1863. 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEE. 



18 



From Mr. Lock's to the 



SULLITANT FARM 



Is a distance of six miles. This we had been 

 told, and we struck out for the trail that led in 

 that direction — over the wild prairies, with farm 

 houses miles to the north of us, and a new o»e 

 perched on a high swell of the prairie ju-st in our 

 line of travel. This we reached just as the shades 

 of night began to cloee in and a thunder shower 

 was gathering in our front. 



To our iaquiry, Have we lost the way to the Sul- 

 livan farm ? " No, just at the foot of yonder fresh- 

 ly broken prairie is the west line of the farm, and 

 this trail you have followed for the last hour and 

 a half will take you to the house some five miles 

 distant, two miles of which will be within the in- 

 closed fields." 



Thus introduced to the "great farm," we started 

 onward, got a good soaking from the shower, and 

 arrived at the hospitable home of M. L. Sullivant, 

 at a late hour in the evening, the rain having made 

 the track so heavy that the horse was brought to 

 a slow walk. 



Large farms are generally found wanting in all 

 those small comforts that go to make a home, but 

 here is a true home — not full of the elegancies of 

 city life, but of the thousand realities that give 

 life its real zest. The mmd that grasps great re- 

 sults can see to the details of the small ones, and 

 thus keep the whole machinery in harmonious or- 

 der. Even a glance under the murky clouds of 

 night, gave conclusive evidence that a pleasant 

 home could be carved out of the wide prairie when 

 happy contentment had found a resting place. 



Mr. S. is a practical farmer, and we should judge 

 a profitable one. 



To get such a large farm under culture is an im- 

 mense undertaking, and often once under way, to 

 make it profitable, requires the utmost vigilance. 

 As a general thing the large farms have not been 

 a success, and many of them have been subdivided 

 and sold, and even now, with the usual mixed hus- 

 bandry we would not recommend the plan, but 

 would rather rent out in small lots to individual 

 farmers to work on shares, but Mr. S. is is making 

 this a stock farm by seeding down his grain fields, 

 and will find it profitable in the end. 



Our visit being only a neighborly one and the 

 weather rainy, we could not if we felt disposed to 

 do so, give more than the outline of his mode of 

 farming ; suffice it to say, however, that system,' 

 order and thorough culture are to be seen on every 

 haad. To put in two thousand acres ot crops is 

 no small spring work for one man to look after. 



We obtained many valuable hints in the econo- 

 my of labor that will be [of value to us. An im- 



mense number of agricultural implements have 

 been tried from time to time, and the exper- 

 ience of these alone would be worth a thorough 

 investigation. T^e use of the roller, the doubie 

 harrow, by which o»e man with two span of horses 

 will harrow thirty acres a day — of grain drills, cul- 

 tivators, mowers and threshers is truly interest- 

 ing. 



Some day we intend to revert to this topic for 

 the purpose of showing up the history of invention 

 as the collection is almost as complete as that of 

 the Patent office, with this difference, that they 

 have there the model but here the full giown ma- 

 chine. 



Of course the most of this machinery is of no 

 value and has cost Mr. S. time to verify it, the 

 owner in most cases sending the implement for 

 trial at his own expense. 



Underdraining is one of the things highly re- 

 commended by Mr. S., and he holds the mole ditch- 

 er in high esteem. 



The large amount of hay is unloaded with hay 

 pitchers, which are applied to high derricks, not 

 only save a large amount of labor, but enables the 

 stacker to secure the hay in much better condition 

 as the stacks will be higher and better topped 

 off. 



Farmer Sullivant not only has a large farm, but 

 a pleasaat home which we cannot say of many oth- 

 er large farms that we visited. 



Evergreen sweet Corn. — "We would urge th^ 

 planting of this most excellent corn more lib- 

 erally than has been the practice. It can be 

 planted late into July at intervals of tea days, when 

 a succession of roasting ears can be had until frost, 

 and for weeks after if cut and shocked before the 

 frost has injured it. It is a very healthy food and 

 should be on the table daily. After its season 

 commences, many people complain that the use of 

 green corn induces the summer complaint, but we 

 have used it years in our family, daily during its sea- 

 son, without any effects of the kind. That occa" 

 sional meala of green corn may be guilty of the 

 charge we can readily believe, for children are so 

 fond of it that they are apt to gorge themselves, 

 whereas with its daily use this will not be the case. 

 Plant ihe sweet corn. 



Breaking Praikib. — The season for breakino- 

 prairie is now at hand, and it may not be out 

 of place to say a word or two in ren^ard to it 

 though we repeat what has been so often 

 said. Unpastured raw prairie should be broken 

 between the middle of May and first of July. If 

 broken at any other time in the ordinary manner it 



a^iki 



