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1864:. 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



S03 



from the eiFects of the sun, when they are not cov- 

 ered with snow. If kept well njulched they will 

 produce much better fruit and require but little 

 weeding, and that can and ought to be done with 

 the hands. 



Pigeon Manuke. — A subscriber wants to know 

 "what is the best way to use pigeon droppings. — 

 How would the manure do for strawberries in a 

 loose, sandy soil ? 



Solon Robinson answers these questions as fol- 

 lows : 



"I have used, within two or three years past 

 about 150 barrels of pigeon manure, obtained from 

 city dove cotes. It has proved eminently success- 

 ful until the present year, when, owing to the 

 drouth, it has in most cases been useless, and in 

 some injurious. My mode of using it has been to 

 mix it with five or six times its bulk of muck, mold 

 or loam, making up the pile out of doors where it 

 would be exposed to the rain which softens the 

 lumps, and by frequent turning mixing the ingre- 

 dients well together so that the whole mass is ex- 

 tremely rich, and well suited for any kiml of ma- 

 nurial purposes. It will be good for strawberries 

 in a rainy season, and good for nothing in a dry 

 one. It is purely an ammoniacal manure, and like 

 guano and other manures of that class requires 

 moisture to develop its value. — N. Y. Tribune. 



——- 



Tobacco for Cut Worms. — Some years since I 

 concluded on raising some cabbages for winter 

 feed for my cows. With the assistance of my boys 

 I planted several acres, and the next morning on 

 looking at them I found a great many of them de- 

 stroyed by cut worms ; we planted more, and kill- 

 ed what worms we could find, but the next morn- 

 ing found hundreds of the plants killed. We 

 planted more and strewed ashes, lime, salt, cow 

 manure, chicken manure — and, in fact, everything 

 I could then think of, but did not succeed in stop- 

 ping their depradations ; at last I came to the 

 conclusion that the 'critters' had learned to chew, 

 and that my best way would be to supply them 

 with tobacco at once ; I therefore put about half 

 a pound of tobacco into a bucket of boiling water, 

 and when it was cool, I took a pint cup and put a 

 little on each plant as I pricked it out. I looked 

 next morning and found one plant destroyed and 

 the worm beside it dead. I always practice the 

 same plan, and do not think I have lost a plant 

 since ; that year I saved 1500 out of 6000. I have 

 tried tobacco for the bugs that infest cucumbers 

 and melons, but it does not affect them as it does 

 cut worms. — Cor. Prairia Fanner. 



Mocking Bird. — We see in the Country Gen- 

 Ueman of of July 14th, a communication from Ed- 

 gar Sanders, of Chicago, stating that a pair of 

 mocking birds have taken up their abode in his 

 girden, and are building a nest, &c. He asks if it 

 is a rare thing to see them so far North ? Mr. San- 

 ders is undoubtddly mistaken about their being 

 the well known Southern mocking bird. They are 

 never known to come so far North as St. Louis. 

 The brown thrush, resembling the mocking bird 

 in size and appearance, has misled Mr. S. They 

 mock and sing very well, but not equal to the real 

 mocking bird. The brown thrush is very abun- 

 dant here, and make the groves musical with their 

 melody. They imitate a great number of birds. 



From the CouLtry Gentleman and Cultivator.| | 



Prairie Scenes. 



How broad and grand these waves of landj 



On the vast solid sea ! 

 The prairie swells of freedom tell, 



Of boundless libertv. 



Far as the eye can aught descry, 

 These waves of land are seen ; 



Before and aft, from right to left, 

 Clad in a fleece of green. 



The tinkling beUj)f comfort tells, 



Grazing upon the mead ; 

 The joyous notes from feathered throats, 



Proclaim all nature glad. 



The stars of white and yellow light 

 Are sprinkled the grass between ; 



While 'neath your feet verbenas sweet, 

 Mingled with foliage green ; 



Their odors shed from their rocky bed, 



Or to the breeze is flung ; 

 While in the vale modest and pale. 



Grow the pretty adder's tongue. 



The primrose opes on the rocky slope. 

 Its bloom at the hour of repose ; 



At the dawn of day it fades away. 

 And its golden petals close. 



The foxglove tells with its stalk of bells, 



Of love and purity ; 

 And the phlox beside speaks joy and pride. 



In its crimson gaiety. 



There are larkspurs bright, both blue and white. 



And yellow poUyanth, 

 And violet blue and lupin too. 



And fragrant hyacinth. . ' 



The light how fa:r ! howpure the airt ■ 



Yet few and far between ; 

 The clouds above, in forms of love, 



Like angel visits seem. 



Yet when those clouds the earth enshroud. 



And hide the eye of day. 

 And thunders hoarse utter their voice, • 



And flashing lightnings play — 



How changed the scene ! how dread earth's mein. 



Upon this prairie sea ; 

 As torrents pour, mid flash and roar. 



And winds howl dolefully. ^ ' 



In a sorry plight is that luckless wight, 



Abroad in a prairie storm ; 

 Sad by daylight, but if in the night, 



Then is "he doubly forlorn. 



The smiling dawn, the glowing morn. 



Bursts grandly on our view ; 

 All is ablaze with sunny rays, 



As day rolls on anew. 



Since for the head we find no shade, 



The winds that want forestall ; 

 The cooling breeze from the verdant seas. 



Boundless and free to all; 



