Ctfy Library
Vol. X.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, JULY 24th, 1875.
No. 29.
IdYe Stock..
Some Fine Sheep.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
I have a small flock of sheep of 21
head. The yield of wool I think is
pretty hard to beat. This Bock of 21
head sheared 223 lbs. of clear wool, a
fraction over 10} lbs. eaoh; 5 of the
flock were lambs. They beat anything
I have seen published in the Farmer
yet. The five head of lambs sheared 72
lbs. of wool, averaging 14 2-5 lbs. each.
One of these lambs is a buck, a cross of
Cottswold and Leicester. He yielded 20
lbs. of clear wool. Who can beat it ?
■■> ' Isiah Fletchall.
Poseyville, Ind.
To Make Old Horses Appear Well.
The horse is often prevented from
throwing his weight into the collar, by a
tight check-rein—& useless and painful
incumbrance introduced by vanity, and
retained by thoughtlessness amounting
to cruelty. Ask horse-keepers why they
use it, and hardly any one will give the
same answer, though it is supposed by
them to be a great safe-guard against
stumbling. The real object with which
it was introdued was, to make every
horse to which it was applied, however
weak, or old, or poor, assume the lofty
carriage of the thoroughbred horse; and
the tossing of the head, the foaming at
the mouth, and, the restless ^agitation of
the body (mute, but expressive signs of
pain and suffering) came, in a little
while, not only to be disregarded, but
even looked at with approbation. Fortunately, this vitiated taste is rapidly going out of fashion as better information
is diffused. Few of the London cab-
drivers use check-reins, knowing them to
be inconsistent with, proper work; and
when one is observed, it will invariably
be found to be on some poor animal,
whose wearied and haggard appearance
is attempted to be disguised by this implement of torture—American °*--7-
Journal.
VISIT TO
SOME FINE
STOCK.
KENTUCKY
Stock
For the Indiana Farmer.     .
CATTLE BREEDING FOR THE BUTTER DAIRY.
The investigation which I have  made
in relation to the breeding of dairy  cattle   shows,    that    the    ring-streaked,
speckled, and spotted, filled all   the requirements  of   Jacob's  contract   with
Laban, as to color, and were the perfect
milk-giving kinds.   Gen. 31, 11 and 12,
is a notification to Jacob   of the  introduction to the herd of the grizzled colored bull.   The  circumstances attending this notification gives prominence to
the grizzled the speciality, (not  in fulfillment    of   the  contract),   therefore
makes a material peint in the history of
the butter making cattle.  Animals when
created  were  perfect, bringing fourth
their kind, Gen. 1, 24 and 25.   Circumstances transpired whieh caused the delivery of the desirable animals int.   the
hands of man, and diversions, or irregularities were made in breeding, yet the
more careful breeders of the beef cattle
of this age claim  that   "like produces
like." which is sufficient for the purpose
of showing that the pure blooded cattle
of   the Channel     Islands,    Alderney,
Guernsey, Jersey, etc., the best butter-
making cattle in the world are   the descendants of that grizzled bull to which
the Angel called Jacob's especial atten-
tention.   That the grizzled bull was the
getter of   the   butter-making  stock   is
shown by .their   resemblance   in color,
and clearly established by the  fact that
after his appearance in the herd, butter
is spoken of as an article of  food  and
classed    as    a   delicacy, Deut. 32,14.
Much importance appears to have been
attached to the breeding of cattle. Laws
were promulgated regulating the transaction, Levt. 19,19; and at the  present
time it is important to# the  successful
breeder, that his selection  of breeders
should be stock of the highest merit of
its kind, (butter, beef, or milk stock) in
devoting his qualification to the promotion of greater merit, he succeeds in attaining perfection by avoiding  the gendering of diverse kinds, or  inter-breeding hybrids, and imitate  hatural herds
in the killing of all   members that  are
not constituted for  the  improving  of
their kind, in accordance with the standard of merit adopted to _ mark  progress.
This progress to perfection is in reality
nothing more than the slow but certain
return of blood to the strains of purity.
After many ages of contamination, demonstrating to man that he adds   no   material to this earth by his work, or merit
to the tattle therein, by  his scientific,
or fashionable breeding, "so called."
John B. Poyntz.
Maysville, Ky.
Editor Indiana Farmer :
In company with Mr. Morris McDonald of this city, and Mr. Lumler of Indianapolis, we visited Lexington, Ky.,-
during the recent sales of thoroughbred
stock, and thinking that what we saw
and the deductions therefrom, might be
of some interest to your many intelligent
readers, we conclude to give you a brief
account of our visit.
The first place of importance visited
after a night's rest at the Pccnix Hotel,
was the famous
WOODBURN  FARM,
owned by Mr. A. J. Alexander, on the
day of his annual . sale. Arriving an
hour or so in advance of the time of
sale, we hastened to make a tour of observation through his stables. The first
object engaging our attention was, of
course, the King of the turf—the world-
renouned Lexington—since dead. We
viewed the old monarch with much interest as he stood in his box stall, 26
years old, blind, ruptured, goitered, and
suffering intensely from nasal oatarrh—
from the effects of which he was actually dying—standing on the very brink of
eternity, he showed himself a racer of
royal blood, with legs as clean and fine
as a three year old. Near him was
stalled
IMPORTED AUSTRALIAN,
a magnificent chestnut colored horse,
whose reputation is gaining, only second
to Lexington in the estimation of the
breeding public. Then we passed on to
Planet, a horse compactly built, indicating both power and speed; following
him, Asteroid, son of Lexington, and to
our liking a finer horse than the sire,
was led out. He is certainly perfection
in appearance, and destined, since the
'death of his distinguished sire, to become in active demand by those seeking
Lexington's blood. Before leaving the
thoroughbred stable, we paid a passing
glance . at Imported Glen Athol, a
horse whose fame, as'yet, depends principally upon his royal descent—-sired by
Blair Athol, to English turf what Lexington has been to American.
We next visited the trotting steed,
and saw Woodford Membrino, Belmont,
and Indianapolis, all horses of high
breeding and great individual merit, and
the last named, if in _ keeping with his
name, destined to eclipse the world.
The hour of sale having arrived, we
hastened to the grove and witnessed the
sale of Mr. Alexander's'' yearling thoroughbreds, at an average of nearly $1,-
000 each ; ranging from $130 to $4,000;
the highest price paid for a single   colt.
After the sale was over, and we had
done honor to Mr. Alexander's hospitable repast, we visited the farm of
DAN. SWIGKRT,
owner, the model stock, farm df the
State. Upon it he has collected some of
the best strains of running blood, and
the sale of his colts, grass feed only, and
just out of the colt distemper—some of
them not yet well, amply attest the value
attaehed to his breeding; two of his
yearling fillies selling for $1,800 each.
At the head of his stables stands Monarchist, one of Lexington's best produce, Imported Glensly, and Melbourn,
all three of great personal merit, and
each boasting of royal ancestry, second
to few, if any horses in the county.
On our return to Lexington we took
in the breeding establishment of Gen.
Wither's, and saw Almont, Administrator and Post's Hambletonian, all horses
of national fame. From here • we returned to the city where we fell into the
keeping of Judge Mulligan, not as culprits before his court, but as gentlemen
enjoying his cleverness and hospitality,
and by him cenducted to his nice residence near the city, and one by the way,
displaying more architectural taste than
any house we faw, and from thence to
the beautiful
near Spring Station, and for some two
or three hours enjoyed the genial hospitality of Mr. Swigert, and fell greatly
in love with his_ farm, which we regard
as the most desirable, as a place of residence, of any farm we have seen in the
State.. Mr. Swigart is a breeder of thoroughbred horses, Shetland Ponies and
Jerysey cattle, and has some very fine
specimens of such variety of stock; and
having formerly been the manager of
Mr. Alexander's farm, has had great experience in breeding stock,. and enjoys
a very extensive acquaintance with the
breeders of the country.
We took the evening train for Lexington, and after refreshing ourselves with
a night's rest at the Phoenix, we chartered a carriage and driver, and at an
early hour visited the stock(farm of Dr.
Herr adjoining the city. Here we called
for Membrino Pachen» and was soon
gratified by having him trotted out. He
is a fine horse for a trotter, showing
much style, as well as action. The Dr.
then exhibited Bothchilds, son of Membrino Pachen—a large gray horse of
much style and great promise ; we then
saw Membrino King, one of the finest
three year olds we have seen, and was
shown what the Doctor regards as the
coming mare,
GIRL E. QUEEN.
We next visited the steed of Gen.
Muckel adjainipg Ashland, and had the
pleasure of seeing the two noted New
York horses. Honest Allen and Geo.
Wilkes, and also the four year old trotting mare Girlie, that trotted last fall at
a 3 year old, in 2.36. She has wonderful depth in shoulders and looks as if
she could fly if she had wings. Leaving this farm we took the Paris turnpike road for Gen. W. M. Sandford's,
arriving there in time to witness the
sale of nis thoroughbred yearlings. Mr.
Sandford is a New Yorker, and has fixed
his farm up after Northern style, using
much taste and incurring great expense
in givinc it the appearance of neatness
and thrift. It is certainly destined to
become, in   the  hands   of   its  present
COUNTRY   RESIDENCE
of Judge Kinkaid, where we saw one of
the cleverest gentlemen of the State, and
some fine trotting horses, mostly the get
of Thaloba, and some fine Jersey cattle
descendants from the Ilarrodsburgh importation.
On returning to Lexington, a little
time still given us, we drove through
the cemetery, a most beautifullyselected
spot, as an honored resting place for its
distinguished occupants. The first object attracting the attention of a stranger here, is the monument of Kentucky's
statesman—Henry Clay. There are many
other distinguished men burried here..
Judge Headington, a jurist of distinction j^David- A. Sayre, Philanthropist—
uncle to Dr. Sayre, distinguished surgeon of New York. City; Dr. Elishu
Warfield, head of the very extensive
family of Warfield's in and around Lexington ; breeder ofthe' famous horse
Lexingto'n, and father of turf sports in
Kentucky; Gen. John C. Breckenridge,
and many others whose names we can
not now recall. ..        r .
Somewhat" exhausted from our days
meanderings we returned to the hotel,
and having eaten heartily our evening
meal, took our seats in front of the
Phoenix, to listen to the horse talk and
see the fine horses fhat are paraded in
front of the hotels during the the evening hours. Lexington claims to be the
center of ,
THE HORSE WORLD,
just as Indianapolis claims to be the
railroad center.of the universe, and
while there are certain uninformed individuals who are skeptical enough to dispute the claims of each, we are not of
that number.
Certainly, to be at Lexington during
the sale season, one hears but little else
than horse talk, and high-sounding-pedigrees; boasting of peculiar strains of
superior blood, almost leading one to believe that in these peculiar strains, these
entail some new element of organic
matter, not.common animal blood, coure-
ing its way in some other corpuscle, neither white nor red—a running corpuscle,
pr trotting corpuscle if you please. Ln
spite, however, of all the exaggerations
of the great merit of peculiar breeds,
gifted with characteristic gaits, as trotters or runners, there has nevertheless
been a wonderful improvement in the
style, speed and endurance of the noble
animal since the days when the great
Messiah was content to ride the miserable donkey through the streets of the
principal city of the world.
Lexington is beautifully located, but
has the appearance of a. finished city,
whose inhabitants entertain a deep seated
prejudice against either putting new
wine into old bottles, or spreading new
paint on old houses, and it is certainly an
inland city, depending upon the surrounding country for its support. The
country surrounding it is really beautiful,—an undulating surface, sufficient to
break the monotonyof a level landscape,
and still not disturb the farming utility
of the land. The soil is a stiff red clay
on a limestone foundation—such as is
never errecoverably exhausted, while
there is any soil above the stone; but no
better in my judgment than many sections ia our own State,
NOT EVEN FOR THE PRODUCTION OP
BLUE GRASS,
as is generally believed. The wheat is
not good, being small in head; the oats
short, but barley, corn and hemp, we
think very fine.
The main feature of this country is
its stock-growing interest, and such is |
the state of its development as to place
within the ^bounds of reason,
the claims of Kentucky as the great center of blooded stock in America. And
why ? I havesaid that I do not regard
her soil, even in the famous blue grass
counties, better than can be found in a
like number of the best counties in our
own State, not even for the production
of blue grass; wherein there lies their
great success as stock growers? Unquestionably in the same manner in
which success has been, attained in all
the great undertakings in life, . methodical business habits, pursued with a < singleness of purpose for a series of years,
by intelligent, faithful and persevering
men. Kentuckians have* learned the
lesson long since, to which Indianains
are just now awakening, that it does not
pay to breed and raise an animal on land
worth $100 per acre, whose market value
at maturity is $80 and whose cost of
raising was at least $100, counting feed,
labor and taxes, to say nothingabout the
interest on money invested in the land.
So thoroughly have they learned this,
that Lexington has within its immediate
vicinity all the noted stallions whose
names we have mentioned, anil as many
more that we did not see, whose service
brings from $50 to $200, for the season
ofa single mare, and all full of business.
Almont stands at $150, and has some
one hundred and five mares this season
—a year of great financial embarassment
—earning an
INCOME TO HIS OWNER OP $15,750.
Membrino Pachen stands at $200,
and has made his owner a fortune;
while the service of some choice bulls
in that section commands from $100 to
$200 for a single cow, and some boars
$59.. What do you think of such things
Indiana farmers ? You are incredulous,
think it all gammon, don't believe it.
That may be your way of meeting it,
and so long as you do, Kentuckians will
enjoy their monopoly, and furnish the
few enterprising men of our State such
stock as we don't raise, at fabulous
prices, while you continue to breed to
$G horses, and $1 bulls, and sell $80
horses and $25 cows.
All men can't go into fine stock raising, certainly not, and we do not recommend it, but all men raising stock at all,
can, and should strive every year to raise
better stock than they did the previous
year, and study to know how to do it in
the most effectual way, and at the least
possible outlay. We believe that any
man who is disgusted with the occupation of farming, as unremunerative
should visit these districts cultivated by
intelligent men, and Jearn for once that
farming and brains are not incompatible as some appear to think.
D. W. Voyles.
New Albany, Ind.
GLEANINGS.
THE AGE TO KILL SHORT-HORNS.
The early maturity of animals designed for slaughter has been for many
years one of the chief aims of breeders,
and they have accomplished results really astounding to those only familiar with
ordinary stock. This is especially true
of Short-Horns in England, though possibly as good results may be shown by
American breeders. At a recent sale in
Englaid a list of 18,115 and 11 months'
beeves was sold at prices which returned
a larger rate per week than any longer
keep could have done. The London
(Eng.) Agrcultural Gazette, in commenting on this subject, says:
"It appears from the above that any
kindly, well-bred Short-Horn fattened
from birth on the plan now rapidly extending in Sussex and Surry will return
7s. a week at from 13 to 18 months old;
and a fair inference from facts presented
is that bullocks fattened from birth in
barns or yards should be killed at less
than two years old, since they will hardly continue to grow and make flesh in
the same proportion when they have been
highly fed for 18 to 20 months. The
young bullocks usually turn out exceedingly weighty and full of fat."
The difficulty with most eommon breeds
would be to fatten at so early an age.
The large, coarse cattle from Texas are
never fattened under three years, and
sometimes not till four or five years old.
Here is a clear waste of one or two years'
keeping to produce the same amount of
beef. In Texas, however, what is lost in
time is saved in cost of keeping; but this
rule only applies where large, grassy
plains furnish abundant feed at slight
cost. Another advantage of the Texas
breeder is the undoubted hardiness of
his stock. The attempt to breed for fat
and early maturity tends to injure the
constitution, at least so far as to impair
the breeding capacity of stock. Still,
the advantage of early maturity, is so
great that the improved breeds will continue to be in increasing demand wherever cattle are fed and cared for rather
than herded.—Moore's Rural.
The Colorado potato beetle has reached
Vrcmont, and seems to like the country
of the Green Mountains quite as well as
that of the Rocky Mountains.
It is estimated that the three leading
products of California will, during the
present year, foot up as follows: Wool,
50,000,000 pounds; wine, 10,000,000 gallons; wheat, 45,000,000 bushels.
Cut worms have been making havoc of
the growing corn in Madison county, O.,
on sod laud, and many farmers have had
to replant entire fields. Wire worms
have also done some damage.
In one of the French departments
there is a "Society for the Protection of
Birds useful to the Farmer." All nests
found are reported to the society and
protected by it. In the past year the
society protected 214 nests, from which
came 904 birds.
The farmers in California are sore
troubled, not with locusts and potato
bugs, but wifh squirrels. They exist in
some portions of the State in such numbers as to destroy all the cultivated
crops. It is proposed to tax the property
of non-residents to get a fund to exterminate them. &
The decrease in tobacco culture in the
Connecticut Valley has caused the price
ot manure to decline from $10 to $15 per
cord to $7 or $8. This reduction in price
gives ordinary farmers a chance, and will
be a good thing for Connecticut farms.
A correspondent of The Fruit Recorder
says that the following is a sure preventive of injury to vines by squash or cucumber bugs and beetles: One pound of
land plaster, and one tablespoonful of
turpentine, mixed and sprin_led on the
vines at any time when insects are on
them.
A correspondent of The Pacific Rural
Press writes, "Every land owner is obliged to send into court yearly 100 grass-
I hoppers (dead ones) to each acre of land
owned by him; say, if John Smith owns
I ten acres of farming land, he is to bring
on the lst of August in the court 1,000
dead hoppers, and for every short one he
is fined five cents. The poor classes are
engaged in catching the hoppers, beginning in May, and selling them on the
market, where they .average about two
cents apiece, thus giving an opportunity
for farmers to buy them in case they fail
to fulfill their taxes on them. No farmer
is allowed for hoppers not on his own
land.
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Franklin,   is
HASTENING GERMINATION.
Origin of Fowls and Vegetables.
To Asia, and probably India, where
wild chickens yet abound under the designation of jungle fowl, the English owe
their domestic poultry. The distribution of this useful bird is strangely
irregular. Throughout the negro kingdoms of West Africa, for instance, fowls
are plentiful, while, in more civilized
Abyssinia and Arabia they are comparatively scarce. Persia abounds in poultry, while in Turkey few domestic birds,
except the sacred pigeons, are to bn seen.
To Asia, too, belong the fallow deer and
gorgeous peacock, while to her, we owe
all our vegetables, with the brilliant
exception of the potato. It is impossible to conceive the poverty, so far as
vegetables were concerned, of the England that passed under the sway of Norman and Angevine kings.— Cor. Country
Gentleman.
Germination is sometimes so slow as
to allow the weeds to get the start of
many kinds of plants, and make additional labor to the cultivator. Looking
to a means of "obviating this, we find the
following experiments reported from the
Dpeartment of Agriculture :
M. Heckel has made some experiments
in the germination of seeds, in order to
notice the effect of different chemical
compounds. He placed the seeds between sheets of blotting-pad, and treated
them with the several compounds, as
follows:
1. He sprinkled one-half grain of
finely pulverized camphor between the
sheets.     <•
2. Bromide of camphor one-half
grain, in the same condition and a similar manner.
3. One-half grain bromine water, and
an equal quantity of pulverized camphor.
4. Bromine water alone.
5. Bromide of potassium, finely pulverized.
6. Chlorine water..
7. Solution of iodine.
Under normal conditions, seven to
eight days were required for germination. With the application of the different substances named, the time of
germination was as follows: Bromide
of camphor, 36 hours ; camphor, 4 to 5
days; camphor and bromine water, first
time,30hours; second time, 26 hours;
third time, 36 hours; bromide of potassium, no effect; iodine, 5 days ; bromine,
3 days; chlorine, 2 days. > .
Since the effect of bromide of camphor
is so much more marked than that of its
constituents acting singly, it is evident
that in its action it suffers no decomposition. It should further be remembered that it acts without being dissolved, and the author therefore con-
eiders that the influence is due to the
volatilization of the compounds. He
further experimented upon the influence
of the alkaline borates and silicates in
small quantities, and found that sueh
slight application as 250 milligrams in 20
grams water retarded germination from
one to three days, and that, when the
application was made somewhat stronger,
600 milligrams in 20 grams water, the
phenomenon was suspended. He also
found that arsenous acid and the soluble
arseniates arrest germination, and destroy germination when applied in so
small a quantitiy as 256 milligrams in 90
grams water.
Gold $1 131.
The widow of Sir John
dead.
The wheat is well cut in the southern
part of the State.
A new census of this city, is proposed.
A very proper move.
The potato crop in Boone county
promises to be very large.
Hay of the new crop is sold at $9 per
ton in Petersburgh, Ind.
Clay county is going to erect a $10,000
County Poor Asylum.
School lands sold recently in Posey
county, Ind., for $44 per acre.
The blackberry crop in the Greenview
bottoms is said to be enormous.
The Tippecanoe County Agricultural
Society offer.$7,000 in cash premiums.
The hay crop in Wabash and White
counties, 111., is reported above an average.
The sale of the Wabash and Erie Canal of Indiana, has been ordered by
Judge Drummond, of the U. S. District
Court.
Prof. Tice's weather predictions have   '
held good in most instances so far, this
summer.
Kokomo, Ind., expects her improvements the present season to foot up
$270,000.
Paoli, Orange county, Ind., has no
liquor shops. Happy people! Temperate Paoli.
Many of the whisky distillers of St.
Louis, have been indicted for frauds on
the revenue.
The several licenses required to sell
liquor in Edinburg, Ind., costs the
saloon man $225.
The transfers of real estate in this
city for the week ending Saturday last,
amounted to $573,260.22.
All gambling arrangements and apparatus' will be excluded from the Bridg-
ton, Ind., Fair.   This is right.
Crops of all kinds in Dacota Territory are abundant. The yield of' wheat
is put at 7,000,000 bushels.     .
The Rockport Republican, estimates
that the losses in Spencer county, by the
late heavy rains, at $100,000,
The Henry county. Agricultural Society offers $2,800 in premiums. The
Fair will begin August 24.
Laporte Herald: "There are 80 acres
of cucumbers planted in the vicinity of
Rolling Prairie, for seed."
The temperance people of Illinois,
will meet in State Convention, at Pana,
on Wednesday, Aug. 4th and 5th.
The Northwestern Indiana M. E.
Conference will be held at Valparaiso,
on the 27th, 28th and 29th of the present month.
Bank notes and checks to the amount
of $7,000, were found in a vacant house
ia Fort Wayne, the other day, by a
family who moved in.
The Vandalia Railroad Express robbers and murderers, wore steel armor
masks and breast plates—which was
manufactured in this city.
A Mr. R. Hawkins, of Spencer county, has been greatly damaged by the late
heavy rains. He loses much of his
crop by its being drowned out.
Statistics of the Globe.
The earth is inhabited by about 1,-
300,000,000 of inhabitants, namely, 360,-
000,000 of the Caucasian race; 550,000,000
of  the Mongolian;  190,000,000 of the
Ethiopian:  200,000,000  of   the   Malay
races;   and   1,000,000 of the American
Indian.   All these   respectively   speak
3,064 languages, and possess 1,000 different religions.   The amount  of  deaths
§er annum   is 33,333,333, or 91,954 per
ay, 3,730 per hour, 60 per minute, or
one per second.   This, loss is more than
compensated by the number of births.
The average duration of life throughout
the globe is 33 years.   One-fourth of its
population dies before the seventh year,
and   one-half before the   seventeenth.
Out of 10,000 persons only one reaches
his hundreth year, only one in. 500 his
eightieth, and only one in 100 his sixty-
fifth.   Married people live longer than
unmarried ones, and a tall man is likely
to live longer than a short one.   Until
the fiftieth year, women have a better
chance of life than men; but beyond that
period the chances arr equal.' Sixty-five
persons out of 1.000 marry. The months
of June and  December are   those  in
which  marriages   are . most   frequent..
Children  born in Spring are generally
stronger than those born in other   ea-
sons.   Births and deaths chieflyy  Jr in
the night.   The number of me/ .ole to
bear arms is but one-eighth y   she pop-,
ulation.   The population or ae United
States is now over 40,000,0w, of which
one-eighth   are   negroes,   with   20,000.
Indians,   and   three    times   as   many
Chinese.
&_•