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The Illinois Faemer 



VOL. IX. 



SPRINGFIELD, ILL., AUGUST, 1864. 



NO. 8. 



DEVOTED TO THE 



FARM, THE ORCHAUD AND THE GARDEjS, 



PUBLISHED BY 



BAKER & PHILLIPS, 

 SPHIiNGFIELD, ----- ILLINOIS. 

 M:. L.. lDXJ3SrijA.E», Editor. 



All business letters should be addressed to the 

 publishers. 



^^"ExcHANGES and all matters pertaining to the 

 editorial department, must be directed to Illinois 

 Farmer, Champaign, IlL, as the editor resides a 

 that point, and is seldom at the office of publication, 

 from which he is distant over eighty miles. 



*^* For terms see prospectus and special notices in 

 advertising department. 



August. 



The month of the Dog Star is at 

 hand. The sun comes up with a proud, 

 defiant look, as if he had never been in 

 the offing, looking hazily down on the 

 earth mantled in frost, or with its lakes 

 and rivers bound in thick-ribbed ice. 

 The white cumuli lay in lazy folds in 

 the upper stories of the air, or sailing 

 dreamily about indifferent to the fate 

 of the crops, so much in need bf the 

 gentle shower. 



August begins the penciUing of the 

 more gorgeous fruits and flowers, and 

 puts on more elaborate colors and 

 showy dyes. 



The music of the reaper is wafted by 

 summer zephyrs from distant fields, 

 while the soiig of the thresher gladdens 

 the tenants of the barnyard and cheers 

 the toil-worn farmer ; for with it comes 

 the culmination or the downfall of his 

 hopes. 



Out through the orchard the full- 

 orbed apples are puting on the garb of 

 ripeness and the cider press shall soon 

 gush with its liquid treasure. The 

 days of the strawberry, the currant, the 

 gooseberry, the cherry and the rasp- 

 berry have passed. The blackberry has 

 dj-awn a blank, and the place of the 

 peach cannot be filled ; but the apple 

 and the pear are coming nobly forward 

 to make amends as far as possible. The 

 corn is laid hy and making good pro- 

 gress, while the sweet potato is fairly 

 laughing in the ardent blaze of the sun. 



Summer is now culminating and we 

 must hasten to assist it in the last fin- 

 ishing touches to the products of the 

 field.....;. ^,, -,:-:.,. .... ;:.^ ■..-::, - 



The double shovel plow must be run 

 through the rows of potatoes, but not 

 in any way to disturb the hills ; and the 

 weeds must be cut and pulled from 

 them, for who wishes to dig or pick up 

 potatoes from among the tall autumn 

 weeds ? — not us, and we trust not you, 

 gentle and industrious reader. 



The corn is laid by with a double 

 shovel or wheel cultirator, but there are 

 strong weeds in the rows that have es- 



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