:Voi.x.
INDIMAPOLIS, INDIANA, FEBRUARY 13, 1875.
No. 6.
Live Stock,
fpr the Indiana Farmer.
i LIBERAL FEEDING.
When will people learn that it is best
to feed well and persist in it if it doe*
take the avails of the farm. Keep Jess
stock, but keep well. There will be no
los3, no disease; and there will be a
ready market at all times, and at the
best price, a price in proportion greater
than with poor stock.
"" So it is with fruit trees, grain, and all
produce ofthe farm. Drive, get all you
can. If a sort runs out or deteriorates,
get another; there will always be plenty
to be had. But get all you can out of it
while you have it. That is thc way to
prosper and keep prospering. That is
the success of England, in its stock and
its farming. People there are not afraid
to do the best with what they have.
They are liberal feeders, both of soil and
of stock. The result is, an improvement
in both. So it is on the continent
to a greater or less extent. So not here
■ with us, save only to a' small extent;
and that small extent is the successful one. We must learn to do what
Others do—be more liberal—be liberal
and waste not. F. G.
*   ' .    s»   .   	
For the Indiana Farmer.
SHORT-HORNS AND COMMON
BREEDS.
- I wish to notice an article that appeared in the last issue of the Farmer
by Mr. Trotter, on common or native
cattle. It is true as he says, that there
can be great improvement by good feeding and good treatment, but if I see his
Article right, he would make the impression that they might with good feeding
and care be brought up with Short-
Horns. In this I think he is mistaken.
The Short-Horns were not produced in
that way. The earliest history of Short-
Horns that we have, show that they were
a distinct breed from all others, when
first brought into notice, by the Collins',
Bergs, and others, some two hundred
years ago, and it is a question not yet
settled as to whether there has been any
improvement on them since that time.
Hulbac, I believe, was the first Short-
Horn bull we have any account of. He
was found in the commons, and bought
bj Mr. Collins, and from him the Short-
Horns were brought into notice. So
Mr. Trotter will see that the Short-Horn
cattle were not produced by high feeding, and good treatment at all, but were
found as distinct from all other breeds,
t«a Berkshire is distinct from all other
breeds of hogs. But I submit still
another test which, if Mr. Trotter, or
any other man who will try it, will find
that the Short-Horns as beef cattle are
ahead of any and all other breeds. Now
I propose for Mr. Trotter to buy five of
the best native or common, one year old
steers and a like number of thoroughbred one year olds Short-Horns, and
put them together with the same treatment, and feed, and keep them to three
or four year olds, and then sell for beef
and he will see so wide a difference that
he will not experiment with common
cattle any more. Of this, I feel perfectly
sure, some breeders would be called on
by him at once to sell him a thoroughbred bull. Come on, Mr. Trotter, I will
sell you a good yearling bull for 1200,
and that is as much as any farmer can
afford to pay for a good one.
i-I wish now to say a few words on pedigrees, and the showing of cattle at the
fairs. We hear a good deal said lately
about gilt edged pedigrees. I am not
.sure but that the masses of our people
Would not be less confused without any
pedigrees or herd book at all, and to let
every animal stand on his or her own
Bierit, and not on a gilt edged pedigree;
and when brought to our fairs, if all
simply stood on their own merits,'and not
on their pedigree, the gilt edge fellows
Would soon play out for all practical
purposes, because good and cheap beef
is the end of it all, at last. And there
is still another reason: Common laboring men cannot buy those giltedgecattle
I fat from one thousand to forty thousand
^dollars. Who own them? Why, they
are owned by the big men, Generals, Majors, Colonels, .Judges, etc., and it is very
|hard to beat these men at the fairs.   A
great deal harder to beat them than it is
their cattle. The "common" are not
looked after much. The gilt edged men
say, "why, the common man's cattle are
very common, plain pedigree cattle, did
not cost much, while I paid two. three
or four thousand dollars a head for
mine, it will never do for him to beat
me, no, sir, it won't do." And they get
the directors often to believe it, too, and
it is not unfrequent that the committee
get to believe it themselves, and the
common man is beat, although he may,
and often does have the best cattle.
These are simple facts, known and talked of at our fairs.   W. W. Thrasher.
For the Indiana Farmer.
RECENT SALES OF STOCK.
We have recently made the following
sales of Short-Horns to G. II. WooJ-
yard, of Morristown, Shelby county,
Indiana, the following heifers: Emma,
20th, by Red Jacket, 5th, ir>,,501; dam,
Emma, 15th, by Red Jacket, 0,005, at
$250.00; also, Emma, 21st, by Grant,
17,2-13; dam, Emma, 3d, by Thornberry,
2d, 3,404, at $200.00, to J. II. Kinnard.
Pendleton, Madison county, Indiana;
thc yearling bull, Duke of Goodness,
16,793, at $150.00; and to A. L. Robbins,
of Rochester. Fulton county, Indiana,
the yearling bull, Red Jacket, 15th,
18,125, at $150.00; also, to A. C. Wood,
Greensborough. Indiana, the_ yearling
bull, Popcorn, 17,971, at $100.00.
We have also sold tho following Berkshire pigs: to James McKee, Mechan-
iesburg, Indiana, one boar pig, at $25.00;
to J. G. Templin, Kokomo, Indiana,
one sow pig at $22.00; to Colonel II.
Cravens, Pendleton, Indiana, one pair,
at $35.00, to Benjamin Wilhoit, Cadiz,
Indiana, one boar pig-at $20.00; to .John
Huston, Markleville, Indiana, one sow
pig at $20.00; also twenty-one other
smaller pigs to different parties at an
average of $10.00 per head.
T. WiLnoiT & Son.
Middletown, Indiana.
TO THE BREEDERS OF SHORTHORNS IN THE UNITED STATES
AND CANADA
The undersigned were appointed a
Committee to address you on the subject of the International Association of
Breeders, and invite you to become
members of the same.
It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to refer at length to the importance of the
cattle interest, and its rise and progress in the United States and provinces
of Canada. The most of you are conversant with the history of the earlier
importations, and are very well informed
as to the great improvement wrought
upon the cattle of the country through
these early importations. There was, at
first, a great diversity of sentiment as to
breeds, Dut after long and patient trials,
the Short-Horns stand out to view, without a peer, and a very respectable array
of talent and capital are enlisted in the
breedingof Short-Horns. _
The Breeders of Indiana called a
meeting at Indianapolis, to be held on
the first Wednesday of December, 1872.
A large delegation^ assembled on that
occasion; an organization was effected,
duly officered, with a Director from each
State and Province. A Constitution
and By-Laws were adopted. It was ordered that the Convention assemble annually, and that the proceedings be published in pamphlet form, thus furnishing means preserving for future reference the points discussed and the essays
read.
It was ordered that a membership fee
of $2 be exacted from each member, the
fund so raised to be used to print and
send out the proceedings. In 1873 the
Convention assembled at Cincinnati, with
a good attendance, and adjourned to
meet at Springfield, Illinois, on the
second day of December, 1874. At this
meeting it was shown that the membership was not large enough, at the price
fixed, to defray the unavoidable expenses—mainly the expense of printing
the transaetions—and the undersigned
were instructed _ to address- breeders
through the medium of a circular, asking all who may be so addressed to become members of tho Association, by
sending name and post-office address to
S. F. Lockridge, Secretary of the Association, Greencastle, Indiana, enclosing the membership fee.
We, are all engaged in a common
cause,—the introduction and improvement of Short-Horns,—and no one of
you can afford to leave anything undone
which shall in a proper manner, promise
to aid in developing this great interest.
Very recpectfully
Wm. ft. Duncan,
G. Spraoue,
Emory Cobb.
•January, 1875.
SOUTHDOWNS, the property of Hon. M. H. Cochrane, Compton, P. Q.
We have received from Mr. C. Y. C.
Alden, of Ripley county, a letter written him by'Mr. Smith, editor ofthe
Cincinnati Gazette, in which the latter
states that ho owns the mother of the
cow now owned by Mr. Alden, and
that the latter's cow is a thoroughbred
Alderney. This owned by Mr. Alden,
as well as thc mother of her, owned by
Mr. Smith, are very fine, specimens of
this superior dairy Btock.
ENLARGED VIEWS OF THE
PEOPLE.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
It has been one month since I began
my subscription for your paper, and only
two weeks since my card was inserted
in your directory. I have had to date
eight communications in reference to
stock, bearing the usual reference to my
advertisement in the Fabmkb.
From this fact I draw two conclusions:
first, the farmers of Indiana arc learning the importance of taking a good
agricultural paper, and secondly, the
importance of trying to improve their
stock. These are certainly steps in the
right direction, and if maintained, will
do much toward relieving the distress of
the agriculture of our State.
In reference to the first mentioned
step, permit me to say that, while the
Indiana Farmer has taken rank as
one of the,very best agricultural papers
in the West, in order to insure its success, and maintain its prestige, its patrons
must help keep it up, not by contributing their yearly subscription fees only,
but also by giving it the benefit of their
knowledge and experience as practical
farmers.
For one, I do not want my agricultural
paper filled with articles from amateur
novelists whose productions would better grace the small pages of a dime novel, but to contain articles written by
practical men, upon those subjects of
every day concern to the practical farmer. This can best be done by the subscribers contributing their mite in regard to such matters as they are capable
of understanding, and asking through
their paper, information upon such subjects as upon which they are lacking
light; leaving it ever, of course, to the
discretion of the editor to publish, or
not, as he may judge best, their productions.
Let the editor of the Indiana Farmer have at his command, at all times,
a large file of contributions from the
pens of his patrons, and we will never
have a single issue of the paper that will
not contain practical information worth
more to each one of us than the cost of
the paper for an entire year.
In regard to the second branch of my
subject, let me say to Indiana farmers,
don't be afraid to purchase thoroughbred stock, even at the_ seemingly extravagant rates at which it sells in these
close financial times. That it maintains
such prices at such _ a time, and commands ready sale, while your scrub stock
is a dead expense on your hands, is all
the proof you need want of its superiority.
Being thc pioneer advettturer in
thorough-bred stock in this section of
the State, my first purchases provoked
the ridicule of my neighbors, who wanted to know whero I ever expected to
find purchasers for such stock. I told
them, from people who learned to know
its value—of course, from no others.
They could not sec the value} but when
I began to sell my stock, and they saw
that for a calf at the age of which theirs
were dear at ten dollars, I could as readily obtain one hundred, they sow it, and
now my neighbors have the fine stock
fever too. SUBSCRIBER.
New Albany, Ind.
INDIANA NEWS.
Indiana Fame; Family.
Out Postal Card Correapottdeiioe.
One of thc Madison starch factories
has 75,000 bushels of corn on hand.
The Kokomo Loan and Building Association shows a net gain of $8,317.73
during the past year.
Small-pox has broken out in the Fort
Wayne _ calaboose, and there is consternation in consequence.
The Peru Sentinel says: "It is thought
that the freezing weather in January
has destroyed the next season's peach
crop."
The prospect for a good wheat crop
throughout Bartholomew, Johnson and
Shelby counties is very slim, owing to
the intense cold weather and no snow to
protect it.
The Lebanon Pioneer says: "There
are men around town who are selling
lands in the West, and making deeds for
the same, who have no titles for them,
■and in fact - there ara- no. such .lands.
The whole description is a fraud."
One night last week a residence on
the farm belonging to Thomas F. Tim-
mons, in Marion township, Boone county, and occupied by James Wh.ttim,was
destroyed by fire while Mr. Whittim and
family were at church, some two miles
distant. Every thing in the house was
burned.
Says the Brazil Echo: "Two thousand men in Clay county—white and
black—are out of the mines on a general strike. The demand is for eighty-
five cents per ton for mining coal. The
operators offer seventy cents and no
more. How long this thing will last time
only can tell."
The Terre Haute Journal says: "The
grass along the Vandalia, between this
city and Brazil, was set on fire by passing engines on Saturday, and the fences
and woods in many places were in danger. Conductor Johnson stopped his
train to put out the fire where it threatened great danger."
The Rensselaer Union says: "We
estimate that at least $2,000 will have
been sent by citizens.of this county
before crops are raised again for relief
of grasshopper sufferers in Kansas and
Nebraska. Whole families there are
being supported by their friends here,
besides the liberal donations that have
been gent to relief committees for general distribution."
The Newport Hoosier State says: "On
last Saturday evening the wife of Joe
Hamilton, residing two miles south of
Clinton, stepped over to see a neighbor,
residing one hundred yards distant'
leaving her little babe in the crib and a
six-year old child to take care of it-
during her absence. On her return to
the house she beheld a sad sight: the
child had fallen into the large fire-place
and was burned nearly to a crisp. Its
clothing was entirely burned off its
body and life had ceased to exist. The
clothing on the littlo babe in the crib
had causht from the flames, and it, too
was seriously burned ; in a few moments
it would have been too late to save it
from a terrible death."
The Martinsville Republican says:
"Last Thursday, theengmeer at Harrison & Loper's saw-mill, Hynesdale, discovered that a flue in the boiler was
cracked near tbe entrance and was leaking. Thc mill was stopped, the hands
fathered around to observe, when the
ue collapsed and the boiler moved out
endwise, ;like a thing of life, leaving a
cloud of steam and dust in its wake. It
moved right through thc lumber-yard,
which was crowded with heavy logs,
knocking large-sized green hickory logs
endwise. After cavorting around among
the saw-logs, it turned its course, cutting off a corner-post as though it had
been a cornstalk. Knocking down the
mill building, it crossed over to the railroad ■ track, tore loose two rails and
broke the third in two, and finally
stopped halfway across the track. All
this without injuring any person although there were a number of people
in the mill and in thc yard."
ANSWER TO QUESTIONS._
J. K-—Rub your halter strap and bridle rein
with the greasy side of a coon-skin, and your
horse will never chew them again.
A. 8. H.
Mb.  Editor:—Pleaae answer through your
paper, where tbe Alfalfa clover seed can be got.
a a Subscriber.
Ans.—Of the Plant and Beed Store, St. Louis,
Mo., and of J. A. Foote, Terre Haute, Ind.—advertised in this paper.
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY.
Jonesville, Feb. 8.
Weather very cold. Wheat looks bad and we
fear it is badly iDjured. Old wheat ls worth 95
cents,; oornW; hay 115 per ton. Stock hogs are
scarce; worth J5 to SO. .Cattle are worth from 3
to 1 cents per pound. W. G. P.
WARRICK  COUNTr.
Some crops were good; others were bad. A
tolerably good crop of corn. Half a crop of hay
and oats. One-lourth of a tobacco crop. Half
a pork crop. The fruit crop was small. Average
crop of wheat- Stock hogs are scarce. No
more pork grown In this county than would be
consumed here if poor people had the means to
buy lt. A.
FULTON COUNTY.
Kiwassa, Feb. 3.
Wheat has been Injured very much by the
hard freezing. We have not had any snow
that amounted to anything. Btock ls wintering good.  Stock hogs scarce. J. W. B.
WAYNE   COUNTY.
Richmond, Feb. 4.
Wayne county is not represented ln your
postal column as well as I would like to see
her. We have great reason to be proud of our
connty in manufactures, agriculture and horticulture. Meet of our farmers are feeling well
ln purse and consequently in spirit.
Hcg and corn crops good, wheat crop fair.
Stock hogas scarce.  Oranges prospering.
C. W. K.
RANDOLPH COUNTY.
Farmland, Feb. 3.
The average amount of wheat has not been
been sown; looks bad.   Corn, good.   Hog crop
was good. Cattle nearly all sold; Grangers are
prospering. J. B. B.
VIGO COUNTY.
, Sinton Township.
Hogs are all avoid at $7 and $8—average crop.
Wheat looks well; was damaged some ln the
fall by chinch bugs; more sown than usual.
Stock hogs scarce. Cattle plenty. Sheep are
very scarce; what there are of then, look well.
It has teen very cold here, and a great many
Irish potatoes were frozen.
By the way, there has been a pretty fair crop
ofthe Indiana Farmer out this way this
winter. Subscriber.
FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Corn is worth 60 cents per bushel. Wheat Is
worth from 90 cents to tl 00 per bushel. Barley
ls worth from SI 25 to SI 35 per bushel. Hogs
are worth from SO 25 to Sti 75 per hundred. The
growing wheat ls not looking very well, owing
to the long spell of cold weather.
Yoitnq Granger,
from another.
New Trenton, Jan. 30.
Probably the fruit growers of this
State would like to know what injury was
done the fruit crop in south-eastern Indiana,
on the cold Saturday when the thermometer
was 16' below zero. About one-fourth of the
peach buds are still good. When the thermometer indicate 10^ below zero we generally expect no peaches. The drouth was so great that
the wood was well ripened and the buds were
small. J. Bowers.
VERMILLION COUNTY.
Hogs all sold at prices ranging from S« to ST
per hundred. Corn is worth 60 cents; wheat 9?.
We have had very cold weather for the last
month. The farmers are holding their wheat
for higher prices. The prospect for wheat is
the poorest lt has been for ten years.       O. F.
FROM ANOTHER.
Eugene, Feb. 6.
The suethod of farming in this part of the
country has been to raise all the corn, wheat
and pork possible, and pay no attention to fertilizing, but of late years we are cloverlng and
pasturing the old land part of the time, and we
are well paid by the Increase of grain. Experience has taught us that one good crop is better
than two half crops. • -•      ■:■'■.■
Wheat crop good.  Average crop or corn.
S. ty. Coffin.
A GOOD WORD. ■
February 1.
Pleasant View Grange is in flne working condition and lsincreasing ln number. Please correct errer ln last week's Issue—A.Tufts, Master,
and G.- ty, Sawdon, Secretary, Instead of G. W.
Sawson.
The Farmer is taken by the best Grangers,
and we rely on It as a Grango reporter. Everybody ln this part of the country that takes It,
likes It. We think it ls making more Grangers
than all other papers published.        G. ty. S.
WAYNE COUNTY.
Your correspondent, Mr. Haslett, gives very
good reasons for drilling corn. I wish to ask
the gentleman how he manages the suckers. I
am In favor of drilling corn and have been
using the drill for five or six years, and get
along very well until the corn begins to shoot
suckers. "Then comes the tug of war." I have
been experimentlngsome, bnt still I shall not
be satisfied in commencing another crop without having something through the Indiama
Farmer. C. B. Jackson.
FROM ANOTHER.
We had all the pleasant winter weather we
could ask for in the month of December, and
since thatwehave had the most and coldest
weather of any winter which we can recollect.
The peach buds are all killed, and most of the
cherry buds. Small fruits, snch as the raspberry, blackberry and grape, are all more or less
Injured. Wheat looks bad; too much cold for
itandtooUttlesnow. D. Bulla.
PARKE COUNTY.
-Beixmokx, Feb. 3.
The prospect ofa good crop from the growing wheat ls not flattering by any means. Tha
weather has been too dry and cold, and besides,'
we have had no snow that amounted to anything. There is scarcely any wheat being marketed. Stock hogs are rather scarce. No cattle are being sent to market. Hogs are all gone.
The price of horses Is very low—none selling.
Clover seed has nearly all been sold at $5 O0 per
bushel. There ls no corn In this county, that Is
of any account to seU.
E. Thomas.
SWITZERLAND COUNTY.
East Enterprise, Feb. 1.
We have had a very cold January, ana the
weather bids fair to continue cold. There has
not been any snow here until within a few
days, when snow to the depth of three Inches
fell. Two or three days ago, the Ice in the Ohio
river cleared away and the boats commenced
running, but the weather Is so cold that navigation ls again suspended.   We need a railroad.
Some of our farmers are talking about buying
bone dust lor fertilizing purposes. We would
like for some fanner to give his views in regard
to it through the columns of the Farmer. I
have tried a plaster by the name of "Old Mill
Plaster," which I found to be good to enhance
the growth of clover, but It was not good for
any other crop. Subscriber.
GIBSON  COUNTY.
Princeton, Feb. 4.
ram well pleased with the tone of the Farmer on the temperance question; I am not a
Granger, but while you flght intemperance
and grog shops I will stand by yon. I like
the moral tone of your paper on almost every
subject.
The mercury this morning stood at zero. We
have had a very cold winter, without much
snow, consequently the growing wheat looks
pale. I wonder If the chinch bug will weather
through? A great many cases of pneumonia
this winter. • R. M. M.
WELLS COUNTY.
Februarys.
The winter, thus far, has been very cold
and dry.' We have had a terrrible amount of
wind and but very little snow. A considerable number of cases of typhoid and lung fever
ln this county, and a great many deaths have
occurred.'
Wheat looks moderately well considering
the dry, cold weather.   Corn is worth 50 cents
per bushel; wheat 90 cents; clover seed l« 00 per
bushel; hogs SO 25 per hundred.    Hay Is nearly •
nil sold.        "   "" "" """" "' "-—        '•■    i{ jj
HENDRICKS COUNTY.
Lizton, Feb. 8.
"J K." wishes to prevent his horse from
chewln halter straps and bridle reins. Tell him
to go to his neighbor, William Leach, and get a
coon-skin. Let him then warm the flesh side
of it and rub the reins well with it, and if that
don't answer the purpose, tell him to stop at
Robert Dav/s' as he goes down to meet with
the Hoosier Grange, and get a skunk's hide
and rub the reins anu halter strap well with
the flesh side, and I think that will have the effect desired.
Wheat looks very much as though It, was
dead; caused by freezing during the cold, dry
weather. We have hardly had snow enough
to cover the wheat ouce this winter. A great
many potatoes were frozen during the cold
spell. The peacli buds are all killed and the
apples and cherries are injured. Hogs are very
scarce and doing but little on account of the
severe weather. Water for stock is scarce ln
some places. Wheat ls worth Jl per bushel.
Corn Is worth 50 cects. ' ty. D.
KNOX COUNTY.
Sanborn, Feb. 5.
The weather In this section of country has
been extremely cold for a few weeks. We
have had some sleet and snow. Our last corn
crop made but two-thirds of an average crop.
Is selling at 50 cents per bushel. The wheat
crop was a fair one and of good quality; is selling at from 90 cent to SI per bushel. Fruit is
scarce. Good ave worth SI per bushel. Potatoes
are of an Indifferent quality. They are badly
frozen. Those who sowed turnips at the proper
time raised good crops. They are worth 40 cents
per bushel. Good potatoe* would sell flrst-rate
ln the spring. Xot much of a crop of oats
raised here. Good crop of hay; ls very scarce.
It is worth from S10 to $12 per ton. We have no
rye crops except that which is "imported," but
the most ofour farmers are "local optlonists."
Fat hogs are nearly all sold at from S5 50 to Sd 75
per hundred. Rtoc k Is scarce and in demand.
We have a few good cattle ln this part of the
country; worth from S2 50 to 83 35 per hundred.
Good sheep very scarce.
The Farmer is read by many and others are
desiring to take it. Grangers are rallying on
"unfinished business." A. N. H,
CASS COUNTY.
February 6.
Weather very cold. The roads and flelds aro
a glare of ice. Fears are entertained that the
growing wheat (for which there never was a
betterprospeet) will be damaged. The past
crop was an average one. The quality of lt was
excellent. It Is worth from 90 cents to $1 per
bushel. Good yield of corn, which was of flrst-
class'quallty; is worth 60 cents per bushel. The
hog crop was limited; all sold at prices ranging
from 86 50 to $7 60. Stock hogs are scarce and
ln demand. Hogs in this part of the country
are affected some by the cholera. Fine potato
crop; sellinglat 70 and 75 cents per bushel. Tho
apple crop was a poor one.
Pumps and cellars yielded to the recent cold
weather: Many fanners had their potatoes
frozen.
Chinch bugs made their appearance last fall
in vast quantities, but too late to do much dam- '
age. Fears are entertained that the fruit buds
are badly frozen. Ice on the Wabash was from (
15 to 20 inches thick. Good crop of Grangers.
Your paper Is a welcome visitor to many Patrons In Cass county.      . ty.L.ty.
tl
Dr. A. Furnas, of the Danville Nursery, Ind., |
has his spring circular and price-list ready forij
mailing to his friends.  The Doctor enters upon
his fourteenth year in the nursery business, ||
and Is a great lover of horticulture.
P§^
7v