6Q 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



Mar. 



Comment on the January Number. 



BT n. E. 



Editor Illinois Farmer — Champaign, Ills. 

 Dear Sir : — Though Aot in the habit of writing 

 for the public, and little skilled in English, 

 having spent but few years on your prairies, 

 hardly sufficient to divest myself of the prejudices 

 of the Faderland, but I am so well pleased with 

 the soil, climate and the wonderful progress of 

 agriculture on the prairies that I cannot other- 

 wise than take a deep interest in all that pertains 

 to my adopted State. When through the courtesy 

 of the several railroads, I took a survey of the 

 State last season, its advantages, its varied range 

 of climate, its ready access to market, surely, I 

 said, this may with truthfulness be called the "Em- 

 pire State" of the West. Could the moderately 

 well off farmers in my native country but see 

 these advantages, they would at once be attracted 

 hither. The superior lands of the Illinois Central 

 Railway would soon find occupants, who, by their 

 industry and economy, make comfortable homes, 

 and soon become American in sentiment and 

 practice. 



But this is not the subject that I intended to 

 start off on : it was to say a few words in regard 

 to the January number of the Illinois Farmer. 

 I wish to express my satisfaction with its matter 

 and manner. First, I like the plain, large type, 

 and in this respect I think most of our agricul- 

 tural journals are defective, the type is too small. 

 Germans are used to large type, and on learning 

 to read, are sorely puzzled with the small letters. 

 Farmers are not the best of readers, and of 

 coarse this large type suits them. I see that 

 Eome of the dai'ys are using larger type than 

 formerly ; the truth is, they have gone to ex- 

 tremes, and the competition to see who could 

 crowd the largest amount of matter into the 

 smallest space is about done over, or rather over 

 done. I like the new pamphlet form much better 

 than that of last y ear. 



Second, I like short, condensed articles. The 

 farmer is a hard working man, and in the odd 

 time that he has to read h-'s paper, he has neither 

 the time nor disposition to read long articles ; 

 therefore, the short, condensed articles of the 

 Farmer are just to my taste. In church, the 

 minister who deals in short, pointed sermons 

 keeps his audience awake, while the long ones, 

 especially in the country, put them to sleep ; so 

 »f the long chapters on farming, though well 



enough for some classes, yet they are not suited to 

 the body and mind of the tired farmer. 



Froai the prospectuses of various papers, I 

 conclude that one of their principle objects is to 

 make the inexperienced acquainted with farmijg, 

 that is, with the money making — that is the 

 question after all. I like to learn not only the how, 

 but the why, as well as the results of it in fig- 

 ures. 



In referring, as an instauco, to the different 

 kinds of fences, I have, among the many articles 

 teaching thereon, both in books and papers, 

 never sten one that gave a close calculation how 

 much time and material was required to build a 

 rod of each of the several kinds. In order to 

 have a fair and just comparison, here is another 

 instance: There is now much written on "fruit 

 culture," but I have not yet caught a glance of 

 the cost, thouglilam reading several papers, that 

 specified cost and average yield of an orchard 

 up to a certain age. I could mention a hundred 

 similar cases. 



I like a handy shape in a book or pamphlet. 

 The new ferm in which you now get up your pa- 

 per cotresponds with my suggestions, and there- 

 fore I feel bound to congratulate you. 



The article en the "Lumber Trade," and espec- 

 ially the one on "Profits of Wheat vs. Corn," 

 will certainly pleas?, and prove most instructive 

 and valuable to a nevr settler in (he West. Let 

 us have seme more of Shat kind. 



One word more in regard to the article, " What 

 crop shall we seed after?" I am a.vare that 

 there is considerable discussion on this theme. 

 I will not interfere with either opinion. As a 

 foreigner, I only wish to say, ia additiun, seme- 

 thing of the German's theory and practice of 

 " Seeding down to meadow." 



, His doctrine is : 



Ist. The land must be free from weeds, there- 

 fore, a crop that requires the use of the hoe and 

 cultivator, as potatoes, beets, &c., is made to 

 precede. 



2d. The land must le rich. Always select the 

 richest for this purpose, and therefore, the pre- 

 ceding crop is well manured, end the weeds 

 springing up from the manure, destroyed at the 

 same time by the hoe, in order to leave the land 

 prepared rich and clean. If these two points 

 are followed, I care little if sowed with wheat or 

 oats, it is probable that wheat is the best. 



3d. Winter wheat or winter bailey is sdected- 

 to seed with for the same reason which you men- 

 I tioD. 



