, 1861-11-16
Gotten ou the PraIr1ea-ThFee Thou
sand Aerea: to be Planted Next XeaF
In pNe Bo@nty In This state.

mistake, for with the came propriety we might
say that castor beans and hemp, which have
been extensively grown, we're discarded from
the same cause.
In the early settlement of the Sangamon
country, now better known under the name
Of Central Illinois, cotton vas cultivated On
nearly every farm and WAS worked 10 into
clothing and bedding, by hand, snd the domes-
tic linseys made Of native cotton and wool for
q long time filled an important place in every
country store, and even up to 1910 thousands
OF yards Of it were sold In the city Of Chicago,
brought from the central portion Of the State
by the farmers, whose wives and daughters
carded the cotton BY hand, and spun it upon
the big snaeel-woye and dyed 1t by the Kitchen
fire. Steam On the lakes aud rivers so cheap
ened transportation that other products p.id
q better profit, together with the Low price Of
cotton and cotton goods at that time, 80 that
,ts culture WAS no longer an object. The Gag
tor bean waB the immediate successor Of cot
ton, requiring abont the same amount Of labor
to prepare It for market; next, corn and hemp,
which has given place to the great variety 81
farm and orchard products. Thus it viii be
seen that the laws Of trade have driven ont
three important staples within the past thirty
years. When the culture Of cotton wss
discontinued the price had become reduced to
ei1 cents pound. and domestic sheetiug to
about the same price per yard. Now the price
of both are more than double that amount,
while the staples that drove them from the field
are cheapened In the market. It is therefore
evident that this Is q favorable time to resuue Q
Its culture, While it il probable that the Cas-
tor bean and hemp may at no distant day
be again on change Under this state Of things,
to say nothing Of the rebellion that at tits
time is cutting off our supply Of cotton, 1t is
Of The first Importance that We take into con
sideration the propriety Of again placing it
among the staple products Of the great prairie
slopes. During the present season We have
lost NO opportunity to become CONVEX
eant with the history Of cotton growing
in onr State and Of the plopriety Of recon.
mending its planting on a large ecale. We
have come to the deliberate conclusion that in
oil parts Of the State south of 10 deg. of Iati-
tude, the cotton plant will flourish, and is as
certain OF coed crop as corn and wheat. Last
week We made visit to Christian county to
exsmine cotton field Of ten acres, three
miles from the village Of Assumption, on the
main line Of the Illinois Central Railroad.
This field was planted early In May, bat
from the unekilIfnlnees of the planting, the
seed failed to germinate, and it was not until
the seventeenth day OF June, that seed could
be obtained to replant it. Notwithstanding
this late planting The crop is fair one, esti
mated at three hundred pounds to the acre.
The growth OF the plant was vigorous, aud
had 1t not been for he late planting. which
has allowed only one picking, the crop would
have come fully up to the best yield of Ten.
nesfee upland. 30 confident Is the planter of
its Success and resulting profit that he Is
ncies next spring, while other parties In the
neighborhood have engaged to plant one
thousand acres in addition, making three
thcuEand acres near this section. If seed can
be had in time, the planting will extend
through the neighbozing counties, as far north
lpg arrangements for seed to plant five to ten
acres each.
Seed from the up}ands Of Tennessee will be
nBed aB best adapted to this clfmate. produc.
Ing what is called short staple upland. We
have samples Of the cotton grown On the plan
tstion mentioned, which Is of excellent
quality.
Arrangements are also making at Assumo.
tion for the nc .eesary buildings aud machine.
y ior ginning and baling three thousand
bales the coming Autumn, IA bale ia am
pounds.] This settlement is largely com:
posed OF Canadian French, and some eighty
farmers among them Hin at once enter upon
us culture, putting In an average Of twelve
acres each. This will not interfere with thair
other farm crops, and at ths same time viii
give them an opportunity to become familiar
With the routine Of Its culture and prepara.
tlon for market.
An old Tennessee cotton planter has resided
within thirty miles Of Assumption during the
Pas. t"enty'seGen years, AMI has grown more
OF lees cotton each year, since he came into
me country; be says that during that time be
nas not failed In single crop Of cotton,
though he hss failed with both corn and
Tneat lie further Bays that On the plain the
plant grows larger and will produce full as
latge crop as Tennessee upland, the superb
o111y OF the eol fully making up for the tlif.
feIence in climate. For the fSrst few years he
cultivated It largely, but the cartor bean soon
superseded it, and since that time he has only
grow it for tamily use, and continues to dre5s
IN home made linsey.
The culture Of cotton Is a}most - simple IS
that OF com, and with our improved imple.
ments will cost but little more per acre than
That crop. The additional labor will be thin
9ing The plants in the row, which mus. be
gone with the hand-hoe, but On the prairie
the necessity of repeated hoeirgs, to Keep
GOWN the weeds that is given to the crops at
tue south, can be mainly dispensed with, on
the same ground that We dispense with 1t In
corn cullnre over that Of the New England
farmer.
When SORGHUM was first fntrodnced IT was
supposed thai It YVES only adaptsd to the sugar
States, but II has proved to be best adapted to
the States north Of the Ohio, and a1tar seven
years. Of doubt and experiment, has taken its
place among the important staples OF Ehe
State, -TbIriFyeaFs OF experience hare proved
that the upland cotton Of Tennessee and Ar
kansas Is both hardy and productive with Us.
aud the only question to consider ia whether
It will pay a. well As other farm czops. When
the price Of good upland cutton vent down
to live or six cents pound, and that of castor
beans was dollar = bushel, the beans took
the lead and cotton WIS thrown out But
now, with our clipper ploEB, TWO horse cuIti-
Satofs, and Iron rollers, there is NO reason
Why We eannot compete with the bare shin
p!ow, the nigger hoes, and the unskillful labor
Of the southern cotton States. We believe
thas at eight cents pound that it will prove
to be one Of our best paying crops
EHorts are being made to procure an
abundant supply Of seed for the next plant
ing, which will be advertised in due ti11e-it
I'll! be sold ut cost, whatever that may be,
as tie gentlemen engaged In procuring It ara
actuated more by patriotic than .money-mak-
ing motives. Those desiring small lots OF
seeascan obtain them through the station agent
No person not accustomed to the ero wing
OF cotton should at once enter largely upon
its culture, for like all seui.t1opicat plants in
the early stages Of its growth, the plant ia
exceedingly delicate, and requires that the
soil be put In the best possible condition. It
Is useless to put in the crop In c1oddy ground
OF neglect 1t in the early stages Of la growth.
In our next We VIII give directions as to Its
culture, and an account Of its insect enemies
at the South, which there endanger the crop
and is more to be feared than the fosts Of