THE ILLIISrOIS FARMER. 



23 



$25. Plowed land ten inches deep ; cultivated 

 four times with shovel plow; variety large 

 gourd seed. We suppose when this corn is 

 ready for market in June next, it will weigh out 

 about 84 bushels, as it must shrink at least eight 

 pounds per bushel. 



Hugh Esdale, Sparta, 83 47-56 bushels per 

 acre, $15. Plowed a foot deep; cultivated four 

 times. The proof in both of the above cases 

 was imperfect and unsatisfactory and the Board 

 directed the President to have new proof in 

 form, and if satisfactory, to pay the premiums. 

 This was done in several cases and the paying 

 of the awards will depend upon compliance. 

 At this point the Board got pretty well snarled 

 up, at one time, the rules must be enforced 

 and at another not. The truth is that the Ex- 

 Presidents have pretty much had their own way 

 and what they chose to have done was made 

 the order of the Board, but there was a growing 

 disposition on the part of the President and 

 Vice Presidents to have their say, and put a 

 stop to this species of dry nursing by these ex- 

 officio gentlemen, and upon examination the 

 rules governing the action of the Board were 

 found to be the ipsi dixit of these gentlemen. 

 A great many curious things will turn up in re- 

 lation to this kind of management ; but as they 

 are now defeated, it is probable that they will 

 withdraw their valuable services from this insti- 

 tution for a time and repose in the shade of 

 their laurels. The records of the society, as 

 printed, do not show the list of applicants for 

 premiums, nor the disposal of rejected essays or 

 premiums. The svunmary manner of disposing 

 of essays will account for the want of competi- 

 tion. When they reject an essay the reasons 

 should be given, and the writer will then know 

 what the Board expect. But this kicking them 

 out of doors is no way to encourage this kind of 

 literary labor. We have but a few who venture 

 on this species of competition, and they are all 

 too sensitive to be used roughly ; they should 

 be encouraged, for we cannot afford to do with- 

 out them. We think there are few members of 

 the Board who could write an essay on practical 

 farming but what would show some crude points. 

 Hard working, practical farmers are not polished 

 writers in all cases, though their facts are in- 

 valuable. An essay on practical farming should 

 embrace the practical minutia of culture, and is 

 separate from general farm management, which 

 is another matter. 



FIELD PEAS. ' 



Harrison Hancock, half an acre, 10 40-60 

 bushel, $10. Plowed eight inches deep; sowed 

 one and a half bushel of seed. A good result, 

 considering that our soil and climate is not suited 

 to this crop. 



SWEET POTATOES. 



John Anderson, Sr., Sparta, 90 bushels on 

 thirty-nine rods, or at the rate of 369 bushels per 

 acre. A quarter of an acre was the require- 

 ment, but the rule was waived and the first pre- 

 mium of $10 given to Mr. Anderson. 



H. Hancock, quarter acre, at the rate of 320 

 bushels; and Wm. Robinson, quarter acre, 324 

 bushels, and was awarded the medal. Proof in 

 all three cases imperfect. 



This .shows that this is a profitable crop in this 



part of the State, but it is too much neglected. 



OKIONS. 



S. Wilbur, Momence, Will county, 472 bushels 

 per acre, $10. Deep and thorough culture with 

 abundance of well rotted manure; the seed 

 drilled in, in rows eight inches apart; variety, 

 large red. 



SPEINO BARLET. 



Robt. Jones, CedarviUe, 43 1-3 bushels per 

 acre; ground plowed deep in Autumn; sowed 

 early to the four rowed variety; harrowed and 

 rolled; one part of the field used manure; this 

 part much the best; recommends thick sowing. 



Wm. F, McAlmar, Dacotah, 40 bushels per 

 acre. He also plows deep in Fall; .sows two 

 bushels seed, early in Spring; after cutting 

 shocks to cure, and then puts in stack to sweat. 



FLAX SEED. 



W. Robinson, Flat Praurie, one acre, 12 bushels 

 seed, $10. .:::■;'•' .: 



CLOVER SEED. 



Hugh Hulls, one acre; seven bushels seed; cut 

 the first crop for hay and the second for seed; 



$10. : ,"■-•■'■ ■"■■^- 



TIMOTHY SEED. 



H. Hancock, 15 28-48 bushels per acre, $10. 

 Hugh HuUs, 4 bushels per acre. 



;■ . BLUE GRASS. . 



H. Hancock, 23 6-14 bushels per acre, $10. 

 Blue grass is usually stripped by hand and sold 

 in the chaff; this weighs 14 pounds per bushel; 

 it is also cleaned, but this clean seed is seldom 

 in the market; again it is cut up in the hay with 

 common feed-cutters and sown; this is quite 

 common for home use. 



CASTOR BEAN'S. "' 



James Crawford, Flat Prairie, 7 acres; 20 2-46 

 bushels per acre. 



WHITE BEANS. 



Harrison Hancock, half acre, 23 40-60 bushels: 

 ground plowed in March; planted June 15th; 

 peck of seed, of White Cranberry; $10. 



OATS. 



Hugh Hulls 62 bushels per acre, $10. 

 "Best improved and highly cultivated farm of not 

 less than 500 acres." J. N. Brown, Island Grove, 

 gold metal. This is a stock farm mostly in blue 

 grass, is well cared for, buildings and fences in 

 good repair, groves and belts of artificial forests 

 make a valuable feature, warding off the severe 

 winds and protecting the stock, which feed on 

 the blue grass nearly all winter. W. S. Buler, 

 Ogle County, $15. 



BEST 160 ACRES. 



Andrew McFarland, Asylum Farm, belonging 

 to the State, at Jacksonville, gold medal. This 

 is really a model farm, of which our citizens and 

 tax payers shoiJd be proud. J. S. Sherman, 

 Rockford, $15 00. 



BEST 40 ACRES. 



K. K. Jones, Quincy, gold metal. 



The Committee commended this farm very 

 highly. Mr. Jones has had no training as a 

 farmer until he purchased this farm two years 

 since, his early years were spent in the city of 

 Chicago, where he graduated to the lumber dis- 

 tricts of Wisconsin. Being enamoured of the 

 prairies of our State he removed to Quincy and 

 purchased the farm in question. 



With his own energy and good sense, aided 

 with a liberal use of agricultural books and 

 journals, he has carved a home out of one of 

 our delapidated worn out farms that now stands 

 a model among small farms. Old Fogies must 

 wake up or the book farmers \\'iU carry off the 

 prizes. ' ' 



John Cook, of Springfield, $15 00. Mr. 

 Cook is another of the active book farmers ; the 

 modest and unassuming Recording Secretary of 

 the State Board. Louis Clapp, of Lee Center, 

 was highly commended. With all three of these 

 farms the Committee were well pleased. 



"Best arranged and economically conducted 

 Prairie Farm" — A, & O. Barnard, of Blooming- 

 ton, gold metal. This farm was the one to 

 which a special premium was awarded for the 

 large field of pouitoes. 



"Best arranged and cultivated nursery of 

 fruit and ornamental trees, plants and shrubs" 

 -—Lewis Ellsworth & Co., Naperville, $20 00, 

 M. L. Dunlap, AVest Urbana, $10 00. 



"Best arranged and cultivated nursery of 

 grafted apple trees from one to four years old" 

 — 0. B. Galusha, Lisbon, $20 00, J. S. Sher- 

 man, Rockford, $10 00. 



"Best show of one and two year old grafted 

 apple trees"— Overman & Mann, Bloomington, 

 $10 00, S. G. ilinkler, Spring Grove, Kendall 

 County, $5 00. 



PLOWING MATCH. 



Fifteen teams entered. J. D. Brewster, Peru, 

 $15 00, Amos Washburn, Freeport, $8 00. 



Hugh Hulls claimed the gold medal offered for 

 the "best improved farm for all purposes. Hia 

 statement is interesting, and we copy it; 



60 acres of Spring Wheat, 1132 bush., 80c f 905 TO 



35 acres Oats, lT;i5bu><h., Snc 53050 



26 acres Com, 600 bush., 40c WS 00 



IX acres Potatoes, 120 bush., 40c 48 00 



40 acres Clover, 40 tons. f4 160 00 



la) bush. Clover Seed, f.^ 750 00 



&5bush. Timothv Seed, f2 70 «)0 



120 tons Timothy Hay, $4 480 00 



40 head of Cattle ., ] 



15 head of Horses I looo aa 



8 head of Sheep f '■^^^ ^ 



9 head of Hogs J 



900 B)3. Butter, ISc 162 00 



Pork 00 00 



Total $461410 



Pretty good for a farm of 200 acres, worked 

 at an expense of $420 for labor. Some very 

 plain talk was had on this and some other state- 

 ments, which it would not be proper to repeat 

 here, inasmuch as the Board directed the sub- 

 ject to be investigated by the President, and a 

 report made upon the facts, 



Ex-President Webster was much aggrieved 

 that the Board would not concur in his recom- 

 mendation to award a special premium on some- 

 body's two year old colt, shown in harness. The 

 Board thought that the colt list would answer 

 very well, as they had no disposition to encour- 

 age two year olds in harness. 



The Corresponding Secretary was directed to 

 get up a printed certificate of awards, and to fill 

 them up for those entitled to them, certifying 

 for what the awards were given. This is an 

 excellent move, and shows that the Board is out 

 of leading strings. 



In the miscellaneous department, the awards 

 will be, in all ca.ses, "Commendation," and 

 "High Commendation." 



There were no entries for Chinese Sugar Cane 

 in any of its forms. None for rj-e, buckwheat, 

 fail barley, hemp, flax, broom com or millet 

 seed ; and no awards made for dairy, though 

 several were entere<l, not being considered vor- 

 thy — and the same of artificial groves. We 

 think the committee must have had a high 

 standard to pass over some of those we wot of. 



FAWKES' STEAM PLOW. 



The discussions on this subject occupied the 

 evening until a late hour, and resulted in the 

 following resolution : 



Sesolred, That the President be directed to make a report 

 Of the trials of Fawkes' Steam Plow at Freeport and Chicago, 

 for publication, and also the reasons for donating J. W. 

 Fawkes $1,500. 



It was further understood that the addition of 

 overhauling the report of the scientific commit- 

 tee would be in order, and we may, therefore, 

 look forward to a little raising of the ■«eil from 

 the brow of science. 



The business to-morrow will be unimportant, 

 and we close om* notes at this point. 



