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212 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



July 



8. Whether the temperature is affected by 

 proximity of water. 



9. When the orchard, &c., were planted. 



10. Method of propagation. 



11. Method of planting. 



12. Method of cultivation. 



13. Method of pruning. 



14. Method of picking. 



15. Method of marketing. 



— We give the above a place most cheerfully 

 and trust it will gain a full response from all our 

 fruit growing readers. The answer will find a 

 place at as early a day as possible. We hope they 

 will come in time to be available for autumn plant- 

 ing. We shall have more to say on this subject. 



Can We Grow Silk? 



Certainly we can, and doubtless will do so after 

 a few years. The silk furor which had so disas. 

 trous a run a few years since, was merel^a specu- 

 lative one for the sale of trees, anehakin to the 

 chicken oven that was to save the patient hens 

 from a three weeks' incubation of her eggs. The 

 hens continue to sit, and silk continues to come 

 across the waters. 



In other countries the silk worm is reared in 

 small numbers by nearly every householder, pretty 

 much in the way the chicken crop is, and when 

 either of them are put under hot bed and oven 

 heat they die out. Great henneries and great 

 silk feeding establishments are alike out of place. 

 They only thrive in a small way, and must be kept 

 isolated. Nature has given them guaranties that 

 capital shall not monopolize them, they are for 

 the cottage, the small farm and for all who have 

 room for a few trees, or a small plat of ground. 

 We have no doubt that the mulberry will thrive 

 remarkably well, and that the climate is suitedd to 

 the silk-wor-m, but labor is too much in demand 

 for the more active employments at present, and 

 will continue to be so for years to come, to allow 

 of the culture of silk to any great extent. Twenty 

 years hence we may do something in this line, 

 when the population has become more dense, and 

 wlien eYerj home is embowered in trees the en- 

 quiry may then arise if it will not pay to have a 

 certain portion ofthemof the mulberry with which 

 to feed the silk-worm. 



From the Ogle County Reporter. 

 Crops. 

 . We have lately conversed with many of our 

 farmers in reference to the crop prospects, and 



give the following information which we have thus 

 obtained : 



Fruit promises well, although the drought has 

 somewhat stunted the smaller varieties. 



Taking all our crops together, the prospects are 

 much better than they have been since 1860, and 

 the failure of one of our crops does not affect us 

 so seriously as formerly, for the reason that our 

 farmers have planted a greater variety of crops, 

 and are every year learning the true secret of suc- 

 cessful farming. 



Winter wheat will yield a very large crop. Some 

 fields are estimated at from forty to forty -five bush- 

 els to the acre, while a great majority will go thirty. 

 It is entirely past danger, without a wet harvest 

 time should prevent' farmers from gathering it. 

 Some pieces will be cut the first of next week, 

 possibly by the last of this. There is three times 

 as much of this gi-ain growing as for any season 

 for ten or twelve years — the past few seasons prov- 

 ing it to be a much surer crop than spring wheat. 



Spring wheat has not yet passed the dangers in- 

 cident to its ripening ; but, should these be safely 

 passed, the crop will only be an average one, at 

 most. The dry weather of the past three weeks 

 has stunted the straw and prevented the heads 

 from filling properly, and in some fields the fly has 

 made its appearance. There is considerable 

 smut in some fields, as well as the red rust. Har- 

 vesting this crop will commence about the 10th of 

 July. 



Rye looks excellent, and will yield a very large 

 crop. Many fields will be cut during the present 

 week. 



Oats stand well on the ground. The straw is 

 large, and the heads give promise of a large yield. 

 There is a large breadth of this grain growing, and 

 the present prospects, with the present high prices 

 make this a very important crop. 



Corn looks well, not having been much affected 

 by the drought. The warm weather of last week has 

 made a very perceptible difference in its appear- 

 ance. The present and coming month make corn, 

 and with the present prospects, the promise of a 

 good yield is very flattering. 



,vr Tobacco was nearly all set the first of the pres- 

 ent week, although some fields were set last week. 

 It is a little late, but we think the plants were bet- 

 ter off in the bed, during the dry weather, than 

 in the field. Much of that planted last week died. 

 We should judge that there will be a hundred 

 apres planted in this county, this season. 



Potatoes and other root crops look well. 



From the Boston Cultivator. 



Cleaning Seeds. 



The importance of clean seeds of all kinds is 

 seldom appreciated. Too many farmers allow their 

 grain and grass seed to become mixed with seeds 

 of various species of pernicious plants, which be- 

 ing sown, not only lessen the crop it is wished 

 to cultivate, but deteriorates its quality. By a 

 a little attention to cleaning all kinds of seeds, 

 foul plants might to a great extent be got rid of. 

 Some readers may recollect the statement of John 

 Johnston in regard to eradicating chess from his 

 wheat. He was very careful to have his seed wheat 

 separated from every foul seed for several years, 

 until a plant of chess on his farm could scarcely 

 be found. Our attention was called, not long ago, 



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