VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., DEO. 22, 1894.
NO. 51.
AN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PAYS
Oood Words From Former Purdue Stu-
denta Wbat tbe Boys are Doing.
Editobs Indiana Fakmkb:
The undersigned recently addressed tbe
following enquiry to former under gradu
ate agricultural students of Purdue University:
Dear Sib: I wish to prepare a paper on
what Purdue students are doing. I believe that a good showing can be made if I
can learn j ast what the boys are engaged
In. I desire up to date information as to
your present address, work and degree of
success attained and prospects for the future. Please give this matter your immediate attention and oblige.
At this writing 82 replies have been re
oeived from which the following figures
have been drawn:
Engaged in farming, stock raising or
dairying, 68; engaged in veterinary practice, four; engaged in pursuits not agricultural, five; attending school or college, five;
total, 82
Prom the above figure* we find that over
82 per cent of the former undergraduate
agricultural students are engaged in agricultural pursuits. If we include the number ecg»g"d in veterinary practice, which
is in the liae with the educational training
imparted at Pardue, over 87 per cent of
these students are engaged in pursuits, for
which they received special training at
Purdue Only a little over 6 per cent of
the boys are engaged exclusively in pursuits not sgrlcultaral. Ol ihe five now at <■
tending school or college I judge *hat two
or three will eventually engage wholly or
partly In agricultural pursuits This
showing ought to ba very gratifying to
friends of agricultural education, as a far
higher per cent are engaging in pursuits
for which they were trained, than Is true
of the students of the medical and law
schools. The following extracts from the
replies received speak for themselves:
D. D. Hostetter, Roachdale —"I am engaged in general farming In Putnam
oounty with a fair degree of success and
exp9ct to continue at the same In the
future. I am grand secretary of the Na
tlonal Horse Thief Detective Association
and also trustee elect ot Franklin township."
John Braddock, Willow Branch.—"I am
now feeding a car load of lambs for the
Thanksgiving market. (This reply was
received early In November) Am also
breeding pure bred Poland Chinas. The
short course has been of much practical
benefit to me."
Jas. H. Hilfiker, Lancaster.—"I am
working at the creamery trade making
butter and shall follow the profession of
butter and cheese making. I have had
flattering success so far, which Is largely
due to Purdue. I will be through here In
December and will return to Pardue for
the special dairy course for '95."
G. G. Dyer, Brookston.—"On leaving
Purdue my only possession was a team
and $120 in money. I began farming as a
renter and by hard work and economical
living, I now, at the end of five years own
40 acres of good land, four head of horses,
six head of cattle and 13 head of hogs. I
raised this year 181 bushels of wheat on
four acres and 96 rods of ground?
W B. Anderson, Otwell.—"Within four
years have made 80 acres of land (|30 per
acre) and spent nearly two years in Purdue. Purdue has taught me to think and
make the work a business "
Noah Fonts, Deer Creek.—"Am engaged
in general farming and stock raising.
Have been very successful and owe it in a
great measure to the instruction I received in the agricultural line, at Purdue.
My plan is to own a model farm, have the
beat of stock and feed for the top of the
market."
B, R, Lewis, Salem Centre.—"I am
breeding registered Jersey cattle, Shrop
shire sheep and Poland China swine. I
can say that I Had a good many of the
points that were brought np at Purdue
very valuable. The short oourse Is well
worth the time and money spent, as lt has
proved a good Investment."
J. B. Mahorney, Ladoga.—"Am making
a farm from the raw material. As to success, the farm has paid me liberally.
While I have been an admirer of the
short course in the put and have attended
and had friend) do so, now with the added
scope of work and new features, my admiration is doubled and would Uke to attend again, lf it were practicable. I wlih
100 Montgomery county young farmers
had the increased knowledge of their profession which the short oourse aff-rds."
R M. Johnston, Caldwell, Kan.—'I am
farming and  stock  raising.     The  eight
ness of division being the measure of their
availability.
The average test of 148 analyses of bones
by the Massachusetts Experiment Station
was 3 99 p*r cent nitrogen and 22 24 per
cent phosphoric acid, or in one ton of
bones 80 ponnds of nitrogen and 445
pounds of phcs3h**ri(. aold, valued per ton
in fine ground bone at f38.70, in fine
medium bone $31.85, In medium bone
$29 45, in coarse bone $18 95.
By mixing together 500 pounds of nitrate
of soda, which contains 16 per cent of nitrogen and 35 per cent of soda: and 1,500
pounds of powdered phosphate of lime,
containing 50 per cent of phosphoric acid,
we have in this mixture of 2,000 pounds
the same number of pounds of nitrogen
and phosphoric acid there Is in one ton of
average ground bone and in addition there
is 175 pounds of soda, which equals 262) *
pounds of potash,  as two pounds of soda
AGRICULTURAL HAH AT POUDUR UNIVERSITY.
weeks spent with you at Purdue were the
most profitable spent, educationally, of
my life.   Success to you."
O. M. Hadley, Danville.—"I am now
living on my father's farm near Danville.
My plan of farming is wholly by the 'big
four method,' as Mr. Cal Husselman puts
it, namely, corn, clover, cows and bogs.
My specialty Is horticulture. My studies
and work ln horticulture at Purdue were
worth to me the cost of my entire stay of
six months. I am propagating as well as
raising the best fruits of all kinda that I
can find."
W. E. Wlllcuts, Roseburg.—"Am engaged In general farming and stock raising. Will probaby follow the aame In the
future. I am contented and enjoy my cc
cupatlon."
The other replies run on in much the
same vein throughout. The above are
sufficient, however, to Illustrate what the
boys are engaged in and what they think
of education received at Purdue. The
short course work will the ooming winter
be more varied and thorough than ever
before. Young farmers and yonng men
about to engage In farming will find this
course of Instruction valuable in making
a good start and winning greater success
on the farm. W. C. Latta.
Pardue University, Lafayette.
 « ♦ »
Fertilizers—What to Mix and  How  to
Mix It
Editobs Indiaj,a Farmer:
Having previously shown Ihe advantage
of every farmer mixing his own fertilizers,
it now seems proper to state what to mix.
All farmers know that ground bones is
one of the standard manures, containing
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and lime, but
lacking In alkali. As sold, ground bones
vary in quality from 1 57 to 4.70 per cent
nitrogen and from 15.16 to 32 50 per cent
phosphoric aold; their value depends also
upon how fine they are ground, the fine-
eqial three pounds of for potash agrlcul
tural purposes By the use of nitrate of
soda and powdered phosphate of Ume we
have what Is termed a complete manure,
as it contains nitrogen, phosphoric acid
and soda as a substitute for potash. The
analysis of the mixture of 500 pounds of
nitrate of soda and 1,500 pounds of powdered phosphate of Ume would show 80
pounds of nitrogen and 175 pounds of
soda equaling 262% pounds of potash and
450 pounds of phosphoric acid. Nitrate of
soda costing 2% cents a pound Is $12 50;
the 1,500 pounds powdered phosphate of
Ume costing three fourths of a cent a
pound is $11 25 or a total cost of $23 75
Estimating this at the value of fine
ground bone by ths experiment stations,
and this is In finer state of division and
adding for the value of soda as equivalent
to potash, Its value would be as follows:
Eighty pounds nitrogen at 15, $12; 262%
pounds potash 4%, $1180; 450 pounds
phosphoric acid 7, $31 50; total value $55 30,
which oost at prioes $23 75, a difference
of $31 55 a ton, which the farmer will save
by using tbis formula instead of fine
ground bones.
As the powdered phosphate of Ume is
finer ground than the finest ground bone
it is more available, for fineness of divis
ion is the test of Its availability.
The alkali is In much batter form to use
than a sulphate or muriate of soda or potash, which are poisons to plants, while
nitrates, carbonates and phosphates are
plant nourlshers. The nitrogen is in the
best form, aitlng very much quicker than
tbe nitrogen in ground bones.
nThe proportion of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and alkali that is best to use will depend on the nature of the soU, Its physical
character and the crop to be grown. On
general principles the crop should be
adapted to the land and the fertilizer to
the orop.    This  year   theJ.Maine State
Orange oon'raoted for a fertilizer for the
use of their members at $30 per ton, the
analysis of wbich was 2% per cent of nitrogen, 12 per cent of phosphoric acid and
4 per oent of potash. This would be ln a
ton 50 pounds of nitrogen, 210 pounds of
phosphorio acid and 80 pounds of potash.
A mixture of 313 pounds of nitrate of soda
and 800 pounds powdered phosphate of
Ume would analyze 50 pounds of nitrogen,
240 pounds of phosphoric acid and 110
ponnds of soda, equivalent to 156 pounds
of potash. This would cost for 313 pounds
rflUrate of soda 2'i cents $7 83; 800 ponnds
powdered phosphate Ume y. cent, $12; 887
pounds sand for a filler to make a ton;
total oost $19 83.
Mr. W. H. Bowker, the manufacturer of
fertilizers ln his lecture on homoeopathy
in agriculture published in the Agriculturist of Massachusetts 1886, pg. 192, said:
"I have here upon the platform a bag
representing the bulk of 100 pounds of
fertilizer, containing the average amount
of plant food which is found in some of the
most concentrated fertilizers in the market
namely, four per cent of nitrogen, 12 per
cent ot total phosphoric acid and four per
oent of potash, or 20 rx undsof actual plant
food ln every 100 pound bag of fertilizer.
The smaller bag represents the bulk of
the actual plant food contained In tbe
larger. Now It Is proposed by way t f
Illustration to plant a crop of corn, and to
apply 100 pounds of this fertilizer to the
acre, or, in otber words, 10 of these 100
pound bags. The actual plant fond, if we
oould extract it, would amount to 200
pounds, which two men oould easily carry
on their backs into the field." From this
it will be seen at a glance that the sand
added for a filler in the computation is not
an exaggeration.
The question Is often asked, cannot the
farmer or gardener mix his own fertilizers?
The answer is that he can. If the soil lacks
potash, he oan easily buy potash in some
of its various forms, muriate, sulphate,
carbonate or nitrate; or substitute for It
that other alkali, soda, In either of the
forms that potash is in. If the soil lacks
nitrogen, nitrate of soda can be purchased.
It Is not only the best form In which nitrogen can be had, but the lowest in price,
taking Into consideration the value of the
alkaU combined with it. If the soU lacks
phosphorus, you can readily obtain it In
fine ground bone meal, or much cheaper
in fine ground phosphate of Ume, containing about 30 per cent of phosphorio aold.
HOW TO MIX.
All of the substances are in condition to
mix together, and a barn floor, with shovel
and iron rake, and can be mixed In such
proportions as are needed to adapt them to
the wants of the soil and the nature of the
crop one desires to grow. The final mixing is the last and easiest stage of manufacturing fertilizers, and requires no extensive plant or large capital for its economical accomplishment.
Without controversy the saving, preparation and application of manures is one of
the most Important subjects that the
farmer can consider. His success commercially depends in a large measure upon
his practice or method of feeding his crops,
as regards tbe quantity and manner of
applying his manures. The profit of his
farming operations often turns on this one
question, Whether he has accumulated all
the manures possible, preserved ail the
elements of fortuity, and applied it when
and where it would do the most good.
With fine ground phosphate and nitrate of
soda as the basis of operations, we can now
obtain complete manures for every culture, made according to any formula, and
containing in a readily available and assimilable form all the ingredients called
lor. Andbkw H. Ward.
An epidemic of measles Is closing the
schools at Perrysburg.