260 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEK. 



Sept. 



grow the Lawton blackberry or Black Cap rasp- 

 berry to good advantage. These belts are now 

 in corn, eo that the cost of culture is but a trifle 

 more than that of an ordinary crop. Another 

 yeai's growth of the maple will put an end to the 

 corn crop. 



STATE NORMAL TJNIVEESITY. 



This being in our way we spent an hour in the 

 natural history room, in admiring the fine speci 

 mers of birds put up by our friend Holder, and 

 the extensive collection of rocks, coals, etc., by 

 the iadustrious Wilbur, and the fine painting of 

 the youiig artist, J. E. Bryant, nephew of our 

 illusirious poet of the same name. Mr Hovey 

 was absent at Washington a' ranging for a regi- 

 ment of teachers and students to figbt the bat- 

 tles of bis country. 



A TWENTY ACRE FARM. 



The only entry of a twenty acTe farm was that 

 of Mr. 0. Barnard near Bloomington. The farm 

 contains in all twenty-five and a half acres lees 

 the liigiiway on one side and a lane on the other* 

 and is occupied as follows : 



.ACRES. 



Corn 9 



Spring V-heat 5i 



Oaf^ 4 



Me:iil()w 2| 



Orcbai-a i 



Road .i!.d yard 1 



Potatoes 6 



Towl 2yi 



Five acres of the corn land was in corn last 

 season, plowed a foot deep a'jd heavily manured, 

 most, of the manure hauled from the city. The 

 other was a pasture field previously manured. — 

 On one corner of the five acre lot four loads of 

 gafs lime had been spread, last year the crop was 

 not as good on it, but now we can see no differ- 

 ence bttween it, and that treated with manure. 

 The pasture land was plowed eight inches 

 deep. A single mole drain had been run through 

 the five acre field, and along its track the corn 

 •was much the test, the line of drain could be 

 easily seen in looking over the field. The whole 

 nine acres presents an immense growth. The corn 

 is drilled in rows about three leet apart and cul- 

 tivated wifh double shovel plow and cultivator 

 flat culture and all weeds destroyed. The po- 

 tatoes are very fine. The laud was manured and 

 plowfd deep — rows three feel apart, hills one foot, 

 with one eye in a hill — cultivated with shovel 

 pinw — variety mostly Neshanrock; uses largepo- 

 tatnes for seed. The wheat crop was exceedingly 

 heavy in the straw, but the berry was not well 

 filled. 



THE MEADOW 



Is a mixture of timothy and clover, was very 

 heavy, having been top dressed after harvest last 

 year, seven loads of well rotted manure to the 

 acre. From our experience and observati n we 

 think a top dressing of mmure immediately after 

 the hay has been taken ofi" the most valuable 

 treatment that can be given a meadow, it an- 

 swers as a mulch to protect the exposed roots 

 from the sun, and on the first rain tbey after- 

 wards spring up with wonderful vigor and can 

 be either pastured or again cut for winter use, 

 though we should prefer the former. We cannot 

 too strongly recommend the top dressing of mea- 

 dow lands at that season of the year, at that time 

 the ground is hard and is not in__ured by driving 

 on it- We would prefer we'! rotted manure. — 

 The hot sun of July and August often desrtroy 

 or prevent the after growth, but with even alight 

 top dressing we have always formed a good after 

 growth. 



THE ORCHARD 



Has been set four years and begins to show a 

 few specimens of fiuit. The varieties were not 

 well selected for a family orchard and will need 

 be extended for this purpose. An orchard of 

 this kind Fhonld contain a good proportion of 

 summer and autumn fruits adapted to cooking; 

 it is a mistaken notion thfit we need most of the 

 I able sorts. Such apples as the Keswick Codlin, 

 Holland Pippin, Yellow Belleflower and Stnnnard 

 cani.ot well be dispensed with in the kitchen, so 

 long as apple pies, dumplings and tarts are great 

 staples of health and good living The orchard 

 has made a vigorous growih, havi? g been culti- 

 vated in low hoed crops, this sea on in butter 

 beans for the city market. The orchard contains 

 sixty-two apple, a few pears and plum trees. On 

 the west side is an Osage hedge and a belt of 

 forest trees about two rods wide, on the east and 

 next to the house grounds a screen of arbor vi- 

 tses which in a few years will add much to the 

 beauty and value of the place in breaking off the 

 southwest winds of winter from the building. 



THE GARDEN 



Is among the best, and contains all of the small 

 fruits, with an ample supply of ve^etablos, and 

 is under the more immediate charge of M'S. B., 

 not that she does all the labor of digging, plant- 

 ing and weeding, but directs and superintends its 

 management. The crop of currants, gooeber- 

 ries, raspberries and grapes would make glad the 

 family of man a " large farmer." 



