The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-02-08

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ter to keep in the smaller towns and viii
! lagos. In thickly settled community
where there is hall or church no better
place can be found.
In the second place the county or CEN
tral institutes, held at considerable ex-
pence, cannot get ss near the people as
local meetings would do. Instead OF hav-
ing two speakers for two DAYS or more 1t
would be better TO hold several township
institutes with only one speaker, and pos
sble for one dav only. In this way the
institutes would be within the reach OF
the masses, and would appeal to local
pride for their support and success. In
most neighborhoods an institute could be
held without any foreign help, but. as ii
seems to need some one from distance
to start the ball rolling, township inst-
tutes would often be held two DAYS if
speaker could attend the first day, leaving
only local speakers for the second days
program.
In some such way the institute should
be brought near the majority of the peo
pie, and thus arouse general interest.
The institute managers in many states
have done IA noble work and deserve much
! praise and encouragement, and they
doubtless appreciate the need of improve
ment along thees lines, but they cannot
local meetings. The progressive farmers
in every community should take this
matter in hand and make the institute
means OF improvement Tor every town
chip throughout the county.
snow Protection.
Growing wheat went into winter in
rather bad condition. The chief damage
| done TO this crop lie usually in late
winter or early spring when the trying
winds strike the exposed roots that have
been lifted we'll out of the ground by ac-
ton OF the frost. and so no confident pre-
diction can now be made. but It'll pleas
ure TO note the extent of the snow protec-
| ton afforded this season. Even in the
more southerly ATTITUDES, where snow
rarely falls, tho wheat has had this shield
| from the repeated freezes and thaws.
! Snow forms the perfect mulch. permitting
| wheat and meadow grasses to root more
| deeply and even 10 make growth top
when otherwise the plants would be los
| ing vitality. SO long as our SHOWS con-
tinue the outlook for this years harvest
improves
The Dairy Cow
Secretary Winslow OF the American
breeders association thus describes a per-
| feet COW:
TIE fret thing for the breeder 10 do is
| TO educate himself to a standard, for his
herd is simply his own idea OF a COW, and
the herd will gradually shape itself to his
idea of what COW should be. There Is
in every breed of cattle variation of type,
and an inclination to one or the other Of
the OppOsites types OF beef or dairy, and a
close observer will find in his own herd
this same variation. The pail is the
actual test of the dairy cow. but there are
makes OF temperament, mental and phys
| zeal, which in the absence OF the pail are
very sure guides to the close observer,
and in the two types above mentioned
they are exactly opposite.
In the perfect dairy COW the head is
small and bony, the muzzle large the nos
trils wide. eyes full and bright, vet with a
bright look in them; the neck strong at
its junction with the head, but falling
away quickly to a thin neck, nearly
straight from head to shoulders shoulders
thin. with backbone prominent 10 touch,
and nearly straight from shoulders to tail,
and full OF indentatiOns at some point be-
tween shoulders and hips, giving the sp-
pearance to the touch of being loosely put
together. There should be large barrel
room beginning Immediately from the
shoulders, for you must have large power
of lungs TO run the machine; then. too,
the receptacle for food should be roomy,
her hind quarters should be large, with
hip bones wide spread; the hams should
be thin, 10 give plenty OF room for the nd
der, which should extend we'll forward
and back having teats wide spread on the
four corners of the udder; the milk veins
should be large and crooked, entering the
belly through large holes the veins on
tho sides and rear should also be large.
There are various styles of escutcheons.
and which ever the COW may have should
be wide and perfect of its kind. The skin
should be soft and mellow, the hair thick,
short and fine, the tail long aud slim. legs
slim and bony. The disposition of the
COW should be highly nervous with no
uginess Most of these extreme character
istcs of the dairy COW are exactly oppo-
site to the beet characteristics, and the
cow is usually a good dairy cow In proper
tion to her lack of beef marks.
Barley.
The variation in price of agricultural
products, caused dy distance from market
or local scarcity and plenty, is very great
within the United States. A good illus
tration of this fact is found in the case o.
barley in the two states OF Maryland and
Dakota. The average yield of this cerea
in Maryland for the past ten years has
been 251 bushels per acre, and the aver
age value per acre has been $50 AZ. Da
kota's WELD has been over 81 bushels, but
the average yield value per acre has beer
only $500. While barley sold for so cents
per bushel in one state il was worth only
20 cents in another.
The roads are great equalizers of prices
but so long as such differ
ence as Is indicated by
these prices exists there is Rrea
preference in location in raising of special
crops. The transportation is one of vita
importance to farmers and especially &c
those in the West.
Barley has the highest value per acre o.
ell the cereals, ranging from $20.47 in
Maryland 10 S7.57 in Nebraska. We i'm
port about Sl0,000,000 worth from Canads
every year
Ashes.
The iruii-grower can find no cheaper
fertilizer than hard wood ashes, especially
unleached. They should be applied as {
top dressing to apple. cherry and othel
orchards. 1t is true that they are not G
complete fertilizer in themselves, but they
. supply the present needs of soils adap tee
TO fruit culture. The leached ashes are
1 q l. L IA !