■•^K ' 



THE ILLIISrOIS FARMER. 



857 



quiet and earlier relaxation from the la- 

 bors of life. All men, both young and 

 old, need less medicine and more good 

 counsel. Our cities need cleansing, pav- 

 ing and draining. The Asiatic cholera, 

 the yellow fever, the plague and many 

 Other fearful epidemics are called the 

 opprobria of our art, and our fellow- 

 citizens upbraid us with the feebleness 

 and inefficiency of our resources in stay- 

 ing their fatal progress. When will 

 they learn that although we do not fail 

 to cure these maladies, the more preci- 

 ous secret of prevention is in our pos- 

 session, and has been for these many 



years. 



' «•» — ' ' " _ . 



The County Fair. 



Editor of the Farmer: — The fair of 

 Sangamon county for 1859, was a great 

 success. I have attenaed the fairs in 

 Sangamon for the last twenty-three 

 years and there never has been as fine a 

 one as that just closed. 



The Society adopted the unusual 

 policy of admitting entries without re- 

 quiring entry fees; for the purchase of 

 an exhibitor's ticket can hardly be con- 

 strued as a fee — for every exhibitor 

 wants to be present during the fair. 

 The entries were unusually large, ex- 

 cept in the cattle department, and the 

 failure there, if it may be called such, 

 grew out of the fact that the fine stock 

 of this and the neighboring counties 

 had been jaded and worn down in some 

 measure by attendance at previous fairs. 

 There was present, however, fine cattle. 

 The noble bull of J. N. Brown — which 

 would take the first rank any where in 

 the world was present — several other of 

 his fine herd were also on hand; the 

 herds of J. H. Speers, of Menard 

 county; of J. C. Bone, of Sangamon 

 connty; of J. M. Hill, of Cass county, — 

 and animals belonging tf> others, were 

 on exhibition. There were many en- 

 tries of horses, and taken together there 

 were not many valuable animals. The 

 hog and sheep departments were well 

 filled. The ladies department was fine; 

 and the farm product department was 

 never before so well sustained. On 

 the whole, there was a grand exhibition. 

 The people were there. The receipts 

 were more than $2,000. The premiums 

 paid over $1,300 dollars. 



Some faults may be noticed in this 

 fair. The premiums, in my opinion, 

 are not properly distributed. A per- 

 cent should be taken from the stock and 

 added to the departments in which arti- 

 cles from the ladies are entered. Their 

 premiums, in some cases, are too little 

 and too fevv. We cannot get along at 

 our fairs without the countenance and 

 support 'of the ladies. 



The observer cannot fail to notice the 



amount of "miscellaneous" articles en- 

 tered at our fairs. While speaking of 



these, it must be presumed that the so- 

 ciety offers as many premiums as they 

 are able to pay, and that they cannot 

 pay discretionary premiums. It would 

 break it up. Hence I would make a 

 suggestion. Persons should examine 

 the premium lists and bring articles to 



the fairs for which premiums are offer- 

 ed. That is the way and the only way 

 to get premiums. Let this be remem- 

 bered for the coming year. 



I think our premium list should be re- 

 vised, 80 as to give encouragement alike 

 to all interests. SANGAMON. 



Orchards. 



Editor of the Farmer: — ^There has 

 always been a question, whether or- 

 chards planted out in the fall would do 

 as well or better than planted out in the 

 spring. \j nAer favorable circumstances 

 I think it the better policy to plant out 

 the trees in the tall. The "favorable 

 circumstances'' are these: 



The ground should be rolling and dry. 



It should be well prepared, by being 

 plowed at least twelve inches deep. 



The trees should be taken from the 

 nursery. 



The trees sboiild be two or three 

 years old. 



They should be planted out well, the 

 roots spread out, and every fibre possi- 

 ble be preserved when planted. 



A small mound should be thrown 

 around to prevent the trees from being 

 shaken and the roots made loose in win- 

 ter. ; 



To preserve them from rabbits, corn- 

 stalks can be tied about them — five will 

 be enough — they should rise from the 

 ground a foot or more. 



Nothing should be put about the trees 

 to harbor mice. 



In the spring take the mound of earth 

 and cornstalks away. / 



Encourage the trees to form low 

 heads, that they may shade the bodies 

 from exposure to the southwest sun. 



I have seen trees so planted as to lean 

 to the southwest, with apparent ad- 

 vantage. 



The best grounds for orchards are our 

 high oak or sandy barrens. 



Plow deep furrows to carry off the 

 water. 



If there is timber on the south and 

 west of grounds selected for orchard, 

 it is well; if not plant trees for protec- 

 tion. 



In all cases get trees from Illinois 

 nurseries. 



These rules, if followed, I think will 



secure good orchards. MILAM. 



.«• '. 



The Autumn. 

 Editor of the Farmer: — As a general 



fact, we have most beautiful autumns in 

 this country. Our springs and winters 



are not usually pleasant; our summers 



are hot — but our falls are beautiful. It 

 is now the 13th of October while I am 

 writing. The sky is beautifully clear; 

 the weather is just what one would like 

 for comfort; the roads are as fine as can 

 be; and fall work can now be done most 



satisfactorily and rapidly. Indeed we 



have a glorious fall season. 



Let us improve the leisure time we 

 have now in clearing up about our 

 dwellings; beautifying our yards; in 

 planting out orchards; in plowing for 

 spring crops; in seeing to our schools; 

 in gathering our crops — and in other 

 preparations for making ourselves com- 

 fortable through the winter months — to 

 make them pleasant, which without care 

 now, will be most dreary. 



A COUNTRYMAN. 



Winter Schooling. 



Editor of the Farmer: — The season 

 has come for taking up winter schools. 

 Many of our boys and girls who have 

 worked hard in sumoier, will attend 

 school this winter. 



I hope good te.ichers will be employ- 

 ed — men and women who love to teach 

 and see that the children under their 

 care improve. But these teachers should 

 have the support and confidence of 

 parents. They should not unnecessarily 

 find fault with them. Make the child- 

 ren understand that the teachers are do- 

 ing the best thing possible for them, and 

 adopt measures to enable children and to 

 induce them to give all their minds to 

 study and require them to study branches 

 of education which will be useful to 

 them. Before they learn much else, let 

 them learn to spell, to read and write, 

 and get a knowledge of geography. 

 These are, in my opinion, the founda- 

 tions of all good and useful education. 

 To put children on other studies before 



they have a knowledge of these, is 

 wasting precious time. Grammar, also, 



Fall Plowing 



Editor of the Farmer: — I have seen 

 articles in your paper recommending 

 fall plowing The weather and the 

 condition of the land is now suitable for 

 this work, and if the ground is moder- 

 ately rolling, there is evidence sufficient 

 to satisfy me that it will pay. The 

 work should be done well. 



Ground can be plowed in the fall to 

 be sown in barley, spring wheat and oats 

 early in the spring. We lose more of 

 these crops from late sowing than any 

 other cause. 



Plow your land in the fall for these 

 crops; plow well, and plow furrows to 

 run off the water in winter. Do this now 

 and you will much lighten your spring 

 work and at the same time be more sure 

 of making crops. Such is the experi- 

 ence I have seen recorded in many cases. I 



