The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-07-23
The state of Agric cultural Matters In
Southern Illinofa.

The state of Agricultural Matters In
Southern Illinois.
A friend who has been upon trip through
Southern Illinois, tells US that the wheat in
the counties Of White, Edward, and Wayne
is upon the whole good average crop
The yield per acre is not so heavy as last
season, but the increased quantity sown will
make the aggregate crop equal to last years
product, though the quality may not DC as
prime In some places the hartests have
been very superior and abundant; in others
there were complaints that the rust had in
iured the grain, and the crops would not ex-
coed two-thirds or three-quarters Of last
years harvest But in the sum total the
crop may be put down as alarge one for that
region of country.
The hog cholera is raging with destruc-
tive virulence though all the region visited
by our informant. The people were appre-
bending an almost entire extinction of the
swine race. The alarm has serious influ-
ence upon the business prospect of that sec
ton of country. Farmers there rely chiefly
on the proceeds of their hog crop to pay
their merchants; hogs are the medium of
turning their corn into cash. Their wheat
crops supply their minor wants at home,
but as neither wheat nor -four are exported
in large quantities, pork is the only article
to furnish exchange by which the merchants
can meet their distant engagements. If,
therefore, the hogs fail the business of the
country will be extremely light and collec-
tons difficult.
But another new cause of alarm has arts
en-, almost as serious as that of the hog chol-
era. Horses and mules have become affect
ed with disease similar and as mysterious
as that which is carrying off the porkers.-
Horsesi in good condition andapparent health,
become suddenly feeble, lie down, and in a
short time die. In many instances on OPEN
ing them after death, their lungs are found
partially consumed or filled with pustulent
matter. In one instance our informant met
with farmer who had lost three valuable
horses within two days, and finding his re-
manning horse and mule affected with the
symptoms of the disease he had taken them
to distant pasture, but expected to find
them dead on going to them the next day.
In another case, farmer had just lost two
good horses, and had three remaining alive,
and though they were still apparently well,
so fearful was he that they would follow
the fate of the two, that he offered to trans
fer the three to our friend for $40, although
he had a short time ago, refused an offer OF
$50 for one of them. These mysterious
visitationS are serious infections upon the
purses of the farmers, and through them are
affecting the trade and prosperity of the
country. Ii is to be hoped that they are but
casual epidemics that will pass away and in
a few years be scarcely remembered But
if they become permanent diseases of the
animals, they will affect the amount and
certainty of the profits of farming, and will
soon be felt in the price and value of lands
Many have been inclined to view the hog
cholera as a wise and benevolent ordination
of Providence, to reform the habits of the
people, and check the excessive use of porb
to which the inhabitants of the west have
been addicted; and to which many physi
clans have attributed some of the prevalent
diseases of the country. But this piouS sen
timent cannot console us for the loss of oul
noble and patient friend, the horse, nor fol
the ravages among our innocent chickens
which some of our contemporaries tell us ar,
falling victims to the destroyer.