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364 



THE ILLmOIS FARMEE. 



Dec. 



common family through the year ; and in these 

 "hard times" I should deem it good economy to 

 grow enough for our own . u?e. It should be 

 planted in drills two f(et apart, and one seed, 

 gix inches apart, in the drill. L. Nokbis. 



Windsor, Ohio. Nov. 1862. 



—Our old friend the "Chick Pea," alias •'Illi- 

 nois Coffee," is again loose — wonder if it will sell 

 this time at half a cent a grain. Go in Mr. 

 Isorris,your fortune is made if you don't lack im" 

 pudence, and judging from the tone of your let- 

 ter you do not. Send out West by all means. — 

 Here is a broad field for you, as the fools are not 

 all deadyct, though many of them have left us 

 for a time. Ei>, 



From the Farmer's Advocate. 



Jeriah Boniiam — Dear \Sir : — I enclose you a 

 sample of cotton taken from an unripe boll. — 

 I am trying an experiment with it. I have 

 half an acre growiiig well. Whether any of it 

 will ripen, I cannot say, but my siand 1 oks as 

 well as any I ever saw in Louisiana or MiEsts- 

 sippi. I know how to raise it. The trouble this 

 season has been too much wet for it to ripen scon. 

 If it had been warm and dry, I would have had 

 one picking at least, and possibly I may get it 

 yet. Yours truly, S. S. Strong. 



Dw5ght, 111., Oct. 21st, 1862. 



Culture of IItacikths in Glasses. — The Hy- 

 acinth is the bulb most usually grown in winter 

 in the house, and when propi.rly treated will 

 bloom moie tinely, and the ilowers will continue 

 much longer than in the open air. Culture in 

 glasses and in pots are the most usual methods 

 of growing this lieautiful phmt in the bouse. 



In culture in glasses the largest bulbs should 

 be selected, as it must be borne in mind that in 

 this metliod of treatment, the whole substance of 

 the leaves and flowers comes from thebodv of the 

 bulb, as nothing in the Wfiy of nutriment is de- 

 rived from the water, la selecting Hyacinth 

 glasses the darkest colored should be chosen, as 

 the roots of all plants shun the light. Place the 

 bulbs on the glasses and pour in water until it 

 just touches the bottom of the bulb. Now set the 

 glasses away in a dark cool place, where they 

 may remain for several weeks, or until the roots 

 have reached half way to the botiom of the glass- 

 es. When this is the cnse, remove tliem to a 

 situation where they will receive a moderate 

 amount of liget, and 6 soon as the leaves show a. 

 healthy green color, they may be place in their 

 fieel situation, which should be where they can 

 receive the greatest amount of light and plenty 

 of fresh air. The top ledge of the lower sash of 

 a window is frequently used for this purpose, 

 and is a good situation, for here they get the 

 greatest quantity of light, and are kept cool by 

 the air which will always creep in where the two 

 sashes meet. The water will need to be changed 

 once in two weeks, and this should be done with- 

 out removing the bulbs, as there is danger of 



the roots bring injured in returning the bulbs to 

 the glass after removal. It will sometimes oc- 

 cur that a slimy matter will collect around the 

 roots. When this is the case, the bulbs must be 

 carefully removed, and the roots washed with 

 gentleness and the utmost care. The glasses 

 should be washed out before replacing the bulbs, 

 which operation must be conducted with judg- 

 ment and much caution, or the roots will be brok- 

 en and the plants suffer. The water used in re- 

 filling the glasses should always be of the tem- 

 perature of the room. It is recommended by 

 way of stimulant to the plants to dissolve an 

 ounce of guano in a quart of rain water, and put 

 one teaspoonful of this solution in each glass 

 OEce a fortnight, after the flowers begin to ap- 

 pear. — Country Gentleman. 



Planting Grape Vines. — George W. Campbell, 

 of Delaware Grape notoriety, miikes the follow- 

 ing remarks in his circular: 



"I have found very little difference in the 

 growth of \ines, whether planted in fall or spriiig. 

 When planted in the fall, and slightly protected 

 during the first winter, an early start, and usu- 

 ally a more vigorous growth maybe expected, 

 than from vines transplanted in the spriiig. A 

 somewhat elevated situation, and a deep, pervious 

 soil, moderately rich, is best. A calcareous clay 

 loam, well under-drained, will produce very 

 good, healthy vines and fruit, and if abounding 

 somewhat with gravel or pebbles, so much the 

 better. If lime does not exist naturally in the 

 soil, it should be pretty freely supplied ; and if 

 the soil is poor, enrich it with any well decom- 

 posed manure at hand. Fresh, or partially de- 

 composed manure induces unhealthy growth, 

 and disposes vines to mildew. Low situation-, 

 where water can settle and stagnate about the 

 roots, will not answer. Where immediate fruit- 

 ing of young vines is desired, permit but one 

 cane to grew; stop or pinch off all laterals at one 

 joint from the main stem ; keep the vine ti^d up- 

 right, and at the height of four or five feet, pinch 

 off" the leading shoot. This plan will strengthen 

 the lower buds, and often give fruit the year af- 

 ter planting." 



Flax Cotton. — ^The Legislature having ap- 

 propriated the sum of $2,000 for th machinery 

 to test the experiment of manufacturing flax cot- 

 ton, to be expended under the direction of the 

 State Agricultural Society, the Executive Com- 

 mitttee would call the attention of those interest- 

 ed in the culture and preparation af flax to this 

 subject. The object of the Legislature was un- 

 doubtedly to secure a preparation of flax as an 

 economical substitute tor cotton, so as to be used 

 on cotton machinery. — Journal N. Y. S. Ag. 

 Society. 



J^^Custom House clearances in New York 

 of domestic produce, for the last week in Octo™ 

 ber, amounted to over five millions of dollars, 

 about half of which goes to Liverpool alone. 



