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Vol. IX.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, SEPTEMBER 19, 1874.
No. 37.
LiYG StocL
Indiana Short Horn Breeders' Asso-
•  ciation.
The following circular looks to a step
in the right direction. There is a great
awakening amongst the stock breeders of
our State on this subject, and nothing just
now could be of more importance in relation to the matter than the proposed convention, where an interchange of the valuable experiences of the most successful
Short Horn breeders may be heard by all:
Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 9th, 1874.
Dear Sir:—Your attention is called to
the Third Annual Convention of the Indiana State Short Horn Breeders' Association, to be held in the State House in
this city, Wednesday the llth of November, 1874. Unusual pains will be taken ter
make this convention one of marked interest. Prominent breeders and writers upon Short Horn matters from other States,
as well as our own, have been invited to
attend and read papers and essays upon
subjects pertaining to the Short Horn interest. The Convention cannot fail to be
of great interest to all. The rapidly growing demand for Short Horns in our State
is evidence jof the interest the people are
taking in this direction; and they desire
to increase their knowledge of this valuable race of cattle.
- We urge upon you to use your influence
to circulate the notice of the forthcoming
Convention, not only among Short Horn
Breeders, but also among the farming
population who are breeding good stock,
or are desiring to do so. Their presence
at the Convention will greatly add to their
pleasure and information.
By order of the Executive Com.
L. F. Lockridge, Chm.
Greencastle, Ind.
The Cattle Trade.
A correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from the stock raising districts of the Southwest, gives a discrip-
tion of this vast industry:
A large proportion of the cattle from
Texas are driven westward into the Territories. There they fatten for the market,
and provide beef for the growing cities
and towns, mining regions, and military,
posts. It is thought that the entire drive
from Texas this year into Kansas will
number over 600,000 head. Perhaps one-
fourth of these go into Colorado and Wyoming, and westward to Utah, while most
of the balance seek the eastern market.—
Russian Horses.
An English writer says: A specialty of
renown in Russia are the little horses of
the Mushik. They are hardy in the first
instance, as everything is in Kussia, and
they are quick and strong. Two of these
little horses, hardly large enough to be
called ponies, will draw a plow all day with
a pause at noon. They are now largely
exported (under the name of Lithaurs)to
Prussia, and in some places have altogether
dispossessed the oxen of their old privileges. ' I worked with them on one of the
estates of Baron Pfuce, where they were
fed upon chaff of any description, even of
lupines,   very  successfully, condimented
Indian Corn as Food.
•jsT-he difficulty that is found in growing
potatoes, together with the high price of
flour, suggests the question whether the
value of Indian corn, and its proper preparation as food for human beings, is well
understood. Chemical analysis snows that
corn is rich in the elements thatnourish
the body, while practical experience, in
some instances, seems to throw a doubt
upon its wholesomeness._
The truth is, that while corn is full of
nutrition, it is not practically very nutritious. This seeming incongruity is easily
explained. That portion of the kernel
which is hard and flinty, is saturated with
adiaaa Farmer Family.
Onr Postal Card Correspondence.
The No-Horns.
A writer in the New England Farmer
refers to a herd of this stock ^.Massachusetts, as follows:
Col. Eliphalet Stone, of Dedham, the-
delegate to the State Board of Agriculture from Norfolk County has bred these
no-horns with a considerable degree of
purity for many years, and it is owing • to
his liberality and good judgment, together
with the general good management which
his nephew, at Lunenburg, has bestowed
upon the herd under his care, that the
Jamestowns are able to hold the position
they do in the estimation of those who
are acquainted with this stock.
The herd at Lunenburg, at the time of
our visit, consisted of seven or eight cows,
two bulls and a few heifers. Two of the
cows gave from fifteen to eighteen quarts
of milk each, last January, a few weeks
after calving. One of the most valuable
characteristics of this breed of cows is
their quiet and peaceable disposition.—
* They may be allowed to run together like
sheep, in small yards, with little danger
of injury from each other. The bulls, unlike the Jerseys, are seldom cross or vicious, even after coming to maturity.—
The oldest of Mr. Stone's bulls, a fine animal of three years, weighing nearly twelve
hundred pounds, is as quiet and easily
handled as a horse, as we had ample opportunity to prove, by leading him from
the cars, a distance often miles, to our
own stables, where we inserted the first
leading ring which ever ornamented his
muzzle, performing the operation unassisted and unattended, in the open stall,
where % now takes his daily rations.
The above Cuts represent the Celebrated Whitney Sewirjg Machine.
The first is the No. 3, half Cabinet;  the second the No. 4, Folding Cover.     {See fifth page.)
At this season of the year one will be
struck with the appearance of the numerous and fine looking herds grazing along
the Arkansas Valley, from Wachita as far
west as Sargent, and thence scattered at
intervals to the foot of the mountains.—
As a sample of the size of these herds, I
might mention that a list of forty-three
herds in the vicinity showed a total of 52,-
908 head of cattle. While it is claimed
that the drive to Wachita, this year, will
not exceed 160,000 head, not much over
one-half what it was last year, some ofthe
other towns on the line of the railroad
having been found more accessible for
shipment, yet it is noticeable that the quality of the stock is apparently much better
than that of former seasons.
 « » .	
About Horses.
Hoo Cholera prevails to an alarming
extent in some portions of this State.
Mr. J. Q. A. Newsom, one of our subscribers living near Elizabethtown, Bartholomew county, has recently lost over
fifty head by this disease. Let us hear
from any of our readers who have found
and used reliable remedies for the malady.
There will be an auction sale of short
3"horns, of the Weldberg herd, a.t Dexter
fcPark, Chicago, October 14th prox., without reserve.
It is affirmed by some that if their hay
and straw be cut, and their corn bruised,
horses can be kept at one-fourth less cost
than when these are given them whole.—
Everyone knows the value of grass as an
article of food for horses. A month of it
in the early part of the season, when it is
young and tender, is worth two when it
gets old and tough. Great care must be
taken of horses when first put on grass—
indeed, changes of food of any kind, must
to them.be introduced with caution, as
many have had to pay dearly for neglect
of this. Even a change of water has at
times been known to affect some horses,
so very sensible does their alimentary
track seem be. A shallow watering place
in a running stream should never be allowed for horses while at grass. Fatal results
have often been induced from their drinking sand along   with  water   from   such
places.
—i * • <	
The Norman Horse.
with some potato refuse froin the distillery.
In harvest time, when the little micehad
to work like brewers' horses, 1 administered to them some bran, and they grew
fat even under so unfavorable circumstances.
A man bought a horse. It was the first
one he ever owned. He saw in a newspaper that a side window in a stable makes
a horse's eye weak on that side; a window
in front hurts his eyes by the glare; a window behind makes him squint-eyed; a
window in a diagonal line makes him shy
when he travels; a stable without a window makes him blind. He sold the
horse.
ports-
Jour-
The modern Norman horse is supposed
to be a cross between the Andalusian
(Moorish) and the old heavy Norman
breed of France. He combines many
qualities desirable in a farm horse, and js
deservedly growing into favor. He is
spirited, yet docile; has great muscular
strength; is robust; has good wind; is
moderately low in the withers, enabling
him to throw great force into the collar;
short, heavy neck; large breast and shoulders; stout limbs and sound feet; and,
withal, possesses the wavy mane and tail.
Though he cannot be considered fleet, yet
he surpasses all other breeds, perhaps, in
pulling heavy loads at a good round pace,
and maintaining it throughout the day.
His height is about fifteen hands, and
weight fronr-1,100 to 1,300 pounds.—Ohio
Farmer.
 ; »  »■»	
Sirloin steak in Boston is 33to 35cents
per pound; in New York it is 25 to 30, in
Philadelphia 25 to 28, and in Washington
25 to '40. In Iowa, before it is starved,
beaten and banged in cars and pens, the
best steaks are from 10 to 12 cents.
CRors in New Hampshire.—A
mouth correspondent ofthe N. H.
nal says:
Although this is a season of an unusual
yield of almost every kind of produce,
still thedry weather of the past fortnight
is affecting vines somewhat seriously, and
unless rain is forthcoming, cucumbers for
pickling, melons, squashes, &c, will be
scarce in this vicinity. The cold nights of
the past month of August have caused a
blighting ofthe corn, much of which has
been injured beyond recovery, and the
crops will not be so large as usual. Potatoes are very abundant, although the rot'
has madeijs appearance in some localities.
Apples are plenty, nearly every orchard
within a radius of twenty miles of this
city being loaded with fruit.        . -
an oil which is not usually expelled in the
process of cooking, and which is an element most difficult for the stomach to digest. Thus, while the elements of nutrition are in corn, there is so much vital energy wasted in adapting it to the wants of
the system, that the loss is nearly equal to
the profit.
This oil, which makes corn so difficult of
digestion, and, therefore, so unpopular, is
easily expelled by kiln-drying. Corn meal
and hominy, after being kiln-dried, may be
readily and thoroughly cooked in twenty
minutes, either by boiling or baking.
The Indians long since made this discovery, and on journeys that taxed their
physical powers to the utmost, subsisted
upon parched corn.
Every family should be provided with a
kiln adapted to this purpose, and at the
same time capable of being used for drying
fruit.
What_inventor will enrich and immortalize himself by giving to the public a
kiln that shall be simple, cheap, and that
will answer the purpose ?       AV. P. P.
Barley as Food for Horses.
Freights on Grain.
The current freight upon wheat from
Chicago to New York is now only llf cents
per bushel, made up as follows: from Chicago to Buffalo, by steamer 2Jc, elevating
at Buffalo, £c, rail from Buffalo to New
York, 8c. The tolls on the Erie canal are
now (3Jc. a bushel) more than the whole
freight from Chicago to Buffalo. _ The cost
of handling grain in New York is 3 cents,
and the freight to Liverpool is about 14
cents. The cost of carriage from Chicago
to Liverpool is therefore less than 28Jc. a
bushel.
 .  m  »	
Get to the roots of things. The gold
mines of Scripture are not in the top soil;
you must open a shaft; the precious diamonds of experience are not picked up in
the roadway; their secret places are far
down. Get down into the vitality, the
solidity, the veracity, the divinity of the
word of God, and seek to possess all the
inward work of the blessed Spirit.—Spurgeon.
 .   m  »	
If you have been picking or handling
acid fruit and have stained your hands,
wash them in clear water, wipe them
lightly, and while they are yet moist strike
a match and shut your hands around it so
as to catch the smoke, and the stain will
disappear.
Chemistry tells us, and experience confirms the statement, that barley is one
among the richest of grains in fat and
flesh-forming ingredients. According to
chemists of acknowledged authority it is
especially rich in albumen, gluten, sugar,
gum and phosphate of lime. Standing
considerablyftbove oats in these particulars—two feeds of barley being estimated
as equal to three of oats. In view ofthe
fact that oats have come to be a very uncertain.crop of late years, it is well for
farmers to be looking out for some substitute, and we know of nothing so likely
to answer as barley. We know that to a
certain extent it is a healthful and substantial food for horses, and will pay for
horses, and will pay for itself if grown for
this purpose alone, to say nothing of the
winter pasturage that it may afford.
 . » .	
Planting Maple-seeds.
The maple-seeds should be planted soon
after falling, and be eown in a well prepared mellow bed, in rows twelve inches
apart. The first year the young trees
should be hoed and kept free from weeds,
and the next Spring transplanted into a
nursery, in rows six feet apart and three
feet apart in the rows. Here they remain
until needed to plant out. When transplanted into the nursery the tap root is cut
and the other roots trimmed, so as to
cause a plentiful growth of fibres.
.    m   m        	
•
It is said that there are more short
horn cattle at the Illinois State Fair than
were ever seen together before in - this
country, and over a hundred Norman
horses. This stock and some others will
be here at our State Fair.
Dearborn County.
Dillsboro. Sept. llth.
We still have very dry weather here. Our wheat
crop was above an average with other years.
Oats less than half crop. Potatoes poor especially
late ones. Corn ln this, Clay Township, greatly
damaged by thc drouth. Hog crop short. Fruit
scarce.  Grangers average crop.
JOE. GREENE
White County.
Brookston, Sept. llth.
"Wheat mostly threshed and yielded pretty well.
Oats above average, and corn also over an average crop. Potatoes about an average; late potatoes coming out favorably. Taken together, this
is rather a prosperous year here with us. C. B.
Hendricks County,
Danville, 9th M6., 13th.
Corn splendid. Wheat nearly an average in
yield; quality over an average. Oatsas good as
for many years. Hay short. Apples a crop north',
not so good ln the south part of the county. Some
peaches. Pears fine, with blight every' whero.
Should judge the hog crop short. Some very flne
fat steers for the eastern market. Wheat sowing
progressing, dry as it is. Stock water failing.
County fair good, but did not pay the premiums.
Set Hendricks at par, or above. A. F.
Kemp County. Texas.
September llth.
Your readers no doubt would like to hear a report from us a way down in Texas. The cotton
crop Is very promising. Corn is largely above an
average. Owing to late frosts, wheat fell short,
and besides wheat birds were more numerous
than usual. Pasture is excellent, and beef cattle
are In excellent conditon. R. WILLIAUD.
Jasper and Pulaski Counties,
Francesville, Sept. 13th.
The Farmer is welcomed weekly. Am much
gratified to see you taking such an Interest ln
obtaining crop reports <Sc. Wheat % crop ln
Jasper and Pulaski. Corn % crop; cause, drouth:
Potatoes not more than % crop; cause, drouth
and bugs. Hogs % crop. Cattle about the same
In numbers as last year, selling for 3% cent, gross.
If you have opinions of well posted cattle dealers, please give them in your paper, as to what
we had better do, sell or hold at present prioes.
A Change pic-nic to be held at Francesville on
the 18th of "October.      . J. Q, CULP.
Boone County.
Thorntown, Sept. 15th. •?
I. N. Barker attended the Logansport Fair from
here, and won the eleven first premiums on his
stock. He will be at the State Fair, and exhibit
the flne pair of Cochins you offer for the largest
club of subscribers for four months to the Indiana Farmer.
Allen Counly.
ClIAMBERLIN Sept. 10th.
It is very dry here. Fruit all drying up. Water
very scarce with some. Farmers very busy seed
ing, If lt Is dry. Corn cut a little short; all ripe
now, and cutlng it up.   Grange prospering.
A. M. Taylor.
Henry Counly,
Spiceland. September 15th.
Crops of all kinds have been fully equal to tho
average In this part of old Henry. Alarge breadth
of corn was planted and will give a splendid
yield. Fruits of all kinds are very plenty, and
selling at low prices. Grapes are abundant and
of flne quality. But few cattle are raised, not
more than enough to supply the home demand.
Hogs and corn are the staple products and far-
mere are putting them together. There has been
but few sales, most farmers will probably feed
before selling. Weather very dry and unfavorable for seeding.   No rain for three weeks.
O. H. B.
Miami County.
Xenia Sept., 13th.
Warm and dry. Corn drying up fast, on account of chinch bugs. Farmers about done sowing wheat, notso much sown as usual, wheat 90
cents. Hog crop light and all sold for November market. Winter apples scarce and droplng
off.  Oats good.   Peach trees full of fruit called
peaches here, but most of them require stringing
before using, to get enough together for a mouth-
full.   Beet cattle scarce, and fair  prices offered.
J. N. P.
Hamilton County.
Lamono, Sept., 7th.
Having seen nothing in the Farmer from this
section. I thought I would drop you a few line*.
I would like for you or some one else who is
well acquainted with the growing of Osage
Orange for fencing, to give through the Farmer.
adetailed statement as to where a person can get
the plants, the cost per SI., manner of preparing
the ground, time of planting, cultivation, probable cost compared with rail fencing, where rails
are 820 per M., Ac.
The corn crop ln this section ls very good, will
average about 50 bushels per acre and is selling at
from 812 to 815 per acre. The hog crop will run to
very nearly a full average, considering those being brought in.
The postal card plan you suggest I think good.
If the Granges would take the matter in hand,
they could be benefited. J. E. WALKER.
Jefferson County,
North Madison Sep. llth.
Weather still continues very dry. Stock water
scarce and wells failing.   The good yield of wheat •
the past season, has given wheat growing a  new
impetus.   Every farmer is endeavoring  to sow
more acres  than  ever before, and  many that
never raised any before, are sowing  now,  and
nearly all, are using bone dust,  it  having pro-i
duced remarkable results the past year, ou some ,
old worn out fields.   Corn is being shocked rapidly, some late planted Is dying for want  of   rain.
Bees are  storing honey  from   buck wheat nnd'
otherplants and are breeding  rapidly, and   bid
fair to go into winter quarters in goo<i condition I
IJELOSWOOD.