268 



THE ILLIJSOIS FAEMEK. 



Septembeb 



"Gov'ment is goin' to build an Agricultnral Col- 

 lege. Farrain' an' learnin' marry and set up 

 housekeepin.' Guess Uncle Sam 'II have to give 

 'em a hist with a donation party now 'n' then 

 Agricultural College ? Yes, sir ! Well, sir, if 

 you'll show me a man, sir, that's a graduate from 

 that College, that'll ever be seen with a hoe in his 

 hand, I'l give him leave to knock my brains out 

 with it ! Yes, sir, an' it will be the best use he 

 can put it to, sir. He'll do less mischief that way 

 'n any other. Agricultural College ! Edicated 

 Farmers. Yes, sir, I've seen 'em. Got a grist up 

 in Topsell. Jint-stock farm. The best talent in 

 Essex county's been a-carryin' on that farm, an' 

 nigh about carried it off, an' themselves along with 

 it. Yes, sir, the best talent in Essex county, an' 

 had the farm given to 'em, an' they've suuk a 

 thoosan' dollars a'rcady. That's what I call a 

 sinkin' fund, sir, That's to begin with. Jones is 

 an edicated farmer. He made his cider last fall on 

 scientific principles. Well, sir, I could put an ap- 

 ple in my mouth, an' swim down Merrimac river, 

 an' have better cider 'n that all the way. Edica- 

 ted farmiu's a very pooty thing, if a man can be at 

 the expense on't ; but when it comes to get a liv- 

 in' farmin' 's farmin'. Agricultural College ! Yes, 

 sir, farmin' 's a hard life, lookin' at the best side. 

 Soil's light an' runnin' to stones. But this here 

 college stuff's the poorest kind o' top-dressin' you 

 give it. Learnin's a good thing. I've nothin' agin' 

 learnin', but 'ta'nt the best use you can make on't 

 to plow it in. The only way to promote the agri- 

 cultural interests of Essex county, sir, is to keep 

 the farmers jest as they are. Greek an' Latin, sir, 

 ain't state prison offenses, but they are sure death 

 to pork 'n potaters. Minute you edicate the farm- 

 ers they be as uneasy as a toad under a harrow. 

 What kind of a hand would Dr. Hall or Squire 

 Smith make, to come an' take a farm alongside o' 

 me?" 



City of Champaign. 



IiCPROVEMEifTS. — Champaign is on the move. — 

 The click of the busy hammer and trowel is heard 

 on every hand. Here and there and everywhere, 

 we see new buildings springing up, and where but 

 a few days before were naked lots, is now beauti- 

 ful residences and substantial business houses. The 

 scarcity of mechanics, and the high price of build- 

 ing material operates as a temporary check upon 

 the rapid growth of our young and enterprising 

 city. And still a stranger looking at our busy 

 streets would scarcely think that we felt the em- 

 barrassment of war. The mammoth brick building 

 on the corner being built by our enterprising towns- 

 man, Mr. W. C. Barrett, is being rapidly pushed 

 forward. Mr. B. will be ready to supply all his 

 friends with first class store rooms and offices be- 

 fore cold weather overtakes. Looking to the in- 

 terest and comfort of the]^ people, Mr. B. has de- 

 termined to put a public hall in the third story of 

 his building, which he is determined shall not be 

 surpassed in its appointments by any hall in the 

 West. This is right. A good hall is badly needed. 

 On Neil street, Mr. Young is putting the finishing 

 touch on a fine business building. The lower room 

 has already been taken by our enterprising towns- 

 man. Dr. Hamer, for the purpose of giving himself 

 room for his mammoth iron store. The Dr. moves 



into his new rooms this week — let everybody con- 

 sult their own interest, and take particular notice 

 of the fact, that Hamer's iron store is on Neil street, 

 in Mr. Young's new suit of rooms. The Champaign 

 University is being rapidly pushed forward, on the 

 other side of the track. The workmen are on the 

 fifth story of this extensive building. The con- 

 tractor hopes to finish it up this summer. Let all 

 who are seeking a place to give their children a 

 thorough education at a trifling cost, come to Cham- 

 paign. Wii hout stopping to particularize, it is 

 our honest conviction, that there is no place in 

 Ceatral Illinois which presents better facilities for , 

 money making, and where well directed industry 

 can be turned to better account than here. Mon- 

 ey invested in any of the ordinary pursuits of life, 

 yields a large per cent. Nor is the mere money ad- 

 vantages all that we have to point to strangers, to 

 induce them to settle here. We point with pride 

 to our various churches, to our excellent schools, - 

 to our railroad, and to an educated and intelligent 

 population, — and lastly, though not leastly, to ' 

 more pretty women and girls than was ever before 

 crowded into a town of this size. Just think of it. 

 It makes us feel young again to see so much of 

 beauty, and the smiles of youth on every hand. — 

 Champaign Gazette. 



There is no city in the interior making better ^ 

 progress than the above. In this we take a just 

 pride ; for when we first saw it in '55, it contained 

 less than twenty houses. We then predicted that 

 from its location it must become an important 

 point. So fully were we imbued with this idea that 

 we made it (the vicinity, Z^ miles distant) our 

 home in the spring of '58. 



At no distant day the State Horticultural Socie- 

 ty will be invited to hold its annual session here» 

 and the State will accept the offer in fee simple of 

 our magnificent college, to be used in connection 

 with the agricultural college grant. 



The amount of grain, cattle and hogs shipped at 

 this point is immense. For fruit growing, no point 

 offers better soil, climate, and access to market. 

 Lands are cheap, and the I. C. K. R. have large 

 tracts near here that they offer on long time and 

 at low rates. Manufacturing is becoming a feature 

 that promises to be an important one. — Ed. 



Bark Licb. — Many orchards are being ruined here- 

 abouts by bark lice, which cover the trees in many 

 instances from the roots upward. There have been . 

 many remedies published, some of which may be 

 valuable, and some of little or no account. We 

 have frequently been asked -'what will kill hark 

 lice without injury to the tree ?" Heretofore we 

 have never had sufficient confidence in any cure to 

 recommend it to the readers of the Courant. Now 

 we have it most unquestionably, and all who will 

 may -have clean trees. The process, which we 

 learned from Rev, A. Vedder, of Nepeuskun, who 

 has thoroughly tested, and proved it to be a per- 

 feet success, is a simple one, and is substantially as 

 follows: 



•ii^ 



