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168 



THE iLr.i]srois fa.i^m:er. 



Wxt ^Wimb ^mwtx. 



SPRINGFIELD, NOVEMBER 1. 1868. 



Slate Agricultural Society. 



Circular to the Officers, and especially to 

 the Secretaries of the County Agri- 

 cultural Societies of Illinois. 



Office Cor. Sec. III. State Ag. Siciett, 

 Sprinjjfield.Oct. 23. 1858. 



Sir : — The matter required for the 

 3d volume of Transactions of the Illi- 

 nois State Agricultural Society, is now 

 being collected ; and, as an important 

 part of these Transactions should be the 

 reports of the proceedings of the County 

 Agricultural Societies for the years 

 1857 and 1858, the undersigned most 

 urgently asks the officers of those Soci- 

 eties such reports for the two years 

 named. 



The reports should embrace the names 

 of the officers for the two years, a brief 

 history of the fairs, the pecuniary con- 

 dition of the societies, their progress, 

 and such county statistics as it is con- 

 venient to furnish. 



It will be a subject of deep regret if 

 the officers of the County Societies fail 

 to make the returns. It is desired to 

 make honorable mention in the Trans- 

 actions of every Agricultural Society in 

 the State. How can this be done un- 

 less the proper reports are returned to 

 this office ? Respectfully, 



S. FRANCIS, 



Cor. Sec. III. State Ag. Society. 

 P. S. Returns have been received 

 from twenty-seven Agricultural Socie- 

 ties for 1857, and from three for 1858. 



-«» 



Jg^S^The potatoe crop the present 

 season is a poor one. Our farmers have 

 too few to have them rot in the ground 

 or in the heap. . They ought to be 

 gathered at once. If you have not a 

 cellar to put them into, put them in 

 heaps and cover them so well that the 

 frost can't reach them. There is no 

 particular pleasure in opening your holes 

 in the spring and finding your potatoes 

 all spoiled — or in recollecting that you 

 allowed them to rot in the ground be- 

 cause you did not commence digging in 

 time. 



few pumpkins or squashes put 

 away where the air is dry, cool and free 

 from frost, will keep a great while, and 

 furnish grateful food until near March. 



TLc Sangamon County Fair. 



This fair was held on the 5th, 6th, 

 7th and 8th of October. The first day 

 was unpleasant and there was but a slim 

 attendance. A threatened storm on the 

 morning of the second day kept many of 

 our country friends away. The third 

 and fourth days there were large num- 

 bers of people present. The entries 

 were abont equal with those of last year. 

 Probably in every class, save that of 

 fruit, the stock and articles were more 

 choice and select than at the last fair. 

 Some of the best stock, and "ffliich took 

 the highest premiums at the State Fair, 

 were seen on the ring. 



The weather was fine for the two last 

 days, and the grounds Avere beautiful. 

 The receipts at the fair were over 1800 

 dollars, and the premiums paid out 

 amounted to near 1200 dollars. The 

 reduction of entry fees to one-tenth of 

 the amount of premiums ofiercd, and the 

 entry without cost of all articles in the 

 ladies' department, reduced the amount 



of receipts. The policy, however, has 

 strong advocates, and it is proposed to 

 abolish the entry fees entirely hereafter. 

 It is believed that such a measure will 

 greatly increase the number of entries 

 from all parts of the country, and have 

 the effect of largely adding to the atten- 

 dance at the fair. 



The Plow Trial. 



There was some dissatisfaction at Cen- 

 tralia, we are told, because the plows 

 present could not all have a thorough 

 trial. Though there are no premiums 

 oifered for the trial at Decatur, yet 

 awarding committees can be selected, 

 and their decisions can be given. There 

 are now quite a number of gang plows 

 in the country, and the farming commu- 

 nity would be glad to see them in opera- 

 tion. If the claims made for thera are 

 just, they would go into general use. 

 Mr. Derre, of Moline, has been lately 

 ^manufacturing a gang plow for breaking 

 prairie, which is said to turn over twen- 

 ty-four inches with two plows and which 

 can easily be drawn by two yoke of 

 oxen. It is said that two horses have 

 worked with it. The dynamometer 

 shows that the draft is over 700 lbs. — a 

 heavy draft for two horses. 



If the weather should be good, there 



will be a very interesting exhibition at 

 Decatur. 



The Central Railroad Company will 

 sell half fare tickets to the plow trial. 



Fruit and Ornamental Tre(s, &e. 



Home, 21st Oct. 



3fr. S. Francis: Dear Sir: Are you 

 still agent for Messrs. Lewis Ellsworth 

 & Co's. Nurseries, and can you furnish 

 trees this fall, and would you recommend 

 the planting them out in the fall ? 



Yours, . 



Yes, we are still agents of L. Ells- 

 worth & Co., and can furnish you with 

 trees from his or almost any nursery 

 you can name in Illinois — as also shrub- 

 bery, including raspberries, gooseber- 

 ries, and the like — and roots, including 

 rhubarb, asparagras, broad leaf sorrel, 

 &c., &c. — flowering plants, such as 

 phlox, larkspurs, &c., &c., and tulips, 

 narcissus, &;c., and would say to you that 

 you can set out trees, shrubbery and ve- 

 getable roots this fall in good ground, 

 properly prepared, as well and with as 

 good success as in spring ; and would be 

 glad to receive your orders. 



To Preserve Tender Roses througu 

 Winter. — Tlie China and Bourbon ro- 

 ses are a most interrcsting class of 

 plants for the garden ; but few of them 

 will live through the winter without pro- 

 tection. A writer in the Homestead re- 

 commends, that such roses after they 

 have matured their seed in the fall, and 

 as late as it can safely be done, be cut 

 around with a sharp spade, taken up 

 and potted without breaking the ball, 

 pressing the earth down firmly at the 

 sides of the pots. They may be placed 

 in a cool, dark cellar, need a thorough 

 watering when lifted, and again three 

 or four times during the winter, often 

 enough to prevent the shoots from 

 withering, but not enough to make them 

 grow. An occasional sprinkling will 

 also be beneficial. They can be re- 

 planted in the spring, after danger of 

 frosts has passed, and after the ground 

 which is to receive them has been 

 thoroughly manured and prepared. 



-—*- 



GiiArE Culture. — Dr. Grant has a 

 very successful vineyard at lona, an 

 island on the Hudson, opposite Peeks- 

 kill. His vines are all vigorous and 

 healthy. This he attributes to a deep 

 and thorough culture on a porous soil ; 

 making the soil rich with the sediment 

 left by the river after a flood. No man 

 should visit lona who does not wish to 

 take the grape and pear fever. 



