412 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



jrNElO, 18*0- 



{Coiitinued from page 406.) 



Today I made my first acquaintance witli those 

 abominable sloug-hs for whicli Illinois is notoricnis. 

 Just as wo reaclmd the ton mile house a hard rain 

 Bet in, and we were obliged to stop and make the 

 best of wretched accommodations. 



The next morning was cloudy and so cold that 

 we had to wear cloaks, although it v/as the middle 

 of June. We travelled four miles over the prai- 

 rie, when we came to a belt of limber and found 

 six miles of the worst road 1 had yet seen, if road 

 it may be called, for in this State no labor is done 

 upon the road except to build corduroy bridges over 

 sloughs that have becouij impassable. In the 

 midst of this timber there is a little hamlet of log 

 cabins called Independence, though as well known 

 in the vicinity by the name of Pin-hook. This 

 town, as it i-i called, contains two stores, and, what 

 is an uncommon sight, a school-house. About a 

 mile from town we carne to the Embarras river, and 

 as the ferryman lived half a mile on the other side, 

 we found ourselves in an embarrassing' situation. 



Here we foiMd six wagons and as many families 

 of emigrants from the east. The men were cutting 

 fuel, watching their horses that were grazing, &c. 

 The women were washing, cooking, and arranging 

 their goods, while the children, in the happy care- 

 lessness of youth, were playing all manner of 

 pranks upon tlie river banks: the whole forming a 

 capital scene for the pencil. I entered into con- 

 versation with these people and found them from 

 different parts and bound some for Sangamon coun- 

 ty, some for Missouri, and some for, they knew not 

 where, only they were going west, and I thanked 

 my stars that I had not been mad enough to bring 

 my family hither, but that they were then enjoying 

 the comforts of home. 



Having at last got the ferryman down to the 

 river, we crossed over and stopped at the first farm 

 house: this is in Coles coiinty. 



The next morning we saw several wagons mov- 

 ing east, and as it is as much a custom to inquire 

 where one is bound, where fcftm, and to ask other 

 similar questions, as it is for s^ips ai sea to speal 

 each other, we were soon acquainted "itli their his 

 tory. These people had beieii; some to Warren 

 county, on the Mississippi, and others tn Iowa ter- 

 ritory. They had all been sick, and had lost many 

 of their kindred by death ; they had sacrificed tiieir 

 property, and, poor and disheartened-, they were al 

 most begging their way back to the east. Thi 

 group and the one we saw yesterday are specimens 

 of what may be seen daily on all the great routes 

 in the west. 



We took leave of our host, who was a jolly Ken 

 tuckian, after breakfast, and pursued our way over 

 level prairie, so soft that our horses tracked deep 

 at every step, but no sloughs. We had to ford one 

 creek about three or four feet deep, and at the end 

 of 20 miles we came to the Great Okaw, a narrow 

 sluggish stream, which we crossed by a ferry, and 

 as it was 16 miles to the next timber, we put up, 

 for it is impossible to travel in the night, and the 

 traveller must seek a shelter before night or camp 

 out, which, for a person unprepared for it, is no 

 joke. 



Early on the following morning, we started in 

 company with two other wagons from the east, and 

 travelled over low prairie, and were obliged to go 

 through three sloughs of the "biggest kind," each 

 nearly, and one of them more than a quarter of a 

 mile wide. I was obliged to wade and lead my 



horse in water up to my hips, and fortunately got 

 throiigli without assistance, while my fellow trav- 

 ellers wore obliged to hire an ox team to haul them 

 through. At 6 o'clock we reached the Little Ohaw, 

 which we crossed on a rude bridge, and put up, 

 having consumed the whole day travelling 10 miles, 

 and we were very diligent too. 



In the morning we parted company with our fel- 

 low travellers, who kept the road to Springfield, 

 while we turned off north towards Decatur, and 

 having reached there we concluded to tarry until 

 the next day. Decatur is built upon a broken piece 

 of ground, on the north side of the Sangamon river, 

 (which is here about 50 yards wide,) o.') mi'es above 

 Springtield, and is the seat of Macon county. It 

 is full of stumps, has a few good houses at respect- 

 able distances, and contains about 200 or 300 in- 

 habitants ; but being the only town in the county, 

 it has considerable trade and may become an im- 

 portant place. Here for the first time, I saw an 

 ox mill for grinding corn : I afterwards eaw many 

 of them. The construction of them is simple : a 

 circular plane is made of plank, with a shaft in the 

 centre from whicli it is braced : the shaft is inclin- 

 ed 1.5 or 20 degrees from a perpendicular, %vhich 

 gives the plane the same inclination to the horizon, 

 and the gearing is on the periphery of the plane or 

 platform, and upon this from two to six oxen are 

 placed, according to the size of the mill, who put 

 the machine in motion. Jt is the simplest kind of 

 tread -mill. 



We left Decatur early by the northern road. It 

 was a splendid morning: the air v/as clear, the sky 

 cloudless, and the prairie being higher and more 

 rolling, the road was dryer and better than any we 

 had seen for a long time, and we rode on in high 

 spirits. About 9 o'clock we came to an impassa- 

 ble creek, and supposed that we had misunderstood 

 the directions we had received in town, and were 

 out of our way — a misfortune to which travellers 

 are very liable, for most of the inhabitants are new 

 settlers and quite ignorant of the geography of their 

 own neighborhoods, and those who do know any- 

 thing about jt-j are as bungling as the sons of Erin 

 in giving directions. In our dilemma we turned to- 

 wards the head of the creek, hoping to strike the 

 proper track i." that direction, and after travelling 

 until noon without finding any other track or mak- 

 ing any progress in our way, we came to a halt. 

 The creek where we then were, though broad was 

 fordable, being only about two feet deep. The 

 grovn where we entered the prairie was just dis- 

 cernable, and we could see timber upon the other 

 side, at the distance of from 10 to 15 miles. We 

 did not like to go back and we knew not the way 

 forward. My companion had a pocket compass and 

 map, and with the assistance of these we ventured 

 to proceed. Having taken the bearings of the 

 grove we had left and of our track, we computed 

 Gur departure as accurately as we were able, and 

 laid down our course; then crossing the creek we 

 travelled by the compass over the trackless prairie 

 until late in the afternoon, when we struck the tim- 

 ber within a few rods of the road we should have 

 travelled. We had then fire miles to travel over 

 as bad a road as was ever travelled, to get to Clin- 

 ton, a new town on the north side of Salt Creek, 

 which stream we crossed upon a bridge very much 

 like the roof a Dutch barn, and near which we got 

 stuck in a mud-hole from which it took us an hour 

 to get out. I never before realised the extent of 

 the misfortune of those who get rowed up Salt cretk. 



It was not until past 8 o'clock that we got to quar- 

 ters, fatigued and hungry enough to make very Itv- 

 difTerent accommodations agreeable. 

 (To be continued.) 



The Wheat Flv. — When there is an abun- 

 dance of clover or hemp around a wheat field, it has 

 been ascertained to a certainty, that very much less 

 injury will be done to the wheat by Ihe grain flies, 

 than in most other situations. — The reason is plain, 

 'i'he weevil deposits its egg on the sweetest plants 

 't can find, and prefers the clover or hemp even to 

 wheat. 



iMight it not be a good plan for farmers, whose 

 wheat fields do not happen to be situated in the 

 midst of a clover field, to sow a pretty wide row of 

 hemp around the outside of the lot forthwith. — 

 Maine Cultivator. 



Apples, of this years' growth, the first we have 

 seen, were selling in our market yesterday at 

 tivelve and a hilf cents per quart ! — Baltimore Sun. 



Hot Corn. — New corn made its appearanee in 

 the New Orlean-; market, on Ihe 8th ult. Ours 

 is'nf quite fit to eat yet. 



SIM*. SILK W^ORMS EGOS— «5 PKK OUWCB. 



The Eijgs of the cclehrated Si;ia :^ill^ Worm, now offered 

 for sale, were raised in 1839 liy M. Camille Beauvais, super- 

 inteiirienl nC the e.tpcrimeiUal bilk farm, established near 

 Paris, liy the government of France. The Sina Silk Worm 

 was introdui-ed to Prance from China liy Louis XVI. in 

 1784, and has heen proved by M. Beauvais to be supe- 

 rior to ail other silk worms. They are also stated to 

 possess ihe precious properly of lialching simultaneously. 

 Just received, by the subscriber, from the Chevalier Bodiii, 

 who is the only agent for their sale in France. 



Each sheet contains an ounce and is signed " Camille 

 Beauvais." 



WILLIAM KENRICK, Newton. 



Or apply to JOSEPH BRECK & CO. 



March 25. eptf 



BROUSSA MlItiBERRY SEED. 



We have recently received 60 lbs. fresh Broussa Mulberry 

 Seed, which we offer by the ounce or pound. 

 March 11. JOSEPH BRECK & CO. 



BONE MANURE. 



The subscriber informs his friends and Ihe publi ;, that 

 alter ten years experience, he is fully convinced that ground 

 bones form the most powerful slimufant that can be applied 

 10 the earth as a manure. 



Orders for Bone Manure or Oyster Shell lime, left at the 

 Bone Mill, near Tremont road, in Itoxlmry, at the New 

 England Agricultural Warehouse anil Sceii Store, No. 52 

 North Market Street, or through the Pest Office will meet 

 with prompt attention. 



March 4, 1840. NAHUMWARU. 



Week's Treatise on Bees 



For sale by JO.SEPH I.UECK & CO. 



April 1.'.. 



NEW AMERICAN GARDTSNKR. 



FOURTKENTH EOITION. 



The New American Gardener, containing practical direc- 

 tions on the culture ol Fruits and v^a-Mahles, including 

 Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Grape Vines. 

 Silk Strawberries, (sic, liy Thomas G. Fessenden, lalo 

 editor of the New England Farmer. For sale tiy JOSEPH 

 BRECK & CO., 51 and 52 North Market Street. 



May 13. 



SILK WORMS EG<SS. 



Just received, a few ounces of Silk Worms Eggs, from 

 Smyrna, said to be of a superior varieiv. Price $8 per 

 ounce, clean seed. .r^c.,.no , >,,,n^' * nn 



April 1. 



JOSEPH IKECK & CO. 



THE NEW KNGI.AND PAUMKH 



Is published every" "Wedncsdav Eveniui-, ut S3 pqr annum 

 payable at the en<i of Ihe vear— but tho.se who |)ay williin 

 sixty days from the lime oi subscribing are entitled to a de- 

 duction of 59 cents. 



TDTTLE, DENNETT AND CHISHOL.M, PRINTSBS, 



