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154: 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEE. 



May 



I have notified the publishers But still they come 

 well I guess there is not many book farmers Just 

 here abouts for there is ondly two others comes to 

 this ofiice Farmers "Well I spose they havnt got 

 time to kinder be alooken after them kinder books 

 looks to me any how well I tried to get up some 

 names for afarmer but then I could not again 

 one fellow said what he larnt everybody would no 

 any how so it was no youse in tryin and i quit 

 atfd I kinder recon maybe I could sell em for the 

 the postage but I am not say sartain well they 

 eomes together quite often and talks it all over so 

 no youse my papers full and must 



stop " 



' — ^We are not surprised that book farming is not 

 wanted in any neighborhood that is blessed with 

 such an enterprising' and capable postmaster. 



We have heard of places where voters continue 

 to cast their ballots for old Hickoy, not having 

 heard of his demise, but we have had a higher 

 opinion of the intelligence of the people of Taze- 

 well county. It must be that these people are but 

 a short time from the piny woods. 



We trust the school master will reach their 

 children, for the case of the old ones is hopeless. 



Our advice to the publishers is to stop the pa- 

 per, for the chances of collecting of men who are 

 opposed to books, is slim indeed, as they seldom 

 have anything of which to make a debt. — Ed. 



Journal of the State Agricultural Society 

 FOR April. — This we have just received. It is out 

 in good time and contains, besides the entire list 

 of premiums for this year, two essays by L. J. 

 Bradford, Esq., President Kentucky State Agricul- 

 tural Society, on tobacco and hemp culture, togeth- 

 er with a copy of the present law of New York for 

 the collection of agi icultural statistics, to which 

 last particularly the Secretary invites the atten- 

 tion of those interested. 



The plan presented seems to us entirely practi- 

 cable, and we hope it will be adopted. The wealth 

 of Illinois is emphatically untold, and will be un- 

 til we get into operation some uniform method of 

 gathering and publishing statistics. 



We learn that copies of the Journal have been 

 sent to the secretary of every county agricultural 

 society in the State, from whom they will find their 

 way into the hands of the Farmers — or they may 

 be had on application to the Cor. Secretary, John 

 P. Reynolds, Esq., Springfield, 111. Send for a 

 copy. 



Hog Cholera.— We learn that James N. Brown 

 Esq., of Sangamon county, the standing commit- 



tee of the State Agricultural Society on cattle dis- 

 ease, has in progress a series of experiments with 

 a view to test the efficiency of the " cure " for this 

 disease which Mr. Kinney claimed before the board 

 last winter to possess. Our friend, the Western 

 Editor of the Rural New Yorker, is mistaken in 

 presuming that the board had taken no steps in 

 this matter. Mr. K. is somewhat erratic, and has 

 not found time to conduct experiments where they 

 desired him to, until recently, Capt. Brown's state- 

 ment will be looked for with interest, and when 

 made will be entitled to confidence. 



To Manufacturers of Agricultural Imple- 

 ments. — We are glad to observe that our State So- 

 ciety are determined to go through with the trial 

 of the different classes of agricultural machinery. 

 Let the proprietors of the various implements re- 

 spond as they should do and doubtless will, and 

 this trial, of which we publish the programme in 

 this number of the Farmer, will equal if not ex- 

 ceed in interest and value, that held at Dixon in 

 1862. 



The Decatur folks are fully alive to the impor. 

 tance of making ample provision for taking care 

 of the crowds who will attend both the trial and 

 the Fair. 



Pruning of Newly Set Trees and Shrubs. — 

 When trees are set out they should have their 

 heads trimmed out or cut back, according to the 

 variety, but after the leaves have put out, not one 

 of them should be plucked off on any pretext what- 

 ever. All of the leaves are required to aid the 

 growth of the roots. The second year the tree 

 can be fully pruned. The cutting back of the last 

 year's growth of the apple, pear, ^peach, quince 

 and most forest trees, to within half a dozen buds, 

 is advisable at the setting out — or if neglected 

 somewhat late, at the same time leave all sprouts 

 or suckers to have their way. 



The cherry, plum and a few other trees, do bet- 

 ter to simply trim out the branches. 



Ditcher and. Corn Cutter Wanted. — ^The Illi- 

 nois Central Railroad Company, always taking a 

 deep interest in the improvement of the country, 

 and knowing that what benefits the country will 

 benefit them, have offered a special premium as 

 follows, the award to be made at the Decatur 

 trial : 



For a Ditcher that will cut a ditck 2 feet deep and 



5feetin width $250 



For a Corn Cutter and Stacker 250 



These premiums will be awarded only in case of 

 successful trials. 



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