, 1862-10-11

IHl Csops-SoiYLuut-Hda If Farm Hunis-
Tie Cry Ui{;o;c-I aciW Miks It E.tf3a-
Wien to Plant Iefatoes.
In these times OF war and political excite
melt there is no reliable way to get q. the real
:onaitifn OF the crops and progress Of farm
ycrE, but to travel. Taking this hat, we LIFT
lone OF the S il s., passed over the Gseat
Western road from To.ono to Decatur. and
onn3. along this central route of the srea..
,osr zoce, this crop ia rather mixed condi.
ion. The fields planted early and on dry
sid, viii turn good crops. often sixty to sev
MY bushels to the acre, while the largest
hare vas planted late, on account Of the
eack ward sea-op, ard will scarcely average
:yar tt n 10 twenty bushels. On account Of
he scarcity Of labor and the heayg artunu
'aizs, ?-ss than the uEual amount Of 8iater
wheat has been sown. The same remarks hold
.ocd iii ria: ion to the crops as far n.rta rs
Mel dt.ta North OF Bloomington the f.rmcrs
SOW little winter s1hsa+, but largely Of spriry
Wit At. Th: gr. ut.a for this must be ploged
IN the fall, ard usually at tlis season most OF
he blowing is dene- Not 90 :als season, for
&c eniy row and then saw field plov.d. Tue
scarcity IF lsbo: Is again apparent; added to
Ibis frat lore or is4s 1ia1a has, and continues
10 be given to the working up Of the sorghria
c1ol, Eea.ly eysry farmer having from ten to
forty loads to haul to the mill. There can
re 20 doubt tia: team work has been sc:i.
nj hxv+ +1,a1 Il
horses taken for government purposes.
At Bloc mington, We were Joined By c. D.
Wilbur, secretary Of the Illinois Natural His
tory Society. and wishing to ses little Of
tie country Il from the railroad line, at Men
dota chartered a team for 4 drive across the
tourt,y to the Dixon Air Line at Lane. In
this drive Of thirty miles, We found the corn
crop light, and Of Inferior quality. The spring
wheat vas bat1y tilled, with many fields not
cut at all, and the heavy rains of the past
month has done no incousiderable Amount Of
damage to that in stack, in cases where the
farmers were tiIasllng, the cloul Of dust over
The machine but too plainly Indicated heavy
loss by damp and damaged grain. Here as
before, little Of the usual fall plowing has been
done,s ,she farmers assuring us that if hands c ln-
rot be had to drive the teams, they would get
contratands, but these arc out of the uucs-
zion rs fir N,r'h as this point, Under this
+ ate # thir2s, it Is easy to predict flat Il uar.
row bieaoth OF tpring wheat will bc s3wn in
tie sEsjng of 1865. Usually large p1opor-
lion OF the corn stubhle Cal. be soWn to this
grain Withtut re-is!nwing, but the abund,at
Lay crci', coupled with the scarcity Of hands
t. Tut III and s1ock tue curu, tugvther will,
the weedy condition Gf the ielGs, little Or
nothing can be expected In this direction,
Tie sorghum crop is good, aEt large share
of the tat1n force is row busy in securing il,
TIE woSdcn rollers Of last year have pretty
gtIera'ly given place t heavy cast iron ones.
a1d in most cases better Dams have
been substituted, steam eVaporates in native
are mere coMmon. We observed several
larners wEo do Lot take the Tribune. aud
these cut toe seed heads frcnl the caus and
let it stand to be rapidly deteriorated. 81
long as tue care emalns Uncut, so long mus!
the secd be LETT on. Stripping the leaves ar.
rssts its grown, but tie h-ads are still re-
qu!red to keep up slow circulation, 60 that
the juice may remain in a healthy condition
aid moi Undergo fermentation.
TIE GREY WILLOW.
Ore object Of the drive over this route was
10 see the llans.' ions Of this wilio1, that
abound in the neighborhood of Willow Creek
frs, Ne came ,n is that on tho f,r,,, ~ 49,
postmaster A. Ni;loS Cropl an; ~. n15a.t
III tli5 part Of the State.
HOW IT CAME HERE.
Ia ne sr1lng ct the year 1sf7 several far;-
les moved to tL1s place from near Columbus,
Ohio, and one 0! the members brought :yi'n
Inn willow cane. Ga arriving i. WAS con
cluded TO make land III Ark OF this { In'., and
II T. was cut INTO tour prices by our informant,
alt. B1aar, VINO stuck them Co %n in what was
suppos Cd tue div!sl'n line Of the farms OF the
rev enngfants T4ree Of them grew aad
from them cuttings have been multiplied to
tha: extent thSt oy4r hundred miles
ave been planted for timb bells and for
feEcing, in The district mentioned.
Thu first planting Of these willows not
being on the line, we're cut down on tho
sale of one Of the farms 10 the rre.ort
owner in the spring Of 1S5s, and the cuttings
put out one foot apart for . distance 8;
ONE twenty rods. The soil is flat lust
above the overflow Of Willow Greek, is dry
aId rich. and most admirably adapted 10 the
grow tn Of this kind OF Tree, the result is that
it has grown into most substantial barrier to
all horned stock and horses. The sight Of
this willow belt, now in its {ull foli, &c aud
towering proportions, is one Of the most
p1t aeing to the eye of farmer, whose home
is upon the prairie. Here is shade for his
etock-a fence that will restrain theu-sbc1ter
fer lis eruI's from high winds, All orchard belt
OF rapid groTth, aEJ finally rails for clo,s
fences, and fuel for he wiuttr We have ueser
before this, heard or seen fence of willow OF
airy r;eticsl value; but now tie fact stands
out ln bold relief, the tr-es that fnrn, a MA
sa1e Of growing wood. not. it Is trne Of s,Iid
growth, but su1licirutiy rh,.t IN pycInd" III
but Ill. drrate sized 1,1rS calv,s 7nd l,nh:
Towering tortr feet i,jeh. win an in vcTtr,f
has. ct not H. "a ttan tt,,r,r f,t =; ~ ~ ~
Ecc,i,,,,- ard Which wonIi ;-oIn,t. 80 ,,n,'r1., -
ouits cord of xon, ~ 1ho pouuGe mrly or
i've po.ts thirty f,st if,n,r wit., an ,v.r,r =;
six inches diameter at ths hasa. tyo fest ir,,n
tie erourd The cos. of this was ser1;ny Vi :,
cuttings along ride Of II mast and ri, I:,.a
and euitiyatiisE .le1n with the ri ~ wh..n ~,
field had its annual sect11rr ~ yrain a;
course this result surprised ali VII, s1w it. tor
in i've years The fence Has taken awar ana
the wall OF willows has. since That II ~ ~, 49,
tected that ror.ion of the iieId. Withi3 ~ -,
mast, four Years a 1arre nnmhar ~ r.r,,or. S.s
p1obahly oyer leo. haye. nI,nte1 cn,t;n y. -,
ttis ALLOW far fences. avsr M ,,i,;.s ~ =,
rticl, We sa1 yesterdsy A. ~ nnna -. "
this recent rlafi.sn. vii turn stu:k. bus ~
stero reason Whv II viii ~. ~ 1yn ~ ,,,,e
yea,s NOR and not tx;ts+svdina |n w., " tts
Of ttl,. willows and onr orr nr,.r:ons ~
pressed opinions. we have lie tyidenc., 49,
assurance that 1his wiliow vii n,aln ~ ~,
cient ttrcr % ahoxa sna,,a+oJ W ~ ~ -
Il d AZ ali :inig firm al.n1 tb,, hot.an ,,,,,: '11s
cf this stream. and fomnd fcnce ~ ,on. t,'t1s
nuarttr OF mile. most al IL sef sevsn ~ o;',,,
years ago Of this willow, in the nrhr,E. Il, =,
sca land, and t1cse, with tae cxcen+fnn of 81
cccasicn3l loss Of 8 cutting. makes sn,i;
cient fence fir all stock Usually s1iovad -
run out. On the same farm. and in the sam,
connection, is an attempt to use the s-,1,1,.s
willow for the same purpose. but II !.
q decided failure. The trees do M. Or, :.
of 4 unitnrm size, ard those takirs the lea;
cro~dine the otaers out. thus eroiting thu
hsMn4e:ty and value If the fence. a. ~