Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 168, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1919 — THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER [ARTICLE]

THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER

A DEPARTMENT OF FARM WELFARE CONDUCTED BY COUN TY AGENT LEAMING. - . . -.-U-y-y ,1 • , ■ , _ Gypsy Wheat Lead* Again. Gypsy wheat is again outyielding the standard Turkey, Red variety, if the results obtained on the farm of H. R. Kurrie, northwest of Rensselaer, are representative of the wheat growing section of the county. Last fall two promising -varieties of wheat were tested out on an eighty acre field on this farm in comparison with Turkey Red, which was selected as a safe, reliable variety for this section of the state. The two other varieties were the Gypsy and the Gladden, the latter being a new variety obtained from field selection of the Gypsy. The three varieties were sown side by side in strips twelve feet wide and 160 rods long. No fertilizer was used on any of the plots. At cutting time, a uniform section of the three plots was made .and the wheat of each was cut and threshed, by hand. The following table shows the yields and weight of each: Yield per Wt. per' Variety Acre Bushel Grade Gladden .~. .15.68* 56.5 3 Turkey Red . . 9.38 57.0 3 Gypsy 16.00 56.0 3 While none of the yields are high, it may be peen that the Gladden and Gypsy outyielded the Turkey Red by about sixty per cent. The quality of the three varieties was about the same, although all were poor in this respect. Gypsy wheat has made many friends in this locality on account of its ability to withstand severe winter conditions and on account of its very stiff straw. The soils and crops committee is also conducting a test of Gypsy wheat against Red Rock, the variety which is so popular in Michigan, and a report will be made as soon as the crop is threshed. Advocate Co-operative Buying. “Pool your fertilizer purchases,” is the advice the Indiana Federation of Farmers’ associations is giving to its members at this time. The organization advocates buying directly in carload lots from the manufacturer or from the local dealers in carload lots, allowing them a fair price for their services, paying cash and taking the goods from the cars promptly upon arrival. It advises the local dealers first chance to get the business, but rec-, ommends that the farmers obtain the best price possible, and insists that the matter be handled on a strictly cash basis. Let’* Start to Lime’This Fall. “Jasper county grows but one acre of clover for every 110 acres in crop each year,” said W. Q. Fitch, secretary of the Indiana state food committee, in "An address before the Kankakee Township Community club last week. Or, in other words, the average farm grows only one and one-half acres of clover to 75 acres of corn, 45 acres of oats and 15 acres of wheat. The growing of legumes has long been held the foundation of all successful livestock farming and the maintainence of soil fertility. The farm records kept in* this county have revealed the fact that the greatest weakness of bur farming system is inefficient methods of handling livestock. The more abundant use of ground limestone and the growing of clover and other legumes will doubtless lessen feed costs and increase crop yields. Harvest will soon be over and this fall will be a fine time to start to haul out lime. Since the close of the war, many sources of ground limestone have become available and the prices on this material are falling. “ ... Few permanent improvements will yield greater dividends than the application of lime to produce more clover. Now is the time to think about the matter. Sanitation Will Keep Livestock Well. Proper sanitary precautions will do more to keep away livestock diseases than all the medicines ever invented, in the opinion of Dr. R. G. Kigin, who delivered an illustrated lecture„ on the subject at the Marion Township Farmers’ club last WPPk. Greater range for hogs, draining and closing up of mud holes, thoroughly accessible and well ventilated hog houses, the use of selffeeders, keeping neighbors and strangers from hog lots and care in exchange of help during threshing were hints that were thrown out as to methods of keeping hogs an a healthy condition.