THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



105 



vancemeut of a State, than the care be- 

 stowed upon the unfortuate, the insane, 

 tho blind, the deaf and dumb, and the 

 unfortunate poor. The Insane Asylum 

 is under the charge of Dr. Athon, 

 Superintendent, assisted by Drs. Barnes 

 and Dunlap, jun. The buildings are 

 large, well ventilated and conveniently 

 arranged, and now contains over three 

 hundred patients, and yet it is too small 

 to admit all that have made application. 

 We passed through all the wards, din- 

 ing rooms, kitchen and cellar, and every- 

 where neatness and ttie strictest order 

 prevailed. With such a motly and almost 

 ungovernable set of boarders as are 

 here congregated, it is surprising how 

 they could be kept anywhere within 

 bounds, but throughout the whole estab- 

 lishment, Ave could detect nothing like a 

 prison smell, even in the wards of the 

 most wretched of the unfortunates. 

 We would like to see some of our hotel 

 keepers passed through this establish- 

 ment, that the blush of shame might 

 mantle their cheek, and they return 

 home with a determination to air their 

 rooms, and clean up the garbage about 

 their kitchen, so that sane men might 

 have some of the comforts of home ; 

 and not a few of our farmers and farm- 

 er wives might take lessons in good 

 house-keeping and neat house grounds. 

 Neatness here is a virtue redolent of 

 health, that tends to restore lost reason, 

 and is the great curator, combined with 

 kindness that enables the officers to re- 

 store a large percentage, to the useful 

 walks of life. To the hospital is at- 

 tached a farm and garden, which pro- 

 duces most of the vegetables, m,ilk and 

 forage required. Nearly thirty of the 

 patients were out at work planting pota- 

 toes and other work, of course they are 

 not the best hands in the world, but it 

 gives them employment, and thus has a 

 beneficial effect, and at the same time 

 makes them to some extent useful. The 

 grounds ai'e naturally beautiful, and with 

 a little of the landscape gardeners art 

 would be magnificent and a pride to the 

 State; but thus far the Legislature have 

 shown a want of taste in this regard, 

 and the few trees that adorn the house 

 grounds have been the donation of indi- 

 viduals. A large number of shrubs, 

 roses and plants have been obtained in 

 this way and extended by divission, un- 

 til the grounds immediately around the 

 house presents a fine display of horti- 

 cultural taste. With the good taste, en- 

 ergy, and perseverance of Dr. Athon, 

 aided by a few hundred dollars from the 

 Treasury of the State, these grounds 

 would become a paradise, where in it 

 shady retreats, and amid its floral beau- 

 ties, the lost ones might all the sooner 

 be restored to their friends. Politicians 

 have from time to time attempted to use 

 this institution as a hobby horse, and to 



the contest growing out of it, we may 

 attribute the neglect of the grounds. 

 But a better day is dawning, and the 

 leafy treasure of God's love will soon 

 wave their banner of healing alons: the 

 walks and lawns of this most christian 

 and philanthropic institution of the 

 State. 



THE BLIND. 



The buildings are located in a plot of 

 four acres, just on the outskirts of the 

 city, and on a commanding rise; from the 

 top of the building we have a fine view 

 of the city, and of the forest that 

 stretches its wide arms far in either di- 

 rection, but whose deep masses is now 

 laid open to an intelligent population, 

 and through which the iron way pene- 

 trate in all directions. 



Dr. J. Mc Workman is the Superinten- 

 dant; under whoso charge the inmates 

 are making good prjgress. There are 

 some^ fifty patients nearly all of whom 

 are hopelessly blind. The pupils read 

 with surprising correctness, and have 

 considerable taste for music. It is in- 

 tended to not only educate them, but to 

 fit them for usefulness, that on being 

 discharged from the Institution, they can 

 support themselves. The boys make 

 brooms and brushes, the girls palm leaf 

 hats^ bead work, and knitting. The 

 bead work sells to visitors at a large 

 price, but it is a question whether the 

 making of hats will not prove the most 

 reliable when the pupils return home, 

 and among the rural population. 



It is interesting to see how they go, 

 from room to room, up stairs and down, 

 and through the grounds, with almost the 

 same facility as those who have the gift 

 of sight. In company with Dr. Dunlap, 

 Ben., we visited the different rooms, with- 

 out a word being said by him, they called 

 bim by name and gave him a cordial 

 greeting, they knew it was the step of a 

 stranger that^accompanyed him. Some 

 were reading, some taking music lessons, 

 others making beaijs. All appear in- 

 dustrious and happy. The art of read- 

 ing from raised letters is a great source 

 of pleasure to them, in which the deli- 

 cate nerves of the fingers seem as eyes, 

 and to hear them read without seeing 

 them, you would have no suspicion that 

 the light of heaven was shut out from 

 them. 



THE DEAF AND DUMB 



Asylum is under charge of Thomas 

 Mclntire, A. M., assisted by seven in- 

 structors. The boys work at cabinet 

 work and shoe making. The ground 

 had been laid out by a competant land- 

 scape gardener and planted with abund- 

 ant trees and shrubbery, but have been 

 neglected, a little brushing up would 

 make the place most beautiful, though 

 even now it is the pride of the citizens. 

 The buildings are well planned and con- 



venient. The library well filled, and like 

 the Insane and the Blind, neatness and 

 perfect ventilation is everywhere ap- 

 parent. 



In the mornig we leave for home, and 

 shall close our "trip'' by a short notice 

 of the railroads that carry the products 

 of the great heart of the State to the 

 seaboard. — Ed. 



[From the Qenesee Farmer.] 



The Currant or Gooseberry Worm.^ ■ 



The Gooseberry Worm (^A^ematus trtmac- 

 ulatus,) has already (May 10th,) made its 

 appearance here and commeuced its work 

 of destruction. In most gardens it is al- 

 lowed to take its course, to the total destruc- 

 tion of both fruit and bushes ; while others, 

 with commendable zeal, are combatting it 

 with all the methods ingenuity can suggest, 

 but we are sorry to say that in most cases the 

 little armies are the triumphant victors. 



The most usual methods employed to de- 

 stroy these worms, are, first, hand-picking 

 the bushes ; and this is the most effectual, 

 as it is also the most laborious and expen- 

 sive. It involves the necessity of looking 

 over every leaf, picking off the worms and 

 afterward destroying them; this operation 

 must be performed as often as any worms 

 show themselves — sometimes every day, and 

 again in two or three days. And this must 

 be followed up until late in the summer; a 

 day's neglect, or even a few hours, some- 

 times, will hazard great loss. 



Dusting the leaves with lime is often re- 

 sorted to, but as it is impossible that it 

 should be scattered on all the leaves, and 

 especially on the under sides, where the 

 worms generally are, it is really of but little 

 use. 



It has been suggested to us that a weak 

 solution of turpentine and water, thrown on 

 the bushes with a syringe, might prove effi- 

 cacious; but we have never heard of a trial 

 having been made with this, and of course 

 cannot give an opinion as to results. If any 

 should try this experiment, it will be neces- 

 sary to use the turpentine very weak, or it 

 will injure the foliage. The strength neces- 

 sary to destroy the worms can be tested by 

 using it on a few worms at first, and on one 

 plant, before making a general trial. 



On the whole, we can offer little encour- 

 agement for saving our useful currants and 

 gooseberries, but still hope that among all 

 the expedients resorted to for th« destruc- 

 tion af this peet, t:.at some effectual means 

 will be discovered. 



Last year we had a number of currant 

 bushes that were entirely denuded of leaves 

 in June by the caterpillars. We removed 

 them while in this state to another part of 

 the garden, thinking that they might escape 

 the second brood of caterpillers. The bushes 

 all lived and did well, putting out new leaves, 

 and escaped the caterpillers. They are now, 

 however, nearly as much infected as those 

 not removed. We examine the bushes every 

 mornino-, removing all the caterpillers as 

 soon as they are hatched ; and the leaves are 

 healthy, and we anticipate a good crop of 

 currants. Some of the bushes^not tran s 

 planted last June were so much affected by 



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