, 1862-01-03

t4uE1 10 Lie pTDQuELlo0 u tlEAtttn u4sAe!s " |
wheat per acre. But the climate Of England
is mild and equal, compared with OUTS, and it
would be fair oinfer dynamic force operat-
ing on the prairies, By much greater power,
as the extremes Of the one exceed the extremes
Of the other. This giyes Us some INSIGHT how
count with tolerahIte certainty upon
making as many Successful groupings
OF cotton as Of corr, while Of the latter seems
linitless; and why not Of the former, since j
tuTe is left on the field than Of the former2 at |
the South it's said that cotton is an exhaustng
crop So it is, under the Influences Of d south
ern climate, to which deep freezings of the
soil are unknown But there the exhaustion |
Of Southern soils Is more mechanical fhau |
cultivation, like a roadbed Were the se1ers @
frnsts to hold of these pralries for ten years. !
goodbye to their persistent fertility forever |
The soil real Of the prailies is a finely com
minuted yellow clay, with occasional thin |
strata Of gravel and sand It covers the prai- |
:ries to nm average depth Of not less than ten |
feet. Below this lies vast deposit of blue t
clay, 50 deep that, as yet, no geological plum
soil, OF loam, lying above the yellow clay and
generally known as the soil proper, was, no
doubt, originally yellow clay, but changed
both in color and in character by the trench
dous dynamic force Of the prairie climate;
And here it is. perhaps, well to remark, that
the deepest soils, the rankest vegetation, and
heaviest timber is found On the highest and
central part Of the grand prairie, proper,
whfA may be roughly described By 4 line
drawn 1fty miles north and thirty miles south
this is owing to the greater period that has
tr1DspIred since its upheaTal. or whether ow-
| ing to the naarinsHns Of extremes to which the
great prairie is subject, 1eaTe others to de-
| tcru1ine.
Here, repent, and repeat it to force upon
| The minds Of the agriculturists, the great
I fact that our climate Is our greatest gift, in
| stead of our most unbearable afHictiou, 1t is
| in these extremes we get st the persistent
fertility Of the prairie soil under Successive
groupings, and the explanation III ps1t, at
| least, Of the wonderful growth made By In
dian com, the sorghum, tomato, pepper, the
sweet potato, and, especially, the whole fam
| ily Of The cucurbitacea. What other special
| the present state Of our knowledge, but it is
| certain there are combination Of Influences
at work, which give to the prairies asub-Trop-
ica1 summer climate, and vegetation is pushed
are for i've months within the tropics: and it
is on this phenomena rely, in great meas
ure, for the successful growth Of cotton.
Il is certainly worthy of the best efforts Of
the Illinois State Agricultural Society, collec-
lively and individually. to ascertain, BY such
means as lie within their power, whether q
.ubtropica1 plant Of as much economical
value as cotton, may not prove rs readily con-
formab}e to the prairie soil and climate as
many Others Of a similar parentage, and
| whether, like wheat and Indian corn, the pota-
to, bean, pepper and vegetables ofanalogus
importance, it may not become Eo necessary
to mans existence, and so huulanizcd that it
will, in due time, with proper care and nur6.
ing, follow bis footsteps, both North aud
South Of the equator, for forty-ilve fifty deg.
of latitude. The origin Of the uheat plant Il
lost in the twilight Of civilization. That oi
the potato and Indian corn is uncertain and
obscure, but enough remains to enable us to
determine that they we're natives Of the
gcny, differed is widely as the wild crab ap
pic from the luscious SWaar.
| The best evidence We have, however, thai
, the cotton plant Will suit itself to more north
ern soils is, that it has improved in migrating
/ from 4 tropical to Eubtropical region, ant
, that it has been cultivated on the prlirie will
as much SUCCESS as could be expected from
; ! the character OF the cultivation and attention
, bestowed upon it. The greatest successes il
grape culture, and in wheat culture too, har
} | been obtained, Of the first in Germany, ant
the second IN England, the cu1tivatofs de
, pending On that degree Of knowledge Whicl
I can only be obtained under q rather unfavorabl
8 climate and on tolernb1y barren soil. Shout
our intelligent agriculturists undertake the cu]
2 tiEation Of cotton, a higher degree OF skill an
$ greatcr results are likely to follow in ten years
+ than those achieved in the cotton States i
G three quarters OF century.
: | As to frosts, there is little to fear from th
J FIRST Of May until the 18th Of Otober. Frost
IS | may and do come, but in nine cases in ten
d the hygromctric condition Of the atmosphcr
u is such, that on tue open pr:tirie and in e1
Is posed situations, they rarely do any consider
Is able damage. Cotton, Of the kind grown o
/ the Yazoo bottoms, in mississippi, GROWN
;, under 1be observation Of the writer. in % des
I north latitude, survived tile hoar frost OF til
J. morning Of the 9Th Of June, 1859, and in 1S5.
re and in 1860 the 1naturcd plant di
p not succuIlb until after the 18th {
1t October, and not until two weeks lt.
frost as is generally believed. It needs ric
ie corn soil, very deep cultivation, and undt
ne | such circumstances lu1urlates under fei
y ! Sun and 4 prolonged drouth. In acc1imatin
ID southern seed, tie plant should be pushed t
ID deep, clean culture, and thinned out so til;
III no more than two or three stalks will occur
5e llill, which hills should be three and 4 hl
III | or four feet apart Abont the first Of Septen
TO ber, from fifty to one hundred boll5 will ha7
he developed on each stalk. At this time cor
OF mcncc pincliug in the terminal buds, so as
d, prevent any more bolls setting, and to thro
te the whole cncrgies Of the plant into perfeetia
OF the bol1s already set. Should the wealth
OF continue warm and d6casonablc-thati is, not We
all dry-the bolls will but feW Of them open
le- the first frost, when, at the touch OF that po
le- er, they will burst over the whole teld, into
OF white cloud, Ike pile of gunpowder at
to spark Of fire.
AS laTCTlDtc is our SOIL ana SUMMERS are
on the growth Of Indian corn and melons, it
tai well known that the seed Of either, 'acl
nd mated to and obtained from an extreme soul
Ire crn limit, will not rpen, if at all, until Ii
'ur the first season. and thu acciination, to be 81
isr cessful, must be gradual: The carly Fege
NJ tained from the North, and are renewed AM
tly ally. The southern corn crop is mostly 1na
tho from northern seed, and the best wheat gro
'il there has d like origin.
Eon The advantage to be gained in proeuri
de- cotton seed from China would probably b.
saving OF The time and labor necessary for s.
op- ccestiIl acclin1ation. l tako the liberty to s.
) it gcst to your society that measures shonld
III taken to procure supply Of seed from t
Cd source, particularly. from the region ab
no Of the society be given, by premiums
e." otherwise, us tle magnitude Of proba
! Of successful result calls for. The progress
has civilization teaches us that the intelligence
tic | man has always been equal to the demand
low his necessities, and that those impcrat
lerc wants have been always supplied in a Way.
tied leads to his Improvement. The empire Of {
RIGS ton at the South is ended. Where is cot
iu- mere likely to build un another, than on
sic5 Northwestern prairics?
aate / say scarcely nothing Of the benefits to
be- State 10 grow out Of successful introduct
on Of the cotton plant. 1t would produce
ring same revolution in ya1ae and prices, thu
the created in the Cotton States between 1880
IN 1SC0. will not refer to the argument I'll
the cloins that 'scotton cal be grown proft1
ton, BY slave labor only, that is, cheap labe
IS Slnre labor is dear labor, and cotton growi
J to next to cane growing and sugarmaking, is
hest most profitable Of ailigriculture: it is bcca
cot these branches Of agriculture arc profits
I as that they can bear the burden Of slave Lab
Lries ! viii not compare the gradual narrowing
wearing ont Of the cotton growing region
ndia tic inevitable mechanical unfertility wi
iced nothing can remedy, with the persistent fe
otal ily Of the -psairics, annually renewed by
ads; dynamic force of their climate, nor ula]
GUS ld:ndred Other points on this matter, b
2ltth EoTe haze said enough to induce patri
own and an1ateur o.1iculturists to experiment
read It Is to them that we must look for all 5
Lpire ard similar movements, for our legisla
par and public men have neither the neces,
own knowledge nor the pcc1niary interest in
and | soil which will stimulate them to give t
the time, talents and attention to agricultural
orth rress.
that lam very truly, your obedient serv
BENZ. F. JoHS5o
1eud ----------- -----.----
hrcc Camp Eut1er, at Springfield.
seed Adjutant General Fuller has gone thro
:, 80 Camp Butler, as Camp Douglas. consoIida
~ IN the regiments, and the following results
s. to officially announced:
i six IAirty>eeccnd Regimsnt-To include four co
UarY MICS of Col. William Hunters command: st
can Colonel John Logan; Lieut.. Colonel, John
tsurp Roes: Major, " iiiam Hunter