1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



2i^ 



pull it. The rye crop is good. This in the cen- 

 tre ia becoming an important crop for hogging 

 down — that is, the hogs are turned in to haryest 

 it, and it is t iking the place of corn for early 

 feeding. The potatoe crop, so far as our observ- 

 ation extends, is a moderate one. All south of 

 this the oat crop looks fine. On the whole we 

 look for a fair average of farm products from the 

 State at large. 



C. D. Bragdon. — The Rural New Yorker an- 

 nounces in its last issue that this gentleman, for 

 a long time connected with the Prairie Farmer, 

 will after the 6th July fill the place of Western 

 editor for that paper. Mr. B. is to travel exten- 

 sively in this and other Northwestern States. He 

 is a keen observer, a ready and grapliic writer, and 

 cannot fail of adding materially to the interest of 

 that now valuable paper. We regret that .Vlr. B. 

 could not have been retained on our Western pa- 

 pers, but we phall have the consolation to know 

 that the readers of the Rural New Yorker will 

 be better posted up in Western matters hereafter, 

 and if some of them do not get the Western fever 

 we shall be mistaken. 



Exterminate Them ! — A work of extirpation 

 was commenced yesterday against those Canadian 

 thistles which thrust their prickly presence into 

 our midst all unbidden and have presumed to 

 take possession of our outlying lands. In the 

 operation a workman "thrust three thousand 

 thistles through the thick of his thumb," more 

 or less, perhaps the latter. At all events, the 

 pretty, prangly, plaguy, prickly plants were 

 cleaned out root and branch from the surround- 

 ing territory where they had begun to "spread 

 them^elve?," Served them right — had no busi- 

 ness to leave Canada and come here during war 

 times. — Pantagraph. 



Too great care cannot be exercised in regard 

 to, not only Canada thistles, but other noxious 

 weeds, the common field daisy among them, but 

 the Canada thistle is the chief among them 

 all, as we have often proved when a boy, 

 obliged to go barefoot after the cows, or bind up 

 the small grains, pick up potatoes or pull fiax. 

 Down with the thistles we say. 



—•t- 



Apple Parer. — One Oi our lady readers wishes 

 to know which is the best apple parer. We have 

 used Sargent & Foster's patent for some years 

 with the most entire satisfaction. Probably 

 there are others as good. Those having them for 

 sale would consult their interest in presenting a 

 card to the public. 



Cherries and Blackberries. — Mrs. Fannie 

 Brown is desirous to know the best time to set 

 out May cherries and blackberries. The cherry 

 should be set in the fall and well banked up, or 

 very early in the spring ; they do badly when 

 set late, often dying after leaving out. The May 

 cherry is the most hardy of the whole cherry 

 family, bears the younjest, and is the most relia- 

 ble ; it is, in fact, the farmer's cherry. Black- ' 

 berries should be planted in the faU, for, like the 

 cherry, they start early. Care should be taken 

 to protect them from being thrown out by frost ; 

 when liable to this, early spring planting should 

 be resorted to, by getting the plant in the fall 

 and heeling them in ready for use. An abundant 

 supply of the small fruits wi'l lessen the number 

 of children on the sick list during the heat of 

 summer, add to their enjoyment and give to mo- 

 thers a relief from the most arduous of their du- 

 ties ; better have children picking berries than 

 prostrate in the sick room. 



—— 



The " Manny Paize." — We see by the Premi- 

 um List of the State Agricultural Society that 

 the enterprising firm of Talcott, Emerson & Co., 

 of Rockford, manufacturers of Manny's reaping 

 aud mowing machines have again offered one of 

 their valuable machines as a premium "for the 

 best field of wheat, (fall or spring) not less than 

 five acres, the ' Manny Prize, ' of Manny's com- 

 bined Reaper and Mower, $145." 



This premium is worth contending for. We 

 have used this reaper and mower for the past 

 three years, without having to send it for re- 

 pairs. They are made strong and durable. 



Madison County Fair — This Fair is set for 

 October Ist, 2d, 3d and 4th, at Edwardsville ; 

 President, D. B. Gillman, Alton ; Corresponding 

 Secretary, John A. Prickett, Edwardsville. 



" On the entry of animals or articles, cards 

 will be furnished, on which will be marked the 

 class and lot in which they are entered, and also 

 the entry number as entered on the books of the 

 office, which cards are to be placed upon the an- 

 imal or article to be exhibited, and not remov- 

 ed or marked with the name of the owner." 



We did not think that so much old fogyism 

 remained in Madison county as is contained in 

 the above. If you can't trust your committees 

 with the names ef exhibitors better leave it 

 to the crowd to decide. 



"An animal or article for which no premium 

 has been ofi'ered, will be charged an entry fee of 

 twenty-five cents, designated by a red entry card 



