224 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



Aug. 



hanges as they come to us ; we must find 

 other markets for our pork and corn. Cot- 

 ton has been the great medium for exchange 

 for our supply of foreign goods for which 

 we in turn hare paid the South in our great 

 staple ; now, this being cut off, we must ex- 

 change our products direct for such goods 

 as we want, but the war has brought with it 

 the consequent tariff, and thus our profits 

 are lessened and our capacity for exchange 

 curtailed. In this dilemma, we must first 

 produce all that we can for our own use, and 

 purchase as little as possible until the system 

 of exchange becomes more evenly ballanced. 

 "VVe can scarcely afford to exchange corn at 

 twenty cents a bushel for silk at three dollars 

 a yard, or the products of European work- 

 shops and artizens at these rates, and yet 

 this is about the present standard. From 

 the appreciation of gold, it is evident that 

 European trade is largely against us, and we 

 must cease to purchase for the time being. 

 "We, as farmers, must economise in our ex- 

 penses, and we will triumphantly weather 

 the storm. We must sell more than we buy, 

 must eschew running into debt, and select 

 the most profitable crops. Now is the time 

 to consider well these changes : first comes 

 the question of winter wheat, of rye, and of 

 meadows ; summer has culminated, and we 

 must now direct our future course, what we 

 shall do and how we shall do it ; we can not 

 procrastinate if we would, but must move on: 

 the world is moving, and the genius of the 

 age is making vast cTianges — who will lead 

 them ? 



Winter Wheat. 



Now that corn has sunk to zero in the 

 commercial scale, and as wheat has fully 

 held its own position, it is proper that we 

 should consider the propriety of extending 

 its culture. The fine crop of winter wheat 

 in Egypt will doubtless stimulate to the sow- 

 iag of a good breadth the last of this month 

 and fore part of the next. 



In passing down through Egypt, just 



before the harvest, we observed the best 

 wheat where the surface had been thrown 

 into narrow lands, say, of one and a half to 

 two rods wide. Near Tonti, where the 

 prairie is almost level, this plan of plowing 

 resulted in the best of crops. In most parts 

 of the State the same plan would be found 

 valuable and prevent a large amount of win- 

 ter killing. When the surface is dry and 

 well drained, winter killing is out of the 

 question, but where the surface water or 

 melted snow can stand on the surface, the 

 plants are thrown out. 



In plowing for wheat, we would recom- 

 mend that greater attention be paid to this 

 point. There are some thousands of acres 

 throughout this State in weed fallow that 

 should, and doubtless will, be sown to wheat. 

 Last year, quite a large breadth in the cen- 

 tral counties was sown among the standing 

 corn, but this will hardly be available now, 

 as the majority of corn fields will be laid by 

 with an abundandant supply of weeds. The 

 want of labor, the lateness of the season, and 

 the heavy rains have produced this result. 

 The corn field will therefore not be in good 

 condition to seed to winter wheat, as a gen- 

 eral thing, but where it is practiced we would 

 recommend early husking of the corn, and 

 that the stalks be cut down at once, either 

 with a sharp hoe close to the surface or with, 

 some other tool. Winter wheat grows too 

 spindling when shaded with the heavy growth 

 of corn, and hence should have the benefit 

 of the sun at as early a day as possible. The 

 worst possible thing for wheat sown among 

 corn is to leave the stalks standing until 

 spring — one trial of fall cutting will dispel 

 the old theory of allowing them to stand 

 through the winter. 



Clover and herds grass meadow are both 

 valuable to be turned over and sown at once, 

 there is no use to have them lay over for 

 rotting, turn under with a heavy furrow and 

 sow the same day if you choose. 



A good plan of sowing winter wheat after 

 spring wheat, oats, or barley, is practiced by 



