The Weekly Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 2

2 THE WEEKLY FANTAGRAPH, JUNK 13. 1913. AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS. hauled to rebuild the house and barn thre. A very large crowd attended the children's day services at the Orove church Sunday afternoon.

The children rendered a very good program, after which Rev. Mr. Lewis gave a mission talk. A collection of $11 was HOUSTON'S "FARMING BECAUSE FARMING PAYS" Must bo Supplemented by the Farmer Folk Rising to the Unexcelled Op. portunity of the Open Country and Making a Social, All -Around Life That Compels the Respect and Envy of City People.

rrder that prosperity and material gain fchall not prove a curse Instead of blessing, wc must do all we can to promote the refining influences of life proper means of recreation, wholesome enjoyment, the cultivation of those capacities for delight and pleasure which alone make the gains of prosperity a blessing to th human AL.TA HOOl'ER. FIELD AND WAYSIDE NOTES V. C. Barlow, who resides west of Normal, is building fine large farm barn. It to be 40 hv- f.O feet planter.

On the front of the harrow at this time a 2 by 4 piece is wirii on tho front row of teeth of the harrow, and the teeth are sot nearly straight. This 2 by i piece levels up the depressions and high places thut the disk makes in the ground. It carries dirt in front of it ail the time. Mr. Johnstone frays that it would not be necessary to do this if doubls disking was practiced, but there was not time this year.

The Theory of His Methods. Mr. Johnstcne says that tho whole furrow slice should he worked. There Is c.nly about three inches that can be worked at the top, so the bottom must be worked before It is turned under. That is the reason for the two disk-Ings before plowing.

This disking silso got rid of the cornstalks and worked in what manure was put on the ground. After the plowing the harrowing was done to break the clods before they got hard. The rolling wafl done to compact the -ground and- make a line mulch on top. Then the disk turned the fine mulch under and left more clods on top. The harrow with the drag In front smoothed this off for plant ins-.

II r. Johnstone says that another advantage of all these workings Is to destroy the corn root lice. Weeder Used in Place of First Cultivation. When the corn begins to come thru the ground the weeders are put Into the field and run until the corn Is about ten or twelve Inches high. Mr.

Johnstone says what Is the use of using a cultivator on the small corn to get the weeds and loosen up the ground hen a weeder will set the weeds and the ground Is already loose. The weed to pay 28 per ton for bran when alfulfa tan be raised for $5 per ton on your own farm, and a ton of alfalfa contains as much protein as a ton of bran. Another advantage of growing it is the enriching of the soil. Disks and Harrows for Blue Grass. I believe that blue grass is the worst enemy of alfalfa.

I read that we should disk it, so I told the men to disk it, but did not watt to wee It done. The marks of the disk could just barely be seen and It did not do any good. The next year I saw another man disking and he put the disk In deep. I went home and took the man to the. field and put the disks down to the last notch.

The hired man thought I was craJty'and he did, not like to do the work that way, but I told him that it whs my alfalfa nnd that I was lakint, the chances. He saw the idea and then went to real disking. After disking I ran ever the field with a harrow. Tiiat separated the weeds and grass from the dirt and a few hours In the hot sun fixed them. Tlie result Was that the next year I had the best crop I ever had.

of course judgment must be used. In a soft field the disk might destroy the alfalfa if set 8-s deep as it would go. MAY DE BUMPER CROP. Government Experts Find the Wheat Prospects All That Could Be Desired, Washington, June 9. A bumper wheat crop, sufficient to mill more than 160,600.000 barrels of flour, and which may roach the proportions of the record wheat harvest of 1S01.

if conditions from now on are exceptionally gestible protein per acre, as compared with 491 pounds in clover. This is a very remarkable showing in favor of alfalfa. Protein is the most essential element in feed stuffs, therefore It will readily be Sf-en how valuable alfalfa is as compared with clover, oats and peas, corn, timothy or sugar beeta. GROW YOUR. PROTEIN D0NT BUY IT ALFALFA EQUAL TO BRAN BRAN COSTS 121 ki toJ ALFALFA mnt rut nvt vcars sees toe rvesvuuTHN aw tmiM oe MAMJBC UMC MOCUUkTION tit 400 CVTTINO It TIMES SaOO TOTAL YIELD FIVE YEARS 14 TOM ruou-M4 cost pes.

ton My careful analysis it has been found that alfalfa is equal to bran in protein content. Wheat bran costs about $21 per ton, whereas alfalfa can be grown for per ton as shown by the figures on this chart. Why should any one buy wheat bran when it costs four times as much as alfalfa, and alfalfa makes Just as good, or even better, feed than wheat bran? ALFALFA ENRICHES THE LAND WHEAT TIMOTHY SOD I 42. BARLEY ALFALFA SOOhgasaL, 30. TIMOTHY SOD rmm 20 CORN ALFALFA SCO S4 TIMOTHY SOD I- a 13.

WHY GROW ALFALFA ON EVERY FARM FACTS USED SANGAMON TOUR. Big Items in Brief Form to Seriously Consider, by J. E. Buck, of the I. H.

C. Agricultural Extension Department. Hon. A. P.

Grout, president of th Illinois Alfalfa Growers' Association, says: "1 know of nothing which will do more for the development of the state, or add more to tta wealth, than a thoro knowledge and understanding of alfalfa." Alfalfa is the premier crop, because it excela every other crop In yield per acre, in feeding value, as a drouth re-sister, and as a noil enrtcher. Alfalfa Is no harder to grow than clover, and therefore because of its many excellent qualities should he grown on every farm. No farmer can do better than to follow the admonition of this chart and make- a beginning to grow alfalfa. Start now. ALFALFA SHOULD BE GROWN ON EVERY FARM, IT IS A PROFITABLE CROP INCREASES FARM VALUES EXCELS EVEKV OTHER CROP -IN TIELD PER ACRE IN FEEDING VALUE AS A DROUTH RESISTEt -AS A SOIL ENRICHER 4 HARDER TO GROW THAN CLOVER ft MAKE A BEGINNING START NOW GROW SOME ALFALFA 6 MOTTO ALFALFA ON EVERY ARM Of the 5,000,000 acres under alfalfa, only 218000 acres of this crop i grown Hat of the Mississippi river.

The Breat corn belt states, such as Iowa. Illinois and Wisconsin, rank very low in the production of alfalfa and it Is In the porn belt states, therefore, that the need for growing alfalfa is found to be the most urgent. ALFALFA MOST VALUABLE POMACE CROP scaeAce vtvwi valmaa. ALFALFA TIMOTHY 18.000 8Toh i31 707.000 1.4 CLOVER timothy! 119.600 17 14 16 14 CLOVER According to the 19J0 cttisus of the hay crop, the state of Wisconsin grew 18.000 acres of alfalfa, which averaged 2.8 tons per acre for the entire state, and the average acre value of the crop was 131. During the same year the combined acreage of timothy and clover averaged 1.6 tons per acre, val- tied at $14.

It costs no more to grow an acre of alfalfa than it does to grow an acre of timothy or clover. Therefore, assuming that the cost of growing an acre of clover or timothy to be $10, the farmer would clear per acre in growing these crops, whereas the farmer if he grew alfalfa would reap a profit of $21 per acre. By means of a series of experiment carried on over a number of years, the. average yield of alfalfa per acre has been found to be 6.4 tons, whereas red clover yielded only 2.S tons; timothy, S.3 tons: brome grass. l.S tons.

Not only does alfalfa yield more than twice the tonnage of red clover, but It also tnakes a much more valuable feed. ALFALFA OUT IELDS OTHER HAY CROPS K4to" wt cae ALFALFA RED CLOVER TIMOTHY BROME GRASS 13 In view ot the ioreeoini' whv hminl the farmers of the United States keep on growing 60.000.000 acres of timothy and clover and only 6,000.000 acres of alfalfa. AVould it not be much more Jirofltable to simply reverse the figures? Think it over. ALFALFA RICH IN DIGESTIBLE PROTEIN (ALFALFA (WHEAT BRAN OATS CORN CLOVER TIMOTHY CORN roots CORN SILAGE OAT STRAW WHEAT STOWfc Of all crops alfalfa stands at the head of the list in digestible protein, leading by 12.3 per cent, surpassing even wheat bran by 1.1 per cent. This chart presents some startling disclosures as to the great value of alfalfa, but it may not be very easy for every one to understand the full mean-.

ing expressed In percentages. Therefore, another cnart has hern prepared showing that alfalfa ranks highest in diseatibla protein per acre. ALFALFA HIGHEST IN wmmmmmm 11.2 wmmmmmm mmmmmm 1a L2 .4 i taken up for foreign missions. LEROY. Plans are under way by which te-Roy wNl have a new Big Four depot.

Surveyors were litre last week in- spectina the grounds near the depot, the committee appointed by the Commercial club must have all plans ready by August 2. After August 2 the company is given a year to have the building ready for public use. Prof. H. H.

Kirkpatrick has been selected by the board of education of West Chicago to be at the head of their schools for the coming year. Mr. Kirkpatrick has been the superintendent ot the LeRoy schools for three yeara. He will attend snmmer school at the University of Illinois and expects to his master's degree, his major being education. Mi's Florence Bishop and W.

John Crockett were united In marriage on June 4 in Bloomington at 10 o'clock M-s. Crockett is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fremont Bishop of this city. Mr.

Crockett is the son lof W. R. Crockett of LeRoy. The bride and groom have gone to lBooppole where they will make their home. DELAVAN.

Mrs. C. W. Rhoades and son, William, left Thursday for a few weeks' visit at the home of the former's sister in Doe Run, Mo. Mr.

and Mrs. R. Bardwell and daughter left Thursday for a two months' visit, which will be spent visiting relatives In Aurora and Evans-ton. The following officers have been elected by Delavan lodge No. 319, for the ensuing year: C.C., E.

P. Laing; V.C., Roy Shay: prelate, O. W. White-sell: M. of S.

H. Iwton; M. at Walter Youle; I.G., E. McDowell: O.G., Rudolph Steiger; representative, Eugene Sparrow. Miss Nan Lambard, operator in the Citizens' Telephone office for the past six years, has resigned her position and will leave with her mother, Mrs.

Mary Lambard, for an extended visit with relatives in Plover, Wis. Miss Emma Armstrong has succeeded to her position in the telephone office. Burt Richmond, a well known farmer living east, of Delavan, drove his famous pacing stallion to Delavan on Monday. The horse was stricken with a rupture on the road and was taken to the hospital of Dr. Nattress on the arrival here.

An operation was performed for the horse's relief but to no avail, the animal dying later In the evening. The owner valued the horse at WASHBURN. J. Underwood is visiting a sister whom he has not seen for twenty years at Ozark Springs, Ark. Mr.

and Mrs. Charles II. Ireland and son Claire, started for Eldorado Springs, Thursday In their auto. Corn Is looking well for this season and generally speaking the ground is in good condition and well cleaned. David Buckingham is home from Atchinson, where he has taught manual training in the city schools the past year.

I Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Babcock recently drove their car thru to Indianapolis, in eleven hours, a distance of 250 miles.

Ralph Gill has finished his years work as commercial teacher in the Cherokee, schools and is home for his vacation. He expects A to teach there again next year. TALLULA. Mrs. B.

F. Dunaher fell and broko her left arm a few days ago. Hampton Belton, who has been in Manitoba, on business for several weeks, returned home Saturday. Work on the new elevator here is moving along satisfactorily. They will be ready to handle the wheat and oats crops this year.

The strawberry crop is a little short this year on account of the dry weather. but there Is a heavy cherry crop, which Mill begin to be taken care of this week. Mrs. m. Caldwell, of Siera Madre, and Mrs.

Lizzie Williams, of Nashville. arrived here a few days ago on a visit to their sisters, Mrs. J. W. Greene and Mrs.

N. Robertson, and families. GREEN VALLEY. The decorators are at work on the Presbyterian church and it will be ready for service in about a month. The "Anti-Can't" class of the Presbyterian church held a lawn social at the church lawn on Thursday evening.

Charles and Walter Frazee shipped seventy-five head of fat cattle to Chicago on Tuesday evening to be on the Wednesday morning market. These were the finest cattle shipped from this point this year. Thirty-five women of the community met Friday at the Methodist church and organized a Social Culture Club. Meetings will he held regularly and classes will he formed In nr. u' ature and domestic science.

GILLUM. Mrs. J. I SUiley of near Gillum. was found lying In an unconscious condition Thursday evening when her husband returned from his work.

She had returned sometime late in afternoon fro mthe home of Mr. Samuel Mowerey, where she had been on an errand and it is presumed the heat reused her to faint and in falling she struck her head in such a manner as to render her, unable to spe.R and at late reports she was becoming paralyzed. COVEL. a new'-rdA80" has The road commissioners of this grader for the use of the public roads. Messrs.

Louie and William Sittig have gone to Rock Island to spend some time visiting their uncle, Mr. Sittig at that place. ORDAINED TO MINISTP.Y. Threo Young Men Complete the Work at Eureka Collego. Eureka.

June 8. Special. )-Rev. of Peoria, made tho baccalaureate address before the grad-uatliig class of Kureka college thia morning and this evening the exercises of the bible school were held. Tho addresswaa given by Prof.

Silas Jones and three young men. Ellis Olsh. Gilbert Zink and I Crown, were ordained for the Christian mtnlssrvi Prof, n. Radford -riving the CASTOR I A For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bsatur of It is reported that the new secretary of the t'nlted States department of agriculture has for his slogan "Farming beefutse farming pays," and that he says the farmer must be appealed to from the material standpoint; tha.t a farmer must think above nil else that farming Is a money-mokin businei-s if he Is to stay with it and keep going.

It is the secretary's opinion that high-sounding theories about the heauty of country life and appeals to the farmer's reason will fail. 1 but that the point to Rain Is to make the farmer see that he is OS well off llnitncially as he would be and then the problem Is solved. i The secretary is all right about the money making idfa; farming in quite well known to he a paying business. And not a few farmers know this. Com belt farmers have never raised much of a howl about not making nnv money.

The thing that has "got the fanner'" goat," no to speak, is the lack of rest ect with he and his family have been regarded in days past. Folks looked down upon him Lecause lie was lop-sided, uncouth and carina nothing for beauty, for culture or any of the niceties of civilization. His wife and children worked and knew not of the beauty, the opportunity, the culture that daily passed before them tight out in the country 6n the workaday farm. Surely there is no need to emphasise the money side of farming, for that is the only phase that everias been accented here in America. What we want trtday is to bring things to such a pass that the farmer will believe within himself, because he cannot belt It, that his farm is not only a place to make money, but a place to be proud of; a place to rear well-bred, kindly, happy boys and girls; a place for health, for imexeolled beauty in lawn, in trees, in a pretty home; a place of well-cooked food; a place where friends may tie entertained with the very best that nature lias to give a social, all-around life that will compel the respect and the admiration, even (he envy, of city folks.

Indeed, there are farms right here In Illinois that are already commanding just such respect. Appeals to reason cannot always fail, If such were true, then a man could never make a financial success on the farm or anywhere. What sort of a pass will the American nation come to if tho single soul-crushing goal of money Is held before their eyes us tho sugar-plum of success? We do not want our country folk to follow In the wake of city folk, and too many of the lnttf.r have taken the coining of so much money as the gatfge of success in life. Tho man who reasons and thinks the most, the man who will do the moft good in the world. Is the man who has settled with himself forever that money-making is not all or a third of life.

To be sure, we want to be a prosperous nation, to keep ourselves prosperous, as we aro ilready; but we want to be a truly cultured, gentlemanly and womanly nation above all else. One of the srent thin? to he held up before the American farmer is his unexcelled opportunity for living the cnmolete life out on his farm If he has the vision, the ability and the unswerving will to come up to the standard of real country life. Until recently the beautiful open country of the states has been so far above the comprehension and tho appreciation of Its people that It has'suiTered abuse and neglect. It Is like some modest, flne-souled woman (or man) who has not sounded her bt rn, but has waited to have her real gifts, true culture and magnificent acec mplinhments revealed by circumstances or by some comprehending, large minded person. Ifere and there Is a real disciple of the country fine who acknowledges, loves and respects the farm and human life upon it.

t'avfd Grayson, who has written "The Friendly Road," "Adventures In Contentment," is such a one. The redly true ones are rare, but ere coming more Into prominence of late because of the recognition of the greatness and worthiness of their cause. More end mote are high-up, powerful men of tlie nation coming to respect the farm and the farm people, because ti.ese people are waking up to the that farmers are nothing less than ted flesh-and-blood men and women, the warne as men and women very where. They have no right to turn -their lives work only, any more than hus the business man in town, to the exclusion of oil other thoughts and feelingp. The family of the Tanner has just great a plnee in the world ns the family of the banker or the retail met chant in town: just as much of a right to live aud enjoy living.

Folks have not always thourht so. tho. "Rubes!" PBi that was the leering epithet that used to be flung out at the former family as they drove into town. Haven't you heard the citv school children ir-ughing and throwing out insults at the little sunburned boy and fjirl from the farm, as thev pHHsed along tl' Siniplv thfit was the wav their fathers and mothers had thought about their country eotialns. They were ashamed of them, their a wkwj rdness, their untaught ways and lack of worldly assurance.

Of coeiye It made little difference If "the old man" had a good deal of money. Hut von don't hear much about "Uube" tny more, do you Simply because public sentiment has hfcnged. hs come down off of its cir.zy perch of critical Kupei iority an I worldly wisdom, and is brought 'flatly and tine? renioniouslv to that the c.jvntry cousins rtre comitm" into their own, and are buihrtng a fine. Indepeunent. cultured life right out on the beauttfu! farms.

whl are the eny of city people everywhere. The piihlic is coming to know that the prosperity of the country cousins means the prosperity of the nation, and that tho culture, the education and the uplift of the people on the farms will mean eventually the cultured, hippy nation which could not be otherwise. All the world's people are com-ing to see as never before that It Is the general good, the haj.pintss and welfare of all tho people that bring the complete life to the individual. Cooperation is the word, the Mogan of iLe age. and this is true because "it Ot.arle Hushes in the Juuiiul of Education suinu the whole maitei-up w-M and trrlv when he am to ha', roejM.nty, bm iu and will be bull; of concrete blocks on 1 concrete foundation with concrete floors.

It will com about J2.000 when complete. C. K. Hill, of Hillsview dairy farm southeast of the city, has just completed a new building to house his gasoline engine which is a model of neatnees and frnvonlence. Besides pumpiiw water the engine Is used to churn, grind feed, etc.

The floor lg concrete and ail tho different machines are firmly attached to it. Mr. Hill has just harvested his iust crop of alfalfa on a three and one-mur acre field, which made a yield of ten lerge loadr, which Mr. Hill estimates would be at least nine tonn of dry hav. Cne place was seen a couple of ua.y asro wnere tn tarnier was cutting red clover.

Certainly much too hya to make good hay. it could not have either the weight or feeding Dualities when cut so eariy. By the way, the red clover is a great crop this year it will be a good time to put a lot of it In the harns In view of a shortage another time. A dairyman, or any one' for that matter, can scarcely have ton much of it. The expert have been telling us that when the red clover failed on a tield it whs probably because it was sour.

That is. that the soil had become cld. Hut that Is not the only reason, as is to be seen now every field. If It lacks a favorable season it will not acid or no acid, but is a fact that with the soil (he right condition no crop will scarcely be an entire failure. Some evidence, of that can be seen just new in tho fields that have the proper fertility.

They are to be found loose and the corn or whatever crop Is (lanted there is doing well In spite of the extreme cold weather. An important thing to bo aimed at this year or any year Is to get the soil full of organic matter and every element plant food that it will stand a loni; drouth and not suffer from It. By that means we slmll be abla to bridge over a drouth and still grow paying crops, which means a great thing when there is a scarcity, as sometimes happens. The Rock Island railway has taken up tho question of helping the growers to tind a market for their stutf. A Htory Is printed last year sn Oklahoma farmer sent a car load of peaches to Chicago for which, with th conditions when il started, he ought huvo received at least $31)0, but it ar-riveu at a time when the market wns) glutted and scarcely paid the freight blU, tho it passed thru Davenport, where there were no peaches and could have been marketed just us well as to have gone on to Chicago, whro they were not wanted, and could not be sold if any one had known it.

Rvi-dently railway had as good facilities as any one to lenrn where there was a scarcity of the fruit and could have done their patron ft real service If some, understanding had hten In effect that the re.llwny could pest its patrons shipping perishable products on the state of the mnrkets at the great tormlnnls like Chicago, where the receipts In a day's thnf fire sufficient to cause a serious glut. The riter hoard the story of another railway which a shlpptr was in the habit of using and which had .1 lot of ironclad rule, so stiff in fact that it was almost impossible for the lo'iil agent to extend nnv courtesy to the local shipper and which often proved a sort of barrier tn goiul Jiusiness methods. There was choice between two places in shipping som 'ar loads of lead friegnt and he s'sid I will patronise this road for tliey always treat a nxui white. Courtesy always pays even If it Is a railway that has tho doing of It. Tnis is the time of the year that the highway commislonor and the streot commissioner in the cities proceed to -grade the roads and streets, and when after they have finished there is a string of brickbats and old tin cans, in the middle of the road or street and a hump of dirt that no one can get across.

It does seem that some trouble mistht be avoided and that sort of work much improved If these officials in charge could remove the obstructions to a washout sonje-where and could be provided with a heavy roller to uce on the middle so that the whole width of the highway might be fit to use at once. There Is certainly a lack here that ought to be remedied at once. It Is just as well to do a thing right as to half do it, as a lot of road work is being done. Another suggestion is timely and that is it is almost too late to grade on roads: it should have been done earlier in the season. First, it Is too hot now to do effective work with a horse-drawn grader, and a good second Is that the horse-drawn grader is a back number snyway.

Just a few days ago a prominent payer In one of the outside townships Mid he Watched the livs trying to grade certain mile of load near his ply.ee find estimated the cost by the time they were at it and said it was costing tho townnhhln at the rate of "0 p-T mile and they were not moving much dirt either. The 'oads In manv places ned some new bnsnesv methods applied to their repair. It i too poorly done, ind not enough work Is done for thi money xpended. GOOD FaTmMETHODS. On the Lyle Johnstone Plate Works Corn Ground Seven Times Has Use for Weeder.

Most farmers say that the first earn pl'jwins should be deep and closes to the corn ro that 11 the weeds will be destroyed and the yround loosen! up. I.yle Johnstone, southwest of Blooming-ton, who has 300 acres of corn, has difftrent methods from that and has good reasons for his ways. Corn Ground Worked Seven Times Before Planting. Cornstelks are never taken oft the ground. The ground la disked two times before being plowed and then plowerl five or six Inches deep.

After plowing the ground Is at once harrowed with a Wo-section harrow, the teeth ileum- straight and a man ridlnv. tikinc U-nr horses to pull it. The Is tlifii rolled with a douM.i con roller iMUed. Is li.en hfeircwtd to htl it up for the er gets over much more ground and destroys- the little weeds. Lsually there is time to use the weeder two times, and many years three times, before the corn gets too large.

On lost Wednesday all of Mr. Johnstone's corn, Sou acres, had a good mulch on it and was free from weeds. When the corn gets about a foot high the surface cultivators re put In the field. When the corn Is at this height the cultivators can be run much faster than in small corn and there is less danger of cutting stalks. The corn is cultivated with these surface cultivators three times usually, but sometimes It gets too large to go over it the third time.

Uses Surface Cultivators Three Times. Some farmers would thing that if tley could get rid of the nrst plowing in crn raising such a crop would be a pleasure. The reason that Mr. Johnstone can practice these methods and be successful Is because the ground is worked so thoroly before the crop is put in. In most farmers' tifids tlu weeder would not do the work because the ground is not in the shape it should be.

This method has been practiced several years and results have al ways come from It At the present time all Mr. Johnstone's corn has been gone over. Is free from weeds and has a dust mulch on It Other Adds of the neighborhood are beginning to he plowed, parts of them are very weedy and they shruld have a good mulch on them this dry weather. ILLINOIS RURAL ACTIVITIES, Ou a recent cool night Charles Nlman of Mt. Morris placed a lighted lantern In box containing eighty-si: little chicks, to keep them warm, and the next morning he found them all dead asphyxiated by the fumes from the lantern.

A campaign in the interest of rural churches Is being conducted thruout this month by the Rock River Methodist conference In the Rockford, Dixon and Juliet districts. Two ministers from the larger churches will be sent to thirty churches to conduct a week's services, one making an address on some topic of community interest and the other delivering a sermon. These i ministers will return to their own churches for the following week, and then they will visit another country church the next week. In this manner the rural churches will hear different i speakers each week during the month. This Is ihe plan of the rural church commission.

-Ray Robson of Galva, has tirown 117 bushels of corn per acre on seventem acres of old blue grass pasture, the second year from the sod. Tho ground was plowed eight inches deep, disked twice, harrowed four times, the corn checked four feet and five incites each way. The variety was R. Y. which tested nearly 100 per 1 cent, and it wes planted four stalks per hill.

Many stalks had two ears all big ears. The yield was measured, counting one Inch In the wagonbox tor a bushel and 9Vi rows eighty rods long for an acre. It is thought it would nave Shown a larger yield by weight at seventy pounds per bushel. Much interest Is shown in the Kane county boys' corn growing contest. The seed is furnished freo by the supervisors and is R.

Y. grown by W. Bryant of Princeton. E. A.

Kills, county superintendent of schools, is promoting the contest. The object is to grow the largest possible yield on an acre, and if the vield is low to learn the cause of It and apply the remedy next yepr. The mark before every boy is 100 bushels or more. The Elgin Courier and the Aurora Beacon-News have offered trophy cups to one boy In each of several townships. There are also ten cash prir.es, from 110 down to t.

Frnnrl Kvans of Sugar Orove is president and Benny Shepardl of La. Fox Is eecretsry of the boys' club. WHY ALFALFA. A. P.

Grout's Method if Ridding it of Blue Grass. A. P. Grout, of Winchester, spoke at Wllliamsville during the Sangamon county alfalfa campaign. Mr.

Grout has raised and fed alfalfa on his farm for a number of years and has had great success with it. He said: "The reason that we re so interested in alfalfa Is because there is a demand for such a plant. If any element is lacking in the soil that the crops need the crops will be limited. This very same thing is true with animals. They cannot ninke the greatest growth without having the materials in their food that the body re-iiuires.

Protein is what builds muscles and blood and develops growth. The carbohydrates supply heat and fat tp the body. To do the best the animal requires about six times as much carbohydrates as protein. Enormous Wtsto in Feeding. "The Corn Belt, farmers have had an enormous waste because the animals were not fed rUht.

Corn Is nearly all carbonaceous food. Timothy hay has about one-tenth us much protein ss carbohydrates. Here where alfalfa corns in. Alfalfa Is rich in protein and by adding It to corn we are making min'ons of dollars. Too many farmers feed corn alone.

Experiment TeHs the Tale. To show how true these, statements are Mr. Grout told of the following experiment carried on at the Illinois experiment station. Two lots of pigs were chosen that were as near equal as One lot was fed cern and water alone. The other lot waa fed corn, water, tankage and shorts.

After eight months tee first lot had an average weight of ti pounds and the other lot 20 pounds. The tanKige and khoru fed the second bunch were protein feeds and thus supplied the animal's bod with what It needed Alfalfa, would do the same thing when added to the corn ration. The farmers think that a lot of this" a If Ufa talk Is 11 fake, but such experiments this prove that it Is 1.01. We run supply the demand of r-roteiu in the animal's latinn with binn or other protein food, but what is ihe use favorable, was forecasted today by the department of agriculture in its June crbn report. Government experts estimated this year's harvest would be 744,000,000 bushels, of which 412,000,000 bushels will be winter wheat a record for this crop and 252,000,000 bushels will be spring wheat.

The third largest acreage ever planted and favorable growing conditions account for the prospect for an abundant yield. Oats Prospects Not So Good. An increase of more than 1 per cent over last years acreage was planted to oats this year, but the condition of this crop, on June 1, was below the 10-vear average, and officials estimate the production will be 1,104.000,000 bushels, or more than 300.000,00 bushels below last year's harvest. The acreage planted to barley was less than last year, and the production Is estimated at 177,000,000 bushels Condition by States. The condition of winter and spring wheal and oats In the states named is as follows; WINTER WHEAT.

Ten-Year Sute- 1912. Average. KVbnitkR 05 74 82 Missouri Ml 5 i IlHnoi 83 41 77 Indiana 87 42 77 Iowa P4 7 88 SPRING WHEAT. Tpn-Veir Stti Acre). JP13.

1912. Average. North Dakota 91 96 96 Minnesota 96 93 South Dakota 3,870, Wl 97 96 94 OAT, Im-a 94 97 Ki Illinois 4.3ii4,(H4l 74 88 8 Miunejim 95 96 93 Nelirwika 96 8 7 88 Dakota 9 94 Indiana 1. 761, mil 76 91 88 Smith Dakota 97 93 9X MiMouri 83 80 Statistics for the various crops, with comparisons for other years, follow: Spring Wheat. Area planted, 1H.663.000 acres, compared with 19,243,000 acres last year, 20,881.000 avres in 1911 and 18.352.000 acres in 1910.

Condition 83.5 per cent of a normal compared with 95.8 per cent last year and 93.8 per cent the 10-year average. Indicated yield, 13.5 bushels per acre, compa'red with 17.2 bushels last year, and 13. bushels, the 1908-12 average. Estimated total pro ductlon, bushels, compared with 330,348.000 bushels last year. 190.682,000 bushels in 1911, 200,979 000 bushels in 1910, and 265,000,000 bush els iu 1909.

Winter Wheat. Area planted, 30.938.000 acres, compared with 26,571,000 acres last year, 29,162,000 acres In 1911, and 27,329,000 acres in 1910. Conditon 83.5 per cent of a normal, compared with 91.9 per cent on May 1 this year, 74.3 per cent June 1 last year, and 80.7 per cent, the 10-year average. Indicated yield, 15.9 bushels per acre, compared with 15.1 bushels last year, and 15.2 bushels, the 1908-12 average. Estimated total production, 492,000,000 bushels, compared with 399.919.000 bushels last year, 430,666,000 bushels In 1911, 000 bushels In 1910 and 418,000,000 bushels in 1909.

All Wheat. Area planted, 49,601,000 acres, compared with 45,814,000 acres last year, acres in 1910. Condition, 87.2 per cent 49,543,000 acres in 1911, and 45.681,000 of a normal, compared with 83.3 per cent last year, and 86.1 per cent, the 10-year average. Indicated yield, 15 bushels per acre, compared with 15.9 bushels last year, and 14.5 bushels the 1908-12 average. Estimated total production, 744,000.000 bushels, compared with 730,267,000 bushels last year, bushels in 1911.

635.121,000 bushels in 1910, and 683,000,000 bushels In 1909. Oats. Area planted, 38,341.000 acres compared with 37.917,000 acres last year, 37,763,000 acres In 1911, and 37,548,000 acres in 1910. Condition, 87 per cent of a normal, compared with 91.1 per cent last year, anjj 88.4 per cent, the 10-year average. Indicated yield, 28.8 bushels per acre, compared with J7.4 bushels last year, and 29.7 bushels, the 1908-12 average.

Estimated total production, 1,104.000.000 bushels, compared with 1.418.337.000 bushels last year, 922.298.000 bushels In 1911, 1,186,341,000 bushels In 1910, and 1,007,000,000 bushels in 1909. Barley. Area planted. 7.255,000 acres, compared with 7,530 000 acres last year, 7,627,000 acres in 1911. and T.743.000 acres in 1910.

Condition, K7.1 per cent of normal, compared with per cent last year sjuJ 90.5 per cent, the 10-year average. Indicated yield, 24.4 bushels per acre, compared with 29.7 bushels last year and 24.5 bushels, the 1908-12 average. Estimated total production, 177.000,000 bushels, compared with 223.824.000 bushels last year, 160 240.000 bushels In 1911, and 173,832.000 bushels In 1910. Rys. Condition, 90.9 per cent of a normal, compared with 91.0 pr cent on May 1.

1913. 87.7 per cent on June 1. Inst year, snd 89.7 per cent, the 10-year average. Indicated yield, 16.5 bushels per acre, compared with 16.8 bushels last year, and 16.2 bushels, the 1903-12 average. Hay.

Condition. 87.5 per cent of a normal compared with 8S.5 per cent on May 1, 1913, and 89.8 per cent last year. Pastures. Condition, 89.2 per cent of a normal, compared with 87.1 per cent on May 1 1913. 93." per cent in 1812.

and 89.5 per cent, the 10-year average. OLD TOWN. Mrs. Martha Gardner, of Weldon. spent a week visiting with Mrs.

Niehus. A line rain fell Saturday morning, the atmo.sphere turning cool. Monday morning at 6 o'clock the thermometer registered 8 above freezing, Mr. E. Slick, of Bloomington.

who owns the farm known tx the VVhlteomb farm, is huimj muti-rUl Not only does alfalfa yield much more abundant harvests, but It enriches the land, while it yields rich' harvests. In Canada it was found that alfulfa sod yielded 61.6 bushels of wheat per acre, as compared with 42 bushels on timothy sod. Barley yielded 80 bushels per acre on alfalfa sod and only 20 bushels on timothy sod. Canada is not a corn country and therefore the yield was light, but the difference was still found to be in favor of alfalfa sod, which yielded 24 bushels per acre, as compared with IStmshels on timothy sod. These findings furnish another very excellent reason why alfalfa should be grown on every farm.

FACING A DROUTH. BUT CORN IS STILL DOING WELL. Crops in the Vioinity of Bloomington Are Better Than Elsewhere in the State. That it is but a short step from plenty of moisture to a drouth is ap parent to one who visits the country and sees the dusty roads and the drouth following such a downpour of rain a littlo more than two weeks ago. It is dry, and the hot weather intensifies the need of rain on almost every kind of vegation just now.

Corn is Doing Well. The corn crop is doing well in fact it is making the best show of oil. The stand in the majority of flekis is well-nigh perfect, and it is growing at a rapid rata. A large proportion of the fields have been' "worked over" since planting and look quite promising. The fact remains that all of the corn is a little late, tho with favorable weather it would soon catch up" with the condition of other seasons.

Homo fields that were planted just before the heavy rain failed to make a stand because they were planted too icep and the cruet which formed as the ground dried prevented the corn from coming up. A lot of these had to be replanted, making tliem seem later still. This is especially true on the more clayey soils about the timber. Some few pieces have been replanted because of the abundance of the cutworms, mostly on sod land. More Promising Here Than Elsewhere.

Those who have hud occasion to see are of the uminimoiifc opinion that kinds of Held crops look better here in the vicinity of Bloomington than In aln.ost any other locality In the Toward the northern portion It has been quite wet, to the south of us extremely dry so dry that they are. actually suffering for rain. In some of the lower Illinois counties the corn is not planted yet. Even the surrounding counties report an uneven stnnl of corn and that it is not looking as well as here. The same Is true of the oats, which in many localities are a doubtful crop.

Oats Hive Improved. Following the recent showers the oats crop has been very much Improved, but there are a lot of fields that cannot be counted on for moro than half an ordinary crop. Home of the trouble was with the seed, which failed to prow; some on account of th extreme dry spell which followed oat sowing and which put this crop to tho bad right on the start. Good judges ere of the opinion from present indi- aliens that there will be a light crop of oats at the best. Grass Crept Better Than Usual.

'lover hay Is to be plentiful, as shown by the great fields now in blossom. The famine of the last two years is to be nude up iu the present crop. The MoT grew like magic last year wherevei sown and the result is an abundant crou now in sight. Kvvn common white 'clover is to be seen on every roadt-Me and pasture, snd one scents tho odor of the flowers while pai-ving Ix'th Held and pastures. Timothy hay will be a small crop tho, and with uotie to spere.

Most of the pastures are abundant, the only exception being those, on which the slock were turned too soon in the spring. Never Such a Fruit Prospect. The p'oeiH for a crop of fruit is worth remarking about. All kinds of berries, the plums and pears, apples and grapes, not to mention the peaches and cherries, are all loaded. Strawberries are iust coming in.

but will be cut short by the jrouth. and the cherries are already ripening. Gardens, Too, Are Fine. GajfWts are good in fact it's the high time for garden sass. The earjy stuff, like onions and lettuce, never were better, while the peea and beans and all the rest are coming on at a rapid rate.

The potato crop Is, perhaps, th poorest in appearance of any other garden crop. In many it lovks like 1 failure, or Hitnol. Jdpkn i duitig a tapiUiy iticf--A business in the export of imitation Prmni hats to the 1'nited States. The,) are made Iioui a iced fiber. DIGESTIBLE PROTEIN PER ACRE ALFALFA CLOVER mm OATS A PEAS r-TlHf tlTTtT oWesa 3oo EAGAS a MANGELS 232 TIMOTHY rr 22S SUGAR BEETS kl fi ful it has found lht lliii Jhlua 1 of.