

J!-T|S 



202 



THE ILLmOIS FAEMEE. 



July 



Our Agricultural College Grant- 



The idea of selling out or the donating of this 

 grant to Knox and Shurtliff Colleges is simply a 

 fraud on the Government of the United States, and 

 abase swindle of the Agricultural interests of the 

 State. We trust that no such thing will be con- 

 summated. The plan of making this the motive 

 power to build up sectarian religious denomina- 

 tions, is repugnant to the spirit of the grant, and a 

 gross violation of right. The politicians who lend 

 themselves to this scheme may some day find that 

 the people are not all fools, if the sanctimonious 

 hypocrites are all knaves. It appears to us that no 

 honest clergyman would wish to divert a fund de- 

 voted and intended to educate the people in rural 

 pursuits, and turn it to the building up of his re- 

 ligious denomination. If there is such a man he 

 posseses more of the satanic character than is val- 

 uable to the State at large. Such a man is not to 

 be trusted. 



The notion that for this fund, the colleges shall 

 teach agriculture as an equivolent, is the sheerest 

 moonshine. 



Let us have an agricultural school, divested of 

 all isms, and devoted to the improvement of the 

 soil and of rural homes. We want none of the 

 dead languages, none of the speculations of the 

 day, no tinkering by politicians, or rival sectarians. 

 We do not want the fund to be used to redeem 

 some bankrupt institution, or to be trifled away 

 on abstract theories, but put to its legitimate use, 

 •what Congress intended it for — to advance the in- 

 terests of agriculture — to investigate new truths, 

 and to make plain old oner. We have a great field 

 to work in ; a climate and soil peculiar to itself ; 

 insects that swarm in myriads to destroy our crops, 

 many of them new to the older parts of the coun- 

 try, and which need be looked after. 

 ' We intend to look after this matter a little and 

 see what comes of it. If the fund is to go to build 

 up sectarianism, we shall go in for a general deal, 

 and not give it to two favorites, because we hap- 

 pon to be a member of one of them, and divide 

 with the others out of policy. 



Flax and Carrots. 



One of our neighbors sowed an acre of carrots 

 with his flax. The crop of flax is very good as 

 ■well as the stand of carrots. It was his intention 

 to have pulled the flax, by which the carrots would 

 have been very well cultivated, but for want of 

 help the flax will be cut with a scythe, a common 

 reaper, and leave the carrots to their fate. We 

 shall watch this crop with no little anxiety, and 

 hope the double crop will prove successful. 



Haying. 



Hay is often damaged by too long exposure to 

 the sun. It should be wilted and then placed in 

 cock at once to cure out. As soon as it is well 

 cured it should be hauled in. It can be put in 

 stack quite green if a little salt is sprinkled on the 

 first two or three loads at the bottom of the mow 

 or stack. If put at the bottom the salt is carried 

 up through it in the process of sweating, and the 

 whole becomes salted. We always put naore or 

 less salt on our hay. The st«ck relish it much 

 better, and it saves the trouble of salting them ; 

 but care should be used not to put on too much. 

 Some people want to get done cutting all their hay 

 before hauling in. This is wrong, it should be 

 hauled rn as fast us ready, even if you are not done 

 cutting. A ton of good, well cured hay is worth 

 two indifferently cured. Better let some of it get 

 overripe, than spoiled by the weather. 



Meadows should be top dressed with manure as 

 soon as the hay is taken off. This will cause a 

 bountiful crop much sooner and a good aftermath 

 for fall pasturage. 



Grain Binders. 



At the Reaper trial held at DeKalb on the 15th 

 and 16th of July, we observe some improvement 

 in grain binders, at least some new features in 

 them. 



Burson's binder during the first day's trial failed 

 to give satisfaction, though on the second day the 

 work was entirely satisfactory. We have been 

 unable to work the Burson binder to this date, 

 July 21. We either do not know how to manage 

 it or there is some defect in it, we hear like com- 

 plaint of others. We have no doubt the difficutly 

 will be overcome, and that it will take its place 

 among valuable farm implements. In the report 

 of the trial, Sherwood's binder was entered, but no 

 further notice was taken of it, while that of Pow- 

 ers & Lancaster, from Coldwater, Mich., was in 

 the field and done good work. We think that the 

 cost of twine is put at too low a figure, say from 

 28 to 32 cents a pound. Wire costs 25 cents at 

 present, double that of the old price. Both of 

 these will doubtless be reduced in a year or two, to 

 a reasonable rate. 



The new feature is the haud bipder of the Marsh 

 Brothers, it is a real novelty, and one that appears 

 practical. We can see no reason why this will not 

 work, and prove a sharp competitor with wire, 

 twine and the headers. But there is a difficulty in 

 binding on a machine in motion that few persons 

 can overcome. The machine of Adams & Sylla, 

 made in 1853-4, was so arranged that three bind- 

 ers did the work aided by a raker, but the swath 



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