VOL. XXIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MAROH 30,1889.
NO. 13
WEATHER CHOP BULLETIN
Of the Indians Weather Service ln eo-eper&tlon with
the United States Signal Serv lce for the week ending
Satnrday March 33, 1J59.
The condition of the -weather during the
week was most beneficial to the advance
of all vegetation; although not very well
distributed, rain fell in sufficient quantities, in many localities in the sonthern
and central portions, tobe of great good
to wheat and pasturage; but in the northern portion rain is greatly needed as none
fell last week and for over 20 days at many
places. The temperature during the week
was muoh above normal, cool during the
nights and quite warm during day time,
and with plenty of sunshine, the effect on
the growth of vegetation in general was
most excellent. The wheat in the southern and central portions of the State looks
green and fresh, in the northern less so
but the roots are sound and firm. Elm,
maple and other trees are budding, showing the green and red; pasture is green
and stock in good condition and roads are
dry and firm.
The fine weather during the week was
used advantageously by farmers, oats is
being sown and most in, and plowing for
corn has commenced.
Hoarfrost covered the ground on. the
21st and 221; on the 18th, In many parts of
the eastern southern portion, storms pre
vailed, some «ocompained~by- hail; and
strong winds but no damage by them has
been reported.
SOUTHERN PORTION.
Seymour—Weather, condition favorable
to growth of all crops. Oats sowing is
completed; crops growing nicely; farmers
are plowing for corn and melons; soil in
fine condition; early potatoes are planted
and many gardens.mado. Prospeots,gen-
erally, for good crops of grain, grass, vegetables and fruits, have net been better
for 10 years; peach and early plum trees
are blooming; very heavy'white frosts on
the morning of the 21st and 22d.
Vevay—Fair weather has prevailed during tha past week, with only light rains
which has been of great benefit to the
wheat crop; considerable oats has been
sown; fruit is unusually forward forthe
season; peach trees are full of buds ready
to burst into bldssoms; the mildness of
the weather Is visible in the flower garden;
summer crysanthemums, mignonette,
verbenas and geraniums left In the ground
are growing; meadows and pastures are
clothed In lively green.   Bainf all, 0.28.
Spiceland—Wheat Is coming out finely
and is doing remarkably well; much corn
is stored in the old-fashioned way, in rail-
pens, in the field, In old barns, eto.; much
oats is being sown; the ground Is dry
enough to plow and the roads are good'
a good rain fell on the 18th. Rainfall.
I 0.50.
Be Gonia Springs—Clover haa wintered
•well and is growing nicely:   wheat and
' grass are in good condition;   there was a
thunderstorm on the 18th.   Rainfall, 1.00.
e   Troy—Wheat and   clover, peach   and
plum buds are In good condition; the
weather during the past seven days has
been fairi the temperature ranged from 38
degrees to 70 degrees; a light rain fell
Sunday night,  and heavy rain and hail
fell on Monday night; light frosts on the
21st and 22d.
_.    Mount Vernon—The rains on  the 16th
land 18th caused the wheat and grass to
,grow nicely;  farmers are  plowing for
' corn; the fruit crop will be large if spared
by late frosts; rainfall, 0.49.
|    Cannelton-^Grass is looking green and
* early maples are dropping their blossoms;
' heavy rain on the evening of the 18th
: washed away a bridge at -Lamar,  ten
miles northwest on theC, N. & N. R.
JR.; heavy hail fell here but none fell
; about a mile north or south; rainfall 0.52.
■   Princeton—At 4 p. m. a dark cloud
gathered in the north, it came up rapidly
with quite a gale; at 4:15 p. in. it commenced to rain and hall quite heavily far
15 minutes; loud thunder was heard above
the clouds, thunder was heard all afternoon till after dark; tbe temperature at 2
p. m. was 70 degrees, when the thunder
oame it fell 30 degrees in 40 minutes; rainfall 0.80.
New Providence—The elms and maples
are showing the green and red, the weather during the week has been an average
growing one, with a mean temperature of
45 degrees and a range from 25 5 degrees
adn 68 degrees; frost on tbe 22d; there is a
fine prospect for fruit; rainfall 0 25.
Worthington—Wheat and grass has
been benefited by 'the rain, but the temperature is rather too cool for a speedy
growth of vegetation; oats are mostly
sown; rainfall 0.48.
Huntingburg—Farmers have finished
sowing oats and they^have commenced to
plant potatoes; everything stands fine,
but pasture is not out much yet; there
was a thunder storm on Tuesday but it
did no damage; rainfall 0.10.
Sunman—The Ught rain on the 18th was
much needed and together with the warm
weather, has very much improved wheat
and grass; the wheat has seldom looked
so well at this time of the year. Rainfall,
0.40.
- />_lumbu_H-The weather during the past
week has been favorable for farm work
and farmers have Improved their opportunity; oats and clover sowing is about
completed; plowing for corn will commence next week; wheat is looking well
but needs rain.   Rainfall, 0.29.
CENTRAL PORTION.
Franklin—Beautiful spring weather
prevailed during the last seven days;
farmers and others are making use of it
with a will, a few are working their gardens; wheat is getting a start and begins
to look green; clover Is starting up also
but it has been frozen in some of the lower
fields; grass is growing nicely In favored
meadows; stock is in good condition and
no hog cholera Is reported in these parts;
mean temperature 43°; highest temperature 77° and lowest 32°.   Rainfall, 0.30.
Mauzy—There fell an abundant rain on
the 18th; grass shows green; wheat improves in appearance; the fields and roads
are in good condition; wild geese were
flying northward.   Rainfall, 1.15.
Richmond—After a week of the finest
weather one seldom experiences in March,
a change to cooler occurred with light
rain which will tend to hold vegetation in
check; the weather has been favorable to
wheat and grass; both are growing nicely
and fruit buds are safe, yet; so far this
season has proven a poor spring for sugar
making because it has been too dry. Rainfall, 0.27.
Rockville—Our wheaton bottomlands
looks fine, on uplands less so. Grass is
coming on rapidly. A fine fruit crop is
promised by the bloom buds. Stock of
all kind is in good condition.   Rainfall 1.
Farmland—The rainfall on the 18th did
much good to wheat and Tgrass, but there
is more needed at present, although both
begin to grow and look green. The
weather during the week was fine; trees
are putting out leaves.   Rainfall 0.22.
NORTHERN PORTION.
LaPorte—No tain   for the] past three
Bluflton—Grass and wheat are both beginning to show signs of growth and look
well. There was free zing weather a couple
of nights but without Injury to any thing.
No rain.
Angola—For many years there has not
been such flne weather as we have now,
but It is too dry and therefore injurious to
wheat, but its roots are all right so. far.
Clover seeding has commenced. Peaches
are injured by cold but the prospects for
an apple crop is good.  It has been cold
during the nights but warm in daytime.
No rain has fallen now for 21 days. The
lakes are thawed out, it looks like spring
and blue birds and robbins are here. Perhaps many farmers remember yet, how
at this time it looked 12 years ago, [.snow
then was 20 inches deep and there was
good slelging.   No rain.
Delphi—The weather during the past
week bas worked a wonderful change for
the better in the prospect for wheat, and
although rain is needed at present, still,
there is a good prospect of 75 per cent of
an average crop.   Rainfall 0.07.
Lafayette—Wheat is looking better than
earlier expected, the conditions promise
fully 80 per cent of an average crop. Rainfall 0.43
H. A. Huston, ■
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Alfalfa or Lucerne and Its Culture,
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I have seen several inquiries about
Lucerne. I will send you a description
of it I have read. .        .
Lucerne will grow on any land that will
grow wheat, corn, and potatoes, and will
thrive on many lands that none of these
will grow on,aslight sand or gravel.Though
it does well on clay, it will not grow
where the water is within a foot of the
top of the ground, or has alkali. It will
stand wet land where there is drainage.
It will stand all of the water that will
fall. It Is a very quick grower, and will
mature the first cropin about two months.
The second will mature in about six
weeks from cutting, and the third in
about five weeks from cutting. The second crop is the heaviest, but the flrst is
the best feed. It will yield about six tons
per aore, and sometimes double that
amount. It will out-yield clover, two to
one, and makes just as good feed, and
never falls down, but stands up straight.
Sow broadcast about fifteen pounds per
acre. If land Is in good condition, gravel
or sand) put in three pounds more. You
cannot get any crop the first year. If
your plants are ten inches apart your
prospect is good that you will have four
tons per acre next year. The next it will
be as good as it ever will, and stand for
ten years. It is best to sow with grain.
Oats is the best; sow when you sow spring
grain. It is unwise to manure it. It
thrives a? well on washed sand as in the
best garden spot. In a few years it will
make sandy land rich, owing tothe decay of the roots. The roots will go ten
to twelve feet straight down. They grow
to one and one-half inches in diameter,
and half of the root decays every year. It
should be cut when in full bloom.
Do not cut too much at once, for if it
rains on it, it is not so good. Most kinds
of Btock do not like it for a few feeds. Do
not let hungry cattle get on It while
green, ©specially while wet. It will bloat
them, which Is apt to result in death. If
you wish to pasture it, feed your stock all
they will eat and then turn them on the
Lucerne, and no harm will come to them.
It is the best thing to renew old worn out
land I ever saw, and there ls not a weed,
or anything else in this oountry, that will
stand before it. Can you name in your
paper any firm that handles the seed, and
the price? H. W. S.
Owensvllle.
—The seed Is kept by F. C. Huntington
& Co., this city, and the price is $8; per
bushel, of 60 pounds, or 15 oents a pound
insmall quantities. We would not recommend sowing more than an acre of it
for trial In this part of the country. It
will not yield here as in California.—Ess.
described tbe oorn pavilion proposed to be
erected stating that the roof, columns and
chimneys will be built of the corn-fodder,
and the Interior and exterior is to be entirely covered with corn-stalk and ear.
All the decorations are to be of corn, and
the names of the great eorn-producing
States and their coats of arms are to be
worked on the walls in the same material. Inside willbe exhibited photographs,
maps and charts showing districts of corn
culture, products and export trade, and
an American kitchen in plain view of visitors will turn out samples for free distribution of all known preparations from
the grain,which will be supplemented with
lectures and pamphlets In several languages setting forth their merits, economy
and health!uluess. The idea of the undertaking Is to popularize the use of corn for
food and other purposes abroad where it
now seems to be little appreciated, American exports last year being only about 4
percent of the product.
American Corn at Paris.
Col. Chas. J. Murphy, director and general manager ef the American Indian oorn
exhibit to be made at the French exposition this year, was a visitor at the Board
of Trade in this city on Monday last.   He
Written for tbe Indiana farmer.
Working Wet.
BT N. J. SHEPHERD.
In the hurry to crowd the spring work
along it is sometimes the case that the soil
wUl be plowed or cultivated before it haa
thoroughly dried out. If the weather
should be dry after this has been done,the
effect will be seen all during the season.
If the soil is plowed wet and the weather
continues wet for several days very little
if any in j ury will bo done, so that if you
are certain what the weather will be you
can determine whioh is the better plan.
But knowing this is very uncertain,so that
under ordinary conditions the better plan
is to not work the soil only when It Is
sulBcIently dry to work Into a good tilth.
I have plowed corn when the water run
ln the farrows behind the plow nearly all
the way around, but It was a choice between plowing with the soil In this condition to kill out the weeds and afford at
least some drainage for the water, or to '
allow the weeds and grass to take the
crop. And while I don't believe in attempting to work the soil when it is wet,
at the same time and under the same conditions I should certainly follow the same
course again. But lt would only be In a
case where It was a choice between losing
the crop and working the soil wet that I
would attempt it. As a rule there is very
little necessity for plowing working land
too wet in preparing the soil for a crop.
Muddying In oats, or grass seed or planting corn or potatoes In a soil so wet that
It cannot be worked Into a good tilth does
not pay. Under anything like ordinary
conditions it will be best to wait a few
days than to seed or plant in a wet soil.
Worked wet and then followed by a few
warm days will, in many cases, causa the
soil to bake or form a crust on top, often
so hard that it will be difficult, it not impossible for the tender shoois to force
their way through it, and often seeds will
germinate well but will die because they
cannot force their way through. There ls
always a risk of this whenever the soil is
worked too wet, occasioning not only a
loss of the seed but also of considerable
time, and often in addition an Injury to
the soil, the effects of which will be shown
all through the growing season.
Eldon, Mo.
 . ♦ .  ,
How I Break Stalks.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
As I saw in last week's paper an article
on breaking stalks, I thought I would
give my way which I think is muoh better, as I have tried both. Take a piece of
railroad iron 15 feet long and have holes
punched in it, three and a half feet from
each end. Put a small clevis in each hole.
Then take your stay chains from your
wagon, attach a ^swingle-tree to each and
drive with double lines walking behind
the Iron. In this way you can break eight
rows at a round, having six rows between
your team and one on each side. Will
my brother farmers try my way and report their success. li O. Morris,
Richmond.