76 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMER. 



Maech 



called to aid the industrious hands to the improve- 

 ment of my class, and relieve me from debt and 

 embarrassment ? c. n. b. 



— We need not go back to th» "long time ago" 

 to see samples of poor farming, but can find it in 

 abundance among those who came from the slave 

 States, where too often the son graduated at the 

 tavern, the turkey match or the raffle. There la- 

 ber was only fit for the nigger, and the sons must 

 be brought up in idleness though thej fed on corn 

 bread and bacon, and were clothed in butternut 

 homespun. 



In the south part of this State at this time, there 

 are hundreds of refugee families from the slave 

 States ; the most of these live, the Lord knows 

 how — work, they will not. Had we a choice, we 

 should prefer the negro to these grandee gentle- 

 men, who in most cases have left their country for 

 their country's good. All parties agree in the fact 

 that the sooner they leave the State tlie better. — 

 Had these parties been brought up in industrious 

 habits they would be welcomed as a valuable class 

 of new comers ; now the whole population ask how 

 and when they can get rid of them. Farmers from 

 East Tennessee, as a general thing, are intelligent 

 and industrious. 



From the Country Gentleman. 



Cattle Fastenings. 



I have noticed several articles in the Country 

 Gentleman discussing which of the several ways of 

 fastening cattle in the stalls is the best, consulting 

 at the same time the convenience of the herds- 

 man and the ea-e of the cattle. Of course all the 

 different modes have their advocate?, and each 

 kind of fastening has its good and had points. — 

 None are more convenient for tlie herdsman, or 

 more easily worked, than the stanchions each side 

 of the neck of the animal, fastened with a latch at 

 the top. With this kind, and a raised floor four 

 feet ten inches wide, with ju-t descent enough to 

 let the urine pass off, while the excrements will 

 mostly fall on the offset, cows can be kept quite 

 clean. With ropes or chains cows wnll crowd for- 

 ward the length of their tethers to eat ; then back 

 up and lie down in their droppings, which, to the 

 milkman, is not very desirable, although it gives 

 ease to the cows. 



In tying young cattle by their horns the rope 

 will make an indentation, which will disfigure the 

 growing horn. S. E. Southland, of Jamestown, 

 N. Y., had a patent cattle fastener at the State 

 Fair at Utica, which appeared to obviate the diffi- 

 culty attending the present stanchions with latch- 

 es. There are stanchions each side of the neck of 

 the animal, with a latch at the top hanging on a 

 pivot, which allows them to swing forward eight 

 inches when the animal rises, and an oscillating 

 motion to the right and left of six inches each 

 way at the bottom, which had the appearance of 

 relieving cattle very n.uch when compared with 

 unyielding stanchions. The expense of making 



them must be more than twice as much as perma- 

 nent ones, which may prevent their early adoption. 



Hiram Walker. 





ro 



Indiana Horticultural Society. 



Through the kindness of George M. Beeler, Sec- 

 retary, we are in receipt of a copy of the transac- 

 tions for the winter meeting held at Indianapolis. 



Mr. Beeler has presented an interesting report 

 of the doings of the society, and the printers have 

 served it up'in good style. We would like to copy 

 a large part of the report, but must be content with 

 drawing a few facts from it. The President's ad- 

 dress is an able one and we cannot resist the 

 temptation to copy a couple of paragraphs : 



CANADA THISTLE. 



" Before passing on to other topica, and lest I 

 may overlook it, I desire to call the attention of 

 nurserymen who purchase their propagating stock 

 of roots, plants, evergreeens, &c., at the East, to 

 beware of the Cattada TJdstles. This pest of pests 

 infests, I am told, many of the nurseries of the 

 East to a most alarming extent, who bow are sow- 

 ing it broadcast over the West by sending out trees 

 and plants, especially evergreens with thif^tle plants 

 and pieces of roots attached, every one of which 

 grow. The bolls containing seed are alse sent out 

 in the straw with which they are packed. Beware, 

 then, of whom you buy your trees, etc. Go in 

 person, and see for yourself and don't touch a tree 

 or plant if you see a single stool of thistles on the 

 grounds. Comparatively few persons in Indiana 

 know what the Canada Thistle is. Those familliar 

 with its character, it is unnecessary to admonish ; 

 to others, perhaps, it is suflScient to say that its 

 presence in a neighborhood reduces the value of 

 farms at least one-hnlf, and can only be sold to 

 those not f imiliar with the villainous character of 

 this worst of all noxious weeds or plants at any 

 price. This pest is regarded with so much horror 

 that legislation is being had in the Caiiadas and in 

 the Stales w^hcre it abounds, to preveat its further 

 spread. Let this Society do its duty then, by 

 sounding the note of alarm, and prevent its intro- 

 duction as far as possible into our State. 



FRAUD AND MISREPRESENTATION. 



It has been said that this was a progressive age. 

 It is essentially so. It is also a 'humbugging' age. 

 There never was a time in the history of this coun- 

 try when there was such a mania for novelties. It 

 is a truth that with all their shrewdness and saga- 

 city, the Americans are the easiest people in the 

 world humbugged. To say nothing about the de- 

 ceptions practised with the various other fruits, I 

 will only incidentally, without going into particu- 

 lars, allude to the unmitigated swindling that has 

 been practised upon the country by the introduc- 

 I tion of an endless number of new varieties of 

 j grapes, not a few of which have been sold at fabu- 

 j Ions prices, when they were not worthy of a place 

 I in the forest, from which in many instances they 

 were taken. 



