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K I 'Vw»'^<,iff|;pqge*<7<T«p^!i!«!!mpann 



1862. 



THE ILL1]S"0IS FAKMEK. 



809 



health of the plants, is due to the form of the 

 house, -which in this respect is not only the best 

 but (he cheapest that we have seen, and so well 

 are we pleased with it, that we are putting up one 

 on the same plan — sixteen by fifty -four feet. No 

 plant is schorcbed, nor is there ary need for the 

 use of white-wash. The ventilation is the most 

 perfect and convenient to regulate. There is no 

 loss of heat, and no danger if the house is neg- 

 lected for a day or two on account of watering. 

 Cuttings were making good roots in common pot- 

 ting earth, in the shade of the grape vines loaded 

 with fruit on plants grown in boxes under each 

 rafter. Ou the whole, it is the most cosey and 

 and perfect of the whole family of propagating 

 houses within our knowledge. As it is the design 

 of the publishers (o made some improvements in 

 the next volume of the Farmer, we propose giv- 

 ing a drawing and description of this house. 



Mr. U. has a lean-to well stocked with plants, 

 and the rafters loaded with cluster of grapes, 

 grown in boxes. This is the last of the lean-tos, as 

 they are of little value compared with the double 

 roof on the new plan. 



The land here is in s-andy ridges, divided by 

 narrow slues of muck resting on quick-sand. 

 These have been drained and supply the best 

 ground for the strawberry, making a deep, rich 

 moist soil — never too dry and in no danger of 

 flooding, as the water is drained off through the 

 peat-like soil. 



Mr. U. his manured his place — Grapeton — 

 and intends that it shall be what its name im- 

 plies. The ridges make a good growth of vines 

 when treated to waste from the lard and button 

 makers. Next year he will commence his system 

 of cold graperies. 



Early in the morning we rode to Evanston, 

 some three miles distant. We have never ad- 

 mired this place for its style of building and 

 grand improvement, though there are some good 

 places in it, at the head of which stands that of 

 Mr. Hurd. West of the depot and next in order 

 is that of Gov. Evans, nea,r the lake shore. The 

 wide swales yet undrained, tend to mar the beauty 

 of the p'ace, but in time these will disappear, and 

 Evanston become a desirable place; as it now 

 stands, it has the appearance of having been 

 overdone with great expectations. Near the 

 upper part of the town is the new cold grapery 

 of Mr. E. Haskins, the most complete of any 

 yet erected in or about Chicago. Mr. Ure who 

 Buperintended its construction, has promised us 

 a drawing and description for the Faemer. It 

 was erected and the vines planted last spring, 



and at this time, many of them are three-fourths 

 of an inch in diameter and twenty feet long. It 

 is a span roof, and of course easiiy cared for. 

 Any person seeing this would never put up a 

 lean to. • - 



From here we visited the grounds of Messrs. 

 Kidder & Knox, the small fruit growers of this 

 section. We believe that it has been a favorite 

 theory with Mr. Knox to plant the strawberry 

 on dry ground, such as is suited tc wheat and 

 corn, but here on their dry sand and gravel ridge 

 the plants after three years trial have been vot- 

 ed a failure, and seven acres of Willson's Al- 

 bany have, within a few weeks, been turned un- 

 der. Much to our regret, Mr. Kidder wan net 

 at home, being absent in raising a company of 

 cavalry for the war. Mr. K. has removed his 

 strawberry plantation to the low lands bordering 

 the swales, and they promise well. The Tri- 

 umph de Gand look very vigorous and promise 

 to show good returns next year. Thus far the 

 strawberry crop on these grounds have proved a, 

 failure. To the west of the ridge on the flats 

 some thirty acres have been tile-di-ained at a 

 large expense, and several acres set in small 

 fruits, but from several causes have not done 

 well. The upper soil is peaty, while the subsoil 

 is of cemented clay and gravel, and we doubt if 

 this could be put to better use than to be set 

 in meadows for at least the next dozen years. 

 For small fruits at present it is doubtless a fail- 

 ure. The Lawton blackberry had on samples of 

 ripe and green fruit September 17th. The Black 

 Cap raspberry had made a good growth as well 

 as BrJnkle's Orange. 



"We confess to no great disappointment from 

 what we saw of the place two years since, and 

 predicted the result that has followed. It will 

 not do to put strawberry plantations on very dry 

 land, nor will it pay for small fruits on flat, 

 marshy clays, however well drained, the soil is 

 too dead and cold for such use, grass appears 

 the only profitable crop. However successful 

 Mr. Knox may have been at Pittsburgh, he has 

 been disappointed him. 



We next turned cityward, and our first call 

 was at Rose Hill cemetery, the grounds of which 

 are of the best description of land for this pur- 

 pose, being a broad, gravelly ridge, sparsely 

 covered with yellow oak and hickory. The 

 grounds are well laid out and kept in good or- 

 der. Rose Hill will be to Chicago what Mount 

 Auburn is to Boston, one of the beautiful spots 

 haliowed as God's acre. 



From Rose Hill is a fine gravel road to the 



