THE iLLiisrois f^iim:eii. 



63 



vord) containg several species occasion- 

 ally found in Illinois, which often do 

 the farmer serious injury. The Ameri- 

 can Panther, {Felis concolor) and the 

 American Wild Cat, {Lynx rufus) al- 

 though exceedingly scarce, yet are occa- 

 sionally met with in the heavily timbered 

 districts. The Wolf, (Cawzs occidenta- 

 lis) although fast retreating before the 

 hunter's rifle and the sound of the wood- 

 man's axe, occasionally makes sad havoc 

 in the sheep-fold. The Prairie Wolf, 

 ( Cants latrans,) once abundant on our 

 broad prairies, is now but seldom seen. 

 The Red Fox, ( Ulpes fulvus) may be 

 found in the northern part of the State, 

 but does not often occur in the southern 

 or middle portion. 



The Gray Fox, ( Vulpus virginianus) 

 although frequently found throughout 

 the State, is not sufficiently abundant to 

 give the farmers much uneasiness. 



The common Weasel, {Putorious no- 

 vehoracensis) often gives such fatal evi- 

 dence of his prespnce that he is dreaded 

 by the good housewife who prides her- 

 self in the amount and beauty of her 

 poultry. An insatiate villian seems to 

 have nanght in view but to slay his vic- 

 tims. Blood, blood; is all he seeks, and 

 but few houses or coops are sufficiently 

 close to prevent his ingress. 



The common Mink, {Putorious vison) 

 is a close relation of the weasel, and is 

 possessed of the bad traits of that sly 

 scamp. Although, while living, he is an 

 enemy to be feared, yet after death his 

 soft fur yields a partial return for the 

 wrongs he has committed. Notwitstand- 

 ing thousands are annually sacrified for 

 their furs, yet considerable numbers are 

 to be found especially in the southern 

 part of the State. 



The Skunk, [Mephitis mephtiica) al- 

 though a beautiful little animal, from 

 the horrible odor that accompanies hlra, 

 and his thieving habits, has caused his 

 name to become a word of reproach. 



The Raccoon, {Procyon lotor) is an 

 enemy too well known to every farmer's 

 son to need any description here. Al- 

 though his food Is chiefly frogs, birds, 

 mice and insects; yet he is exceeding 

 fond of the young juicy corn, and to 

 gratify this taste, often does great inju- 

 ry to the corn-field. The only atone- 

 ment this pest makes for his thefts, is, 

 after death to yield his furs to be worn 

 by those more worthy to receive their 

 warmth. 



The Black Bear, ( Ursus American- 

 us) is occasionally met with in the south- 

 ern part of the State, yet it does not ex- 

 ist in sufficient numbers to occasion any 

 uneasiness in the minds of our farmers. 

 In fact it is so rapidly disappearing be- 

 fore our increasing population, that it is 

 a treat to the hunters to hear of a bear 

 in the neighborhood. 



The next order of the mammalia 



(^Marsupiata) has but one representative 

 in the State, and that is the well known 

 Opossum, {jDidelphys virginiana). This 

 singular animal should be closely studied 

 not only to combat his mischievous hab- 

 its, but on account of his peculiar char- 

 acteristics. It is a species of that strange 

 order of animals, which appear to be 

 the remnant of the fauna of a former 

 world. So marked an distinct are their 

 characteristics that some naturalists have 

 arranged them in a separate class. Aus- 

 tralia is the abode of the great majority 

 of the species of this order; The Opos- 

 sum exists in considerable numbers in the 

 timbered portions of this State; and of- 

 ten makes destructive forars into the 

 poultry yard- His food consists chipfly 

 of insects, small reptiles, birds, birds' 

 eggs, and persimmons. 



The next order (Rodentia) contains 

 the Squirrels, Gophers, Ground Hogs, 

 Rats, Mice, Rabbits, <S:c., and is so nu- 

 merously represented in Illinois, that we 

 will pass it for the presents 



The next order, {Edentata) has no 

 living representative in Illinois, the only 

 representative in North America being 

 the Texas Armadillo. 



The next order {Pachyde?^mata) is al- 

 so without any native repre>.entative in 

 the State. It is to this order that our 

 common hog belongs. 



The order {Solidungula) although 

 without any native representatives is 

 represented by the horse which has been 

 introduced. 



The next order, (Ru]vnvANTiA) is the 

 last of the terrestrial mammals, and con- 

 tains the common Virginia Deer {Cervut 

 virginianus). This species is too well 

 known to require any description, and 

 can scarcely be considered injurious. 



The other orders, {Pinnipedia and 

 Cetacea) live chiefly in the sea and as a 

 ttracLer of course are without our bounds. 



Cyrus Thomas. 



MuRPHYSBoRO, 111., March 24, 1860. 



The readers, as well as the editor of 

 the Farmer, will thank Mr. Thomas for 

 his very interesting article, and we hope 

 that amid his other labors, he will find 

 time to continue the subject. It is time 

 that the farmer knew his enemies from 

 his friends among the Mammalia and 

 the Insectivora, and no one is better 

 qualified for the task of giving this 

 branch of natural history a practical 

 verification than our close observing 

 friend, Cyrus Thomas. 



g^Faith is a fruit of grace, from whence 

 spring all the sweet flowers of joy and peace. 

 Faith is like the bee ; it will siick sweetness of 

 every flower ; it will extract light out of darkness, 

 comforts out of distresses, mercies out of mis- 

 eries, wine out of water, honey out of the rock, 

 and meat out of the e%ter. 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



Dear reader, we are once more at your fireside, and holding 

 familiar converse with you, and we hope these our monthly 

 viaita will not only prove pleasant, but profitable to us all. 

 During the month we are gathering up a store of information, 

 which the busy fingers of the silent compositor has put in 

 form, and over which the iron fingers of the steam press has 



drawn the virgin sheet, now bearing the impress of thought, 



that speaics to you, in the thousands of homes where we make 

 our monthly vitdts. 



The aid that you have thug far given the new editor, In the 

 numerous facts that you have presented him in person and by- 

 letter, has, we hope, been duly appreciated, and the material V! 

 aid that you have contributed to the publishers in the pay-, "^ 

 ment of back dues, the renewing of subscriptions, and e«pee> • 

 ially the large number of new ones, has been to them pleasant - . 

 — very pleasant, indeed — and they authorise us to eay, thai 

 the paper shall be improved in illostrations, aa4 otherwise.. 



The encouragement the Famitr has met mace the begin- 

 ning of the new year, is of the most gratifying kind, and we 

 hope the ball will roll on, until it shall be a welcome vimtor 

 to every farmer's fireside in Central and Southern lUinois, at 

 least. In this State there are about one thousand post offices. 

 Now, a club of ten at each ofiSce, will make an edition of ten 

 thousand, just the number the publishers hope to reach be- 

 fore the russet leaves shall again whirl in the autumn eddies. 

 Send in the clubs, we can write all the better with an increased 

 number of readers, and we expect to become quite eloquent 

 before the end of the year. 



Thb Ohio Farmbr. — This old and well conducted paper, has 

 of late been doubling its editorial force. The announcement 

 is as follows; "Married in Cleveland, March 7. Thomas 

 Brown, editor of the Oliio Farmer, and Miss Sarah Beards- 

 lee." 



A wise arrangement, friend Brown, and shows that talent 

 can be appreciated and placed in its proper position. Wa 

 hope that "Althea" will continue her contributions, and that 

 the Farmer may yet have a bouquet of " Altheas." 



Transactions of Ohio Pomological Socibtt. — We have 

 not the space to make such extracts from this valuable report 

 as we would like, and must lay it over for next month. We 

 have sixty-four pages only — will Secretary Bateham please 

 send us the missing pages ? 



The Kural Annual 1800. — Thu »••* uuie booklet has 

 reached our table, from the oflBce of the Genesee F aimer. It 

 contains one hundred pages of valuable reading matter. The 

 engravings of Iruit and ornamental trees, and of insects, are 

 interesting features, and particularly valuable to the Western 

 reader. Address Joseph Harris, Rochester, N. Y., enclosing 

 25 cents in stamps, to which add 50 cents, if you wish a good 

 eastern agricultural journal, the Genessee Farmtr, now com- 

 mencing its 30th year. 



The Architects' ako Mecbanic's Jourital, is again on 

 our table. It is edited with evident ability, and we think 

 highly useful to those of our farmers and others who wish to 



erect convenient and tasty buildings. The design of a Gothic 

 Villa In this number, cannot fail to please the taste of our 

 western people, who have experienced the great value of am- 

 ple veranda about their houses. We, therefore, take pleasure 

 in commending it to our readers. See advertisement. 



EDrroRS Work.— The readers of the Farmer will bear in 

 mind that the editor is a practical farmer; that like other far- 

 mers, he must not only hold the plow, but drive, sow, plant, 

 hoe, and look after the farm, the garden, the nufsery, and the 

 orchard personally. Not that he does all the work, for this 

 would be out of the question; but he must give all of these 

 much of his attention, and therefore, has no time to write fine 

 well-turned editorials, or get up dissertations full of learni d 

 agriculture, but at Intervals of leisure and absolute trenchingt 

 on his other duties, he can only note down those practical re- 

 sults for the readers of the Farmer in which he is personally 

 engaged, and which he is practically demonstrating. If you 

 want speculative farming, you will have to apply elsewherA. 



Bloominoton Ncrsbbt. — We would call the attentldn of 

 tree planters, to the very large variety of trees, plant* and 

 shrubs at this establishment. Send for a catalogue, and you 

 will receive much valuable information in regard to tree 

 planting. Mr. P. is one of the live, progresdve men of tb« 



WiiKLT Illinois State Journal. — We do'not attempt to 

 make the Farmer a family newspaper, or to give the politi- 

 cal news of the day. Hence, every farmer who takes it, is 

 supposed to read a neicnpaper In addition to his agricultural 

 journal. To fill up this void, the State Joiimal is expressly 

 Intended. It is published at the State capital, and is, of 

 course posted on State affairs. See advertistrment. 





