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290 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMER 



October 



needs plowing for spring crops should 

 be turned over in the fall. 



Kow is the time to set out orchards. 

 Do not put the work off until spring. 

 Last fall we intended to have set out a 

 small orchard, but was somewhat busy 

 and put it over until spring ; but when 

 spring came we were more busy and it 

 was not done, and the result is, a year 

 lost. We shall endeavor to be more 

 prompt this time, although labor is 

 high and difficul . to be had. The lot 

 contains forty acres, and at twenty feet, 

 the distance that they will be set, will 

 require 4,320 trees. These will be set 

 out, banked up, thinned out and all the 

 new wood cut back to within three or 

 four buds of the last year's growth. — 

 Trees six years old, and many of them 

 one to two inches in diameter, will be 

 used. Peddlers' whips are not our 

 » forte for an orchard. 



The heavy rains of the last of Au- 

 gust have made the fall pasturage good, 

 but if you have a spot in your pastur- 

 age not well set in grass, plow it up, 

 BOW to rye and during the winter seed 

 with timothy and clover ; this will give 

 you early spring pasturage, especially 

 the rye. 



October is the month of active farm 

 duties : the autumn harvest and the 

 'time of preparation for spring work. — 

 The buckwheat, potatoes, and the im- 

 mense crops of corn, are ready for gath 

 • ering. Apples must be picked and the 

 cider made ; but the mild, genial days, 

 long evenings and cool nights brave 

 one for the tasks before him. 



Ho28 should be full feed now. while 

 the weather is warm, as they lay on 

 flesh rapidly at this season; and the 

 beef cow should have an extra feed of 

 small potatoes, pumpkins and com. 



Should Farmers Insure ? 



We had supposed this question dis- 

 posed of in the affirmative, but regret 

 to learn that there is a large majority 

 of our farm buildings uninsured. The 

 failure of so many bogus mutual com- 

 panies have tended to discourage in- 

 surance among this class of persons. 



Our readers know our dislike to ped- 

 dlers, and insurance peddlers may be 

 ranked among them. Let us see how 

 the thing is done. Half a dozen nice 

 young men, or may bepartof them old 

 men, desire some easy way of making 

 a living or of retrieving their fortunes. 

 A mutual farmers' insurance company 

 is started under some general law, old 

 charter or no charter at all ; an office 

 is hired, blanks and circulars printed ; 

 A. is President, B. is Secretary, and a 

 dozen respectable citizens, in the be- 

 nevolence of their hearts, allow their 

 names to be used as directors. Now 

 all is ready, when C, D., E., F. and 

 G., thus dominant members of the firm, 

 start out on a tour of canvassing ; the 

 farmers are beseiged and offered insu- 

 rance at rates so astonishingly low that 

 they cannot resist the risk. If they have 

 no money, notes are taken, payable in 

 three or six months ; — as the company 

 have ample funds (?) there is no need 

 of ready money. Things thus go on in 

 a quiet way ; but fires will occur, and 

 the new company have a loss. This is 

 just what they wanted. It is prompt- 

 ly paid ; not a day is allowed to pass by 

 before the lucky farmer has his money 

 and the company have his certificate of 

 the fact, setting forth the immaculate 

 company. Every local paper publishes 

 the card in leads^ and the new insurance 

 company has obtained its majority ; it 

 has heen under fire and come out un- 

 scathed. The business goes on swim- 



