VOL.
INDIANAPOLIS, APRIL 20, 1907.
Some Mistakes.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In the    April <i Farmer    is an article
"Smne Observations of Fertilizers." that
has some statements that are not in accordance with the best agricultural practice.
This writer finds fault with the statement made in the February 9 Farmer
which advocates the hauling out and
spreading of manure as soon as made,
contending that unless it is plowed under
immediately the nitrogen of the manure
escapes as ammonia, and he brings tip as
evidence that a dead dog, if lying ou the
surface and decaying would give off offensive effluvia, by which I suppose lie
refers to the ammonia and other pases
that  are  given  off,   and  that  these  could
I e  collected  by  covering  the 	
carcass with soil. Xow this
writer seems to think that
the same would take place
i11 scattered manure, which
is wot the case, as the
manure, when spread at the
rate of 10 to 15 tons per
acre, does not lie thick
enough to allow fermentation to take place, which is
the means whereby the nitrogen in the manure is
changed to ammonia: sotliut
it is the best practice to
spread the manure as soon
as made, as that is the best
way to save the nitrogen
from escaping as ammonia
and the Professor, in his
article "Handling Mannre,"
is correct in advocating the
spreading of manure as s.m.u
as made and the Fanners'
Institute Workers are correct in their teachings.
The statement is also
made that all vegetation is
composed of three-fourths
carbon, while" the fact is
that the dry matter of vegetation contains less than one
half  its weight    in    carl...a.
and  as  vegetation    grows  it 	
contains from one-twentieth to one-fom-lh
carbon. This writer also criticizes the
Farmer*' Institute workers and the agricultural press writers for not teaching
carbon, while the fact is is that they do.
I'ut under a different name. Manure and
vegetable matter contain carbons, so when
the applying of manure or the plowing
under of vegetation is advocated, carbon
is not  neglected. While he emphasizes
the value of carbon he at the same time
advocates letting manure rot licfore putting it on the field. In the process of
rotting the manure loses carl.on. In fact
manure left in a heap r, or 6 months loses
half its carbon.
The statement is also made that the
oxygen and nitrogen of air combine to
form nitric acid, Imt nitric acid can not
be formed  from  oxygen   and   nitrogen,   as
hydrogen   is   one   of   its    istitnents.   _n_
nitric a. id can Bot he formed without hydrogen.
The statement is also made that ammonia is the source of nitrogen and dioxide of carbon, which is not true as am-
monia contains no carbon.
The most misleading statement in this
article is the one stating that there is a
serious loss of ammonia if the manure is
taken directly to the field and spread if
not plowed umler immediately.
Agriculturist.
The Automobile Law.
H. B. 213 Frump.
An   Act   to   ameud     sections,   two,     five,
seven,  ten  and  thirteen of an  act    entitled   "An   act   to   regulate   the   sped.
operation and regulation of locomobiles,
automobiles,   motor-cycles     and     other
motor   vehicles   upon   public   highways,
and   providing     penalities,"     approved
March (I, 1905.
(il. 213.      Approved March 12, 1007.)
Motor Vehicles—Speed Regulations.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the gen-
iral assembly of the State of Indiana,
That section (2) of the above entitled act
lie and the same is hereby amended to
read as follows: Section 2. That any
person  or  persons  operating  a   motor  ve-
person or persons riding, leading or driving a horse, horses or other draft animals
or other farm animals on any public highway, proceed at a speed nut to exceed six
miles per hour until past such horse,
horses or oilier draft animals or other
farm animals, and upon request or signal
l.y putting up the hand from any such person or persons BO riding.. Lading or driving any horse, horses or other draft animals or Other farm animals (if in sufficient light for such signal to lie perceptible, immediately bring his motor vehicle
to a stop and remain stationary so long
as may be reasonable to allow such horse.
horses or other draft animals or other
farm animals to pass, .ind u]um request
shall furnish such aid as may be necessary  to such   person  or persons;  and  upon
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An   Avenu.
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hide on any public highway ,.r iu any
public place shall not operate the same at
any rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to the use
in common of such highway or place, or
s.. as to endanger the life or limb or any
person, and in no event shall such motor
vehicle be operated at a greater rate of
speed than eight (8) miles an hour iu the
business and closely built up portions of
any municipality of this state, nor more
than fifteen (1">> miles an hour in any
other protions of such municipalities, nor
more than twenty (20) miles an hour outside such municipalities. Upon approaching a 1.ridge, dam, sharp curve, or steep
descent and also in traversing such bridge.
dam, curve or descent, and upon approaching a crossing of intersecting highways, a
person operating a motor vehicle shall
have it nude.' control and operate it at a
speed not greater than is reaaooable ami
proper, having regard to the safety of
traffic then on such highways and of the
public: Provided, further, That after
dark all autombiles shall carry lighted
lamps.
Highway  Itules.
Section 2. Thai section five of the*
above entitled act be aud the same is hereby amended to read as follows: Section
5. That any person or persons operating
a motor vehicle shall,    upon meeting any
overtaking ou any public highway any
person or persons riding, leading or driving a horse, horses or other draft animals
or other farm animals the operator of any
other motor vehicle when signaled as
above provided, shall reduce the speed of
such motor vehicle and before passing
shall allow reasonable time for such animal to be driven or conducted to the side
ot the road: Provided, That the driver
of any horse, horses or other draft animals or other farm animalsshall, upon the
approach of any motor vehicle, drive to
the right so as to give to said motor vehicle one-half of the traveled portion of
the highway or street, and the operator
of any motor vehicle, upon the approach
of any driver of horse, horses or other
draft animals or other farm animals, shall
have his motor vehicles to the right so as
to give one-half of the traveled portion of
the highway or street to the driver of
said horse, horses or other animals.
Assignment of Number.
Section :S. Tbat section seven (7) of
the above entitled act lie and the same is
hereby amended to read as  follows:
Section 7. The secretary of state shall
thereupon file such Statement in his oflice. register such motor vehicle in a
book to be kept for that purpose and assign it a number in _,the order of filing.
Continued on page 2.
Arbor Day   Reflections.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Iluring a recent vacation spent upon
the old home farm iu northern Ohio, the
writer naturally busied himself with affairs agricultural, an.l iu the course of
his w.ok. there, be had occasion to tear
down a dilapidated worm rail fence and
rebuild it from what serviceable rail
could be found theirein, in addition to con-
tributions from another similar fence
near   bv. An   occupation   like   this   is
rather unusual now-a-days.
This fence making induced a reminiscent and reflective mood. How common the worm rail fence used to be in the
■ears gone by and in the days when timber was considered of no value! Now.
no farmer scarcely ever thinks of build-
__________ ing such a fence of new materials. In those days
giant trees of chestnut, red
oak. white oak and even
walnut, were cut down and
split up into rails to enclose
the farmers' fields and incidentally to clear the land,
thereby increasing the agricultural   areas.
If such fences were in
c.mni.m use today they
would be the most expensive
kind, and the farmer who
encloses his fields with a
fence constructed of new
rails would be looked upoir
as extravagant and wasteful.
The times have changed
ieiiiarkal.lv. woodlands are
becoming more rare. The
great demand for timber
.•in.l its consequent rise in
value have caused an extensive and shameful destruction of our primeval
forests. And still this denudation of our forest lands
goes on. The thud of the
ax on the standing woodland
monarch and the shriek of
heard constantly, wherever
~ the steam driven saw are
there is a vestige of salable timber left
in  its  natural state.
We Americans will awake to the importance of forest preservation when it is
loo late, unless something more strenuous
in the way of saving the still existing
timberland   is  launched  forth.
Nothing but words ..f commendation
can be uttered concerning the work along
the line of practical forestry, as done by
ihe   1'.   S.   Department  of  Agriculture.
Thru the efforts of this department sentiment in favor of conserving our timber
lands and of planting new forests is being gradually developed. Just recently
vast tracts of forest lands have been set
aside by our government for preservation
against ruthless destruction at the hands
of the avaricious lumber man. But the
Department of Agriculture cannot accomplish all that 'is desired.
This sentiment in behalf of saving, protecting and perpetuating our forests needs
stimulation and encouragement. This
can be effected, quite naturally, by impressing the importance of the subject,
thru both precept and example upon the
minds of our children. Here is where
the value of Arbor Day is appreciated.
The teacher, aided by the cooperation of
Ihe parents, ean do much towards creating and perpetuating a love for trees by
Continued on page 19.