, 1861-07-18

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81 SSt1SxA1 Z Il A1b 81 CHICAGO 4 L; AIR u IiKE
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1.40p. N, o'9a y. u'
rHE FARM AND GARDEN. |
ne Grai, and Fsuit Prospects in Central and
Southern lRinois-CodE A7nes-1he A77ny
Woyns-1fode Of Fas7ntng- Camp Defiance.
Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune.]
CHAArA1es, July, 1861.
So little have we travelled this rear that we
1870 almost lost the sdea Of progress and be-
;un to take to books and newspapers, and fol-
ow In the footsteps Of old Mr.. Fogy, who
,usies himself with musty columns and sup
,oses his garden boundary to be the outer
ealk OF creation a few days since, as the
oldiers say, we ordered rations for week,
determined to see what was doing South Of Us.
TIE CROPS At HOME.
The winter wheat was not very thick on the
:round in March, but it ti1lered out well and
gives premise Of q good crop. The early soWn
spring wheat is also fine. 4 few persons
.owed 1ate-some Of them on land plowed
this spring. OF eourse these stand but slim
CHARGE, and by next spring they will have
more practical, or at least profitable, views Of
the time and mode Of growing spring wheat.
Barley is good; rye is very fine, and large
breadth sown for "hoggfug down." that is,
tie hogs are turned in to do the harvesting.
This is becoming a profitable and popular
mode Of early feeding, and to that extent su-
percedes the use Of corn. Potatoes are only
moderate, the cold rains having bad
effect On those early planted. Broom corn,
fax, beans and sorghum, are promising. The
stand Of corn is the best that ne hare ever
teen; in fact, it is too good, and most Of it will
hayc to be thinned out with hoe; some
farmers are ROW performing this service. The
army worm having furnished an abundant
supply Of food for birds aud other vermIn,
trey hare had no occasion to pull the corn !;
nor has the eut-Wo.m shown himself as usual.
But even With this fine stand, the land has
broken up rather ungenlal, and if the present
prospect Of a cold season continues,
the crop will certainly be short one;
nor do We think the best Of wea-
ther, with this ungenial condition Of
t. e soil will, make more than fair average
crtp. We are neither crosker nor the son Of
prophet, but draw our conclusions from the
wen established laws Of natnre. To overcome
this condition Of the soil, we have used the
iron roller freely, and in addition, have made
ore.horke roller that will pass between the
lows to crush the Jumps, and up to this time
we have already worked our corn three times,
but with ali this it Is making but a moderate
growth. Corn dealers may draw their OWN
e ncluticne, or even laugh at these notions,
which some Of them have done in private con-
yerta'iors. July md August makes the corn,
they say; but July aud August never made d
Big crop on lumpy, utpUlveTized soil. Last
seasou the soil was in the finest possible me-
chanica1 condition, and good crop could
hardly be avoided. I'VE have long since
soil Than the weather, though the latter has q
teclded effect upon the former.
THE CROPS IN EGYPT.
= We enter the great basin of upper Egypt at
Eecga, and can see at glance that the same
remarks hold good in regard to the corn crop;
in fact il is hardly us forward, even the best Of
II, while much Of that cut of By the army
NoFm and rep!anted is but justup. The roller
must and Will soon be added to the imple-
meuts Of corn culture in Egypt, if the farmers
would Keep pace with the progress OF cheap
ering its culture, and insuripg its greater Ger
tainty. The winter wheat aud oats are very
fine. The Alabama Or May wheat is beginning
TO ripen as far north as Mason, while The blue
stem is ten days later. At Richvien We meet
the first Of the harvest in solit:Ey field of a
few acres, and another degree is passed before
May wheat, being come three weeks behind
the usual time.
AT cESTRA11A
Tie fruit crop at this point is exceedingly
promising and the young pear orchards are
loaoed with fruit. The c1rculio has been less
sctive than usual contentirg himself with 4
part Of the plumb crop, and leaving the peach.
e. mostly untouched. This remark was found
to to'd good throughout our trip. The lovers
from Egypt FREQ from the usual drawback Of
q gummy outti5c ard WOr1n within.
The peach crop will be 50 abundant this
year, that none hut the best will pay to send
to 1na1ktt, and tie drying ovens that have
almost gone into decay, will again come into
uEe.
Seve1al of the best gardens in the city have
bten reelected this season. Tic vet wea-
sher is biamable for It; but wherever open OF
covered draire have been used, We see decl.
6ed favorable result. Conductor Montross
has probably the best arranged md most pro.
ltahle fruit garden in the State. It contains
but two village lots, Jet in point Of abund-
auce Of fluit ard vegetables, it compares f.
vo1at1y with most OF tho one sud two acre gar
6tus, uponwhich large sums hare been expand.
ed. From our own limited experience with
the dwart apple VIC had not formed a favor
able opinion Of it, end as it has been largely
planted in the gardens hcreahouts We have
been lcokirg for proof OF Its value, but ws
regret to eay tlat thus tar it has proved dis.
appointment, and to those who suppose that
from this clsfs OF apples they can realize &
crop at an eally day, ne say moderate youi
expectations, sud plant standards of early
| bearing sorts, such as the Keswick Cra1in
Yel'oH lrge6tnc, etc. Ar, Rockwell, another
CO. ductor, has the came sized grounds, b1'
! unfortunately, some tree pedlar persuaded
lin TO 60 largely into dwarf apples, ane
| VIC uld not ste single apple In his grounds
I willie standard trees Of half their sizs art
bending beneath their 1oads Of fruit, Unit
We have better evidence Of the value Of dwar
| apples on the prairie we shall not recommen<
| il, cren Tor garden culture, much less for th,
| field, IS somo have done. We are not pre-
pared to call it Fl failure, for after the trees be
! ccme ;nll grown they may prove productive
| but for e2rly ftuiting they are undesirable.
Ihe railroad company are razing the founda
! tion for the rebuilding Of their shops, destroy
ed BY fire This spring. The Office Of Mr. Her
kin4er, the Superintendent Of the Chlcage
| division, tne been located here, which haI
I
kimer has made decided Improvement II
the appearance Of the place BY grading, drain
ing, and getting ont Of shade trees In the com
pany's grounds; and the station house, nlway
| well kept, presents q more inviting appear
ance to the traveller. When the shade tree
| and shrubbers sha1I have 8 feW more years O
the vigorous growth that the soil and climat
| Of this part Of the State applies to such sui
jecta, it will be one Of the most beautiful
| places in the State. Superintendent Arthu
and Chief Engineer Clark are also ETeat adyt
cates Of tree planting, and hare done much t
infuse hearty sentiment in this regar
amoIg the officers and employees Of the roat
ard We now have 3 set Of men pretty ne
imbued with the rulue Of shade aud fruit tre
planting. We never pass through Central
without admiriDg the comfortable and plea!
ant homes Of the railroad boye, aud compaI
them with the close quarters and brick wall
Of their co-]aborers Of the large cities.
COAL MINES IN st. JOHNS.
These mines are the most eIten61Fe and "a
liable in this part Of the State. They were sui
posed 10 underllo several counties besldt
Perry, but more recent examination b.
changed this impression. Instead Of larg
coutlnuous beds Of coal, 1t would appear tht
the deposits arc In basins Of limited e1ten
and this one is supposed to be not over 81
miles in diameter. Doubtless similar BASH
abound Ia this part Of the State, but for tt
want Of failroa1 facilities, will for a long tiu
lay urdistu1bed
Wishing to obtain some mespecimens ofp1an1
Of the olden time, and to LOOK more closel
into the history Of the army WORN, We len t
train and accepted the kind hospitauttcs Of
". fcson, one CT the oWuers and supe1iutenl
ant Of the coal works at this station. Und
guidance OF Mr. Mckellups, the forem1n,
patty of three, each with lamp, descende