The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-10
Farm Notes.

Only about 40 per cent. of the land in Indiana
is under cultivation
1t is an indisputable fact that farm work can
be done at less expense with mules than with
horses. They will stand more hard work and
bad treatment eat one-third less, and are rarely
sick.
The refrigerator method of transporting but
ter to market has enabled the Mississippi valley
to enter into strong competition with the East
ern dairymen, in the large cities of the Atlantic
coast.
In a comparative experiment, made at the
New York experiment station, celery grown on
level ground produced an equal weight of crop
with that grown in trenches, and with much less
expenditure of labor
The Mississippi valley produces 195, 900 tons of
cotton seed one fourth of which is marketed in
Memphis, much of it being shipped in a crude
state from that point to Italy, whence it is re
turned to this country in the shape Of pure
olive oil.p
An expert in strawberry culture asserts that
in trausplanting the strawberry the runners
should be left to the length of six inches.
The ends of the runners are then TO be beat
down ard buried with the roots, and act as
suckers to draw nourishment to the plant until
new roots are formed In this way, he contends,
plants will thrive under conditions which would
otherwise prove fatal.
Many farmers wives make their own lard and
not infrequently are annoyed by the lard becom-
ing rancid. A lady writing to the New York
World says: My plan, which l have found to
be quite satisfactory consists in putting table
spoonful of fine salt to each quart of hot lard.
Just when the scraps are beginning to get brown
and brittle cook the lard little while after add
ing the salt The salt improves the color, and
renders the lard firmer."
Prof. w. W. Tracy, after experimenting with
successful results. recommends the potato rem
edy in vogue in England for wirewoTms. Prof.
Tracy, in the experiments alluded to, buried po-
tatoes a few feet apart and few inches deep in
infested melon and cucumber patches. The
worms left the crops it was desired to protect
and fed on the potatoes. The potatoes that We're
used as bats, when examined, contained from
eight to twelve worms each.
The first cost of raising wheat in India is less
than in this country, because labor costs only
from to 10 cents per day. 1t is claimed by
some that wheat can be grown in the interior of
India, with such labor for 20 cents per day, but
| the figure is probably nearer 30 cents When it
is carted by bullocks it costs cents per bushel to
| transport it every twenty-five miles; but when
railroads are built with government aid the cost
of transportation is cut down so as to land wheat
at Calcutta cheaper than it can usually be landed
in New York.
When transplanting small trees care should be
taken not to set them in the ground any deeper
than they originally grew. Do not stable
manure around the roots, but incorporate thor
oughy in the soil liberal amount of thoroughly
decomposed vegetable matter or loan, such as
florists use for potting plants After the trees
are set press the earth about the roots firmly,
and then stake the trees, so that the wind
cannot rack them over. Superior varieties cost
hut little il any more than common, and no
has an excuse for oultivating inferior fruits.