VOL. XXIV.
INDIANAPOLIS,*IND., JUNE 29,1889.
NO. 26
California,
Kditors Indiana Farmer:
From some reason I receive more inquiries about tbis State from Indiana than
any other State, I therefore -write the following for their benefit. I came to this
State two years ago from Macon, 111., and
have seen, with an old frnit grower's and
nurseryman's eye, abont all there is to be
seen in the State, and I like it.
J. A. G.,'of Pekin, Washington oonnty,
lad., asks me to mail him information
about the beat points in this State for
fruit growing; and if there is any Government land left in the State for homestead -
ing and pre-emption; and if a man with a
small amount of capital can make a start
in this Stater Haying received many
suoh inquiries from Indiana, I write as a
general answer as follows:
As for the best regions in'
THE STATE FOB FBUIT <")BOWIN<_,
that depends on what one wishes to grow.
There is scarcely a point in the State where
some of the most profitable fruits will not
do finely, and over a wide extent of the
State nearly every known fruit of temperate or semi-tropical climates do wonderfully well, under the special cultivation
and care here given them. In tbe interior
valleys, foothills and mountains, fruits
requiring great and long continued summer heat and dry climate, with little cold,
such as peaches, nectarines, the raisin
■*_rape, figs, olives, oranges, lemons, etc.,
are perfectly at home, and nearly all other
fruits as well. In the coast counties the
summers are cool and wonderfully pleasant and healthy, and are best adapted to
fruits to which great summer heat is not
necessary, suoh as apples, pears, wine and
table grapes, cherries, plums, prunes,
olives, almonds, nuts, small fruits; and
nearly all the first named except the raisin grape. These in the coast counties are
fine table grapes.
It is little use to grow fruit without one
is within reasonable reach of a market for
it.
THB HABKETS
here are at the canneries, dry bous9s and
shipping points. Therefore one to grow
fruit, even here with profit, should have
a location near canneries or dry houses, or
where he can ship East or to the city; "the
jdty" of course means San Francisco-
then he has the advantages of all markets,
and U Independent of all. Then if be will
take the best possible care of his orchard,
so as to grow nothing but the best of fruit,
and handle and pack it with the best care
he will make a success. Poor fruit pays
the producer but very little anywhere;
here, it is not wanted at all for any pur-
poss. There is absolutely no profit in it.
It Is true that in the interior away from
railroads and markets, even away up on
the mountains one can grow the best
fruits, and cheaper lands, and dry it in
the best manner, and haul lt or even pack
it out on horses quite long distances and
make money. But he most make choice
dried fruit. Trash is trash under all circumstances, and brings no profit.
THB OLIVE
should in the near future cover Cali-
lorcia's every bill and mountain adopted
to tha tree. Its product ln the shape ol
olive oil, is one of the choicest of the
•world's foods, in a very concentrated form,
and can be marketed from nearly anywhere. Itis, we may say, adapted to
nearly every portion of the state, ia very
profitable and is being planted everywhere
largely, some of the fruits ln the state will
undoubtedly be overdone in time, such
as the orange, wine grapo, possibly the
prune, though aa yet they are all paying
finely, at times enoromously, exoept right
now wine grapes; but this is more a
mattor of want of proper oo operation,
system, and freights than anything else.
There are chanoes everywhere for making
ricl; strikes in trait growing, if one plants
the right thing ln the right place. As a
rule, the small fruits pay enoromously
and will so oontinue. The canneries
must bave them and the people will have
them.
The price per acre of the best fruit lands
in the best locations should be little considered. It is very, much the bast to pay
$200, or ?300, or even $509 per aore for the
very best, at the best points, where one
can grow the most, and most perfeot
fruits per aore, and have the tip top
market price for the fruit in cash at bis
door, thau to plant unsuitable land away
bask, as free gift. Ten seres are enough;
that amount of land in the best commercial fruits will give a large family agood,
easy, luxurious living. I can show several families within two miles of where I
write, who bave made a good easy living
for years from
FIVB ACBES IN   FBTJITS,
and laid by quite a nest egg of - money.
Oood fruit land near market can be had at
from {20 per acre up.
Oood fruit land on the foot hills and
mountains, fn the best and healthiest
climate in the world, where everything
from the potato to the orange can be
grown in full crops every year without
irrigation, can be bad from a free gift
from Uncle Sam of 160 aores, to $50 an
acre, owing to looation and Improvement.
There Is quite an amount of Government land open for - homesteads in this
county, in the mountains. It is mountain land, with all that term implies,
with scarcely a quarter section without
from ten aores of plowable land on it up
to half or two thirds, the rest choice pasture land winter and summer, and plenty
of wood, water, game, health and climate,
no frosts, no snow, no storms, no taxes
for five years. Bat it costs money even
to homestead here. But a man with a
little money, health, strength and willing
hands can soon carve out a home for himself that will give him every comfort and
wealth.
I do not advise anyone without some
money to dump himself down in California, especially so if he bas a family. JJor
do I advise anyone to come here to follow
any trade or profession. These are all
full to overflowing. Bat for those who
wish to till the soil, grow fruits, vegetables, poultry, stock, open up farms, or
general farming, I am sure there ii no
place on this continent where they can do
better, or even so well.
It has often been said, and it comes very
nearly being the exact truth if not quite
so, that California ia the best State ln the
Union, and Sonoma county, all things
considered, is much the best county in
California, at least I have seen every part
ot the state within the past two years,
both in summer and winter, and I am
most decidedly of that opinion. It Is good
enough for me after seeing every State in
the Union except Oregon. Why it Is so
wonld be too long a Btory to tell. Bat by
the liberality of our oounty Board of
trade I will mail a full description of tbe
county, giving climate health, topography,
products, statistics and general resources,
to all who will enclose stamps for postage.
D. B. Wieb.
Letter From Alabama.
Editors Indiana Fanner:
Bain, sunshine and heat hare hal the
desired eflect on the growing crops. Late
sown oats made a short crop: winter and
early sown made good yields. It is as
important to plant in due season here as
else where. There was some effort made
to plant the cotton crop on time even
though it should be at the expense of
every other crop. J see the same rule
runs through cultivation of all or-gps. In
some cases I saw fields of corn knee high
before any attempt -was made to cultivate
thom.  Ths great need of this State and
the South ls a leaven of live Yankees as a
mixture that would bring about an upheaving that would produce a supply of
home products equal to tbe demand. Tbe
State Alliance is doing good work in
many ways, and too, a great many foolish
and unwise things. To read their future
plains without knowing the oondition and
situation of that organization in theState,
the average man would infer that they were
in a most prosperous condition with thousands of money at their command. They
have brushed the sand out of their eyes
and now propose to place the cart before
the horse. They propose to run several
large manufacturing industries and run
supply stores etc. It the Alliance was
composed of members having a large surplus of cash on hand this move to build
these manufacturing enterprises would be
a most laudable one. It would inorease
the demand for their farm products. As
tbe case now stands these industries would
increase the demand for Kansas beef,
Northern pork, flour, corn meal, mutton,
butter, cheese, canned goods, eto., etc.,
with no special effort on the part of the
farmers to produce thesesuppUesathome,
The freight on these supplies runs into
millions annually. The money they cost
would build several large factories eaoh
year. The shrinkage In every animal of
the cow kind in this State during the winter months equals in value at least $10 per
head. If there is two hundred thousand
head in the State, the loss in this'item
would be two millions annually. It is the
worst of folly to allow any animal to lose
flesh and fat once gained. Then there is
waste in the loss of soils that oan't be es
timated in dollars and cents. Such losses
undermine the foundations that lead to
successful agriculture. There are other
losses, that run up into millions, that we
will have to pass for the present. Men of
push and enterprise with millions of
money are dally coming to the State from
the North to engage ln|manufacturlng industries. Cities fall ot life are fast building up that are doubling and trebling
the demand for farm products, witb no
corresponding effort on tbe part ot the
farmers to meet tbis demand. Tbe natural
mineral aud timber resources of the State
are so grand and magnificent as to make
her famous as the future industrial emporium of tbis grand republic. Har agricultural advantages are as great,or greater;
her varieties of rich productive soil,
springs, brooks, streams, artesian wells
and rivers, with an abundance of rain,
heat and sunshine that will produce a
greater variety of farm products, at less
cost and at greater pro fits, than any where
on this green earth. With a lovely
healthy climate to enjoy lite In, what
more can we demand or ask for ?
It the Alliance will brush away the rubbish and show by their works, precepts
and practloe the road that leads successfully to tbe closing up of leaks and wastes
in agriculture they will have done a good
work for that industry, and made a sen
slble argument in favor of establishing
manufacturing plants in the State. The
average skilled business man in locating
such industries bas an eye to where the
supplies are to come from that will feed
his thousands of employes. If they are to
be shipped hundreds of miles he can't see
the great adyantage claimed tor looation,
and hesitates. Bat show him the fine fat
beef, pork, mutton, lamb and kid at the
butchers' stalls, with a market full of vegetables, fruits, butter, cheese, fowl, eggs
and cured meats, fresh and all of home
production, and such a self . sustaining
sight is at once realized in all its bearings.
The location is accepted and improvements
ordered that will require millions to put
in operation and run. Agriculture in this
State has not made the progress that
other industries bave; not even an effort
hasbeen made to imitate tbeir prosperity.
There Is only one condlf'
us from making the off,
premiums at our State j
ham and exhibition ai
November, namely: $50
fed 50 head of native c.
best stall fed SO head of j
for the best stall fed 30 he
$100 for the best stall fe
cattle.
All to be fed on home1
and to oome up to the I
native beef. $300 for th(
sweet potatoes; $200 for (
of sweet potatoes; $100 f{
of sweet potatoes; $50 fa
of sweet potatoes. I
As these potatoes won
feeding stock, the quanti
special desideratum in t;
cision.   There never waa
ties to make profitable
good farm lands as now.
near Montgomery is as fl *
the sun shines on. Bight
best market in America, 1   •
duce 50  bushels of  corn,
ceuts, or from   20 to 50j
of cotton to the acre.   Tht ... _^_«>
o. this land can be bought at from five to
15 dollars  per  acre.    This  opportunity
oan't last long with tbese Industrial cities
building up  as by  magic,  echoing the
sounds of prosperity that challenge the
admiration of mankind.
Stephen Co____ins.
Montgomery, Ala.
FABMEBS TBADIIfO C0MBI1TATIOITS.
Merchants in Posey and adjacent counties complain that a combination of farmers in that section of the State ls having
serious eflecls upon their business. We
presume the F. M. B. A., alluded to sey-.
eral times in these columns, Is the combination referred to. It ls reported that
"the farmers combine and agree to purchase from only one store In a town, the
owner agreeing to sell at a net profit of 10
per cent. "The farmers reserve the right
to examine his books and invoices. In
some Instances dealers have obtained two
Invoices—one true, the other false—to
show the farmers' committee. It the combination continues, which it probably
will, a number of merchants will be compelled to leave for other fields of business.
Already thera haa been a serious embarrassment in const qaenoe of this attempt
to destroy competition." This is the result we predicted some time ago. The
farmers who enter into this combinatjon
must decide between inflicting this damage and possible ruin on their small tradT
Ing towns, and paying the usual prices
demanded for goods at such places. It is
a serious question and should be carefully
considered.
PLLIHfi. AHIMALS HOMAHKLY.
Humanity requires that animals be killed in tbe quickest and least painful manner. A descriptive circular has been sent
to tbe police of all Massachusetts cities, to
the agents of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty through the State, and has
been widely distributed from the c ffice of
the organ, of that society, Our Damb Ani-
mals.   The circular reads as follows;
"In shooting a horse, place the pistol
muzzle within a few inches of the head,
aiming toward the center of the head.
"Blows—Blindfold, and with a heavy axe
or hammer strike just below the foretop.
Two vigorous, well directed blows will
make death sure.
?'Be careful not to strike too low.
"In fshooting a dog, place the pistol
muzzle near the head, aimlpg a little op
one side of the top of the skull, and shoot
downward so that the bullet shall go
through the brain into or toward the
neck.
"Do not shoot too low or directly in thq
middle, on account of thick bonea,