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292 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEE. 



SEpt^. 



BLACK CAP KASPBEKRT. 



This is one of the early fruits that can be 

 grown abundantly along the whole line. The 

 supply, heretofore, has come from Cincinnati and 

 Ticinity, where thosands of acres are grown, and 

 sent to market in both the ripe and dry state. 

 We know of no one beside ourself, who has 

 attempted their field culture in this State. We 

 have about an acre set out, and which promises 

 to giye an abundant yield. By taking the season 

 along the route indicated, the supply would 

 be for several weeks, if not over two months. 



BIACKBEBB.IK8. 



f This fruit Is just beginning to assume a prom- 

 inent position in the Northern markets. Its 

 very perishable character has prevented any 

 large amount from being sent from the South 

 part of the State, but with the growing import- 

 ance of the summer fruite, it has become an 

 object with the Illinois Central Railroad to give 

 better facilities for a rapid transportation, and 

 now nothing is wanting but to fit up the cars, so 

 as to give proper ventilation to such fruits as 

 sour in a few hours, when put in a close, ill ven 

 tllated car, Not only the cars, but the cases that 

 contain the fruit must be so constructed that a 

 free ventilation of air will at all times reach the 

 fruit. This fruit ripens in the South part of the 

 State by the tenth of June, and as the season 

 closes in Michigan the middle of August, we 

 have this fruit in all its health-giving feeshness 

 for a season of sixty days, or nine weeks. At 

 present, no attempt is making South of Chigago, 

 to give this fruit field culture, but this must be 

 resorted to, as the market will demand a more 

 sure supply and of better quality than those 

 from the border of the fields and woodland. 



We have never seen such crops of fruit any 

 where as those growing wild about the fields in 

 Northern Mississippi, but the perishable nature 

 of the fruit, and the long distance to the North- 

 ern cities, put the crops beyond our reach. At 

 the South part of this State thousands of bush- 

 els can be had annually at an average cost of 

 four cents a quart, or less than a dollar and a 

 half per bushel. All that is lacking is for deaN 

 ers to provide the proper boxes and to attend to 

 the shipping. We think the reason this product 

 has failed to reach the market in good order, is 

 the packing in drawers and in close cars The 

 fruit is too abundant and too cheap to be thus 

 thrown away. Its value for wine is well known*, 

 but yet few persons take the trouble to make it. 



We often purchase the fruit at twenty-five cents 

 a water bucket full, or about two and a half cents 

 a quart. On sevtral occasions we have been in 

 Egypt during the season of this fruit, and have 

 sent it to our friends in Chicago, and to our home 

 without difficulty, by putting it in willow baskets 

 and Blowing it the air of the express car. Who 

 will make a fortune out of the native blackberry 

 of Egypt next season? 



THE TOMATO 



Has a royal claim to a place among the summer 

 fruits. It is sent from Cabden, June 25th, and 

 our Cincinnati friends purchased their supply 

 from there as late as July 14th, the past season, 

 again showing that for the very early fruits, the 

 South part of State is without competition from 

 any available quarter. 



The tomato has the disadvantage of great 

 weight, and the price cannot, therefore, be so 

 much reduced as that of other fruits, and there- 

 fore, the culture cannot be too much extended 

 without ruining the business. 



It will always be one of the most uncertain 

 crops as to price, that is cultivated in the South 

 part of the State. An over^crop, cr an early 

 season at the North, will always seriously affect 

 it. It can be grown in hot-beds and m cold gra- 

 peses at the North, in quantity almost equal 

 to the demand, the glass structures overbalan- 

 cing the cost bf freight and package. We there- 

 fore place the tomato among thet leas valuable 

 bf the summer fruits, as in its case, skill, ma- 

 nure and glass is a match for sunny skies. 



GRAPES. 



Thus far, this fruit has not given satisfaction 

 at Cobden. Though we place it among the sum- 

 mer fruits, yet it may be questiohed whether it is 

 strictly so along the whole line under discussion. 

 But its importance among the late summer and 

 early autumn fruits ^ould hordly allow ua to 

 pass it over in thi« connection. 



The Catawba and Isabella are the varieties 

 thus far put under trial, and during the past 

 threa years, the only ones in which vines, to any 

 extent, have been fruited ; they have suffered 

 seriously with the rot. What the result may be 

 with other varieties, we have no reliable data up- 

 on which to base our opinion, but enough has 

 been developed to convince us that the middle of 

 the State is a better grape region than the ex- 

 treme South. The basin of Egypt and through 

 the whole plateau of Central Illinois, we think 

 the grape will be found to flourish. At Cham- 



