The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-17


carry q shoe of more than three pounds
weight, at speed under three minutes,
when a shoe weighing half that is regarded
as sufficiently heavy for driving and road
horses generally.
Wheat sown side by side will not mix to
form new varieties. The flowers of the
wheat are closely surrounded by the pallets
or chaff, aud it is claimed that the ovara is
fertilized by the pollen Of its own flower. be-
Those who originate new varieties" by
crossing. are obliged to carefully open the
chsff before natural fertilization takes place,
and apply the foreign pollen.
There is general complaint in all the
markets of the country that the cattle Of
fered for sale are not nearly as good as this
wants of the market demand Farmers
grade up and feed up. the money is right
here. Get good blood by breeding to
thoroughbred bulls. Then full feed from
the first gives you early maturity, quick
growth, large size that sells at the highest
price. 1t don't pay any longer to breed or
feed scrubs. $50,
The figures that show the movement of
population to the new farming lands in the
West are almost startling. During the year
that closed with last month not less than
16 COG, 600 acres of Government lands were
taken up by homestead entries alone. and
fully IA 600 900 acres of new lands we're sold
TO settlers. 1t is estimated that 5000
people settled upon the new lands In 1878,
and the number for the present year prom
Uses to be even greater.
In regard to the buckwheat crop of this
year, the August report of the department
of agriculture says: "The area planted
shows slight decrease since last year. New
York and Pennsylvania in which one-half
the buckwheat of the country is grown,
CHI q of z no cant Tn Ohm Micbi-
gan and Wisconsin, which produce a large
portion of the mainder, the acreage is
nearly the same as last year. The condition
is good, rother better than last year at this
time" laf.
The GENITAL" or a hundred pounds, has
been adopted as the measure for produce by
the New York Produce Exchange and the
Boston Produce Exchange, and their exam
pie will speedily be followed by all similar
organizations in this country. The system
of buying and selling by weight is the only
correct one, and the pound and GENITAL, with
their fractional parts, are the only two
denominations needed. The new system
goes into effect in Boston and New York
October 1.
Michigan Homestead: Sheep properly
bred and cared for shear all the way from Is
to 33X pounds apiece, also wool OF first class
delaine quality, bringing third or half
more per pound In the market, than the
average wads Of wool, hair, burs and dirt
pulled from the backs of lean and scraggy
native stock. The farmer who clings to
gaunt and bare legged scrubs when he might
just as we'll raise short-legged, round bodied,
thick. coated breeds, can not hope to make
wool growing profitable, no matter what the
market may be.
The horns of our cows seem to be neither
ornamental nor useful. As means of war
fare they can only have consideration; but
warfare and goring is precisely what we
desire to keep away from the barnyard.
English farmers, where herds are probably
more precious and closely confined than in
America, have introduced the practice of
unhornipg cattle by clipping the small pro-
jections in calves when half an inch long.
using SIMPLY strong pair of shears 1t is
true it hurts the calves somewhat There
will be little bleeding. but that will stop
in an hour or two and the calves will soon
resume eating.
They do things with q rush in the West.
Iowa has an agricultural college that seems
to hold some connection with the design of
such colleges. The board of trustees have
founded course of domestic science and art
with an experimental kitchen for the use of
the sophomore and junior girls. A cream
in full operation, and a veterinary depart
ment with full course of instruction has
been established. This is an advance in
practical culture much needed. and it re-
mains for farmers to second the movement
by filling such institutions with the embryo
farmers and dairymaids of our country.
How to Have Horse Shod.
Probably there is no man in this country
whose advice about anything pertaining to
horses is of more value than that of Rev.
w. II. 81. Murray. He is widely known as
a great lover of horses and as q studious
observer of their habits. and whatever he
may have to say in regard to their treatment
will be received with confidence. In a
recent paper, which we find published in
the American Agriculturist, Mr.. Murray
attacks the method usually adopted by
blacksmiths in ehoeing horses ss needlessly
cruel, and in many cases seriously injurious
The nails, he says. should be much smaller
than they are, and should be driven in more
gently than is the custom. There is no good
reason why the smiths should strike blow
at the nail with as much force as he would
deliver blow at the head of q spike in an
oak beam. A man who does not wish to
run the risk of having his horse permanently
famed should insist when having HIM shod
that the smith shall drive his nails slowly
ind steadily instead of violently. Some
horseshoers go at their work as though it
were q matter of life and death to get the
nails entirely set in at two blows of the
hammer. with SUCH WORK there Is great
danger of doing irreparable injury to the
horses foot, as, in case the nail is badly
pointed and gets out of proper line of direc
ton, it is likely to be driven far into the
flesh before the error is discovered. In
clinchIng the nails gentleness should also be
exercised, and the smith should never be
allowed to touch the outer surface of the
hoof with q rssp, for In that case the thick
coat of enamel, the object of which is to
protect the inner membrane and fiber from
exposure to water and atmosphere, would
be destroyed, with injurious results. In
short, Mr.. Murray advises that horses be
shod Just as human beings are, with view
70 their comfort and protection, and he in
sists that it Is the duty of every person who
owns or has the charge of horse to see that
the smith who shoss him understands his
business.
s. Farmers Families.
Much has been said and written on this
subject, says q correspondent of the German
town Telegraph: poets have loved it, and