208 



THE ILLINOIS FAUMEK. 



July 



At great expense of money and labor we have 

 induced our readers to ask as they ought te ask 

 the following questions. We have made arrange- 

 ments for an abundant supply in future, 



A SWINK HERD BOOK. 



"I have a lot of Chester White pigs for sale at 

 five dollars a head. I know them to be pure, as 

 the sire was from the celebrated stock of Mr. Jo- 

 hannus Clongotus, and the sow was purchased of a 

 lady in Kilgubbin. She (the sow not the lady) 

 was well bred, having been brought up in the fam- 

 ily. The pigs are very fine pigs indeed, worth 

 ten times what I ask for them, but people will not 

 buy, as they say no Chester Whites are pure, un- 

 less forwarded in Chester county, and traveled by 

 express. If ihis is so, is it not time that we had a 

 swine herd book, to protect ourselves against be- 

 ing imposed upon by those old fat Dutchmen down 

 in Pennsylvania. John Smith." 



Of course we must have a Swine Herd Book, for 

 there is not a county in the State but has a better 

 stock of hogs than can be found in Chester county. 

 These Chester county hogs are descended on one 

 side from the China or what is called the sufiblk, 

 and a medley of the old English, or Russian — a 

 large framed hog, introduced into this country near 

 fifty years ago, and which for their great size were 

 the favorites for a time, but soon gave place to the 

 China, or rather a cross of them with the the Chi- 

 na. Out of this class came the Byfield and other 

 improved breeds, which have been crossed and re- 

 crossed until it is impossible to tell which race 

 predominates. 



A pure Chester White can be got up to order 

 from a good Suffolk boar and one of our large, long 

 bodied sows, the progeny partaking of both, mak. 

 ing a good cross. 



We advise you to forswear the name Chester 

 White and call them the Smith Breed. You now 

 have the stock pure, and just the thing with which 

 to begin the new herd book, as tha pedigree of 

 present preeds are so lost in the mist of antiquity, 

 in fact the last herd we read of were all lost at sea. 

 We say wipe out the old score, and from this time 

 begin the history of the new breeds. Everybody 

 run after new things. We are tired of the Chester 

 Whites and must have a change, if it is nothing 

 more than an extra curl in the tail. 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



"What do you think of a farmer who sells all his 

 eggs, chickens and smoked hams, and diets his 

 family on salt pork, potatoes, bread and pea 

 coffee ? X. Y." 



Why, we think him a fool of the first water, and 

 he will find it so when his children leave him at 



eighteen, to go to the village to learn a trade, (to 

 go from home,) and in after years watch each spell 

 of ill-health, hoping it will be his last. Such a 

 father is worth just what his estate will bring 

 through the hands of the administrator. Old Ben 

 Franklin says such men are 



"Coarse brown paper, 

 Such as peddlers' choose. 



To wrap up wares. 

 That better men will use." 



"Why is it tkat farmers as a general thing have 

 such an antipathy to a good truck patch ? P. S." 



They dislike good living, being believers in uni- 

 versal salvation and the punishment of sin in this 

 life, they want to do penance and live poor in this 

 world, so as the better to enjoy the next. 



They think the end and aim of man is to starve 

 himself under the idea of making money. The 

 charge can hardly be said to be general, for some 

 farmers and many farmers' wives do have good 

 truck patches, and live first rate. This class al- 

 ways make money, they are never swindled by the 

 peddlers and other humbugs, as they always take 

 the papers, and of course are posted. 



"I have a first rate field roller, which my neigh- 

 bors have used very freely, this spring one of the 

 wood gudgeons wore off and required about an 

 hour's work to replace it. Being through with its 

 use myself, I proposed that he repair it, but he had 

 no time and went home. The second neighbor 

 came with his team and left it^also. 



These men had highly extolfed the use of this 

 same roller, but now when an hour's work is re- 

 quired to put it in order, and a part of which was 

 due to their previous use of it they refuse to take 

 it. I was not a little surprised at this state of facts, 

 and ask you to explain them if you can." 



Farmers who habitually borrow agricultural im- 

 plements, never repair them, they much prefer to 

 take^one in good order. We never lend to this 

 class of men the second time, and advise you to 

 charge half a dollar a day for the use of your rol- 

 ler hereafter, and it will be in good repair when 

 you want it for your own use. Your neighbors 

 have worn it out and now refuse to repair it. You 

 can make them three propositions : 



1st. To make or purchase a roller. 



2d. To do without. 



3d. To pay you half a dollar a day for its use.^ 



We will warrant they will take the 2d proposi- 

 tion. 



"Should cattle be salted ? A Yoitng Farmer." 



Yes, on two occasions : '^ . 



1st. About once a week during their natural 

 lives to keep them in good health, and 



2d. When fat and put in the i)arrel for beef, to 

 be salted for the last time. On this occasion with 

 rock or solar salt, and a slight sprinkle of salt< 

 peter. 



AwSi_ititv.»'^-?! 



Mt^i^ 



_ ^OfirJP'- -i 



