The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-09-25
AN INDIANA STOCK FARM
WITH A REPUTATION
Success Of TWO Brothers in Breeding
Hogs. Cattle and Horses.

''NS@f NaNAiN dHb F1NioC5.
Should You ever be fortunate enough
10 take a trip through the Great Wa
bash valley in central Indiana. you will
surely be making one of the mistakes
of your life II you do not visit the
stock farm of the Kerlin brothers. IL
will pay you 20 DO this IL always
pays 20 form the acquaintance OF those
who have travelled or are travelling
the road 10 success. for success does
not come 10 those who wait. but to
those who hustle while they conf
IDENTIFY expect
Tho stock farm OF the Kerlin broth
ers IS coated half mile 10 the north
east and a mile north OF Rockfeld
pretty little country town bounded on
the north by picturesque Rock creek.
and on the east. south and west by
some of the most productive OF
Hoosier soil. the land being just I'M
dulating enough to permit of natural
drainage
Left fatherless at the ages Of nine
and seven the Kerlin brothers. with
their mother and baby sister. left the
farm. and moved 10 the home which
the mother purchased in Rockheld. II
must have been with many misgivings
that the widowed mother. after listen
ing to the repeated pleadings of John. (
the elder son. rented the farm TO him
at the age OF seventeen
Il wanted TO own the home place.
Mr.. Kerlin once remarked. during
conversation we were having relative
10 farming. and / never doubted for
a minute that | could be able TO buy
out the other heirs If only could get
TO farming the way / wished. for 4
imagined had some practical ideas If
| could be situated SO could carry
them out"
And il was even so. Ii can be said
to Mr. Kerlin's credit that. while he
took an active part in all the pleasures
that young man is rightful heir TO
he never for a single day neglected
his farm work
When only young farmers. with no
fathers hand 20 guide or show them
the way. the Kerlin brothers decided
that a growing crop should be kept
upon the ground continually. and fg
ured out that their land would not
need commercial fertilizers If such a
course was practiced And il proved
true. Aanures are hauled directly TO
the fields. and whenever possible are
scattered upon sod land ] may just
remark that these brothers don their
hats 20 a manure spreader as one OF
the very best labor saving implements
for the farm
Glover is followed by corn then
wheat. then back TO clover again.
little timothy is mixed with the clover
TO keep the cattle from bloating. and
also 10 make the clover stand up bet
ter. Then there is always a perma
sent pasture on the farm that saves
the tramping OF the farm lands. By
the way this permanent pasture idea
is so good that every year more and
more Hoosier farmers are embracing
il. | mean the idea. not the pasture
One OF the good hobbies OF the Ker-
lin brothers is their selection and care
OF seed corn. Jack Frost never gets
SO much as a nip al this king OF
cereals that Is 10 be the foundation
for next years crop. for before he Is
fully abroad in the land every ear has
been safely housed in an airy building
to dry until the mercury indicates the
time for rs removal TO the racks In
the basement near the furnace.
With this care OF the seed. and hv
breaking the ground when in the
proper condition. preparing the seed
bed as IL should be prepared. using
disk and roller and spike harrow when
necessary. then using shallow cultiva
ton. this farm has produced l05 bush.
els OF corn an acre. II has about
twenty-five acres Of hog land over
which soil has been washed. which
has raised seventyfive bushels Of corn
an acre for sixteen consecutive years
The soil IS clay loan with gravel IN.
DERIVING. known as walnut and sugar
land
a few years ago the Kerlin farm re-
sounded with bleating OF dams and
lambs. and the unique sheep barn,
made OF stacked bales OF wheat straw
and with matched rye roof. attracted
much attention from passcrsby. Some ,
think because these brothers could not
play the bagpipe successfully and had
not the thousand hills for their nocks !
TO Craze upon accounted for their Civ. ,
Ing up the sheep industry DO not
think they loved sheep the less. but :
they loved Poland-China hogs short. ,
horn cattle and Percher0n and coach
horses the more. and that this caused +.
the separation. II is well known ,
fact that cattle and horses 40 not take
kindly 20 pasture over which sheen =
have ruamed The premiums taken al 7
state, county and street fairs are +