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10 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



of such a fine-limlDed, graceful, gentle animal, 

 to say nothing of her round, plump bag, 

 shook the taith of all the Fayette Weibsleute 

 in their old Pennsylvania breeds, and Love- 

 rige was cured of his prejudices against book 

 farming and fancy breeds forever. 



-•••- 



Logan County, Illinois, 

 December 19, 1856. 



Edit*^ Farmer: In looking over the De- 

 cember number of the Illinois Farmer, I no- 

 tice Mr, Griffitli's large hogs. I will give 

 you my experience with hogs. I had two 

 sows that dropped their pigs on the 23d day 

 of March last. They saved eight pigs each. 

 At at>out fonr months old, I sold cue half of 

 the pigs at four cents per Ih., which amount- 

 ed to $30 50. The other eight I fed and 

 killed — killing four of them at the age of 

 seven u\onths and eighteen days, and the re- 

 maining four at the age of eight months and 

 two days. The first lour averaged 206 lbs. 

 net, and the last four averaged 238 lbs. net; 

 and I am certain the last were gaining two 

 lbs, each day when killed I have given you 

 the precise dates and age, and I think tliey 

 are the best hogs ever raised in the State 

 where date and age are given exactly. 



I wish you would give my statement in 



your next. 



Respectfully, Yours, 



t R. SKINNER. 

 <•> 



Brood Mares— In-Calf Cows, and Heifers. 



Tliese should be fed moderately liberal, 

 and receive that which is good and nourish- 

 ing. Feed them in sufficient quantities to 

 keep their stomachs at peace, and- preserve 

 their bodily integrity. Pregnant animals 

 should be fed on such nutritious food as will 

 keep them in good thriving condition. The 

 feeder should recollect that the young ones 

 within require substance, as well as their 

 mothers; that they have bones to be form- 

 ed, flesh and tendons to be elaborated, 

 and fat to be formed, and that these 

 things can only be perfected through the 

 agency of the dams, who can fulfil these 

 demands only when such food is provided for 

 them as will yield them. 



Good, well ventilated stables, or dry, 

 warm, comfortable sheds, are indispensable 



to animals in such condition. 



<•» 



A Suggestion— Illinois Farmer's Dictionary. 



A most intelligent and patriotic farmer of 

 our State, in a private letter to the Editor, 

 says: 



" I constantly feel, and perhaps a very 

 large portion of farmers, more skillful and 



practical by far than myself, also feel the 

 want of a farmer's " Vade Meaom" for every 

 day use. A small volume, say on the plan 

 of "Dean's New England Farmer," alpha- 

 betically arranged, and giving plain direc- 

 tions relative to the management of crops, 

 animals, seeds, instruments, &c.,&c., that we 

 could turn to at any moment. We forget 

 what we have known, and want something 

 of the sort constantly within reach to jog 

 our memories. 



■'A cheap book of this kind, called, if yoa 

 please, the " Illinois Farmer's Dictionary," 

 would be a most valuable adjunct to your 

 excellent Journal, and largely increase its 

 circulation. Such a book would require no 

 abstruse or painfully exact science; pretend- 

 ing to nothing more than a useful collection 

 of every day knowledge. Every fai-mer 

 needs it." 



We venture to say that the suggestion 

 here presented will meet the hearty concur- 

 rence of the farmers of this State. Such a 

 work every farmer needs. It would furnish 

 liim with a store of information, which would 

 be invaluable to him. We are aware that 

 there are works to be had on the different 

 branches of .Agriculture (and none better 

 than the series publlfched by Sax ton, and 

 found at all well supplied seed and agricul- 

 tural implement stores in the country;) but 

 there is not one embracing, in a condensed 

 and convenient form, what is needed by the 

 Illinois farmer. We say Illinois farmer, be- 

 cause Illinois farmers know that agricultu- 

 ral works of the east are not fitted to the 

 processes of Agriculture in our soil and cli- 

 mate. Such are undoubtedly useful; bat 

 they are not precisely what we want. 



There are men in this State who have 

 been long engaged in farming, of studious 

 habits, and of practical education, qualified 

 to prepare such a work. Wiiliam S. Wait, 

 George Churchill, M. L. Dunlap, we think 

 of now, and we doubt not, many others 

 could be named, who would, in getting up 

 such a work, not only secure a remunerable 

 reward for their labor, but confer great ben- 

 efits on their fellow farmers. We commend 

 tills matter to the attention of the farmers 

 of Illinois, and the Illinois press. If such a 

 work be undertaken, it should not be a 

 catch-penny affair, but should possess merit 

 to make it popular and useful 



We would like to hear from friends furth- 

 oa the subject. 





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