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282 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEK. 



cora the present year, as a general fact, did not 

 matare as well as usaal. It is tender in the 

 germ. You should select yoar seed corn and 

 put it where it cannot be injured by intense 

 freezing. Many have suffered enough, one would 

 suppose, by neglecting similar advice in former 

 years. These may have to re plant their corn 

 next year, and tbey will "curse their luck," 

 when the charge should be made upon their own 

 neglect of the use of a little common sense. 



Our farmers are now getting their produce to 

 market — hogs, other stock, and produce. Prices 

 compared with those for two or three previoug 

 yeai;s, are low — much below what was expected 

 six months ago. We regard it as the true poli'* 

 cy of farmers to sell their produce when tbey 

 have it ready for market. Farmers do not 

 generally succeed well when they keep their pro- 

 duce for speculation. If it does not now pay 

 well, sell it off, cancel your debts, and begin 

 again the coming year. Farm labor will then 

 be likely to be lower than it has been and your 

 next seasons' crops, will not cost you as much 

 as they have this year, and you may thus make 

 up your losses. 



The Dioscorea, 



Hovey's Magazine for November contains 

 an article in which a high opinion is eipressed 

 of the vegetable named above, and the declara- 

 tion made, that "it will prove a valuable acqui- 

 sition to the kitchen garden, become one of its 

 annual products, and form one of the delicacies 

 of the table." We have no data to controvert 

 this opinion. The impositions which -were put 

 off upon many of our citizens, in dealers send- 

 ing them the small "tubers" which grow out of 

 the ground on the vines, and in many cases only 

 the skins of these — has very much opemteJ 

 against the cultivation of the plant. If we hud 

 good sized tubers, by which to mak« a proper 

 beginning, we doubt not that in one or two 

 years our western people would be able to form 

 a correct judgment of the value of the Diosco- 

 rea. Our deep soils in Illinois would be the very 

 place to grow this vegetable. 



At the United States Agricultural Society 

 Fair, last year, in Philadelphia, some very Hue 

 specimens were present. On trial, a coniiniitee 

 of gentlemen pronounced them a most delicious 



and nutricious vegetable. To the same effect, 

 is the testimony of disting'iished French ciiltl- 

 Tors. We wish the plant could have a fair trial 

 in the deep rich soils of the West. "We do not 

 believe so long as we can raise good crops of 

 potatoes, that it will take their place as a gen- 

 eral crop. 



Illinois Farmer for 18§8. 



We. are now obtaining the type and other ma- 

 terial for enlarging and greatly improving the 

 Illinois Farmer Jor 1858. It will be printed in 

 a quarto form, on bettor type, and better paper 

 than the present volume, and we design tha*- 

 every number shall be embellished with some 

 illustration. We intend that the work shall 

 be fully up to the amount of patronage it re- 

 ceives. Necessarily such publications as the 

 Illinois Farmer for a time are experiments. 

 "We thank the farmers of Illinois that our pre- 

 sent and prospective patronag'o justifies us in 

 making the proposed changes. 



The improvements made in thi present day 

 in the various departments of agriculture are 

 placed on record in one agricultural periodicals; 

 and wo venture to say that no farmer can pe» 

 ruse one of these publications, and store his 

 mind with the infoimaiioa it contains, and 

 practice upon the same, without receiving bene- 

 fits to him a hundred fold more than the cost of 

 the publication. What is wanted is, that thoFC 

 farmers who receive these publications should ex-- 

 araine them v.'ell, select what is useful, store it 

 in memory, practice what is acedful, a.nd Ihus 

 keep themselves posted up and benefited by all 

 the improvements made iu farming. 



Yie repeat that we desire our friends, ail 

 those into whoso hands this number of the 

 Farmer and the prospectus for the same shall 

 fail, to give us a lift in the way of lists of sub- 

 scribers. The cost of subscription is placed at 

 the lowest rate. This we have done to secure 

 a large number of s'ab.^criberi;; and we are cer- 

 tain, if our friends v.'il! bc-friend us, -.Te shall be 

 able to count them by thoueand?. 



Now is the time to ho.^hi to send in their 

 subscriptions. We shall have the first number 

 of the 3d volume rr;ady for circulation belore 

 the new year. Delays are uaufjci'ous. If you 

 desire more prosp^ctur.os ©r sample numbers, 

 send for them, and solicit all the n:traes vou 

 can. 



The prospctas for the Farmer will be found 

 on our advertisin;r sheet. 



Terms of tre Far^-isr fop. 1858. — Single 

 copy §1; five copies $3 75; ton copies S7 50 

 and one to agent; over filtecn copies, G2J cen'a 

 each, and one cnpy ii-ea to airont. Money may 

 be forwarded bv mail nt our risk. 



^@=> The Ehode Island Agricultural Society 

 offer premiums for ornamental trees planted on 

 highways. 



