12 



THE ILLINOIS E^RMEI^. 



The Corn Crop. 



The Cincinnati Gazette says that tJia corn 

 crop of the last season in Ohio, Indiana and 

 TUinois, was greatly injured by frosts. It is 

 certainly so in this section of Illinois. The sea- 

 son was late when corn was planted, and al- 

 though frosts did not appear until late in Octo- 

 ber, still they came before the corn was ripe. — 

 Corn meal, from the best corn, "Hade now, in 

 large masses, will be sure to spoil. The per- 

 fectly ripe corn the present season, will be very 

 nmall in quantity; and if the utmost care is not 

 taken in the selection uf seed, but little will be 

 found to bo good next spring. We desire to 

 impress upon our farmers the necessity of ob- 

 taining seed corn in time. We should not at 

 all be surprised if it should bo worth three dol- 

 lars a bushel next spring' 



<•• 



The Wheat Crop, 

 So far aa can be judgtd, looks well. The 

 •easou for putting in the seed was fine, mid 

 with its favorable continuance, there will be 

 an immense crop. A larger breadth of 

 ground has been sown with wheat than 

 usual. 



New Works on Fruit. 



Charlks Downing, brother of the ever la- 

 mented A. J. Downing, hasrevisodbis brother's 

 work on Fruits. We have no doubt he well 

 improved that excellent work. 



Dr. John A. Warder, of Cincinnati, it will 

 be seen by the following circular, has also com- 

 menced a work on fruits. No man in the coun- 

 try is better able to do this well. Especially 

 will he make a work which will be authority in 

 the west: 



At the urgent solicitation of many of the Po- 

 MOLOGiSTS of our country, I have been induced 

 to commence the preparation of a work upon 

 the subject of Fruits. 



Your aid is respectfully solicited, in notes, 

 outlines, and descriptions. Collections of Fruits 

 labeled or numbered, will be thankfully receiv- 

 ed and acknowledged if sent to your friend. 



John A. Warder, 

 President Cincinnati Horticultural Society. 



The Executive Committee of the Illinois 

 State Agricultural Society, will meet in this 

 city, on the Gth of the present month. 



i^. The Convention of Sugar Growers will 

 also meet here on the day follewing. 



The procoedings of these bodies, will be giv- 

 en in the February No. of the Farmer. 



-*—■ 



How TO Examine Wem-s. — The following 

 mode of examining a well, to ascertain whether 

 it contains any offensi ?e substances, has been 

 recommerded as efficient: 



Place a common mirror over the well in such 

 a position as to catch and throw the rays of the 

 sun to the bottom of the well, which will he im- 

 mediately illuminated in such a manner ihiit 

 the smallest pebblep, etc., at the bottom ciiu be 

 distinctly fliscerned as if in the hand. The sun 

 is in the best situation to be reflected in the 

 morning or afternoon of the day. 



The State of California has no banks of 

 issue. There the currency is all hard money. 



Vermillion County. 



History of' its Agricvltural Society. 



The Vermillion county Agricultural Society 

 was organized May 11th, 1852. The first An- 

 nual Fair was held at Danville, October 13th ; 

 there was l)ut little stock on exhibition, and but 

 few people in attendance. There were eighteen 

 entries of horses, six of jacLs and mules, iiftoeu 

 of cattle, and forty entries of miscellaneous ui'- 

 ticlcs. Total numberof entries 79. Total aniniint 

 of premiums paid, !?42 85. 



The Society mot May 2G, 1853, and olectc;! 

 officci's for the ensuing year. 



The executive committee mot June 25th, and 

 appointed judges tor the ensuing fair. 



There being no record k<;pt of the proceedings 

 of the society from the 2Gth (jf May, 1853, until 

 June 7th, 185G, it will be impossible for mo to 

 give an account of the receipts and expenditures, 

 or number of entries. 



The second Annual Fair was held at Danville, 

 October, 1853. There was perhaps doul)Ie tiie 

 amount of stock &o., on exhibition, that there 

 was at the tir.'^t Fair, and of a superior quality. 



The third Annual Fair was held at Catlin, 

 in October, 1854. There Avas quite an improve- 

 ment in quantity and quality of stock, etc. 



The fourth Annual Fair was held at Catlin, 

 0-;tobcr 15th and IGth, 1855. The quantity of 

 stock and miscellaneous articles on exhibition, 

 was much larger than at any previous Fair. — 

 Some very superior thorough bred horses and 

 cattle, and fine wooled sheep were on exhibition 

 at this Fair. 



According to a call of members of the Vermil- 

 lion county Agricultural society, a meeting was 

 hold in Danville on Saturday, Sept. 13th, 185G, 

 for the purpose of taking necessary steps to beci )nie 

 incorporated according to an "Act of the Legis- 

 lature." 



A constitution and l>y-la\vs werf^ adopted, and 

 the following officers elected : 



JouN Garrard, Prcs't, 



.JouN Ai.LEN, Vice Pres't, 



elACon II. Oakwood, Scc'y, 



JosiAH Sanuisky, Trcas., 



John Bisnv, 



A. M. C. Ha WES, 



Alex. C. Church, r Directors. 



Martin Motov, 



Tuos. McKiiutoN, 



Eight acres of ground were subsequently leased 

 at Catlin, for tin; tt'rni uf fifteen years ; and 

 inclosed with a sulistantial board fence, atacost 

 of eiglit hundred dollars. 



Tiie fifth Annual Fair was iield at Catlin, on 

 the 15th, IGth and 17th days of October, lS5f>. 



The number of horses on exhibiti'in, . 125 



.^attlo " 100 



" other entries" 125 



Total nuniber of entries, ■'-j.'JO 



Amount of preminnis paid •'?352 .50 

 Nunil)or of Di[)]i>mas awarded, 22. 



The annual meeting of the society was held 

 at Catlin, June Gth, 1857, and the fnUowing offi- 

 cers were clectc<l, viz.: 



John Garrard, Pres't, 



Tuos. McKiBB)X, Vice Pres't, 



Jacob H. Oakwood, Scc'y, 



John II. Church, Trea.s., 



Martin Moudy, ^ 



JosiAH Smitu, I 



Francis Gains, J- Directors. 



H. II. Catlett, I 



C. L. Pate, J 



C. B. Stockton, Marshal. 



The sixth annual fair was held on the Fair 

 grounds at Catlin, October 7th, 8th and 9th, 

 1857. This Fair w^as far superior to any ever 

 held in the county ; and perhaps was excelled 

 by but few in the State. The exhibition of thor- 

 ough bred hiji;se.^ Avas veiyfine; there being ten 

 stallions of this class entered ; and it was the 

 unanimous opinion uf those who had visited the 

 State Fair at Peoria, that they were equal to 

 those exhibiteil there. 



T!ie thorough bred cattle were also very fine, 

 and quite considerable in number, much inferior 

 in quality, however, to those exhibited at the 

 State Fair. 



The I'how of hogs and sheep Avas very fine; 

 also of wagons, carriages, buggies, plows, bar 

 rows, corn crushers, corn shellers, &c., &c., 

 &c. In fact, every department seemed to be 

 fully represented. 



Total receipts of this Fair, . . . $920 



Amount paid for premiums, . . 810 



Numlicr of horses entered, 185 



cattle " 90 



sheep " 17 



hogs " 13 



" otiier articles entered, 29G 



Total number uf entries, GOl 



The experience of the past has taught us that 

 three days are not sufficieiit time to transact all 

 the business of our Fairs as it should bo done; 

 anl Ave have determined to continue our Fairs 

 ai least four days. The society intends erecting 

 c );ivcaient buildings on the Fair ground, and 

 stalls, &c., for the accommodation of stock and 

 otiier property. Our society is now inahealthy 

 and prospcivais condition, and its recent Fair 

 ha.-5 Avon the applause of all, even of those aa'Iio 

 sneered at its feeble efforts in the beginning. 

 All seem determined to excel, and to make the 

 VermiUii)n county Fair, one of the best in the 

 State. 



SoRr.nuM. — There have been many cxpori- 

 nieuts tricil the present season Avith the "Chi- 

 nese Sugar Cane," all of which have been emi- 

 nently successful, and prove beyond a doubt 

 that this plant can lie grown as easily as Indian 

 corn ; an.', indee.l, it seems to bo of more luxu- 

 riant growth. Tlie syrup made from the sorg- 

 Imm is fuHy equal, if nut superior, to southern 

 cane syni|i, and yieMs about one hundred and 

 fU'ty gallons jicr a'Te, five gallons of juice Ijeing 

 sufficient to make one gallon of .syrup. 



Assessment or Vec.mili.ion Countv for 1857. 



Aggregate value of lands if4,G7G,7G5 



toAvn lots 293,566 



persomii prop.2,032,931 



III! 

 Horses, 

 xMulcs 

 Callle, 



.Siieep, 



Hogs, 



Total v::liu) of live .stock, $950,540 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



Jacoh II. Oakwood, Sec'y. 



