1862. 



THE ILLIKOIS FARMEK. 



loo 



tion, and for several years were a finn 

 believer in the doctrine, but time has dis- 

 pelled the illusion. Forty years since seed- 

 ling apples sold for six to ten cents a bushel, 

 and grafts fifteen to twenty- five; now they 

 bring from fifty cents to a dollar, and ofiben 

 more ; therefore we can continue to plant 

 fruit trees^ with the prospect of profit as 

 well as shade and beauty. By a liberal 

 planting of trees throughout the country, We 

 fihall have more summer showers and less of 

 drenching rains, thus making the moisture 

 more equable than at present, and giving a 

 greater certainty of good average crops. If 

 you have no trees at hand to plant, use cut- 

 lings of willow, of Cottonwood, and of the 

 lombardy poplar. Those are rapid growing 

 trees and will soon make an abundance of 

 firewood, aa well as of immense value for 

 shelter, not only to crops, but to the farmer 

 and his stock. Therefore, we say use the 

 ounce of preventative, and if you plant ten 

 acres less of corn the present spring, do not 

 neglect the trees both for fruit and shelter. 



-<••- 



Salt, Coal and Gtpsttm in Michigan. — The 

 Scientific American in noticing the results of the 

 State Geological survey of Michigan, makes the 

 following statoments as to its salt springs and 

 beds of coal and gypsum : 



The comraercial importance of these salines 

 may be he^t understood when we say that be- 

 tween Lake Mich'gan and Salt Lake, in Utah, no 

 brine s^.rings have been discovered. The whole 

 north-western country must then be tributary to 

 this State for it? supply of common salt. Brine 

 springs have been discovered west of Michigan, 

 but they lie in 'he British possessions. 



The coal formation, too, has received the atten- 

 tion of the survey. The number of the seams 

 of coal, their depth beneath the surface, ap well 

 as the thickness of the entire surface, have been 

 determined. At present the north of Michigan 

 is covered with au immense growth of forest veg- 

 etation. But a few years will pass, and this 

 vast amount of forest Will give way before the ax 

 of the woodman. Then will the hidden wealth 

 of coal be sought for, to work her brine springs, 

 to feed her locomotives, furnaces and forges, as 

 well; as to give heat to the inhabitantg of the 

 comitry. 



■To the agricultural portion of the State the 

 value of the beds of gypsum cannot be overrated. 

 These have received special attention in the re- 

 port. Michigan is a land of sandy soil — one 

 that feels the effects of sulphate of lime (plaster 

 of the farmer), and abandantly repays the out. 



lay of its use. Michigan is the only State of 

 the Union which possesses a supply of gypsum, 

 salt and coal. 



We notice some points of the science of geology 

 as settled by the investigations of Prof. Winchell. 



First, that the salt and gypsum rocks belong 

 to the carboniferous system of geologists, and in 

 this respect differ from that of any of her sister 

 States. In New York the salines and plaster 

 beds belong to the silurian system. In Ohio, 

 Pennsylvania, Western Virginia, Kentucky and 

 Illinois, the t^alines are included in the carbonife- 

 rous system. In Southwestern Virginia the 

 salines are with the devonian, while in Kansas 

 and the Indian country, Utah ani the Great Des- 

 ert they belong to systems much more recent than 

 the carboniferous, viz., the perminn, triasio and 

 cretaceous, if not also to the tertiary. 



CoTTOs Sebd for Illinois. — There seems fo 

 be a disposition in Illinois to make the experi. 

 ment of raising cotton this season. That cotton 

 can be produced upon the fertile lands of that 

 State, as far north as latitude 40®, oi higher, 

 seems to be established beyond question. The 

 production in the cotton States probably will in 

 any extent be very far short of the ordinary crop. 

 Hence, with a certainty of a short supply, prices 

 are shure to be remunerative in Illinois, for one 

 or two seasons, if not permanently to. The ex- 

 periment will n( doubtedly pay, and it will be 

 interesting to try the culture of cotton upon free 

 soil and by free labor. 



We are requested to publish the following no- 

 tice for the information of those who desire to 

 procure sieed of the quality suitable for the lati- 

 tude of Illinois, i .. - .;- 



Paducah, Kt., Maech 28, 1862. 

 John P. Reynolds. Cor. Sec. State Agricultural 

 Society, Springfield, III. : 



I have purchased a large quantity — say three 

 thousand bushels — of cotton seed in Tennessee, 

 adapted to the climate and soil of southern Illi- 

 "ois. I will forward under the directions of the 

 iuterior department, and advise you in time. 



D. C. DoNNOHiTE, Gov't. Agent. 

 — {Missouri Democrat. ■ 



— A large amount of the seed is now at Cairo 

 and on the way, and all who wish to try cotton 

 growmg should apply to the station agents of the 

 Illinois Central Railroad for seed, the cost o - 

 which will be but a trifle more than the cost of 

 sacking and freight, Ed. 



j|@~ Almost every young lady is public spirited 

 enough to be Willi jg io have her father's house 

 used as a court house. - ■ -.-;:= • : ^. "s?/ 



(^''Shori-nozed men shouldn't complaia if 

 everybody snubs them, since nature herself set 

 the example. 



