1863. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



323 



bj the winter frost and to guard against 

 an earl J drontli that sometimes occurs 

 at the time starting in the spring 

 and which is often severe on newly set 

 trees. Another thing, in setting apple 

 and many other kinds of trees, is to cut 

 them back severely, if the growth has 

 been good, we thin out the branches 

 and then cut all of the last season's 

 growth back to three or four buds. The 

 May cherry will only need thinning 

 out. 

 Potatoes should be put in close bins, 



or in pits out of doors. Beets keep 

 much better in pits than in an open cel- 

 lar ; do not cover too deep at the start 

 or you may heat them; we always place 

 the pits above ground on account of 

 drainage. A good way to preserve 

 cabbage is to pull up the plants, lay 

 two rows of heads together, head 

 down, and cover with earth. After the 

 ground freezes slightly, cover with straw 

 or litter, so that the cabbage will not 

 freeze but little; in this way it will keep 

 good, become sweet and crisp, and the 

 heads will continue to grow. Our farm- 

 ers grow too little cabbage, it being 

 considered an uncertain crop. This can 

 to a great extent be remedied.' 



"We cannot too warmly press atten- 

 tion to the value of autumn plowing, 

 and we hope every farmer who has not 

 tried it will not fail to do so ; to those 

 who have given it a trial we need say 

 nothing, for most of their grounds are 

 already turned over. 



We would call attention to a trial of 

 the autumn planting of sorghum; we 

 have no inconsiderable confidence in its 

 value. A quarter or half an acre will 

 suffice, and cannot cost much, at aU 

 events. If it should succeed it will 

 materially lessen the cost of this crop 

 to the farmer. 



, V. From Home. 



Frosted Corn — the Drouth — Sorghum — a Morning Walk — 

 Rose Hill— on Change— O'or Old Home. 



Last evening the Champaign Coun- 

 ty Fair closed its four days' session, and 

 to-day, 12th September,* we step on 

 board of the train for Chicago. All 

 along the road frosted fields of corn to 

 the right and to the left and far away 

 over the prairie the dead leaves refiect- 

 ing back the autumn sun. 



The summer drouth has made its 

 mark on all late crops, the potatoes are 

 light, the sorghum is spindling, and 

 the blades hang loose on the green 

 stalks which have in spite of the frost 

 sent up their heads, and will after all 

 make a good show of molasses. Sor- 

 ghum is not all killed, though much 

 damaged, it being much more hardj 

 than corn. :: i 



At Chibona a cow encountered the 

 engine,but like many other belligerents 

 commencing the difficuity had the 

 worst of it, though in the contest man- 

 aged to throw the express and baggage 

 cars off the track. As Stevenson pre- 

 dicted when he launched the first loco- 

 motive on his tram road, "if a cow come 

 in contact with the new motor it would 

 be very bad for the cow," and so it 

 proved, for her cowship had every bone 

 in her body mashed fine, and her fat 

 carcass thoroughly pounded into tender 

 steak, much to the regret of her Hiber- 

 nian owner, who was much incensed at 

 the stupidity of the "doomb brute in 

 crossing the road just fornenst the in- 

 gine." 



One hour and ten minutes and con- 

 ductor Muchman gave the word "all 

 aboard." At Kankakee the shades of 

 evening shut out the cornfields from 

 view, and at ten o'clock we reached 

 the dty. A friend met us at the depot, 



^jjj^g^,^!^^ 



