VOL. LXVI
INDIAN APOLIF, APRIL 22, 1911.
NO. 16
I'HE FARMER'S   INTEREST  IX    M V-
CHINEIO .
Kdltora  Indiana Farmer:
A wheat harvester costs $125, tlic
price of a one or two year old colt. This
machine helps in the plan and system
of the farm operations. If the efficiency
is lessened because of lack of care and
aittention, its days of usefulness are cut
short. The horse requires food and
shelter. Food costs money. Shelter
. osts money. Efficiency is lessened when
lood and shelter are taken away. The
machine costs money. It does not eat
but it requires shelter. When shelter
is removed or refused, the efficiency of
llie  machine  is  materially  lessened.
The life of tho average wheat binder
is, we are told, about six years. It
ruts an average of about 100 acres of
grain per year. This means a cost of
nbout $25 to $35 per year for the use
of the machine, which may include Interest and cost of repairs. A binder is
so constructed that with proper care in
housing and attention to repairs it
should last at least ten to twelve years.
A common plow lasts about Ave years.
With proper care it should last fifteen
years. A farm wagon costs $75 to $90,
and should last ten to fifteen years with
sood 'are and average use upon the
farm. The life of the average wagon
is much less than these figures. Given
nn occasional coat of paint, and proper attention to keeping the bolts tight,
nnd proper oiling, and the soaking of
the hubs and felloes with oil, the life
"f a wagon can be greatly prolonged.
A threshing outfit consists of a 16 to
18 horse-power engine and separator,
nnd with water tank, costs from $2,000
lo $2,500, and should last for many
seasons. Yet  there  have  been  seen
these valuable units of machinery
standing in mid winter through the
storms, and through the heat of summer, out of doors absolutely void of
shelter and cover, slowly but surely going to decay, mute examples of the
1 areless way In which men regard such
property.
A few dollars spent in providing a
suitable place for the hoe, the mower,
Hie wheelbarrow, the wagon, the bin-
der, the buggy, the plow, the hay rack,
nnd all kinds of machinery, will be
Placed well.
The average valuation of the machinery equipment of a 180 acre farm may
he placed at $900. At six per cent interest this would be $54, which would
go a long way toward erecting a suitable temporary shed for most of the
farm machinery. Counting deterioration in value at ten per cent per year,
'his would mean $90, which added to
'lie $54, would give nearly $150. This
amount would build a good shed for
housing all the machinery. This hous-
mg would prolong the life of the ma-
' hinery at least twenty-five per cent,
"hich would mean a much lessened
'''ss because of exposure and lack of
'are.
It behooves the farmer to carefully
'ook into the question of his facilities
for caring for the machinery. A careful study of this matter and the planing toward the housing of the machln-
' ry would mean a large item taken off
'he expense required In purchase of
hew machinery and repairs each succeeding year. J. H. Criswell.
Wnona College of Agriculture, Winona Lake, Ind.
A REPLY TO MR. W. S. GOOKINS
ON COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
Editors  Indiana  Farmer:
May I have the privilege of writing
a few words in reply to Mr. Gookins on
the school question?   I feel certain that
admit, but the fourth, now in the second grade did not learn the alphabet
and if anything I believe he is progressing faster than the other three,
and I'm sure he has his work just as
thoroly in mind. As for the multlplica-
l-'airiii   Home  nf T.  .1.  Dunlary,  l.aiwrem :e ('utility.
Barn on Mr. Dunlary's Farm.
he  is  looking  on  our  country  schools I
from the wrong viewpoint, or perhaps
his children do not enjoy such excellent ;
consolidated schools as the  youngsters
in Montgomery county attend.    He says
that the readers in use in our schools
are filled with fairy tales.    Even though
this be true it teaches them what the
readers' sole purpose is to teach them
—to read,    and    if    Mr. Gookins    will |
study these fairy tales very carefully I ;
feel pretty sure he'll find a good moral a
lesson In each.     He'also says the readers contain a great many dog stories.
The more the better, I say.    The greatest educators  in our country say that
children  filled with a tender love    for
dumb  animals,    always    make  loving,
sympathetic men and women.   Certainly these dog stories are such as will in- j
spire love for their dumb friends.
Mr. Gookins says that a child should
not be expected to spell and write
words without having first learned the
alphabet; I beg the privilege of a different opinion. I have four children,
the older three learned the alphabet
about the first thing they did in school
work, and progressed wel' enough. I'll
tion table no truly up-to-date teacher
who wishes her pupils to do successful
work, will start a pupil out in mathematics without teaching these rudiments of arithmetic first.
In the township, Union, where I reside, we have some of the best schools
in the United States, so good that when
the Southern States sent their educators North to gain some helpful and
new Ideas about how to manage their
public schools, they sent them to Indiana and most of their time was spent
In Union township.
Mr. Gookins also further states that
the parents have no voice in school affairs. I wish to Inform him that we
have never found our county superintendents of the mind that "they know it
all," instead they are glad to receive
hints from the patrons, and our teachers are always glad to have the parents
of their pupils visit their school and
advise them of the work they are doing.
Indeed one of our teachers has' gone
so far in gaining co-operation of his
patrons that he Issues Invitations and
holds a "parent's day" ln order that
they may see what kind of work their
children are doing.
I am exceedingly well satisfied with
our present country schools and am
perfectly willing to leave the selection
of text books ln the hands of our educators who study the little mind which
is rapidly developing day by day, and
decide with great care the books which
are the greatest aid in this mental development. A Loyal Supporter
of Our Country Schools.
Montgomery Co.
DESTROYING  WIRE WORMS.
Edltora Indiana Farmer:
Is there anything I can do to prevent
wire worms from destroying my corn
crop? Last year the corn came up all
right but the worms had killed it by
the second plowing. The land upon
which the crop was planted is being
drained now and is nearly all "made"
land. J. M. D.
Monroe Co.
Answer: This insect is one of the
most important that attacks corn after
it is planted. It is especially injurious
to corn planted on land that has for
some time been In grass. It is believed that the worms are more abundant the second year after such land Is
broken than the first.
When the corn fails to come up, or
when it does come up and grows a foot
or two and then suddenly withers the
wire worm is" generally to blame. They
eat into and destroy the kernels or eat
holes into .the germinating shoots and
roots causing them to die.
Many experiments have been tried to
destroy these worms, but all have proven of no practical success. The seed
have been soaked in a solution of strong
poison before planting but with no
beneficial results. Heavy applications
of kainit, muriate of potash and lime
have been tried on the soil but with little effect.
The most successful methods of attack require some preparation of the
soil before planting. Crop rotation ls
perhaps the best method; a clover crop
should follow the grass and then corn
may be planted without fear of an attack of the wire worm. The insects
may sometimes be starved out of the
soil by sowing such crops a buckwheat
or peas which they do not feed on. The
corn may be planted after these are removed, as late planting and replanting
is advisable where ever wire worms are
present. Fall plowing of sod land is
also recommended, for then many of
the grubs are turned up to the surface
and during the winter are frozen.
ON NAMING FARMS.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
• According to a recent law regarding
farm names, please advise me If one
has the exclusive use of a name so recorded, and where should they be recorded? M.  G. M.
Ans: The bill [H. B. 150] for an act
to provide for the registration of farm
names which is here referred to did not
become a law. Although lt did not get
through the Senate lt passed the House
by a vote of 67 to 12. The bill provided that the name be recorded ln ■■-. register kept for that purpose in the
office of the county recorded. The person having his farm recorded would
pay into the county treasury one dollar, for which he would receive a certificate setting for the name and description of the land. The farm would
have the exclusive use of the name.