1861. 



THE ILLmOIS FAEMER. 



141 



Insects — In some sections the fly injured ear'y 

 sowed wheat, but not pe-iously. 



Large preparations are being made forfarming 

 the coming season. Stock of all kinds fat and 

 fine. 



Umon Cou ty. — Reporter, J. A. Carpenter, 

 South Pass. 



Fall wheat — No estimate of quantity sown, 

 condition very promising. 



Spring wheat — None. i 



Fruit crop — The swollen blossom buds are all 

 sound. 



Quanti'y of Tvheat in the bands of producers — 

 No estimate. 



Corn in the bands of producers — No surplus. 

 (Southern Illinois, as a generrl rule, produced no 

 surplus of corn in I860, owing toasevere drought 

 —Ed ) 



Insects — The Hessian fly injured some pieces 

 of wheat last fall, and the corn worm injured late 

 planted corn. 



Average yield of "wheat per acre, with good cul- 

 tivation, 20 bushels, though oftentimes the yield 

 is far heavier — quality, best. 



Lawrence County.' — Reporter, J. B. Watts, Law- 

 renceville. 



Fall wheat — Number cf acres sown, 15,000 — 

 con'Htion never better. 



Spring wheat — Number of acres sown, 200, 

 put in well and in good season. 



Very little wheat in the hands of producers. 



Corti — One-fourth of surplus in the hands of 

 producers. 



Insects — Hessian fly attacked some pieces of 

 wheat, but did no serious damage. Farming pros- 

 pect.s for the coming year good. 



Macon County. — Reporter, J. H. Pickrell, De- 

 catur. 



Fall wheat — More than usual sown — cannot 

 now estimate the quantity sown. Condition : 

 All concur in reporting it as good as ever before. 



Spring wheat — Little sown yet — preparations 

 are being made on a large scale. A few men 

 will sow 1,000 acres (each ?) 



Fruit — Peaches are thought to be killed ex- 

 cept in protected localities — other varieties not 

 injured. 



Quantity of wheat in the hands cf producers — 

 No surplus. 



Quantity of corn in the hands of producers — 

 Everybody answers, "more than we know what 

 to do with." No estimate can be made at pres- 

 ent. (In the great corn producing beltacross the 

 cen're of this ^r^tate, of which Macon is a fair 

 representative county, the quantity of corn still 

 in the hands of producers, notwithstanding the 

 largo shipment' heretofore made, and the quan- 

 tity fed to stock of all kinds, really seems to defy 

 all estimate ) 



Henry County. — Reporter, V. M. Ayres, Cam- 

 bridge. 



Fall wheat — Number of acres sown, 300. Con- 

 dition : suffering from drought, and appears 

 drooping. Our farmers are discouraged trying to 

 raise it. 



Spring wheat — .Just commenced sowing. 



Fruit — Can learn nothing yet. ] 



Quantity of wheat in the hands of producers — 

 No surplus. 



Quantity of 3orn in the hands of producers — 

 Every farmer has from 100 to 3,000 bushels to 

 sell. 



There were 10,000 acres of broom corn raised 

 in this county last year — not yet generally sold. ■ 



One hundred and fifty acres hemp — More par- 

 ticulars in next month's report. 



DeKalb County. — Reporter, H. L. Boies, Syca- 

 more. 



Fall wheat — Number of acres sown, 200 ; con- 

 dition : somewhat winter killed, but looks better 

 than usual at this season. 



Spring wheat — Not yet sown, but there will 

 probably be sown about 85,000 acres. 



Corn — Probably be 400,000 acres planted. 



Fruit — Promises well. No particular injury 

 yet. 



Quantity of wheat in the hands of producers, 

 600,000 bushels. 



Quantity of corn in the hands of producers, 

 300,000 bushels. 



The foregoing reports are the first attempts on 

 the part of the gentlemen making them. 



But few circulars were sent out last month. 

 Nearly all have been responded to. More will 

 be issued for this month, and as the season ad- 

 vances the nuTiber will be increased, and we 

 trust the interest and value of them will be en- 

 hanced. The estimates will be made with greater 

 ease and accuracy as the gentlemen making them 

 become more accustomed to the work and receive 

 the assistance of others in each county whose 

 judgment and opportunities for observation are 

 good. After a time, it is intended to embrace 

 every county in the State. Will not each County 

 Agricultural Society appoint one person to collect 

 statistics and report monthly as above? A few so- 

 cieties have already done so, and it is hoped the 

 Qihers need but the suggestion to induce them to 

 adopt the same course. 



The reports for each month should reach me by 

 the 25th of the same, that they may be publish- 

 ed on the first of the following. 



John P. Reynolds, 

 Cor. Sec. Ills. State Ag. Society, 



The above reports are full of interest, and 

 we hope they will be forthco:iiing from every 

 county in the State. We have now a live 

 practical man at the Secretary's desk in the 

 State Agricultural rooms at Springfield, and 

 we shall continue to see accumulations of 



useful knowledge. 



Ed. 



— ^The papers relate an anecdote of a beauti- 

 ful young lady who had become blind, having 

 recovered her sight after marriage. "Where- 

 upon Snooks wickedly observed that it is no 

 uncommon thing for people's eyes to be opened 

 by matrimony. 



