VOL. XVIII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATUKDAY, DEO. 1,1883.
NO. 49.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
Important   Facts   About    the
Crops in Europe and
this Country.
ITS SORGHUM EXPERIMENTS BV
PROP. H. "W. WILEY.
The Trlchlnn Commission and Other Important Matter*.
- "editors Indiana Farmer:
Washington, Nov. 24, 1883.
Tbe Indications are tbat tbe demand for
grain for tbe European market during tbe
coming year will be fully equal to tbat of tbe
year jast closing. Tbe Department of State
and tbat ot Agriculture are making some
very commendable efforts of late in gathering statistics and general facts about tbe condition of the crops abroad, and are quite sue
cessful In so doing. A careful study ot tbe
facts obtained by tbe two departments, warrants your correspondent In predicting that
the farmers of tbls country will, be called
upon for their full share of the duty of supplying the world with Its breadstuff* during
the coming year. From England, the latest
reports Indicate a good crop of wheat, fully
equal to that of last year, and from some of
the smaller countries on the continent, but
the very large proportion of them fall very
materially below the production of last sea-
eon. In France there has been a slight decrease both in acreage and In the quantity of
wheat produced, while In the production of
"metell," or "maslln" as it is called In other
countries on the continent, tbe falling oft is
quite perceptible. Tbls "metell" or "maslln" which Is a mixture of wheat rye, ls
a very Important crop with the European
farmers, really more so than their wheat, lf
possible, for the amount ot lt grown for home
consumption 1* something enormous. If the
"maslln" crop Is short as well as the wheat,
bread will be scarce In Europe.
The estimate from France puts the wheat
crop of 1883 at 88,000,000 hectoliters, agaiast
100,000,000 last year, and the crop of maslln at
1,000,000 hectoliters below last year.
From Germany the reports are not at all encouraging. Early In the season there were Indications of flne crops, but the later developments indicate that the yield will not equal
tbat of last year. In Prussia, the reports forwarded by tbe consul at Frankfort say, tbe
average ot the wheat yield this year will be
about 81, against 101 In 1882 and 1880. Ia Sax-
ony the wheat Is put at 75 to 80, against 100 to
110 last year. In southern Bavaria, the wheat
Is about 80, against 120 last year, but In the
north lt ls better.
From the Palantlne the crop Is only about
two-thirds what lt was last year.
In Holland the wheat ls about an average
crop. In Silesia tbe wheat ls poor, in Bel-
glum lt ls about au average crop.
From Russia the great grain field of Europe,
the Indications are tbat the crop wlU fall
slightly below the average. In some of the
"governments" the winter was so hard on
the wheat that the farmers plowed lt up In
the spring. In many ot the governments,
however, the crop is an average, and it will
probably bring the general Russian crop up
to about 00, counting the average crop 100.
From Denmark tbe reports show poor
crops, the average being likely to fall much
below the usual standard.
From Australia there are reports ot excellent orops of wheat.
SOROHUM EXPERIMENTS.
' Prof. Wiley, the new chemist of the Department of Agriculture, Is very muoh gratified
with the Jesuit of some recent experiments
with the "Diffusion Process" for the manu
factureof sugar from sorghum. Tbe chief
art ument used against the removal of Prof.
Wiley's predecessor, was that by hli removal
the sorghum Interest was given a direct slap
In the face, so to speak, because he had made
the subject a special study, and under his fostering care the manufacture of sugar from
sorghum waa slowly but surely being developed. Tbe Indications are, however, that
Prof. Wiley's experiments with ihe diffusion
process will place the sugar-making industry
on a level which will make Its success most
undoubted. Tbe diffusion process ls new In
practice, having been Introduced In the
•ioutb, but not used,as lt Involved the obange
of most of the machinery already In use. By
the diffusion process tbe cane ls cut Into
small slices, and the sugar removed by washing. The cane ls first cut by being held
against the side of a swiftly revolving wheel,
In which are set sharp thin knives, tbe slices
falling through slots In the wheel. These
slices, or chips, which are about an eighth of
an Inch thick are put into a lot of air tight
Iron receptacles, connected by pipes, and hot
water forced upon them Into the first and out
of that Into the second and so on through the
row of a doien. This ls followed by second
and third washing, by which time there is
only left a "trace" ot the sugar. Instead of 25
per cent, aa ls the oase with even the best
milling, More than that, In this s> stem only
the sugar ls taken from tbe cane, while the
starch and gums, which were extracted by
the old milling process are left In the cane.
The result ot the experiments have been,thus
far, most satisfactory. "We find" said Prof.
Wiley In speaking of the work, "that we can
get at least thirty per cent, more sugar oat of
a given quantity of cane by this process thaa
the old, and In some casts we can get 60 per
cent. more. There ls an admitted loss of 25
or 30 per cent, by the old process; by this we
leave In the cane only the merest trace of
sugar. Of course lt ls a little more expensive
boiling lt • as the Juice Is somewhat more diluted, but coal is much cheaper than sugar,
and as by this process we can add largely to
the yield of sugar lt is worth while to put a
little more coal Into' the boiling lt thatls
necessary."
"Is the machinery expensive?" was asked
by your correspondent.
"Possibly the same as the mills, not much
different."
"Has the system been Introduced elsewhere?"
"In the South It was tried, and admitted to
be a success, but tbe planters did not want to
throw aside their old mills, and so It has
never been adopted anywhere. I think it
will be of great advantage in the sorghum-
sugar Industry however."
Tbe Department ls Just now collecting some
statistics and facts In detail regarding the
production ot sorghum sugardurlng the present year In this country. The indications are
that while the total yield will not be as great
as some of tbe rose-colored reports In the
dally newspapers represented, lt will be
something very credltable.and that the sugar
manufactured from sorghum In this oountry
may be counted by millions of pounds, or
hundreds of tons.
THE TRICHIN.E COMMISSION.
The commission appointed by the Becretary
of State and other persons In authority to Investigate the subject of trichina, will probably return to the city, within a few days.
They have given most of their time at Chicago and In the pork raising region west of that
point. The result of the investigation will
probably be a recommendation to Congress
that a commission be appointed with full authority and a sufficient sum ot money to
thoroughly Investigate the subject. The Department of Agriculture has had .an official
quietly at work at Chicago for some time, investigating this subject. His examinations
thus far Indicate tbat the percentage ot onr
hogs alleged by the German authorities to be
affected with trichina) ls not far from the
truth, and that only a long and thorough
study ofthe subject will enable us to rid our
hog of this troublesome and dangerous enemy.
TUB NATIONAL GRANGE.
The membersof the National Orange,which
met here this week, are a fine looking Intelligent set of men. Tbey speak In very hopeful
terms of the condition and prospects of the
Grange, and say that Its condition has very
much Improved within tbe past couple of
years. Tbe "boom" of tbe first few years of
Its existence was followed by a reaction which
was very depressing, but that crisis has, they
say, fairly passed, and they are now able to
report a healthy condition generally, and a
steady and healthful growth.
TnE crops) or 1888.
Prof. Dodge, the statistician of the Department of Agriculture, estimates the average
yield of corn throughout the country this
year to be 23 bushels per acre, or a bushel and
a half per acre less than last year. Much of
the corn In tbe frost belt Is very poor, and
cannot be marketed to any advantage. Tbe
whole crop, however, he estimates at about
tbe same as last year, the Increased acreage
bringing the total up to about the usual
standard. Kansas has the largest yield per
acre, 36.7 bushels per acre. Tbe South does
not get much of a yield, none of the southern
states except Maryland, Tennessee and Texan
running over IS bushels peracre, and South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida falling below
ten bushels per acre.*
The average yield of buckwheat he puts at
about 11 bushels per acre, and tbe total crop
about ten million bushels. The yield of potatoes he puts at 83 bushels per acre, and the
total product al nearly 200,000,000 bushels.
O.P.A. .
CONDITION OF THE WEATHER.
lu the State of Indiana, Week Ending
Friday Night, "Vor. 23, 1888.
The most prominent feature of the reports
this week ls the accouut of the heavy rain of
Wednesday, the 21st ult. Tbe rains of the
week did great damage to corn standing and
In shock, and In low places damaged growing
wheat considerably.
REMARKS  or REPORTERS.
Allen Co.—8L Mary'srlverhlghwlthmuch
drift wood floating. Wind 8 or S W the entire week. w. F. Yoccm.
Cass Co.—High waters from the rains of 20th
to22d. Btrong wind night of 21st. Higher
temperature. T. B. Helm.
Clinton Co.—Thunder 20th and 21st; winds
8 and 8 W. When winds changed to N or
N W, rain stopped. High waters generally.
Corn In fields In bad condition; shock corn
nearly ruined. Growing wheat drowned out
In low land. Heavy crop clover seed. Hogs
doing well. E. U. Stale*.
Clare    Co.—Very    heavy storm  of   rain
wind and thunder on 21st.   Roofs blown off
and frame church destroyed.
G. Poindexter.
Faybttk Co.—Heavy rains 20th and 21st,
causing river and canal to overflow and doing
some damage.   Prevailing winds N.
Robt. Hksslek.
Franklin Co.—Brown creeper seen on 20th.
Thunder and lightning slat.   Foggy 23d.
A. W. Butler.
Gibson Co.—Severe gale, heavy thunder,
aad 1.10 Inch rainfall In 20 minutes on evening of 20th. Great damage to wheat fields and
railroads. Elisha Jones.
Greene Co.—Highest bar. 29.79; lowest 29.07.
Wednesday was a very dark day; rains exceedingly heavy; thnnder and lightning almost all day. w.b Squire.
Hamilton Co.—Thunderstorm on 21st.
8. M. Wainwrioht.
Howard Co.—Thunder and lightning on
18th and 20th.   Heavy rain 21st.
Dr. J. Mel.. Mould«b.
Jennings Co.—Prevailing wlad 8. Rain
since 19th; not hard at any time. Mud to
China. J. P. Cope.
Jefferson Co.—Creeks higher than at any
time for eight years. Nearly 3 Inches of rain
fell In six hours on 21st. F. L. Morse.
Kosciusko Co.—For corresponding week
last year: Highest tern perature 36°, lowest 20°,
mean 28.3°, with two clear and Ave cloudy
days. E. M. IDLE.
Lawrence Co.—We had one clear day; since
Sunday cloudy.   Wednesday afternoon  the
rain fell In torrents.   Wind generally S W.
Ava Burton.
Miami Co.—Thunder shower 21st at 6 a. m.
During day and evening it rained 2.05 Inches.
Water high.   Cornfields very muddy.
D. M. Adams.
Montgomery Co.—Wednesday was the darkest day for two years, and the rain came lu
torrents.   Weather has been very  warm alt
week with thunder storm on morning of 21st.
Sam. D. Symmes.
Monroe Co.—Heavy rain Tuesday, with
thunder and lightning; same at night and
morning of 21st; by 2 p. m. Wednesday 2 31
Inches had fallen. From S to 9 p. m. rain
poured In torrents, doing much damage.
Rained In four hours 3.10 Inches.
S. B. Wylie.
Randolph Co.—Highest bar. 39.40, lowestm-
70. Heavy rain with thunder on 2oth and 21st.
Winds prevailing S W. W. J. Davisson.
Rush Co.—Frost 19th. Rained iu 48 hours
on 20th and21at 3.27 Inches. High waters did
considerable damage by washing away fences,
Water was as high as lt. has beet, for sevs-ral
years. Elwood Kirkwood.
Switzerland Co.—Mean temp, of warmest
day, 63.2°; coldest 32.8'. Greatest daily variation 32°; least 2°. Precipitation, 20th to 21st
0.50 Inch, 22d 3.85,23d 0.10. Barometer ranged
0.7;! inch. Mean humidity 08.4 per cent. Thunder storm on 21st. Chas. G. Boekner.
Vermillion Co.—Very heavy rain on 2lst;
did much damage; 3 Inches In ten hours. Wabash river rose -very rapidly and has asalu
overflowed the bottoms.   .        Fred Rush.
Vanderrurg CtX—Heavy thunder storm
with hall, morning ot 21st. Evening of same
day rain and wind storm, 8 W. 2.22 lucbes
water fell In less than two hours.
W. McK. Blake.
Wabrick Co.—Rained 2.75 Inches on 21st,
with thunder and quite a stiff gale.
James P. White.
Wath-e Co—Heavy showers 20th and 21st,
accompanied by thunder and Uehtnlng.
J. M. Gluys.
W. B. Squire: in answer to your query of
the24th ult. The low water mark of White
river at Bloomfield ls 490 feet above sea level
from thlg youcarl approximate the heiebt of
Worthlngton. Editor.
CONDITION    OF    WEATHER   IN    INDIANA    FOR
WEEK ENDING FRIDAY, NOV. 23.
Tempera- 1N0. clear al
tore.     (Cloudy days
snow
Counties	
f
i
i
S
3
r
l
i
i
2S
r>
<
%
?
1
i
1
18,1
£
I
•s
i
1
i
i
1
1
s
a
g
0.
^1
	
M
3
O
er
s
a
:*>
c
a
5
*<
c
tx
*«
J*
1
2
i
»
0
O
0
s
3
*
Allen	
62
6,2.11
Cass	
ta
22
50.1
2
4 l.M
Clark	
87
■tl
51 .<
1
•
4 Is.9
Clinton.	
Crawford	
62
-4
43.(1
1
1
S^.Sc
»
0:0.00
Fayette	
SI
21
681
:
(
6:3 78
4
Franklin	
tu
17
4!H
.
(
5323
3
OlDaon._ _
s;
21
51.2
s
(
42.60
•'
Oreene.._.
41
-2
Ml>
ti
7
6 4.21
Hamilton	
M
25
48 5
1
1
5 >.*<;
0 0 80
0)000
 |.).ou
Harrison	
Henry 	
Howard _
63
65*
20
40
50.2
52"o
0
......
1
......
6
......
3.20
a.V5
4
Jay.	
CO
Kt)
hIA
•1
0      5
too
Jefferson.	
70
20
50.1
1
.
4
190
5
Jennings	
«*.
IS
4H4
1
1
f.
III
Kosciusko....
SJ
20
3J.4
0
2
5
170
2
0
K.OO
100
Lswrence	
63
21
411.11
1
1
5
•HI
4
Miami	
62
83
401
.1
n
4
1*1
Monroe ..™.
Montgomery
Morgan....	
Randolph.	
.1
65
"ii"
8
23
"22~
47.0
47X1
i's'l
1
1
...„.
0
0
6
I.
'""«
5.41
(20
i"?i
8
3
0
J
rv!
).00
J 00
J.0O
Rush._._.___
8p3ncer	
Switzerland .
S3
"ii"
IS
"ii
47.4
'<-A
i
1
5
""«
175
1 «
8
(jIOOO
_...0 00
Vanderburg.
Vermillion..
64
SO
26
tt
Sill
411
1
1
2
n
4
4
110
< 0,1
4
o:o.a>
Wabash	
64
27
49.4
1
0
4
? 14
Warrick	
Washington.
64    22
60.8
2
2
8
ill
8
0000
.Jo OO
Wayne.____
Weils	
m' is
48.1
2
0
5
IM
i
..-I
).00
IM