1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK 



^"^^ 



305 



From Benjamin D. Walsh. 



Ed. Faemer — Dear Sir : I have been reading 

 ■with much interest Mr. Cyrus Thomas' article on 

 the Army worm in your September number. I 

 do not propose to reargue the points in dispute 

 between him and me — for I have already inflict- 

 ed upon the Agricultural world a most out- 

 rageously long talk upon this subject in the 

 transactions of the State Society — but I do pro- 

 pose now to correct two very serious misstate- 

 ments which friend Thomas has made therein re- 

 lative to your humble servant. 



First — he says (p. 271) that my opinion is 

 " that the normal habit of the Army worm pupa 

 is to remain in that state until the following 

 spring, although some few exceptional cases 

 hatch during the sumnaer." 



Now I have never entertained nor expressed 

 any such opinion; and my firm belief is the pxact 

 contrary, viz : that the normal habit of the pupa 

 is to hatch out 15 or 20 days after it goes into 

 that state; but that it may possibly be the case 

 that some few remain in the pupa state till the 

 next fall or spring. So much for that point 



But I have a more serious crow than that to 

 pick with Mr. Thomas. I am neither a dentist, 

 nor a dealer in Parrs' life pills, nor even an ob- 

 stetrical practitioner ; and therefore I have no 

 business 'obe dubbed Doctor. And yet throu ,h- 

 out the article I am " Dr. Walsh." I mightjust 

 as well address my entomological brother as Rev. 

 Cyrus Thomas. 



The only handle to my name that I am entitled 

 to claim is Mr. — seeing that I am a Master of 

 Arts of an English university ; and at these uni- 

 versiiies Mr. is a title far superior to Esquire ; 

 the under-graduates being all Esquires, and the 

 full-graduates Misters. 



It is true tbat during my recent sojourn in 

 Egypt il was decided by an unanimous vore of the 

 officers at Camp Douglas, that I should be ap- 

 pointed Bugmaster- General of the State of Illi- 

 nois ; and 1 was very commonly addressed there 

 as Gekeral Walsh ; but as, from some unac- 

 countable oversight, the Governor of the Stale 

 has not as yet made out my commission, I do not 

 desire at present to claim the title. 



Benj. D. Walsh. 



Chicago, Sept. 13, 1861. 



Our friend Walsh is a bit of a wag as well as a 

 bugo ogist and is disposed to take off brother 

 Thomas for using unauthorized handles to his 

 Dame. The title of Dr. has become so common 

 and used for such varied purposes that we do not 

 blame Mr. Walsh for being disgusted with it, and 

 2 



we fear that General is destined to the same in- 

 glorious end. However in this case, as the ap- 

 pointment comes from such a high source, we are 

 disposed to have our friend wear it, and hence- 

 forth we shall address him as General Walsh. 

 The fact, that the Governor has not as yet made 

 out the commission has nothing to do with it, for 

 that must come from the Consdtutional Con*en- 

 tion, who will not only create the oflBce of Gen- 

 eral of Bugs, but fix the pay and rations there- 

 unto. We shall feel more secure in our pomolo- 

 gical and cereal products so soon as the State 

 orders Gen. Walsh into the field with his army of 

 cannibal bugs to w^ge war on the whole tribe of 

 leaf eaters, borers, and destroyers of our fruit. 

 Should the Convention approve of the election at 

 Camp Douglas we shall move the General to in- 

 vite Capt. Thomas to his staff. Ed. 



[From the Rural New Yorker.] 



War and Agriculture. 



Eds. Etjral New- Yorker: — Will you allow an 

 old man, one who has lived during wars and ru- 

 mors of wars, on both sides of the Atlantic, and 

 witnessed their effect upon agriculture, to say a 

 few words to my brother farmers in this time of 

 alarm and excitement. Every one seems to be 

 carried away with the excitement, — every one 

 seems to take it for granted that war must neces- 

 sarily bring hard times and embarrassment, and 

 ruin, to all ourcommercial interests. Now, if we 

 continue this course, want of confidence, and 

 general embarrassment will assuredly follow. If 

 we keep up this mad dog cry against our own 

 prosperity, we shall of course suffer. The dog 

 s gainst which the cry is raised, though pert* ctly 

 well, suffers jus' as much as though rabid. But 

 is this necessary ? Is this commercial ruin the 

 necessary result of the war, or is it the result of 

 our own unreasonable fear and alarm? It is the 

 first time in the history of the world that I have 

 known war to cau e hard times. In Europe war 

 is always considered the sure percursor of com- 

 mercial activity and general prosperity, ai d par- 

 ticularly so to the farmer and those engnged in 

 the work of producing The English farmer, 

 though he may moralize a little upon the evils of 

 fighting, receives the declaration of war with a 

 good deal of ill-concealed pleasure, knowing as 

 he does that while many may suffer he will gain 

 in wealth. Produce, manufactures, almost every- 

 thing, advances in value, in fact puts on what is 

 called "war prices," money is circulated freely, 

 every one is actively employed, and general p.os- 

 perity is the order of the day. Even the com- 

 monest farm laborers feel the influence of the 

 times in a few shillings extra per wees. 



The greatest draw- back to this prosperity is 

 the fact thnt peace mustfollow war. Then, when 

 everybody is trjing to rejoice at the declaration 

 of peace, the farmer, the merchant, and the me- 

 chanic, finds it difi&cult to conceal his fears la 

 a little while business becomes duU, farmers have 



