PlPy #15^^. 



1864. 



THE ILLIKOIS FAEMER 



75 



to those or Dr, Schroeder, but not being in compe- 

 tition they could not receive premiums. The Board » 

 however, highly commended them, and expressed 

 the hope that these gentlemen will make a full dis- 

 play next year. 



On motion of E. H. Whiting, the awards on 

 Farm products, Dairy Products, Sugars and Sirups 

 were postponed to next meeting, with permission 

 to all who wish to do so to yet make entries and 

 forward them samples. 



The following resolutions were on motion of Mr. 

 Whiting adopted : 



Resolved, That the Board hereby tender to Prof. 

 C. D. Wilber, Secretary of the Illinois State Natu- 

 ral History Society, their thanks for a copy of his 

 map of Illinois, just published and embodying geo- 

 graphical, geological, topographical, meteorologic- 

 al, botanical and statistical information of great 

 value to farmers and other citizens not to be found 

 elsewhere in a form so convenient for reference. 



Resolved, That we fully appreciate and commend 

 the eflferts of the Illinois State Natural History 

 Society and its Secretary, Prof Wilber, to diffuse, 

 by means of popular lectures, publications and oth- 

 erwise, a correct knowledge of the mineral and 

 other resources of this State. 



On motion of Dr. Kile, 



Resolved, That the annual exhibition of this So- 

 ciety for 1864, commence on Monday, Sept. 12th, 

 and continue six days at Decatur. 



On motion of Mr. Ozburn, the Board adjourned 

 to meet at these rooms on the 1st day of March 

 next. John P. Reynolds, 



Cor- Sec'y 111. St. Ag'l Soc'y. 



Agricultural Rooms, Springfield, Jan. 9, '64. 



From the Country Gentleman and Cultitator. 



Farming "Long Time Ago," 



Every observing man who has been for the last 

 sixty years upon the stage of action, must have 

 seen farming in all its simplicity — where the far- 

 mer had no resource to renovate his soil but his 

 own scanty barnyard manure, and even of the val- 

 ue of that he was imperfectly informed.' It is not 

 many years since the use of clover was first intro- 

 duced — that of gypsum soon followed ; the effects 

 of the last struck every one with surprise, particu- 

 larly when applied to the former, and it was really 

 thought by those who observed it that no other 

 renovator of the soil would be necessary. But 

 time has since developed that great as it was and 

 is now the benefit of gypsum, yet it requires not 

 only constant renewing, but cannot supersede the 

 application of stiible manure, and successful farm- 

 ing now requires an augmentation of the list to an 

 almost indefinite extent. 



If we remember rightly, our list of fertilizers 

 thirty-five years ago extended very little if any fur- 

 ther than the two substances already mentioned i 



and gypsum was especially required to the growth 

 of clovci ; so too it was then a principle in farming 

 to task the soil to the utmost capacity to raise 

 wheat and corn — if we could ; and if we could not 

 to try rye, buckwheat and oats. We followed a 

 rotation of crops not to enrich the soil, but to im- 

 poverish it ; not to enrich ourselves, but to trust 

 alone to our own luck and the bounties of Provi- 

 dence. And who does not remember the slow 

 proeess when the harvest was gathered with the 

 sickle, followed by the use of the half cradle.— 

 That, however, wa's before the time we now speak 

 of, and the cradle as a harvest tool has not for ma- 

 ny years been very generally used. It is a tool, 

 however, of modern times, and its use was princi- 

 pally confined to this country. 



The plow and the harrow were then almost the 

 only farm implements used for the cultivation of 

 the soil — the former made of wood, but shod with 

 iron, the latter clumsy and imperfect. The potatoes 

 grown were red and watery — no other kind was 

 known — it was hardy and strong to the taste, and 

 not very productive ; as to the different kinds of 

 seeds sown, sufficient care was not taken in the se- 

 lection, and much of it was unclean. 



The farmers' cattle were of the ordinary common 

 kind ; a few valuable for milk, but none peculiarly 

 so for the carcass. Common horses were raised in 

 unknown numbers, and we have seen the whole 

 side of many a large barn, consisting of hor.^e sta- 

 bles, filled with them from one end to the other — 

 the consequence was that the horses emptied the 

 bam of hay and grain at the approach of spring, 

 and the cattle the straw. The first was an unpro- 

 fitable animal ; they were raised at a ruinous loss. 



Such was the course of farming when our land 

 was cultivated by slaves ; it was an old adage that 

 "the hogs ate the corn and the negroes ate the 

 hogs." All this was literally true, as we have of- 

 ten been witness of the fact. Could our farmers 

 by such farming be otherwise than poor ? Could 

 they be otherwise than indebted for many of their 

 annual and family expenses * And do not all know 

 that many farms' in those days were encumbered 

 with mortgages ? The persons of capital at that 

 time were professional men ; they were considered 

 the gentlemen of leisure, respectability and char- 

 acter. These were the halcyon days of the profes- 

 sion, when that class of men monopolized not only 

 almost all the wealth, but the respectability of the 

 whole community. Living under a free government 

 where every man has the full benefit of all his fac- 

 ulties, and "can own the land he tills, if by industry 

 he will earn it — within the last few years the mind 

 of the farmer has been directed to the improve- 

 ment of his condition, and to raise himself by ed- 

 ucation, intelligence and industry, to a higher, if 

 not the highest rank in society. What is the first 

 step he takes to do this ? He wisely frees his 

 slaves, and turns his sons from the taverns, the 

 race-course, and the haunts of idleness and vice, 

 where formerly most of their time was spent — to 

 take their turns at the plow ; to sow in season ; to 

 work in harvest, and to lay up for him stores for 

 winter. This was a great step, and a thousand 

 blessings have followed its train. He looked upon 

 his condition as a farmer. It was work without 

 profit— labor without reward. What next ? He 

 brings into action the thinking mind, and natural- 

 ly asks himself— cannot the intelligent mind be 



