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THE ILLINOIS F^rnvrER. 



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your kitchen garden ground before winter, so 

 as to expose as much surface as possible to the 

 action of the frost. 



Never lose an opportunity of getting sods 

 from the corners of old pastures, or the breaking 

 up of commons or meadows, where they can be 

 spared. Placed in heaps, and rotted, they make 

 excellent mould for tender plants or trees; placed 

 in a pile and burned, they form the best fertil- 

 izer for roses and rare flowering plants. 



Send a man about your neighborhood to col- 

 lect all the bones that are thrown away as use- 

 less by persons ignorant of their value. Pat 

 them into a pot and pour sulphuric acid and 

 wator over them, and they< will turn to paste, 

 and finally to powder. This is the best possible 

 manure for pear-trees and grape-vines. 



To Have Eggs in Winter. 



The question is often asked, "Why cannot 

 hens be made to lay as well in winter as in 

 summer?" 'I^hey can. to a certain extent; but 

 they require as a condition, that they be well 

 prorided with warm and comfortable lodging, 

 clean apartments, plenty of food, pure water, 

 gravel, lime, fine sand, and ai>hes to roll and 

 bathe in. 



There seem naturally to be two seasons of the 

 year when hens lay; early in the spring, and 

 afterward in the summer; indicating that if 

 fowls were left to themselves, they would, like 

 wild birds, produce two broods in a year. 



Early spring-hatched birds, if kept in a warm 

 place and fed plentifully and attended to, will 

 generally commence laying about Christmas, 

 or even somewhat earlier. If cold and damp 

 this is not to be expected, and much may, in 

 different seaoons, depend on the state of the 

 weather and the condition of the bird. 



It is a well-known fact, that from November 

 to February (the very time when we want eggs 

 most) they are to many a bill of expense, with- 

 out any profit. To promote fecundity and 

 great laying in the hen, it is necessary that 

 they be well fed on grain, boiled potatoes given 

 to them warm, and occasionally animal food: — 

 In the summer they get their supply of animal 

 food in the form of worms and insects when 

 suffered to run at large, unless their number is 

 BO great as to consume beyond the supply in 

 their roving distance. I found it advantageous, 

 in the summer, to open the gates occasionally, 

 and give the fowls a run in the garden and ad- 

 joining their yard, for a few hours in the day, 

 when grasshoppers and other insects were plen- 

 ty. I had two objects in view; one to benefit 

 the fowls, and the other to destroy the insects. 

 It will be found that the fecundity of the hen 

 will be increased or diminished, according to 

 the supply of animal food furnished. 



Hens moult and cast their feathers once every 

 year, generally commencing in August and 

 continuing until late in November. It is the 

 approach, the duration, and the consequence 

 of this period, which puts a stop to their lay- 

 ing. It is a critical time for all birds. All the 

 f»eriod while it lasts, even to the time that the 

 ast feathers are replaced'by new ones, till these 

 are full grown, the wasting of the nutritive jui- 

 ces, prepared from the blood for the very pur- 

 pose of promoting this growth, is considerable; 

 and hence it is no wonder there should not re^ 

 main enough in the body of the hen to cause 

 her egg to grow. 



Old bens can not always be depended on for 

 eggs in winter, they scarcely being in full feath- 

 er before the last of Eecember; and then, prob- 

 ably, may not begin to lay till March or April, 

 producing not more than twenty or thirty egga, 

 and this is probably the cause of the disappoint- 

 ment of those who have supplied themselves at 

 the|market with their stock to commence with, 

 and get few or no egga. As pullets do not 



moult the first year, they commence laying be- 

 fore the older hens, and by attending to the 

 period of hatching, eggs may be produced dur- 

 ing the year. An early brood of chickens, 

 therefore, by being carefully sheltered from the 

 cold and wet, and fed once a day on boiled po- 

 tatoes, warm, with plenty of grain, and occa- 

 sionally a little animal food, will begin to lay 

 in the fall, or eaily in the winter,-— JBemenfa 

 Potdterei'^s Companion. 



®to ^jfkx^. 



Everything should be in readiness, to put 

 bees into their winter quarters at the com- 

 m^ncment of severe weather, but be sure that 

 they have had the benefit of all the pleasant 

 days of Autum likely to occur, before removal 

 from their summer stand. Where there are 

 fifty or more, it is economy to winter in the 

 house. The combined warmth generated by a 

 large number of stocks in one room, makes the 

 temperature at all times quite mild, and expe^ 

 rience proves that the consumption of honey is 

 much less, th^n when wintered In the cold. — 

 Unless the room is very small and warm, inde- 

 pendent of the bees, less than fifty stocks might 

 be too cold. In all cases, let the room be per- 

 fectly dark — the holes in the top of the hive 

 opened — and if not nervous at seeing things 

 stand on their heads, it would be best to turn 

 the hive bottom upon some little blocks an inch 

 square — this will let the air circulate through 

 the hive, a id carry off tke moisture which is 

 often the cause of mouldy combs. 



To winter bees in the open air, the situation 

 should be a warm one, out of the prevailing 

 cold wind as much as possible. Let the sun 

 strike the hive part of the day at least. Not- 

 withstanding the apparent loss of some bees on 

 the snow, there is much l«a8 hazard in getting 

 a stock through the winter, than when contin 

 ually shaded. It is very important that they 

 be properly ventilated, and protected from the 

 mice. 



For ventilation, raise the hives containing 

 the strongest families one fourth of an inch 

 from the floor. If there are any holes in the 

 side, or other place, large enough to admit mice, 

 nail over some strips of wire cloth to keep them 

 out, but leave just room for the bees to pass. — 

 Open the holes in the top of the hive, and let 

 the moisture pass up into the chamber or cap. 



Any empty boxes that have been on the hives, 

 and those partially full, that are intended to be 

 used another year, should be packed away in 

 some dry place, and at the same time freeze 

 thoroughly, to destroy all eggs cf the moth that 

 may be about them. — M. Quinbi/. 



COMMEECIAL. 



Sprlugfieia Market. 



OFHCB op THB ILUNOIS fAKlfEB, > 



December 24, 1867. \ 



FLOUR — Extra white, $5 50; common $5 00. 

 WHEAT— New fall 75c; good red65@70c; Canada club 

 n\>ring, &0@60c; yery little coming in. 

 BYE— 50c per bnshel. 



CORN— Sales of new 20@25c; white shelled for bread 30c. 

 OATS— Sales at 20@22 cts. bn. 

 BARLEY--60@60c. 

 HIDK8— Dry flint 6@7 in ft. 

 BRAN— 6ctB.^bu. 

 SHORTS— fine, 75c ^ cwt. 

 CHICKENS— Dressed 12i^@15; $1 76@1 50 « doz. 



TURKEYS— 7 ®8c ^ ft. 



ONIONS— 1 20 ^ bu. 



POTATOES— 36®50c fi bu.; sweet do $1 60. 



APPLES— Dry $1 40@$1 50; green 60c@75. 



BUTTBR— 18@25 ctfi.^ft. 



CHEESE— 11@16 cts. ^ a. 



EGGS— 12@20 ctB.^ doz. 



HAY— $6@10^ton. 



CORN MEAL— 50c.',^ bu. 



HAMS— Smoked 10@ll%c^ ft. 



MOLASSES— 60®75c ^ gal.; sugar house 80. 



GOLDEN SYRUP— 76c@$l 00 



SUGAR— «rown,10@12c % lb. 



TALLOW-8@9c'^ lb. 



BACON SHOULDERS— 10c. 



SIDE MEAT— 7@10c « lb. 



LARD— 8@10c declining. 



BEANS— 75®21 25 per bush. 



COFFBB-Bio,14@16}^o "^ ft; Java 18@20c. 



BICE— 8@10c 



CLOVER SEED— f8@10Berbn; Timothy, 1 75@2 00. 



CANDLES— TaUow 15@16; Star 25@30c per ft; sperm 60c 



PEACHES— Dry, $3 50. 



SALT— O. A. $2 26^ bar. barrel $3. ; • "^ - 



WHITE FISH— |6U ^ half bbL 



OOD FISH— f> lb 44c. V : '•;■ 



MACKEREL — No. 1, ^bbl$18. . . 



BROOMS— fi dozen $1 50@$2. 



BUCKETS— ^ dozen 42 50. 



.: ■ 



conrTEnrrs, 



Good Sense 



10 



The Osage Orange Hedge .,_ in 



Great Yield of Com „„ „„."""* **'" 11 



Filt<!en Varieties of Apples "'..17.7.! * ** H 



Great Crops and the Mode of Cultivation!.**.' " U 



The Sugar Prospect „... ' n 



Potatoes Lost ; ""\ ' ji 



Early Nonsemond faweet, Potatoes....!!!!!".!'.'^!!!!!"!""' H 



The Com Crop ' •"—•"—••••••••— 



The Wheat Crop .'.'.'."'.""*.'!! 12 



New Works on Fruit .'.".".7'.*.!!'.".'.'.".!'.' 12 



Meeting of Agrienltnral Committee8!!7'7.!7 12 



How to examine Wells ' " "*" lo 



Vermillion County ..„ „ " 12 



A Bemonstranee., 



13 



Kew^rchards ! 13 



Ornamental Shrubbery ••••••..—......._..._ 



Downing's Seedling Gooseberries...',*.'.'!!!!!.'.^!"."*."'.'.'.'!.".'!"' 14 

 Raspberries 1 j 



Practical Hints to AmatenrB..!.;..'.'!.!.*:.'!!!!!!!!!:7!"77!!!!7 14 



To fcave Eggs in Winter xh 



The Apiary "* je 



Market* „....7..!! 15 



SpringAeia Seed, Store, 



FRANCIS & BARRELL, 



Journal Boildiug^, 



KEEP CONSTANTLY ON HAND FOR 

 sale, a great variety of Agricultural Implements, em- 

 bracing Mowers and Reapers, Drills of various kinds. Broad- 

 cast Sowers, Threshers of various kinds, Corn Shellers the 

 Star and Grouty Mills, flows of every kind, Cultivators' Po- 

 tatoe Diggers, Horse Hoes, Apple Parers, »ausage Cutters and 

 Stuffers, Knives for Straw Cutters, Pitch and Dune Forks 

 Shovels, Spades, Axes ic. ^ ' 



As it is for the interest of farmers to have within their 

 reach an establishment where they can purchase the above 

 articles, and others of the same general character, we respect- 

 fully ask them for a portion of Uieir patronage. Jan 1 lS« ■' 





Sti Iiouls Market— Dec. 30. 



To-day's market exhibited less animation, but withont any 

 important change in prices. Receipts foot up small, and 

 buyers for shipments are not in on a declining market. The 

 weather is mild, and the rivers all in good ordei, yet very 

 little is doing in commerce. Provisions are in limited de- 

 mand to fill orders Hogs plenty and without change in 

 rates. 



Floor— Sale of 1,000 bbis city superfine, private terms; 60 

 bbls country superfine 3 75; 47 do fancy 4 26; 49 do extra 

 5 00; 166 sks superfine 2 00 per sack. 



Wheat — Good fall is firm. Sales comprise 1,186 bags liiir 

 and prime spring at 65@70c; 82 bags geod red and white fall 

 at95@97J^; 96 bags choice Zimmerman, and 210 bags choice 

 white Kentucky at 1 05. 



Com — Sales comprise 649 bags mixed yellow and white in 

 lots at 33@35c in bags. 



Oats — Sales include 1,063 bags on private terms; 2,400 baga 

 at 40®41c, delivered, and a lot Inferior at 39c, including 

 bags. 



Rye — 31 bags sold at 57J^c in new seamless baga. 



Pork — Sales of mess on orders at 13 60 per bbl. . .^= . 



Lard — A small lot choice 8%c. Prime 8c. 



Whisky— Merket duU. Sales 100 bblt at 16c, and 22 bbls 

 at 16>^c. 



Bran — Sales 100 bags at 60c, in bags. 



Fruit — Sales 17 bags apples at 1 45, and 15 bags do at 1 25 



per bu. 



Hay —Extremely dull and nothing transpired. « . ',. 

 Hides — Unchanged. 



Beans — 6 bags white sold at 1 40, and 60 bags at 1 26, 

 packages paid for. 



Sugar— Bales of 40 hhds various qualities, averaging 7Vic 

 porft. -1.0^0 



The Practical Farmer, Uniting Together Labor and 



Learning.. „ .' j 



The Best Mode of Raising and Managing Cattie on the 



Prairies of Illinois 2 



A Change in the Government of India...7!!7.!!!7!!77 3 



On the Culture of the Vine in Illinois „..!!!! 4 



Disadvantages and Temptations of Agrici Itnral Life.7 6 



Farmers' Clubs ° .„ 6 



Agriculture and Science....- !!!!!7!7!7!7!7!7!7!!!!7 6 



Imphee -.™. ....... .!!!!'""" 6 



Error in the Treatment of Horses 7!.7!.*!!7** *" 6 



A Good Bank „ a 



The Wheat Midge !.7*.!!!i:j7:*.:*.7!!7 « 



Baking Beets .,.„ „ 7 



Berkshire Hogs ~*!..!7*.'!V','.'.'!.!!'...!!!7! T 



A Good Cow.... __^ 7 



Larged-Tailed Fox-Squirrel.... .'.'.!!!!.'**.*.*.!!!!...,*!.'.!7*7* 7 



Northern Sugar Cant* !!!.!'.!!!!!!7 8 



Chinese Sugar Uane, its early history in"fiiinois!!!.7!77 " 8 



Sugar Cane Seed „ 9 



Seed Corn '...'.'.7..'.'.'.'!.'!!!.'!7!!!!!!"" 9 



Wire Fence !!!!!!1*!!!!7!! 9 



To My Brother Farmers !.!!!7!!!'~ 9 



Great Crop of Oats a 



Joyce Star Mill„ "" ^ 



The New Year „ „.. m 



What of the Times !!!:!:!!:!7!7!7';;;;: 10 



The Credit System ^ jq 



1 



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