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'21G 



THE ILLIIS^OIS P^A.PMVI3i]K. 



Jhc ^Uiuoi.si ^itvmcv. 



SPRINfiFIELI). FRRKUAKY 1. 1859. 



Iluii?ari«ii Crass, or German Millft. 



Last season a large aiuuuiit of the 

 seed of tliis forage plant "svas sowed in 

 this section of Illinois. In Iowa, where 

 it had been previously cultivated to 

 a considerable extent, it had a great 

 popularity. Ko language seemed to be 

 too strong to exuress its value. The 

 seed could be sowed early in June; dry 

 Aveather did not effect the growth of the 

 plant; it yielded sometimes six tons of 

 forage and thirty bushels of seed to the 

 acre; was preferred by horses and cattle 

 to timothy — and with this plant farmers 

 were independent of the seasons. Well, 

 as we have said, many farms in this sec- 

 tion of the State, last Spring, sowed 

 Hungarian grass seed. It Avas a bad 

 season — rain from May first nearly to 

 July, copious and continuous — some 

 good crops were made; so much we 

 learn, and that is all. "Whether as a 

 general thing our farmers are satisfied 

 with this forage plant, or not, they do 

 not inform us. Judging from the de- 

 mand for seed for sowing in the coming 

 spring, we think that some farmers, who 

 did not make trial of the plant last 

 spring, are impressed with a belief of its 

 value. 



We have a communication in this pa- 

 per on the subject of the Hungarian 

 Grass, from Mr. W. M. Morton, of Mor- 

 gan county. His experience is deci- 

 dedly against it, and if he had the true 

 German Millet, we do not marvel that 

 he condemns it. We should not be sur- 

 prised to learn, that the great demand 

 for the seed last year, induced unprinci- 

 pled men to throw into market the com- 

 mon millet seed for the German millet. 

 The common millet is a much larger 

 growing and coarser plant. 



We observe in some of the newspa- 

 pers the advertisement of some seed 

 speculator, in which he says he has sent 

 to Europe for the pure seed of the Hun- 

 garian Grass, and that he has a small 

 quantity for sale at $3 for 16 pounds. 

 Of course Ave believe about as much of 

 this story as we choose. There is 

 onoufdi peed of the Hungarian Grass in 

 loAva and Illinois to supply all the de- 

 mands for it the present year, and at 

 reasonable prices. So soon as the roads 

 arc in a condition for produce to be 

 moved, the supply will be all that is 

 desired. 



Shrubbery. 

 In every part of the country improve- 

 ments are being made — new houses are 

 being erected, and farmers are orna- 

 menting their yards about their dwel- 

 lings. Many persons Avho are anxious 

 to get a few articles of shrubbery from 

 the nurseries for ornamenting their 

 grounds, scarcely know what they want, 

 and they are very apt to take advice 

 Avhich proves to be of no value to them. 

 We present a short list of cheap and 

 common articles, but yet of decided 

 beauty: 



Two IlalNAm Fir. N'orwny ?prnoo or Black Pprjice 



trci'K — "iiy fit) ceitta rHcli Jl.OO 



Twi) Pcr-ixii lilnckH. whitu hdU purple, at 20 40 



One siKiwIiall. Ht -r)C 25 



Olio tiinmrix, at "Itc 25 



Our sweet HCeiifpd niTinirii. 25f 25 



Three SpireiiR, I'ruiiitulin, DouKlami and lorbifj- 



lia. at 2"c CO 



WegeliH Ko-pi«. at '.'.'ic 2ft 



0d» .l«p-«n Qtiiiic)>. Wc 30 



OiiB H( IkUii Hon' ymickle at 25c — ninniii); 25 



One r)iiufi<e " 2'ic ■ riiBiiiiiK 2i 



Two httrily pfrpptii*' rnncK, Diitcliesd of Soutlier- 



Uad «uU .Muditm Laffity, biic each 1 00 



$5.00 



Now here Is a pretty stock, costing 

 only five dollars. This stock could be 

 largely increased, but it is sufficient for 

 a small garden. Send to any nursery- 

 man an order Avith the money, and you 

 Avill be sure to have it filled, and the 

 shrubs sent to you in a few days, if the 

 season permits. When you get your 

 plants put them out, some distance 

 apart, planting them well in good soil, 

 and they Avill all be likely to do well. — 

 The evergreens need careful planting, 

 Avhcrc they Avill liaA'e room to spread 

 their limbs, and bvno means trim them. 

 The more foliage you can have on an 

 evergreen, the better. 



.«. 



Tlie IIoncy-Bladc Grass. 



This is a ncAV name given for the 

 small Millet, knoAvn as the "Hungarian 

 Grass.'' Mr. Felix B. Benton, of 

 M ssouri,has been at the trouble to send 

 to Europe to obtain the seed — ''pure." 

 He says it is the same that a poor Hun- 

 garian exile brought from Hungary to 

 Illinois, and having delivered it there 

 to Mr. Gleason, Avas never afterwards 

 heard of I Wonderful, indeed. And 

 Mr. Gleason sowed the seed and raised 

 the millet, and the next year carried his 

 seed to Iowa, and there sowed it, and 

 th« crop finally became so popular that 

 the farmers there gladly gave fifteen 

 dollars a bushel for the seed, until the 

 cultivation reduced the price to fifty 

 cents per bushel. Now the groAvth of 

 the millet in question is perfectly dis- 



tinct from that of the common millet — 

 so much so that no man Avith half an eye 

 can be mistaken in regard to it; and Ave 

 consider the idea of sending to Europe, 

 perhaps to Hungary, to obtain seed, un- 

 necessary, if not ridiculous — quite as 

 much so as the story of the seed being 

 brought to this country by a Hungarian 

 exile, and that having delivered it to 

 Mr. Gleason, he was immediately trans- 

 lated! The seed of the Hungarian 

 Grass (Moha oe Ilongrie) Avas distribu- 

 ted from the Patent Ofiice in this state, 

 to our certain knowledge, five or six 

 years ago, and we knoAV one farmer who 



raised a crop of it. 



■ » 



Grapes. 

 Every farmer should have grape vines. 

 Get them once started and they will 

 grow off Avithout much care. They need 

 only to be trimmed of their superfluous 

 Avood, and turned upon some sort of a 

 trellis, (they will run and do tolerably 

 Avell on a tree) and you can usually have 

 a good quantity of the most pleas- 

 ant and healthful fruit. The Nur- 

 serymen will furnish vines one year and 

 two vears old at 25 and 37 cents, and a 

 half dozen will be all you want. The 

 Isabella and Catawba do well in this 

 region, and most parts of Illinois. — 

 Many persons succeed in raising plants 

 from cuttings, and there will be plenty 

 the present month — as the old vines must 

 noAY be trimmed. 



Evergreen Protcftion. 



Probably the Norway spruce is the 

 best; though there are other evergreens 

 of nearly equal value. It grows fast, 

 its limbs come doAvn to the ground, its 

 foliage is thick, and the tree beuutiful. 

 The Black spruce has a more stiff habit, 

 grows thick, foliage dark, and is of slow- 

 er growth. 



In quantities, tAvo feet trees of the 

 hardy varieties of CA^ergreens, twice 

 transplanted in the nursery, can be 

 fu'ni^hcd in this State at from $15 to 

 025 per 100, according to variety; six 

 t"» ten inch, transplanted, $5 to §10 per 

 100; and native varieties $30 to ^50 

 per lOOO. 



-»f~ 



Jg@°"A farmer in Vanderburgh county 

 Indiana, last fall took a silver pitcher 

 as a premium for a large crop of corn. 

 The aAvard Avas made under oath for a 

 crop on five acres, that averaged 171 

 bushels per acre. 



