218 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEE. 



July 



Cast Cast-Steel Plows. 



We stated in the June No. of the Farmer that 

 we were using one of Deer's cast cast-steel plows. 

 "We are now through the season of plowing, and 

 again repeat, that for all kinds of cross plowing it 

 is the best plow that has ever come to our hand. 

 We have about a dozen plows, some of them but 

 little worn and mostly of cast-steel, but we cannot 

 afford to use them up, as we can more than save 

 their loss in the superior work and ease of draft of 

 the new plows. We gave it a trial in breaking 

 with two horses, and found it well suited to the 

 work. In some of our land that has been plowed 

 a foot deep, we have always found it difficult to 

 Set the plow to scour, and in some instances have 

 failed, but in no case has the new plow failed in 

 this respect, and we think that it will scour in any 

 and b11 kinds of prairie soil, under any condition. 

 We have one piece of land on which no cast-steel 

 plow would scour before this trial on account of 

 its loose friable condition, not even one of Deer's 

 best cast-steel, but the new plow turned it over 

 without the least difficulty. Why this difference 

 we cannot say, but only know it to be a fact. It 

 may be that granulated steel is better in this re- 

 spect than rolled or hammered steel, and it may 

 be that the casting of the share and land side may 

 have something to do with it. For cheapness, du- 

 rability, ease of draft and quality of work, the new 

 cast cast-steel plow is largely ahead of anything 

 that we have put into our soil. Success to the 

 persevering genius of John Deer, 'whose plows turn 

 up our matchless soil, and whose name is familiar 

 wherever the harvest rustles on the prairie of the 

 west. 



For the Illinois Farmer. 



Hand Looms. 



Mt. Vernon, III., June 12, 1864. 

 Editor Illinois Farmer — D&ar Sir : 



Can you givn me any information in regard to 

 hand looms ? I want something with which a fam- 

 ily can manufacture their own cloth, such as jeans, 

 linsey, rag carpets, &c. I saw two patents last 

 fall at the State Fair, but did not learn where they 

 were manufactured. I would be glad for informa- 

 tion on this subject, the prices and your opinion 

 of its utility, &c. 



Our county fair commences on the 28th day of 

 September. Yours very respectfully, 



John Wilbanks. 



— The name of Arkright has become immortal, 

 for the reason that liis genius sought out the pow- 

 er loom by which the household became in part 

 disenthralled. If the music of the spinning wheej 

 peparted from the kitchen, and the steady slam of 



the loom from tke woodshed, we have in their 

 place many pleasant surroundings to our homes, 

 and it is to be hoped that no retrograde movement 

 will ever bring back these toilsome implements 

 that for ages bound the larger portion of the rural 

 populations in bonds of ignorance and'uuequalled 

 toil. Give us the fast revolving wheels that twirl 

 the thread on the spinning jenny, and the clatter 

 of the iron loom that beats responsive to the puis 

 ation of the escaping steam, and we will be con- 

 tent. We have no respect for the genius that will 

 return us a hand loom, for he is but a tyro and 

 born out of time at least a thousand years. We 

 would as soon think of cutting our grass with the 

 old scythe, dropping our corn by hand, thrashing 

 out wheat with single blows of the hand flail, as to 

 have our wife and daughters again h ve the old 

 wheel and the hand loom forced upon them. We 

 feel proud that the spinning wheel, the hand loom, 

 the needle and the old cooking apparatus have 

 given place to the spinning jenny, the power 

 loom, the sewing machine and the cooking range. 

 The piano, the raelodeon, books, flowers, and a 

 thousand little comforts are i.ow at hand to adorn 

 and make pleasant our rural homes. Our wives 

 and daughters can take a higher social position and 

 attend to their household duties with more pleas 

 ant music. — En. 



For the Illinois Farmer. 



A Destructive Catterpillar. 



Laomi, Sangamon Co. III., Juno 14, '64. 

 M. L. Dunlap, Esq. Dear Sir: 



In this neighborhood we have been troubled 

 with a small catterpillar infesting the apple tree, in 

 some cases stripping the tree of its leaves, and so 

 injuring them that they fall off. When you shake 

 or jar the tree the catterpillars fall to the ground, 

 hanging by a web and by which they again climb 

 up. 



Please give us the name and cure for this pest 

 of the orchard, and oblige yours, 



A. BOWEN. 



P. S. Can you tell me how to destroy moles ? 



— The catterpillar is probably the hyphantria 

 textor. The only time that we have found availa- 

 ble to destroy this insect is when they are small 

 and in clusters near the end of the branches, when 

 they should be crushed beneath your feet. We 

 have been assured that no bird will eat this worm, 

 but of this we have some grave doubts. We find 

 little trouble in keeping them down when taken in 

 season, but depend on hand picking and the crush- 

 ing out process. 



We do not apprehend that moles do harm, that 

 is, ao much as they do good. They live on beetles 



