244 



THE ILLINOIS FA^HMEH. 



improve the roads, make those that do 

 work, work nine hovrs in the winter and 

 twelve in the summer seasOn. 



Keep our tracks out of town only once 

 in ten weeks instead of three times a 

 week, and sometimes six days in the 

 week. Pleapc, one and all try it. It 

 will be the best step toward finding the 

 hidden treasure so much needed. 



For your own sake, your irife's and 

 your babies', and friends', if you have 

 any, be very cautious where you make 

 your tracks. 



Do not fail to get into bed by seven, 

 and roll out early and attend to your 

 business. There is no morning so dark 

 but you can do something if the will is 

 there. For Heaven's sake, and that of 

 your wife, children, and the State, let us 

 all try it for three years, and if your 

 creditors see you are trying hard, and 

 making tracks in the right place, they 

 will have mercy on you. If they will 

 not, come to Old Jake, and if he has 

 it in his power he will help you. Re- 

 member you must take his advice all 

 through the piece. 



Consult your wife, especially in all 

 cases of difficulty. A wife who deserves 

 the name will never fail to economize 

 when she knows her husband's circum- 

 stances require it. Never keep her 

 ignorant of your circumstances, for this 

 has been the undoing of millions of fam- 

 ilies. 



Put cattle on ' grass half feed, and 

 they will improve as much again in the 

 same time as full fed cattle. I think it 

 much more profitable only to half feed, 

 unless you owe money which you have 

 promised in March or April; then feed 

 heavy. If your circumstances will allow 

 you to do without your money until June 

 or July, I like half feeding the best 

 until the middle of March; then increase 

 gradually, get them to a full feed, turn 

 on your grass early if you have territory 

 enough for your pasture to get good, so 

 that they can get full by walking only a 

 few rods. 



I write this to encourage men who get 

 in debt and give up. "Don't give up the 

 ship." 



In 1820, in Licking County, Ohio, 

 my corn was higher than my head. On 

 a steep side-hill I saw a flock of wild 

 turkeys scratching very busy in the corn. 

 I married Matilda, John Green's daugh- 

 ter; she lived a few miles north of Utica. 

 My wife's sister, Nancy, was visiting at 

 my house (now Nancy Armstrong, living 

 about fifteen miles southwest of Morris, 

 111.,) I think she was not more than 

 eight or nine years of age. I showed 

 her the turkeys, and told her if she would 

 pay strict attention to what I said, we 

 eould have meat as well as feathers. — 

 She eyed me very close, with eyes and 

 w»rs ready to catch every word. I show- 

 ed her where I wanted to get, and told 



her wc must move very cautious, for 

 they were cunning, sharp-eyed fowls. I 

 went on the hill above them — she went 

 below, and then started towards me. I 

 stood fii-m, waiting for them as they rose 

 to fly. One flew a foot or so to my left, 

 another about two feet to my right. I 

 first thought of trying to catch both; it 

 struck me at the moment to save one. 

 I sprung up, and with my left hand 

 Caught it by one leg; with the right hand 

 I caught it by the breast. I took out a 

 whole handful of skin and feathers, and 

 if it had not been for my hold on the 

 leg, it would have got away. I brought 

 it to the ground, and soon broke its 

 neck, without its thumping me very often 

 with its wings. It made us all the meat 

 we could eat for several days, besides the 

 feathers. 



I tell this true story to men who are 

 in debt, to encourage them to never quit 

 trying. I hope none of your cases look 

 more hopeless than mine, in catching the 

 flying wild turkey. 



I have since seen the same little girl 

 now grown to be a woman, George W. 

 Armstrong's wife. I asked her if she 

 remembered my catching the turkey; I 

 think she answered forthwith that she 

 always thought of it when she saw a 

 flock of wild turkeys. 



No odds how bad your cause is, "don't 

 give up the ship." Patience and per- 

 severance will overcome everything. 



If you will take my advice we will find 

 the gold by rolls, rims and wagon-loads, 

 almost countless. Excuse my mistakes 

 I have no time to correct them. I have 

 written this just for the good feeling I 

 have for my country, state and nation. 

 My learning is quite limited. I do not 

 protess to be a grammarian, neither have 

 I ever swallowed a dictionary; and you 

 need not expect me to let it up by 

 leaves. 



My parents wore plain folks. I was 

 born and raised until I was about seven- 

 teen years old, in Somerset County, 

 Turkey Foot Township, near the forks 

 of Youghiogheny, Pa. My father moved 

 to Perry County, Ohio, six miles north 

 of Somerset, Ohio; lived there one year 

 then moved to Licking County, Ohio, 

 thirteen miles north of Newark, the 

 county seat — thirteen miles south of Mt 

 Vernon in Knox County, four miles east 

 of Utica, Licking County. I moved 

 with my wife and three boys to Morgan 

 County, 111., in the Spring of 1831. I 

 still stay four miles southwest of Jack- 

 sonville, which I think is the center of 

 the world, as far as good lands and 

 farms are concerned, and gold coming 

 out of the earth ready-coined in large 

 quantities. If this is not sufficient, 

 when I write again I will tell you part 

 of the rest. 



March 5, 1859. 



Hungarian Grass — Directions for Sowing. 



Editor Illinois Farmer: la a late 

 number of the Farmer, I gave some state- 

 ments and my opinion in respect to the 

 Hungarian grass as a farm crop. The fixcts 

 and statements there given are the result of 

 four years' experieuee in its cultivation. 

 With us it has proved a perfect success. Its 

 cultivation is no longer an experiment, and 

 the result of the last year's crop has ren- 

 dered it quite popular with the farmers of 

 our neighborhood. As proof of this, I will 

 merely state that we have sold the seed of 

 our entire crop at $2.00 per bushel at the 

 bin. 



As there will be a large crop of it sown 

 the cominjT season, I will give, for the ben- 

 efit of those who may read it, some practical 

 directions to guide them in its cultivation. 



Select a dry and moderately thin piece of 

 land for j^our crops ; ground that has been 

 in cultivation for a number of years, and is 

 free from weeds, is the best. The plowing 

 should be deferred until the proper time for 

 sowing; then plow thoroughly and level with 

 a harrow ; mark off by small furrows into 

 suitable lands for sowing; scatter your seed 

 as evenly as possible at the rate of ten quarts 

 to the acre on thin, or twelve on fresh or 

 strong ground, and cover with a light harrow 

 cr brush drag. If sowed thus immediately 

 after the plow, the young grass will get the 

 start of the weeds, and will maintain its as- 

 cendency until maturity. 



About the 20th of May is the proper time 

 for sowing, but it will do well as late as the 

 10th of June. If sowed the 20th of May 

 it will be ready to harvest the last week of 

 August. The proper time for cutting is 

 wheu the upper or head joint of the plant is 

 of a bright yellow color. If cut too green the 

 seed will not be so good, and the blades, 

 which are large and succulent, will blacken 

 in curing. It may be cut with a cradle or 

 reaper, and secured as we do oats; or it may 

 be mowed and housed as we do timothy. It 



requires a little more time than timothy to 

 cure, but that is no great objection, as the 

 harvesting comes in at a comparatively leis- 

 ure time, when farmers can afford to give it 

 a little more attention. 



In conclusion, Mr. Editor, I would just 

 state that the story of the grass having been 

 introduced into this country by a Hungarian 

 exile is all a fiction. In 1854 I received 

 from the patent office, through you, a pack- 

 age of the seed. I have the sack and a small 

 quantity of the imported seed in my posses- 

 sion now. It was imported from France and 

 distributed under the name of "Moha de 

 Ilongrie," J. E. Young. 



Menard County, March 2d, 1859. 



4«*^ — 



Potatoes in California. — From the 

 correspondence of the New York Times: 

 "Speaking of the Colonel, (Col. Warren, 

 editor of the California Farmer), he is the 

 most enthusiastic editor we have left. There 

 was a time when every editor in California 

 was " chuck full " and running over with 

 enthusiasm and admiration of this beautiful 

 country, but they have gradually run down, 

 oozed away, run out. As the business be- 

 came dull, they did likewise, and in these 

 times the Colonel is about the only one left 

 to cry out for us. He records all the won- 



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