861. 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



^Written for the Valley Farmer.] 



' Calendar of Operations in the Vineyard. 



AUGUST. 



As this is the month for the coloring and rip- 

 ning of the earlier varieties of grapes, the yine- 

 ,afd will need close attent'on. 



If your vines have been thoroughly summer 

 runed, the grapes will be well covered with 

 ■ oung leaves, and but little tying will be well 

 overed with young leaves, and but little tying 

 i'ill be needpd. Should some bunches, however, 

 ]e too much exposed, tie young shoots over them, 

 ,3 this is the month for sun scald. As thismonth 

 i generally very dry, keep the ground mellow, 

 :ad hill up to the vines slightly, either with the 

 • 'ow or hoe. 



Birds will be very troublesome, especially on 



lur early grapes If you have but a few vines 

 f an early variety, protect them by mosquito 

 itting ; it will be the easiest plan. For the gen- 

 ..■al crop, there will be no other plan than to 

 ■nd a man or boy into the vineyard, to make all 

 le noise he can and scare them off; for I will 



)t suppose that you, gentle reader, are one of 



^ose bi''d slaughtering, blood thirsty men, who 



age war constantly on these the best friends of 



le vine grower. Cherish and protect them on 



ur p ace, and especially in the vineyard — they 

 ■'11 destroy millions of insects ; even if they do 

 st grapes it is only their due for benefits con- 

 .rred, which they take. 



This will be the time for summer layering. — 

 (Oy the young «hoots you wish to layer flat on the 

 . ound, or bend them down, and cover about an 

 ';ch deep with mellow soil, leaving the tops out. 



Get suitable ca-ks in readiness to receive your 

 just, if you intend to make wine. If yon get 

 (■w casks, such as will hold from 150 to 200 gai- 

 jns are the most convenient size. Have them 

 *ade 0* good, well sea-oned white oak wood and 

 •ound with strong iron hoops. Prepare every, 

 hing for win( -making next month. You need a 

 ood cellar — arched, if possible — a large tub or 

 at to receive your mashed grapes ; this ought to 

 5 wide and low, to make it more convenient, 

 ith a faucet on one side to draw off the must ; 

 press, of which there are many different kinds 

 1 use One of the cheapest and most conveni.^ 

 at kind is the following : An iron screw, three 

 p four inches in diameter, is used, either in a 

 irong upright frame, or coming up through the 

 3nter of the platform. A strong, tight, box 

 latform, eix or seven feet square, is made of 

 rong plank which are grooved. It ought to 

 ope two or three inches towards one side, which 

 'i left open, the sides being about six inches high, 

 his is wedged in between heavy timber, and a 

 utter placed underneath, to lead the must inte 

 tub on one side. Boards to lay across the 

 ashed grapes, and oak scantlings to receive the 

 ■essure, complete the arrangement. The power 



applied by a strong lever through the nut of 

 :tew. You a'so want plenty of pails to cut your 

 japes into — tin pails are best for that purpose. 



you have all these thing prepared you can rest 



ij until next month. G. Hushann. 



Thb Crops. — Our farmers are now in the midst 

 of their wheat harvest, and from all directions 

 we have the most cheering accounts of the abun- 

 dant yield. It is undoubtedly the best crop that 

 has been harvested in this neighborhood for sev- 

 eral years. 



The corn, and other growing crops, never pro- 

 mised better at this season of the year than they 

 do now. 



There will, also, in this immediate vicinity be 

 a fine yield of all kinds of fruit. — Pike Co Dem. 



Pike county, from its geographical position at 

 the confluence of the Illinois with the Mississippi 

 rivers, should be one of the most valu«ble coun- 

 ties of the State for grain pasturage and fruit. 

 It is well located to secure more than an ordi- 

 nary share of summer showers, yet the past year 

 was one of unexampled drouth and farmers lost 

 largely. It is therefore with pleasure that we 

 chronicle a returned prosperity. 



Crops in Schuyler County. 



Our wheat crop is all harvested, and farmers 

 are generally well satisfied. Oats have also done 

 well, the straw is short, but the yield of grain 

 will be very good. Just now the appearance of 

 corn is splendid, but we are having rather too 

 much dry weather for it. Hay it was supposed 

 for some time would be a failure on account of 

 the army worm, but after all, there will be a 

 large supply of it. Potatoes are suffering for 

 want of rain, for the same reason the early po- 

 tatoes have yielded but scantily. We will have 

 an abundance of apples and peaches— plums, 

 grapes, blackberries and other wild fruits also 

 abound. Nature has been lavish of her gifts to 

 us this year, but we are sorry to say there is 

 but little or no market for them. 



The price of wheat ranges from 40 to 50 cts. 

 but no one is offering cash, there being no mar- 

 ket abroad. Oats sell for 12^ cts. per bushel, 

 and corn 12^ cts. A farmer the other day 

 brought 10 bushels of corn into town and sold 

 it for $1 00. Hay about $5 00 per ton— it 

 has been offered at $4 00. White bf ans 50 

 cts. per bushel. Green apples are 50 cts. per 

 bushels, and dried apples $1 00 ! Early 

 potates have been selling at 50 cts., hams 7 cts. 

 per lb., side-meat 7 cts., shoulders 6J cts. — 

 Flour is $2 50 per hundred pounds ; meal 25 

 cts. per bushel ; butter 8 to 10 cts. — it has sold 

 here recently at 5 and 6 cents. Lard 8 cts.; 

 coffee about 20 cts. 



To sum up, we have an abundance of nearly 

 every commodity of the grain, fruit and veget- 

 able productions, but no market for them, nor 

 no expectations of a market unless the rebell- 

 ion is speedily crushed. — Citizen. 



— A wit once asked a peasant what part he 

 performed in the great drama of life. " I mind 

 my own business," was the reply. 



