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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



l^ov 



the value of these prairie lauds, and they will soon 

 be sought afcer ; not so much by the small farmer 

 of limited means, but by the farmers with capital, 

 who have the funds to put large farms in operation. 

 The cost of putting a farm of two hundred acres 

 in first class condition, is now materially enhanced, 

 but when this is done, the amount of manual labor 

 is much lessened, and the nett cost of preparing a 

 crop for market, is on the whole, materially less- 

 ened. We are taking new lessons in fiirining- 

 made-easy, but these lessons are only to a limited 

 extent applicable to these prairie lands, thousands 

 of acres of which now lie uncultivated. 



When this new condition of things become 

 fully known, we shall see a rush for all of these 

 lands, as well as for the alternate sections now held 

 by speculators. This latter class will be compelled 

 to sell, as the taxes will make fearful inroads into 

 the pockets of their holders. 



The railroad lands being free from taxation until 

 deeded, the whole burden of taxes fall on the alter- 

 nate sections — for roads, for schools, for houses, 

 for county and State purposes, making an aggre- 

 gate that will touchingly appeal to the pioneer to 

 purchase, and the price must rule much below the 

 railroad lauds before they will sell. 



The lands along the Chicago Branch have been 

 much sought after the past two years for fruit 

 growing, and in a few years the great supplies of 

 fruit for Chicago and the north will be mainly 

 drawn from this route. This branch of business 

 offers peculiar advantages to farmers with small 

 means and large families, to come here to engage 

 this business. Strawberries, raspberries, blackber- 

 ries, currents, cherries and plums, which require a 

 large amount of light labor, is just adapted to 

 such farmers, and will be found exceedingly profit- 

 able, as from the singular fact that each part of the 

 line must take its turn, and for the time being mo- 

 nopolize the market. Competition from other 

 points is out of the question, and this narrow belt 

 of country, say a strip of thirty miles in width, be- 

 inning at Chicago and extending at Villa Ridge, 

 8 without any serious competition. 



The grower of strawberries at Villa Ridge is 

 sending his fruit to market the first of May, while 

 those at Chicago are just beginning to bloom. 

 Gradually the picking travels north, keeping up a 

 constant supply, and more than doubling the yield 

 of the usual season. Strawberries in like manner 

 are followed in turn by other fruits, and the north- 

 ern markets are filled with the small fruits from 

 May to September. In August, peaches begin to 

 reach the market, and the same round is gone 

 through with them. 



In no part of the country can there be such fa- 



cilities for fruit growing. Just now the grape mar- 

 ket is supplied from Cincinnati and Kelly's Island ; 

 but this state of things cannot last. The main 

 supply of grapes must go over the Chicago Branch 

 of this road. 



The Isabella and Catawba have not done weil on 

 the fruit hills of Egypt, but the Delaware and 

 others promises well, while all through the prairie 

 portion, nearly all kinds of grapes do well. It can- 

 not be long before whole car loads of this delicious 

 fruit will be daily sent north. 



We are no particular advocate for the extended 

 culture of wine grapes, but tliis will be attended to 

 in due season. As far north as Bloomington, Dr. 

 Shroder is demonstrating the profitable nature of 

 this business. While wheat, corn and other im- 

 portant farm crops can be grown equally well on 

 this line of road. We have, in addition, a monop- 

 oly of the small fruits — of cherries, of plums, of 

 peaches and of garden vegetables. Taking all of 

 these things into consideration, there is good rea- 

 son for the railroad company to hold their lands 

 between Chicago and Cairo at a fair price, for the 

 present advantages that cannot fciil of being ap- 

 preciated within a short time. 



Trial of Implements. 



The week previous to our State Fair at Decatur 

 was devoted to the trial of agricultural implements. 

 The number presented was not large, but valuable, 

 some new, and most of them for the first time at a 

 public trial. The premiums were gold and silver 

 medals. No second premiums. The entry fee for 

 gold medal, $20 ; for silver medal, $5. We think 

 the entry fee had the tendency to largely lessen 

 the number of valuable implements on hand. The 

 exhibitors are taxed for entry fees, and having to 

 provide teams and pay current expenses makes, 

 altogether, a bill that the profits will not warrant. 

 It may do for the successful machine, but holds out 

 no inducements to the great mass of manufacturers, 

 or those holding local rights. The gold and silver 

 medals are not very expensive afl'airs for material, 

 yet the dies and engraving cost no small sum. We 

 would prefer to pay some ready penman to get up 

 a good ofT-hand diploma, and to make three awards, 

 as follows : Commended, High Commendation, and 

 Highest Commendation. As the Society receives 

 three thousand dollars from the State Treasury, it 

 is no more than fair that the expepse be paid by the 

 Society, for there is no branch of rural pursuits 

 that need more encouragement than that of agri- 

 cultural impleqjents. We therefore suggest, that 

 the Society^xtend their usefulness in this direc- 

 tion. And as we do not think the mode of trial 

 the best, we recommend a change that we think 



