il4 LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



latter arc inconvenient in tillage. During the next few years 

 it is my intention to put 



TILE DRAINS IN ALL THE NATURAL WATER COURSES 



and low land. With the elevation of the farm every square 

 foot of land in the tract can be made productive for any kind 

 of crop. The soil is the rich loam common on our prairies, un- 

 derlaid with a porous clay from ten to twelve feet thick, mixed 

 in the lower strata with gravel stones of various sizes. Below 

 this is a blue clay, which varies in thickness from four to eight 

 feet. This rests on a bed of gravel, which is filled with water 

 that rises in wells from four to six feet and is inexhaustible. 

 There is no hard pan apparent in the formation, and no rock is 

 reached above the gravel mentioned. Very few boulders have 

 been found near the surface. Any where on the farm, at or near 

 twenty feet deep, an abundant supply of good cold water can 

 be had, which is Brought to the surface by wind power when 

 wanted. 



•». FORESTRY. 



Realizing the value of protection from the winds of the open 

 prairie, the planting of trees and groves received my early at- 

 tention. In addition to planting an orchard of the hardiest 

 varieties of fruit trees, I planted around my dwelling hun- 

 dreds of different varieties of evergreen trees — but mostly the 

 American white pine. These have now grown to the size of 

 from twelve to sixteen inches in diameter, and besides being 

 attractive to the eye are a perfect wind brake. A grove of 

 five acres of black locust was planted, which grew to be hand- 

 some young trees, but were all destroyed by the borer. 

 Thousands of poplars are planted in groves, but they too 

 have nearly all been destroyed by the same insect. The gray 

 willow has proven to be the most hardy and rapid grower of 

 that class of trees I have planted. Soft maple and ash have also 

 done well. At present there are groves and shelter belts in 

 different parts of the farm, and I have reaped great benefit by 

 the protection of crops from the winds of Winter and storms 

 of Summer. My stock do not suffer from the cold of Winter 



