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sized cattle will take on 400 pounds during six months. The pasturing season 
averages about seven months in length. 
7. Nearly all kinds of fruit do well. Apples take the lead and are the surest 
and most profitable crop in the State. In LaGrange county apples of the very 
best quality are abundant, and in no year since the country was settled have 
they been an entire failure. Jasper, Gibson, Green, and other counties are also 
productive of apples. In Fulton they are the principal crop, and pay 20 per 
cent. more than any other product. In Lawrence they were once a very sure 
crop and of excellent quality; now they are very knotty in consequence of being 
stung by some insect. Blackberries are very abundant in this county, and 
immense quantities are shipped to the cities. On the hills of Martin, peaches, 
apples, pears, plums, grapes, and cherries are generally abundant, and on hill- 
sides and low-lands all do well but peaches. Over $300 have been made on an 
acre of peach trees in Morgan county. Peaches were very abundant in Cass 
county until 1855, at which time the trees were all killed by the severe winter 
weather, and since that time farmers have not paid much attention to this fruit. 
Our Washington reporter, speaking of the fruits of that county, says: 
For peaches, superior. Much of our hill or knob land brings crops of high flavored fruit, 
8 years out of 10. This business is getting to be a specialty, and increasing in extent each 
year. Under present management, profits range from $50 to $100 per acre, the estimate 
being based upon actual knowledge of some crops sold. 
Grapes and small fruits of all kinds flourish in almost every part of the State, 
and, with few exceptions, the yield is large. A gentleman near Martinsville, 
Martin county, has several times produced over $500 worth of wine from less 
than anacre. Another gentleman, in the northern part of the same county, has 
been equally successful. The profits of fruit raising in Indiana vary according 
to the demand; and but few facts regarding the yield and profits have been 
reported. 
ILLINOIS. 
1. The average increase in the value of farm lands in the several counties of 
Illinois, as compared with the estimates under the census of 1860, is variously 
returned by our correspondents, ranging from as low as 6 per cent. in Lake 
county, on Lake Michigan, up to 100 per cent. in Ford, De Witt, Moultrie, 
Richland, Clinton, St. Clair, and Union. In Will, Grundy, Fulton, Christian, 
Macon, and Pope, the advance is reported 70 to 75 per cent.; Rock Island, 
Knox, and Stephenson, 60 to 65 per cent.; Winnebago, Henry, Warren, 
Douglas, Logan, Sangamon, Jersey, Fayette, Effingham, Cumberland, Cook, 
Wabash, Marion, and Washington, 40 to 50 per cent.; McHenry, Lee, Mercer, 
MeDonald, Stark, Morgan, Crawford, Randolph, Alexander, and Massac, 30 to 
35 per cent.; Madison, Macoupin, Pulaski, and Hardin, 25 per cent,; Kane, 
Bureau, Henderson, Woodford, Iroquois, Edgar, 15 to 20 per cent. ; Livingston, 
Adams, and Franklin, 10 per cent. Edgar county reports an increase of 30 per 
cent. up to 1864, but since that date a decline to the 15 per cent. above reported. * 
Moultrie reports a similar decline since 1863, though the general advance since 
1860 is put at 100 per cent., while Richland reports that its increase of 100 per 
cent. has been made chiefly since 1863. Making reasonable allowance for 
extravagant estimates or apparently low valuations, the general increase for the 
whole State may be set down at from 40 to 45 per cent. 
2. Of wild or unimproved lands a number of counties report “ little or none,” 
except such as may be connected with cultivated farms and not to be purchased 
separately. The prices for this descriptiou of lands vary greatly according to 
quality and location, ranging from $2 upwards to the full value of improved lands. 
In Stephenson county these lands are held at from $10 to $15 per acre, much of 
them broken and hilly, with small second growth timber adapted to grazing. 
Winnebago, very little unimproved prairie land in the county; it is held at 
