1861 



THE ILLmOIS FAKMEK. 



83 



Immigration. — The improved condition of our 

 industrial interests is beginning to have its effect 

 jn the demand for farming lands, while unim- 

 proved village property is at a discount. There 

 is springina; up a fair demand for new farms, and 

 with this there comes a growing disposition 

 among the holders of improved farms not to sell, 

 and we can safely say that at no time ir the his- 

 tory of the State is there so few farms for sale 

 as at the present, at the same time there is no 

 lack of wild lands offering. The railroads have 

 80 cheapened fuel and fencing that wood lands 

 are held at more reasonable figures, and a more 

 ready disposition is manifested in their sale. 

 Monopolists of timber lands have found that the 

 effects of the iron rail have made serious inroads 

 into their capital by depreciation. Iron wire 

 has proved a good material for f^encing, and at 

 six cents a pound, fence wire will only cost thirty 

 cents a rod, which, with two posts at eight cents 

 each, and four cents a rod for putting up, and 

 we have a good, durable and substantial fence 

 for all large stock, at only the cost of fifty cents 

 the rod. The Illinois Central is making large 

 ealep, and what is the most noticable, people only 

 purchase what they want for immediate cultiva- 

 tion, the average being below eighty acres each. 



The day of speculation is passed, and now we 

 can make substantial progress. Many immigrants 

 to Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota and even Wis- 

 consin, have returned to make homes on our 

 prairie slopes. The advantages of our State in 

 the ease of culture, the abundant crops and mar- 

 ket facilities are beginning to be appreciated, 

 both at home and abroad. The effect on the 

 farmers at home is to remain, when they come 

 from abroad to locate among us. As a general 

 thing, unimproved lands are held at too high 

 rat«8, but for ready cash, sales are made at very 

 satisfactory prices. From the fact that the I. C. 

 R. R. is making such large sales, it argues that 

 they are selling at reasonable rates, and giving 

 long time. Should the breach between the North 

 and South continue, the Northwest cannot fail of 

 being benefitted, as an interruption of trade at 

 New Orleans will send the vast inland trade of 

 the river northward. The worst fear that we 

 have is, that it will hold cut false inducements 

 from its temporary position, for the Gulf States 

 cannot long continue under such a state of things. 

 We may look for a large immigration from the 

 South, more especially from Tennessee and North 

 Carolina, as thousands from those States have 

 relatives already settled here. Under any aspect 

 of the present condition of things, we can look 



out with high hopes of continued prosperity. 

 Away from the immediate scene of strife, if such 

 should unfortunately come, our farmers can sup- 

 ply the breadstuffs for those engaged in a more 

 beligerent attitude. With us cotton can never 

 be king, nor sugar our master. With wool, flax 

 and cotton of our own growing, we will never be 

 obliged to submit. The sorghnm will give a 

 sweetning, and whether the duty is taken off of 

 sugar or not, we shBll soon be a comparative 

 small purchaser. With such advantages as these, 

 it should be no wonder that our State has been 

 and continues to make such progress, and her 

 bonds from being a drug at sixteen cents on the 

 dollar, now above par. With the great lakes on 

 the one hand, and the Mississippi on the other 

 for an outlet, we can add carriage and beat the 

 world in cheap grain. The passage of a home- 

 stead bill, and the building of a Pacific Railroad 

 will make a new demand upon our agricultural 

 resources, and our farmers may, therefore, have 

 no fear of the want of a naarket for their pro- 

 duots. 



Broom Cors Seed. — Broom corn seed of supe- 

 rior quality is not always easily obtained, as 

 planters are well aware, and as the difference in 

 the quality of the brush has an important bear- 

 ing on the price, it is well to get good seed. 

 Last fall we saw a field of three hundred acres, 

 all the brush of which passed No. 1, and noted 

 the grower about one hundred dollars a ton. He 

 attributed much of his success to the excellent 

 quality of the seed. We saw another field that 

 sold for thirty dollars a ton ; the owner laid the 

 fault to the poor seed, to which may be added, 

 poor culture. 



Broom Corn. — This has now grown into no 

 small importance as a crop, and thousands of 

 acres are grown. The demand is steadily in- 

 creasing. Large shipments of it were made last 

 season to England and other ports. Larger pre- 

 parations have been made than before for the 

 next crop, and nearly double the quantity will 

 be planted. In the August number of last year, 

 we gave full details cf the culture, which is simple, 

 and comparatively inexpensive compared to the old 

 process. The brush must be fine, long and straight, 

 otherwise it will not command over half price, 

 and will not pay. The difference between two 

 and four dollars per hundred pounds is no small 

 item, especially when six hundred pounds is an 

 average crop per acre. 



■,.-.k'-o-:'.-^.4,-5.^'.; 



