273 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



americana), destroys many insects. He appears 

 to be particularly food of be«tlos and crickets 

 but eats the larvae of various insects. The May 

 buf, or June bag-, [llelolontha vulgaris,) both 

 ij the larvae (in which it i« called the "white 

 p:rub") and perfect Et*te, is much eought alter. 

 The skunk di\g* oat the insect, and the slight ex* 

 carations it makes in ^oing tkis are frequently 

 seen. It is doabtful whether this animal would 

 erea coraiBiit depredations on the poultry yard, if 

 he oould obtain insects enoagh. At any rate 

 ill situations rercote from the farm buildiugs, he 

 is very useful in his ordinary mode ot life. 



Bats lire on insects, taking tbem like the 

 swallow, on the wing;. So far as we bare ob- 

 served, they feed chiefly on small flies and moths 

 which art) in the air ''between sunset and dark." 

 — Boston CiiUivaior. 



Tiic Paramoaat Iinportanci of Agriculture. 



Without derogating from the importance of 

 any of the other pursuits, and occapationa wo 

 miy Baf«ly, I think, claim for Agriculture, in 

 some refpacti, a eertain precedence before them 

 ail. It has beea said to be the great uad final 

 object of governmsnt to get twelve impartial 

 aud inielligent men into the jury box: by which 

 of course, ia »eant, tbas the administration of 

 equal justice between man and man is the pri- 

 mary obj'iet of civili-iod and soeial lifs. But the 

 teacher, secular or •spiritnal mifht plausibly 

 urge that it i« of prior importance that the 

 cos«manity ehosld have the element*, at least of 

 men al and moral culture, and be taught the ob* 

 ligations of an oath, before sny twelve of its 

 members should take part in the administration 

 ofju-:tie8. The phvs^cian might contend that 

 health i.i of greater icapoitance thais the trial by 

 jury and with greater reason it might be claim- 

 ed for ajriculcure that it supplies the first want 

 of our natnre — the daily call of the great family 

 of man for hijid&ily bread — the call that must be 

 answered before Ihe work oi'life, hi»Thorlow, can 

 begin. PlaintiCFand de'endant, judgfl and jury 

 must bre ik their fast before they can meet in 

 court, £:id if the word of a witty poet can be 

 taken, cerruin very importtiat consequencrs 

 sometimes hanpen to culprits, in order that jury* 

 men may get to their dinners. 



But to snc-ak m a more fittiag a.nd ecrion^ 

 strain, I must confess that ihare has always ap' 

 peared te me something appioacbiug the sub- 

 lime in this view of Agriculture which (such is 

 the effjGt of familiarity ) does not produce an 

 impression on our minds in proportion to the 

 grandeur of the idea. The human race is usually 

 estimated at one thousand millions. If the sus- 

 tenance ot a portion of these mnltitudiuous mil- 

 lions is derived from other sources than Agricul- 

 ture, this circumstance i.s balanced by the fact 

 that there is a great deal of agricultural produce 

 rabsed in excess of the total demand for food. — 

 Let then the thoughtful husbandman who de- 

 siresto f )rm a just idea of the importance of bis 

 pursuit reflect when he gatherg his little flock 

 about him to partake the morning meal, that 

 one thousand millions of fellow men have 

 awakened from sleep that morning craving their 



daily bread with the Barae appetite which reigns 

 at his family board, and that it by a superior 

 power they could be gathered together at the 

 same time for tbestmemetl, they would fill both 

 aides of five tables reaching all round the globe 

 where it is broadest, seated side by side allow- 

 ing eighteen inches to each individual, and that 

 these tables are to be renewed twice or thrice 

 every day. Then let him consider that in ad- 

 dition to the food tor the human race that of all 

 the humble partners of man's toil — the lower 

 animals — is to be providi^d in like manner. — 

 These all wait upon ajriculturc as the agent of 

 that Providence which giveth them their meat 

 in due seasen, and they probably consume ia 

 the agtrregato an equal amount of produce; and 

 finally let him add in imagination, to this antold 

 ameuut of daily food for man and beast, the 

 various articles which are famished directly 

 or indirectly from the soil for building mate- 

 rials, faruitnre, clothing and fuel. 



EDWARD EVERETT. 



-««•- 



Progressive Agriculture. 



The N. Y. Observer sssysthe following good 

 things of progressive agrieulture : 



"Under it^ infinence spring up tasty and con- 

 venient dwellings, adornud TritQ shrubs and flow- 

 ers and beautiful within with the smiles of happy 

 wives, tidy children in tlie lap of thoughtful as;e 

 — broad hearths, and act? as well xs words of 

 welcome. Progressive agrieKiture builds barns 

 and put.? gutters on ihtm, builds stables for 

 cattle, and raises roots tu feed tbem. It grcLits 

 wild apple trees by the meadow with pippins or 

 greeniu^-s — it set out new orchards, and takes 

 care of the old ones. 



It draiis new lands, cuts down bushes, bays a 

 mower, honse^tools and wagoBS, keeps good 

 feaces, and practices soiling. It makes htm lay 

 and chickens live, and prevent? swine from root- 

 ing up meadows. Progressive agriculture keeps 

 on bawd plenty of dry luel, end brings in the 

 oven wood for the women. It plows deeply, 

 sows, pientifslly, fcanows evenly, and prays for 

 the blessing of [JeavcD. Finally, it subscribes 

 for good reiin'ioua, agricultural, and family jour- 

 nals, and pays for theaa in advance, advocates 

 free schools, and always lakes s«melhing besides 

 the family to the county fair. 



•*o * - 



JS@p'Burying potatoes in the ground with 

 rafters and boards so placed as to leave a little 

 space between the potatoes and the boards, and 

 to keep the weight of the earth from resting on 

 the potatoes, is said by those who have tried it, 

 to be an excellent method of preserving them. 

 It keeps them dry, requires less earth to protect 

 them, and diminishes the liability to rot. This, 

 of course, is to be practised ooly when good cel- 

 lars are not to be had. 



<d> 



®@*The total number of children in the St. 

 Louis Public Schools is 5,341, average atten 

 dance 4,785. Of the number 2,925 are boys, 

 and 2,410 are girls. 



:::xj 



