PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 245 



gTOwing chiccory, and whether he had discovered any deleterious effects 

 from its use: 



"Yours of the 24th inst. is received. I have grown chiccory for family 

 use for some years, and have distributed chiccory seed among my neigh- 

 bors, and have encouraged them to grow it. 



"It is as easy grown as carrots or parsneps, and requires about the same 

 sort of ground and preparation. I grew a little slip in the garden last 

 year — thirty-five by five feet; four rows which produced thirty-three pounds 

 of dried root. I sow the seed in May; take up the roots in October; wash 

 them to free them from adhering dirt; dry and cut up in about one-half 

 inch pieces; partially dry them by spreading in the open air and sunshine, 

 and finish by drying in the oven. If grown in lai-ge quantities for market, 

 it should be cut up by some machine and kiln dried. 



" From my experience in this small way, I think from 5,000 pounds to 

 8,000 pounds of the dried root can be grown per acre. 



" I have used chiccory for several years, sometimes clear, as a substitute 

 for coffee — sometimes mixed with coffee. All the family like it, and no bad 

 effects have been observed. Two of my neighbors say they cannot use 

 coffee without producing headaches, but have no headaches from the use of 

 chiccory. 



"The high price of coffee will induce more persons to grow chiccory this 

 year than ever before." 



Mr. P. T. Quinn, who conducts Prof Mapes's farm, said that he had dug 

 756 bushels of carrots from an acre, which would weigh 56 pounds per 

 bushel, making 42,000 pounds of the green roots. As Mr. Robinson esti- 

 mates a crop of chiccory at half the bulk of a carrot crop, it seems likely 

 that Mr. Phillips's statement is correct for garden culture, as the roots will 

 not shrink three-fourths in drying; but such a crop of carrots as this must 

 not be expected from anything short of garden culture. I plowed the land, 

 said Mr. Quinn, with a strong four horse team, turning it sixteen inches, 

 and subsoiling. It is a heavy job to dig such a crop. The large subsoil 

 lifter is first run along the rows, and then the roots have to be loosened 

 at the bottom with forks. 



Substitutes for Corn and Wheat. 



Mr. L. S. Pennington, Shiling, Illinois, writes as follows: 



" Our corn crop for three years past has failed to be remunerative for the 

 want of a mai'ket, and oui" wheat has scarcely paid for harvesting and 

 threshing, owing to a general failure in the crop (in Northern Illinois). Of 

 a necessity we must look for other articles of production. Can you not 

 give us some trustworthy information through your Club, or otherwise, to 

 the market value of the flax product, and the best machinery (cost con- 

 sidered) for preparing it for market." 



Upon this an animated discussion arose, as to what the Illinois farmer 

 would substitute, in part, at least, for the almost universal corn and wheat 

 crop. 



Mr. Carpenter earnestly recommended white beans, because they always 

 sell at a price that would better pay for transportation than either of the 



