The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-22

Our agricultural statistician says that
the large crop of potatoes which was
grown last year in almost all districts of
production resulted in low prices and
consequent disappointment to growers.
From this cause the acreage this year in
New England, in the states of the central
West, and in the mountainous regions
will be considerably reduced, the breadth
thus freed being given to corn in the East
and to various other crops In the West.
This is the old story of chasing the mar
kets, and it proves that some of us are
slow to learn from experience. When the
price of one product lie low, the temptation
is to cut loose from it and take up some
one that is high, thus forgetting that we
are going with the crowd. and that the in
creased acreage will make the price low
the next season. When the majority are
dropping the production of q certain kind
OF stock or grain or vegetable, it is usually
good time TO increase ones facilities for
Its production.
1t is an old rule that high-priced seed
produces lowpriced crop, and it is based
on this very human trait of chasing the
markets. When potatoes are worth 81 a
bushel, all want to plant, and the succeed
Ing crop IS usually enormous When
potatoes are very low, acreage is very
often reduced, and the men who have q
good rotation and stick to il find them
selves with usual acreage when prices are
high. 1t is true that potatoes may be low
this fall. but the chances for fair prices
are much better than they would be had
potatoes brought very high prices last
year.
Fairview Farm Papers No. 8.
by Dsvid.l
The rainy season has interfered with
the cultivation of crops on the farm to
quite an extent this spring, but we have
managed to keep the fields tolerably clean
OF weeds. I find that it requires more Guilt
vst0rs TO raise a crop in wet season than
in dry one, and as we lose so much
time on account OF wet weather, the work
pushes hard when tillage is possible. The
rains pack the ground and q crust forms
very quickly, SO that crop suffers unless
it Is cultivated as soon after rains as pos
slble. The only way to keep up with the
work is TO have a little more work than
one likes to keep, and then have harrows
and other tools for rapid surface cultiva-
ticn. One cannot have everything as he
would wish, as teams and tools are costly,
but it does not pay to till more than we
can do well.
/ use the harrow at least twenty-four
hours sooner after rain than | would
deep running cultiyatOr, and harrow or
weeder used IN time is grand SLAYER OF
weeds. IL we can keep the harrOws going
the fields Will STAY clean, but O slant tooth
one or q weeder can do little il rains keep
one out of the field until the weeds are an
inch high. The hoe Is going out of date
On most level farms, hut / use it ia such
season as this The harrows cover some
hills and few weeds escape uprooting,
and il paws big 10 follow with the hoe.
Much OF the corn is now too high for
even long slant tOothed harrows, and the
cultivators are run very shallow in the
loosest part OF two fields at least half
day before We could pillow deep in more
sold ground. The chief point we observe
is this. Every hour counts IN rainy
season, and it pays to watch the drying
Oh the soil closely.
We found time dry enough 10 give our
potatoes close and deep piowing when
the plants were very small, and now
Plant, jr., one -horse cutivator Is run about
two inches deep between the rows as soon
as the soil permits between the rains. With
apt TO walk near the rows and damage the
crops if the soil underneath is not very
dry. but careful man can drive one good
horse nearly exactly in the center of the
middle. and this lets us begin cultivation
little sooner than we otherwise could.
The cold wet Gather has kept the eggs OF
the bugs from Matching well, and we have
nad no trouble yet. but the present hot
DAYS are bringing them, and when spray
ing with the Bordeaux mixture | will add
Paris green. The rainy season will proba-
bly, bring some blight, if We have hot
weather after harvest, and the spraying
may pay big 1t is a matter we cannot
decide until the season is over, but the
safe way is TO spray.
Oar Insect Enemies.
There are few supposed evils that are
not without their compensations. The
wet season has delayed planting and in
terfered with the tillaee OF crops TO quite
q serious degree in some sections of our
country. but there is a reason TO believe
that our insect foes might have played
havoc this year had IL not been Tor the
rains Few insects thrive in wet weather,
and the continued rams have prevented
them from increasing in numbers suf-
fcient 10 DO any great damage so far, and
have probably so crippled them that little
need be feared this year.
This is a side OF the question rarely
considered, but there is nothing more dis
heartening TO a farmer than the attacks of
insects upon crops that have had perfect
tiIage by reason of fine, dry weather
Were il not for an occasional season OF
great rainfall our crops would be a. the
mercy of countless foes; as it is, their
number is kept reduced The chinch bug
made some inrosds upon crops last year
in many places, and the effects of dry
spring were greatly feared, but that dan
ger is well passed. While we now hope
for fair weather and a good growing sea-
son. we will bear in mind that some evils
have been averted whose effects would
have been worse than a very rainy spring
time.
Clean Wheat.
Clean seed wheat should always be
sown. but too often the cleaning is neg
lected and cookie, rye and chess are sown
with it. II this has been done, or if such
filth is in the soil and springs up with the
wheat, now is the time to make the fields
clean. For manv years the writer has
made il his practice TO go over the fields
ouoa mr. tu-ica emitting mt all uaad- growth