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JTHE ILLmOIS FAEMEE. 





Jaw. 



^elves, putting too mueli on our hands, 

 makifig no allowance for bad weather, lame 

 horses, or sickness. In such cases it is sure 

 to follow that we get behind at some point, 

 and, like the train that passes beyond the 

 reach of the delayed traveler, we can never 

 get up with it again, but must wait for the 

 next. Let us then get as nearly ready for 

 the active duties of spring as it is possible 

 to d^ ; lay out a moderate amount of labor, 

 and see that it is faithfully and intelligently 

 applied. 



-»•»- 



An Old Pioneer. 



Mr. Edward Clark came into'the State in 

 1819, and settled near what is now Spring- 

 field. In 1820 he went to Canada, taking a 

 pocket compass for his guide, camping out 

 in the open air, and picketing out his horse, 

 fording or swimming the streams ; and thus, 

 after a toilsome march reached Detroit, and 

 passed over into Canada. Eeturning home, 

 he erected a saw^and grist mill the next 

 year on one of the branches of the Sanga- 

 mon river. 



At this time the country inarmed with 

 Indians, and the settlers were few and far 

 between. i 



In 1834 he put up another saw and grist 

 mill on the other branch of the Sangamon. 

 All of these mills have rotted down, while 

 the builder, liow. seventy years old, is yet 

 hale and hearty and comes regularly to the 

 office for his Illinois-Farmer. Of late 



-WOT, 



years he has been engaged in farming, and 

 takes a deep interest in what tends to for- 

 ward any branch of his favorite calling. 



The first carding machine in this part of 

 the State was put in operation by Mr. Clark 

 in 183-4. Cotton was then cultivated on 

 almost every farm, and used for warp in 



nearly 



all domestic 



textile fabrics. 



year he pknted one and a half acres, w" 

 produced^ g0(?!l crop, and was picked by 

 his boys. 



Two gins were put up in the county at 

 this time, and which were kept buey 



throughout the autumn with small lots 

 brought in, in many cases, from long dis- 

 tances. 



It is pleasing to meet these old pioneers, 

 and to gather up the history Of the early 

 settlement of the country, a history at all 

 times full of interest. 



It was several years before Mr. C. planted 

 an orchard, say about the spring of 1825, 

 an orchard of one hundred trees. These 

 are nearly all gone, having suffered severely 

 in the winter of '55. Out of forty to fifty 

 pear trees planted at various times, but one 

 is left to tell the sad story of blight. In 

 the apple orchard the Yellow Bellflower and 

 Winesap are especial favorites. 



-4©I- 



To Make Strawberry Wine. 



First of all, the berries must be carefully 

 picked over, taking out the stems, so that 

 nothing remains but the pure ripe fruit; 

 then press out the juice, to which add an 

 equal quantity of water and four pounds of 

 brown sugar to the gallon, put in a barrel 

 and let it ferment six weeks, then lightly 

 bung and stand two months, when the bung 

 is to be driven in tight — let it stand until 

 the middle of May, whei it can be bottled. 

 When fermenting, the vessel must be kept 

 full, so that it can work over. To fine 

 the wine an ounce of isinglass put in six 

 gallons of the wine at the time the bung is 

 driven in, will answer a good purpose. 



The calyx of the strawberry imparts to 

 the wine a very unpleasant taste, and is 

 doubtless the cause of previous failures. 

 Several samples at the Fair of the State 

 Horticultural Society wore thus ruined. 



Currant wine is made in the same man- 

 ner, but the stems need not be taken out. 



In the making of currant wine no water 

 should be used ; in that case two and a^half 

 pounds of sugar to the gallon is sufficient. 



We have never made wine from the 

 strawberry, butflike the currant, we have 

 no doubt that it would be all the better not 

 to use any water in it. In that case leSS 



;Ms*aii,*-.-. -■."re :■ «.,:;/ffis'r^.,: 



