CtfJ
Vol. X.
INDIM^OUS, IND11NA, NOVEMBER 27th, 1875.
.-.-, r....
No. 47.
Live Stock.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
Philosophy of Stock Feeding.
When a mechanic undertakes to build
or repair a maohine, he must not only
have a supply of materials, but he mu«t
know the character and properties of
each variety of material. In tbe absence
of such knowledge it is hardly to be expected that a very efficient machine
should be built, or if built, it would
likely be at an unnecessary outlay of time
and material. If this be true of an
inanimate machine, it is true in a still
more important sense when the sentient,
more wonderful and complicated maohine of the animal system is the subject.
In the very outset of these papers, I
■wish to impress on the minds of my readers the fact that the animal system is not
a machine for organizing living tissues
from inorganic substances. No animal,
above the Radiates, can assimilate unorganized matter. They must have their
food organized and prepared for their
use before hand. This material must be
organized, not only in some form, but in
that particular form that is necessary to
build up the animal struoture. A careful examination and comparison will
show that the various^ substances that go
to make up the animal body may be
found already arranged in the food on
which they subsist.
The plant is the great instrument for
organizing the organic matter of the soils
and of water ; and presenting them for
the use of animals in a form that enables
them to appropriate these materials to
their own use. All animals live directly
or indirectly on the food furnished1 bt
plants. A man or carnivorous animal
may eat meat, but that meat was made
from grass or other vegetable food upon
which the animal fed. The feeding of
stock is generally done, without much
regard to physiological or scientific principles. It is true that there is such a
general distribution of the various nutri
ent elements in the, different plants used
for animal food that a thorough knowledge of them is not necessary te moderate success in feeding, but the man who
would make tbe largest possible amount
of bone muscle, or fat, at the least ex
penditure of feed, must know of what,
the substance he wishes to increase^ in
largest amount is composed, and the kind
of food that will furnish it in the greatest proportion This will be found a
very complicated question. No rule cao
be given by which it can be asserted that
a given amount of feed will give a certain result in animal growth. Jt will be
found to vary not only with every kind
of feed employed, but, also, with every
flifference Iii age, size, cbmi.t.on and ex
posure to extremes of temperature. H
will also vary with the different purposes
for which the feeding is done. If the
object is to impart a vigorous growth
to 3>oung stock, it is evident that the
food furnished should abound^ in_ bone
.and muscle producing food, while if the
desire is to cause the animal fed to lay
on fat as fast as possible, the food chosen
should contain a larger share of nils and
other fat producing properties. In some
future papers on this subject, I hope to
show the importance of this discrimi
nating knowledge and also to point out
the relations between the food and the
animal fed, so that all may be directed
into the best practice in this department
of labor. L. J. Templin.
Potatoes for Horses.
L. T. Scott writes in the Country Gentleman :
Nearly every winter when I have my
horses up in stable, I think I will call
the attention of your readers tothe practice of feeding potatoes to their horses
1 once came near losing a very valuable
horse by feeding dry hay and oats, with
nothing loosening. I have never believed
in dosing a horse with medicine, but
something is actually necessary to keep
a horse in the right condition. Many
use powders, but potatoes are better, arid
safer and cheaper if fed judioiously.
If_those, who are not in the habit of
feeding potatoes to horses will try them,
they will be astonished at the result. I
have known a horse changed from a lazv,
dampish one to a quick.active headstrong
animal, in five dajs, by simply adding
two quarts of potatoes to his feed daily.
\* Very much clear corn meal is fed, they
<*°rr,n0t nee^ S0 maDy POtatoeS.
>oo many potatoes are weakening, and
bo are too nr.oy apples.   When  I was a
lad, I was away from home at school one
winter, and had the care of one-horse,
One yoke of oxen, and one cow, every
one of which  I had to card or curry
6<ery day.   Tbe horse had three pails of
w»ier, four quarts of oats, two quarts'of
small pota*oes, and two quarts of  coru
> extra every day he worked, with what
hay he wanted, and a stronger and more
3active horse of his inches I have never
I yet seen.
HOO CHOLERA—HO WIT IS CURED.
An Interesting Letter from a Farmer
in Hamilton County.
Lamong Ind., Nov. 19th.
Editors Indiana Farmer:—I see
in the Farmer that you offer to print
recipes for the cure and prevention of
hog cholera, free of charge, provided
they are so given. Mine is simply this :
Each and every one who has a hog to
die, should immediately burn or bury it,
and not allow it to be removed from the
premises..-.,,..
This section, like many others, has
been the resort of persons hunting hogs
that have died with disease, which they
have hauled to your city. Many such
persons, and all, for aught I know, are
perfectly honest, and would do all in
their power to stop the malady that is
gaining them a livelihood; but there
have been a number of instances in this
county, of hogs dying, that looked very
suspicious, and the presumption was
very strong that there had been foul play
as the cause. Be that as it may, let us
judge every man innocent until he is
proven guilty. Yet I have not the slightest doubt that the death of hundreds of
the hogs has been caused by the farmers
allowing these men to haul hogs through
the country, that have died with the
cholera.
.Wagons loaded with dead hogs have
passed# through this section, the stench
of which was almost unbearable, while
in many instances the filth from the hogs
dropped from the wagons as they passed
along the roads.
If the disease is contagious, and but
few if any deny that it is, such a practice presents hundreds of opportunities
of spreading the malady. I think our
next Legislature should take the matter
in hand and enact laws that will fully
protect every one, whether willing or
unwilling* tostop the further spreading,
of the disease.
In the meantime, brother farmers, let
ni take the matter in hand ourselves.
We can accomplish all that the Legislature should do. That is, stop the traffic
for the carcasses of cholera hogs. Have
the subject discussed in every Grange,
and Farmer's Club, and then let us resolve that we will neither sell nor give
away the carcass of a hog that has died
with the cholera or other malarious disease, and by so doing will do more toward stopping the ravages of disease
among our hogs than all the recipes combined, which are being hawked over the
country at from one to ten dollars.
J. E. Walker.
SCAB IN SHEEP.
The following is from the transactions
of the Hifihland Agricultural Society
of Scotland: It is clearly ascertaind by
scientific men that the scab in sheep,
like the itch in the human being, is connected wi'h and propogated by certain
minute insects belonging to tbe class of
acari, which inhabit pimples or pustules.
But the question naturally arises, how
came it first into existence? This problem is very difficult of solution, and puzzles the most fminent physiologists.
But, as I have already said, I have never known it to break out spontaneously
among a flock of sheep, properly managed, during thirty years' experience as
a shepherd in pastoral districts. Various
and conflicting opinions exist as to what
extent the disease is-infectious. Some
affirm that it requires sheep to «ome in
coutact with the disease before it can be
communicated, whilo others maintain
that the disease is propogated by the
mere traveline on the road, such as a
public drove road, from large markets or
lairs. I, however, do not thiuk the disease is so catching as the latter advocates
affirm. Fur example, I acttd as shepherd tor sixteen >ei.rs on various farms
where the dr ve road from Falkirk to
the south passes through the sheep pastures, and every year tome of the lots of
sheep were mure or less affected, wi.h
scab, and during all that period not a
i-ingle sheep of which I had oharge
caught the disease.
THE   CURE OP SCAB
lies in the destruction of the insect, but
the imp irtatit question is, what is the
best compobi'inn or infusion for that purpose? The remedies that are commonly
applied ore numerous, but tbe most
effectual, with the least danger of injur-
inu the animal, that I have ever seen applied is the eommoo spirits of tar; and,
if properly applied, will penetrate and
destroy tbo laseot concealed iu thc pustules, or buried beneath the skin _ The
quantity applied may Vary accoiding to
the age of the Bhegb, but for hill, or or
dan&ry breedibu stock, one bottl-*# of
spirits of Iter, mixed with twelve times
the quantity of water, is sufficient i'or
twelve sheep; or one common wine
glass of the spirits of tar, mixed with
twelve times the amount of water, is
sufficient tor ».ne It mixing for a hundred, six gallons of water with six pounds
of common soda ought to be warmed to
the boiling pitch; then add the spirits
of tar.
.Late Purchases of, Short-Horns!' '
Mr. Claude Matthews, of Canton. Vermillion Co., Indiana, .lately purchased
from J. O'B. Renick, of Oolumbus, O.,
five females of the famous Rose of Sha-,
ron tribe:
Sharooess 2d; red; calved 1§67.
"        3d; red and white; calved 1868.
" «th; red; calved April, 1K1.
" 7th ; r. and w.;     "       April, 1871;
. 9th ; red; '■   •'        June, 1875.
This now gives him seven head of this
family. C. M.
 e    en    .	
Stock Sales.—Henry Comstock, 'of*
Liberty Mills, Wabash county, has lateX
ly, sold a pair of Poland Chinif
pigs, to Jerry Lewis, of Butler, Ind.; a
trio of pigs to Messrs. Pence & Marion,
Xenia, Miami county, Ind.; one pair, JS.
F.'Reed, Tiosa, Pulton county, Ind.; a
sow pig to Messrs. L. & S. G. Kern, of
Marion, Grant county., Ind.; and< One
male to G; D. Custer, of Logansport;
Indiana;    ■■'■ ..;,.-,.,
Sheep on the Farm.
That sheep can save poor farms from
iitter ruin, and improve the condition of
good farms, is beyond doubt. However
much we may prize the horse and cow
for their valuable service to mankind,
still we must admit that the keeping of
sheep is very profitable to the farmer, in
that it brings money to his pocket and
improves the condition of his land. Experience has shown that sheen husbandry
is directly profitable. Early lambs, fat
wethers, _ wool and pelts, always bring
good prices and find ready market.
Besides sheep bring up the condition of
the larm, and as the old adage has it,
"turns the earth to gold wherever their
footprints are found." Nothing will
improve a farm so well as a course of
husbandry in sheep, well selected, and
judiciously followed. Sneep can be
made the salvation of a poor farm, and
if more of our farmers would keep more
sheep, a larger share of prosperity would
be the result.—Rural Sun.
Our- Premium No. 6.
Brown's  Corn Planter.
The abova cut represents our Premium No. fl. The Planter is manufactured hy
George W. Brown, orGalesburg; Ills., probably the oldest manufacturer of Corn Planters in
the country, having had 23 yea*, experiencean the business. This Planter is the latest, most
improved, and best of all that he has marlJBand gives universal «itisfiction for its reliability
and durabilit>.).ba.D^raa(lM,tbroug^oi^t^iiV^ \t,-> bc-t mat< n il
k*£Mjfa*&mf
^-^MA^^^^Si^^S^^M^^ir •
This cut represents tlie A\EHY STALK CUTTi.il, bj the s«,„e manufacturer. Mr.
Brown kindly gives our agent who is entitled to this number the choice between this machine
and the Planter, both being sold at the same price, $50. This Cutter operates with a spiral
knife, by which the jerking on the horses' neck and jolting ofthe driver, so common in other
stalk cutters, is entirely avoided. The work is done easily and thoroughly. The stalks are
cut into short pieces, which are readily ploughed under, and become valuable fertilizers,
loosening the soil, and keeping it moist. It is a very valuable machine, and ought to come
into general use.
JOCHIGAN SWINE AT THE GREAT
FAIRS,
There has been a good deal of work
done and considerable capital expended
to improve the breeds of swine throughout the pork-raising districts of the
west, yet there would seem to.be still a
very large field to be occui»red. The
breeding of good hogs is not difficult to
those who give it the time and attention
that is requisite; but to keep up the
breeding stock to the standard is a task
that but few farmers are prepared to undertake, and like other stock he must
have recourse to the professional breeder
for boars and sows. They will find it
cheaper in the end than to depend on
the chance pigs which they may happen
to raise themselves. In fact the product
of the farmer is generally a chance animal, while_ the animal procured from a
well established and professional breeder
is the product which is speciallyadapted
by certain processes at the command of
the breeder for the production of profitable stock. The manufacture of breeding stock or stock of the best kind for
the purpose of turning the feed given
them into a marketable product of the
best quality at the least possible expense,
is just as muoh a business as the manu-
faomredf plows or wagons; and afarmer
who would undertake to make his wagon,
or his plow »t home, without being either
a waeon maker Ot a pioff nuker, would
not be regarded as a sensible business
man.
Oar attention is called to this subject
by the fact that here is a breeder of the
improved varieties of swine in Michigan
sweeping away a vast proportion of the
large premiums^ offered at the great exhibitions of Ohio, Indiana and Slissouri,
against a large crowd of exhibitors from
the States that are most noted forpro-
ducing hogs and pork products, which
supply not only a large proportion ofthe
people of the United btates, but also a
large portion of the people of Great
Britain and of some parts of Europe.
To Mr. Smith of Detriot, who for the
past five years has given his whole attention to the breeding of swine—dismissing cattle and sheep and making hogs a
specialty—has been awarded this year 70
premiums and a diploma for the best exhibitions of hogs. Of these premiums
twenty were awarded at the gieat St.
Louis exhibition, a fair that ranks the
highest in the United States for its large
premiums and the competition which
must be expected from its numerous entries and their high character. Eighteen
of the chief prizes offered at the Indiana
State Fair were awarded to Mr. Smith.
Now Indiana is a State in which the hog
has the first standing as a product of the
farm, and where feeding the hog and
making pork is a business on which the
income of the farmers depend to a large
extent. Yet here was the great breeder
of Michigan coining in and sweeping off,
in spite of the great competition, a large
competition, a large proportion of the
most important premiums.
At the State Fair of Ohio, and at the
Fair of the Northern Ohio Association
held at Cleveland, the first prizes were
taken by Mr. Smith. Here also the great
proportion of the first-class premiums
were taken in a State in whieh the hog is
ot the first importance as a stock on
which the farmers depend for the carrying of their immense corn crops to market.—Michigan Parmer.
A Premium for Spencer County.
Another Flue Poland-China Pig tor one
of onr Agents.
James II. Parker, breeder of Poland-Chinas,
Rockport, Spencer County, writes as follows:
"I will give to the agent who gets the most
subscribers to the Indiana Farmer in 8pencer
County before March 31st, 1876, a fine Poland-
China pig. I hope this will prompt a good
number to get to work for the paper and pig,
for both are needed badly. My breeders are
from selected strains Of Butler County, Ohio,
from the stock of Wm. Greer, who had
the swcepstajkes Poland-China hoar at the
Indiana State Fair, in 1873, and D. M. Magie,
who has a World-wide reputation for raising
hogsof thisbreed. I have taken 37 premiums
in two years, at eight connty fairs, and diploma at the Evansville Fair and Exposition.
The agent who gets this premium may have a
choice of pigs from my fine sow, Maggie
Magie, that never was beaten in this State at
county fairs, or in Kentucky; or he may select from any of my other breeders. My regular price for these pigs is $15.
THE  INDIANA  HORTICULTURAL
SOCIETY
Will hold its Fifteenth Annual Meeting
in the Circuit Court Room, Terre Haute,
on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
Hec. 2,1st, 22d and 23d, 1875.
To the Editor of the Indiana Farmer.
The citizens of Terre Haute extend a cordial
welcome, and the hotpitalities of their homes
to those who may attend, and the privileges
and benefits of the meeting are free to all. It
is to be hoped that the liberal programme announced below, and the magnitude ofthe horticultural interest, together with the accommodations offered by the citizens, the railroads
and the hotels, may result in a full'attendance. Specimens of fruits, flowers, plants,
seeds, scions, horticultural implements, etc.,
are solicited for exhibition. Contributions,
essays and papers on topics pertaining to horticulture, are also invited.
railroad fare.
The following railroads will return members
from the meetings free : The Vandalia from
any point within the State, on presentation of
certificates, to be furnished by the Secretary of
the Society; the E. & C. from Evansville; the
E.. T. H. & C. from Danville, Illinois; and the
Illinois Midland from Peoria, by the purchase
of round trip tickets, which will be on sale at
the principal stations. The L., C. ct S. W.
road will sell excursion tickets from Logansport, Frankfort, Colfax, Crawfordsville and
Rockville. It is thought the I. & St. L.,
when it can be heard from, will grant thc
same liberal terms to delegates.
Members who would prefer to stop at hotels
will be entertained at the Terre Haute House
at a reduction of one-third from the usual
rates.
Persons who cannot attend the meetings,
and yet desire to become members, will be
enrolled, and furnished with the reports of the
Society, upon the receipt of tlie fee of membership, ($1.00) which may be forwarded by
mail to W. H. Ragan, Secretary, Clayton,
Hendricks county, Indiana.'
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Programme of the Meeting.
Tuesday Forenoon, Dec. 21st.
lst—Arranging of the fruits, flowers, etc., for
exhibition.
2d—Welcome address in behalf of the Terre
Haute   Horticultural  Society,   by   H.
D. Scott.
3rd—Response by Dr. A. Furnas.
Tuesday Afternoon.
1st—Address ofthe President.
2d—-Reports ofthe Secretary and Treasurer.
3d—Election of Officers, Installation, etc.
4th—Reports of District Fruit Committeemen.
lst Dirtrict, R. Mitchell, Princeton;
2d        "       S. Burnett. Vincennes;
3d        "       I. C. Ferris, Seymour;
4th      "       J. V. Milhous. Butlerville.
Tuesday Evening.
1st;—Paper on Pear Culture, by Parker Earle,
of Illinois.
2d—Discussion on the same.
3d—Vegetable Gardening, Sylvester Johnson.
Wednesday Forenoon, Dec. 22d.
1st—Horticultural  Observations  in   Foreign
Countries, by Calvin Fletcher.
2d—Revision of Fruit Lists.
Wednesday Afternoon
lst—Trees, tlieir Destruction and Propagation,
by S. V. Morris.
2d—Reports of District Fruit Committeemen.
5th District, J. A. Mendenhall, Richm'd;
6th       "       B. Parker, Raysville;
7th       "       W. A. Ragan, Clayton;
8th       "       L. Heine, Terre Haute.
3d—Report of Delegates to the American Pomological Society, Dr. A. Furnas.
4th—Revision of Fruit Lists.
Wednesday Evening,
1st—Entomology, address by the State Entomologist of Missouri, Prof. C. V. Riley.
2d—Ad-interim Report.
Thursday Forenoon, Dec. 23d.
lst—The Relations of the Study of Botany to
Horticulture, by Prof. John Hussey.
2d—Reports of District Fruit Committeemen.
9th District, Wm. Sleeper, Oxford;
10th       "       A. N.Miller, South Bend;
llth       "       L. B. Custer, Logansport;
12th       "       I. D.G.Nelson, Ft. Wayne;
13th       "       H. P. Hanford, Bristol.
3d—Historical Sketch of the Society, by W.
H. Ragan.
Thursday Afternoon.
lst—Examination   of   Fruits,   Flowers,  and
Vegetables, Distribution of Books, Scions, etc.
2d—Fixing Place of next Meeting.
3d—Final Resolutions and Adjournment.
W. H. Ragan, Joseph Gilbert,
Secretary. President.
INDIANA PATENTS.
The following patents have recently been
issued to parties residing in this State:
Bit Gages, A. B. Batson, New Castle.
Making Patterns for Castings, W. E. Craig,
Indianapolis.
Corn Markers, T. B. Kirkwood, Bentonville.
Basket Bottoms, S. H. Wheeler, Peru.
Lamp Extinguishers, J. C. Hehr, South
Bend.
Feather Dusters, J. L. Little, Muncie.
Sawing Machines, Niles M. Miller, Evansville.
Grain Drills, E. Morgan, Dublin.
Vice President of the United States, Henry
Wilson, died of apoplexy at Washington on
Monday morning last, the 22nd. He was
sixty-three years old. The dead Vice President will be buried at his home in Natic, Massachusetts, where his family are buried.
Congress meets on thc 6th of December.
Treasurer New will probably stick to his
position-.
Mount Washington is enjoying snow four
feet deep. %
Brick Pomeroy has failed. His liabilities
are $140,000.
Senator 0. S. Ferry died at Norwalk, Conn.,
on Sunday last.
One "crooked whisky " conviction has been
had at Milwaukee.
A. Armel * Co., of Greensburg, Ind., expect
to pack 10,000 hogs this season.
The insurance losses in the late Virginia
City, Nevada, fire amount to $2,007,200.
The evangelists, Moody and Sankey, havo
begun a revival meeting in Philadelphia.
Jesse L. Smith a soldier of the war of 1812
died at Spiceland, Henry county, on the 19th.
Arkansas has made an appropriation to secure proper representation at the Centennial.
Trains on the Union Pacific railway have
thus early been delayed by heavy enow storms.
The vicinity of Seymour was the scene ofa
murder on Saturday last.   Whisky, the cause.
Five table manufactories of Goshen, Ind.,
make 545 tables per week, mostly of black
walnut.
Terre Haute recently had a baby party.
Twenty-one were congregated — with tlieir
mama s.
Additional indictments have been found
against the members of the whisky ring at
St. Louis. »
The prohibition candidate for Governor of
Pennsylvania received 13,244 votes at the late
State election.
Logansport arrests all tramps visiting there
as vagrants; they are fined, and then set to
working it out.
Over five thousand head of hogs have been
sold and shipped from Rush county since the
first of September.
Harshraan, McKenzie & Co.'s harness manufactory, at Union City, burned a fgw days
since.   I-oss $20,000.
An appeal is to be made to the admirers of
Washington Irving for funds to erect a monument to his memory.
Gen. Sherman's annual report of the army
shows our present standing army to consist of
24,031 men, and 1,540 officers.
The residence of Rev. J. R. Davis, of Wabash
county, was burned recently, the family escaping with only their clothing.
Thc report comes from Mobile, Ala., that if
the present cotton crop can be safely gathered
it will be the largest since the war.
George Painter, and a soldier under Gen.
Harrison, at Tippecanoe, died at Lawrenceburg, Indiana, on the 22d, aged eighty-six.
The Government is pushing the St. Louis
whisky thieves to the wall. One is already in
the penitentiary, and others soon will be.
Now comes a rumor that Charlie Ross is in
the possession ofa woman in Connecticut. A
short time ago the papers had him in England.
Through the death of Vice President Wilson, SenatorT. W. Ferry.of Michigan, becomes
President of the U. 8. Senate, and acting Vice
President.
Mr. II. C. Meredith will erect a beautiful
monument to the memory of his father, Gen.
Solomon Meredith, recently deceased, at a cost
of $10,000.
Burglars entered the drug store of W. II,
Reed, New Corydon, Ind., recently, and possessed themselves of $1,000 in currency and
$600 in notes.
The Mexican banditti have again been plying their vocation on the Texas border. A
large number of cattle have been stolen and
run over into Mexico.
An assessment was not made upon the U. S.
Treasury clerks, as reported, to cover the loss
of the missing $2,000. Treasurer New made
the loss good out of his own privato purse.
A Mrs. Hicks, who some time ago shot and
killed a man at Kentland, Newton county,
has been convicted of murder in the Benton
Circuit Court, and sentenced to prison for
two years.
A couple of distillers, of Evansville, and ono
or two Government officers, and other parties,
have been brought to this city for trial for conspiring to defraud the Government of the tax
on whisky.
A great religious revival has been in progress
at Shelbyville for sonic time. The various
church denominations participated, perfect
harmony reigned, and many conversions has
been the result.
The Connersville High School has contributed, by a festival held for that purpose, the
sum of $50 to the State Centennial fund. The
schools throughout the State will largely follow the example of Connersville.
The entire cost of getting everything into
readiness for the opening of the Centennial is
put at $7,000,000, of which $5,500,000 has been
raised, leaving a balance of a million anil a
half to raise. Of this amount, Pennsylvania
contributed $1,500,000.
Gen. McDonald, another of the government
officers in the whisky ring at St. Louis, has
been convicted on several counts. He will languish in the penitentiary for several years.
And still the war goes bravely on against
other of the thieves.
At a meeting of the State Association
of School Superintentents, held in this city
last week, the following resolution was adopted: "That it is the sense of this Association
that pupils should not be required to study
out of school hours during the first four years
of tlieir school life."
Brigham Young has evaded the payment of
a monthly stipend and alimony to Ann Eliza, 1
and   has   been released   from  his arrest for |
contempt by a decision of Chief Justice Wait,
of the Supreme Court, who holds that Ann*
Eliza's marriage to Brigham wan in violation
ofthe United States statuUs.