Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-09-06

L.
i trail and SOwther Illinois,
4 - - g. A.
The rich, exrberant soil of illinois not only pro.
duces untold agricultural wealth, but grows every
variety of delicate and delicious fruits in the great
est abundance and perfection. II is only within
a few years past that fruit growers, have given
especial attention to this source of profit and the
| results have already proved surprising. From
Centralia through what's called Egypt, on either
side of the Illinois Central Railroad, the lands are
most favorably adapted to fruit culture, which Is
every season becoming more profitable and widely
extended. This fertile section has not only Law
ishly supplied CHICAGO with the earliest and
finest Strawberries blackDerries, raspberries etc.
in their season, but is now sending thither thou
sands of boxes of lusciouslpeaches, u
| The peaches sold in that market are almost Ell.
tirely raised IN Sou them Illinois. About theffsf
of July they begin to ripen at Anna, Cobden and
other places little distance above Cairo AZ they
become exhausted there, the harvest line moves
north. At present the great orchards of Carbon
dale Centralia and other places thereabouts are
In their prime Alta rough estimate lit may be
said that 500 900 boxes are received at Chicago
during the season, though the amount is probably -
much larger. In Marion County alone, 100000
boxes have been gathered this, summer
The first instalment OF strawberries from South
ern Illinois was placed on the tables of northern
About the middle of the month this delightful fruit
was to be found everywhere in abundance and of
very fine quality The arrivals (giG the fruit train
put on their line by the Illinois Central Railroad
Company for the especial accommodation of this
trafic) were at the rate six loads per day, OF
twenty tons, prices ranging from fifteen to twenty
five cents per quart. ri s4.f,,ia a4Il;toI, >tFm
In June, receipts reached their maximum, nearly
100 tons coming to Chicago per day. a.portion be-
Ing absorbed in the markets there and the rest dis
trlbuted to other points. During twentyone days 4
the Illinois Central Company broughtin sixty three
car loads or SIG $50 pounds of strawberries and !.
blackberies OF this vast amount, 294, 430 pounds u
came from Golden, 105, 900 from Centralia and the
rest from various stations in that REGION From
that prolific area they flowed in. in such Quantity
and at such prices that poor as we'll as rich were
able to enjoy these healthful Injuries 5eg,ie7
Peaches are now pouring into, that city,of nnu@o
sual size and delicious flavor. From July 18th to
August. 29th the number Of frnit cars bfoughtin
was 429, nearly sixteen day. During the last
two weeks of April, Egypt supplied to Chicago
alone by the Illinois Central Express Fruit Train,
1876 cars of peaches of 800 boxes each, or $4,000
boxes, and yet so far as we can learn, the markets
at no time have been glutted, nor has the supply
exceeded the demand. A large proportion of these
peaches are distributed, on their arrival there, by
the various express lines, to all the towns along
the Mississippi as far north Lake Superior, west
to Omaha, and south to Memphis and points below. p
In the last record of the Illinois State Horticultu
raj Society find it estimated that south of Contra
liza, and along the Illinois Central Railway line,
there were 516 400 peach trees, and 209,S15 apple
es; and these exclusive of paintings during the
past spring, which have been to the extent of fully
one third more. In this same fruit belt, besides
raspberies, blackberries and peaches, grapes have
become almost as important an interest as in any
OF the most favored grape sections of the country
From the facts above stated, we can form some
approximate idea Of what the fruit traffic Of Illinois,
now in Its infancy, viii be few years hence.
When the process of preserving and canning fruits
for winter use is as extensively resorted to here, as
in older Eastern States. (and at much less costO
growers of perishable fruit viii be able, every
season, to use up all that they can possibly
raise, and dispose of it at highly remuneratiye
rates. s;osw T ai' 90 y ~ n ~" -
The Land Department of the Illinois Central has. I
done much towards directing public attention totH
the fruit growing capacities of Southern Illinois,
and the mild climate there, under whose genial
ton fruits of all kinds ripen to rare perfection.
They have literally encouraged fruit culture in that
State not for the sake merely Of the revenue to
derived from the traffic it brings to the road, but
because they have carefully studied the nature and
quality of the different soils of which their lands
in particular localities by climatic and atmospheric
Influences. They feel confident that in no other
quarter of the world can fruits of every kind be j.
cultivated at less cost, in greater abundance, or
more profitably to thegrower, than on these choice
lands of which they have 1000 acres yet nsold,l
and which they offer to actual settlers upon the
most favorable terms. The State and public at -
large will be benefited equally with the Illinois
Central Company, when these valuable lands shall
have been transferred to the possession OF an in
dustrious and intelligent class of farmers and hor
ticulturists. When a. few more thousand occu- =
pants shall develop the rich lands of our Egypt,
history will repeat ITSELF The famous valley of the
Nile will then find its counterpart in the teeming
fertility of Southern Illinois, That section will CT
then be one vast garden, inexhaustble In its capa
city for growing and maturing the most luscious ,
fruits in the world, while Chicago, and scores of
other markets within easy reach by water and rail,
will cheerfully yield in return therefor, generous
equivalents in greenbacks or specie. tvrsrv - Z
Pamphlets containing mapsshowihg the exact local
ty of these fruit lands and giving full information In
regard to the lands of the company will be fu T.
nisned application in person Dy letter to LAND
COMMISSIONERS, Dinois Central Railroad, Chicago Ill.