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The Illinois" Taemer. 



VOL. VIII. 



SPRINGFIELD, ILL., DEC, 1863. 



NO. 12. 



DEVOTED TO THE 



FARM, THE ORCHARD AIS^D THE GARBEJJ, 



PUBLISHED BY 



BAILHACHE & BAKER, 



SPRLNGFIELD, ----- ILLINOIS. 



M:. Tu. JD-UNJL,A.:P, Editor. 



All business letters sliould be addressed to the 

 publishers. 



^T^S^ExcHANGES and all matters pertaining to the 

 editorial department, must be directed to Illinois 

 Farmer, Champaign, 111., as the ^itor 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. 



Floral Hall at the State Pair. 



The design and size of Floral Hall 

 were botli exceedingly defective, and 

 mnst of necessity continue so, as long 

 as the Society is a traveling show. Lo- 

 cate the State Fair and permanent im- 

 provements will be made, shingles will 

 take the place of boards for the roofs, 

 and glass show cases for the rough 

 shelving and imperfect railing for the 

 exhibition and protection of fruits and 

 worlis of art. The high staging for 

 flowers will give place to floral works 

 after the manner of the exhibition of 

 the State Horticultural Society at Eock- 

 ford. FJoral Hall can and should be 

 the great centre of attraction at the 

 State Fair. As it was, no point was so 



solidly packed as this with moving hu- 

 manity. To get through the crowd 

 was ^almost impossible, showing the 

 deep interest now taken by our people 

 in this humanizing department of rural 

 pursuits. ■ ' - ■' '* 



ARRANGING OF FRUITS. -'' 



No attempt was made in the way of 

 arranging of the competing lots of 

 fruit. Each owner aj*rahging his entire 

 collection together, though generally in 

 a very tasty manner, considering the 

 absence of plates for the purpose. We 

 should like to see all of the lots compe- 

 ting for any particular prize, in one 

 groupo, with the owner's name and 

 place of growth printed in good sized 

 letters. This brings to mind what we 

 have often wished to see on the ground 

 a small job press with its fonts of type 

 to do this work as needed. This should 

 be provided by the Society and be un- 

 der the control of a superintendent for 

 the use of the several departments, and 

 will be found one of the most useful 

 and labor saving implements on the 

 ground. To fit up this hall as it ought 

 to be will require two to three thousand 

 dollars. We can challenge the world 

 in fruits. Then why not make them a r 

 leading feature in the State Fair. 



Some persons appear to have the idea - 

 that the State Horticultural Society is 

 to take the place of the State Fair in. - 

 regard to the fruit show. But theyr 

 will find this a grave error in the end. - 



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