48 



THE ILLIIS^OIS FA^I^MEK. 



The Farmer's Future. 

 sAn English correspondent of the New 

 York Tribune goes off in this way: 



"The Farmer's Future will be found 

 in the application of steam to the culti- 

 vation of the soil! We are rapidly com- 

 ing to the conclusion here that the good 

 old plow is a humbug. We begin to 

 think that spade husbandry applied by 

 steam is the right thing; indeed, there 

 are some among us of the opinion that 

 a machine may be invented which should, 

 in effect, plow, sow, harrow, and roll to- 

 gether — a machine, in fact, which should 

 make a seed bed, and sow the seed all at 

 one operation. There has already been 

 one steam engine exhibited in this coun- 

 try which will walk anywhere, and do 

 anything it is required to do. It has 

 feet about the size of yours, sir, and puts 

 them down upon the ground, one after 

 the other, very much after the fashion 

 of a dandy going up Broadway, only the 

 feet of the machine are fixed on wheels, 

 and revolve regularly, instead of moving 

 up and down awkardly, like his. This 

 machine will go through a plowed field 

 very comfortably, and rather quicker 

 than a good hunter will get over it; and 

 as it will drag a dozen plows after it, I 

 do not see, for my part, why it should 

 not be made to carry as part and parcel 

 of itself, a mechanism that will rcvidily 

 convert the untilled ground into a seed- 

 bed. Well, then, as to drainage. I saw 

 a machine the other day that would dig, 

 drain, and lay down sixteen and a half 

 feet of piping per minute, the pipes be- 

 ing rather more regularly and s.-itisfac- 

 torily laid than any skilled workman can 

 can lay them. The maehinc labored 

 under the disadvantage of })cii)<i' nnii- 

 brous, and of being made to be worked 

 by a stationary engine. But having 

 got thus far, it seonis to be only one 

 step further to give us steam application 

 to the soil, so as to enable twenty times 

 the quantity of land to be put under 

 cultivation by the game amount of la- 

 bor, and at no greater cost than now. — 

 Then we may hope for a prodiiee of 

 cheap corn, the great desideratniii in 

 this land of sweat and toil, where it de- 

 pends upon a shilling or two, more or 

 less, in the price of food, not only wheth- 

 er a m;in c;in rc:ip the advantages of 

 his labor, but ab.-^olutely, too oi'ten, 

 whether he can continue to exist. 



Yes, to the application of improved 

 machinery to the earth must we look 

 for an accession of home comforts, of 

 world-wide prosperity, of universal hap- 

 piness! To Thee! 6 bountiful God of 

 Nature, we offer our first thanks that 

 Thou hast given us the great seed bed 

 whereon we live and move, and wlience 

 we have our being. To Industry be 

 given our next tribute, and then let us 

 thank Art and Science that teach us 



how to make the best uses of the means 

 so bountifully placed at our disposal." 



-«•» 



LUXURIES OF A FRUIT GARDE3I. 



A friend of ours, in whoso rdiabihty we havo 

 implicit ooiitidonco, has a small plat of ground, 

 of which he tolls us the following facts: 



From a row of currant bushes, about 8 rods 

 long, lie and his neighbors gathered over two 

 bushels of currants this year. The currant sea- 

 son, from the first picking to the hvst, was from 

 June 1st to August 15tli, 2J months. 



From a row of gooseberry bushes, 2 rods long, 

 ho gathered aljout a bushel of gcxjsoberries. 



From a plat of strawberry vines, 4 rods long 

 and 1 rod wide, he gathered nearly 3 bushels of 

 strawljorries. The strawberry season lasted 

 about three weeks, ending about the middle of 

 July. 



Then his raspberries came on, and lasted about 

 throe weeks. Of these he had al)Out half a 

 bushel. Tliey stood next to the strawberries in 

 point of delicacy. 



lie has a nuin})or of cherry trees. Thev 

 yielded well this year. His family and friends 

 used a liushel fir so, and the children of the 

 neighborhood fed themselves upon them, without 

 stint, for two weeks. 



Soon after the rasplierriea wore gone, his 

 poaches began to ripen. One of the trees ripened 

 its fruit late, and it lias lasted till within a few 

 • lays past; of these he lias luid two or more 

 bushels. 



All nhm'x r-Ince the first of August, his apples 

 and pears have lioen ri|)ciiin!;, and have furnislied 

 an abundant supply for his family, f )r the cow 

 and pig. and si»me ti> sell or give away besides. 

 He will havo a largt; quiuitity of (!.xcc!lcnt winter 

 apples. He has ju,-tgathe;-"d fioui two or throe 

 grapevines, as many bu.shels of tine gra}ies. 

 borne of these his wife made into marmalade, 

 and some she has ]>roserveil in paper, fur u-e 

 hereafter. The best, — and greater jioition of 

 the whole — were eaten as a desert, or given to 

 children or friends, all of whom enjoyed them 

 much. 



'lliese an^ someof tiio enjoynients drawn from 

 a siicill jilal of ground during the season just 

 closing. They wer(> at small cost, but they 

 sweetened m;iiiy a meal, ministercl tt) health, 

 and :id(h'd t> tlie <• oiufort of many gin'sts. 



A\ !iy ni.iy noi nearly evfi-y nian have as large 

 a plat of giMoiid. and as many comforts? Sim- 

 jdy because he i.s negligent. — O/iiu Fanner. 



A Nkw A.Nnt'iioicr: ProuiNc. — Into a nappy 

 that will contain two (piarts, place ajtplc* pared 

 and cut coarsely uiiiil the dish is nearly i'ull; 

 .■priiikh! on this six spoonfuls of siig'i. [would not 

 the same amount of corn .starch answer?) then 

 pour into the dish as much h<.t water as will 

 <-over the apples and sago. J.ct it bake about 

 two hours. Jt' the u]i|(('r ]iif-es Ijecoine too 

 ill-own, push them down, and others will take 

 their places To be eaten in saucers, with 

 K'rcam or milk and sugar. 



So.vf WiTUoi T IJoii.iNi; — All that !sre(|nircd 

 tc niak soft scap without lioiling i.s to have 

 gi 'od ashcis and clean soap grease. Jn the 

 s| .ring leach your ashes and put your ley into a 

 ves.scl largi? oiKHigh to hoM the soapyou wish to 

 ii.ake for the vear; then adil the trrcase as it ac- 

 enmulates from time to time, no matter how 

 ir. uch you get in, for the ley will not taki; more 

 t'lan is necessary to make good soap, and it 

 kt'cpH the surplus free from mould and in 

 st'cts. "When tlie .suapis formed, it' you wish to 

 use it, skim off the <a-ease that remains on the 

 top, put it in anotherycsscl. add more ley, and 

 while you are usingUhe first barrel yoii will 

 have another making. This is my method, and 

 1 am never out of good soap. M. E. 



Fi.owKKs FOR Perfumery. — The Paris corres- 

 pondent of the Journal of Commerce furnishes 

 those facts concerning modern efforts to perfect 

 the science of perfumery. He says: The most 

 novel and remarkalde feature of the present 

 manufacture of perfumes is the establishment 

 of flower farms. Some of the fairest spots of 

 Europe and Asia are devoted to the cultivation 

 of flowers, of which the fragance is no longer 

 wasted on the desert air, but preserved for the 

 enjoyment of all who choose to purchase it. 

 Flowers have taken the place of ambergris, 

 musk, civet, ami the odoriferous gums, which 

 are now only u.sed to give stability to the more 

 evanescent scents. There are flower farms in 

 Europe and Asia ; and another is likely to Le 

 created in Australia for the cultivation of the 

 wattle, a plant of the acacia genus, and resem- 

 bling in odor very powerful violets. England 

 has Jier flower gardens at Mitcham, in Surry, 

 where lavender and po])porniint flourish unriv- 

 alled. Koses are also cultivated there, but only 

 for the purpose of making rose water. 



To IT.\RDEN- L.\Rn FOR Candles. — For 12 tt>?. 

 lard. 1 lb alum and 1 do. of saltpetre — dissolve 

 the alum and saltpetre in a little water— mix 

 the lard and water, or put them together over 

 a fire, and l>oil till the water is all boiled out. 

 It must 1)0 stirred while boiling to get the alum 

 and saltpetre well mixed with the lard. There 

 will be some sediment at the bottom. 



For tallow I should think one-third the above 

 wouM be a plenty to harden tlie .softest tallow; 

 but any one can tell by trying a little at first. 

 If that is not enough, add more. 



AN E.\.\MPLE OF PERSEVERAXCE. 



The following is a most remarkable and praisc- 

 worthy'instance of what perseverance and indus- 

 try rightly directed, are able to effect: 



Among the graduating class at the last com- 

 mencement at Williams Oollego, was one by the 

 name of Condit, from New Jersey. The gentle- 

 man is a shoemaker, married, and has a family 

 of four-children. Six years ago, becoming sen- 

 sible of the blessings of an education, he com- 

 menced learning the simjile l»ranchcs, such as 

 arc taught in our jiriniary schools. One by one 

 he masiered grammar, ariibinetic, geography, 

 ite,, with sonic i/ccasijial assistance from his 

 f'llow- workmen. At tiiis time he determined 

 to obtain a colle;;iate cbiciition. Without means, 

 and with a largo faiaily depending on him for 

 supjiort, he coiiniieiieel and leariud Latin and 

 (ireok, in the eveiiiiigs alter hi.s ilays work was 

 over, uiuh'r the dirocti'ii of a friend, and after 

 the lajise of a ye;ir and a half, prepared himself 

 aii<l «'iitcrcd the i^oplioniore chis,-; at W^illianis 

 College. 



He brought his loiieli imd his tixds, and his 

 books witli him; anl with t!i<' fund for indigent 

 .'-tudents, and s.ime occas'or.al assisrance from 

 other sources, he ^vas enabled to go through the 

 college course, and at the same time support 

 his family. He graduated on his birth day, 

 ag(>;l thiriytw). He stood high in hi.s clasps, 

 and rcci'i\ed a part at Comniencement, but 

 lie, lined. At the farewell nu-eling of the class, 

 ill eoiisideriitioii I f liis porsc.'veraiiec, talents, and 

 Christian character, they presented him with 



an tdegant set of silver s| ns, tea and table, 



( aidi handsomely engraved, with an appropriate 

 iiiscri[ition. 



Mr. Condit will now enter the Theological 

 Seminary at Xew York, and will, no doubt, 

 make a raitiiful and po|nihir minister. 



What young mail in this country will ever, 

 after such :iii example as this, dosjiair of obtain, 

 ing ail educaiion? — >};-j/ie//t7.Y Hcpiddican. 



SSr "Tho world," said Horace Walpole, "is 

 a comoily to those who think, anU a tragedy to 

 those who fool." 



