102 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



Apkil 



would'nt want to go over to Mr. Smith's 

 every day or two, and put you to the trouble 

 of going or sending after them. 



An hour's work spading and two more in 

 raking and sowing will pay you more in the 

 end than two acres of corn. 



A great many men seem to be afraid that 

 their wives and daughters will leave their 

 work and get out of doors once in a while if 

 they don't build their house close to the 

 street. They are not afraid of their going 

 into the back garden oftener than neces- 

 sary. 



But it would be a real waste of time if 

 your wife left washing or baking, and should 

 look at the flowers lor five minutes ; neither 

 do we like those women who neglect all their 

 indoor duties for the garden. A few shil- 

 ling's will purchase a good stock of dahlias, 

 phloxes, peonias, snow-balls, etc., all of which 

 are easily taken care of and readily propa- 

 gated. 



A nurseryman always takes pleasure in 

 telling how to separate and propagate any 

 plants that he sells, (or if he won't we will 

 if you will apply to us) and without extra 

 charge. One dollar will purchase from 

 twenty to fifty varieties of the most beauti- 

 ful annual flower seed, and once got you can 

 gather your own seed. 



Be careful and not plant the fine seed too 

 deep, and do not plant a seed the size of a 

 pin head in ground that is not pulverized 

 finer than hen's eggs. Better throw your 

 money into the fire and save time and bad 

 feelings toward the seedsman. If any of our 

 readers are like the picture we have drawn we 

 hope that they are ashamed of themselves 

 and have already reformed, and that they 

 send or have sent for some flower plants for 

 their wives. Recollect that fine or small 

 seed must be put in well prepared soil and 

 slightly shaded and occasionally watered so 

 as to keep them damp. The ground must 

 not be allowed to become dry after the seeds 

 have swelled. The best way is to have a 

 seed bed and transplant your annuals. * 



[From the Chicago Tribune.] 



The Farm and Garden. 



Champaign, Jan 30, 1861. 



THE SWEET POTATO. 



We have now cultivated the sweet potato for 

 thirteen years, and during that time have used 

 our best endeavors <o extend its culture. It has 

 become more or less familiar in the village gar- 

 dens throughout the State, and to some extent is 

 grown for market. In 1847, when we first enter- 

 ed upon the experiment, little was know of its 

 culture in the North, and few of our then popu- 

 lation knew any thing of the plant. In 1846, 

 Jacob Smith, of Lockport, Will county, made the 

 first essay of a crop for market. He planted 

 several varieties, among them t'je Nansemond. 

 His success was quite flattering. The next 

 spring we tried a few dozen plants, and to leara 

 more of the mode of culture, visited the garden 

 of Mr. Smith ; we then came to the conclusion 

 that we had planted too early ; that fram the 

 middle of May to the 1st of June was quite early 

 enough, (we then resided in Cook eounty), and 

 (his has since been fully confirmed ; in fact, we 

 have some seasons grown very good potatoes set 

 the let of July. We have gone through the 

 whole range of varieties from the Early Red to 

 tne Mammoth Yam of the South, but the Nanse- 

 mond is the only variety that we have any faith 

 in, or that is of any value to the North half of 

 the State. 



Another point that we are now prepared to 

 urge is, that the seed should be brought from 

 south of this point. We are aware that large 

 quantities, in previous years, have been preserv- 

 ed over winter for seed at the north, but so far 

 as we can now learn, all of these parties with 

 the exception of one in Tazewell county, have 

 abandoned the enterprise. Among these, we 

 note one in the south part of Cook county. A 

 sweet potato house at Ottowawas in the habit of 

 putting up four hundred bushels a year but it 

 became a losing business. Another practice is 

 now, to some extent, being reformed: that was 

 to save over for seed the small onee, which were 

 of no other value. During the past th^ee years 

 we have given the subject particular attention, 

 and are satisfied that no northern farmer should 

 use plants from the small or half grown tuber. 

 Nothing will now induce us to take such seed at 

 any price. Last spring we sprouted five barrels 

 of well ripened potatoes, and three of the culls, 

 or small ones ; these last cost three dollars per 

 barrel less, but they did not make near as many nor 

 as vigorous plants. 



The large sweet potato houses that now supply 

 the country, are in Indiana and Ohio. These 

 have to be kept at not less than 40 degs. of the 

 thermometer, while in Kentucky and the south 

 part of our our State, sweet potatoes can be 

 kept in a dry cellar, but as they there grow the 

 Red or Large Yellow varieties, they do not an- 

 swer for seed with us. Were we disposed to 

 keep over the seed potatoes, we do not think it 

 would prove as profitable as to get them from 

 points south, as they do not appear to do as well 

 the second year. We do not pretend to give good 

 reasons for this, but we know the plants grown 



