/.- 



202 



THE ILLINOIS FA-RMEIl. 



subsequent grafting and othor matters, { 

 The discussion was continued until the 

 adjourument. 



In the evening, Hon. M. L. Dunlap 

 delivered an address on the cultivation 

 of orchards in prairies, replete with im- 

 portant facts. It seemed to be admitted 

 that orchard cnlture would not be suc- 

 cessful without adopting a system of pro- 

 tecting orchards from the vicessitudes of 

 the season, by growing protective skirts 

 of timber on the South and North. The 

 address of Mr. Dunlap was listened to 

 with deep interest. After the address 

 there was a discussion of the merits of 

 evergreen trees as a protection, their 

 mode of culture, and facts were elicited 

 which proved that evergreen trees were 

 of rapid growth; that plants could be ob- 

 tained with reasonable cheapness, and, if 

 planted out with proper, care were as 

 certain to live as deciduous trees. 



The Society met on Thursday morning 

 at the usual hour. On invitation of 

 President Hovey, of the State Normal 

 School, the Society in a body visited that 

 institution. The manner in which that 

 school was conducted secured their en- 

 tire approbation. Prof. Turner deliver- 

 ed a short address, which was well recei- 

 ved. The Society returned to the Hall 

 and disoussions on various subjects, as 

 connected with fruits, were continued. 



In the afternoon resolutions were pass- 

 ed, calling for statistics in regard to the 

 number and value of nurseries in the 

 State; directing the President and Secre- 

 tary to memorialize the Legislature for 

 laws to protect orchards and nurseries 

 from injury and theft; for the appoint- 

 ment of a committee to prepare a report 

 on the subject of growing evergreens for 

 the protection of farms, dwellings, &c.; 

 the mode of culture and an estimate of 

 the cost of the same; and also a commit- 

 tee to arrange and publish a list with 

 prices of such hardy, ornamental shrub- 

 bery as would be desirable to ornament 

 the grounds of our "rural homes.'' 



The subject of small fruits occupied 

 the attention of the Society until night. 

 We could not help but note that the lied 

 Currant, with proper culture, was regar- 

 ded as the best of all the currants. The 

 Deleware was considered a grape of greut 

 value, but there were no varieties that 

 could take the place of the Catawba and 



Isabella. 



In the evening Prof. Torner delivered 



a lecture on the "Philosophy of Plowing 

 and Draining.'' It is not necessary to 

 speak of it further than to say that it 

 was a production worthy of the man and 

 of the time. 



The Society closed its labors on Fri- 

 day noon. Kesolutions were adopted 

 expressing the high sense of the Con- 

 vention in regard to the liberality of the 

 citizens of Bloomington, in furnishing 

 homes to themerabsrs of the Convention, 

 while sojourning in their city, and direct- 

 ing the Secretaries of the Society to pro- 

 pose and publish an official report of 

 their proceedings at as early a day as 

 possible. We shall look for the publish- 

 ed proceedings, with g. eat interest. We 

 are sure that the vast amount of practical 

 information on Horticultural subjects 

 embraced in the addresses and elicited 

 in the discussions, will be read and ap- 

 preciated by the Farmers of Illinois. 

 .». 



A Chance for Enterprise. 

 Mr. J. W. Griffith, residing near Me- 

 chanicsburgh, in this county, authorizes 

 us to state, that he will grow two hun- 

 dred acres of sugar cane, on good ground, 

 and which shall be well cultivated, on 

 his farm, to any responsible man who 

 will engage to take the same, and Work 

 it up, at nine dollars an acre. He has 

 a situation for a sugar mill, where plenty 

 of water and fuel can be had, and which 



will be furnished without expense. 



_ — _ .*. . 



The Illinois Cane Crop. 



We are constantly receiving notices of the 

 success of persons who have experimented 

 with the Chinese Sugar Cane; and we hear 

 from many that they intend to go into its 

 cultivation the coming year on a large scale. 

 Our advice is, first to see whether you can 

 get the apparatus to work it up. You should 

 not neglect to do this until your crop is ripe 

 and you liave no time to make preparations. 

 The apparatus necassary for working up five 

 or six seres of cane, will cost SlOO, and will 

 last several years. 



4«» 



Mr. Editor : — Have you experience in 

 planting out hedges in the fall. 



[We have not; but we know it has been 

 done. We have no doubt the Osage Orange 

 plants can be put out in the fall with suc- 

 cess.] 



«• 



The Best Pear.— At "the Crystal 

 Palace," in England, the premium for 

 the best pear was awarded to the White 

 Dojjennc. This is also a very superior 

 pear n this country. 



Steam PoAVcr. 

 Steam appears to be one of the opics 

 of study just now, to the polltlca-^econo'- 

 mlstst Perhaps the most important use 

 to which we could suggest its applica- 

 tion, would be that of trenching by 

 means of plows, spades fr other means 

 to the depth of 18 inches or two feet — 

 to the clay; and sinling drains as much 

 deeper (pcrforiipiig labor could not so 

 readily be acromplislied by muscular 

 power,) if \\\s> could be readily and 

 cheaply dt^nc, it would double the 

 value of our entire prairies, would 

 make tlie raising of nearly all the best 

 fruits not only possible, but make ours 

 equal to almost any other country in 

 j)omologIeal richness. Apples, grapes, 

 dears, berries, peaches, <tc., would be 

 almost perfectly suited, and iine fruits 

 be the pleasure of all. Our crops of 

 corn and wheat, grass and other crops 

 would easily be doubled and our acres 

 reduced and the pleasures and ease of 

 farm labor greatly increased. This 

 certainly is a consummation greatpy to 

 be desired. 



Samuel Jacob W^allace. 



IJ^^The Hancock Agricultural So- 

 ciety have now ten acres of iine ground, 

 tight fenced, (and ten more for use,) 

 M-ith a fine locust grove inside, fitted up 

 for fair grounds — at Carthage, where a 

 good fair was held the qast fall. 



-••»- 



Lectures on the Farm. 

 This is the season of the year when 

 distinguished men of the country, pass 

 from one city to another, and deliver 

 valuable lectures on dift'erent subjects, 

 the result of their studies and labors 

 during the summer. These lectures 

 contain a vast deal of useful knowledge, 

 and it Is Imparted in a way that makes 

 the strongest Impression on the mind. 

 It so haqqens, howx'ver, that few or 

 none of these lecturers are agricultural 

 men, and the great interest of the coun- 

 try seems not to be committed In the 

 selection of topics of discussion and ed- 

 ucation. A great and accep^table good 

 might result if practical f;irmers, ac- 

 C[ualntcd with more facts than theories, 

 — not mere talking men, fluent without 

 j)oint, wordy without knowledge', — 

 would prepare themselves for the \mv- 

 dose, and visit our counties and our 

 precincts, and lectures for the benefit of 

 our formers, in the winter months. 



I.. 



