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THE ILLINOIS FABMEB* 



61 



i$he mam advantage I consider is, to in- 

 troduce them to the notice of the p6ople 

 — to induce them to examine their ope- 

 rations — which will ultimately be fol- 

 lowed by their purchase and dissemina- 

 tion among farmers. These trials also 

 enable the committee to form opinions of 

 the value of machines, which cannot have 

 a proper basis when opinions have to be 

 made up on an examination of the ma- 

 chines alone, on the Fair Grounds. 



The same rule, in my opinion, should 

 be applied to drills. Agricultural ma- 

 chinery brought merely for exhibition, 

 without being put upon trial, is generally 

 made with great care and taste, and does 

 not truly represent the articles of which 

 that exhibited purports to be a specimen. 

 It is natural this should be so ; and I do 

 not complain of it. But I think the in- 

 terests of the public would be better sub- 

 served if the articles exhibited should 

 have been used one season, and then, in 

 addition, should be put into operation in 

 the presence of the judging committee. 

 I beg to offer these hints to the executive 

 committee of the State Agricultural So- 

 ciety, and hope it will not be considered 

 obtrusive if I suggest, that, as the State 

 Fair is held earfy in September, about 

 the proper seeding time, that a field be 

 obtained near the Fair Grounds at Cen- 

 tralia, where the Drills may be effectually 

 tried in the only way it can be effectually 

 done, in putting in wheat in the presence 

 of the cornmittee. If need be, they can 

 del-'er their decision until the wheat has 

 come up. S. H. 



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Editor of the Farmer: — It was a great 

 misfortune to some of our farmers — my- 

 self among the number — that we could 

 not get our wheat thrashed in time for 

 sale at from 90 to 95 cents after the last 

 harvest. I lost enough by depending on 

 Others to thresh my wheat, to have more 

 than paid for a two horse thresher. I 

 am determined, if I can raise the mon- 

 ey, to have a thresher of my own the 

 coming wheat season. I felt perfectly 

 satisfied, that with no foreign demand, 

 whoat must fall very low after last har- 

 vest, but all I could do my wheat remain- 

 ed in the stack. Mu:;h of it has since 

 wasted, and now whcit is only worth 

 about fifty cents, with a prospect that 

 within four months, we shall have a new 

 crop heavier than ever was raised in the 

 Central part of Illinois. 



Althougli I ata not looking for a de- 

 mand for our wheat in Europe, to feed 

 those who make our clothing and other 

 necessary articles, I think that the in- 

 crease of money in the East, will have a 

 tendency to raise the price of wheat. A 

 good article, I think, will bo worth here 

 after harvest, at from 70 to 80 cents a 

 bushel. If our wheat, therefore, is 

 promptly put into market at these prices, 

 there will be money enough brought 

 here to pay our debts to the merchants, 



and make thein think that we are not 

 ^uchbadmenassomesuppose, after all our 

 failure to pay their bills when due. 



What I want to say is that our breth- 

 ren should make arrangements to rush 

 their wheat to market, if the price is a 

 living one, as soon as possible after har- 

 vest. Get threshers, all who can, and let 

 us do up our work promptly. This pol- 

 icy will pay. Sugar Creek. 



■ Hungarian Grass. | 



Mr. JEditor: — How long will it do to 

 defer sowing Hungarian Grass seed the 

 present season; and how much seed is 

 required for an acre ? Q. 



[If the season is good, you can sow 

 as late as the middle of June. One 

 bushel of seed is said to be sufficient for 



three acres.] 



— -t «*, 



Early Corn for Stock. 



EdUor Farmer .—I like the idea of planting an early kind 

 of corn for feeding out to hogs in the Fall. Usually our 

 common corn does not come in here early enough. A fiiend 

 of mine once tried the eight rowed New England yellow flint 

 com. It ripened early, and he found that it was rich in fat- 

 tening qualities. He planted it two or three years, without 

 proper care to prevent its mixing with others, and it soon 

 lost its value. This yeUow flint com should be planted a 

 distance from other corn. It will produce as much to the 

 acre as our large corn — so that there can be no less in culti- 

 vating it. I hopa some of our farmers will give it a fair trial 

 the coming season, and publish the resLlts in the Fall. 



J. R. 



%\it (Bu\mL 



The aeason is «t hand for setting out 

 orchards. We hope our friends will be 

 prepared to do this extensively. Our 

 orchards can scarcely be increased with 

 our population. They pay well, both in 

 the promotion of health, and as money 

 investments. 



But a man who is going to plant out 

 an orchard cannot afford to slight the 

 matter in any particular. His land should 

 be suitable ; the soil rich, and naturally 

 dry and warm, and be well drained.— 

 The trees should be healthy, not over 

 three years old, of good shape, stocky 

 and should be planted out well. Mulch- 

 ing them — that is putting coarse manure 

 or straw about the tree, extending out on 

 each side — will pay well. This orchard 

 should be where cattle and horses cannot 

 get to it. It is perfect folly to set out 

 trees where they can be destroyed by 

 stock. Now cultivate about your trees. 

 About half a dozen rows of potatoes or 

 beans, to include a row of trees, is about 

 as good a plan as any. When you plow 

 these beans or potatoes, do not let your 

 horse, or plow, or whiffletree, run against 

 these trees on your peril. Careless men 

 often destroy a valuable tree in this way, 

 to save a hill of corn, or potatoes. 



When your tree is high enough to form 

 a head, top it — that is, take off the lead- 



ing sprout. This is done io induce the 

 tree to form a low head.' Sucli trees are 

 best for our prairies. They stand the 

 winds better — not so often brokgn down, 

 and if low headed trees ar« iproperly 

 trimmed, they will produce'heavy crops, 

 and are better within the reach of the 

 gatherers of the fruit. 



Our people are too apt to neglect the 

 planting of trees "till the next year." 

 Many farmers, with extensive farms, have 

 no orchards because they ha||^ut the 

 planting off "till next yeai*7* "Next 

 year" usually fiud.« the farmer as badly 

 prepared to set out an orchard, as this 

 year. The truth is, there is little ad- 

 vantflge, under any circumstances. In 

 delay. "iVo^- is the accepted time*' to 

 plant out your orchard. Go about it, 

 and you will not be likely to experience 

 any regrets. 



Trees for an Apple Orchard. 



Mr. Editor: — I intend to fet out an apple orchaid tiiis 

 spiing. My grooud has been broken for thrt-e years It i«» 

 rolling piece, soil lighter than the Uvtl laud, and I am ttire 

 thst it. issodry that the roots wiU not .st«nd in water. 



Kow, 1 do uot want a gr< at orchard;— but should liko to 

 have ono larce enough to furuislt my fwnily with applet*, 

 make my own cider, and have tome apples and cider tor my 

 friends 



I have been examining lists of apples' saidto « lit this coun- 

 try. Generally no two persons wlio make ont these litt-s 

 agrtje in regard to the best f'uit.and oneoftlri-mrecomiucnds 

 lUwle's Janet, or the Janetting. tor a FALtapple. 



Can't you lielp mo a little iu this mutter? .-ay I want fifty 



ireeg— 5 of llieui early Miijmer tipples— 5 of tbi m eiuiy fall— 



10 late fall — ir> early uinter- and. 15 l«te ■ninter. Now, I 



want to know what apples you would like, and where 1 rouW 



get the tree*.? Voumay appead-tbe ansivertothiicommnui- 



catJon, sryou may send it to ine by ktur.anrt much oblige, 



Yours, Ac, <^ • W 



[Our correspondent has put upon us a very hacd duty, but 

 we wm endeavor to answer him; suiting our ttcn taste gener- 

 ally. First five sV ould be, 2 Enrly llarve-st, 1 Sweet Bough, 

 2 Golden Sweet; 2d five, i Williams Favorit*', 2 Summer RoBi-, 

 1 Splc« Sweet; first ten early fal!, 6 Maiden's Blush, 2 Porter, 

 S lUmlw; 2d tea, late fall, 3 Fall I'ippiD, 3 Beauty of Ke»t, * 

 Gravsteiu, 2 Jersey Sweet; late fall, 3 ColvtBt, SMaioland 

 Queen, 2 Pound Sweet, 1 ?uow >pple; eat ly winter, 6 Rox- 

 bnry Raseett, 3 Minister, 5 Uabuard^it n'a >ouetUcli, 2 Van- 

 devcr ; late wintBr, 5 JanelB^at »fe«town Pipriu, 5 Esopns 

 Shit£saberg.] 



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Winter Apples. 



3fr. Editvr: — Can any one of y> ur readers tell me whether 

 the Nortkeru Spy, the liaMwin, and the Minister Hjjplis, loar 



.1.. 1.;«U .^A. ....■>•:. «« t.A.-.. (lint ttkuv'#i.iin rlif* l'tK«:lt.k'ii SfAt..^^ 



with many. 



What are the thT<?e best < nrly npnj^ the tlirco heat fall 

 appieB, aud thejJITee best winter xpi^es iHKing into ccD»id- 

 ejration the h trftitsii undpruductJ^qeees of ibe trce«, in Cen- 

 tral Illinois^jF 



Will aot^Bfc c«e of vour readers cfftr his opjiijcn? W. 



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■ '^ Fruit Trees. ■•?• 



Editor 'of the Farmer:— Vcv the two 

 last springs I have planted out many 

 apple trce^:, and but few of tliem have 

 done ■well. When I planted out the 

 trees, I examined them, and did not no- 

 tice but what they promised fair; the 

 buds looked full f the b.iik looked well, 

 and thft-roots were j-ufficiont. S»>me of 

 them leaved out, and ethers d'd not, and 

 in July, in both years, my trees were 

 dying and dead. I believe tlmy \vere 

 planted out well. I took especial pains 

 to examine some that survived, cut off 



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