, 1864-12-17
FROM EGYPT.
The Cotton Crop Of 1lItnoIs-Number
of Acres PiAntcd-tts Prospects
Sweet Potatoes and Frult-The fruit
1ulncbS OF Egypt.
Correspondence Of the Chicago 7 Tribuue.l

Correspondence Of the Chicago 7 Tribuue.l
CARDosD41I, H., Dec. 10, 1861
During my recent travels and sojourn in
your paper circulates freely, I heard many
inquiries as to the result Of the cotton crop
in Southern Illinois. Several persons know-
ing it to be my Intention to visit jackson
and Union counties, asked nc to write to
them tic result Of my observations, especial
II Of the cotton crop. Permit me to make
your journal the medium for answering.
This year, es fur as can learn, the cotton
crop has been decided success. Few persons
planted more than three acres, the majority
perhaps not that, occasionally man ven
tured as high - ten, and have heard Of one
going up to forty. His experiment is report
cd failure On account Of the army worm. It
is not understood that his whole stand was
destroyed, but that his hopes were sunk from
fever heat to zero By the devastating foe.
At Carbondale there are three cotton gins
In operatlon--all have been busy since the
commencement Of the season. Three hundred
bales have been pressed there, aud sent to
market, a1l from the vicinity. Other gins are
Reuben Morgan paid twelve hundred dol
lars for ten acres on the stand, and picked it
ut his own expense.
4 Mrs. Storks sold part Of the product Of
one acre, in the seed, for three hundred and
ffty-seyeu dollars.
So come the reports from nclghbors and
acquaintances, that are reliable.
An old lady called In to-day, to warm. rs
she WAS hunting her hogs in the wood, {please
remember VIC are in.Egypt,) and Us she sat bv
the fire the following colloquy ensued:
"How long hare yon lived In this coun-
try;I''
"wel, my folks WAS from Kentuck. and
Tennessee"
"What do you think Of this country to
apples:' :; ,
ns NC uns has lost our cotton more than q
hall dozen times in forty year. We always
had patch to make our own Gowns and
shirts, and sich. You know everything fails
now 1ays. The cotton crop Is a mighty
sight surer and brings more than the corn,
now days.
(which requires the most labor
"Oh! bless you, the cotton am fire times
more work, recon, besides the picking, but
then yes always sure Of something. >and
that's , Mhst yes not with the corn, Sspfinss
"What Of the fruit ~ = >'' "~.-
ttWel, calculate their ont no better land
for fruit on This airth than in these part. rye
been hero now morn forty year, us I waa tell
ing ye, and 1aot year WAS The first fever
missed, and recon there WIS miss b etty
nigh everywhere from what hearn tell.''
''What about sweet potatoes, cahbage;
onions, and such things" -
*'Swect potatoes are all right If folks I'LL
tend to 'cm, but the cabbage don't do much,
I recon, though, it, cause: people don't do
much to keep up the land. The new land
pains and put manure On and. such things
bring. as good crops as ever they did.
But folks nre mighty shiftless round here,
them as don't own the land"
"But las, man, if you want to glt rich
md arn't afraid Of tho ague jist you 70 down
onto the Massasippi bottoms, yon Kin jist
raise anything, ana as much o, Is 20 uke ont"
swell, II folks don't take care OF them
selves. fnever had the sgue but once in for
ty year, and I wouldn't a had 1t then If
hadn't exposed myself, but there is mora as
does have 1t that live bad and don't take no