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THE ILLINOIS PA^RMEH. 



'221 



The Planting of New Orchards. 

 Much of this will be done the coming 

 spring — and it is hoped that the expe- 

 rience of the few past years will be of 

 service to our friends in selection of 

 grounds for the orchards, and the pro- 

 curing of the best trees for planting 

 out. Orchards should not be planted 

 on our flat, heavy prairie grounds. — 

 High grounds, even if the soil is poor, 

 are better, and if protected by timber 

 on the north and west, success will be 

 more probable. We do not believe a 

 flourishing orchard can be found any- 

 where upon our black, heavy soil. We 

 have in vain made inquiries to find a 

 healthy and thrifty orchard on such 

 grounds. Thousands and thousands of 

 dollars have been wasted within the few 

 past years in Illinois in planting out 

 orchards on unsuitable lands, and prob- 

 ably as much more in purchasing trees 

 unsuited to our climate. The matter is 

 settled that young trees, grown here, 

 are better and safer than trees grown in 

 other climates, and in other soils. No 

 man should buy trees because they are 

 forced on him; but he should attend to 

 his own business and go or send to nur- 

 series of ouf State, where he can be 

 well supplied, and the owners of which 

 have an interest in doing him justice. — 

 If persons who desire fruit trees, will 

 give us a list of what they want, we will 

 order them from any nursery they choose. 

 This can be done promptly and they can 

 have the trees as soon as the spring 

 fairly opens, fresh and fine from the 



nurseries. 



Botanical and Zoological Survey of tie State. 

 These measures are being agitated 

 among the people, and there are not a 

 few of our most enlightened citizens 

 who are in favor of appropriations by 

 the State for their accomplishment. — 

 We hold it to be a truth, that whenever 

 the State has means these surveys should 

 be made. The advancing condition of 

 education in the farming classes of this 

 State, will require knowledge of all its 

 plants, all its animals, reptiles, insects, 

 etc. When our farmers attain that de- 

 gree of knowledge which it will be their 

 interest and happiness to possess, they 

 will desire to know the names and value 

 of all the plants that may meet their 

 eyes; they will also require knowledge 

 of all animals, reptiles and insects, in- 



jurious or beneficial to their business. 

 Such surveys have been made in most 

 of our States, and they have yielded an 

 amount of knowledge most interesting 

 and valuable. We want to know much 

 of our earth — its vast mines of products; 

 animal, vegetable, and mineral — the 

 use of which Deity, for wise purposes, 

 has placed in our hands. Why should 

 we pass along in life and learn nothing 

 of these great kingdoms of nature, a 

 knowledge of which would be useful in 

 our daily labors, and teach us to look up 

 from "Nature to Nature's God.'' 



F. Brendel, M. D., of Peoria, a dis- 

 tinguished Botanist, is now in our city, 

 and his services could be secured for a 

 Botanical survey of the State. J. A. 

 Kennicott, is also favoring a Zoological 

 survey, much"of which has been already 

 performed by his son, Robert Kennicott, 

 who is now, and has been for some time, 

 employed in the Natural History depart- 

 ment of the Smithsonian Institution. 



(■-^ Industrial Universities 

 ' Can there be a measure of greater 

 and deeper importance than that con- 

 templated by the Land Bill, introduced 

 by Mr. Morrill, in the lower House of 

 Congress? It certainly meets the ap- 

 probation of the best and most liberal 

 minds in our land. Passed by Congress, 

 it would do much to promote the gener- 

 al difiusion of the arts and sciences in 

 our country, and in the same ratio its 

 progress and prosperity — and its pro- 

 ductive industry. 



Is the wisdom of our nation in Con- 

 gress? Is high ambition there? Cares 

 Congress for the respect of coming 

 generations? — or, the general good of 

 this great land? We shall see! Ac- 

 tions are what bear honors and produce 

 results ! Congress! well may you listen, 

 plan and act, when the interests of the 

 nation calls upon you. 



Samuel Jacob Wallace. 



A Scene. — At the Hopkinsville 

 (Tenn.,) Fair, ten brothers, named 

 Brown, all mounted on fine grey horses, 

 rode into the ampitheatre and displayed 

 their horsemanship, all being good ri- 

 ders. The eldest was aged forty and 

 the youngest twenty. They had not all 

 been tofjether for fifteen years. Their 

 mother was present, and they reined up 

 before the venerable matrcn and saluted 

 her, while she shed tears of joy and 

 pride. 



*•» '■ — ' ^ 



g®°*P. Hamilton, of McDonough 

 county, raised last year two acres of 

 Hungarian grass — on one acre he raised 

 four tons and sixteen hundred pounds, 

 and on the other four tons. 



" Nothing Kew under the Sun. " 

 Editor of the Farmer : — 



I have been interested in the notices 

 published of the discussions at the 

 meeting of the Stale Horticultural Soc- 

 iety at Bloomington, and especially what 

 was said in regard to the protection of 

 Fruit Trees and general crops, and 

 plants in the gardens, and dwellinngs, 

 from the winds of spring and early sum- 

 mer that sweep over our prairies. If 

 you have not lived upon the prairie, you 

 can hardly realize how much we suffer 

 from these winds. Look at our young 

 orchards — see them leaning all one way. 

 It is often so with our grain, corn and 

 other crops. And these winds whistle 

 about our horses, destroying our flowers 

 and trouble us exceedingly in our gar- 

 dens. We can improve our farms, plant 

 orchards, put out vines, fruit shrubbery 

 and ornamental shrubbery; but we have 

 no means of staying these devastating 

 winds. 



You will not wonder, then, that I read 

 Mr. Edward's remarks on the culture of 

 Evergreens for protection, with great in- 

 terest and pleasure. I was glad to learn 

 from him, and others, that this system of 

 protection by evergreens was no theory, 

 but established truths. Mr. A. Bryant, 

 of Bureau county, said, indeed, that two 

 rows of evergreens were equal to a solid 

 building for protection. 



But it seems that " There is nothinor 

 new under the Sun. " The declaration 

 of the old Hebrew monarch is most cer- 

 tainly true in regard to the protection of 

 ground from raging winds, granting that 

 Homer tells the truth, {(^uere.) Had 

 Mr. Edwards been reading Homer ? — 

 We shouldn't wonder for Mr. E. is a 

 great lover of Nature, and Nature is 

 poetry.) In the odyssey there is a des- 

 cription of a garden in the Island of 

 Corcyra. It was a beautiful garden 

 filled with trees and shrubs and foun- 

 tains. In it apples ripened with crim- 

 son and gold, figs were found of the 

 most delicious plumpness; pumegranates 

 glowed with a deep red; pear-trees 

 drooped with their juicy fruit; and the 

 olive flourished in perpetual verdure. — 

 While the shrubs and trees were laden 

 with ripe and delicious fruit, the same 

 shrubs and trees showed blossoms for 

 new harvests. The vines were filled 

 with grapes in all the stages of growth, 

 from the blossom to luscious ripeness. 

 And fountains scathed their crystal 

 waters around, giving freshness and 

 beauty to tree, and stirub, and plant. 



And what protected this beautiful 

 garden from the winds passing over the 

 waters, that often swept and howled 

 around it ? Homer tells us ? 



"The garden was defended by walls 

 and trees from the winds and tempests. 

 The whole area was fenced with a (jreen 

 enclosure on all sides." In other zvords 



