6 



THE ILLIIS^OIS FA.IIMEK. 



we can not too strongly urge them to partici- 

 pate in such meetings 



There are numerous questions which could 

 be discussed with interest and pnifit at sucii 

 clubs, to wit: Which are the best breeds ol 

 cattle for dairy purposes? which the best for 

 beef? Whtcb is the most profitable br.-ed cf 

 sheep for farmers to keep? Which is the most 

 profitable breed of swine, and which the most 

 economical method for fattening them ? Which 

 the best breed of horses for farm purposes? 

 Are horses preferable to mules for the labors of 



the farm? Which is the best system of rotation 

 of crops ? Which kinda of grasses are best 

 a<lapted to the soil of that particular locality ? 

 Which the best varieties of wheat to raise for 

 market ? And there are hundreds of questions 

 which might be stated, the diseusRion of which 

 would be interesting and instructive. At these 

 meetings, mind is brought into contact with 

 mind, and these intellectual combats rouso up 

 the dormant intellect ; and as the use of any 

 faculty increases its power, so will the mind be 

 improved by participating in such discussion. 

 . — .». — ■ — 



Agricultuie and Science* 



The warmth of the soil, under a clear sun, is 

 surprisingly above that of the air. the difference 

 being, even in temperate climates, as high a? 

 sixty-five degrees. .Thus Schubler finds in 

 July, when the air is 81 dega, the soil will be 

 140 degs,; and during one of his observations 

 at Tabuigin, in Germany, the air stood at 78 

 degs. and the soil at 152 degs. a difference of 

 74'degs. With a surface of the same color, the 

 material composing the soil make little differ- 

 ence in the capacity to become heated, provided 

 they are in similar states as to dryness. S.and, 

 clay, loam', garden-mould, &c., show very little 

 difference with the ihermometer. Color, how- 

 ever, has a powerful effect. Althouj?h exposed 

 to the sun for hours; differently colored earths 

 never attain the same temperature, the lighter 

 colored always remaining considerably cooler. 

 The conclusion seems inevitable that in some 

 countries the surface soil must occasionally 

 approach 200 dega. Fahrenheit. Under ;-uch 

 a dcree of heat the decomposition of the or- 

 ganic matter of the soil must go on rapidly, 

 with the evolution of much ammonia, and car- 

 bonic acid, agents which play an important 

 part in the modification of the mineral matter 

 of the soil, as well as stimulate vegetation. 



->♦•- 



convertible into true cane sugar, under pe- 

 culiar or accitlental circumsuiiices, such as 

 the qirality of the juice, and the boiling be- 

 ing just as it ought 10 be." 



Error in the Treatment of Horses. 



When a horse shies, or sheers at some unac 

 customed object and which all young horses 

 will do, never speak sharply, or worse than thrt 

 strike him, if you would avoid his starting the 

 next time he sees the same or a similar object 



Almost anv horse may be brought to a confirm- 

 ed habit of shying by snch treatment. What 

 ishould bo done, then? Check him to a walk; 

 give him time to see the object and he will soon 

 take little or no notice of it. I fa horse stumbles 

 or trips, it is a common practice to strike him 

 for that. This will not mend the habits of trip- 

 ping and stumbling, but will add to them, if he 

 has spirit, that of springing forward with dan- 

 gerous quickness whenever it occurs, as he will 

 expect the lash to follow as j» matter of course. 

 The remedy, if it can be called one, is to keen 

 an eye upon the road, and where, from stones 

 and unevenness, the falling is apprehended, 

 tighten the reins and enliven the horse, but 

 never strike him after the accident. As you 

 would save the wind and strength of your horse 

 drive him slow up hill, and as you would save 

 his limbs and your own, drive him slowly down 

 hill. Never wash off your horse with cold water 

 when he is hot, or let him drink freely in that 

 state. If the water is quite warrn it will not 

 hurt him. Do mit permit the smith when he 

 shoes his horse, to cut out any of the soft part, 

 or what is called the frog of the foot— this is 

 apt to gradually draw in the quarters of the 

 hoof, and cripple the animal, and is recommen 

 dcd only bv the smoothe appearance which il 



gives to the bottom of the foot, which is more 



apt to catch a round stone in the shoo than oth- 

 erwise. Do not feed with grain, especially corn 

 when a horse is warm, or vt>ry much fatigued; 



if you Ao, you may founder and ruin him. Do 



not keep a horse too fat or too lean, as either 

 disqualifies him for hard labor. TwC more 

 kindness and good temper extended to a horse, 

 the better he will behiive in return. Bad tem- 

 per and bad habits come gradually from bad 

 usage. 



Iinphee. 



This is a variety of the Sugar Millet, 

 the seed of which was introduced by Mr. 

 "Wray into France, from South Africa. A 

 trial has been made of the plants by R. 

 Peters, of Georgia. He says that his ex- 

 perience docs not enable him to speak of it 

 with any favor, but adds — 



"I have made between 3,000 and 4,000 

 gallons of very superior syrup from my 

 crop of sorgho, and have sold it by the bar- 

 rel at 50 to 75 cents per gallon. 



I have not made trial of the sorgho syrup 

 in the way of graining for sugar, for my 

 cane juice this season was of an inferior 

 quality as compared with other crops, 

 caused by much of the cane having fallen 

 down by too close planting on rich land, 

 during a wet season. 



You may rely on the sorgho being all 

 that has been said in its favor as a syrup 

 making phmt, but for sugar, I as yet liaye 

 strong doubts of its being made from it in 

 quantity at a paying figure. 



I have been shown some samples ac- 

 cidentally granulated, that prove its being 



—•t- 



A liCSsou to a Scolding Mother. 



A little girl, who had witnessed the perplexi- 

 ty of her mother on a certain occasion, when 

 her fortitude gave way under severe trial, said; 

 "Mother, does God ever fret or scold?" 

 The query was so abrupt and startling, it 

 arrested the mother's attention almost with a 



shock. 



"Why, Lizzie, what makes you ask that ques- 

 tion?" 



"Why, God is good— you know you used to 

 call him the 'Good Man,' when I was little 

 — and I should like to know if he ever scolded." 



"No, child, no." 



"Well, I am glad he don't; for scolding al- 

 ways makes me feel so bad, even if it is not me 

 in fault. 1 don't think I could love God much, 

 if he scolded." 



The mother felt rebuked before her simple 

 child. Never had she heard so forcible a lec- 

 ture on the evils of scolding. The words of 

 Lizzie sank deep in her heart, and she turned 

 away from the innocent face of her little one, 

 to hide the tears that gathered in her eyes.— 

 Children are quick observers; and Lizzie, see- 

 ing the effect of her words, hastened to inquire: 



'^ Why do you cry, mother? Was it naughty 

 for me to ask so many questions?" 



''No, love, it was all right. I was only 



thinking how bad I had been to scold so much, 



when my girl could hear and be troubled by it." 



"Oh, no, mamma, you are not bad; you are a 



good mamma; only I wish there were not so 



many bad things to make you fret and talk like 

 you did just now. It makes me feel away from 

 you so far, like I could not c(mie near you, as I 

 can when you smile and are kind; and oh, I 

 sninetimes iear I shall be put off so far, I never 

 can get back again." 



"Oh Lizzie, don't say that," said the raothdr, 

 unable longer to repress the tears that had been 

 .struggling in her eyes. The child wondered 

 what could so affect its parent, but instinctively 

 feeling it was a case requiring sympathy, she 

 reached up, and laid her little arms about her 

 mother's neck and whispered: 



"Mamma dear, do 1 make you cry? Do yoU 

 love me?" 



"Ohj yes, I love you more than I can tell," 

 replied the parent, clasping the child to her bo- 

 som. "And I will try never to scold again be- 

 fore my little sensitive girl." 



"Oh, I am so glad. I can get so near to you 

 when you don't scold; and do you know, moth- 

 er, I want to love you so much." 



This was an effectual lesson, and the mother 

 felt the force of that passage of Scripture, "Out 



of the mouths of b^bes have I ordained strength." 



She never scolded again. 



<•* 



A Good Banb:. 



The subject of Banks is at present the most 

 exciting topic of the day. Their utility, as they 

 are often managed, has loHg been questioned by 

 some, and during the sitting of the legislatures 

 of the several States, the present winter, it is 

 probable that the subject will command general 

 interest. But, however the question may be 

 determined, there is one bank where deposits 

 may always be considered safe. Its vault is 

 Mother Earth — secure and always yielding good 

 dividends: the exchanges, the planting of the 

 field and the garden, always natural and there- 

 fore equal in value, The drafts should be 

 happitiess, sobriety and noble independence; the 

 assets would be beautiful fields waving with 

 golden harvests, to gladden the hearts of the 

 people; the liabilities would be unavoidable yet 

 agreeable indebtedness alone to the Giv-r of all 

 good, while the dividends would be healih.pros- . 

 perity and wealth. 



This, the Farmer's Bank, is one that will be 

 found worth sustaining, one that may have a 

 million of branches and still the business will 

 never be over done, and there will be no sus- 

 pension of payments. 



*t 



The Wheat Midge. 



This insect destroys much of tlie growing 

 wheat in New York and other States. It 

 had been supposed that the insect originated 

 iu this country, Such was the opinion of 

 the French Entomologists, until a recent 

 close investigation has shown that the 

 American and Eufopean are one and the 

 same insect. Dr. Fitch, Entomologist of 

 the New York State Agricultural Societyi 

 in a recent publication, says: 



"As this insect continued to be so de- 

 structive to the wheat crop in this country, 

 year after year, the question presented it- 

 self forcibly to my mind, why is it that this 

 little creature is so vastly more injurious 

 here than it is in Europe — why does it not 

 multiply there and destroy wheat crops the 

 same that it does ours? and 1 was able to 

 give but one solution to this query. From 

 all the foreign accounts, it appears that 

 whenever ihe midge becomes so numerous 

 as to be perceptibly injurious, instead of 

 continuing its ravages, it suddenly and totally 

 disappears, and in place of it the fields next 

 year swarm with the little parasitic bees 



