286 LA SALLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



land is nearly all well drained naturally, and has a subsoil that 

 allows the water to pass through. 



WATER. 



On this farm there is no spot where the water stands, 

 even in the wettest seasons. I have at all times an abundance 

 of pure spring water, having quite a number of springs in the 

 pasture corner of the farm which give the name to the place. 

 The family of whom I purchased in 1858 christened it. As 

 I have plenty of pure water and shelter for stock, it is natural 

 that Crystal Spring Farm should be run as a stock farm, or at 

 least for grain and stock mixed, which was my plan for the 

 first twelve or fourteen years. Then I tried it as a stock 

 place exclusively, buying my grain, but, becoming satisfied 

 that it is best to raise what is fed, and to feed what is raised, 

 I have gone back to the former plan. 



BUILDINGS. 



The buildings are in about the center of the farm, so as to 

 be where the permanent water and natural shelter are, and 

 ■"where there is sufficient descent to enable me to build a cellar 

 barn to advantage, and to have the corn crib built on the level 

 of the yard, and still be high enough above the feeding plat- 

 form below, to enable me to spout the shell corn, or slide the 

 ear corn into wagons, making a great saving in labor. There 

 also, in the cold, windy days of Winter, the stock are entirely 

 sheltered from the north and west winds, both while in the 

 yards, and when going to and from the drinking places. 



CORN. 



Being within easy reach of canal market, of course corn 

 is the principal crop raised. When I seeded down my place I 

 ceased to keep crop accounts, but, for tlie twelve years from 

 1860 to 1871 inclusive, my accounts show that it cost me an 

 average of twenty-seven and two-thirds cents per bushel to raise 

 and market my corn, and that my average yield was forty-four 

 bushels. Since breaking up my fields again, the yield has been 

 about sixty bushels per acre. 



