168 



THE ILLIjSTOTS FA.Il]MEIl. 



slice. The time Avas as follows : Clay- 

 brough, the winner oftlie first premium, 

 $'lOj one hour and twelve minutes; Gra- 

 ble, second premium, $15, fifty-nine 

 minutes; Colo, one hour and thirty min- 

 utes. To our luind, tliis plowman did 

 most excellent work; tiie soil was well 

 pulverized, and evenly laid; the plow was 

 a most excellent one, and run easy, and 

 had a wheel cutter been attached, it 

 would have been dilHcult to have decided 

 between him and the winner of the first 

 prize Wo cannot, in this connection, - 

 omit to urge the more free use of the 

 rolling cutter on our old ground plows. 

 It adds very much to the beauty of the 

 furrow. To return to the plownjcn : 

 McDonough, one hour and twenty min- 

 minutes; Quinn, fifty-nine minutes; Toin- 

 linson, one hour and ten minutes; Mii- 

 ler, one hour and tuur minutes. 



was the winner of the third jirize oI'^lO, 



and of the fourth, of ^5. 



On the whole the trial was an excitinj; 

 one, not only among the large number ol: 

 spectators, but also the plow makers. — 

 We oculd not be present at the boy's 

 plowing match, in the afternoon; but 

 learn Jthat it was not so well attended. 

 The names of the Avinners will be found 

 in the premium list. 



FLORAL HALL. 



This is the great centre of attraction 

 to-day, and the fine show of fruits are 

 deservedly admired. On looking throu;]jh 

 we will commence with that of Adams 

 county : 



First in onler, Is the coliection of K. K. Jones, oftlie Pines, 

 near Quinoy, fifty-seven i)lat(.'a of uiagnifictut apples. They 

 are grticed with one hlue rihbdn. 



Olark Chatten, of I'aysun, Adams county, has forty varie- 

 ties of peaches in Jars — most niai,'nificent specimens. They 

 are all preserved In brine. Tliis is a valimblc! niddc of pre- 

 serving specimens; the color is retaiueil by this |)rocess, 

 while those i)Ut up in alcohol lose the line tints with wliicli tlio 

 sun has painted them in beauty, fifty varieties more are 

 boxed u]) for want i.'f space and time to get tliem up. Tliirty 

 varieties of peaches on plates; twentp-five varieties of peais; 

 one hundred and lifty varieties of apples. Mr. 0. lias his col- 

 lection decorated with four blue and two reii ribbons. He 

 has forty acres of apple orchard, containing eight Imiidieil 

 bearing trees; fourteen acres of i)eaelies, containing 

 fourteen hundred bearing trees; six acres of i)ears, divided 

 between standard and dwarfs. The apjile orcliard li;ia been 

 set eighteen years in part, and produces from 1,50 j to 0,(iUO 

 bushels of fruit i>er annutu. 



We would ask those who have good orchanl ground. If they 

 can find any branch of fanning to pay as well as fruit ? Uere 

 are sixty acres of orchard turning oll'.*y,0(M) to !*t'i,()IM) |)er an- 

 num, with less labor than a half section farm re(iuires. We 

 hope none will be deterred from the old wolt cry, "fruits will 

 be so i)lenty that they will be worth nothing."' We l]av(; 

 heard this cry for the last forty years, and instead of the price 

 going down, it has steadily advanceil. Tw< nty years ago 

 raspberries picl<ed from the fence corners, were dull »ale at six 

 cents a quart; imw, wlien grown by the tliousaii<ls uf acres, 

 they are in demand and lirm at ten to twenty cents by the 

 quantity. 



We next meet two fine collections, without names of own- 

 ers. Mystery still abomid,-, and we must passon. 



Mr. Capi>s, of Logan county, has forty varieties; among 

 them are three specimens of a variety resemliling in some 

 respects, and supposed by many to be tlie Ciloria .Muiidi, 

 weighingthirty-six and a half ounces, aii<l im asurnig eivchteen 

 ilicesin circnmfeieMce. Me saw one of thesi; borne oil by a 

 gentleman from New York, at a cost of two dollars. One was 

 given to President EUsworih, and the other is to go to the 

 New York State Fair. IJiioii comi)ari.son, we do not thii'k 

 they are Ciloria Miinili; though from their monstrous growth 

 it is not safe to decide. Mr. Capps has also ten plates of 

 peaclies. 



J. I). Manlove, of Schuyler county, has a fine collection of 

 apples. 



We now commence at the south-east angle, and first notice 

 the collection of pears sent out liy KIwaiiger A liarry, the well 

 known nurserymen of Kochester, New York. They are in 

 charge of .Mr. H. D. Colby, the local ygi nl at Jackson\ ille. — 

 The collection |s vi ry fine, and much admired for the number 

 ol' varieties, and tlie great beauty ol the specimens. Tliey 

 must have received a .'^ ight tiii-e of gum Arabic or an extra 

 kiss of tlu- sun to pollsli up llu'r lu'erriiid. Sixty-live va- 

 rieties ol |iears; thirtyseviii of pluiir<; thirty-six of apples. 

 Itlue ril)bon on both wiiiter and autumn jiears, as well us on 



the largest collection of plums, and on the best tJ.ree varieties 

 ' of plums. 



Mr. li. L. Yates, of Tamaroa, has seventeen varieties of 



1 pears. These were grown on trees from Mes.srs. V.. & li., and 



I we are ])roud to say that nearly all the specimens are superior 



j to the same varieties sent out from N. YorK, showing Kgyptis 



I ahead witlittiis fruit. Mr. Yates has the blue ribbon for the 



I best variety, the proiluct of this .'^tate, the Dudiess of Angou- 



I leine, which Is twice the size of those grown in New" York. 



I .Mr. Win. Cutter, of Adams, 1ms a very fine collection of 



I ajiples; he also presents a plate of the Delaware grape, which 



was graced with the blue riblion, most deservedly. It Is tho 



best of all the grapes that we have tasted, but we regret that 



It is so slow a glower. 



Mr. S. O. .Miiikler, of Kendall county, has a tine collection 

 of ajiples and |)ears. lie took the first i)remium over Mr. 

 Chatteii, on ajiples, from the fact that lie had conformed to 

 the rules, by putting up small, iiieilium anil large specimens 

 of each. So far as the collection was concerned, that of Mr. 

 Chatten was the most extensive anil showy; but the commit- 

 tee insisted that the rule was a most excellent one, and one 

 that should be regarded. Vu theotlier hand it was contend- 

 ed that tJie same rule bad been in force l>efore and no atten- 

 tion paid to it; but this did not move the committee, who 

 made np the award acconliie.'ly . 



In point of show it is useless for 

 northern fruit growers to compete with 

 those of Atlam.s countv ; but when cul- 

 ture and a corrcctnsss of names are apart 

 of the programme, they may stand an 

 equal chance. One or two exhibitors 

 took strong ground against the decision 

 of the committee iind decl;irod their in- 

 tention not to siiow again; but We think, 

 on relleotion, they will come to a more 

 rational conclusion. If they have the 

 best fruit it is certainly little trouble to 

 make up their colleetion in accordance 

 with the rules of the Society, which we 

 think are valuable ones. It is true that 

 their show Avill be less attractive than 

 when composed of overgroAvn specimens, 

 but at the same time it Avill be more use- 

 ful, and really a better exponent of our 

 orchard ])roducts. 



F. K. Phenix, of liloomlngton, has a good collection of 

 plants. It is not large, but select. Among them eighty nam- 

 ed varieties of dahlias; ten of phloxes; and forty ot verbenas: 

 also lipeeiuiens of nursery tri.'es, of ime, two, threo niid four 

 years old, (piite in contrast with the whips sent out to the 

 pedlars from the east. 



J. T. 1-ittlo, of Dixon, has a fine show of dahlias, over fif- 

 ty varieties, graced with two blue ribbons. 



.M. Doyle, of Si)ringHeld, has a fine show of roses, In pots of 

 over a hundred varieties, llauKed with the same uuiiiber of 

 varieties of dahlias, and a line collection of ))lants. .Mr. 

 Doyle has a most valuable collection of plants in his green 

 housi; and g.ir.iens, from which the lovers of ibe beautiful in 

 Central Illinois may draw at sight. 



Nathan Overman, of Canton, Fulton county, shows si.xty- 

 four varieties of apples, and several of jiears. 



.Mr. Carpenter, the "Kgypt" of our agricultural journals, 

 luis a magnilicent collection of apples, ]>ears and iieaehis. — 

 Among the apples are several seedlings of good promise. He 

 jiresents samples oftlie growth of young fruit trees of surpris- 



; iiig growth. Among .Mr. Carpenter's collection of aiij)les are 



I several plates of tin Newtown Pippin, grown by It. L. Wiley, 



j of .Makanil.i, on young trees of li\e years, set on bis farm, a 



I mile from tlie station. Our eastern fruit growers contend that 

 this fruit Is only found jierfect ou strong limestone soils; but 

 here are large and fine .siiecimeiis grown on a sandstone soil, 

 where tlie water gushes from the hillsides soft as that from 

 the clouds. The orchard is yet too young to pUice too luuch 

 conlideiice in its thrift on tills sandstone formation; bnt Mr. 

 \V. has the most unbounded confidence in it. We sincerely 

 hope he may not be disappointed. 



Very Aldrich, of Itiireau county, has a fine show of ajipIes 

 — all well grown, and correctly labelled, embracing upwards 

 ef fifty varieties. 

 Near by is a specimen of the cotton plant, some two feet 



I high, sown the first of May by Edward T. Eno, of Jackson- 



I ville. 



I Another lot of apjiles without the owner's name. 



J. A. Pettiii'.'ill, of P.unker Hill, shows a seedling grapo 



I from the sei d of tl'e Catawba. It is not a very good grupti, 



■ and called .Mead's seedling. 



I A fine lot of Catawbas by some unknown person. 



I .Tohn llubacli, of Princeton, Illinois, makes a fine show of 

 grapes, aoion^' theiiyi inaguifieeitt speoiineu of Concord. Tliis, 



wetliiiiU, will soon be the grape for the iirairies; to which 

 may be added the Isabella, Catawba, Cape and Clinton to 

 \ make uji tlie list. 



! Charles II. Uojcnsteil, of Kreeport, has a fine collection of 



grajics. His Catawbas are very fine, eipial to any in the Hall. 



1 This speak'j Well for Mr. K.'s good culture of thi< linefruft' 



I with which he was so familiar in his fader land ; not the Ca- 



I tawba, but others enually good, lie has also the Clinton, 



I small .Museodel, Orilwa.v's seedling, Isabella, etc. Of Ord- 



way's seedling we liad iiearU wonderful stories; hut if tlio 



siieclmeiis here exhibited area i.iie representation it is no 



better tlian tlie eoiunion native grape of Coniieeticiit, and 



even inlenor to many s|ieeimens that we have teen. It may 



I) ■ hardy atKrniiort and valuab e for arbors; but its main 



value iiiu<t lie in its haves, nut iu its fruit. 



TIIK AMPIllTlIKATKE. 



The day openeil splendidb 



Tl 



10 



slight rain which fell yesterday, although 

 proiiuctive at tlie time of some mud, and 

 inducing somewhat gloomy anticipations 

 for the morrow, proved rather a blessing 

 than otherwise, as it settled the dust 

 and cleared the air. Tlius this morning 

 was one of the brightest of September 

 mornings, and the faces of the people 

 Avore a corresponding expression. 



At nine o'clock, tlie cattle were introduced into the ring. 

 The first lot consisted of short horns. In this lot there Were 

 20 entries, as folows: Isabella, by K. 11. Iliit, of Scott Co.; 

 Dilla Dalla, Adelaide, iinjiorted, Uobert Pollock, of Slorgau 

 county ; Western Lady, On>han, Tulip, Uacliel, Lady Camp- 

 bell, Jas. N. Urown, of Sangamon county ; Poiiigranite, 

 Thos. Simpkins, of Pike eimnty ; Ruby, Fleda, Sd, J. D. 

 Smith, Sangamon county ; Kmjiress, Caroline, Lucy, Renick 

 2d, Jas, M. Uill, Cass county ; Kmerald, J. C. Bone, Sanga- 

 mon county ; Kate, Lady Harriot, Heilachino, A'ictoriii '^li, 

 J. II. Sjiears, .Menard county ; Ueauty, .Mayllower, James 

 Purkapile, .Menard county ; Hannah, Miss Urown, AV. F. 

 Short, Sangamon county ; Suowdrop, Lady Uoselle, J. P. 

 Henderson, Morgan county. 



The above twenty-six splendid ani- 

 mals formed a collection Avhich could 

 probably not be surpassed anywhere. 

 Capt. Brown's five cows, from Sanga- 

 mon county, Avere consjiicuous both for 

 their number and their uniformly line 

 appearance. In fact, the decided supe- 

 riority of Sangamon county stock Avas 

 never more manifest than to-day. 



After a long and periilexing consultation among the mem- 

 bers of the Committee, the blue ribbon and premium of :f40 

 were finally bestowed upon the magnificent cow Kuierald, 

 owned by J. C. Hone, of Sangamon county. Kmerald is a 

 remarkably beautiful animal, fou years of age. Siie was 

 imported from Kngland in l>i")t, for the Illinois Mock Import- 

 ing .Vssoi'iation, and was purchased of the Association by Mr. 

 Bone for the sum of $2,02o. The second premium of $20, 

 was taken by another Sangamon county cow, Jas. N. Brown's 

 Tulip. The third premiinn ^15, was taken by Beauty, owned 

 by Jas. Purkapile, of .Menard. 



For the best cow three years old and under four, the first 

 premium of f-W was given to Lady Francis, J. -M. Hill, of 

 Cass county; the second $'J0 to Florentine Duchess, J. 0. 

 Bone, of Sang.-imon county ; the third ijilo to Kose of Summer, 

 J. N. Urown, of Sangamon county. 



For the best hei/er two years old and under three, the first 

 premium was awarded to Strawl)erry, J. C. Hone, of San 

 gamon county ; third, Viola, Jas. Purkajiile, .Menard. 



For the best lieifer one year old and under two, the first 

 premium was awarded to Queen of the We.-.t, Miles Holliday, 

 jlorgan county; second to .Minnehaha, E. B. Hitt, Soott 

 couuty, third, Minna, U. Pollock, Morgan county. . 



HOUSES. 

 At 2 o'clock p. M., the competition 

 betAvecn horses began, and Avas con- 

 tinued all the afternoon. We give the 

 aAvardd made up to the tirae of writing 

 tiiis letter: 



Fir.st premium for tho best roadster stallion, four years old 

 and over, was awarded to Propln t, owned by D. J. Weather- 

 by, of Whiteside county ; second, Grapeshot, Wm. VVatkins, 

 Sangamon county. 



First premium for best roadster, three years and under 

 four. Young St. Lawreuce, II. O. Thomas, Greene county; 

 second, Lexington, Wm. Leachman, Adams. 



Over two and under three, first premium to Benecia Boy, 

 Elou Eldred, Greene county; second to Young Consterna- 

 tion, Silas Eldred, Greene county. 



First jiremium for roadsters over one year and under two, 

 was given to CImmpion, D. J. Cole, Cass county; second to 

 Dan Tucker, B. F. Baldwin, Greene county. 



INCIDENKAL. 



The amphitheatre, to-daj', Avas very 

 densely crowded — it being estimated 

 that the scats and the promenade con- 

 tained fully 12,U0O people. The grounds 

 outside probably contained half as many 

 more. The attendance, in fact, Avas 

 large — about a dozen car loads having 

 come down from Springfield in one 

 train. 



The Springfield Grays under the com- 

 mand of their gallant Captain, John 

 Cook, arrived this morning at nine 

 o'clock. The Grays looked remarkably 

 AvcU. They drilled aAvhile in the ring, 

 and Averc greeted by the spectators with 

 great ap])lause. 



