348 



THE ILLmOIS FAEMEE. 



JS'ov. 



Rotary Spader, 



C. Corastock, Milwaukie, Wis. 

 Not entered for a premium, it having been de- 

 layed too late for trial. 



Corn and Cane Cutter. 



W. M. Mason, Polo, Ogle County. 

 Commended. 



Sod and Broadcast Sower. 



Hon. J. B. Duane, Schenectady, Ky. 

 This come too late for a thorough trial. Com- 

 mended as promising well. 



Bitching jLacJdne for Open Ditches — Silver 

 Medal — Illinois Central Railroad Premium, $2.50. 



Griggy & Wiggins, premium, Blackby, Kane 

 County, 111. 



By the rules, none except the ditching machine 

 could be aw;irded a premium, unless two or more 

 machines were entered. 



The trial of the above machine was a thorough 

 one, so far as it was possible to make it so, and as 

 the Report will soon bo revised and published, we 

 prefer to await its publication rather than to com- 

 ment on it at tli.is time. Being a member of the 

 committee, and endorsing it, it is proper to pass it 

 over for the present. 



Macoupin County Fair. 



"We attended this Fair at Carlinville for the pur- 

 pose of delivering the annual address, and had the 

 pleasure of meeting X. J. Coleman, Esq., Editor of 

 the Valley Farmer, who also addressed the farmers 

 on the occasion. C. D. Bragdon, the Western 

 Editor of the Rural New Yorker, was also present 

 and addres.-ed the farmers at the Court House in 

 the evening. Altogether the good people of Ma- 

 coupin had an abundance of speaking during their 

 Fair, and will be able to decide whether this feature 

 should be made permanent. 



We have never had a high opinion of the value 

 of public addresses at fairs, though we have had 

 large and attractive audiences. Some of our socie- 

 ties have a rule that the President shall deliver an 

 address or procure one to be delivered, and we 

 learn the rule is working well thus far. 



This Fair was well attended, and the show in 

 many respects good. We think our societies will 

 have to discontinue the practice of charging ex- 

 hibitors entry fees and percentage, as we are satis- 

 fied that it is in the way of a good show, at least in 

 the main departments. Each county should foster 

 these societies by making annual appropriations 

 for premiums. In this way they will encourage 

 and develope the resources of the county, thus 



increasing the taxable property and in the end 

 benefitting the county revenues. 



Macoupin county is famous for her horses, of 

 which a large representation was on the ground. 

 In the stock department were several fine Dur- 

 hams. Mr. A. Ballinger had a pen of Merino sheep, 

 which probably have no superior in the State. 



The fruit department was well represented. I. 

 A. Pettingill, of Bunker Hill, and J. Huggins, of 

 Woodburn, showing large collections of apples, 

 pears, etc. 



Mr. Pettingill showed his "Meads Seedling" 

 Grape, which so closely resembles the Catawba in 

 bunch and fohage that the best judges cannot 

 distinguish them. But there are other character- 

 istics that would appear to prove that they are not 

 identical. Mr. P. says they neither rot or mildew, 

 and that it is almost impossible to propogate them 

 from cuttings, and that layers and single eyes in 

 pots under grass must be resorted to. That the 

 fruit is equal to the Catawba there is no doubt, 

 and should it continue exempt from the rot and 

 mildew, it will be the most popular grape of the 

 day, for the Catawba, with all the above draw- 

 backs, is probably more largely cultivated to day 

 than any other grape. We shall order some of the 

 plants for the purpose of giving them a trial. 



The officers of this society are an energetic set 

 of men, fully imbued with the spirit of progress, 

 and richly deserve the thanks of the people of the 

 county for the able manner in which they manage 

 the affairs of the society. Macoupin is one of the 

 largest counties in the State, being twenty-four by 

 thirty-six miles, and containing eight hundred and 

 sixty-four square miles, and is often called the 

 State of Macoupin. It is one of the oldest and 

 wealthiest counties in the State. 



A new feature will be introduced in the 

 forthcoming Report of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, consisting of the engravings of animals, 

 plants, etc., drawn from nature, by a competent 

 artist. It will be the most interesting work of the 

 kind yet issued, and besides the usual articles on 

 agriculture, will contain the reports of the chemist 

 and the Professor on entomology connected with 

 the department. The work is being stereotyped, 

 and will probably be published about the first of 

 November. Mr. Isaac Newt.n, the commissioner, 

 is doing all he can to bring it out as speedily as 

 possible. Mr. Sanders has charge of the experi- 

 mental garden of this department. 



The Practical Shephebd. — We have received an 

 advance copy of the above work, but too late for 

 a proper notice in the November number. From 

 the well known ability of Mr. Randall, there can 

 be no doubt of a high practical value to the 

 work. See advertisement. 



