The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-05
THE WEALTH OF THE STATE.
Information Concerning the Social and
Commercial Status of Indiana.
Value of the Agricultural and Manufactured
Products for 1SS3-Annual Report
of Statistican Peelle

The fifth annual report of the Indiana Stats
teal Bureau was filed with the Governor yes
terday by W. A Peelle, the statistieian. The
report is quite volunlinous, and when printed
will make volume of more than FIVE hundred
pages. 1t embraces statistics relating to the
agriculture, manufacturing, railroad and min
eral Industries, and economic, educational, so
cial, sanitary, and criminal matters 1t is com
piled in good form, and considering
the difficulties under which the bureau
labored, caused chiefly by the fail
ure of the last General Assembly
TO make the usual appropriation, in the matter
of its completeness the report exceeds expecta-
tons. With better advantages for gathering in
formation, it could be made more valuable, but
while it may not be all that it should, it is re-
markedly creditahle
In speaking of the disadvantages under which
the bureau has labored, Mr.. Peelle says: ''The
prejudices it may have had to encounter are Civ
ing way to better understanding and apprecia
ton of its services for the common benefit on the
part of those whose duty it is to make reports
to this department when called upon to do So
But although from 80 to 40 per cent more nfor>
nation has been collected this year than ever be-
fore, much remains yet to be done, and I can
not too strongly recommend that the law estab
fishing the Bureau of Statistics be so amended
as to require county officers to make annual re
ports to this department, and the law should be
so framed to require them to keep book
with a view to making such reports; and provis-
ions should also be made for them to receive a
reasonable compensation for doing this extra
work. The law as it now stands is susceptible
of being misconstrued and must urge upon the
General Assembly the importance of so amend
ing the act as to cure the manifold defects in the
present law"
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
The year 1883, the statstician says was an
unusual one for agriculture. A cold and wet
spring following an open and protraeted winter,
delayed planting until q very late date. The
cool summer was favorable for the growth of
wheat in upland while good deal of bottom
land wheat had to be plowed up and planted in
corn On the whole, then, it must be said that
corn and other crops were considerably retarded.
1t was not until July had well advanced that the
outlook of the corn crop allowed a well-deined
condition of hopefulness, and rapid progress
was not reached until August. In some of the
southern counties, e. g. Posey, an excellent
average yield of 10 $40 bushels per acre for the
whole State. Based upon the reports of $50 out
of 1,Ol7 township trustees, the yield
in wheat on 049, 209 acres in 1883 was 81 1873
bushels against an area of 3 063 34S acres and
production of 46, 92S, CAB bushels for 1882. The
highest yield for any one county is 839, 900 bush
els, in Posey, but her area of 60, 867 acres does
not make her average over ID 7-l6 bushels per
acre The highest average was attained by ST.
Joseph county, which, on an area of 63, 32l acres
produced SIC, 569 bushels, an average of Is 40
bushels to the acre. Lagrange, with II IA
bushels, stands second and Elkhart and Kosei-
usko show a fraction over IL. The average in
thirty eight other counties ranges below 10
bushels to the acre; in ten counties it reaches
between 10 and IL bushels in nine counties be-
tween IL and u; in five counties it shows ID
bushels; in three counties between IA and l5
and in two counties 16 bushels. The second tier
of the northern counties shows the largest av-
erage. while some of the best wheat counties in
previous years show remarkable falling off in
the yield.
The area in corn was 3, 125,376 acres against
1872 683 last year, and the production was So
699, 23z bushels, while in 1882 it was 115 500 1877
bushels. The yield shows an average of only
about % bushels to the acre. In thirty counties
the average is about 30 bushels, while in forty
other counties it reaches between 20 and 30, and
in few counties only it falls below 10 bushels
to the acre. Posey county shows the highest
average, producing on an area of 40, 45l acres
lib, $50 bushels, being 40 210 to the acre while
Vanderhurg county, ON an area of only q, 1872
acres produced 934 $40 bushels making an aver
age of 40 $40. Knox county averaged 40 40
bushels per acre.
The area of oats was 456. 2S6 acres. from which
was harvested Is, 567, 7S9 bushels. This yield of
oats in 1888 was the largest per acre ever grown
in the State. The same is true Of clover and
timothy. The acreage in clover was 939,615 and
the tons produced were /, 62S. 5I9 The acreage
in timothy was l. 167, 1923, and 1881, 137 tons of
hay were produced.
The Irish potato crop is by far the largest
ever reported in the State. The area was 81, 100
acres and the yield was 1853 412 bushels against
a yield of 1854, S36 bushels in 1882
There are ii ,487 sl4 rods of tile drainage, while
in 1882 there wers 9, 524, 297 rods, which is a
marked evidence of the appreciation and utiliza-
ton of this important improvement in modern
agriculture.
The acreage of timber land is reported at
4,4126o8, while in 1882 there were 45S5,012
acres, showing that the forests are rapidly dis
appearing,
In the dairy products the statistics show that
during the year there was production of $780,,
303 7S5 gallons of milk, 80 59l S45 pounds of but
ter, and 9l2, 746 pounds of cheese. The area of
grazing land was l, 775, 232 acres, and the good
hay crop has enabled farmers to increase their
herds of live stock There are 49,, 739 horses of
all ages, AZ, $40 mules, 059, 296 CATTLE Of which
405, 800 are milk cows; l,9l1, $40 stock hogs,
1,064, 1888 grown sheep, and 1872. 500 lambs.
Fully 80 per cent. of the peach trees were win
ter killed. With the exception of Dubois, Pike,
Posey and Scott counties, which show re
spectively six, seven and eight-tenths of a full
crop, the peach crop was failure, the average
being less than one tenth. In apples an average
Of 40 of a full crop was reached, while pears
show little over threetenths of a crop. Plums,
ounces and cherries average between two and
three-tenths. Siberian crab trees fall slightly
below one-half and grapes show small portion
over one-half. The loss in fruit trees during the
last three years has been more than supplanted
by the farmers. During 1883 624. 1874 young ap-
pie trees were planted, while 1853 800 died. Of
peach trees 313. cas- were planted, and 226 500
lied, showing gain of l65, 220 apple, and &C. 465
peach trees.
ECONOMIC STATISTICS
The statistics under the classification of eco
monte comprise statements of the public ex-
penditures of the different counties, the public
debt of the State and of each county. together