132 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEE. 



•May 



Combined Roller and Corn Marker. 



The " Iowa Homestead," says : " Mr. A. B. Ly- 

 man has called our attention to a new, and what 

 we judge to be a very useful farm implement — 

 combining a field roller and corn marker. In the 

 first place it is simply a field roller. To transform 

 it into a corn marker, two iron circular flanges, 

 cast in sections, are fastened around the '-oiler 

 with wood screws at the desired distance for mark- 

 ing the rows. These flanges may be put on, or re- 

 moved at any time, in a few minutes. The advan- 

 tages claimed for this implement as a marker, over 

 other markers in common use are, that it crushes 

 the clods, packs the soil, and moves in a direct 

 line — passing directly over all obstacles, instead of 

 being thrown out of line, as is often the case with 

 a common marker. We consider it worthy the at- 

 tention of eveiy farmer." 



— So far good ; but why not put the planter on 

 at the same time, and have the thing done. We 

 must have the planter and roller combined ; who 

 will get it up ? The thing is indispensiblC; now 

 that everybody is to use the two-horse cultivators. 



Ed. 



-«•»- 



Seeds from 



ngton. 



Departmext op Agriculture, ) 

 Washington, D. C, April 11th, 1863.f 



To the Editor of the Elinois Farmer : 



By this mail mail I forward to you a package of 

 garden seeds, being a part of those distributed 

 through the country from this Department, and 

 ■which, I think, are such as come within the intent 

 of the act creating this Department. They are 

 certainly sought for most eagerly by the people of 

 the country. _ It is my intention to distribute the 

 Bceds hereafter, as far as possible, through the ag- 

 ricultural societies and clubs. 



I hope these will be generally organized, through 

 the country, and I particularly request that every 

 such organization now existing or which may be 

 formed, should at once forward to this Department 

 tha name of its President and Secretary, that they 

 may be promptly supplied with seeds and the agri- 

 cultural reports, and you will confer a favor by 

 calling attention to this through ""your paper, and 

 oblige. Your obedient servant, 



Isaac Newton, 

 Commissioner. 



— To some extent this will be the most desirable 

 way, and perhaps, on the whole, the best, as it will 

 place the seed in the hands of cmltivators, instead 



of, as formerly, in the hands of the political 

 friend of Congressmen. : 



Clubs and agricultural societies will take the 

 hint and govern themselves accordingly. Ed. 



Sorgho, Past, Present and Future. 



We clip the following from the " Chicago Tri- 

 bune." It gives conclusive reasons for the extend- 

 ed culture ef this plant. The last season experi- 

 ence has demonstrated that stripping is of no value 

 and the corn will only need hoeing, when they are 

 at once run through the crasher. 



A large amount of capital is now being employ- 

 ed in this new department of agriculture, and the 

 south will never recover their lost trade in sirup. 



That sugar will be made from the Imphee we all 

 know, but its cost is not so well defined. Last 

 week we paid seventy-two cents a gallon for a bar- 

 rel of double refined amber sirup, grown on our 

 own soil. Now that the stripping — the most ex- 

 pensive part of the harvesting of sorghum — is dis- 

 pensed with, farmers can plant more largely. 



Ed. 



"This plant which was grown in the United States 

 for the first time in the year 1855, is now becom- 

 ing a great staple article for exporting ; yet nine- 

 tenths of those that raised it in 1855 gave it up as 

 worthless, not knowing how to raise or manufac- 

 ture it. There was more sorgho raised that year 

 than in the next two years. But a few enterpris- 

 ing men kept it before the public, and have made 

 it a success. In the years 1861-2 there was about 

 1,000 barrels of it sold in the Chicago market, 

 with a very dull sale, and low price. The past fall 

 and winter there has been over 10,000 barrels sold 

 in this market alone at a better price and quick 

 sale. The demand has been greater than the sup- 

 ply, and the prospect now is that the next year 

 there will be sent to this market 100,000 barrels, 

 which, at $16 per barrel, will be $1,000,000. The 

 question arises with the farmers, will this stock the 

 market, or will there be a cash demand for that 

 amount. Let us review the sale of sirups for the 

 last iouY years in the United States : 



In 1859 there was sold of Foreign. . 



Louisiana, 



28,293,220 gals. 



21,067,760 " 



Foreign.... -88,724, 205 " 



Louisiana.. .18,594,672 " 



Foreign 20,383,556 " 



Louisiana... 19,808,000 " 



Foreign 25, 650, 000 " 



Louisiana... 27,018, 000 " 



Total Foreign in four years. 



** T,r\iii oi ana ^' 



..103,051,371 " 



Louisrana " 96,483,432 " 



Average amount, Foreign 25,752,542 " 



" " Louisiana 24,121,108 " 



Average per year 59,883,951 •' 



There is a heavy duty on the imported now, and 

 Louisiana sirups are minus, and will our 100,000 

 barrels or 4,000,000 gallons supply the demand ? 

 I think not. Can it be raised at the above price 

 on a large scale ? It is a conceded fact that it on- 

 ly costs five dollars per acre to grow it, and it 

 yields, when well raised, from 200 to 300 gallons 



