pw-v 



1861 



THE ILLmOIS FAEMEK. 



177 



have always had a love for Oregon ; long years 

 ago, when in the northern wilds of New York, 

 by the blaze of a log fire, we read the travels of 

 Lewis and Clark, and later, those of Capt. Bon- 

 neville and Col. Fremont, have not in the least 

 abated the desire to see that interesting country, 

 its towering mountains, its hills of basalt and 

 wide spreading valleys, subdued to the use of 

 man. But our lot is cast, and we never expect to 

 leave our home on the great prairie slopes of 

 Central Illinois. We have acted our part in pio- 

 neer life, and our ambition is fully gratified in 

 that respect. On the subject of wheat culture 

 we have a hint that may be of use even here, and 

 that is the seeding in June and pasturing the 

 crop. Last year we sowed ten acres of rye early 

 in August, for feed, and through the fall fed it 

 down close. It is now, at this writirg, one of the 

 best of crops, and the heads in bloom May 16th. 

 We shall sow this season in July for the same 

 purpose. Will some of cur farmers give winter 

 wheat a trial ; just for once step out of the old 

 beaten path. The early fruiting of the apple, 

 Mr. F. says the trees are treated as dwarfs, by 

 low heads and cutting out the centre or leading 

 shoot ; we have no doubt that early bearing is 

 hastened in this way. That slip shod farmers 

 should be found in Oregon is no wonder, for 

 among the early pioneers hundreds of them left 

 the frontiers of the Western States — a sort of 

 cross between the hunter, loafer and farmer, with 

 strong proclivities to bad whisky, coupled with 

 an antipathy to work. Their emigration was a 

 godsend to us, and we hope that m time, they, or 

 at least their children, will yet make good citi- 

 zens. En. 



Corn Planting. 



The kteness of tte season for preparing 

 of the large corn fields admonish us that we 

 must husband every possible resource. Late 

 planting is never desirable, as it always in- 

 cludes more or less of risk in the maturing 

 of the crop. To avoid this, is our present 

 object. The common practice in planting, 

 is to plant in hills about four feet apart each 

 way, so as to allow of the working both ways. 

 This, with common cultivator, shovel and 

 small plow, is the most convenient, but in a 

 late season like this let us see how it works : 

 Farmer B. has forty acres to put in, having 



but a small farm, he keeps but a single span 



2— 



of horses ; he commences to plow, say April 

 25th, and will make about two acres a day ; 

 on the 25th of May he will be through plow- 

 ing ; he then has a week of harrowing and 

 working off before he is ready to plant, which 

 brings him to the 1st of June, and by about 

 the 5th of June his corn will be planted — 

 nearly all at the same time — and he must 

 then lay by until it is large enough to work. 

 It will thus be seen that he must plant less 

 or have his corn in very late ; but some may 

 ask why he does not stop to plant a part be- 

 fore it is so late. This is not economy, for 

 in planting rows both ways the whole field 

 should be first plowed, though it can be done 

 piecemeal, but not to an advantage of the 

 work. If corn can be planted in the freshly 

 plowed ground, we all know that it is much 

 the best, it will come up better, get the start 

 of the weeds, require less labor to tend it, 

 and finally produce a better crop. If this 

 is the case it is certainly an object to plant 

 as fast as we plow, if not at the same time, at 

 least very soon after. Our present mode of 

 putti.:g in corn is a very good one, but as 

 the price goes dowotits production must be 

 cheapened, so as to leave a profit to the far- 

 mer. If the present plan is good, we shall 

 from this cause be compelled to seek a bet- 

 ter. The plow must, and will soon be placed 

 on wheels or drums to relieve it of friction ; 

 in the case of plowing for corn, the drum 

 that relieves the plow of friction can be used 

 as a roller, to roll the ground as plowed and 

 to cover the seed. Thus we will plow, plant 

 and roll at the same time. With an imple- 

 ment properly constituted, one hand and 

 three horses will plow, plant and roll at least 

 three acres in a day. Of course, it will not, 

 nor should it be planted in hills four feet apart, 

 but in drills with rows three and a half feet 

 apart, and the grains one or two in a place, 

 as shall be determined by practice. When 

 the furrow is first turned up, and yet moist, 

 the lumps are easily crushed ; let them lay a 

 day or two in the sun, and if they can be 

 be crushed at all they will require a greater 

 force, and as it is the complete pulverization 



