346 



THE ILLI^^OIS FARMER. 



E"OT. 



Volume Fourtu of the Transactions of the 

 Illtnois State i^GRicuLTURAL Society. — The 

 publication cf this volume has been delayed a 

 little bryond the usuil time bj' the pressure of 

 the woik in the office of the public printer. It 

 is now, however, about ready for the binder, and 

 will soon be distributed to the v rious associa- 

 tions in tlie State entitled to receive it. 



From our knowledge of its ccuitent-', the style 

 of (he letter pre?s, and illustrations, we do not 

 hesitate to say in advance, it will be a valuable ad- 

 dition to (very agricultural librarj', and in every 

 Way creditable to the Society, by whom tLe ma- 

 terials have been collected, and to the printers 

 and engravers who have executed the work. 



We shall notice the contents more in detail in 

 a future number. 



"Will it Pat to Underdeain? — James Fitch, 

 of Springport, Cnyuga county, New York, has 

 for some j'cars paid special attention to under- 

 draining. The fditor of the Country Gentleman 

 recently visited him, and inquired tlie aniouTit of 

 benefit he had derived from the operation. Point- 

 ing to a field th.at was drainel two years ago, 

 and from wliich a crop of corn and barley had 

 since been taken, he prompily replied, "I have 

 received my pay already in the increase of these 

 two cropj." 



Hog Cholera — The Petersburg and Jackson- 

 ville papers comjliin very much of the ravages 

 of hog cholera in Menard and Morgan counties. 

 One mm in ISIenard county lost seven hundred, 

 another five hunlred, another four hundred, and 

 so on. The Menard Axis thinks that at least ten 

 thousand have died of the disease in that county, 



The Jacksoaville Journal tells a similar story 

 in relation to Morgan county. No reliable rcme^ 

 dy is known for the disease. 



The French Vintage. — The vintage of France 

 will this year be magnificent. It is now being 

 carried on with great activity in the Southern 

 province.^ and in Burgundy. Everywhere the 

 grapes are tine, th re b ing very few that have 

 not ripened. No doubt is entertained that in 

 all parts of the country the wine will be abund- 

 ant and of very superior quality; there seems, 

 therefore, to be some truth in the supposition 

 that comet years are favorable to the cultiva- 

 tion of the grape. 



Humbugs at a Discount. — What with the war 

 fever and tight times, even cheap humbugs are at 

 a discount. Lottery swindles, bogus jewelry, 

 dollar receipts, and twenty-five cent packages of 

 new squashes are nearly out of date. We are 

 almost dead of erihui in this line. Can't some one 

 invent something of the kind just to keep the 

 system alive ? Where is Crandle and his wonder- 

 ful corn ? Where is the honey blade grass man, 

 and the whole army of te i thousand of these 

 graceless scamps ? AVe suspect they have all to 

 a man turned army contractors. 



Premium List of the State Fair — This list 

 is now ready for delivery. Address J. P. Rey- 

 nolds, Secretary of State Agricultural Society, 

 Springfield, His. 



-<»»- 



— A contemporary, noticing the appointment 

 of a friend as post master, says : " If he attends 

 to the males as well as he does to the females, 

 he will make a very > fficient officer. 



C O N T 



N 



November - 321 



The State Fair 322 



Fruit Culture in Northern Illinois 323 



Horses for the Army 427 



Hymn to Flowers — The Feed and Grrowth of the 



American Robin 328 



One of the Prairie Kings, and How he Does some 



Things 330 



From Mr. Grcenman 332 



Rotation of Crops — A Cheap Threshing Machine 



Wanted 333 



Blooded Stoc-k — Singular French Trial — Sorghum 



Molasses — Insects which Destroy the Army 



Worm 334 



Brighton — Cotton in the Sandwich Islands 335 



Handling Steers for Oxen — Lambert Wheat in 



Highland County, Ohio — New Elevator 336 



Setting an Orchard 337 



Trial of a Steam Plow; a Great Agricultural 



Improvement 339 



Effects of Hungarian Grass 350 



Editor's Table : 



Brown October — An Agricultural College 341 



August Sown Wheat — Sort out the Small Pota- 

 toes — Can we use Coal for Cooking? 342 



Gates' Evaporator vs. Cook's 343 



Better Work for Little than Beg— To School 



Teachers — Farm Houses 344 



How to Take Medicine Without Tasting it-Pre- 

 serving Cider — Meat for Hens — Farmers' Ad- 

 vocate, Chicago — Gypsum or Plaster 345 



Humbugs at a I)is(¥)unt — Will it Pay to Under- 

 drain ? — The French Vintage — Premium List 

 for the State Fair — Volume Fourth of the 

 Transaelions of ihe Illinois State Agricultural 

 Society 346 



