1864. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMER. 



87 



On measuring the corn by the two referees it 

 proved to be one hundred and eighteen bushels, 

 and when sent to market was sold for and weighed 

 one hundred and seventeen and 27-70 bushels, after 

 feeding the two teams their noon meal, while load- 

 ing. It was sold in the ear at seventy pounds to 

 the bushel. 



Mr. Oyler took the oxen home and kept them 

 several weeks, but the Deacon became conscience 

 stricken on account of betting contrary to the 

 rules of his church.and demanded the oxen. Mr. 0. 

 supposing the law to be on the side of the Deacon 

 gave them up for a paltry consideration. 



The bet was not a bet after all, as the Deacon 

 was to give the oxen provided that Mr. 0. husked 

 100 bushels of corn in the twelve hours. We hard- 

 ly know which to most admire, the muscle and per- 

 severing skill of the husker, the honest simplicity 

 of the winner in quietly giving up his hard earned 

 reward, or the cool, calculating meanness of the 

 Deacon in dsmanding back what he had honestly 

 given for labor had and done him. We would 

 have given the name of the Deacon, but do not 

 wish to admit the name of so contemptible a per- 

 son to our pages. 



New Use for Rats. — It is said that a company 

 of Frenchmen, after making a careful survey of 

 the West, have decided on Chicago as the best 

 point for the rat business. The Journal of a late 

 date says : 



The Northwestern Rat-hide Company. — It is 

 rumored that a eompany of Frenchmen has been 

 formed in this city for the purpose of catching all 

 the rats possible, curing their skins and exporting 

 them to Paris, to be used in the manufacture of 

 gloves. For years, what is called " French kid" 

 gloves have been luade from the skins of these an- 

 imals, caught in Paris and other parts of Europe, 

 but the demand being greater than the supply, it 

 has become necessary to extend the rat-catching 

 arrangements to this country, and no finer field 

 than Chicago for such operations can possibly pre- 

 sent itself 



The Cairo Democrat in reply to the above says : 



We had supposed that Cairo could beat the world 

 on rats. We are too modest, however, to quarrel 

 with our Chicago neighbors upon this point. Chi- 

 cago is the rat headquarters. 



Should the stock of rats fall short in both of the 



above rat-holes, we might give the rat-catchers 



some employment in this county. 



Grape Culture at Bloomington. — Dr. Schroeder, 

 the well known German horticulturist of McLean 

 county, informed us at Springfield, that six years 

 ago he planted the first grape vines at Blooming- 

 ton^ Now in that immediate vicinity there are 

 fifty acres planted to the vine. The Dr. confidently 

 predicts that in five years McLean county alone 

 will beat the famous plantations of Hermann, Mo., 

 in the extent of its vineyards. Put McLean coun- 

 ty and Dr. Schroeder on the record. We appre- 



hend he is a true prophet in this respect. — Prairie 

 Farmer. 



Culture of Tobacco. — We hear less in regaid 

 to the tobacco crop intended to be planted this 

 spring than usual. We think less attention wi!l be 

 given it than the crop of last year, on account of 

 the want of hands, and the discouragements of last 

 years frost. 



Broom Corn. — Large fields of this will be 

 planted this spring in this county. 



The February cold and Fruit Trees. — We c: n. 

 not perceive that the cold snap, injured iho fruit 

 treed in the least. The peach trees, as before s-tat- 

 ed, are looking better every day, and we trust \\\\\ 

 come out in better shape than most people imtici- 

 pate. 



Transactions III. Hort. Society. — ^W. C. Flagg, 

 Sec, has a card in this number, announcing the 

 Transactions in readiness. 



To the untiring energy of the Secretary are tlie 

 people of this State uuder obligation for thejironipt 

 appearance of this work. Every reader of the 

 Farmer should send for the whole sett, if he has 

 not already obtained them. Make up clubs and 

 get them by express. You cannot afford to do 

 without them. 



Domestic Sweetmeats. — It is a siugular fact 

 that many people who know how to preserve eve- 

 rything else, can't preserve their tempers. Yet it 

 may easily be done on the self-sealing jjrii ciple. 

 It is only to "keep the mouth of the vessel tightly 

 closed." 



Grape Culture. — In reading the agricultural 

 papers of the day one would be led to suppose that 

 only two interests now absorb the rural population 

 — sheep growing and grape culture. The former 

 is confined mainly to stock farmers, while the lat- 

 ter pervades all classes. 



The propagation of new, hardy sorts of suj-orior 

 value has had much to do in producing this st;'.te 

 of things. The people have had a taste of grape?, 

 and knowing i^hat they can be cheaply and certain- 

 ly grown, are disposed to invest largely. There is 

 not a house in town or city that may not have its 

 grape vine, not a south wall that could not be trcl- 

 lised with rich clusters from the middle of Angust 

 to the late frosts. We no longer need depend on 

 the sour and seedy Clinton to ensure an early crop 

 but have the hardy and productive Hartford Pro- 

 lific, the Crevaling, Logan, and other superior ear- 

 ly sorts, The desire for a good, hardy, produc- 

 tive and delicious white grape is also supplied in 

 the Cuyahoga and Taylor's BuUit, while the Con- 

 cord, Delaware, Diana, Norton's Virginia and Her- 

 bemont, bring up the ra.ain crop for winter use and 

 for wine. 



