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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



183 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Mower and Reaper Trial. 

 A trial of mowers and reapers took place 

 near Salem, Marion comity, nnder the super- 

 vision of the officers of the State Agricul- 

 tural Society on Wednesday and Thursday, 

 the 8th and 9th July. 



We learn that three combined reapers 

 and mowers were put on trial,*^!!;: Brown's 

 of Alton; Whiteley & Passler's, Springfield, 

 Ohio; and Ruggs', Ottawa. Reapers, — 

 Haynes & Hawley's, Pekin; and Flagg's, 

 Bloomington. Also, Haynes & Hawley's 

 Illinois mower. 



On Wednesday, all the reapers, with the 

 exception of Haynes & Hawley's (called a 

 header,) were on trial. They all performed 

 well. All had their admirers. On Thurs- 

 day, the Header was tried. It is a ponder- 

 ous machine, but did its work well. In the 

 afternoon, the combined mowers and the 

 Illinois mower were put upon trial in a 

 beautiful meadow of timothy. Every ma- 

 chine stood up to its work nobly. There 

 were differences of opinion in regard to the 

 manner in which the mowing was done, — 

 but while some performed better than others, 

 • it was conceded that they all did good work- 

 There was a deep interest .manifested by 

 the spectators during the last trial. Every 

 man present felt a glow of triumph on the 

 success of American mechanical genius. 

 Three of the inventors were present to work 

 their machines. The whole trial passed off 

 without a single unpleasant circumstance to 

 mar the enjoyment it afforded. 



We cannot say which were the successful 

 machines. Much calculation is required and 

 many points are to be understood, such as, 

 — cost of the machine, simplicity of con- 

 struction to do its work; facility of manage- 

 ment; durability and reliability; adaptation 

 to cut at different heights; freedom from 

 clogging; motive power required; labor in 

 raking; rapidity of work; the manner of 

 leaving wheat for binding; saving of grain in 

 cutting, binding and handling, &c. All 

 these points deserve careful consideration; 

 and we learn that the decision of the com- 



mittee will not be made public until the next 

 State fair. 



The committee speak in the highest terms 

 of their kind reception by citizens of Marion, 

 and the gentlemanly deportment of all those 

 engaged in running the machines. To the 

 credit of Southern Illinois be it spoken, that 

 there was no liquor seen upon the trial 

 grounds and not a case of intoxication was 

 witnessed during their visit to Marion 

 county. 



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Preserving Fruit. 



Peaches, preseryed in cans or glass jara, ^are 

 a great delicacy iu the seasons, when the fruit 

 cannot otherwise be had. Within a few years 

 past, large qaantities of this fruit have thus been 

 preserved, and the practice is rapidly increas- 

 icg. " Scarce a family can be found, when 

 peaches are to be had, where this is not done. 



The following plan of preserving peaches in 

 glass jars has been recommended: 



Take the peaches, either just ripe or fully ripe 

 — this does not matter. Pare them, and if you 

 desire to preserve them whole, throw them into 

 celd water, as they are pared, to prevent them 

 from losing color. When everything is ready, 

 place them in the jar, adding merely as much 

 sugar to each layer as is sufficient to render them 

 palatable. Set the jar in a kettle of cold water 

 and heat it, keeping the water ia a boiling state 

 until the fruit becomes heated through. This 

 will require, if quart jars are used, twenty min- 

 ates, and larger jars longer. When heated 

 sufficiently, seal at once. To do this the corks 

 must be soaked ia water and put into the jars 

 so as to make them air tight. Then the corks 

 are to be covered with sealing wax, and it will 

 still add to their security if a cloth of proper 

 size, dipped in the sealing wax, should be passed 

 over the cork and tied down on the neck of the 

 jar, while the wax is warm. It is a point not to 

 be lost sight of, that the jar should be air tight. 

 It is not absolutely necessary to use sugar in 

 this process, but, as it assists in the preservation 

 of the fruits, they can be sealed at a lower tem- 

 perature than if it is not used. As sugar is 

 used to render the fruits palatable, there can be 

 no objection to using it when preparing the fruit 

 for family use, as it will, in any case, be neces- 

 sary, and there is no reason why the sugar should 

 not as well be used before the can is sealed, as 

 afterwards. \ 



