ppssi^w^ ,: 



1864. 



THE ILLINOIS FAE-MEE. 



57 



thus an equilibrium is maintained between animal 

 and vegetable life, which is essential to the health 

 of mankind. In populous cities and neighborhwods 

 this equilibrium is in some degree destroyed, and 

 is one of the causes of the mortality which prevails 

 in such districts, and is not the least among the 

 considerations which should encourage the plant- 

 ing of trees in the streets and highways in every 

 settled country. Then, what could be more beau- 

 tiful than long avenues of thrifty trees extending 

 through every highway, and besides the grateful 

 and cooling shade they would cast upon the trav- 

 eler in summer, as well as the protection they 

 would afford to everything living in breaking the 

 force of the bleak winds of winter." 



Trees from the forest can be planted, if others 

 cannot be had, but care must be used in selecting 

 those that grow in the more open exposures or in 

 old choppings, where they have become stocky and 

 hardened to exposure. Where trees can be had 

 from the nursery, all the better, for these have bet- 

 ter roots, and are in all respects better adapted to 

 tran.splant. 



Evergreens, as a general thing, are too expensive 



to set for wind-breaks, and are not adapted to high 

 ways ; we mu.-it, therefore, select deciduous trees. 

 The Lonibardy poplar is being extensively used for 

 lanes and roadsides in many parts of the State. In 

 Winnebago and Boone counties they are quite 

 abundant. In the north part of Dupage county we 

 have seen long lines of this tree. The tree is of 

 rapid growth, and by planting eight feet apart will 

 soon make a wall of foliage almost impervious to 

 the wind. As a shade along the highway they are 

 the least valuable of any tree. On the south side 

 of an e;ist and west road they might be admissable, 

 but less so in any other aspect. When planted the 

 fence could be set ten feet into the bounds of the 

 road and plant cuttings, or two year old trees, 

 eight *feet apart, and eight feet within the road 

 bounds, that is twenty-three feet from the center of 



the highway. 

 The white elm, although a slow growing tree, is 



too valuable to pass by, and should be put in the 

 more wet places, interspersed with the white wil- 

 low. The soft maple of our river bottoms and 

 grove swnmps, is also a rapid growing, hardy tree 

 for this purpose, especially if the soil is a little 

 moist. The silven maple of the nurseries are bet- 

 ter adapted to dry land and make a beautiful tree. 

 Of this latter we have a line of a mile bordering 

 •ur farm. The Linden or basswood is also a pretty 

 tree, as well as the sycamore. 



Farmers can grow their own trees if they choose, 

 and if properly protected with a fence, can be set 

 out when quite young, which plan is the best in 

 niost cases. 



We have seen apple trees set in the manner 

 above stated, and which made a very pretty ap- 

 pearance, especially when loaded with fruit ; but 

 in this case none but upright growers shoxild be 

 used. 



In the spring of '58 we set a row of near half a 

 mile, of the silver leafed maple, of trees some two 

 inches in diameter, but a neighbor's oxen took 

 such a fancy to them that we had to move the 

 fence ten feet within the highway boundary and 

 make a new plantation some three years since. — 

 These are now growing finely, and in a few years 

 will bid defiance to our neighbor's kine. 



Blackberry Wine.— While attending the Ver 

 million County Fair at '■ atlin last September, our 

 attention was called to a sample of the above wine 

 made by Mrs. Carr. The superiority of the sam- 

 ple induced us to obtain the mode of making, 

 which Mrs. Carr very kindly gave us : 



To one gallon of berries add one gallon of water, 

 mash the berries and add two pounds of sugar ; let 

 this stand twenty-four hours and then strain thro' 

 a cloth. Put the strained liquor in a jug or barrel 

 to stand until wanted for use. It will be ready in 

 a few months, but a year is better. 



Comstock's Rotary Spader. — ?ince the State 

 Fair we have received several letters of enquiry in 

 regard to the above machine. We have no means 

 of knowing what is being done in the way of man- 

 ufacturing, but presume that the inventor is not 

 idle. We shall be pleased to see it in the field in 

 competition with gang and clipper plows. Its cost, 

 $200, will preclude it from small farms, nor wilj 

 large farms be disposed to invest in them, only as 

 they become satisfied of their value. This proof 

 must of necessity come slow. While ten and twen- 

 ty dollar implements can soon be spread over the 

 State and find a lodgment in every neighborhood, 

 it is a comparatively slow process to place even 

 one of the $200 implements in each county 

 of the State much less one to each neighborhood. 

 A million of dollars would not supply the demand 

 for the State, should the spader prove, as it now 

 promises to be, a success. 



-«••- 



Onions. 



In Spain and other European countries onions 

 are among the staple products of the garden and 

 consumed in large quantities by all classes of peo;de. 

 In a pathological point of view they are indispen- 

 sable. They are considered a sure preventive 

 against dropsy, a disease too common in this coun- 

 try, and one of the best remedies for the disease in 



