22 



THE ILLINOIS F^HIMEH. 



patient, laborious effort, and when 

 Fawkes brings his inventive energies to 

 bear on this point, untrammelled with 

 other cares, we shall expect to see him 

 succeed. 



WPIAT THIS MACHINE MAT DO. 



At present it cannot be expected that 

 anj other than that class of large farmers 

 who use steam power would invest in this 

 machine; but should it prove a success, 

 small farmers will club together to pur- 

 chase. As a stationary power, it is one 

 of the best, as it can move itself from 

 place to place over good roads, and can 

 be used to saw wood, to thresh, to ^rind 

 sorghum, to shell corn, to make brick 

 and tile, and when the ground is dry and 

 in proper condition, will do a large 

 amount of plowing in a short time. 



now MUCH will it plow per day. 



In plowing on the 22d, the best time 

 in half a mile was made in some ten 

 minutes, add two minutes for turning, 

 and we have twenty-two minutes to the 

 acre — this would give less than three 

 acres per hour — now add fifteen minutes 

 as the average of each stop for wood and 

 water and we have about two acres per 

 hour. We therefore estimate that if this 

 machine was in good running order that 

 it would plow of raw prairie from sixteen 

 to twenty acres per day. As the machine 

 nev'cr has done a day's work, of course 

 it is mere guess work what it can do, but 

 from our stand point, the above is our 

 guess on the subject. This will not 

 please the inventor, and may disappoint 

 the expectations of the people, and we 

 confess that it is less than we had placed 

 it before. We are not dealing with 

 what improvements may do, but with the 

 machine altered as contemplated. — 

 AVc cannot estimate the speed it 

 makes — over three miles an hour, 

 stoppages included. We must wait 

 another season for the full growth of 

 this machine, and learn, that like other 

 useful articles it may undergo material 

 changes for the better. All valuable 

 farm implements have had to gradually 

 win their way, however valuable they 

 may have proved, this may be the case 

 also with the steam plow. The Bteam- 

 boat and locomotive were years in being' 

 brought to perfection, and we should not 

 be discouraged wi h the steam plow. 

 Something of the kind is demanded and 

 genius will bring it forth. For his 

 efforts thus far Fawkes is entitled to no 

 small meed of praise, he has shown a 

 noble perservancc and is richly deserv- 

 ing of warm encouragement in his future 

 efforts. We think that the expectation 

 has been raised too high in the quantity 

 that any steam plow will be able to ac- 

 complish. The prairies of the west have 

 asked for a steam plow, and gpniijs that 



has given us the steel clipper, the^reaper 

 and the mower will grant the boon. 



Rukal. 

 West Ur'oana, 111, Dec. loth, 1859. . 



Meeting of the Executire Committee of the State 

 Agricaltnral Society, Jan. 5th. 



With the exception of the corresponding Sec- 

 retary and Gen. Singleton the members were all 

 present. The President read a letter from Sim- 

 eon Francis, the corresponding Secretary, saying 

 that he was on his way to Oregon, but that he 

 expected to return within four months, and that 

 in the meantime, Capt. Barrell would perform 

 the duties of the office. lie tendered his regards 

 to the Board for many kindnesses he had received 

 at their hands, and wished them a full meed of 

 success in the arduous duties before them. 



Dr. Johns offered a resolution to the effect 

 that in consequence of the absencG of Mr. Francis 

 the Office of Corresponding Secretary be declar- 

 ed vacant, and that the Board proceed at once 

 to an election to fill the vacancy. After some 

 little discussion and the examination of some 

 unimportant matters, the Board proceeded to an 

 election. John P. Reynolds, of Marion county, 

 0. W. Murtfeldt, of Ogle county and J. T. 

 Little, of Lee county, were put in nomination. 



Dr. Johns moved for an informal ballot, which 

 was had, and resulted in eleven votes for Mr. 

 Rej^nolds and two for Mr. Little — Mr. Bunn be- 

 ing absent and not voting. 



Dr. Johns then moved that Mr. Reynolds be 

 j^|lectcd by acclamation, which was done. 



Mr. Reynolds is well known to our State Fair 

 goers, having been Superintendent of the two 

 last Fairs. He is a good scholar and a graceful 

 WTiter, of the most strict integrity, and in all 

 respects a gentleman. We learn incidentally 

 that he is to take up his residence in Spring- 

 field. 



ESSAYS. 



The reading of essays had been gone through 

 with yesterday, and this morning they "came up 

 for the aw.irds. Charles AV. ilurtfeldt, of Ore- 

 gon, Ogle county, received the premium of ten 

 dollars for the best essay on practical farming. 

 There were two competitors, both of whom had 

 a higher regard for fine writing than for the 

 practical. Miss Mary Murtfeldt was awarded 

 a special premium of ten dollars, for a very cx- 

 ceUent essay on Agricultural Literature. It is a 

 matter of surprise that there was so poor a show 

 of competition in this department, and we hope 

 for the credit of the Agricultural press of the 

 State that our writers will sec to it, that this 

 very important feature of tho Society does not 

 hereafter sulTer. 



BEPORT ON FIELD CHOPS. 



Messrs. Gage, Bro. Sc Drake, of the Trcmont 

 House, were awarded the first premium on po- 

 tatoes. They grew three hundred bushels of 

 pinkeye potatoes on one acre. The ground had 

 been underdrained in the summer of 1858. 

 Some eight loads of manure was used to the 

 acre; plowed twice and planted May 20th, in 

 rows three feet apart. The land was well culti- 

 vated with the shovel plow and cultivator. Ten 

 bushels of seed was used, cut in pieceg and 

 planted in the usual way. Farmers of Illinois, 



do you know the secret of this success ? Do 

 you suspect the cause of the wonderful produc- 

 tive powers of that worthless flat prairie, the 

 great inarsh that belts the city of Chicago? Let 

 us whisper it in 3'our ear ; don't start ! the words 

 are simple ; listen : Underdraixing ! When you 

 become dissatisfied with your crops of forty or 

 fifty bushels, see if you cannot subsoil this term 

 so as to comprehend its value. Its meaning is 

 apparent, being simply great crops. 



The second premium was awarded to Harrison 

 Hancock, of Groveland for his crop of two hun- 

 dred and eighty bushels to the acre, the variety 

 Rhode Island Neshannocks, a worthless potato 

 for culinary purposes, and hardly fit for stock, 

 but is a great yielder, and so long as size wins, 

 competitors had better plant it, providing always 

 that the premimns are large enough to warrant 

 it. A. & 0. Barnard, of McT^an county, plant- 

 ed forty-two acres, three-fourths of which were 

 Pinkeyes and the remainder Neshannocks ; the 

 entire crop was 7182 bushels, or an average of 

 seventy-one bushels per acre. The land was 

 manured and plowed ten inches deep. The hills 

 three feet by two, wsing seven bushels of seed 

 per acre. The crop has three plowings. After 

 awarding the premiums as above, a warm dis- 

 cussion occurred in regard to the value of this 

 last crop over the one receiving the second pre- 

 mium, and the result was a special premium 

 to the Messrs: Barnard, of $5 for the large 

 amount planted, and the fine quality of the 

 crop. In this case gaving a back hand stroke at 

 size wins. ' 



0. B. Galusha, of Kendall county, grew on 

 half an acre planted with the Shaker potato 

 forty-five and a half bushels, or 190 bushels per 

 acre. 



Hugh Hulls, grew sixty bushels on half an 

 acre. 



SPBIN'G wheat. 

 Wm. Wyman, of Freeport, was awarded the 

 first premium on his crop of Rio Grande of 

 37 32-GO bushels per acre provided that he 

 amended his returns satisfactory to the Board 

 at the next meeting. A sample of this wheat 

 obtained the first premium at the State Fair. 



Hugh Hulls, of Kane county, was another 

 competitor, claiming to have grown twenty-six 

 bushels per acre on five acres, but, the report 

 was not well authenticated ; nor would the Board 

 send it back for amendment. Mr. Hulls takes 

 too many premiums ; and some of his neighbors 

 are either jealous of his good fortune or have 

 good reason to doubt his statements, and in con- 

 sequence throw discredit on his statements, and 

 it therefore requires strong proof to fortify his 

 claims. 



WIKTER WHEAT. ' 



Messrs. Chambers & Rhea, of Morgan county, 

 raised nineteen bushels per acre, on Illinois river 

 bottoms. Harrison Hancock, of Groveland, rais- 

 ed 29 55G0 bushels per acre of May Wheat. 

 J. B. Turner, of Mattoon, raised 26 26-60 bush- 

 els, samples of which took the first premium at 

 both the State and National Fairs. The proofs 

 were imperfect, and the matter was referred to 

 the President, with power to act. 



c B N. 



Harrison Hancock, 99 4C-5G bushels per acre, 



•< ^ A(m;£>; £; AH^-A 'Mijf!,- 



