w^wwi':- 



The Illinois Farmee 



VOL. VIII. 



SPRINGFIELD, ILL., OCT., 1863. 



NO. 10. 



DEVOTED TO THE 



FAEM, THE ORCHARD AID THE GARDEN, 



PUBLISHED BY 



BAILHACHE & BAKER, 



SPEIiXGPIELD, ----- ILLINOIS. 

 Ml. ILi. X>TXlSrLi.^I», Editor. 



All business letters should bo addressed to the 

 publishers. 



j^g~ExcHANGBS and all naatters pertaining to the 

 editorial department, must be directed to Ii/Linois 

 Farmer, Champaign, 111., as the editor resides at 

 that point, and is seldom at the office of publication, 

 from which he is distant over eighty miles. 



%* For terms see prospectus and special notices in 

 advertising department. 



October, c 



This year, at least, October comes to 

 us draped in the brown and russet of 

 Autumn. For a month since the white 

 mantle of frost was spread over the 

 land, sweeping the tender plants as 

 with fire. Corn, sorghum, tobacco, 

 cotton, potatoes, buckwheat, vines and 

 garden vegetables all suffered more or 

 less from its premature visitation. The 

 forest has not waited for October to 

 loosen the footstalks of its leafy garni- 

 ture, but for weeks past has been play- 

 ing its role of changes, determined that 

 this year at least, that there shall be a 

 "wide gap between summer and winter. 



We have had a remarkable season, 

 throughout the land — ^in some places 



too wet, in others too dry, while some 

 portions have had just an even supply 

 of rain, and are rejoicing, in bounteous 

 crops. The section hereabouts has 

 been a severe sufferer by drouth and ^ 

 frost, and we doubt if the corn crop 

 will average ten bushels to the acre of 

 a medium quality; a first rate article is 

 out of the question. ^ 



"We have nine acres of potatoes, thor-- 

 oughly cultivated on new land, and the 

 crop will be less than two hundreds 

 bushels, not fifty of which- will be mar- 

 ketable. But why complain ? the farm- 

 er meets no more accidents in his busi- ' 

 ness than other classes of business men. ^ 

 Last year we had an average crop of 

 sixty bushels of corn to the acre, this' 

 year ten, this gives us thirty-five for thei' >i 

 two years, with which we should be ^ 

 content. ^-r .^; V 



We regret most the loss of sorghum, >- 

 cotton and tobacco, as they are com- ; ; 

 paratively new staples for our State^ 

 and we fear the disaster wiU discourage r 

 their culture. f 



Egypt comes up with large complaint ' 

 of drouth, which appears to be the rule, ' 

 not the exception. Our friends there- -■ 

 away will have to give more attention 

 to fall plowing, and put in their crops 

 a month earlier, so as to have them , 

 growing during their long rainy season 

 of their spring months. The same ad- 

 vice will apply in part to the central 

 part of the State. Our northern farm. 



- -'^g>Tii"-"?r V-i^-"'-^'';''^^ri''--''--"'i"^'''fr' -T'''ii-.iiir""r '"r-'-"''-'^' ^"- . ' 



