "Constitution
elm," a magnificent old tree with a phenomenal spread. Our early legislators, so
the story goes, being sturdy farmers and
fond of out-doors, held their sessions
under this tree when the weather was
pleasant, and here the Constitution of the
State was made.
William Henry Harrison was one of the
chief founders of Corydon. There is a
story to the effect that the donghty general
when governor of the territory, frequently
travelled to and fro between Vincennes
and the East, and one of hia stopping
places waa at the cabin of Edward Smith,
a pioneer who had settled in the wilderness near where the town now stands.
Smith's daughters were good singers and
as their distinguished guest was fond of
vocal music they always entertained him
with songs from an old time hymn book,
his favorite being the song known as
"Corydon." When the governor decide >
to foutd a town there he asked the young
ladies what it should be named, whereupon one suggested that of his favorite,
"Corydon," and it was adopted.
Apropos to the singing, the historian of
Harrison county tells us that "those noble
young pioneer heroines would make the
hills and valleys around where Corydon
now stands rewound with their musical
strains, perhaps drowning the s 3reams of
the wily and sneaking panther and the
howls of the Impudent and daring wolves,
from which we Incidentally learn that the
buxom damsels of those days had remarkably fine large voices.
Here ln the beginning of the century,
the Oeneral purchased from the Government a tract containing something over
800 acres, erected a country residence and
set out a fine orchard. Daring the period
that he was governor of Indiana Territory
(1800 to 1812) he apent much of hia time on
this farm, and it passed from his hands In
1817. It was one of the principal recruiting point s for soldiers for that Indian campaign which waa signalized by the battle
of Tippeoance. Stories of "Old Tippecanoe" are still told in the neighborhood.
One that I picked up was that of a neighboring pioneer, a stranger to the governor,
who called at the house of the latter to
grind his ax, grind stones being few and
far between in those days. A very commonplace, poorly-dressei man whom he
found on the premises gave him permission to use the stone, and, at further request, turned it for him while he, the
caller, ground his ax and asked a string of
questions about his excellency, winding
up with an ardent wi-h to "see him once."
In due time the commonplace man made
his name known and the visitor found to
his consternation that he had been on the
most Intimate terms with the governor of
Indiana Territory.
We turned out of our way to make a
pilgrimage to this spot, and after wheeling along a picturesque road that winds
along the bar>k of the romantic Blue river,
came presently to a little hamlet that was
in admirable keeping with our quest—a
half dczen aged houses clustered along the
road, and old covered bridge, with mossy
roof, over which great elms and sycamores
reached their arms, and an equally venerable grist mill. This place haa the poetic
name of Slabtown. Its most unique feature is a barber shop in a room about
the size of a sentry box, condocted
by a young man whose ambition to do
something ln the world Is far in advance
of his skill as a tonsorial artist. This ingenious youth has cut from old display
bills an assortment of letters of many
sizes and styles, whioh he has pasted on
his window In the form of a grotesque
sign, reading something like this:
"caLL mD SeE ua
BArbER
by A. W. ROtHRock, SlabTown, InD.".
I added to my experiences by getting
shaved at this shop.
About a quarter of a mile off the road at
this point is the site of the old homestead,
occupied at first, as I understand, by a
double log cabin and later by a more pre-
tenlous mansion. Nothjng now remains
of either, however, but a Uttle debris entirely hidden by a rank growth of bushes,
brambles and weeds, over where one fears
to penetrate lest he disturb some lurking
copperhead. It Is an Interesting fact that
of the original orchard five trees are still
standing, after a lapse of perhaps 90 years;
three of them still flourishing in a green
old age and abundantly bearing fruit.
These are the Romanite apple, two of
which I plucked and carried home. The
spot is beautifully located on a rise of
ground in the heart of a fine meadow, and
is nearly surrounded, at a distance, by a
magnificent ampitheatre of heavily-
wooded bills, which sweep upward and
away to the purple distance A sense of
utter seclusion and deep quiet, broken
only by bird notes and the occasional
sound of distant cow bells, adds to the
charm of the place.
Not far from here is a famous spring,
some 80 feet across, the bottom of which,
according to local report, has never been
found, and which flows a stream large
enough to run the grist mill at Slabtown.
The geologists' theory is, I believe, that
this pool Is connected by cavernous passages with numerous "sink holes," which,
catching the rains, thus feed the spring.
.  *. .	
A cement floor, covered with a little dry
dirt or sand, will catch the droppings
from the roosts and be easily cleaned.
It will also give a greater addition to the
manure pile. If leaves are thrown in, also
they will add warmth, tempt the hens to
scratch and keep In exercise, and will
further add to the fertilizing value of the
frequent cleanings.
Farmers' Mutual Benefit Associations
might profitably turn their attention to
the starch business. An English syndicate haa now control of nearly all the
large factories in the United States. A
little more competition would be to the
interest of both the producer of the raw
material and the consumer.