^rfe^A WEEKLY JOURNAL
^         —-~ ,i.""
-*^!**t^*..2TmTm^mlm*'l&i'®**
Vol. X.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, OCTOBER 23d, 1875.
No. 42.
Uyq Stock.
Foi the Indiana Farmer.
THOROUGHBRED HOGS.
Within a few years the interest in improved hogs has muoh increased. Almost every farming neighborhood now
haa representatives of different breeds, at
least hogs claimed to be representatives
of such breeds.* We do not as often as
formerly hear such statements, as good
feed makes the best breed of hogs. The
swill pail is worth more than the breed.
It is generally admitted now that some
breeds of. hogs are better than others,
irrespective of their fatness, and I claim
that the Poland China hog has generally
given better satisfaction than any other
breed. They fatten readily at any age,
and their great hardiness and general
freedom from common disease so prevalent with some other breeds mako them
popular. The l'oland China havo fine
' but strong bone, are large, combining
good points more eminently than any
other hog you can turn to pasture. Any
time after they are four months old, they
can hp kept in good condition, and even
got fat with but little other food than
good clover pasture. The great desideratum which most farmers seek to acquire
in a hog is a large amount of flesh in the
shortest time, with the smallest amount
of food.
Breeds that have nst a tendency to
fatten should not be kept at all. Better
to keep only such breeds as are known
to possess these qualities. The experiment has been thoroughly tested, and it
has always paid better to keep a well
bred hog than a breed of pigs that have
"run out." Hundreds of farmers all
over the country heartily endorse my
opinion. The Poland China are also
noted for -being the most prolific'sOws,
having generally from eight to ten pigs
at one farrowing, and being the best of
mothers, very docile and easy tamed,
renders the raising of pigs much less
hazardous and expensive than with any
other breeds. The Poland China hogs
are noted for heavy hams, shoulders,
neat head, broad back and handsome
style generally. A. W. Ross.
Muncie, Ind. ,
—.—. ■   aa   ■ —
Sugar Beets for Fattening Swine.
Jonathan Talcott gives a statement in
the Boston Cultivator of an experiment performed on Suffolk pigs where
sugar beets were largely employed for
fattening. The animal was about a year
old, and the feeding on boiled sugar
beets, tops and roots, began on the 16th
of August, and Was continued three t
times a day until the lst of October,after
whieh ground feed was given, consisting
of two parts of corn and one of oats,
three limes a day, till the animal was
slaughtered, the meal being mixed with
cold water. The result was, on the 15th
of August, when the sugar-beet feedinc
was begun, that the weight was 306
pounds; September 1, 390 pounds,
October 1,450 pounds; November 1, 520
pounds. This is the substance of the
statement given, by which we perceive
that the'increase the last of August,
when fed on boiled sugar beets, was at
the rate of two pounds per day; the rate
of-increase on the same food continued
through September. When fed on ground
corn, and oats, made into cold slop, the
gain for the next fifty days was less than
a pounJ and a half per day.
WINTERING STOCK.
L. W. Miller, in a late letter to the
New York Times, says :
Overfeeding is, perhaps, the most
serious error of wintering stock under
the old or common system. It has been
supposed that an animal would eat only
what nature requires; consequently the
general rule has been, in feeding ruminants, to give them all they would eat,
without regard to its fitness or quality.
Tn feedinglate-cut and very ripe hay, the
food constituents of whioh have in_great
part been changed into almost indigestible cellulose, it night require all, and
even more than an animal could be induced to eat, to
KEEP IT IN CONDITIO!*.
It is no uncommon occurrence, in the
experienceof stock keepers, that strong,
healthy animals lose flesh when led upon
poor hay alone in unstinted quantity.
Animals thus treated acquire the habit
of stuffing themselves very full: in fact,
they are obliged to do so in order to obtain sufficient nutriment. But change
from poor hay to that cut in the first
blossom, (the verybest time, in point of
economy, for cutting grass,) one pound
of which is worth for feeding at least two
pounds ofthat which is over-ripe; the
animal relishing it much better will cat
even more, if possible, than of thc poor
hay; consequently she may have more
than twice the nutriment she had formerly. If her digestive capacity was unlimited, so that the added nutriment
would add so much to growth or the accumulation of flesh or fat, the error
would not be so serious; but here comes
in the important fact upon which my
system of wintering stock is founded—an
absolute limit to the
DIGESTIVE CAPACITY OF TIIE ANIMAL.
If that is exceeded, there is not only
waste in proportion to the excess, but
the system becomes clogged and, in the
very nature of things, seriously deranged. But suppose that in the place
of the early Cr»t hay, we feed rowen or
aftermath, which, pound for pound, has
twice the value in food elements of the
former, (if cut when not over six or eight
inches,) and what utfcar folly to allow the
animal all it will consume of this rich
food! Some new milch cows, whose lac»
teal glands are very_ active and well developed, might possibly consume it without much waste; but it is safe to say that
not one cow in one hundred could do it.
Yet many dairymen are in the habit of
feeding their cows all they will eat the
year round, regardless of the fact that as
the flow of milk naturally decreases the
capacity ofthe lacteal glands to convert
the constituents of food into milk, milk
is diminished in proportion, and even
when the cow is dried off, they go on
feeding at the same rate, not considering
that half her digestive powers are dormant,
THE QUESTION FOR EVERY MAN
who keeps a cow to study, ia not how
much hay or grain, as the case may be,
she will eat; that is f asily determined by
placing the food before her, but how
much can she assimilate without waste?
If she has recently dropped her calf and
is giving, we will say forty pounds of
milk daily, she will require more than
twice the succulent food that would
serve her if dry; if she has been in milk,
say six months, and her flow of milk is
reduced one-half, about one-third less
will supply her wants.
For the Indiana Farmer.
A Stock Law Needed.
Posetville, Ind., Oct. 14th.
There has been a great deal said by
writers in the Farmer about the enactment of laws to protect sheep husbandry
against the ravages "of dogs. I do not
wish to-say anything for or against it at
present for I am more interested just now
for the passage of laws to prevent owners
of all male stock from allowing them to
run at large. Only those who hr ve experienced it and have tried to improve
their stock can see the disadvantage we
labor under. It is nothing strange for a
scrub bull four or fivo years old that will
weigh but little over 100 pounds to the
year, to scale our fences and make himself at home, while many of us would
like to breed our cows to improved or
thorough-bred bulls, but often are prevented from so doing by the folly of allowing the males of tho scrubiest kind to
roam all over the eou itry. The same
might bc said of hoss and sheep Suppose a man keer-s a thorough-bred boar ;
as a general thing we breed our sows
about December, so they will farrow
about the lst of Apiil; but previous to
this time some "razor-backed, Jong,
nozed" hog of thc masculine gender
throws your fencing and bids you defiance: you have no recourse but to tamely submit; you dare not use the knife or
you will violate the laws of Indiana,subject to be arrested and tried as criminals
in behalf of the State. True, you can
take them up and treat such stock as
estrays, but that will not repair the .ma-
chief.
Now, if we had a law in Indiana compelling owners of male stock to keep
thcrn io an inclosure on their own premises, in a fewyears wc would see a marked
improvement in stock of all kinds, bo-
cause not being permitted to allow such
stock to run-at large, farmers would keep
only improved or thoroughbreds. I have
conversed with some of the best farmers
of our county, and they all say that if
the Legislature would enact laws of that
kind it would be a great benefit. We
could give many reasons why the shameful folly of permitting male stock to
roam at large through our villages and
public highways should be prohibited.
I have perhaps said enough for your
readers to see what we are driving at.
A Reader of the Parmer.
ARAB HORSE MAXIMS.
Value of Improved Stock.
A writer in the New York Times puts
the question plainly in saying that if a
farmer keeps thirty cows that average
130 a year each for milk, and he ean increase the average fo $40 a year by the
use of a thoroughbred bull, of a good
milking breed, he can afford to pay a
good round sum for a bull. And yet better results than this have been accomplished. If he is raising cattle for beef,
and he can add 200 pounds to the carcass, of each, by the time it is ready for
the shambles, by the use of a short-horn
bull, it will certainly be profitable for
him to pay a good price for sueh a bull.
And yet this is the average result of using thoroughbred bulls on the native
cows of the country, as estimated by all
the best stock breeders. And this two
hundred pounds is clear gain, for it is
produced with no greater consumption of
food. If the use of a thoroughbred ram
on a flock of common ewes will increase
the weight of fleece one pound, on the
average, certainly more than "five in a
hundred could make it pay;" whether
more than one in five would ornot.is another question. And so with hogs, Tho
difference between the common "woods"
breed "of the past, and tho improved
breeds of to-day, is beyond comparison.
Hon. Mr. Cochrane's Airdrie Duchess
► 2d (dam of the $18,000 cow J has given
^birth to a yellow-red and whit* bull calf
Coy llth.Duke of Geneva. He will be
.called 6th Duke of Hillhurst
LATE STOCK SALES.
Whoso raiseth and traineth a horse
for the Lord is counted in the number of
those who give alms day and night, in
private as well as public. He will find
his reward. All his sins will be forgiven
him, and never will_ any fear come over
him and dishonor, his heart.
Let your colt be domesticated and
live with you from his tenderest age, and
when a horse he will be simple, docile,
faithful and inured to hardship and
fatigue.
If you have your horse to serve you on
the day of trial, if yc desire him to be a
horse of truth, make him sober, accustomed to hard work and inaccessible to
fear.
Do not heat your horses, nor speak to
them in a loud tone of voice; do not be
angry with them, but kindly reprove
their faults: they will do better thereafter, for they understand the language
of man and its meaning.
If you have a long day's journey before
yon, spare your horse at the start; let
hinl frequently walk to recover his wind.
Continue this until he has sweated and
dried three times, and you may ask him
whatever yon please, he will not leave
you in difficulty.
Use your horse as you do your leathern
bottle; if you open it gently and gradually you can easily control the water
within, but if you open it suddenly the
water escapes at once, and nothing re-
mrins to quench your thirst.
Observe your horse when he is drinking at a brook. If in bringing down his
head he remains square, without bending his limbs, he possesses sterling qualities and all parts of his body are built
symmetrically.
Four things he must havo broad—
—front, chest, loins and liabs; four
things short—pasterns, back, ears and
tail.
Whittling Men are Kind to Animals.
An old farmer once paid to us that he
would not have a hired man on his farm
who did not habitually whistle. He always hired whistlers. Said he never
knew a whistling laborer to find fault
with his food, his bed, or complain of
any little extra work he was asked to
perform. Such a man was generally
kind to children and to animals in his
care. He would whistle a chilled lamb
into warmth and life, and would bring in
his hat full of eggs from the barn without breaking one of them. He found
such a man more careful about closing
gates, putting up bars, and seeing that
the nuts on his plough were all properly
tightened before he took it into the field.
He never knew a whistling hired man to
kick or beat a cow. or drive her on a run
into the stable. He had noticed that the
sheep he fed in tho yard and shed gathered around him as he whistled, without
fear. He never had employed a whistler
who was not thoughtful and economical.
Middletown, Ind,, Oct. 18,1875.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
We have recently made the following
saleB of Short-Horn cattle:
Red Jacket, 17th, red: calved December lst. 1874 ; got bv Red Jacket, 15301;
dam. Emma. 15, by Red Jacket Cth. G095,
to F. McKeevcr. Antioch, Huntington
county, Ind., for $200.
Oxford Lad, red; calved September
25th, 1874; got by Gamester, 14207; dam
Frantic, 21st, by Oxford Duke, 4th,
10574. to John Trent and William Toler,
Carroll county, Ind., $150.
Euparea, 9th, vol. 7 A. H. B. and B.
C, by Louanjo, 17597, to Jesse B. Jessup, Knightstown. Ind., for $200.
And to Martin Galliher, Muncie. Delaware county, Ind., tho cow, Miss Mus-
catoon, vol. 13th, A. H. B. and C C.,by
Louanjo, ]7597. for $100.
And to the samo the yearling heifer,
Red Muggie, got by Expectation, 11938;
d«7u, Youn~ Maggie, by Dick Taylor,
5508, for $.'500.
Also to the fame the yearling heifer,
Young Maggie, got by Expectation,
11938; dam. Rose, by the Aromctcr,
14531, for $300.
Wo havo also made the following purchases :
Frantic 9th, vol. 7 A. H. B„ bred by
Ira S. Adams, East Aurora, New York,
and Rose of Sharon and C. C, Rose of
Sharon, bred by Mrs. Eliza J. House,
Jasper Mills, Ohio, and is a dcecendent
of Imp. Rose of Sharon. Also Louan
46th, bred by Jeremiah Duncan, Kentucky, and of R. H. Prewitt, Pine Grove.
Kentucky, the yearling bull. Forest
Richard, red,got by Imp. Royal Richard,
15115; dam, Imp. Forest Queen, by
Princo Christian, 22581. Imp. Forest
Queen is the dam of General Meredith
k Son's celebrated Forest Napier.
Respectfully,
T. Wilhoit & Son.
LETTER FROM HENRY COUHTY.
Short-Horns in Sullivan Countv.
BtiOor Indiana Parmer :
By request from other counties, 1 give
you a report of Short-Horns owned in
Sullivan county, with names as near as
possible: ,
Cvners' Names.                     .    Hale.
John Giles _ „„ _ 1
Dr. 8. Coffman	
M. Morgan „ _ „ 1
Thomas B. Springer „...„   1
John D. (Springer _. l
John ty. Canary „ I
James Parvin _ _ _
Bailey McConnell  .  „.. 2
Lewis Hill _  2
Oil Pifer - -_ Ji 1
Edward Collins-  „ 1
Joel Walters. _ 1
Ben. Wolfe - _
John Cranoe ........._....__.. _
>'eal Able   	
A. J. Maaon - _ 1
Daniel ClarK   _  l
Wm. Moore 1
George Hnnt 1
David Giles  _.. 1
Female.
3(
2
The Kentucky Short-Horn Sales.
We give a synopsis of the late sales, so
far as we have received them:
FARRA, VANMETER A  IIEABNE.
45 cows aggregate „ .15,395 00
Averaste    119 R8
8 bulls aggregate _   440 00
Average     55 55
DR.  J. J. ADAIR.
24 females aggregate f.1,115
Average SIS* 12V£
1) bulls aggregate „ ..577,5
Average Rj6 11
WESLEY WARNOCK & J. C. JENKINS.
75 females averaged...,. 839!) 00
15 head lemales 119.010 00
Average    1,287 33
B.  B, OROOM 4 SON,
' Several thousand persons were present,
and the sales were quick and brisk. The
total amount realized for the seventy-
three head sold by Captain P. C. Kidd.
auctioneer, was $123,450. Sixty-three
females brought $109,450, an average of
$1,707 92, and nine males brought $14.-
015, an average of $1,557 22 per head.
His famous calf, 22d Duchess of Airdrie,
born June 30.1875. by 24th Duke of Airdrie, S. H. R. 1725. dam'16th, Duchess
of Airdrie, was sold for $17,500, to J. H.
Spears & Sons. Tollula, 111.
With thc exception of the New York
Mills sale this is considered Jbe largest
ever made on our continent in point of
numbers.
H.  P. THOMPSON.
The sale of the Moundale herd of
Short-Horns at Thompson's Station,
Clark county, was well attended and the
prices were good; the aggregate was
$53,080. The herd consisted of eighty-
eight females and ten males, making an
average of $G0G for the females and $9,-
150 for the males, the ten males bringing
$91,500. In all 170 head sold, aggregating $177,000.
69
17
The Premium Pig Gets the Ribbon.
Total™ - „ _.76
Yours respectfully,
John W. Canary.
New Lebanon, Sullivan Co., Ind.
James Mustard, of .Broad Ripple,
this county, has just made a valuable
addition to his already excellent herd of
Poland Chinas. He purchased, while at
the St. Louis fair, two fine sows of this
breed, from Messrs. Robertson & Zook,
of Farmington, Illinois. One of them
is a very superior animal, and both took
first premiums at the fair.
Editor Indiana Farmer:—Please
say in your next issue that the Northeastern Indiana Fair, at Waterloo, was
a complete success financially. A large
amount of stock changed hands at the
close of the Fair. Gen Fitzpatrick, of
New Jersey, visited tho Fair, and was so
well pleased with the show of stock *hat
he purchased of John Eckhart. of Butler, Ind., a pair of Lancashire Pigs, and
also bought of S. D. Rieman, of Ft.
Wayne, one Poland China and another
of the same breed of John Pursell, of
Waterloo.
"Harry Clay, Jun.," the Indiana
Farmer premium pig, took first premium in the Berkshire class. James
Jackson's "Blanton Duke" took first
premium in Short-Horn class. The Society made $1,600 over paying their premiums, and will make an extra effort for
the year 1876.
R. M. LOCKHART.
A. P. Wiley & Son, of Augusta,
Marion eounty, have bought of William
Smith a remarkably fine Essex boar, got
by imported Negro, out of imported Ne-
gtess, prioe paid $125.
New Castle, Oct. 12th.
(Special Correspondence Indiana FABUKR.]
This is a beautiful county town, numbering, we presume, some 2,000 inhabitants. Surrounded, as it is, by a rich
body of land which is cultivated with
very considerable care and agricultural
intelligence, the town as a prominent
trading mart of the county possesses a
large amount of wealth and enterprise
for a country place. Many of its citizens
own good farms and devote much of their
attention to their culture. The fine,
large residence of Geo. Grose overlooks
bis broad acres and gives comfortable
evidences of wealth and prosperity. The
business houses appear to be in a prosperous condition and doing a pretty fair
trade. The morality of the place is said
to be equal to its intelligence, which is
well indicated by their churches and
schools, and the absence of saloons. On
the whole, New Castle is a pleasant place
to look at, and no doubt is a nice town
to live in. If we had space we could say
many things in commendation of its citizens and business.
OUT IN THE COUNTY.
Much of the land surrounding the
county seat is more or less broken, making undulations of gentle slopes and affording healthy drainage to the entire
country. Though much of the soil is
not of thc richest, with a free use of
lime it. might be greatly enriched, so as
to make thc finest wheat growing part of
thc county. As it is.it does not produce
heavy crops, when sowed in wheat, and
it is only fair when put in corn.
Many of the^ farms of this county are
highly productive as far as grain is concerned. They make good crops of wheat
and corn, with some show also of rye
and buckwheat; but many of the farmers
only run the old staples wjth but little
thought of what all their land will produce.
PAUCITY OF   FRUIT.
Though there are many good orchards
in this county, we have heard of but one,
near Greensboro, which is favored with
an abundant crop of very excellent apples. Peaches, pears and all other fruit
is a failure this year, as, it is over the
State generally. It seems that our climate, as it is cleared up, becomes less
favorable to fruitgrowing. Orchards no
longer protected by the forests, as in
former years, are exposed to the wintery
winds and floating frosts, and the fruit is
killed in the bud, ere it shows itself in
tbe blossom.
WOULD IT PAY
to keep up large fires through an orchard
in bitter cold weather, and in cold and
frosty snaps when fruit is usually destroyed ? We think it would have done
so this year, and it might in many another. The consuming of old logs and refuse fire wood would cost nothing but
the labor; and then it would only be
necessary to notice the weather and fire
the logs when danger threatened. A
farmer would do all this and not lose a
night's sleep. The heat of the fires and
smoke would dispel the biting frosts and
bitter cold, and protect the trees with
their undeveloped fruit, and tbe coming
season would doubtless show a fair crop.
Most all of the orchards of the county
are left wholly to the freaks to the season, and if there is no fruit the good people generally blame the whole matter on
the clerk of the weather. We reckon,
though, he can stand it.
WIIY WHEAT WAS INJURED.
In this upland country there was no
necessity of the wheat being injured to
any great extent during the last harvest.
The farmers thought, as they generally
have, that when their wheat was cut and
shocked, it was pretty safe, aDd most of
them let it stand out in the field until it
was badly sprouted, and not a little of it
was almost rotten. The consequence is
their grain is only worth one-half its usual value. We don't like to say thefarm-
ers were lazy or careless, but we will say
that they learned a lesson they will not
soon forget. Another season, ws think,
the grain will not be allowed to stand out
in the fields in shocks, but will be stacked
or hauled into barns, where it will not
be subject to the ravages of the weather.
BUT PEW SHEEP.
In traveling across the county we noticed but few flocks of sheep. The conn-
try is well adapted to their raising and
we could bnt wonder why more attention
was not given to this kind of stock. The
sheep stock costs but little and every
farmer might have a good flock which he
would find as profitable as any investment he might make in any line of stock.
Wool is always in demand and bears
usually as fair a price as wheat or corn.
THE  HOG CHOP.
This is a good hog region, for almost
any farmer knows how to raise a good
hog. Nearly every farmer raises more or
less to sell, and Henry county ean turn
ont as fine porkers as perhaps any other
county in the State. But surely there is
not as much profit in hogs as in sheep.
If there is, it does not show itself to our
vision—at any rate. This year, especially at the price corn bears, the hog will
come near eating his head off before he
is ready for the market, while sheep will
live most anywhere with a little atten- •
tion, and then they are such nice stoek
to raise.
THE CULTURE OP GRAPES.
We have long had a controversy with
the farmers of the State for not giving
more attention to the culture of grapes.
Theyare a delicious fruit and would add
to the beauty of farms, and besides, pay
well in their productions. Nothing
grows more readily on our soil than they
generally do, and nothing we grow is
more healthy. That nature intended
man to drink of the wine of this frnit is
demonstrated in the fact that if he can't
get it he will drink something stronger,
and a thousand times more injurious.
Let temperance men think of this and
give some of their energies to grape culture—the making of wines—and they
will have better health, live longer and
be a happier people, because it will aid
greatly in the banishment of intemperance.*
WrNES IN FRANCE.
France produced in 1874, the large
amount of 1.664,000,000 gallons of wine,
beirig 640,000,000 more than in any former year. The price of wines in that
country to producers is usually from 27
to 32 cents per gallon. Yet at wine making it is sold at the presses as low as 8
cents a gallon. And yet France is not
a "nation of drunkards"—as has been
said of our own country. * Haven't we
something to fear from radical teetotalers ?
THE GRANOER ELEMENT.
The great muscle element of the county
is found among the farmers, who compose
eigbt-tenf'hs of the population, and"therefore we must look to them for the propelling power of every county development. They have the responsibility of
the country's growth, and of its general
production. What thev determine on
only is done, and hence the necessity of
their being urged to ultimate liberal intelligence, large views,and every agricultural advantage that will benefit the i'
country. With a population of about
25,000 this county has in it the agricultural resources of a very large development, and it they would avail themselves
ef these resources in an intelligent, and
liberal manner—which some of them
have done already—the_ county would
grow to_ be one of the richest and most
productive in the commonwealth.
WnEAT PROSPECTS.
From one side of this couuty to the
other the wheat is looking well. Already
a large area is sown and up, growing
finely, and on many farms they were
still plowing to get in more, if it is a little late. Most of the tarmers have been
careful in the selection of their seed, and
if the coming season proves favorable, a
large crop may be looked for.
CORN  CROP.
The flood rains of August did not do
so much damage in this county; although
there was some losses, the corn crop, generally, looks pretty well. The crop will
not be full, but it may be set down as
being fair.
NICE WATER CARRIER.
We saw in Spiceland township, yesterday, at the residence of Mr. N. Butler, a
Yankee contrivance to bring water from
a spring at the foot of the hill, with
which we were very much pleased. The
bucket ran down on two wires, dipped
up the water and at the turning of the
reel in the kitchen, came up nicely and
poured the water into a reservoir outside, from which it came by a pipe into
the water bucket on the table. The cost
of the whole thing is not much, and yet
it is certainly very convenient.
Mr. Butler is a reader of the Indiana
Farmer, and as a natural sequence mieht
be expected to be found availing himself
of the advantages of onr labor saving
inventions. Jefferson.
>We differ decidedly from our correspondent
on this question, unless he reiers to unfermented wine. The inference he draws is, in onr
opinion, without warranto Editor.
Stock Yard Reduction.
Cincinnati, O.. Oct. 18,1875.
Editor Indiana Farmer.' •   .
The directors of tho Union Stock
Yards, Cincinnati, Ohio, make a reduction in rates for handling stock, commencing November lst, until the lst of
March, as follows: On cattle, from 25
cents to 20 cents per head; on hoss,
from 8 cents to 6 cents per head. This
will be a handsome gain to shippers of
stock.
The hogs coming to the Union Stock
Yards are weighing very light—not half
fatted, only in good growing condition ;T
farmers are losing by not feeding until'
they are matured, as the reports indicate>
a short crop and good prices.
Joseph Allen, Agent.
/*v;