Garden
VOL. LXV
INDIANAPOLIS, JANUARY 29, 1910.
NO. 5
HOW    THE BOY    GREW    OVER 152
BUSHELS  OP   SHELL! l>    CORN
PER ACRE.
Bdltora Indiana Farmer:
One hundred and fifty-two and a
half bushels of shelled corn yield for
an acre is some corn and doubt has
been expressed as to whether the published statement of this prize yield in
South Carolina was not a mistake. The
figures are correct and vouched for by
Mr. O. B. Martin, of the Department of
Agriculture connected with the section
of "Boy's Demonstration  Work."
Mr. Martin in an interview as to the
authenticity of the report said:
"Four boys received signal honor
from the Secretary of Agriculture on
December 14 th. These boys are Bas-
comb Usher, Bennettsville, S. C, Dewitt
Lundy of Liexington, Miss., Elmer Halter of Conway, Ark., and Ralph Bell-
wood of Manchester, Va.
"Secretary Wilson awarded diplomas
of merit to these boys because of proficiency in farming. They won prize
trips to Washington from their various
states in the Corn Clubs. Their week
in Washington was devoted to seeing
the sights of the Nation's Capital and it
goes without saying that few visitors
over learned more in a week than
these bright, active Southern boys.
They received marked attention from
Secretary Wilson, Chief Galloway, Dr.
Knapp and other officers of the Department. I had the pleasure of accompanying the boys on their visits to
the points of interest about the city.
"It it interesting to know that these
are not the only boys who have won
prizes. More than 600 leters of congratulations have been sent from the
Farm Demonstration Office to boys
who have won prizes in the county and
state exhibits in the South.
"These prizes represent thousands of
dollars contributed by wise and philanthropic men in various communities.
The awards have not been based upon
yields alone but importance is attached to showing of profit, records of
work, and exhibits of ears and stalks.
Still, the yields have been sufficient to
attract attention. At least, 50 boys
made more than 100 bushels per acre.
The prize-winner from South Carolina
made 152% bushels per acre; a boy in
Mississippi made 147; a boy in North
Carolina 131 bushels; and the Virginia
prize-winner 122 bushels. In some
counties, all the boys averaged above
60 bushels.
"It is perhaps interesting to note the
record of Bascomb Usher, the boy who
produced 152% bushels," continued
Mr. Martin. "He planted one acre of
dark, sandy loam, breaking the land
eight inches deep. Land was in corn
and peas in 1908. Used 2,000 pounds
of fertilizer, but not all at once. He
planted one peck of Garrett's Prolific
corn, which had won prizes before, the
seed being selected carefully. The
rows were five feet apart and eight inches in drill, shallow cultivation being
applied five times. He won $10 county
prize and $75 State prize in addition to
his trip to Washington. He afterward
sold some seed at $2 per bushel. It
<ost him 31 cents a bushel to raise the
corn.
"The Mississippi boy used no fertilizer, detasseled every other row and all
barren stalks, and selected his exhibit
from the detasseled stalks. Yield 63
hushels.       $9.15   represented   the  total
cost   of   raising   the   crop.
"Elmer Halter of Arkansas, used 800
pounds of fertilizer per acre—two parts
cotton seed meal, one acid phosphate
and one muriate of potash. He also
used eight barrels of hen manure. The
worms damaged the stand, while a
storm broke some of the stalks. He
exercised instructions received from the
farm demonstration agent often. His
yield was 85 1-3 bushels. While other
boys won greater yields his won on
points." G. E. M.
Our present pikes cost about $2,500
per mile. Now if we three-track them
it will cost for the 2 tracks an extra
$4,000   per   mile. The   roads   in   the
state of Indiana will average about
80 miles to the civil township. Let
"Farmer" think of the cost. Well, he
is awful liberal, he wants only two
tracks for the automobile and one for
the farmer. We farmers want to
know who is to pay for the new roads.
Pay us for our extra lands, moving
our fences, pay us for our shade trees,
According to the tax he pays the farmer's dog is worth about $45, a chicken 50 cents, ducks 50 cents, geese $1.
As for us farmers making three
track roads I, for one, object. I would
like for "Farmer" to say who is to
build those two extra tracks. Talk is
cheap but building roads is a business
proposition. The time has come when
the farmer is going to be a factor in
politics. Independent voters are plenty;
we will have our rights, come weal or
woe. I have eaten my share of soft
soap, and we farmers are in favor of
making just one more office, to wit,
that of Fool-Killer; at present the farmer is looked on as the easiest victim
on earth. John J. New,
"Sage of Northfield."
Zionsville, Ind.
THE  AUTO  ROADWAY.
Bdltora Indiana Farmer:
Of late I have seen several articles in
your paper concerning automobiles,
several of them are signed "Farmer."
Now for a fact I am a farmer, born on
a farm, raised on a farm, own a farm
and expect to be buried in a country
grave-yard. I have  been  somewhat
amused at the stand taken by some of
your correspondents that the automobile has come to stay, is an admitted
fact, but I am here to assert that the
farmer was here first. I will first notice the ideas of one man, writing as
to roads. I must say he is a wonderful  suggester.
Now "Farmer" suggests that we
make three track roads; his idea would
bankrupt every township in the state.
Does "Farmer" have any idea what it
would cost to make a three track road
of "hard material?" Our roads at
present, one track, occupy a space of
40 feet or more. This includes roadbed, side ditches, etc., then the land
owner must lose six feet for fence.
Hence at the present time the farmers
are losing the use of 52 feet of land.
Now if we three-track, we will loose
68 to 70 ft. I pay taxes on land that
my deed says goes to the center Of the
road.
pay us for our new inlets and outlets
to our buildings and fields. We have
one pike that does us; what have we to
gain?
I for one am in favor of equal rights
to all citizens alike. I am not favorable to any class taking possession of
our public highways. For a fact the
automobile, as now run is a menace to
country  travel. About    one-half  of
the travel is in excess of the speed
limit. Men go on our country roads
that have no regard for light vehicles.
They just simply run them out of the
road. Of course we have a few careful thoughtful men who operate automobiles, but the rule is they make the
light rig pull entirely out and then
laugh in their sleeves at the act.
Now I am not paid to write slick articles in the interest of auto manufacturers. About half the articles we
read are paid for. The auto is the
worst law violator we have to contend
with in the country. We have no
means of telling who they are, they
create so much dust that it is not possible to see the numbers on the machines. We all know that 20 miles an
hour is excessive. They run over
chickens, ducks and geese, and have
killed half the dogs on the Michigan
Road, from Indianapolis to Logansport.
THE  TORRENS  LAW.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Under the Torrens system of registration a title can be dealt with more
cheaply, safely and quickly than under our system. Upon an ordinary
sale or mortgage of registered lands
under this system the entire transaction can be closed in an hour or two,
without the need of any abstract of
title and the cost will not be over $3,
thereby saving the larger part of the
expense now charged in making any
such sale or mortgage under the old
law  we  have.
Transfers or mortgages can thus be
cheaply effected and all parties be perfectly secure.
A registered title under this system,
because of the rapidity and cheapness
with which it can be handled, is as
salable in the real estate markets as
bonds or shares of stock of any kind.
In short the Torrens system^is a cheap
simple way of obtaining an absolutely
secure title to real estate. Once registered in this way the owner of the title
certificate need trouble himself no
further with costly abstracts and the
examinations that constantly follow
them.
If the owner of such title desires to
sell or mortgage his property he can
do so in a few hours' time, and the entire cost is only $3, where under our
present system an expense of $15 to
$50 for attorney's fees and continuance
fees of $5 to $25 are required. Give
Indiana the Torren's Law and save t>A„
people immense sums now extracted
from  them   unnecessarily.
J. H. Haynes.
SEVERE WEATHER PROBABLE.
In reply to our request for his opinion as to our weather this month,
friend Jonas Scholl sends the following:
"As to the kind of weather we are
likely to have in January the probabilities are favorable for severe and continued cold. My record shows that
when severe weather and solid winter
do not begin until the middle or last of
December as this year, that it is much
more likely to continue through January. January of 1875 and 1881 were
especially so. A good honey season
usually follows a winter of severe cold
and much snow, in season, which is the
month of January in central Indiana.
'Uncertain as the weather' is an old
saying, and no two seasons are alike, so
we want no wea^Uiex predictions for
more than two OT^_ffe days, ahead."