DIGEST OF STATE REPORTS. 371 



omission of the reports of the State geologist and the State pomological 

 society, which have been published separately. In addition to reports 

 of the Board, of the State association of short-horn breeders, of the 

 State poultry association, of a meeting in the interest of the State expo- 

 sition at the Centennial, of the third State fair, and of operations at the 

 Purdue University farm, the volume contains essays on subjects of great 

 interest to the farmers of the State. 



Among the essays is one by Mr. Thomas Olcott on grain and grass 

 growing, lie says : 



The main point is to.make every rod of land available in raising something nseful. 

 Good crops and increased fertility are the objects. Manuring is the life of farming. 

 The true ideal of farm-life is to raise such variety of grains and grasses, of rich, luscious 

 fruit and beautiful flowei's, variegated with the finest selections of stock and domestic 

 animals, as will throw a charm around that spot called home. * * * I abhor the 

 idea of large farms with isolated homes, beyond the reach of church and school-house. 

 The danger of large cities is preferable to the other extreme. Why pay taxes for five 

 times as much land as you can cultivate ? It is the rich, closely cultivated spots that 

 are winning. The capability of land is almost unlimited. If 200 bushels of potatoes, 

 or 100 bushels of corn, or 40 bushels of oats, or 25 bushels of wheat, or 2^ tons of hay 

 can be raised from one acre, why go over five acres to get the same amounts ? Suppose 

 you own but forty acres, and six acres of this is wood-land; on this small farm you 

 might have nine acres in corn, five in wheat, five in oats, five in grass, two in potatoes, 

 two in buckwheat, one acre in rye, and three acres of orchard, which would be in clover 

 or small grain, leaving one acre for a house, barn, and garden, and one spare acre for 

 pasture lot. Here is a great variety, and if highly cultivated would feed the family 

 and give a surjilus for market. This is not ideal, for we have approximated it the pres- 

 ent year. But suppose each crop was brought to its highest capabilities, and that each 

 field was enlarged according to the circumstances of your farm, how much could be 

 done with small capital ? 



There is one section in the State that specially needs development. Along the line 

 of the Ohio and Mississippi Railway, particularly through the counties of Ripley and 

 Jennings, there is a wilderness of uncultivated land, wonderfully adapted to grass- 

 growing, and consequently to stock-raising. This land ranges from $15 to |50 per acre. 

 It only waits the skillful hand, and it becomes the finest and healthiest stock-growing 

 region of the State. Inclose these lands with a neat, substantial fence, surround its 

 borders with native forest-trees, such as sweet-gum, maple, and white oak, all neatly 

 trimmed; clean up the thicket; drain the wetter portions, and you have something 

 substantial for the abundant growth of timothy, red-top, clover, or blue-grass. Most 

 of this land will also produce any crop raised in the State. Its nearness to the best 

 markets, its healthfulness for man or beast, resulting from its under stratum of clay 

 and limestone, and its pure water; all these and many other advantages invite the en- 

 terprising, intelligent farmer to come and subdue this wilderness and transform it into 

 a picture of beauty as God designed it should bo. That this region of Southern Indi- 

 ana is capable of the highest culture we need only refer to the few cultivated tracts 

 already existing there. Fields of timothy yield readily two tons per acre ; corn, with 

 reasonable drainage and culture, 60 to 80 bushels. Its forests are abundantly supplied 

 with fox-grapes as large as the Catawba. The greatest want in this entire region is 

 more model farmers who have faith in the work, and the ability, and brain, and will- 

 power to imt it through. 



The short-horn breeders' association met in Indianapolis May 26, 

 1876. Eepresentatives were in attendiince from almost every county in 

 the State. Favorable reports were made by a large majority, and the 

 outlook was thought to be very encouraging. There are now but few 

 counties which do not contain from one to three or four herds of thorough- 

 bred and high-grade cattle. 



A discussion occurred in regard to the proper treatment of young stock 

 intended for the shambles. Mr. Woodruff thought it most profitable to 

 fatten and sell cattle before they were two and a half years old. He had 

 found by experience that they could be made to weigh from 1,200 to 

 1,500 pounds the first year, and this ratio diminished as they grew older. 

 Mr. Aikman stated that he had found that a calf, by proper treatment, 

 increased in weight at the rate of about a hundred pounds a month ; 

 while a steer three years old, which would eat twice as much as the calfj 



