GARDEN
VOL. LVIL
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SEPT. 6, 1902.
NO. 36
HOW WOULD YOU RUN A FARM OF  ONLY
FORTY ACRES, NOT IN DRIVING DIS-
TANCE OF A MARKET?
Would Use A Four Years Rotation.
1st Premium.—Tho character of the soil, or In
Otter words the lay of the ground, whether it Is
lerel or broken and hally, will have a great deal
to do with the kind of farming to carry on. For
the sake of the argument we will suppose that
the 40 acres Is a level, moderately rich piece of
ground, suited to uo general farming on. One of
the first requirements to good farming is buildings, a house, barn and a few out-buildings. The
barn should be large enough to house all of the
stock grown on the farm, unless it is the hogs,
and hold the hay and fodder and other feed for
the stock. The next requirement is good substantial fences that will turn cattle or hogs and
will divide the farm into enough fields to crop
> usily. In laying off tbe fields I should have them
come as close to the barn lot as possible, so as
to do away with as much lane as possible. They
should be so arranged that the stock can be turn-
t-d into any field for pasture without molesting
adjoining ones. A permanent pasture would also
lie handy, so as not to pasture the cultivated land,
but crop it and feed the crops to the stock and
save all the manure made. I should use a four
years rotation of wheat, clover, corn and perhaps
natn. having about 10 acres of wheat, 10 acres of
corn, 10 acres of clover, and some oats each year.
Part of the clover would be for pasture and part
for meadow. The balance of the farm would be
in orchard, garden, truck patches of various kinds,
and for the house and barn. I would haul very
little grain and other feed off of the farm, but
instead feed it to stock and leave the manure on
the farm and sell the feed in a finished form.
The best stock to grow on such a limited farm
would be hogs, but a few calves and cows could
be kept to good advantage. The main disadvantage with cattle is that they must bave a right
BUM rt range during t he summer. The best plan
is to sell all feed off the farm in the shape of
meat iu finished and the most condensed form.
Howard  Co. C.   B.
Would Make the Most of Small Items.
2d Premium.—I would buy a few sows, probably
two, run them on pasture and raise a few pigs.1
I would put about a third of the farm in hay,
namely clover or timothy. Would also raise some
sheep and cat tie. The cattle could be sold at
home to be dirven to the place wanted by the
buyer. Say the market was 10 miles away. I
would have ray cows and chickens and would take
my produce to town once In every two weeks.
My orchard would be small, just enough for my
self and a few gallons to take to town when I
took off my produce. As a kind of summary will
put down the way I would have my farm: Timothy hay 6 acres; clover hay, 4 acres; corn, 15
acres; 2 pastures, onea 7 acres, the other 5 acres;
house, garden, cow yard and orchard 3 acres. Between every hill of corn I would sow a cow pea,
ami every 10 feet over the field I would sow a hill
of pumpkins. I would keep three horses, 2
sows with their pigs, two cows, and would buy
a few yearligs to pasture after the hay was cut.
I world run the cows and hogs In one pasture,
and some sheep in the other. The hay, both timothy and clover, would make hay for the horses,
and after cutting a good deal of pasture I would
eut my corn fodder with cow peas, and this would
make the feed for the cows and aheep. The grain
from the corn field and would make feed for the
horses, and a feed once a day for the hogs. The
pumpkins will make hog feed for a long time,
which would save that much corn. Oows will
also eat pumpkins and thus it will save my stock
of fodder. Thus the pumpkins same much of both
ear corn and fodder. By renting some ground
close by yon could raise grain, such as wheat
and oats. I would sow about 10 acres of wheat,
also about 10 acres of oats for early feed. This
would make 60 acres of land in cultivation. The
two cows If they are good ones, will make $100
worth of butter, besides two good calves worth
when 10 months old $25 eacb. The hundred hens
ought to make $150 from eggs alone. The sheep
wool and cattle money could all be laid by for a
"rainy day," as all necessary spending money
could he made from the butter and eggs. I am
not a 40 acre farmer and don't expect to be, but
If I were the above would be my course.
Missouri. B.  P.  W.
How the Pioneers Lived.
3d Premium.—I infer from the statement of
this question, that the conditions would be similar to those of the early pioneer. If no market
were ln driving distance, all tbat the farmer could
dfl would be to so arrange and work his farm as
to produce such fruits and vegetables as were
necessary for the use of himself and family, and
other products sufficient for the farm animals and
poultry. He would necessarily have to deny himself many of the so-called luxuries and conveniences of places which are not so remote from
railways and manufactories and markets; yet it
is possible to live under such conditions, yea, to
live well. He might keep a few good cows and
have plenty of milk and butter and cheese; he
could raise a few hogs and make his own pork,
hiieon and lanl; could occasionally kill a beef,
have dried beef and tallow tor candles. He could
keep a few sheep for the wool and mutton. The
family could card and spin and weave, and cut
and make their own garments. They might raise
flax also, and work it Into wearing apparel, sheets,
bed ticks, etc. For molasses he could raise and
manufacture sorgum, as we did during the civil
war. He might also keep bees and have plenty
of honey. When I was quite a small boy I knew
an old pioneer who had emigrated from North
Carolina at I very early day, and settled ln this
county. His pluck, self-reliance, patience and
industry made such deep impression on my young
mind lhat I cannot forget him. Though he was a
plain unassuming man, he was nevertheless a genius of blgh order. Though he could neither read
nor write, he could make his own plows, harrows,
harness, collars, bridles, hames, etc. He could
make barrels, bueke s, tubs, pigglns aud churu,«
He could tan hides and skins, make shoes and
boots, fur caps and straw bats, and all sorts of
combs from horn. He made looms and other devices for making cloth, and even made his own
balances. He weighed some smooth stones before
leaving his native State, which he used for
weights. He also brought apple seed, peach seed
and a few cions for starting an orchard. He had,
when I first knew him, plenty of apples for summer and winter. He kept bees and had plenty of
honey. For table drinks he had milk, good and
cool from the springhouse, cider and metheglin.
He raised a great variety of gourde which were
useful In many ways. Some were salt gourds,
soap gourds, dipper gourds, etc. Fruits and vegetables were all dried for keeping; canning was
not known. It was necessary, even in a remote,
backwoods place, to have some money for paying
taxes and buying a few things, as Grand daddy
Russell did, a little Iron and steel, salt, powder
and lead. They made some money by hunting
and trapping, and sometimes by cutting cord
wood along the Ohio river or working on the
Wabash and Erie canal, 40 or 50 miles away.
The farmer in such a case should have a shop
and some tools for making and mending his wares
and Implements and a small mill for grinding
bread-stuffs. S.  B.
fund of $250,000 for the purpose of promoting
tiie . ultivatlon of cotton within tbe British empire.
Wood yarn as now manufactured la Germany,
is said to cost about half as much as cotton yarn.
It ls supplied In the natural gray state, and does
not bleaeh well, but can be dyed almost any
color. It ls claimed to be well adapted for a
variety of uses, such as linings for garments, bed
ticks,   blinds,   crumb  cloths,   etc.
Premiums of $1, 75 cents and 50 cents are given
for the first, second and third best articles for
the Experience Department each week. Manuscript should be sent direct to tbe Indiana Farmer
Company, and should reach us one week before
date of publication.
Topics for discussion in future numbers of the
Farmer are as follows:
No. 340, Sept. 13.—Give plans for practical and
economical hog house, with capacity for feeding
50 to 100 head of hogs In winter.
No. 841, Sept. 20.—What are the greatest obstacles to sheep growing, and how can they be
overcome?
No. 342, Sept. 27.— Tell about home comforts
and conveniences for the winter months.
<5eu*ral Hews.
A thunderstorm will blacken a field of buckwheat
the oxygen around the point of the flowers being
turned  to ozone.
Crows hav eno fewer than 27 different cries,
each distinctly referable to a different action
In Russia the forests cover 36 per cent of the
whole imperial area.
The air after a heavy rainfall Is usually very
clear, owing to the fact that the rain ln falling
has carried with It most of the dust and Impurities  of  th eatmospheie.
King Edward Is an enthusiastic fisherman, and
ls frequently accompanied on his angling expeditions by Queen Alexandria and one or more of his
daughters.
The crops in Bombay, have been bo badly injured
by the drought that another famine ls feared. Already appears for help have been made by the
Franciscan mission at  Maypur.
The English cotton manufacturers, who have
for so long a time depended on the United States
for  their  raw   material,   have  raised   a guarantee
MnU _%zms.
J. S. Thompson, an old soldier, living at 1917
North Alabama street. Is recovering from the effects of an operation performer by Dr, Rid path,
to remove a bullet that entered his groin in the
civil war.
Enemies of Frank Means, a farmer living at
Santa Fe, set fire to his barn and then threw
beer littles in his window. He was awakened
by the falling glass and succeeding In saving his
horses  from  the fire.
Lafayette Walser's large barn, near Domestic,
burned last week. The fire Is believed to have
been of incendiary origin. Several bead of stock,
grain and farming implements were destroyed, with
a   loss  of $3,000.
The crop of tobacco in Spencer connty this year
will amount to from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 pounds.
By reports of the farmers of all parts of Pike
county, the potato crop is the largest ever known.
Farmers near Newcastle have discovered that a
large amount of straw is spoiling in the stack,
owing to being threshed damp, and tbere ia a general rush to have it baled.
Lewis Lents, an employe of the B. A O. S. W.
railroad, caught a tortoise 14 years ago, cut "May,
1888," on its shell and released It, three miles
cast of Loogootee. A few days ago Mr. Lents
met his old acquaintance a mile east of Montgomery, the date on the shell being very distinct.
The reptile has traveled 14 miles in 14 years.
Frank M. McLaughlin, residing at Portland, has
raised a head of cabbage which tips the balance at
exactly 11 pounds and four ounces. It is perfectly solid.
postal (&0VKtSpQlX&ZUCZ.
Parke Co., Aug. 30.—Wheat threshing about all
done; best report is 44 bushels of wheat, oats 72
bushels to the acre; one piece of clover seed
threshing, making .1 bushels to acre; flne prospect
for corn; hogs 6«@67c; stock hogs scarce and
high; yearling steers $40; sucking calves, $25;
milch cows from $35*g45; wbeat, 62c; oats, 18@
25c; chickens, 9c; eggs, 14c; butter, 15c; apples
are scarce; potatoes,  40c bushel. J.  H.  R.
Noble Co., Sept. 1.—Very dry; rain needed very
bad; pasture plowing hard; wheat and oats mostly
threshed; oats runuing 35 to 60 bushels; wheat
10 to 40 per acre; corn good; some late not as
good; early potatoes good; stock all doing well
with good prices; cattle 3^@5c; hogs 6V4@7e;
sheep, 3@4c; lambs, 4@4%c; butter,16c; eggs, .6c;
lard,   lo*(i 12c;   wheat,   68c;   oats,   30c;   com,   60c.
m. j. a.
Hendricks Co., Aug. 30.—Weather warm and favorable for maturing corn; mresuiug Just completed, with good yield but poor quality, caused by
too much rain; clover seed crbp will be fine pudl-
lty of seed; plowing for wheat nearly all done;
potatoes being dug with heavy crop of floe tubers; vegetables plentiful, fruit scarce generally;
prices hold good. E.   B.   D.
Harrison Co., Aug. 29.—We are having splendid
weather for our late corn; very warm with a good
rain only last week; we have had a splendid season; corn is good, oats, hay and wheat were excellent, and garden truck and potatoes are simply immense; fruit is scarce; plowing for wheat
is progressing nicely but we will soon need another
rain as the ground is getting hard again; hogs are
very scarce.. D. F. A.
MEN AND WOMEN IN THE CHURCHES.
We have often noted the small proportion of men in the churches of this city
at Sunday services, and speaking on the
subject to a member of a prominent Methodist church in Cincinnati recently, ho
gave similar testimony, saying that **he
proportion between the men and women
attending hie church was about one to
three. In the Chicago Record Herald of
August 25 is a list of 125 churches in- that
city, with the number of men in one column and that of women in the other, taken by reporters of that paper. It is interesting, instructive and shows that out of
a total in attendance that day of 204,567.
123,723 were men and only 80,844 were
men. The total population ofadults in
the city is 1,289,815, men,562,153, women,
727,002, according to that paper; from
which it appears that 14.4 per cent of the
men were at church that day, and 17 per
cent of the women, which is much better
for the men than we had supposed, but
we cannot understand how the women
should so far outnumber the men in the
population—there must be a mistake iu
the count.
As to the churches the count by the re-
portera show that in the Methodist chu-ch
is. 25 of them, there were 1834 men and
2664 women'; in the 15 Baptist churches
938 men andl,420 women; in the Presbyterian churches, 11 of them, 957 men and
men andl,246 women, Six Christian or
Disciples, 319 men and 554 women.
Catholics, 17, 18,924 men and 28,161 women.
All of which shows that the men in cities are getting far behind their sisters
in religious duties. We feel sure that the
churches.
Lake Co., Aug. 30.—The past two weeks has
been dry and very cool nights, but no frost yet;
oat threshing about half done—yielding about 30
busbels per acre, and not very good quallty-^dark
colored on account of excessive rains in harvesting time; corn late and badly damaged by rains;
oats 27c; rye 45c; hogs $6.25; eggs 15c.        0. B.
Washington Co., Aug. 29.—No rain for a week;
things begin to look dry; roads very dusty; farmers most all done plowing; corn crop flne; pastures short; wheat not all threshed yet; oats 20 to
22 cents; wheat 55 cents; stock hogs 8 cents
per pound; there has been 5 or 6 barns destroyed
by lightning in this county ln the past few weeks;
none that had rods on; eggs 14c; butter 10c; considerable sickness. I. T. A.
LaPorte Co., Aug. 29.—Roads very dusty corn
and late potatoes very much in need of rain; corn
good, but late; will not be safe from frost before
15th or 20th of Sept.; apples hanging on well:
ground very hard for plowing, needs rain; butter
18c and hard to get; pastures have been good all
summer. Mrs. B. A. Davis.
Rush Co., Aug. 29.—Corn, clover and live stock
in good condition; farmers cutting clover seed,
mowing weeds, plowing for wheat, haultng manure
and commercial fertilizers, working roads, repairing buildings and fences and attending picnics
and family reunions; nights cool, day hot. roads
dust; no county fair ln Rush county this year.
Mrs.   C.   A.   C.
Jefferson Co.. Aug. 29.—Warm and dry; late corn
etc., needing rain; corn and tobacco cutting have
commenced; the clover hullers are al work, yield
medium; good demand for cattle by feeders "from
Rush and other northern counties; farmers are
hauling fertilizers and a fair acreage of wheat
will be sown. w. J.
THF, FRUIT PROS0ECT IN INDIANA.
Section Director W. T. Blythe, of the
TJ. S. Climate and Crop service, this station has recently received reports from
81 of our 92 counties regarding the frnit
prospects, and has issued a bulletin comprising the facts obtained. In his sum-
mray  he     states  regarding    the     apple:
Generally the prospective yield in *he
State, considering the quantity and quality of fruit now on the trees, and also
the fact that in many place sit is falling,
is much below the average.
Grapes—The general condition of the
grape crop indicates a very good yi>ld.
Taken as a whole, the reports indicate
a crop in accordance with the attent'on
given the vines during the winter, as well
as in the matter of cultivation during the
developing season, and range from v >ry
poor to above averages, as the case may
be.
Pears will give a larger yield than any
other fruit crop. As a rule, the trees are
full,and the fruit is sound and good; the
Keiffer variety is proving unusually go -d,
and it has become necessary to prop many
of the trees to prevent them from breaking down under the load of fruit.
ALFALFA IN KANSAS.
Secretary Coburn of the Kansas Board
of Agriculture, has just sent ont a brief
report showing the progress of alfalfa
in that State. From this it appears that
this new forage plant is rapidly taking
the lead in most sections there, and soon
will drive out the common clover as well
as timothy. In 1901, the area in alfalfa
was 319,142 acres, while the area this
year is 458,493 acres. Mr. Coburn asserts that it can be grown in any county
in the State. Already it has been successfully tested in 99 out of 105 ccounties.
Indiana  must  try  it  still  further.