THE ILLINOIS F^RjMER. 



79 



TnK PnACiT BoREK. — A writer from Indiana, in the 

 Gardener's Jfoiii/ili/, says: "L;i?t year I mulched a quantity 

 of peach trees with weeds cut from otlior parts of Uie gi-)und, 

 and around many of them tlie ra'; wood was mostly cmiiloy- 

 ed. In the fall, none of those with the rag weed mulch had a 

 borer in them. I do not know what peculiar virtue there 

 may be in the possession of tlie rag weed that should give il 

 this protective power." The peach borer is becoming veiy 

 destructive and any remedy that will accomplish the purpose 

 will be of great benefit. We hope the rag weed will do it, for 

 it is of no other value. 



Applks Identical. — Eciuiraitely, Buckingham, Fall Queen. 

 Dr. Warder last year pronounced the two last «y>i. The 

 Berry, Wall, Sumerous and Nickajack are the same. Tliis 

 last the Patent OfTice has distributed largely. We have trees 

 growing of the cions sent out. Haywood's June, and Pear 

 Mississippi and Gloria Mundi. Such is the opinion of North 

 Carolina nurserymen who have grown the trees side by side 

 in nurseries, and who have fmited them. 



Wheki.ek, Mrlick & Go's. Tiiba.shers — These valuable 

 machines have a well established fame in the grain growing 

 world, and we take pleasure in introducing them to the 

 readers of the Farmer. They will find them made in a most 

 superior manner and of excellent material, and cannot fail 

 of giving the most entire satisfaction. With this thrasher the 

 farmer can thrash his grain, without having an army of men 

 lounging about every time one of the big humbugs breaks 

 down. They will also find a saving of grain, as well as labor, 

 to say nothing of their great durability, compactness and 

 ease of handling. 



The Small Frcit-s — or what should be called the staple 

 fruits — are beginning to attract the attention that they 

 deserve. Their increased use is making thera decrease in 

 market, and hence the dcman<l is calling attention to their 

 increased culture. ITovei/'ft Magazine of Horticulture says: 

 "They are yearly becoming scarcer in our markets, and com- 

 mand a higher price. Even our most common wild fniit, the 

 Whortleberry, commands from ten to twenty cents per quart, 

 when twenty-five years ago they could be had in abundance 

 from four to eight cents. The wild Blackberry and Rasp- 

 berry, which formerly reached our markets in quantities, are 

 now bought up in advance for the manufacture of jams and 

 jellies; and the Currant, heretofore plentiful enough, is cora- 

 ming rapidly into demand for the same purpose; so that ere 

 long, unless the cultivation of each of those fruits is greatly 

 increased, there will be a scanty supply in comparison witli 

 the demand." 



Early Chickens. — The chicken crop is one of more im- 

 portance than most people give credit for. Early chickens 

 are worth double those of later hatching, lioth l)ecause they 

 make better fowls, and are more liktjy to bo healthy and lose 

 loss by diseases in rai^^ing. We made mention last fall, of the 

 fine pair of game fowls, purchased of II. W. White, at the 

 !>tate Fair. The hen, a most queenly bird, laid her first egg 

 in mid-winter, and kept right on till she had given us seven- 

 teen eggs, and then took to setting on the 20th of February. 

 Punctual to a day, she brought off her brood on the 12th of 

 March. Very proud was madam Cleopatra of her perform- 

 ance, and in three days the chicks could fly like sparrows. 

 Such gamy little birds we never saw before, and not one of 

 them has drooped a moment since. The hen is a capital nurse 

 anil protector, for though she will allow us to draw our hand 

 over her glossy plumage, she will strike out like an arrow 

 with her serpent-like neck, to the length of half a yard, if 

 the dog or rabbits put their impudent faces within her range. 



The above we clip from the Ohio Cultivator. Well Cul., 

 those chicks of yours are pretty lively little fellows and we 

 must bespeak a pair of them for our heuery. We have a few 

 Creoles, good layers and wide-a-awake, but they don't think 

 of ^ing until half grown. When we call chick, chick, with a 

 pan full of wet up meal in hand, we like to see the little fel- 

 lows come flying at our call, but since the lubberly Shanghies 

 have usurped the barnj-ard we have given up chicken feeding 

 to a big box of corn, which we have filled up with the aid of 



a scoop shovel. 



Scientific Artizan, Cixcixxati, Ohio. — This enterprising 

 weekly has some how missed us the past two months. We 

 cannot well do without it. It deservei a liberal support from 

 the mechanics of tlic west. Published by the American 

 Patent Company, Cincinnati, Ohio; $1 50 a year. -■■ 



Cox k rtoBERT's Patent Turasher and Cleaner. — Our 

 St. Louis neighbors are disposed to enter the field of competi- 

 tion among manufacturers of machines for our farmers. This 

 favorite machine is sold by Kingsland& Ferguson, proprietors 

 of the most e.xtensive foundry and machine shop in St. Louis. 

 Sec their advertisement. 



Faiubask's Scales. — By the card of E. B. Pease, it will be 

 seen that these valuable and highly popular scales are for .sale 



in Si)ringfield. We have one of them in use weighing l,20i) j 



pounds and a post office balance, which we consider uU that j 



could be required of a scale. They are well made, of the | 



best material. ' 



Piatt's Ditcher. — We have heard nothing from this ditcher 

 since it was on exhibition last fall on our premises. Tile and 

 mole draining should be freely discussed ; if tile wins, the 

 ditcher will be wanted, if not, Mr. Piatt must turn his hand 

 to sometliing else. 



Colored Plate.? of Fruits. — We are in receipt of catalogue 

 of colored fruits by D. M. Dewy, and shall be able to speak 

 more fully of them next month. 



Land Rollers. — >Ve have one of Atwater'* land rollers, 

 and find it a valuable machine. To corn planters, we say 



most decidedly, roll your corn land iftcr planting. S«e his 

 advertisement. 



Hadnkman Medical Coll»gb. — ^^Ve are in receipt of the 

 first annual anouncemcnt of this new college, located at 

 Chicago. There are eight professors, several of whom we are 

 well acfiuainted with, and who stand high in their profession. 

 This new pathy has now a place among the, institutions of the 

 day, and is not disposed to be eitlier laughed down or frown- 

 ed down. "Who shall decide wiien Doctors disagree?" la 

 such case, we can only throw physic to the dogs and get well 

 on our own hook. For our.self, we prefer plenty of ripe fruits 

 and vegetablesto Doctor's diet. 



CATALOGua OF CoLUMBCs NcRSEKT, Omo.— Sir. Batcham 

 presents a tempting lot of nursery stock to western planters. 

 AVehad the pleasure of meeting him at Bloomington last win- 

 ter, and had a pleasant interchange of fruit gossip. He has 

 been long identified with the west, and stands high in his pro 

 fession. 



SwEBT PoTATOE CULTURE, by J. W. Tenbrook, now ready 

 for distribution, price 2.5 cents. Address J. W. Tenbrook, 

 Rockville, Indiana, or any of his agents sprouting sweet pota- 

 toes. It is a very valuable work. 



Evergreen Tree Peddlers. — The annual infliction of 

 dead evergreens is now being duely attended to throughout 

 the State, and at almost every village, one of these venders of 

 forest evergreens, with sod attachment, are to be found deal- 

 ing thera out to the greenies at the rate of one Itit and up- 

 wards, each ; just as they can light with chances. How many 

 years this will continue we cannot say. We would be sorry 

 to have the "fool-killor" pass through our village jards and 

 farm house grounds, this month or the next, as the sickly 

 l)inc3 might attract him to places that we would like to have 

 him pass by for the time, as we have hopes of rescuing some 



of them at no distant day. 



Southern Illinois Horticultural Societv. — Tliis society 

 is to hold a fair, May22d and 2.3d, at Centralia, so says the 

 Centralia Rcjnihlic. From the proceedings of the last meet- 

 ing, we think it will prove an interesting time, and we would 

 urge our more northern friends to be present on the occasion. 

 They will meet a most cordial welcome. 



Sale of Stock at Summit Farm. — Mayor Wentworth, of 

 Chicago, has sold from his Summit Farm, in Cook county, his 

 Durham Bull (Mars) to Mr. Morgan, Ainsworth Station, Cook 

 county; his Devon Bull (Jupiter) to Dwight Freeman, Gen- 

 eseo, Henry connty ; an aged Suffolk boar to T. B. Irwin, 

 Paw Paw Michigan ; a young Suffolk boar to Geo. White, 

 Tacusa, Christian county, Illinois ; three sows to Gen. J.-C. 

 Bennett, Polk City, Iowa; a pair to Isaac T. Henderson, 

 Middleton, Logan county, Illinois ; a pair to W. W. W. 

 Watts, Clarkesvillo, Missouri ; a pair to D. Pardee, Garlyle, 

 Clinton county, Illinois. Two fine engravings of some of his 

 remaining stock arc unavoidably crowded out of this numljer. 



Knox County Fair^s to be held at Knoxville, Septembe 

 25th, 26th, 27th and 2Sth; Thos. Moeir, Secretary. 



Chase's Hand Books. — We see by the Chicago dailies that 

 the second number of this series of booklets is out of press, 

 but for some reason they have not as yet reached our rural 

 sanctum. 



Thb Sap-Scckeb. — Some considerable discussion has been 

 had in relation to this bird, some aver that he bores into the 

 bark for the purpose of extracting the grubs ; others, that he 

 sucks tlie sap. Our private opinion is, that he is an arrant 

 rascal ami digs the holes for the purpose of eating the bark. 

 We have no idea that he has paid any attention to the study 

 of grubology, and that he makes his dinner on the apples, the 

 ])oplars and the pears, without more regard to the value than 

 did Cleopatra when she had the jewel dissolved in vinegar to 

 give her a relish. Boys, give them the shot and teach them 

 better habits. Miss Pomona will bear you out, for she has no 

 idea of having her best trees spoiled in this way. 



Atlanta Usion Cesteal AG:RiciLTraAL Societt.— The 



counties of Logan, Tazewell, McLean and DeWitt, or parts 



of Hum at leaf^t, have united in foruiing the above society, 

 witli Hon. .\. W. Morcun, of Logan, President, and Hon. J. 



A. Mills, Corresponding Secretary, with a full board of other 

 oflicers. So says the Lincoln Herald. 



Premium List of Illtnois State Agricultural, Societt. 

 — This list is now in the hands of the printers, and will be 

 soon forthcoming. We will predict in advance, that it is the 

 best list offered by the society ; not that it is as large as it 

 might be, but that it is judiciously distributed among the sev- 

 eral departments of agricultural and horticultural industry. 



Skwiso Machines. — We call the attention of our readers 

 to the manifesto of Messrs. J. W. Littlefield & Co., on the out- 

 side page of the Farmer. Sewing machines have become 

 among the acknowledged institutions of the age, and among 

 the great variety offered by this house, some of them cannot 

 fail to please the most critical. We would as soon think of 

 doing without our spade in the garden as to have the wife forego 

 the iron fingers that ply the busy needle, which never tires. 

 The matching of steel against muscles, in this most laborious 

 department of female labor, is a great triumph of the genui 

 man. Until within a few years, and since grandmother Ere 

 sewed the ./f^ leaf apron with the hawthorn needle, her 

 daughters and grand daughters have had to ply the needle 

 with waste of health, but now the task is made easy with one 

 of these ti-iumphs of genius. 



Laterino the Grape. — This is* very simple procesf, and 

 not yet as well understood as it ought to be. Last year we 

 engaged of a friend the layers of a valuable seedling grape ; 

 we supposed him fully posted as to the moduli operandi, but 

 to our bitter disappointment found him a mere novice in the 

 art. He applied to a German vine dresser to layer it, and 

 this man buried the long vines six inches deep the whole 

 length, leaving out the, tops of the shoots. The result was 

 that they did not take root, and of course we had no rooted 

 plants, nor even cuttings. An excellent way is to dig a 

 trench, say two inches deep, and at the bottom of this put 

 down the vine ; as soon as good strong shoots are thrown up 

 from the joints they should be covered with earth, but only 

 at the joint ; these will send out roots, and thus a single vine 

 will produce a large number of layers, in fact, nearly every 

 bud will send up its shoot for a layer. When vines are cover- 

 ed deeply, they will not take root so readily, and are of little 

 value. A space next the parent vine must be left exposed, 

 and but a few inches of the vine at any one point should t>« 

 covered with earth. 



Purple Cane Raspberry.— Chas. Rasensteil, of Fereport, 

 has for several years cultivated this variety, and finds it hardy 

 and productive. It is valuable both for the table and for 

 wine ; specimens of which he exhibited at the last State Fair, 

 and which was pronounced by good judges to be superior. 

 We think this rasjjberry is destined to have a great run at the 

 north, on account of its adaptation to the climate. Mr. R 

 sent us two hundred plants, which, with those from Dr. War- 

 der, will make us a good plantation, and upon which we look 

 forward to many a pleasant dish of this delicious fruit. Dr. 

 W. writes us that he has sent a large amount of these plants 

 overour State the past months Persons desiring them will 

 please take a hint where they "are to be had, but we adriseyou 

 not to be fooled with bogus plants from the peddlers, whoof 

 course will have the Purple Cane— all but the purple. 



A Change. — Last j'ear we visited the home of S. Francis 

 former Editor of the Farmer. The yard was filled with 

 shrubbery; the grape vines were loaded with fruit, and the 

 whole presented a picture of beauty and of home enjoyment* 

 to be envied. But oiu- friend is now in a far off realm, where 

 " rolls the Oregon. " The shrubbery, the roses and the grape- 

 vines have vanished ; the giant apple tree stretches it wide 

 arms over the desolation of beauty and is shedding its coronet 

 of fading bloom over the ravished grounds ; the cedars stand 

 forth as sentinels on the outposts ; the Osage orange hedge, so 

 nicely trimmed and woven into a solid wall, bristling with 

 dangerous spikelets, is bursting its buds, while a dozen sturdy 

 men are busy placing rollers under the foundation of the 

 house, preparatory to sending it to the suburbs to give place 

 to the new City Hall. The pioneer who toiled and delved 

 when this was the hither west, who carved out a home, has 

 gone west with the west, and again sits him down on the shores 

 of the now hither west, beyond which rolls the billows of the 

 broad Pacific. Long time will it be before he can carve out 

 another such a gem of glowing beauty as the home that he 

 left, and now all dismantled. The owner has pone to the sub- 

 urbs of civilization and the homestead to the suburbs of the 

 city. And this is change, in this changing world of ours. 



E.xchanges. — Will our exchanges please remember that the 

 Editor resides at West Crbana, in Champaign county, and 

 that e.xchanges to reach him should be directed "Farmer," 

 West Urbana, Illinois, and not Springfield. All communica- 

 tions for the eye of the Editor should be also directed to that 

 oflice. Busiuess letters and those pertaining to subscriptions, 

 should be directed to the Publishers, Messrs. Bailhache & 

 Baker, Springfield, Illinois. 



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