1861. 



THE ILLIJN'OIS FARMEE. 



21 



ping. Our trees are not infested with the flies 

 alluiled to. 



(e) Thpre are two varities of hard or snsar 

 maples in our woodlan'ls. The most common is 

 the Acer Snccharinum Sugar Maple; the other is 

 the Acer Nigrum, or Black Sugar Map'e. This 

 is more abundant in the central part of the State, 

 is a more rapid grower, the leaves are broader, 

 less bayed and cut than the other, and slightly 

 downy beneath. It makes much tlie finest tree. 

 Jacicsonville is very well supplied with this va- 

 riety, but the best avenue tliat we have seen is 

 on the grounds of Arthur Bryant, near Princeton. 

 The soft maples are the Silver Leaf, Aeer Dasy 

 carpum, and which flourishes on almost if not a 1 

 our soil. Of this variety we have fen acres in 

 timber belts. The other is the Aeer Rubrum, 

 Red Maple or swamp Maple. They are propaga- 

 ted from seeds. We consider those the most val- 

 uable of all rur trees for timber belts. 



(d) We think this freewill not give good satis - 

 faciion in all parts of the State. Because it 

 thrives well at Quincy is no reason that it will 

 thrivein Champaign or Peoria, as there is awide 

 difference in the soil. 



The soil of Quincy is one of the best, for tim- 

 ber growing, there is none superior. This pecu- 

 liar formation is found far nortli of that point; 

 east into Jlorgin and south into Madison. Where- 

 ver that peculiar soU is found, the ches'nut and 

 the grape are remarkably vigorous, while in the 

 chiy loams thpy are less vigorous. We would re- 

 comniend tlie planting of the chestnut as an ex 

 yeriment, and if the growth is less v'goious than 

 at Jacks nville and Qa ncy, be not discouraged. 

 If it will not make a forest, it will give you both 

 beauty and fruit in a more moderite way. 



The Culture of Sorghum. 



Wc predict that ihe census returns will 

 make a good showing from Iowa, Illinois, 

 Indiana and Ohio, in favor of this plant. 

 But comparatively little has been said about 

 it the past thjee years, but it has been stead- 

 ily on the increase, and is fast becoming a 

 favorite. In the county of Champaign, a 

 large amount was made, and the demand 

 for barrels at the season for working was 

 beyond the supply. Old whisky barrels, 

 and in fact any thing of the kind that would 

 hold sirup was in demand, in addition to 

 those furnished by the coopers, tubs, buckets 

 and jars have had to be used. 



In our own State it is safe to say, that 

 twice as much sirup was made last year as 

 in 1859, the year for which the census was 

 taken, an J we hear of numerous parties 

 who will extend their operations, and of 

 others who will attempt it for the first time- 



We should not be surprised to see the 

 breadth planted next spring more than 

 doubled. It is now demonstrated that for 

 sirup it is valuable and cheap, especially for 

 cooking purposes, being preferred to com- 

 mon molasses by all who have given it a 

 trial. It has been made into sugar, but as 

 to its economy for this purpose we know 

 little, but from present indications, we shall 

 look forward to practical results. 



The sorghum, when it first comes up, is a 

 very delicate plant, small and of slow growth 

 at first, but so soon as the warm weather of 

 June comes on, and the ground is freely 

 stirred, it makes a most prolific growth. 

 Some have recommended starting the plants 

 in hot, beds, so as to get an early start, but 

 we doubt I he economy of this course. We 

 have grown a small patch of it two seasons, 

 and would plant in drills, and treat it the 

 same as in the culture of broom corn, the 

 details of which can be found on page 126, 

 in the last volume of the Farmer. In its 

 habits of growth it is almost identical with 

 that of broom corn. If either is planted 

 too far apart, they grow coarse and of less 

 value, if too thick the plants are weak and 

 do not mature well. Of course the sorghum 

 will not require so much seed, as it suckers, 

 or rather sends up several main stalks from 

 one seed. Nearly, if not all, the mills are 

 too small, aad with smooth rollers. We are 

 under the impression that rollers made in 

 the style of those for sugar cane, that is, 

 with groved surface, would answer much 

 better that the smooth ones ; they would 

 not require to be as large or so strong, but 

 should be sufiiciently powerful (o press the 

 cane perfectly dry, so that it would answer 

 for fuel. Some of our political economists 

 look upon this cane as ample to supply all 

 of our common brown sugar and sirup, thus 

 making us less dependant on the South for 

 our sweetning. This, to some extent, will 

 be true, but, in our humble opinion, it will 

 do more to extend the consumption of sugar 

 and sirup than any one other fact for some 

 time, and it is not probable that an appre- 



