The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-22

no rotation has been DracNced. Two
crops can often be gotten off these with
great profit.
Number and Value OF Horses.
According to the latest report Of the
agricultural department the number of
horses has increased from 5,49S, 900 in
1891 to is 267 COO in 1892 These figures
indicate that the dullness OF the market in
the last three or four years has not served
as a warning TO farmers. or else that there
is more money in horse breeding at re-
duced prices than there is in other stock.
The average price of horses in the United
States has declined from sos a head in
1891 to S6l.22 in 1892. The decline in the
value OF mules is still greater. There is
reason to expect still further decline, as
the demand is limited by the extensive
use OF electricity, steam and the bicycle,
and the supply is already too great.
Decrease in Number of Hogs.
The increase in numbers of swine in
1891 was followed by heavy misfortune
in the reduction of the proportion of
young pigs raised. The excessively wet
weather of spring caused the loss OF an
unusual proportion of the natural increase.
1t was early seen that numbers would be
considerably reduced. On the first day OF
January, 1898. We had u per cent. less
hogs than one year previous. The value
per head increased 80 per cent. notwith-
standing the fact that the weight per head
when marketed was probably much less.
These animals are so prolific, and their
average term OF life so short. that extreme
fluctuations are liable to occur; but while
the decline mas been heavy and sudden.
the recuperation may be equally rapid
under the influence OF increased values.
Cattle and sheep.
There is decrease in the number of
store cattle. The scarcity of feed In Vir-
ginis induced farmers TO sell off feeding
bullocks closely. The no-!ence law in
some of the southern states has caused
reduction of numbers, the more worthless
of the old stock having been sacrifc ed to
the manifest i'm provement of the herds.
The low price of cattle in the ranch re-
gions has tended to reduce the number OF
cattle. In some states there has been q
reduction made, after investigation cover
ing the recent changes of recent years,
from the estimates of last year.
The increase in the number OF sheep
continues as a result of a progressive adj
vance in price for four years past. being,
as estimated, 2,335, lSS in the past year.
There has been an increase in Virginia
and South Carolina, and in the western
states as a rule. There is a tendency to
the enlargement OF the proportion OF NUT
ton sheep. east OF the Missouri river.
Questions Answered.
AGRICULTURAL EDIToR-Sir: A portion of
my farm Is wet and cold and l want to under
dram. CD How can | get the grade OF drains?
~ What size tile shall | use Tor lateras? (3)
How deep should they be laid? az How large
tile do need for the main that wall carry the
water that falls on twenty acres? ~ What will
be Lne cost OF laying the tile?
SENTINEL READER.
!. Ifyour land is fiat you will do well to
have the drains located by Surveyor. He
will establish the grade, setting peg every
fifty or 100 feet and giving you the depth of
| cut at each peg. By using a string across
drain at each peg you can grade the inter-
yening ground with exactness.
,. Authorizes ditier in regard to size of
| tile TO be used for laterals. Or course much
| depends upon the distance between drains.
In some parts OF our state the laterals are
put from six to eight rods apart and the tile
| end is never less than five or six inches. |
regard this as a mistake. Unless the soil
| is very porus. laterals are needed every
| forty feet, and when put this close and
| the bottom is solid, three-inch tile is suf-
ticiently large.
3. Laterals should be put % to feet
| deep. Their depth determines the dead
water level IN the ground, and feet are
| better than any less.
t. Ifyou propose 10 underdrain the TWEEN
| ty acres thoroughly the main will require
| or l0-inch tile. depending upon fall IN the
drain. A good rule for determining the
number OF acres given size of tile will
| drain is this: Square the diameter of the
tile and divide by 4. Thus: multiplied
| by equals "a. ga divided by 4 equals 10
| An S-inch tile should drain sixteen acres
! when the grade is normal, that is, about 3
inches TO the 100 feet
.. The cost of laying the tile depends
upon the soil, the depth of the drain and
the outlet. In fairly stiff soil the labor
| of laying tile feet deep is usually esti-
mated at cents a foot. / have paid
| Is cents. and in some soils the cost
should be less than / cents.
Three Varieties of Glover.
One of our northern agricultural Jour
mails has had so much to say in favor of
crimson clover that many OF its readers
were doubtless led TO think that il was the
needed crop to replace rye as fall-grown
crop for turning under in the spring
Some people who had experimented with
il during our open winters OF 1890 and
| 1891. and had done fairly well with it,
were telling OF its desirable Qualities. and
the other side was left untold. 1t can
bring only disappointment in a la titude
that has rigorous winters. DR.. Stewart
| says that il needs miider climate than
prevails in his upland home in North
Carolina. and it is now time for the GRIM
son clover boom to subside as far as north
| ern lat itudes are concerned
DIR. Stewards advocacy of mammoth
clover seems to emphasize the need of
knowledge OF a writer's locality when
reading alter him. On North Carolina
soil this clover it seems, does not grow too
rank for hay. but in richer sections OF the
North it is other wise. producing very lone
and coarse stalks. and stock do not like il
at all. 1t is much ranker grower than
the common red clover, and the latter on
rich land has an excess of stalk for good
hay. Extra heavy seeding might affect
this in some degree. OF course, but many
farmers find that the MANN 9th does moi
make good hay, and is not at all compar
able with the red clover. This only goes
to prove that each farmer must vary
the methods OF others to suit his owr
land, and CON bine experiment with read
ing They go hand in hand.