Yol. X.
IjNDIANAPOLIS, INDIAN^ MARCH 6, 1875.
\No, 9.
Liyq Stock*
For       Indiana Fanner.
A VISIT TO MAPLE LAKE STOCK.
FARM, AHD WHAT I SAW.
Maple Lane is situated near Suoman
Station, a small but business-like town
on the I., C. & L. R. R., some 45 miles
from Cincinnati. Maple Lane is owned
by Mr. C. Y. C. Alden, who makes the
breeding of Alderney cattle a specialty.
His herd is now one of the first in the
State. After having a good talk with
"Uncle York" about Alderneys, 1
was shown around, (that is among the
cattle). I was taken to the stable where
I was 'shown the monarch of tho herd,
whose name is Brigham Young, who was
the joint property ot the lions. A. D.
Bullock, President of the Street Railway, Cincinnati, and John Shillito, also
of Cincinnati, and purchased by Mr.
Alden last fall. Brigbam was calved on
shipboard the ship Jason about September 20th, 1870, and is four years old
past. The importation of thc Hon.
Stephen F. Deem, of Columbus, Ohio,
from the Island of Jersey, Brigham
Young, out of Blossom, who was bred
by Mr. Sibault, of St. Lawrence; second
prize of St. Mary's. This is truly a
noble cow, and I must say that I have
never seen her superior, (and I have seen
a good many Alderneys), neither in
shape, nor for richness of milk. I will
gay that the mother of this cow, now
owned by the Hon. Richard Smith, of
Cincinnati, is now well in years. But
when in her'prime her owner made
eighteen pounds of butter from her
milk alone. I was also much pleased
with Lotta, a young heifer, a model of
perfection. And Etta, who has been
added to the herd of Mr. Alden, was
bred by the Hon. R. S. Strader, Boone
county, Kentucky; sired by Alpine
Boy; he by Col. 0. Brine, No. 646, J.
C. H. B:; lst dam Beauty, by Carl; he
by Tony; Carl's dam Fair Star, by
Rufus; he by Sweet Lips. The last
two named from the importation of the
Hon. A. Alexander. Those with a lot
more of as fine pedigrees, make it one
of the finest blooded herds in the country.
;Mr. Alden also has a large number of
grades, which I understand he will dispose of.
'; At some future time I will describe
to the readers of the Farmer his stable,
■which is a model of perfection in its
arrangements. His mode of feeding I
will describe at length soon. All lovers
of fine stock will do well to pay a visit
to Maple Lane, and they will find not
only a fine lot of Alderneys, but also a
model farm, and Mr. Alden will take
pleasure in showing visitors his herd,
stable, farm, and make your visit as
pleasant as possible.
Tnos. W. W. Sunman.
Spades, Indiana.
FOREST  NAPIER.
We present on this page a cut of Forest Napier, one of the finest Short-Horn
bulls in the West, if indeed not the
whoje country. He is the property of
General S. Meredith & Son, Cambridge
City, Indiana. This beautiful animal
has carried away many a prize at the
Fairs in the West, and is too well known
to require an extended notice in these
columns. Forest Napier is the sire of
Iiouan Na?ier, our first prize to the
largest club for the Indiana Farmer.
"Below we give the
_*_Ig—ss*.   of   _onnn   Xispierc—Insllnna
. Farmer's First Premium.
* Red; bred by 8. Meredith & Son, Cambridge
City, Indiana; calved Dec. 30th, 1371,
.-? Got by Forest Napier, 11973.
''   Dam, 2d Louan of Oakland, by Prince Alfred,
• 8840.
t  8th Lonan of Woodlawn, by Laudable, 5870.
i   M      •' "      Dukecf Airdrie, 3743,
■.}   Lonan 16th, by Colin Campbell, 2639.
"       9th,byD'Otley, 432.
"       5th, by Sclota, 949.
" by Imported Otley, (4632.)
Cambria by Bertram 2d, (3144.)
Virginia 2d, by imported Bertram, (1716.)
i    Imported Lencllla, by Memnon, (1223.)
'    Virginia, by General, (272.)
Rosemary, by Flash, (261.)
Red Rose, by Petrach, (4.88.)
Bright Eyes, by Alexander, (20.)
Red A comb, by Traveler, (685.)
 by Son of Bollngbroke, (86.)
 by J. Brown's Red Ball, (97.)
Forest Napier and Prince Alfred are Booth
! ball*, the three previous ones are Bata?s Bulls.
^__j__^jgp^
rtC___>3*i** t_^ :*_■•
11973.    FOREST NAPIER at 3 Yeara.    The property of S. Meredith _ 8on, Cambridge City, Ind.
Forest ffupier it thc Sire ofoxtr First Special Premium, Louan1* Napier.
FINE STOCK SALE.
We learn that S. Meredith & Son,
Cambridge City, Ind., will, on the 28th of
May next, at public sale, sell some of
the finest Short-Horn cattle, and other
stock, that have been offered in the
State. It will indeed be a choice lot of
stock, and the stock interests of Indiana
should see that not one drop of this fine
blood leaves the State. We need it all,
and much more, with which to improve
our stock, and we urge the farmers of
Indiana to arrance not only to attend
this, and the other stock sales, but to be
ready to carry off a prize, and if they
have not already done so, begin this
year to improve their stock.
The fine stock sale of Charles Lowder,
of Plainfleld, as already announced, will
take place the 27th of May, the day before that of S. Meredith & Son. These
herds are both superb, and we trust that
Indiana farmers will see that Indiana
retains them all.
ladjaaa, Fagme, Family.
Onr Portal Card Corr«spo_d<
For the Indiana Farmer.
SPRING CARE OF STOCK.
the
thc
I have always found thc spring
most critical season of the year in
management of domestic animals. While
tho weather is cold and the earth frozen,
stock will eat with a relish dry fodder
and keep in strong, healthy condition,
but in the warm days of spring time they
experience a lassitude, incident to mankind, and with the taste of the fresh
herbage lose their appetites for hay and
fall away in flesh. To avert this decline
in spring, has been my Btudy for years,
and the following has proven with me
the best mode of management;
Work horses I keep in the stable until
the crops are all in thc ground, feeding
oats twice a day and the best timothy
hay, putting up a few tons for this purpose every summer. Corn as a grain
feed I find too heating for warm
weather, and clover hay does not give the
strength of nerve and vitality that timothy furnishes. Of course when the seeding 6eason is over, grass has a good start,
but 1 am always careful about letting
the horses out so as to make an abrupt
and entire change, I cut grass and feed
in the stable for a few days or until the
system has been relaxed and then let
the horses out; this averts colic and
other troubles. Colts and brood mares
may be turned out early but should have
a little grain once a day, say in the morning, and hay at night until they get a
fill of grass.
Milch cows require special care at this
time. If they are not coming in at present one quart of corn meal per day
should be given to keep up the flesh, and
after they are in milk three pints of oat
meal or four quarts of wheat bran per
day. Corn I have found to contain the
greatest per cent, of flesh forming elements of any grain, and oat meal and
wheat bran most excellent milk producers. I _o not feed the grain dry in
any case, but cut the hay, 'brine it
slightly, and apply the meal. Feed of
this kind will take cows through the
spring in good heart and flesh, if they
have been properly cared for during
winter; Corn meal upon cut feed for
young'stock is a paying investment and
should be given during the months of
March and April; a pint of the grain per
day is sufficient for steers and heifers,
and half that quantity of calves.
Sheep will pick their living from the
earth in early spring before any other of
the farm stock, and will therefore be the
first to undergo a change in condition
from a change of food. Where the flock
is not large and a yard can be made in a
dry locality, with pure water in supply,
and good shedding provided, it is the
better way not to allow sheep to run at
large until the cold storms are over and
grass has got a good start, but in any
case it pays well to select out the weaklings of the flock and give them extra
care and protection. Corn as a feed for
sheep in the spring I do not like. But
have found oats most excellent, and
especially for ewes that are suckling
young.
From the foregoing brief statements
it may be correctly inferred that   I be
lieve in feeding tho greater part of the
grain given to stock during the year, in
tho spring months. My experience has
taught me that good bright hay for all
stock, other than milch cows giving milk,
aud horses kept at work, with good care
is sufficient during winter (except perhaps old animals or those who Went into
winter quarters thin in flesh) and that
the grain should be given as a spring
start off, and to bridge over the period
between hay and grass.
Timothy Hav, Jb.
HOGS AND COAL.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
As thero is doubtless many farmers
who lose considerable each year by their
fattening kogs eating dirt. I will give
them a remedy which is very simple;
but first I will give an example of what
a difference eating dirt makes. Last
fall I knew a man who had two lots of
hogs bought that he had to feed fourteen days before they went off. The
first lot weighed two hundred and fifty
pounds; the second three hundred and
six. The first lot eat dirt considerably;
the second did not. The result was, the
first lot gained nothing, while the second
gained thirty-one pounds. Now the
remedy is to supply them with plenty of
finely beaten stone coal. This they will
eat as if it were hickorynuts or walnuts.
I know a man that goes to the coal mine
and gets a load of fine coal, and throws
it in his hog bt whenever he is feeding
a lot of hogs for market. What it contains that nature requires I cannot say,
but I know I have seen them leave com
to eat where it was fresh thrown in their
lot. Plow-Boy.
For the Indiana Farmer.
THE SHEEP AND DOG QUESTION.
Princeton, Gibson Co., Feb. 22d.
At a meeting of the farmer's portion
of the Legislature, and members of State
Board of Agriculture, February 9th, a
discussion was had on the subject of taxing dogs. A controversy arose between
R. Mitchell and the Hon. Member ofthe
Legislature form Gibson county, and
champion of dog's rights. The Journal
said the matter could never be set at
rest until a commission was appointed to
decide which was right. Let the figures
as taken from the books of the Auditor
of Gibson county, reported by the township trustees, settle the dispute
is pretty good work on .the part of the
dogs. They could have shown a much
larger slaughter, but one half of the
farmers have quit trying to grow wool,
thereby lessening their number to operate on one half. Several of the township trustees state that fully one half of
the sheep killed by the dogs are not reported for payment, for the reason that
the owners not seeing the dogs do thc
work of killing, won't make oath to that
effect, as required by law.
The farmers of Gibson county have
been forced to acccept doe markets for
sheep costing them $20 00 per head,
numbers of which are the improved
breeds.
A number of gentlemen present at the
meeting referred to, spoke of sending
orders to Gibson county for a "purp" of
our breed of dogs. The facts are before
you now. We'll sell one thousand cheap.
Send on your orders; they are fat and
will make good sausage. R. 31.
For the Indiana Farmer.
WHAT FARMING REQUIRES.
"Sowin' Wheat, Sah."
"Don't put all your eggs in one
basket" is an old but wise adage, that
farmers would do well to bear in mind
when pitching their crops this spring.
Wc clip a good illustration on this point
from the Brownsville Democrat:
"Every knowing African to whom we
address the inquiry, 'Are you going to
plant cotton this year?' shakes_ hishead
and replies: 'No, sah; not dis time—
sowin' wheat.' How natural it sounds.
One year everybody plants cotton but
one man, and he sows wheat. The cotton crop fails, and the wheat yields
splendidly. The next year they all sow
wheat and he plants cotton. The wheat
crop fails and the cotton is good. Then
the universal cry is: 'No use in farming; the crops always fail!/ Even so;
and just so long as you insist on planting one crop at a time, just so long will
crops continue to fail. Why not divide
your crops, sow a little wheat, a little
oats, plant a little corn, and a little cotton; then, if one fails, you can subsist
upon the others. It is a rare season, indeed, when no crop yields well."
Sheepkllled
by Dogs.
Paid for.
Montgomery 1
townsb
ip   08
$136 00
Patoka
168
344 00
Columbia
IS
33
000 00
Centre
Si
110
000 00
Washington
ts
70
141 00
White River
St
149
298 00
Bartin
tl
182
365 00
Wabash
tt
17
34 00
Johnston
tf
183
367 00
9S0 $1,685 00
980 at $2 per head, $1,960 00.
The member stated that his township
(Johnston) had 335 dogs; the numberof
sheep killed in his township averages
half a sheep and a fraction over to each
dog, during the past year, yet this sage
of wisdom knows nothing about it. This
The difference in soils is the great perplexity with farmers, and well it may be,
as every soil must be first tested before
its capacity can be known. Science has
to do only with general principles.
There are rules given for a clay soil;
also for a sandy, and the varieties between. But the full capacity of the soil
and its treatment must be learned by
working the soil, a'nd taking, accurate
note of all that is done and its results;
this tested for years, making allowance
for the varieties of the seasons. In this
way each man makes his own Science—
the science that applies to his land. We
see this thing so extensively demonstrated that there can be no mistaking it
Hence the inability of our agricultural
schools to meet the wants of the farmer
They lack in one or two important elements—the practical part,—in other
words, learning the trade. Connected
with this is the necessity of taking
charge of the farm; there must be independent, self-action; the man must be
thrown upon his own resources to carry
out what he undertakes. He must not
only feel interest, but the responsibility
of ownership. This is the practical part,
and what the schools never can teach.
There is, therefore, much to be done;
the most on the farm itself. A theoretical, a practical and an interested knowledge—these three must go together;
not one can be missing, and full success
hoped for. When all are present, and
thoroughly applied, there can be no
failure; as soon have the laws of nature
fail, and they are immutable. Accidents
may interfere and retard, but they cannot change principles. Storms and floods
may damage, and blight and insects destroy; the man may become physically
or mentally disabled, or may die. These
are. but incidents, and reach not the principles of successful farming. Incidents
are common to all trades and departments of life. But they are comparatively of little significance, and are but
the exceptions, while the rule holds
good. There is therefore everything to
encourage the man who resolutely sets
about to do his work. F. G.
Pork Packing in Cincinnati.
The official report of Col. Sidney D.
Maxwell, the Superintendent of the
Chamber of Commerce, on pork-packing
in Cincinnati, for the season of 1874-5,
was made public to-day. The total number of hogs cut this season is 540,344, a
decrease of 40,919 from the previous season. The aggregate gross weight is 150,-
346,488 pounds, a decrease from the previous season of 12,841,527 pounds. Average gross weight per head, 2781 pounds
a decrease of 2J pounds. Aggregate
yield of lard from head, guts and trimmings, 22,571,799 pounds.
Hogs Killed in Indianapolis.
The following is a comparative statement of the number killed in 1873-4:
1873—SUMMEH AUD WINTEK PACKIKG.
Killed, summer - 259,863
Killed, winter 399,766
Average net weight, lbs      312
Average yield Lard, lbs        34
Average price  fl £0
1874- -SUMMER AHD WIXTKR PACKIBO.
Killed, summer .'. 204,426
Killed, winter Z78;i39
Average net weight, lbs      203
Average yield Lard, lbs        32
Average price-   SO 00
 s    t     I
Pork-Packing in St. Lonis.
In the absence of official returns of
hog-packing this season, the following
estimates are made, which, it is believed,
will approximate closely to the business
done: Number packed, 461,947; last
year, 463,763; average weight, 238
pounds; last year, 261 pounds. Lard,
per hog, 34 pounds, which does not include November, when hogs were light;
last year, 34} pounds.
 a    a»    a	
Corn Crop.—The following shows
the corn crop and average price in the
past seven years:
Year. Bushels. Average Price.
1808  900,000,000  ...62c
1869  874,000,000 75c
1870 1,091,000,000 54c
1871     991,000,000 48c
1S72 _, 1,092,009,000 39c
187.?       932000,000 4Sc
1874    854,000,000 65c
INQUIRIES.
Permit me to ask through the columns of
your valuable paper if there are any of jour
readers raising the American Sweet Chestnuts? If so, I wonld like for some one to give a
full description of its growth and bearing qualities. Also, ls anyone raising Downing's Everbearing Mulberry? Also the new American
Mulberry, recommended to be a good bearer. I
should like to know something about them before purchasing. J. Stover.
Underdraining.
Will some ofthe readers of your paper please
inform me of the best method of putting lumber In nnderdratn?
We have had some very cold weather. Ice
in White River was 2S Inches thick. Wheat
looks bad. Q.W.C.
ORANGE COUNTY.
Weather very cold. Feed of all kinds ls very
scarce and sells high. The prospect for a wheat
crop ls the poorest it has been for several yeirs.
Stock hogs scarce. Cattle are in a poor condition. Q. -vv. m.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
Wheat looks well.  The farmers of this county are fully awake to their interests and will
look after them in the future. Mace.
SPENCER   COUNTY.
Wheat is badly frozen.   Grangers are SO per
cent, above par. J. w. I.
RURH COUNTY.
Wheat looks bad.  Cattle, horses and hogs are
plenty.   Farmers are in good spirits. S.
RIPLEY COUNTY.
We havo had a very cold  winter.    Wheat
looks bad.   Stock hogs scarce.  Feed ls scarce.
J. W. N".
WAYNE COUNTY.
I haqe prepared my dirt or earth boxes for
planting my early tomato and other seeds. I
make boxes 10 inches wide, 20 Inches long and
4 Inches deep. I then fill with woods dirt and
keep in thc house near the stove for 4 or 5 days.
I then sow the seed in drills, and as soon as I
get my hotbed I set the boxes ln it. In this
way I get plants early witli but little trouble.
E. P. ty.
OWEN COUNTY.
Wheat Is looking bad.   Cattle and sheep are
looking well.   Hogs are dying with cholera.
Coinvery plenty.  Grangers are growing ln
numbers. j. w. A.
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY.
Wheat looks bad.   Potatoes nearly all frozen.
J. B.
HAMILTON COUNTY.
Wheat looks bad. Stock hogs scarce. Tell "J.
A. M." that the time for sowing grass and
clover seed is the last half of February and the
first half of March. For hay we sow equal nor-
(ions. j. d.
WAYNE COUNTY.
"A. M." asks a cure for bleeding warts on
horses. I have always succeeded by the dally
use of pine tar.
Wheat looks poor. Stock is in good condition.  Stock hogs scarce. V. It.
WABASH COUNTY.
Wheat generally looks well, lt is damaged
some on clay soli. Stock shows better keeping
than usual. Farmers are more hopeful. The
"Pay as you go" card of the merchant, being
taken In earnest by the husbandman, is working wondrous results in our financial affairs.
Farmers, let us labor diligently for our cause,
and ere long even such companies as manufacture the OllverChllled Plow will beat our feet
asking for peace. Several of our council members thought of ordering one ot their plows, but
now—well, I shall not say what, but they are
talking seriously of Iitying by what Oliver
plows they have, or selling them at Grange
prices to those who want them. H. C.
TOLLAND COUNTY, CONN.
February 25.
Have had some very cold weather. Apples
and potatoes badly frozen. Water scarce.
Pork is worth from 9 to 11 cents per pound. Apples are selling at S1.50 per barrel. Stock Is
looking moderately well. w. H. Y.
UNION COUNTY.
March 1.
We prize this department of your paper, and
as no one has reported from this part of the
county, I hare thought well to send you a few
items.
The winter has been unusually cold; the mean
temperature at sunrise, for January, was 15%°,
and for February 15%°. This we think wholly
iinprecedented in this locality. But, notwithstanding the excessive and long continued cold,
stock of all kinds that has been properly fed is
looking better than usual, owing no doubt to
the uniformity ol the weather and the absence
of rain and snow storms.
Fat hogs all sold. Stock hogs good bnt not
plentiful. Wheat and corn crops of 1874 were
good. The wheat crop was above the average.
Prospect for the growing wheat 'crop is rather
gloomy. B. F. Brookbakk.
The Madison Courier, of Monday,
says: " Biver men say that the Ohio
rose fifteen feet from 10 o'clock Saturday
morning until 10 o'clock Sunday morning. About twelve feet more will bring
the water to the street. The rate of
rising this morning was two inches an
hour, and rather less this afternoon.
Scores of people are catching driftwood
on the bans.'
—■     a   sa>    a   	
The officers of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company announce that
on and March 3d they will reduce the
fare from New York to Columbus from
$17.50 to $1.25; to Zanesville, from $16.50
to $15.25, and to Indianapolis, from $21
to Slg.25.
•Alfalfa" is Lucem.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
When you insert articles on " Alfalfa,
or Chili Clover," please mention that it
is Lucern of the books, then reading
farmers will not be misled by the glowing accounts sometimes given of it in
California letters and papers.
M. B. B.
 —_,  ,
A weather prophet of Terre Haute'
predicts that the lower Wabash valley j
this spring will be subjected to the great-^
est overflow ever witnessed in the West, |
and further predicts that not a bushel of|
corn will be raised in the bottoms.