The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-09-24
Neither, Illinois Correspondence.

Eus RURAI " Oh have heard . hard
times until il lass got 70 be worn cut
story, suposc, but it seems tie West hue
erie! e" volt, Vii, when i Wa nothing
more than a tu:iu.rE- f1x I.sA. year our
fields waved With golden s.4!u Of a luAu.
rant growth, ony "rncri W., tu.l and
running over, ana though there seemed
T. be dark cloud hanging over the COM
mercial horizoa tha. sensibly atsot-'l the
former, get he could feel kind Of sst.
complacepcy in thinking that at least
Providence had smiled upon his efforts
aud bJuntituiIy supplied his immediate
wants Bat there is 4 marked contrast
this year. The crops agv very poor IN the
rich prairics OF Illinois.
First, about ;hc wheat crop in this sec
ton 81 the country. \ variety known az
the -" Ga ala Club has entirely failed =
Us it yielded more than any other kiud
last year, farmers put in great share Of
it for the crop Of the present Season, thus
proving that the experience Of one year
viii not always be successful the next. =
Many fields Of this variety stand pnhar-
vested-some farmers cut down their fields
then left it laying 10 the gavcl-others
have stacked the wheat, but il will not
yield n.ore than two bushels per acre
eonc pieces may yiold more, but five bush
els Is the most we can expect Of poor
shrunk wheat. Another variety, but re-
GENTLY introduced, is from Wisconsin. |
believe bat one piece raised in this town
], Il all hoe =
ry;and probably will yield from fifteen 70
twenty bushels per acre. This variety is
known as the "Scotch Club" Both vt
these varieties are bald Another kind,
known as the Rio Grande bearded
has done well. Many pieces will yield
twenty bushels, per acre, but, in compari
.on to the amount sown, there is lttll OF
this. Another sort the Italian (also
bearded,) | hear has done well, but have
not examined it. These varieties are all
spring wheat, But very little winter
wheat is raised on the prairies Old set
tlcrs say that when the prairies first began
10 be settled winter wheat did well. but
about eleven years ago there was an entire
f,ilure of the crop, since which time the
fsrmerE have not succeeded in raising good
crops. In the Barrens, winter wheat
does much better, and spring wheat il
much better this season than on the prai-
res.
Oats, which may be said TO be one of
the principle crops of Illinois, are bad
isliure--some fields are worth nothing
One Of my neighbors threshed out what
DC got of of twenty acres and he had
twenty-five bushels. Some fields are
worcs than this, aud some much better,
but ] assure you the oaI crop is a complete
failure-worse than the farmers ever ex-
psrisnced before; and il makes some look
blue. They had seen wheat, corn, aud
yotstoes fail, yet the oat crop stood by
them like faithful friend but, 10, now
10 their greatest extremity, it has proved
false. What shall be doue?
Corn here will be quite good, consider
ing the season, unless we have an unusual
~ early frost, which many farmers are
afraid Of We have already had rumor
ofs frost south Of US, but | cannot vouch
for the truth Of it. The potato crop would
be tolsrable if it were not for the rot
which threatens to injure it badly. Grass
ICED 10 quite common crop among the
farmers here believe it is pretty good
,hu year, but brings low price, twelve
shillrgy per bushel Grass is generally
.htar 9. but ~ wc hsve had So much rim