Garden
VOL. .LXIII
)08
INDIANAPOLIS  OCT   17, 1908.
NO. 42
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Wasteful   Negligence.
Editors Indiana  Farmer:
If one were to judge the farmers, in
some neighborhoods, by the farm implements left standing out in the fields, unsheltered from the elements, he would
naturally conclude that there is a goodly
number of believers in the doctrine of negligence and indifference. No matter how
many thrifty farmers are found in a community,   there  is   usually     	
an individual     whose
farm is out of harmony
v.ith that of his neighbors, both in general appearance and in depleted
fertility. We are all familiar with this type of
farmer and have been
since our youth. The
usual indexof a farmer's
character, is found in
the methods he adopts in
caring for his personal
property and real estate.
Recently the writer
had occasion to take
a short trip thru a prosperous agricultural district, and in so doing he
was surprised to see
many funning imple-
ments standing unprotected from the weather,
in the fields or barnyards. Among these
utensils were a sulky
corn cultivator in the
fields where last used in
June; a hay-loader and
rake resting peacefully
in a farm yard since the
recent haying season; at
another farm a harrow
leaning complacently
against a fence; a little
farther along, a roller
and disk harrow,.keeping
each other consoling
company, with    the    sky
as a cover; then a gaso-     	
line       engine,      exposed
ed to the mercies of the weather, and several  other  less  important  farm  tools  at
different places.
These different pieces of farm machinery, to all appearances, were in fairly
good shape for service and were worthy
of better treatment. This is but an example of what may be seen in other farming sections. Some time before this, in
another neighborhood, the writer saw a
good binder, a corn harvester and a mow-
e.- out in the fields, where they had been
worked in their busy season, and wer.-
thus being rewarded for having done their
dirty. The rain, snow, rust and decay
viere vi-iin,? with each other to hasten the
destruction of these valuable and useful
n.achines.
It is difficult, indeed, to understand why
seme farmers are so careless and why
they can be so blind to their own interests
as not to properly shelter their implements. In most cases, tiiat have come
l'Dder the writer's observation, these exposed farming tools could have been protected, as there seemed to be ample floor
space in the barn or room in the different
sheds. There either was a woeful lack of
time or a willful indisposition to place
these machines under shelter. In most
coses the latter view is the correct one.
If a shed is not at hand for shelter, it
does not require a great deal of outlay to
erect one; anyway even if it does cost a
—testify- at the start, it is the best
economy in the end. The life of farm
machinery cau easily be prolonged to
twice its usual length of service if care
is taken to protect it from) the elements
in the season that it is not needed. This
means less expense for the farmer for repairs and new utensils, and iu a short
time the saving in expense more than
pays for erecting a sheltering structure.
pend the plant growth. Acid soils are infertile, because tho soil bacteria cannot
grow in them. Lime, when applied to
land assists in the decomposition of organic matter in the soil, but indirectly.
Lime neutralizes the acidity of the soil
and renders it more favorable to the development of soil bacteria, which are
the true agents for the decomposition of
oiganic matter.        A very fertile soil may
"llunuymede,"   the  Country  Home  of  N.  \V.  Bryant,  Vanderburg,  County.
Allowing a valuable piece of machinery
like a binder, manure-spreader or grain
drill to stand out under the open sky or
the cover of a naked tree, iu winter, is
certainly exceedingly poor business economy; yet many there are that come short
therein. It is the thriftless, careless farmer who first complains of adversity and
hard times and blames the trusts, the political party in power and the world in
guieral for his deplorable condition. He
fails to        recognize        that tbe
cause of his failure is in himself. It is in giving attention to
the minor details and stopping the little
financial leaks in farm economy, that
brings  ultimate  success.
When such farmers understand that
caring for ihe property as they should
end learning that the rule—"to them that
hath shall be given,"—applies lo the frugal agriculturist as well as the business
man, then we can look for a change for
the better, and the sight of unhoused
farm machinery at any season will be "as
rare as a day in June." H. S. C.
The Soil Bacteria Problem.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
A very intimate relation exists between
the fertility of a soil and its bacteiial life.
If is therefore important to know the conditions of the soil which are most favor-
otle to the rapid development of a soil
bacteria,      for    upon      these    will      de-
be so water-logged as to be almost entirely unproductive. Why? The excessive amount of water cuts off to a large
extent the supply of air which is required
by the bacteria. Muck beds are rich in
nitrogen, and often contain considerable
phosphorus and potassium, but they will
not produce good crops. Make them a
fit habitation for soil bacteria, that is,
drain them and correct the acid condition,
and they become heavily productive.
Acids in the soil may also bring into solution minerals that have a poisonous effect
upon crops, as for example, compounds
of iron and alumina. The whole difficulty must be met by overcoming the injurious effects of soil acids. But nature has provided a cheap neutralizer of
acid soil3. Lime in some of its forms is
most economical. It exists in several available forms. It may be had as quicklime,
hydrated lime, air slacked lime, and finely ground lime-stone (the unburned rock,
fiuely ground). It is also contained in
shells, marl, wood-ashes, lime-kiln ashes,
and slag phosphate, and occurs, in combination with other elements in phosphate rock. A study of the soil and
r roper use of lime in some of its forms,
combined if necessary with adequate
drainage, can be relied upon to bring
cbout a soil condition whieh will favor
the growth of bacteria friendly to maximum crop production. G.  K.  M.
Managing the Corn   Fodder Crop.
Editors Indiana Fanner:
I find it best   in my business   to plant
my corn for cutting just as I   would for
husking iu the field.    My greatest reason
for planting corn for cutting just as I do
for husking is because I never know just
how much I will cut up till near the time
of corn  harvest,  and  corn  plants:d   thick,
o.- late, for the purpose of making fodder
______^^_^      does  not  make   the   best
of corn    for husking    ln
the field.
The time for corn
cutting usually comes
after all other rough
crops are in and one
knows just what he has
in the way of feed on
hand, and can estimate
its probable value, and
tell just about how good
late pastures will be. I
like to have the husks
all turned and ahout half
the blades, though some
young husks and blades
do not ripen just as
others do.
Herein lies the great
value of the corn binder;
you can want till all the
corn is just in the right
stage. This is something
tliat cannot be done if
you cut by hand witb
the regular force on the
farm—and I want to be
excused from hiring outside men for corn cutting The harvester does
not find fault with you,
won't go away and perhaps not return, anil
cause trouble, and never
demandsa raise in wages
The corn harvester
will pick up most of the
down corn nicely, will
work   well   when   ground
     or stalks are    damp;    it
will also knock off a
good deal of corn and is just as cranky
as any other piece of farm mn>.uinery.
And will save just as much expense in
handling the fodder as does the grain binder in handling the grain. I do not find
the knocking off of corn a serious matter,
as nearly every ear knocked off is covered
with a husk and will stand an astonishing
amount of rain without spoiling, as it is
lying on the unshaded .ground, or if the
entire field be shredded early the hogs can
be turned in and "they will do t!:erest." I
can cut from five to ten acres a day with
the binder, according to yield, weather
temperature, etc.
Two men can shock the corn nicely.
I use a horse to shock on which consists
of a two by four, twelve or fourteen feet
long, one end resting on legs bolted on;
the other resting on the ground. Bore a
hole through the scantling, get a three
eighth rod six feet long, stick through the
hole, stand a bundle in each of the four
corners made by the rod crossing the
scanting with the tops together; build
about half the shock in this way, then
pull out the rod, then the horse. Finish
the shock, being careful to set the huts of
the bundles firmly on the gr.ui.d with
the tops toward the center; tie
it a foot higher than you think it should
be and tile "job is done.
I never allow my fodder to stand out
long in the Mid, I shred it just as soon as