THE ILLIISrOIS F-^RMIER. 



48 



below zero three times this winter. The 

 peach buds are safe, On the highest knobs 

 the cold is less than in the vallejs, often two 

 degrees difference in one hundred and 

 seyenty-fiye feet. The buds on the high 

 land being in a dry atmosphere are less 

 liable to be killed. Egypt. 



South Pass, Union County, Jan. 19, 1860. 

 ■1 



For th* lUinoii Farmer. 



Mr. Editor : We have a Bohool libra- 

 ry here, and one of the books is, "Pear 

 Culture,*' by Field. This writer seems 

 to think that the Angers quince is much 

 better than any other kind of stocks on 

 which to work the pear. Now. I wish to 

 know if we can get any dwarf trees con- 

 veniently that are really growing on that 

 identical variety of quince root or stock, 

 and what the price and where obtained ? 



0, if I could only raiie some nice 

 pears, how happy I should be ! And 

 it might make my boys happy too. 



X. 



Bates, 111., Jan. 10th, 1860. 



Remarks. — The Angers quince is now 

 mainly used, upon which to work the 

 pear. Good trees can be had at most of 

 our nurseries. If you will order a cata- 

 logue from any of the parties in our ad- 

 vertising columns, the needed informa- 

 tion will be obtained. We shall devote 

 some space to pear culture before the 

 season of planting. 



Last season we grew over a bushel of 

 luscious pears on three year old trees, 

 planted in the spring of 1859. A large 

 number of these containing from one to 

 half a dozen specimens, made our yard 

 look rather pleasant, and the trees are 

 again filled with fruit buds. We say most 

 distinctly that dwarf pears are a living 

 reality, but you must know when, where 

 and how to plant them. Special ma- 

 nures and pear quackery has well nigh 

 ruined this valuable fruit. Dry feet 

 deep, and thorough tillage and protec- 

 tion is what we want. — Ed. 



NBPOKgBT, BuBB^u Oo., Feb. Mth, 1880. 



M. Id. Bunlap^ Editor 111. Farmer: 



Dbar Sir — I hare read with great 

 pleasure your communications in the 

 Fre9» and Tribune^ and some time last 

 fall you mentioned an attachment that 

 could be affixed to the end of the plow 

 beam, for the purpose of burying corn 

 stalks and rubbish, out of the way of 

 after cultivation. Either my skull is 

 thick or you were not sufficiently expli- 

 cit, for I confess as yet I do not under- 

 stand your plan. 



As we farmers are in the very general 



habit of planting com after corn, we 



find the old rubbish very much in the 



way of cultivating the young corn. Last 



ear, not owning one myself, I hired a 



cornstalk cutter, a simple roller, with 

 horizontal knives that cut the stalks into 

 pieces of about foot in length. This 

 takes too much time in a busy season, 

 besides these short pieces are not well 

 covered, and as a consequence, do not 

 rot quickly... 



Will you have the kindness to have 

 published in the April number of your 

 journal, a diagram (hope you have no 

 patent applied for) of your Rubbish 

 Attachment, or any other way in which 

 it can be understood by the mass of your 

 readers. 



As I am a new subscriber, and have 

 only seen the January number, having 

 just remitted my subscription, perhaps 

 you have already elucidated this subject. 

 Wishing success to yourself and journal, 

 ^'.:-;.,.^:.;.::\: ;■;-.; E. Stetson. 



TikQ'weed hook is a piece of bar iron 

 two inches wide and three-eights of an 

 inch thick, two feet long and curved. 

 This is fastened to the under side of th^ 

 beam with a strap or clasp, just for- 

 ward of the mould board, and at right 

 angles to the beam, and so placed that 

 the outside end will pass along in the 

 furrow, and not permit any stalks to go 

 beyond the reach of the upturning fur- 

 row. We intended to have had a draw- 

 ing of it for this number, but have not 

 done so, but will have it for the April 

 number. No patent is or will be applied 

 for. Its tost is but trifling, and it can- 

 not fail to please. — Ed. 



From the Pantagraph. 



State Nataral History Society. 



Editor Pantagraph — Dear Sir: — 

 Allow me to present through the columns 

 of the Pantagraph for the gratification 

 of many of our fellow-citizens some of 

 the results of the scientific survey of the 

 State, a work whichhas been undertaken 

 by the Illinois Natural History Society. 



This work was commenced in July 

 1858, directly after the organization of 

 the Society, and has continued without 

 interruption, except for the winter 

 months. The whole number of speci- 

 mens collected, including minerals, fos- 

 sils, shells, plants, insects, birds, rep- 

 tiles; including also foreign collections 

 — is not far from 60,000. Of these a 

 small portion only have been sent to 

 Bloomington, the larger portion being 

 at various points in the State, awaiting 

 the completion of the museum room of 

 the Society in the Normal University. 



The collection of insects by B. D. 

 Walsh, of Rock Island — our principal 

 etomologist, — during the past summer, 

 is quite extensive, — numbering 10,000 

 specimens — which represent about 2,000 

 species. These have all been taken by 

 him in their peculiar habitats; most by 

 day, while the work of preparing and 

 putting up in cases has been done at 

 night, after the pursuits of the day 



were over. It is difficult to show an in- 

 stance of greater energy and success. 

 His study of insect-life and the relations 

 to fruits and grains will doubtless have 

 an important bearing on our horticultur- 

 al and agricultural interests. The col- 

 lection of plants is not less extensive; 

 several floras have been added to our 

 own. In this department the work at 

 home has been done by Dr. Geo. Yasey, 

 Dr. Mead, Dr. Brendel and M. S. Bebb 

 and a few others. The collection of 

 Dr. Vasey is already arranged for the 

 purpose of instruction or reference. 



Of shells from our various rivers, 

 lakes, ponds &c., including also several 

 foreign collections, we have about 6,000. 

 These are not arranged or classified — a 

 work requiring much time and careful 

 study. Prof. Sheldon, of Iowa, J. W. 

 Powell, Dr. Clark, of Rockford, M. S. 

 Babb, of Salem, and Dr. Roe, of this 

 city, have been the principal contribu- 

 tors to the home collection. We have 

 obtained besides, several valuable col- 

 lections from the Sandwich Islands, 

 West Indies, Key West, and the Atlan- 

 tic States; including corals, corallines, 

 starfishes, echini, &c., &c. 



In the department of geology, includ- 

 ing minerals, ores, coals, and fossils, our 

 estimates are somewhat uncertain as to 

 the number of specimens. Besides our 

 home cabinets of ores, we have received 

 several large shipments from other 

 States, as follows: Pennsylvania, Mis- 

 souri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and also from 

 Lake Superior. 



The collection of crystals, spars, car- 

 bonates, silicates, dendirtes, &c., (or 

 crystals of manganese) is not only ex- 

 tensive but very beautiful. Several rich 

 localities have been discovered during 

 the past season. An attack has not 

 been made on our fishes, reptiles, turtles, 

 &c. We shall invade their moist re- 

 treats as the season comes on. A letter 

 from Prof. Baird, of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitute, informs me that a general collec- 

 tion of the reptiles of Illinois, made by 

 Robert Kennicott, will be sent to our 

 Society, on his return from the Russian 

 Possessions. Ornithology, or the Birds 

 of Illinois, is for the most part under 

 the care of Richard H. Holder, of this 

 city, whose skill in taxidermy needs no 

 commentr We may safely say that the 

 work thus begun by the Natural History 

 Society, has some hope of ultimate suc- 

 cess. With no State Treasury to sus- 

 tain us, as is usual in all surveys of this 

 kind, with no incentive except the al- 

 ternative of success or failure, with 

 simply, the encouragement of our fellow 

 citizens who feel some pride in Illinois, 

 iVe have thus far cheerfully sustained the 

 work for which the Society was ojgan- 

 ized. Truly yours, CD. Wilbek, 

 Supt. for Ills. Nat. His. Society. 



Bloomington, Jan. 23, 1860. 



