262 



THE ILLINOIS FA.IIMER. 



had. It will not do to depend on one crop 

 either to make money, or to make food lor 

 stock. Timothy is a good crop here ; other 

 grasses yield also good crops for pay. The 

 Italian Millet seldom fails yielding a good 

 crop, and it can be sown in June. — 

 The Hungarian Millet also produces heavy 

 crops. Sugar Cane, sowed broadcast, in 

 June, gives a heavy yield of most valuable 

 food for stock. Indian corn will also do the 

 same. When the crop of corn is likely to 

 be short, there is no necessity of our stand- 

 ing about with our hands in our breeches 

 pockets, growling over bad weather and bad 

 luck, and letting the time to pass without 

 an effort to make winter food for our cattle. 

 I hope the lesson wc are now experiencing, 

 will learn us the folly of this do-uothiug 

 policy, and attributing to providence tlie 

 evils we bring on ourselves. M. S. 



The Best Whitcwasli that we Know of. 



The 



arrival of the house-cleaning and 



house-repairing season, and several recent 

 inquiries, remind us to again refer to that 

 first-rate in-door white-wash we described 

 last June. Nearly a years trial has confirm- 

 ed all we said of it. Our house ceilings, and 

 the walls where not papered, which received 

 one coat last May, are now as white as after 

 a usual fresh coat of lime, and wc have not 

 been in the least trouble with its "rubbing 

 off." The numerous published receipts, to 

 the contrary notwithstanding, we believe no 

 preparation of lime or other material will 

 adhere well without the addition of the glue, 

 oil or varnish. The latter two articles are 

 expensive, and caustic lime mixed with glue 

 will soon change its color. White chalk is 

 uiicatistic lime, (carbonate of lime, and this 

 substance is the best substitute for lime, as 

 a white-wash. A very fine and brilliant 

 white, washed preparation of chalk is called 

 ^^ Paris White.^' This wc buy at the paint 

 stores for three cents a pound, retail. For 

 each sixteen pounds of l*aris White, we 

 procure half a pound of the white trans- 

 parent glue, costing twenty-five cents (fifty 

 cents per pound). The sixteen pounds of 

 Paris White is about as much as a person 

 will use in a day. It is prepared as fol- 

 lows ; 



The glue is covered with cold water at 

 night, and in the morning is carefully heated, 

 without scorching, until dissolved. The 

 Paris White is stirred with Jiofwater enough 

 to give it the proper milky consistence for 

 applying to the walls, and the dissolved glue 

 is then added and thoroughly mixed. It is 

 then applied with a brush like the common 

 lime whitewash. Except on very dark and 

 smoky walls and ceilings, a single coat is 

 sufficient. It is nearly equal in briliancy to 

 "zinc white," a far more expensive article. 

 Let the readers of the American Agricultu- 

 rist, try this method the present Spring, on 

 a room or two at least, and we think they 

 will not use lime thereafter. It is, of course, 

 a little more expensive than common lime, 

 but is cheaper in the end, on account of its 

 better color, greater permanence, and firm 

 adherence to the plastering. At least, such 

 is our experience. — American AfjricuHurist. 



!>■ 



Camels — Thkir Strength. — We visi- 

 ted Parson's wharf to witness a feat of 

 strength performed by one of JMr. Watson's 



camels, of which there were near a dozen on 

 the wharf of all ages. The camel loaded 

 was one of the largest. On the word of 

 command being given, the camel lay down 

 ready to receive his load, which consisted of 

 five bales of hay, weighing in the aggregate 

 over 1400 pounds, which was firmly bound 

 to the pannier placed upon the animal's 

 hump. Upon the utterance of command by 

 the native keeper, the huge animal arose 

 without any apparent effort to his feet and 

 walked off" in a stately manner along the 

 wharf and through the city. We were in- 

 formed that the same camel had IGOO pounds 

 placed upon him, with which enormous 

 weight he arose. The animals are all ex- 

 ceedingly : ractablc, and seem to possess much 

 affectiou for any one who treats them kindly, 

 as an example of which Mrs. W. informs us 

 that one of them, a pretty white one, which 

 she had petted, would always kiss her, when 

 she was within kissing distance, which fact 

 we really thought, certainly proved the ani- 

 mal to possess an excellent taste, as well as 

 an affectionate disposition. In their native 

 country the average load for a full grown 

 camel is some 800 pounds, with which they 

 perform their long journeys over deserts, 

 with but little food or water. 



We doubt not with the abundant forage 

 found in all parts of Texas, and a full supply 

 of water generally, the camel will improve 

 in strength and general appearance, and be 

 able to transport larger loads, at a more rapid 

 pace, than in his native country. — Galveston 

 Kcwe. 



Goodale & Co. Cirrular for April, 



Cleveland Wool Depot. 

 Dear Sib . — Our receipts for the past 

 month have been confined mosfly to pulled 

 wools with a few medium clips. We think 

 that the fine clips through Ohio and the 

 West are closed out. We quote : 



Fancy clip at 65 



Full blood 55 



Three-fourths blood 50 



Onerhalf blond 47 



One-fourth blood 44 



Common 41 



These prices for domestic wools are very 

 fully sustained, whilst pulled wools in our 

 market have declined, with less demand. — 

 The city pullers, however, have very small 

 stocks on hand and wc notice a very marked 

 decline in sheep pelts, as some of our pelt 

 buyers have been largely engaged in pur- 

 chasing skunk pelts which during the warm 

 days of March have declined in price. It 

 would, not be surprising if this stron"- de- 

 cliTiing fiivor of this new article of com- 

 merce had some influence in working down 

 the price of sheep pelts. 



There seems to be an absence of the usual 

 number of Eastern buyers in the field and 

 the cause of the decline in price of sheep 

 pelts may perhaps more properly be attribu- 

 ted to decline in pulled wool. 

 We quote 



Extra pulled at 50 



Super 42 



No. 1 37 



Contracts for the new clip have been con- 

 fined to certain localities in this State, which 

 have been made at from 37 to Gl cents, not 

 so much according to quality of wools as con- 

 tractor's views. 



White Beans. 



Editor of the Farmer : — As one of 

 the crops whicli should be raised in our 

 State, mention may bo made of White 

 Beans. If cultivated with system, and 

 with an understandino; of all the wants 

 required for the sucessfnl growing or this 

 crop, a good yield may be expected. — 

 Beans usually bring a fair price. I have 

 known them sell for $3 a bushel and also 

 for 75 cents a bushel. 



Prairie the second season after break- 

 ing, is usually good land for beans. It 

 is then light and clean from weeds. — 

 The seed can be drilled in, in rows three 

 feet apart, and about three inches be- 

 tween the plants. They will come up 

 readily, and, Avith the soil I mention, free 

 of weeds, they will require but little care 

 Our lands are all rich enough indeed, 

 they are richer for beans, without man- 

 ure, than is desirable. When the Beans 

 are up four inches, the cultivator should 

 pass between the rows. If there are 

 weeds mmong the beans, they should be 

 wed out. This cultivation should be 

 repeated, perhaps twice. But a farmer 

 can be a judge of the necessity of this. 

 Beans should never be worked when the 

 dew is on the plants or when they are 

 wet with rain. 



There are many varieties of Beans 

 used for field cultivation. The largo 

 White Kidney, is a strong growing varie- 

 ty, and yields tolerably well. The 

 White Marrowfat or White Crawberry, 

 is a large round bean, yields well, and 

 is the best bean for eating. This bean 

 does not require rich land. The White 

 Navy Bean is smaller, and is a capital 

 field bean. The White Yankee, or Soup 

 Bean, is the smallest variety, and if the 

 season is dry, yields well. If the sea- 

 son be wet, it runs a good deal to 

 vines. 



Beans should be gathered in dry wea- 

 ther. It is all important to this crop 

 that they be bright and clean for market. 

 This will not be the case unless great 

 care is taken in gathering the beans. — 

 The vines, or holm, should ))e pulled in 

 good Weather, should be dried and kept 

 from dampness until the Beans are 

 threshed out. BEAN HILL. 



Uniou Fairs. 



Editor oftlie Farmer : — Why cannot 

 Uniou Fairs, to be gotten up by the 

 Agricultural Societies, of three or four 

 adjoining Counties, be made useful ? It 

 is too late to agitate this subject for the 

 present year, but some thoughts may 

 properly be given to it. A Union Eair 

 in which the counties of Sangamon, 

 Morgan, Macoupin, Menard, Lincoln and 

 Macon, and perhaps some others, could 

 unite, would be a grand affair. The 

 first Fair could be held in Morgan or 

 Sangamon and then could travel all 

 around so as to embrace every county 



