M ■- 



212 



THE ILLINOIS F^HMER. 



early than one day too late. This having to 

 get a mill and boilers after the cane is ready 

 for fforking, is the rock on which many su- 

 gar cane growers have wrecked their expec- 

 tations. 



"When the cane is ripe, it should be work- 

 ed rapidly. The mill should be in order — 

 the boiling apparatus in order — the tine dry 

 wood in order — barrels for receiving the 

 syrup and the oflal for vinegar should be 

 in order; and there should be sufficient sheds 

 to do your work under cover and to put the 

 cane under cover, if there should bo rain. — 

 You can't boil well, with rotten or green 

 wood; you want such wood as will make 

 (juick and hot tires. 



L have examined nun^orous accounts of 

 the making of syrup and in which different 

 modes have been treated of. After all the 

 best syrup lias been made in a very simple 

 manner. The syrup for which the lirst pre- 

 mium of the State Agricultural Society was 

 given, was a most beautiful article; about 

 the consistency and color of honey. I have 

 been permitted to copy the manner of ma- 

 king it. 



"The process of manufacturing the syrup 

 as per .sample sent by me, is to 30 gallons of 

 juice sti'ained in the boiler, add one tea cup 

 full of slaked lime, by thinning with water 

 to the thickness of cream, and then boil as 

 soon as possible and commence .skimming on 

 the first appearance of boiling, or the syrup 

 will not be so clear. The boiling was con- 

 tinued as fast as possible, with frequent 

 skimming until the thermometer rose to 224 

 degrees. The fire was then withdrawn and 

 the syrup taken up in stone jars to cool. — 

 The cane was well ripened." The best syrup 

 will be made of perfectly ripe cane, and if 

 several of the upper joints of the cane are 

 removed, the better. I have urged the 

 farmer who designs to make syrup to be pre- 

 pared for his work in time. If heavy 

 frosts come, his cane had better be under 

 cover. Cane will make good syrup after it 

 has been frozen, but not so much as before, 

 and the syrup is more likely to be acid. 



There is now no mystery in making good 

 syrup from cane, if you have good cane, 

 proper apparatus, good wood, and will listen 

 to the experience of others. 



PnoGRKSS. 



«» 



Hungarian Grass. 

 Jacksonville, Jan. 12, 1859. 

 Editor Illinois Farmer : 



1 have been waiting patiently all winter, 

 and examining the papers closely for the 

 purpose of hearing the experience of some 

 of my brother farmers in regard to their 

 Hnnyarian grass the past season. Having 

 failed to find anything in reference to it, I 

 will give you jxxy experience and notion 

 about it. 



I could hardly get hold of a paper, last 

 spring, that did not contain some glowing 

 account of the tremendous yield, per acre, 

 that some fariner, (always a great way off,) 

 had realized from the growth of this said 

 Hungarian grass. And thinking it was a 

 humbug, got up by those that had anything 

 but the good of our glorious State at heart, 

 I determined to give it a fair trial in order 

 to satisfy myself; and not wishing to bo 

 hurt very badly with it, 1 only bought one 



half bushel of seed. This I got of a gentle- 

 man that bought it of the producer; he as- 

 suring me that it was pure, and there could 

 not possibly be any seed of noxious weeds in 

 it. Also tliat it would do well to be sown 

 %it any time from the first of May to the mid- 

 dle of June, preferring to be too early than 

 too late. I prepared my ground, and sowed 

 the seed the second Monday in May. I lirst, 

 with a pair of strong heavy farm horses, at- 

 taclied to a steel clipjier plow, plowed the 

 ground close to the depth of nine inches,theu 

 harrowed with a heavy two horse harrow; 

 iumiediately put on the seed, sowing them 

 broadcast ; then harrowed twice, in order to 

 put the seed in as I thought it shou.d be 

 done. 



I sowed the half bushel of seed on one 

 acre and six rods of land. I selected for my 

 experiment a piece of rich black soil, clear 

 of noxious weeds of all kinds, lying iiiir to 

 the sun, having a sufficient southern scope 

 to lead off the water, and I think the wet 

 season did not injure it. I was now very 

 anxious about my Hungarian, and watched 

 the ground very closely for its appearance. 

 The first thing I discovered peeping through 

 the ground was wild or black mustard, and 

 next what I call narrow leaved or sour docks 

 and then came the Hungarian. It appeared 

 to me as though it was not out of its proper 

 climate, as it was very weak, and had a de- 

 cidedly beautiful rich yellow color, and grew 

 very slowly at first, for which I give it credit, 

 thereby giving me a chance to pull the most 

 of the mustard and dock, but when it took 

 another start to grow, it came on very rap- 

 idly, and appeared like it might perhaps 

 come up to the statements I had heard of it. 

 But instead of producing five, six, or seven 

 tons to the acre, 1 got I'rom my ground only 

 about three and a half tons, which was but 

 little better tlian my timothy and clover 

 meadows ; these making from two and a half 

 to three tons per acre, the past season. 



If is much harder to cut with either ma- 

 chine, or scythe, than tiniothy and clover; 

 about double the labor to handle in curing, 

 and taking care of; is so coarse, hard and 

 dry, that it is hardly possible to get a sensi- 

 ble horse or cow to eat it, and when they do 

 eat it, I think they would be better off if 

 they had eaten as much white oak splinters 

 or hazel brush, not saying they are more 

 nutritious ; but in my opinion it is very 

 heating to horses, and did disea.se the urina- 

 ry organs of every horse I fed it too, and 

 came very near killing a valuable Stallion at 

 my stable. 



I think it would not do to feed it to milch 

 cows, and that It would kill calves if fed 

 upon it. No horse likes it,and it will injure 

 more or less every horse that eats it. I paid 

 82,50 for my seed, 82,00 for putting in,?l,20 

 for cutting, about 84,00 for curing and haul- 

 ing to barn; the land would have rented at 

 S4,00. I used about half of it for feed, 

 which cost me in expense charged to medi- 

 cine account 812,25, and the labor for one 

 month of an experienced horse doctor, who 

 says that no pecuniary interest can compen- 

 sato him, — making in actual cost besides 

 labor of attending to sick horses, 826,00. 



The balance of the straw I u.sed for bed- 

 ding my horses, not having time to haul it 

 far enough I'rom the baru to burn it in Bafo- 



ty. It is little better than Indian corn 

 stalks for bedding, and not half so good as 

 wheat or oat straw. 



If by the publication of this the life of 

 one horse is saved, I shall be well satisfied. 

 I would be glad to learn the experience of 

 some other farmers on this subject. 



Wm. W. Morton. 



APPEAL 



OJ lite M"U7it Vernon Ladies^ Association of 

 the Union, to the people of Illinois. 



Tiie Vit. Vernon Ladies' Afssncia'ion of the 

 Union, ask for their otiject the attention cf 

 tije generous and patriotic citizens ( f Illinois. 



Their persuasive appeal, seconded by the 

 gifted powers of geuius and eloquence, has 

 gone furth through ull the country, and nearly 

 every State of the Union has already sent back 

 a cordial response. 



Nor is the American henrt alone interested 

 iu this noble enterprise. Many a visitor from 

 distant lands, who has made a pilgriinage to 

 the venerated shrine of the world's greatest 

 hero, sends across the ocean sympathetic greet- 

 ings, and asks the honor of contributing to the 

 rescue*. f that spot Ironi the sad neglect to 

 which it has been so long exposed. 



No one cnn fail to s^e the propriety and 

 fitness, under its severest conditions, cf making 

 the home and tomb ot the great Father of 

 our Country, the legitimate posse^hion of bia 

 only chddren — the people of America. 



For nearly sixty years has it been passing 

 from hand to hand in various ownership; decay 

 and ruin gradually creeping over it, until the 

 child's lijrht footsteps is no longer safe beneath 

 its crumbling wslls; while each year add= rap- 

 idly to its desolation. 



It is to purchase, restore and beautify these 

 sacred giounds, where the charms of nature 

 and the graces of art shall combine to make 

 them the pride of America, the admiration of 

 the world, and a monument worthy of Wa8H- 

 iNOToN, and thus, as well redeem the nation's 

 hcnor, a^' satisfy the natural, but tardy prompts 

 ings of grateful hrarts, and to consecrate one 

 great national shrine, where the whole 

 American brotherhood may meet, and laying 

 aside all petty uniniopities of political, sec- 

 tional and pectal prejudices take each other by 

 the hand, mingle their tears, their prayers and 

 their hopes ; rivet more closely the bonds 

 (which God grant may never, n»ver be fun- 

 dered) ihat unite them as a happy, prosperous 

 and loving people, and at the :.rave of their 

 common Father, feel butonewar.r heart-throb. 

 It is to accomplish this, that the Mt. Vernon 

 Ladies' Association has been formed. 



'I'he ofiBcers of this aeauvjiation consist of a 

 Regent and Vice Regents for the several St-tes, 

 who compxise the Grand ( out>cil, and retain 

 their oScei for life, and a Secretary and 

 Treasurer. 



The Vice Regent of each Statt is authorised 



by the Repent, for the purposes of »-ol!ecti6n, 



to appoint Standing Committees of ladies and 

 gentlemen, county manngern and other officers 

 as may be required, whose duty it is to advise 

 with the Vice- Regent, and collect and receive 

 contributions in aid of the ofject, and who 

 will hold their offices during the exigencies of 

 collection. 



The capital stock of the Assooiation i6 limited 

 by charter to five hundred thousand dollars, 

 two-fifths of which is required for the purchase 

 of the estatp, comprehending two hundred at res 

 of land, including the mansion and tomb.with 

 the ga.den, grounds, and landing place up(m 

 the Potom e. Of this, nearly one- half has 

 already been paid, and great etforts are being 

 made ro complete tho amount due on the con- 

 tract, at the earliest possible time, to relieve 

 tlie payment ef interest. 



The undersigned, having received official 



