1864. 



THE ILLIIS^OIS FAEMER. 



105 



fourtli year, the expense ottending an acre of grapes 

 will not exceed that of wheat, because what costs 

 more is balanced by the pleasure one has in work- 

 ing them. A horticulturist often prefds some 

 kinds of work to eating oysters or reading novels. 



Here is the place to show how one is to be free 

 from the care which burdens so many in wanting 

 help. It is to be understood that no more is to be 

 undertaken, except in times of harvest, tlian you 

 and your family can do alone. As a general thing. 

 I never saw any good come of depending on hired 

 help to raise large quantities of fruit; and in com- 

 mencing the buisness it will not do at all. Often 

 will the wages consume the profit-, and more too, 

 and the deficiency must be met from other sources. 

 Where there is much hired help, there are repeated 

 complaints of carelessness, and of rare plants 

 being hoed up because they are supposed to be 

 weeds. The great evil lies in having to much land. 

 Twentv acres, well worked, make a large farm. 



I s\ill ^peakofone more vineyard, and where 

 much other fruit also is raised. If I desire one 

 thing more than another, as regards our country 

 at huge, it is, to see professional and literary men 

 becoaie growers of fru't, and owners of ennugh 

 land to make them interested in faruiing affairs, 

 for there is no other way in which they can somuch 

 honor industry , so well preseive and build up their 

 health or lay deeper the foundations of Christianity 

 and Civilization. 



I visited the grounds of the Rev. A. S. Hayden, 

 a well known and popular preacher in Northern 

 Ohio. A few years ago he accepted the place of 

 principal of the Western Reserve Eclectic In>titute, 

 indeed he was a prineip:>l founder, and under his 

 instructions, Maj. Gen. Garfield, then young, began 

 to unfold his powers — afterwards, he became a 

 teacher and finally, on the resignation of Mr. Hay- 

 den, the prineipal. At the same time, Prof. Wil- 

 bcr, now secretary of the Illinois Historical Society, 

 was a teacher and the three worked harmoniously 

 together. 



Mr. Hayden's farm is seven miles east of Cleve- 

 land I had not seen him for several years. As 

 I approached, I saw him carrying a pail to the 

 barn. I searclied for him, and found him feeding 

 swill to his hogs, which were kept in a neat, dry 

 pen in the barn. I stood on the steps above ; he 

 did not see me; at last I spoke, and asked the far- 

 mer how he got tilong It was a mutual suipri^e. 

 He did not look a bit older than ten years before. 

 We remembered much ; we have forgotten more. 

 Almost the first thing he did was to show me his 

 gnipes, g owing in bountiful clusters on the trellis 

 and extended arbors. Through the grounds, and 

 interpersed with these, wore boughs bending with 

 beauiiful yellow peaches. How many men, brought 

 up excltisively to farming, have no such sight to 

 show — no such fruit for their families to enjoy. It 

 is to be added, that horticulture does not inteifere 

 with the reverend gentleman's sermons. On the 

 contrary, I am sure he is better able to speak by 

 being aequ.tiuted with so much that is of interest 

 to " men's buisne.-s and bosoms." Honor to all 

 inch literary men. 



-ly a i'iiw years aso no grapes weresaeu in this 

 region. Now you see vineyards on rough and un- 

 level grounii and on the side hills, where bo\s used 

 to hunt for poor strawberries and wh"re two acres 

 of land would scarcely keep a sheep, they pick 

 •nough grapes to feed and clothe a family and to 



educate the children. Springing through the flag- 

 stones at back doors are Isabella gaape-vines ; they 

 cover the kitchen and run alosig the wood-house, 

 often a hundred feet, and here they pick grapes in 

 large baskets. " 



Our reader will excuse us for occupying so much 

 space, for it will well repay them for the perusal. 



For the Illinois Farmer. 



Alton, III,, Feb. 26, 1864, 

 M. L. Duidajj, Eng., Dear Sir : , 



Comins home to-nisrht I found the lUinolt 

 Farmer on my table, and am tempted to write you 

 after looking it over. 



First, to say how well pleased I am at your good 

 resolution to make the Alton hottieulturists a visit 

 next summer, and to offer my services as cicerone, 

 having had a little experience during the past year. 

 To be sure, we shall be a poor show after this ter- 

 rible winter, but for that you will know how to 

 make allowance. Our peach trees are very sick at 

 heart, though the sap wood and bark promise to 

 make them partially good again. Some are cut- 

 ting the young trees to the snow line, and this in 

 case of trees set last year is, I have no doubt, the 

 best. Others shorten in severe!}'. Others are re- 

 ducing four and five year old trees to bare poles 

 with a few forks. It is found that upon getting 

 down to the large limbs of trees of this age that 

 they are quite sound and of a healthier color. 

 Older trees are more irjured again. Apple trees 

 unhurt. Pear trees have last year's growth hurt 

 in some localities. Cherry trees are generally good 

 out here, nine miles from the river; sweet cherries 

 are complained of at Alton somewhat. Dr. Hull 

 thinks his plums are injured ; I cannot see that my 

 trees are hurt. Apricot trees are but little in- 

 jured here er at Dr. Hull's. Quinces all right. 

 Grapes a good deal hurt — can't tell yet how much; 

 those loosened from trellises arc of course in much 

 the best condition. Lawton blackberries badly 

 killed back. Raspberries suffered a good deal. 



The coming year we snail have apples, pear;:, 

 very few peaches, some cherries, few grapes 

 will show you what there is. 



I have been purchasing part of Dr. Hull's tract, 

 which, with what I already have, gives me about 

 200 acres on the blufis above Alton, where I in- 

 tend to do my peach and grape growing hereafter. 

 From what running about I have been able to do 

 I am satisfied that the loei^s or bluff formation of 

 the Mississippi is the best fruit soil of the upper 

 valley : surpassing the South Pass region as more 



