1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEK. 



211 



AT DUQTJOIN 



Is a fine peach orchard adjoining the Tillage on 

 the east, of some seven thousand trees, all of fine 

 grafted varieties and loaded with fruit. Those 

 who fancy that the prairies of Egypt are not 

 adapted to fruit, would do well to visit this coun- 

 ty and pass through this patch of peach trees, 

 and then visit the pear orchard of Mr. Yates, 

 near Tamaroa. 



CULTURE OF 'WHEAT. 



This article is growing too long, and we shall 

 have to leave out much tbat we had intended to 

 say, but we cannot pass over the mention of a 

 field of fifteen acres of wheat near Tamaroa. It 

 was on part of a large farm rented to several 

 tenants. One of them who had been in the prac- 

 tice of manuring lands before he come to this 

 place, and so much in the habit of doing so that 

 before he was aware that he was breaking over 

 long and well established rules, such as had been 

 canonized in the hearts of the farmers hereaway, 

 that it was cheaper to move the birn than the 

 manure he had hauled and spread a liberal sup- 

 ply on a field of fifteen acres, which he sowed to 

 wheat. The result is, about forty bushels to the 

 acre, or from ten to fifteen bushels more than the 

 best of that not manured. So much for getting 

 outside of established usage. 



CHESTNUT TKEES. 



On the farm of Mr. B. G. Roots we saw several 

 chestnut trees thirteen years old ; they were very 

 thrifty and had borne several crops. At our visit 

 they were in bloom. We can see no reason why 

 this tree should not be extensively used in this 

 part of the State for belts to protect the orchards 

 from heavy winds that do no small damage by 

 throwing down large quantities of the fruit be- 

 fore fully ripe. 



CLOVER. 



But little clover is grown in this part of the 

 State, and farmers say it does not do well, and 

 that it is very difficult to get a stand of it. We 

 suspect it might do better if the land was ma 

 nured and sown in February, so that it would 

 become established before the heat of summer 

 burns it out. Possibly it is too far south for 

 clover, but we do not think it has thus far had a 

 fair trial. Farmers who fasten their gates with 

 log clains, climb over a rail fence to get to the 

 house, carry their water twenty rods from a hole 

 dug near a slough, or leave their manure to accu- 

 mulate about the barn, are hardly good authority 



on this subject, but the day of improvement is at 

 hand, when the soil of Egypt will assert its 

 value. 



THE CHICKASAW PLUM AND THE CURCULIO. 



Some of our nurserymen and fruit growers 

 have contended that this native plum was not 

 subject to injury from the curculio, and exten- 

 sive sales of the tree have be^n made upon thi? 

 hypothesis, but in this visit we have indubitable 

 evidence that it is not so. In a garden contain- 

 ing both the Chickasaw plum and the common 

 blue plums, the former had suffered as severely 

 as the latter, and it should be remembered that 

 this insect is not as destructive this year as usual. 

 We are not surprised at this, for we have never 

 found the curculio very particular about where 

 he laid his eggs. 



FaUIT ORCHARDS AT COBDEN. 



Since our last visit to this place we observe a 

 decided improvement ; strawberry culture is be- 

 coming a favorite and a large number have put 

 out plantations from one to twcacreseach, most- 

 ly of the Willson's Albany. The grapes have 

 sufi^ered some by the rot, but on the whole the 

 crop is promising. The peach crop is fine, both 

 in quantity and quality, and we may look for 

 large supplies from this part of the State early 

 in the seison. The want of manure for these 

 hill sides is the great need, but a better system 

 of husbandry that is being adopted, will to some 

 extent make up the want; soiling instead of pas- 

 turage will have to be resorted to, and as clover 

 does better on the timber land than on the prai- 

 ries north, as before noticed, it will come into 

 more general use. 



TOMATOES. 



The supply of tomatoes is not large and the 

 crop is late. Probably not over one-fourth of the 

 usual number of plants have been set out, but as 

 three weeks of the usual season will pass without 

 the use of this vegetable, the northern gardens 

 will begin to supply the demand by the time the 

 supply is exhausted here. Had the usual quan- 

 tity been grown here they would not have paid 

 the cost of culture, and even now we cannot pro- 

 mise a very high price, but all the better for the 

 masses who need this healthful food just now, 

 when July demands the acids to counteract the 

 billions tendencies of the summer. 



CAIRO. 



What a change since our last visit ; thenal 1 

 was bustle in the line of shipments, the trains 



