146 LA SALLE COUNTY ILLINOIS. 



The average is thirty-seven bushels per acre. I consider it 

 best to plow the ground in the Fall ; the stock should not be 

 permitted to range over it during the interval, especially when 

 the ground is soft. I use the sulky plow, and regard it as a 

 grand contrivance. My harrows are the Scotch, but they are 

 twice as large as formerly. I am not contented to do as our 

 fathers did — I must have all my farm implements to correspond. 

 I plant the best yellow dent corn, with an improved Vandivere 

 — using a check-rower. After the corn is planted, I harrow 

 the ground thoroughly, and if cloddy roll it. I also use the 

 improved Black Hawk for cultivation, and usually plow four 

 times. 



COST AND CULTURE OF SMALL GRAIN. 



I raise but little wheat compared to the amount of corn, 

 and what I do raise costs me sixty-eight cents per bushel. Of 

 this eight cents is for harvesting and eight cents for threshing. 

 I put in Fall wheat as follows : 



Plow the ground well ; drag, sow, then go over with a corn 

 cultivator. It is an advantage to mulch wheat before the 

 Winter begins, by spreading a very thin coat of manure over 

 it. I sow Spring wheat early on Fall plowing, putting it in as 

 I do the Fall wheat. The harrow leaves the seed too near the 

 surface, hence the corn plow is used. I studiously avoid put- 

 ting in poor seed or that which is not clean. Wheat averages 

 fifteen bushels per acre. My rye I treat as I do the wheat, 

 this averages eighteen bushels per acre, costing when harvested 

 and in the granary sixty-five cents per bushel. 



Oats I generally harrow in, either on Fall or Spring plowing. 

 If the season is dry, rolling improves it. The average yield is 

 thirty-seven and a half bushels per acre, costing twenty-three 

 cents. Harvesting and threshing cost five cents each per 

 bushel. 



MEADOWS 



I occasionally give a light coat of manure in the Fall, which 

 improves the crop of hay. This treatment I consider also 



