116 



THE ILLINOIS FA.IIMEII. 



Political.— Mr. Usrey, of the Decatur Chronicle, hag 

 gent us a caae luadu Trom one of the black walnut rails Bplit 

 by " Uonest Old Abe," and Mr. llank^, some thirty years 

 since. We highly prize the relic for several reasons: Firxt, 

 that showing the reckles.9 dtttruction of our moat valuable 

 timber by the early settlers. Sfcondlij, that in the dry con- 

 tinental climate of Central Illinois, it proves that timber not 

 exposed to the dampnesii of the soil, is exceedingly durable, 

 for it is well known that his variety of timber will not stand 

 moiiture so well as oak, and is less valuable for fence posts. 

 Thirdly, that It points a moral, and shows that by jiersever- 

 ance and economy, the poorest farmer's son may carve out a 

 respectable name, and an enviable position among his com- 

 peers, and that high positions in all tiie walks of life, are 

 within the grasp of ability and perseverence, and labor is a* 

 much a part of oui education as study. By it the body is 

 made strong, the muscles are developed, and the vascular 

 lystem put in order to carry out the plans that a healthy and 

 vigorous mind may see fit to direct. A highly cultivated 

 mind in a sickly and etfeminate body is]incapable of placing 

 its possessor high in the ranks of great men ; it is but anoth- 

 er proof of the value of rural occupations, to lay the founda- 

 tion of real greatness, for the lessons of nature are truthful, 

 and make deep impressions that remain in after life ; it does 

 not prove that every rail splitter will become a President, or 

 that rail splitting is one of tho essentials to greatness, but it 

 provss that labor is necessary to the development of tho 

 body, to enable it to endure the hard tasks imposed upon it by 

 the mind. Fourthly, that it will stamp labor with dignity, 

 and make it honorable as well as uHeful, and point it out as 

 one of the roads by wliich the successful professional man 

 must travel, and brace himself for the great battle of life ; 

 for he who writes his name in the history of his country, must 

 do it with an arm hardened and strengthened by honest toil. 

 As a farmer, we are proud to see one who has poured out his 

 sweat in the forest fallow, one who has held the plow 

 for the prairie furrow, thus honored, for it dignifies our 

 chosen President ; but in our joy we should not forget that 

 the mechanical arts are no less valuable, 'as a school, to fit the 

 body for the work of a giant mind ; and if we pay respect to 

 the arm that wields the a.\e, to cut down the towering black 

 walnut, we must pay a like regard, to the arm that moulded 

 the timber into household use. 



How TO Sell Land. — Yesterday (2Sth) we met a gentle- 

 man at Decatur, who residing in Pennsylvania, owns several 

 tracts of land near that place. Anxious to sell these lands' 

 and having full faith in the ability of judicious farmers to 

 pay for them, he offered to sell for the first crop delivered at the 

 Depot. After considerable persuasion three of his old neigh- 

 bors concluded to try their fortune on the prairie,they therefore 

 came on with their teams and took forty acre.s each, broke it 

 up and put it into wheat. The land w^as olfered them at nine 

 dollars per acre or the crop as above stated, but they choose 

 the latter. The crop is harvested, and Is estimated at about 

 tw»nty-five bushels per acre. The owner put it at twenty 

 and is well satisfied with the sale. Ue offers the remaining 

 tracts on the same terms, and one old farm under good cul- 

 ture for the first crop of corn. To any man who has a team 

 and means to carry him through eighteen months this a cheap 

 way to obtain a good farm. We have no doubt but thousands 

 of acres can be had on the same terms. 



He intends to devote the October number to the doings of the 

 Fair, and will endeavor to make it valuable as an exponent 

 of that great industical occasiou. 



Thb Great Tobnado — A Dbsolatino Swebp or Four 

 Hl'sdrsu Miles. — The great tornado, the fearful effects of 

 which we gave in our last, was a much more wide-spread 

 calamity than wc then supposed. From tlie best information 

 now at hand, it appears to have commenced In Hardin county, 

 Iowa, some ninety miles west of the point where It was first 

 supposed to have originated — whence it swept through Eastern 

 Iowa, across Illinois and Lake Michigan, and over the north- 

 ern townships of Ottowa county, Michigan, leaving every- 

 where desolation and ruin in its track. The entire sweep of 

 the destroyer was fully four hundred miles, over a belt of 

 country varying In width from forty rods to halfamile. It is 

 safe to say that neither this nor any other country was ever 

 visited by a like calamity that, in sweeping force and destruc- 

 tion of life and property, bears any comparison to that whose 

 devastions we have now to deplore. 



The only lake disaster us yet known was the wreck of the 

 schooner Hannah Seltma, which was found a few miles north 

 of Ohicago, keel upward. Eight persons were known to have 

 been on board: Daniel Trench, the cai)tain ami owner of the 

 craft, his wife and child, two sailors and two passengers. Not 



one of them could have escaped. The only traces of them 



found as yet are a lady's gold watch, a portion of a head 



dress, and along tress of hair twisted tightly around a piece of 

 rope. — Henry County IHal. 



Thb State Fair. — We had intended to have made a visit 

 to Jacksonville to see the Fair grounds, but the meetings at 

 Bloomington have prevented; but we learn that they are 

 making the most satisfactory progress. From the excitement 

 among our cattle men, we fear a small show in that line, yet 

 on the other hand, the information In regard to the farm i)ro- 

 ducts and mechanics is of the most cheering kind, and from 

 present indications, these will more than make up for any 

 deficiences. The entries of farm and nurseries are large, and 

 the committee will huveno small task before them. Premium 

 lists can be had of J. P. lUynolds, the Corresv)onding Secre- 

 tary, Springfield, and of tho Vice Presidents, and Secretaries 

 of County Societies. 



The Advebtisbments.— AVe would call the attention of the 

 readers of the Farmer to the large number and variety of ar- 

 ticles offered them. It Is an evidence that better times have 

 been inaugurated, when the demand calls forth so much of 

 mechanical assistance. Dealers tell us that their sales have 

 been much beyond their expectation, and ^hat is more im- 

 portant still is the cash sales. Farmers should never pur- 

 chase on long time, they had In most cases better do without, 

 or hire the machinery of their neighbors than to run In debt. 

 They should remember it was the abuse of the credit system 

 that brought on the hard times. Uuy what you want, but 

 pay as you go. From the large increase of our subscriliers in 

 all parts of the State, the Farmer is becoming one of the best 

 mediums through which to reach the farmers in the S'ate. 



The Farmer on the Fair Ghoijjds.— The publishers In- 

 tend to fit up a tent on the State Fair Grounds, at Jackson- 

 ville, and a clerk will tie in constant attendance to receive old 

 dues and new subscriptions. The Editor will make it his 

 head quarters, also, when he will be happy to see his friends. 



Dlackberries. — Our Egyptian friends arc delectatlng the 

 north with this valuable fruits. Until laJt year they let this 

 fruit rot by thousands of bushels, but thank.'i to the Illinois 

 Centrnl Kailroad tliey can now turn it to good arcouut. By 

 the middle of June this fruit is sent from Union county, and 

 gradually the summer marches north, ripening this fruit on its 

 way, until September closes up the season on the shores of 

 Lake Superior. 



Cass County Fair Is set for September 4th to 7th. The 

 premium list is a liberal one. James M. Hill, President, and 

 Jlenry S. Savage, Secretary. 



Pike County Fair— October 2d, 3d and 4th, at Pittsfleld. 

 A liberal premium list, published In that live paper, the Pike 

 County Democrat, from which we take the following : 



" More corn will be raised In Pike county this season than 

 the people will know what to do with. Since the last rains, 

 one can almost see it grow, and there are immense quantities 

 of it planted. Oats look very well ; the straw being short, so 

 as not to be easily blown down, and tho head heavy. Con- 

 siderable spring wheat was planted, which promises tolerably 

 fair recommendation. In the fruit line ; apples will be icaree, 

 peaches and cherries abundant, though the former are injured 

 in many localities." 



Swarming of Bees. — Bees upon the prairie will not swarm 

 as soon as those having the advantage of tlie woodland range 

 and white clover. Our first swarm came off the 16th ult., and 

 have filled their hive nearly full of comb. The swarm came 

 off during our absence, and the boys having them in charge 

 had never seen a swarm hived, but by the use of Longstraght's 

 work on bees and one of Phelps' excellent hires, they were 

 put up all right. By the way, we would call the attention of 

 bee keepers to Phelps' sectional frame hives. It is one of the 

 most simple hives that we kuowu of. It combines all the 

 re<iui8ites of a good hive. H. B. Gifford, of Dunby, Illinois, 

 is the owner of the patent for nearly all of the State. Eecry 

 farmer should keep bees. They will a<lil not only pleasure, 

 but value to house grounds. With a wire cloth hat and pair 

 of gloves, any person eau handle them with safety and suc- 

 cess. 



Memmoirs of Wasiiinoton, by Mrs. C. M. Kirkland. This 

 volume Is intended for schools and the fireside, and not so 

 much to set forth the statesman and the soldier, as the civilean. 

 Mrs. Kirkland as a writer stands deservedly high among the 

 female writers of the day, and In this work has succeeded 

 most admirably. For a reading book for the more advanced 

 classes In our district schools it is of no small value. The 

 life of Washington is a great moral lesson, and when portrayed 

 by ( neso gifted with the pen as Mrs. K., it becomes doubly 

 interesting. AVe presume that the work can be had at most 

 of our book-stores. 



Cobs for Fuel. — The value of cobs for fuel has been over' 

 looked until of late, but they are in many places coming into 

 general use. At Champaign we have three steam shellers and 

 one horsepower sheller, pretty steady at work, and of course 

 turning out no small amount of cobs. These are ail hauled 

 away for fuel, from day to day, some of them going back Into 

 the ceuntry ten miles. These cobs form a large part of the 

 fuel used, by our citizens as well as those of Urbana, some 

 two miles distant. Several teams find almost constaut em- 

 ployment in hauling cobs. We have used cobs more or less 

 for the past four years, and have found them not only cheap, 

 but valuable for this i)urposi!, but they must be kept dry, arid 

 to this end we have a department in our wood-house. We 

 feed our team on corn which ts shelled by one of Adams A 

 Co.'s hand shellers, and instead of having the managers full 

 of cobs, have them for use, and turn them to valuable ac- 

 count. We find them an cxcellant kindling for coal, a few 

 of them will start a coal fire In a very short time. 



Mole Draining. — Contrary to general expectation, mole 

 draining can only be done when the earth is well saturated 

 with water, and at this time, except in some few swampy 

 places, the work is suspended, but not until the value of this 

 mode of draining has been well tested. We believe as a gen- 

 eral thing, it has proved satisfactory, in fact in all cases, except 

 when the land is sandy, and for all of our prairie clays it i« 

 an excellant substitute for tile, and from its cheapness will 

 doubtless be extensively used. Late In the Fall, early in the 

 Spring, and after heavy rain, is the time to make tho drain 

 cheaply, while the toll U soft and yielding. 



Residkscb of Dr. H. C. Johns.— Persons passing Deca- 

 tur on the Great Western Itailroad, have observed to the 

 south-east of the Depot, and some half a mile from the road, 

 a brick structure on one of those beautiful mounds, that are 

 occasionly seen In our State. Yesterday (2Cth) while waiting 

 for the train to take us to llloomiiigton, we called to pay our 

 respects in person, but found the Doctor absent east with a 

 drove of cattle fattened on his I'latt county farm, fortunately 

 Mrs. J. was at home, and we spent the hour very agreeably. 

 This mound rises over fifty feet, and contains some five acres 

 or perhaps a Utile more, on the north and east the soil is a 

 sandy loam, and on the opposite side a heavy clay. On a 

 site like this, one would suppose that plenty of water would 

 be out of the questiou ; yet here on this mound elevated 

 above the plain, ts a well of pure water so abundant that on 

 digging, when the vein of water was struck. It was found im- 

 j (issilile to bale it out, so as to brick it up, and some ten feet 

 of brick was thrown in to fill up, so that it could be walled up, 

 pumping dry Is found to be out of the question. Some cur- 

 rent or eddy in the great sea that once covered our (irairie 

 slopes must have moulded and rounded this mound, long be- 

 fore the dry land was seperated from the waters. For a 

 residence it Is one of the prettiest If not the most beautiful 

 In the State. The residence is in keeping with the grounds, 

 combining both comfort and elegance. The earliest corn that 

 we have seen this season, is on the aiiex of this mound. 

 Apples and dwarf pears do well, the former were loaded down 

 with fruit. 



Dloominotosj.— We arrived at this city at 9 p. m., and 

 put at the NichoU's House, one of the best houses In the 



State, — In the way of good beds tne very best, and this we 

 look upon as aluxuary too often fonnd wanting. We can put 

 up with poor meals, but after a hard day's travel, we like to 

 rest, and have little fancy for straw mattrasses or ticks filled 

 with prairie hay with nary a feather, but here we have not 

 only the luxuary of good beds, but good fare and well aired 

 rooms. Won't some of our hotel keepers look in on our host 

 Mr. Smith, and see how he manages to keep the running 

 gears of his hotel in such nice order; we think they might 

 thereafter make some improvement. Now that travel has to 

 a large extent been resumed, we may look for some improve- 

 ment in this department of the world's progress. We sometimes 

 think that hotel coffee is a liquid deserving of a name pecu- 

 liar to itself, but here we get genuine coffee such as we find 

 in well regulated families. 



Estbrly'8 Sblf-Rakino Reaper. — In our advertising 

 columns will be found a notice of this reaper. We have not 

 had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Bsterly's Machine, as now 

 offered to the public, but we have known him a long time, — 

 when a farmer on Heart Prairie, Wisconsin, he spent a good 

 farm in getting up a header, and more recently when he pre- 

 sented to the world a succssful reaper and mower. We are 

 glad to know that the farm has been won back, and that Mr. 

 E. has succeeded so well with his enterprise. From his well 

 known character as a successful inventor, a careful mechanic, 

 and of strict integrity, we can confidently recommend this 

 machine as among the best of the class of reapers and mow- 

 ers. Self-raking when well done, is a great stride in the 

 fielil of progress, and substitutes muscles of iron in the most 

 laborious part of the harvest. For his persevering efforts in 

 tho harvest field, among the pioneers who have done so much 

 in the inventing of this great labor saving machine, Mr. 

 E. stands high wherever known, and we hope will receive 

 from our farmers a fair share of patronage. Send for a 

 pamphlet. 



Macoupin County Fair. — At CarllnvIIle, October 2d to 

 5th. J. 0. Davis, President; Wm. C. Waters, Secretary. 

 This is among the oldest of the County Societies. The 

 odicers are a set of energetic men, and we may rely upon a 

 good show. If it is possible we intend spending a day with 

 our good friends on that occasion, to see the fine horses, 

 rich products, and domestic manufacture of Old .Macoupin. 



COMMERCIAL. 



[Special Dispatch to the Illinois State Journal.] 

 ST. LOUIS MARKET— Jilt 7 p.m. 

 Flour— City superfine $5 Z1)4 ; City f 2 75 ; XX |7 50. 

 Wheat— No receipts ; Club |1 10. 



Corn — Mixed and poor white 5"c ; mixed 51@51^c; 

 mixed 52®62>ic; yellow and mixed white 52c; white 

 55@5Cc. 

 Oats— 61c. 



THE WOOL TRADE. 



Market active and receipts liberal. We continue to quote 

 sales at 25 to 40 cents ^ pound according to quality. Several 

 lots of extra fine wool have been sold in Springfield the past 

 week at 43 cents. There is a healt hy competition among buy- 

 ers which will Insure sellers getting a fair price for all the 

 wool brought to this market. 



The Cleveland (Ohio) Herald say a: 



AVool — Market brisk with upward tendency. Rates have 

 advanced 2 cents since last week. AVe quote fancy 57c ; full 

 blood 52c ; % blood 44c ; X blood 40c ; ^ blood 37c ; com- 

 mon 34c, 



The New York Evening Post says : 



AVool — Our market is rather quiet, but very firm ; a good 

 business is doing in the interior at very full prices. Some 

 parcels of fine full blood fleeces have come to market and pass- 

 ed into the hands of de lalne producers at 47@48c. In for- 

 eign, sales of 50 bales of Rio Grande, and 877 do Donskoi, 

 have been made on private terms. 



[By Telegi-apfi.] 

 NEW YORK MAIUfET-JuLT 7. 

 Flour market a shade firmer; sales 13,500 bbls; 15 20@5 30 

 super state; $5 45®5 55 extra state; |5 20@5 25 super 

 western; f 5 85@5 50 common to medium extra western; 

 $5 75®5 85 inferior to good shipjiing brands extra R.H.O. 

 Canadian flour quiet and unchanged; sales 450 bbls; $5 46@ 

 7 60 extra. Rye Hour steady; |3 &0@4 20. AVheat market 

 without striking change; the advance on freights checks the 

 export demand; sales 50,000 bu; f 1 26 Chicago spring; $1 29 

 @1 31 Milwaukie club; fl 8S@139 winter red western. Rye 

 quiet 80@.82c. Barley dull and nominal. Corn market 

 without striking change; sales small parcels; 65®ti6c mixed 

 western; eo.Vc white do. Oats dull; 37®40c western and 

 Canada; 4(»@41c state. Pork quiet and firm; f 18 12 old 

 mess; $19 00 new do; |14 00 old prime; $12 60 new do. Beef 

 dull and unchangad; sales 125 bbls. Cut meats, 8>^@9c 

 shoulders; lOj^c liams. Lard firmer; sales 820 bbls 12k^ 

 12;ic. ^ 



CHICAGO MARKET— July 5. 



Flour— No demand and stock light. AA'heat declined Ic; 

 sales 1000 bu No. 1 spring $1 07; (iOO bu No. 2 do at |1 06; 

 1500 bu do $1 05; 1000 bu rejected 26c; 700 bu do 89c. 

 Corn opened quiet and steady, closing with better enquiry; 

 sales 5000 bu No. 2 canal past river at 47c afloat; 1,500 bu do 

 47c afloat; 20,000 bu No. 1 at 46Kc in store; 5,000 bu do at 

 47c F. O. B.; 10,0 jO bu do 47>sC in store; 25,000 bu do at 

 4Cc; 10,000 No. 2 at 45c. Oats fair enquiry at 20®26>;c, 

 but holders firm; 1,OjO bu No. 1 at 29c delivered; 1,000 bu 

 do at 26c. 



ST. LOUIS HORSE AND MULE MARKET.— June 30. 

 The horse dealers have passed through another dull week. 

 Not many animals have coiuc in, and at the close the market 



is bare of good horses, with a scarceity of good mules. The 



purchases have been mostly for Lome use, although two or 



