..w*^i ^i«"^w',*!.ij!5.i^'-"j«^5?^^Pv*= T r* ^ 



C.iixE«E Sugar Cane. — The vaIuc of Chinese 

 S;igar Cane will be thoroughly tested the coin- 

 ing 333300. Wt! have seen it noticed that large 

 field- — one hundred acre?, fifty acres and ten 

 acres — will be planted in the south : and even in 

 our own State fields of ten acres and l.'Ss will be 

 planted. Seed will be scarce and hiijh the com- 

 ing season ; but thereafter it will be more plen- 

 ty. 



"Wool. — There is a decided tendency to high- 

 er prices in the wool market. It is said the for- 

 eign stock is exhausted. We look for good prices 



the next season. 



*•> 



Teial of MowKRri. — At the great trial of 

 mowers, at Worcester, Mas«., last fall, Heath's 

 Mower, manufactund by D. C. Henderson & 

 Co., of Sandusky City, Ohio, was the successful 

 competitor. The trial was a very thorough one, 

 and the prize of $1,000 was won by the Heath 

 Mower, with a large competition. 1 be decision 

 was for mowing fifty acres in the best manner. 

 We learn these facts from the Ohio Cultivator. 

 This mower has a zig-zag movement in the face 

 of the drawing wheel, without gear, and if well 

 made, cannot fail to work well. 



Agricultural Books. — Saxton & Co., of New 

 York, tre publishing a series of Books on Agri- 

 culture, and subjects connected with it, most 

 valuable for farmers. They make a handsome 

 and useful Farmer's Library. We take it for 

 granted that farmeis, at the present day, are 

 benefitted by information to be found in Agri- 

 cultural works, and we know of no series better 

 adapted to th^ir use than that published by 



Saxton & Co. 



«•> 



American Apples. — Mr. Brown, a nursery 

 man of Montreal spent recently two years in his 

 native country — Scotland. He says : "they 

 know nothing of fruit as we do in America. He 

 could not get any eatable apples, till he fell in 



with some Newtown Pippins." 



— «•» 



J®*Copies of this number of tae Farmer will 

 be sent to individuals who we hope wish to be- 

 come subscribers for it. Should they not desire 

 to do, they will please return the same by mail. 



: 4«» 



J®" We have not yet received the official re- 

 port of the proceedings of the Horticultural Con- 

 vention held in Dccatar in the last month. 

 <•« 



j|®*We should be glad of the assistance of the 



members of the Legislature in extending the cir- 

 culation of this publication. To those who will 

 favor cs in this way, we should be glad to furnish 

 our prospectus, to be sent to their friends. 



PROSPECTUS OF TII£ 



iijijMjyois FAn^nmR, 



In December, 1855, we presented to the pub- 

 lic the prospectus for the first volume of the 

 Illinois Farmer. Wc did this with some hesita- 

 tion; that hesitation was overcome by the wishes 

 and judgment of our friends. Considering the 

 short time the prospectus was before the public 

 previous to the time fixed for issuing the first 

 number, we had reason to be gratified with the 

 number of subscribers whose names were 

 promptly furnished. We shall not forget the 

 kind assistance rendered us by friends, as well 

 in neighboring, aa in distant counties. It was 

 given at a time and in a manner which rendered 

 it of great value. 



A year has nearly passed. Those friends 

 near us insist that we shall present to the ag- 

 ricultural public a prospectus for the second 

 volume of the ** Farmer.'" We feel certain that 

 an agricultural paper, published at the Capital 

 of the State, is needed — that it can be rendered 

 of great value to our farming interests — and 

 published in the present form, and at the pres- 

 ent price — should receive a very large subscrip- 

 tion — so large as to be reasonably remunerative 

 to its publishers. 



While many improvements are designed in 

 the coming volume, — in illustrations and in the 

 mechanical work — we shall still aim to make is 

 practical and tiseful. Progress is a distinguish- 

 ing feature in the Agriculture of the present 

 day, — but there are humbugs which are sought 

 to be forced upon the community which should 

 be mercilessly exposed. 



The agricultural papers of other States, al- 

 though ably conducted, do not suit the condi- 

 tion of Agriculture in Illinois. We have a 

 peculiar climate, and soils differing from those 

 in the East. While therefore Eastern periodi- 

 cals are valuable to us, they do not supply the 

 want of well conducted agricultural publica- 

 tions in our own State. 



An exciting election has now passed. Otir 

 farmers, as good citizens, have been deeply en- 

 gaged in it. In this country, all men should 

 make themselves acquainted with the principles 

 and designs of parties, and should act under- 

 standingly, with clear convictions that they are 

 in the right. It is only in this way that the in- 

 stitutions which have come to us from oxir 

 fathers can be transmitted to posterity. 



But there in now to be a lull in political 

 affairs. Our agricultural friends will be able 

 to give their attention to matters which eapeci 



