VOL. XXVII.
,■-
INDIANAPOLIS. IND., JULY 9,1892.
NO. 28
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN
United Stales Department of Agriculture
Weather Bureau. Weather Orop Bulletin
ofthe Indiana Weather /Service, in co-operation with the Agricultural Experiment
Station at Purdue University, ending Tuesday July 5, 1892.
The weather was quite favorable to grow
Ing crops and harvesting, rain fell only
on few days and the amount was below
average, except in the extreme northwest
em portion of the State, were it was in e__
coss, cool temperature below normal and
average sunshine prevailed, wbeat in the
southern portion is all in shock and
thrashing will commence next weeklln;
the central portion, much has been eut
and most of it is in shock, and the harvest
has commenced in some localities in the
northern portion; the crop in the south-
em and central portions is good, both in
quality and quantity, but in the northern
portion, the heads of wheat are not filling
good. Corn is growing very fast, even
with the prevailing cool temperature, it is
in good condition and stands well nearly
every where. A fine crop of clover and
hay is secured in the southern and central portions but in the northern, much
has been spoiled by rain.
SOUTHERN PORTION.
Vevay, Switzerland   C_—The weather
-»-eehl_e_ig.-Ki_l- wilUsfx 'cleft- "and
one cloudy day; and thei*-*inditions were
favorable to all crops; \>\A especially for
curing wheat; tobacco, pj atoes, and corn
are of thrifty growth; th jJruit prospect is
becoming more uncertt/n with the advancing of the season.   _r infall, 0 02.
Princeton, Gibson Co.-,' Tearly all wheat
Is in shock and the thi sher will start
next week; the condition* of the weather
have been quite favorable and corn is
growing very fast and is in good condition; pasturage is in fine condition fpr
this time of the year; apples are falling ofl
badly.   RainfaU, 114.
Marengo, Crawford Co.—The conditions
of the weather were favorable to all crops
and wheat harvesting; and wheat is all
harvested In good condition; and also
clover; oats would fill better with more
win in a few days.   R iinfaJ.1, 0 10.
Seymour, Jackson Co.—The temperature the past week has been inordinately
1<Jw; a total deficiency of 38°; the sunshine has been generous and the precipitation normal; wheat-harvesting is completed and threshing is in progess; yield a
full average and quality excellent; corn
°n bottom lands is tasseling and everywhere tha growth is vigorous; the melon
crop, Jackson county's staple, will be late
and light; other growing crops inclnding
Pasturage are in good condition; no noxious Insects.   Precipitation, 111,
De Gonia Springs, Warrick Co.—Stack
]ng wheat and plowing corn is the order
*-ow; threshing commenced the 28th,
y°nng grass and olover in the wheat fields
is the best stand we have had for several
yaws; tobacco is all looking well; early
Potatoes good.   RainfaU, .57.
Troy, Perry Co—The -week has been
ve .* favorable for farm work the soil in
Rood condition; corn and potatoes doing
e»;a-rood rain Tuesday and Saturday
evening; a good deal of corn laid by.
T^rtbln8ton, Greene Co.-Wheat har-
wt la not over; one third of the wheat roller      8t,Hla-t-* an   unusual   occurrence
e   as late asthe 4th; corn is growing
*<>U.  RainfaU, 2 49.
er*.!. Vemon' *«wy Co.-The cool weath-
tvork Pa8t Week was favorable for tarm
fipi.iiagood*fall**0:athe ^^s was bene-
uc«l to all crops.
CENTRA- PORTION.
w_.6.ana^Us'MarionCo--The weather
Mdingiyl6n01or toe wheat harvest
and nearly all wheat ia in shock, promising an excellent crop; although it was
continuaUy cool corn is growing very fast
and stands very well everywhere. Riinfall, 094.
Shelbyville, Shelby Co.—The weather
has been very beneficial to growing crops
and harvesting; the wheat crop is being
secured in fair condition, and with increased acreage, it wU. make a fuU average crop; corn is doing well; the hay crop
will not be as large as was expected. No
.rain
Farmland, Randolph Co.—The rainfall
has been above average but it was badly
distributed, as some localities report none
while others report too much; the temperature, has been rather too cool for corn
growing; wheat cutting has commenced
here.   RainfaU, 1.78.
Franklin, Johnson Co.—Wheat is now
fully rife and most of it in shock, a large
portion has not filled well; it ripened in
streaks and spots, tte upper part of the
heads are of a - lighter color and have
shrunken grains or no grain at all, while
the lower part has good grain; farmers
therefore cannot estimate the yield until
threshed; corn is growing nicely and most
is in good condition, although some fields
are very weedy; a heavy rain and wind
storm passed Saturday night. RainfaU;
1:00.
._Cjanbridg_L .City, Wayne Co.—Much
wheat has been cut and with few excep
tions the crop is said to be good and not
damaged; corn on well drained land has
been "laid by", it looks good and the rains
helped it; oats is in good condition. Rainfall, 1:03.
Irvington, Marion Co.—With the exception of rather low temperature the past
week has been favorable to growing crops
and farm work generally; wheat is abont
one-half harvested in good condition and
fair yield.   RainfaU, 0.97.
Ashboro, Clay Co.—The temperature has
been low and it has checked the growth of
corn; harvesting commenced under favorable conditions and a large percentage is
in shock; corn is weU worked. Riinfall,
0.16.
Richmond, Wayne Co.—The weather
lately has been more favorable, the hot
spell being over for the present; in fact it
has been too cool on some mornings; on
the lst it was 41 degrees; very Uttle rain
fell and there was splendid weather for
wheat harvesting; some report that the
wheat was damaged by great heat a week
ago; the corn and potato crops are doing
well; a big berry crop is maturing. Rainfall, 0 39.
NORTHERN  PORTION.
Hatch's Mills, -___Forte Co.—Wheat is
turning yellow for the harvest and it is
filling better than expected and it wiU be
a nice crop; none is cut yet; oats still
look bad; com is growing well; but little
hay has been cut, and that which was cut
is nearly all spoiled by rains; clover is
rotting on the bottom part and it is lopping down in bad shape.   RainfaU, 3.00.
Mai ion, Grant Co.—The rainfaU was
boneficial for all crops; also the sunshine,
bnt it was too cool for corn; the thermometer at no time reached higher than 89 and
it was as low as 37; wheat looks well and
some has been harvested; corn is only
growing slowly; fruit is falling short of
expectations.   RainfaU, 0.52.
Warsaw, Kosciusko Co.—Rain fell on
five days of the week; corn Is growing
slowly only as it was too cold and damp;
clover was cut, but it has been a poor week
for curing and the quality is none of the
best; wheat is ripening very uneven, some
is rusting; by examination of my wheat I
find that one-fourth of the heads are devoured by milkslot and six to ten grains
in a head have rotted and nothing but the
huU remains.   RainfaU, 0.50.
Haw Patch, LiGrange Co.—The weather
was very unfavorable to crops- and hay
making; but little work could be done
and but little hay has been made; a great
deal had been cut but rain spoiled it; corn
is doing well but wheat Is not filling well ;
if the weather permits cutting will commence after the 4th; 50 per cent of last
year's crop will be a high estimate. Rainfall, 0.77.
Delphi, CarroUCo.—By sample enclosed
herewith you will see the unfilled condition of mnch of the wheat in this county;
the causes assigned are first, beating rains
when the wheat was in bloom, second, extreme sunshine on the tender growth.
Angola, Steuben Co.—The rains at the
beginning of the week were injurious to
growing crops but most of the days were
fair and permitted the working of the corn
fields.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Bureau.
Per C. F. R. Wappenhans,
Local Forecast Official, V. S. Weather
Bureau Assistant.
MAKIUG GOOD B0ADS.
Hon. P. S. Kenedy, of Crawfordsville,
Ind., recently discussed the road question
before tl^ Farmers Council of Montgomery county, this State. He urged the importance of repairing roads as boon as repairs are needed, and not waiting till they
rapidly grow worse under such conditions.
-Montgomery county he said, paid Into
the county treasury over $13,000 annually
for the privUeges of good roads, and yet
the roads were continually out of good
condition, growing worse, and such payment-was a fraud, for a tax payer did not
receive what he paid for. The fault was
with the road system, and this needed
overhauling. We cannot do better than
give Mr. Kennedy's discussion In part at
least in hia own words.
"It has been demonstrated, over and over,
in many places, both in this country and
Earope, that the cheapest method of keeping* a road in repair is actually, to keep it
in repair—that is, never to suffer a break
of any kind in the surface for a single
day, nor suffer; water tostanduponltatany
point, and to keep all side ditches and culverts well opened. Everyone who has
traveled much on our gravel roads has
frequently witnessed a small depression
In the beginning of winter, that could
have been leveled up with a wheelbarrow
full of gravel, but which, when left till
the following spring, required a wagon
load of material to fill it. This a fearful
penalty to pay for a little neglect. It is as
shiftless and unwise as paying a thousand
per cent a year for borrowed money; for
the defect conld have been mended in the
fall for twenty cents, but in the foUowing
spring it cost five times as much. A
smaU break in the surface of a road, where
there is much heavier hauling and the
weather is wet, deepens and widens with
fearful rapidity. The old adage that "an
ounce of prevention is better than an
pound of cure," fits the matter under consideration as neatly as a kid glove fits a
lady's hand. Ten cents worth of attention would often prevent a chuck-hole
which a doUars worth of labor after a Uttle
while wlU not fill.
Bnt we can never secure constant attention to our roads under the system now in
operation. Nothing is well done unless
done by someone who knows how to do
It weU, and who has an interest in having
lt done weU. tinder our present plan,
those who are employed to keep our
roads in repair have but little information
and experience to aid them in their work;
and if they had both knowledge and experience, they are more interested in letting the road get out of repair than they
are in keeping it in repair. The more
they let the road get out of repair the
more work it takes to repair  it  and ths
more pay they get for the jib.
The work is doue at odd times when the
road Superintendent happens to have
nothing else to do. If he is pushed with
work on his farm or elsewhere, the road
mnst go un mended till it suits his convenience to give it attention. Under
snch a system, that constant attention so
much needed, becomes utterly Impossible.
I have no doubt that all are now at the
point of asking me to suggest a better system, and 1 will do it.
France has the best roads in the known
world, and they are constantly kept in
such perfect repair that it is no uncommon thing for a farmer there to haul a
hundred bushels of wheat to market, at
one load, with a single horse. In that
country, road repairing is a trade that one
is required to learn before he can secure
employment In the business. The public authorities there recognize the fact
that road repairing requires skill,-judgment, and intelligence—qualifications
never thought of here. In France the
roads are all divided Into sections, the sections being long enough to require a superintendent's entire time to keep it in
repair. By this method the country has
become supplied with skUled road menders who follow nothing else. They learn
the business as one learns any other mechanical trade, and follow it all their lives.
The sections are let ont to the lowest bidder for a serriei of years, and the
sucoessful bidder is required to give
bond with security that he will keep
the section allotted to him in
perfect repair aU the ;tl_ue. Doubtless it wiU take us some time to work into
such a system; but I believe It can be
done, and that some attempt ought to be
made in that direction. That our present
system of road repairing is inefficient,
wasteful and unduly expensive, no one
can doubt; and it is just as clear that we
shall never have a better one unless the
pubUc authorities can be induced to
search for an improved method. What
we want is some attempt at progress—
some earnest efiort to go from worse to
better. 0_r road commissioners are all
wise men, and men of careful business
habits; and all that is required is that they
shall turn their attention earnestly in the
direction of reform.
Another question intimately connected
with the road repairing is worthy of attention, and that is whether or not it is
possible to induce those who haul on our
roads to have an eye to their preservation.
And here again we may go to France for
the result cf much experience. In that
country most of the heavy hauling Is required to be done on wagons with six inoh
tread, and the hind axle enough longer
than the front one to caus9 the hind
wheels to run just outside the track made
by the fore wheels. By this method the
road is packed and smoothed, instead of
being cut up into ruts and chuck holes.
There certainly would be nothing inequitable in requiring those who haul on
our roads to treat them with the same regard they would their own property.
There would be no injustice in requiring
those who persist in cutting up the roads
with narrow tread wagons, to pay something for the unnecessary damage they
do. A simple law requiring all who wish
to use narrow tread wagons on the roads,
to pay a small Ucense fee each year, to go
into the road fund, would either stop
them from unnecessary spoiling the roads,
or compel them to pay for the damage
done. In a great many of the old turnpike charters the toll" was regulated
largely by width of the tire on the wagon
—the larger the tire the less the toll; and
this provision was fonnd to work with
eminent success in preserving the roads
and keeping them smooth and level. I_et
us derive profit from the lesson."