-;.'!5^^ 



1^2 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



April 



Agricultural Societies of this State, calling their 

 attention to the election of officers of this Society 

 to take place at the next Fair, and earnesily urg- 

 ing upon each of them the appointment of three 

 delegates for that purpose. 



Accounts were audited and other business, not 

 of general interest, transacted, when on Thursday 

 morning the 3d iiist , the Board commenced the 

 revision of the rules, regulations and premium lists 

 for 1864. This occupied their undivided attention 

 until the adjournment on Saturday the 5th. 



It is not possible in this brief abstract to indicate 

 the many changes and improvments made. The 

 published list will be distributed during the month 

 of April, and it is hoped, will meet the approba- 

 tion of all who feel an interest in the development 

 of the industrial resources of the State. In amount 

 the premiums are considerably increasing over last 

 year's list, and, in designating the objects, the 

 board have endevored to fully realize the varying 

 conditions and practicalwants of the people and of 

 the country. 



It will be borne in mind that the Fair of 1864 

 will be held at Decatur, commencing Sept. 12th, 

 that the grounds themselves, beautiful and conven- 

 ient as they were last ye.tr, will be greatly improv- 

 ed and ornamented ; that the railroads will contin- 

 ue to extend the usual facilities to fair-goers — 

 Passenc/ers at half rates articles for exhibition fi ee. 



Swperintenpenls of departments. — Class A, Cattle 

 — R. H. Whiting, and Lewis Ellsworth. 



Class B, Horses — J. W. Singleton, and 0. W. 

 Webster. 



Class C, D, and E, Sheep, Swine and poultry, — 

 A. B. McConnell. 



Class F, Mechanical — Wm. Kile, and H. C- 

 Johns. 



Class G, Farm Products — II. S. Ozburn. 



Class 11, Wra. S. Wait, and C. H. Rosenstiel. 



Class I, Musical Instruments, and L, Natural 

 History, R. H. Holder. 



Class K, Textile Fabrics — A. J. Mattson. 



Class M, Plowing Match — Urial Mills. 



Superintendent of Grounds. — J. H. Pickrell. 

 Respectfully, John P. Reynolds. 



Cor. Sec. 111. St. Ag'l Society. 



Agriccltural Rooms, } 

 Springfield, March 12, 1864.J 



Clark's Sorgo Journal. 



This journal, now in its second year, is doing a 

 good work. It is a live, practical work and should 

 be in the hands of erery cane grower. Address 

 Clark's Sorgo Journal, Cincinnati, Ohio, and en- 

 close $1. 



Tobacco in Illinois. 



Office of the Illinois Central R. R. Co. 

 JVew York January 30, 1864. 



Dear Sir: You did me the favor last year to 

 send me a large package of tobacco seed, which 

 was carefully distributed in Southern Illinois. I 

 am sorry that I am not in possession of any special 

 report of the out-turn of this seed ; but I have no 

 doubt that its distribution has been of great benefit. 

 In our freight statistics for the year we notice large 

 increase in the weight of tobacco forwarded, and 

 it may interest you to see the quantity from various 

 stations, which I annex below : 



Pounds. 



Ashlev 272,900 



Colonia 82,500 



Tamaroa 315,560 



Du Quoin 438,640 



De Solo 124,260 



Carbondale. 4, 254,000 



Makanda 420 



Jonesboro' 577,370 



Cobden 430 



Dongola 220,910 



Ullin 4,450 



Pulasld 26,540 



Cairo 3, 408,280 



Total 9, 726.260 



Very respectfully vours, 



W. H. OSBORN. 

 Isaac Newton, Esq., 



Oommisnioner of Agricidture. 



The above is a very satisfactory exhibit, when 



we take into consideration the severe drouth and 



early frost of the season. To Mr. Osborn Prcst. of 



the Illinois Central R. R. much credit is due foi" 



this result, in the furnishing of seed and otherwise 



encouraging the culture of this staple. We regret 



that cotton has not also shown as good returns 



from the eiforts of Mr. 0. but we shall yet see good 



results from it. It is probable that the large 



amount from Cairo came from the adjacent States 



of Kentucky and Missouri. That at Carbondale 



was all the product of this State. — Bd. 



'V* 



Frpit Trees in Hedges. — Pears and various va- 

 rieties of fruit are grafted into the hedges, in many 

 provinces in France not that the proprietor antici- 

 pates enjoying the fruit. They call them God's 

 part {la pert de Dieu). In the quince hedges of the 

 Prince of Desdogne, branches to bear fruit are al- 

 lowed to grow and form little trees, bearing quite 

 an amount of fruit " boquets of trees, " M. Gagnaim 

 assures the editor of the Revue Horticoh, " hanging 

 gracefully in the midst of the hedges, produce & 

 beautiful effect and render the scene less arid, 

 being at the same time elegant and productive. " 

 — i» 



Plitm Trees. — The best soil for plum trees con" 

 ■isis of a heavy clay loam, and then a gravelly 

 soil, while a sandy ground is the poorest of all, 

 and also the worst for the presence and ravages of 

 the curculio — that shy and destructive plum enemy, 



