Stephen Feussner, Esq., of Marissa, St. Clair Co.; Indian corn, 30 -50; wheat, 18-30; oats, 30; potatoes, 100-200. Rev. F. Will. Holls, of Centreville, St. Clair Co.; barley, 40–45; wheat, 15-20; Indian corn, 50-55. Michael Kleinhenz, Esq., of Henry, Marshall Co.; Indian corn, 50-70. Wm. Ross, Esq., of Pittsfield, Pike Co.; Indian corn, 50-70; wheat, 20-10; oats, 40-50. Dr. Danl. Stahl, of Quincy, Adams Co.; Indian corn, 60–70; wheat, 20-40. Dr. Welsch, of Mascoutah, St. Clair Co.; Indian corn, 70-75; winter wheat, 22-25; barley, 40-45; castor beans, 30; oats, 40; potatoes, 50-80. Geo. Bunsen, Esq., of Belleville, St. Clair Co.; Indian corn, 40100; wheat, 16-25; barley, 40; rye, 16; oats, 40-60; potatoes, 100. Isaac Underhill, Esq., of Peoria; Indian corn, 30-60; wheat, 15 -25. A. Collins, Esq., of Hadley, Will Co.; Indian corn, 50; oats, 40 -60. Thus, according to these observations, which were made in nine different counties of the State, throughout her longitudinal extension, from her northern boundary to St. Clair County, in her southern portion, we receive the following average numbers, per acre :e:-Indian corn, 56 bushels; wheat, 24; oats, 44; barley, 41; rye, 29; potatoes, 143. Let us now listen to a well known authority, with respect to agriculture in Illinois. Mr. J. Ambrose Wight, of Chicago, who was for many years the accomplished editor of the "Prairie Farmer," an excellent journal, largely diffused, which, however, should not be wanting in the house of any Illinoisian farmer, and which should be studiously perused by every new settler,—in a letter dated Jan. 9, 1855, and addressed to John Wilson, makes the following statements: "At your request, I would state, that, from an acquaintance with Illinois lands, and Illinois farmers, of eighteen years, during thirteen of which I have been engaged as editor of the Prairie Farmer,' I am prepared to give the following as the rates of produce which may be had per acre, with ordinary cul ture: "Ordinary culture,' on prairie lands, is not what is meant by the term in the Eastern or Middle States. It means here, no manure; and commonly but once, or, at most, twice ploughing, on perfectly smooth land, with long farrows, and no stones or obstructions; when two acres per day is no hard job for one team. It is often but very poor culture, with shallow ploughing, and without attention to weeds. I have known crops, not unfrequently, far greater than these, with but little variation in their treatment; say forty to fifty bushels of winter wheat; sixty to eighty of oats; three hundred of potatoes, and one hundred of Indian corn. 'Good culture,' which means rotation, deep ploughing, farms well stocked, and some manure applied, at intervals of from three to five years, would, in good seasons, very often approach these latter figures.” It will be seen that Mr. Wight's statements are in perfect harmony with the above observations, made for several years by practical Illinoisian farmers; hence these numbers may be considered the exact rates of average produce. In another chapter we have noted the market-prices of corn, and other farm produce, as the newspapers stated them to rule during the first half of January, 1856, in 51 different places, scattered all over Illinois. According to this account the highest prices in the places mentioned before (with the sole exception of Chicago, which cannot be considered as a place of production), have been the following: For Indian corn, in Joliet........................ "Potatoes, in Springfield.......................................... .$ 54 cents. 1 60 1 00 1 00 "Oats, in Cairo, Moline, and Ottawa......... 35 66 Let us now calculate in money, the probable produce of an acre. Basing our calculation upon the average ruling prices of the various products, during the first half of January, 1856, and upon the above given average rates of bushels per acre, we should estimate every acre to be worth, if planted with Basing our calculation, however, upon the above mentioned highest prices, we find every acre to be worth, if planted with Having shown by the preceding, how much an acre of land at an average rate of produce, and at average prices, must yield, and how much at those highest prices, paid in the first half of January, 1856, (which latter calculation is also based on the average rate of produce), we now turn to the profitableness of farming itself. Profits of farming.-Here, also, we cannot do better than to refer to the observations and statements made by practical men. Edward Bebb, Esq., of Fountaindale, Winnebago Co., in a letter addressed to us, gives the following account of his first crop, on newlybroken land: "In the summer of 1851, we had sixty-five acres of an eighty acre lot broken. In the spring of 1852, we fenced the whole eighty and sowed it with The following is a statement of the crop: oats. § 9 bushels of cats, sill in January, at 30 cents per bushel... $785 02 900 00 Balance in favor of crop........... 114 98 In the forening statement I made no mention of the straw, which being cut before it was leairre, srigitten up with ut any rain, wintered, with scarcely any other feed, 25 head of cattle." Wm. Waite, Esq., Rock Island Co., in the spring of 1853, purchased 80 acres of prairie land, at $4 50; his account of the first year is as follows: 80 acres of prairie, at $4.50 per acre.......... Breaking acres, at $2 51 per acre.... Fenting to acres, at $1.00 per roi, 400 re is of board fence ... S and 1. rrow! g. 75 cents per acre. .......................... .................................... Cultivating, at $125 per acre............................ ................................................................... $360.00 150 00 400 00 60 00 30.00 60 00 110 00 66 00 $15.00 15.00 25.00 20.00 100 00 $1411 00 1100 bushels of wheat, at $1 15 per bushe....... 1000 bushels of corn, at 25 cents per bushel...... Total amount of creps........ $1,265 00 280 00 1515 00 Threshing, and hauling 15 miles to rail-road, 1000 bushels, at 10 cents per bushel...... Total cost of farm and crops....... $134 00 Profits of 60 acres, after paying all expenses........... and 20 acres of land unbroken.-This farm is now worth $25 per acre. Jos. Reinhardt, Esq., of Granville, Putnam Co., gives the following statement of the first year's crop of 80 acres, which he purchased at an original cost of $15 per acre: 320 rods fence, (480 rods would have been necessary, but for Sowing 105 bushels of wheat, at $1 25...... Harvesting, at $1 per acre.... $1200 00 175 00 320 00 105 00 126 00 Threshing and transporting, at $1 80 per acre........................................................... Total cost Assuming, at a moderate calculation, every acre to yield 20 bushels, we have 1400 bushels, at $1 25............ $2127 25 1750 00 Hence, the 80 acres, after the first harvest, will cost only...... $377 25 Relying on my own experience, I have based the above calculation upon the highest cost, an average price of wheat, and the low produce of 20 bushels per acre, although I myself have reaped 25 bushels, and many others from 30 to 35 bushels. I also assumed only 70 acres fit to be broken, as, among 80 acres of prairie lands, there are in most cases 10 acres of lowland, best fit for meadows. Every such acre may be safely supposed to yield 2 tons of hay, worth from $2 to $4 per ton, which amount does not form one of the items of my calculation. Jno. S. Peironnel, Esq., of Peru, gives the following statement of a crop from 10 acres, purchased by him April, 1855, at $30 per acre: Ralph Anderson, Esq., of Silver Creek, Stephenson Co., estimates. the costs and receipts of 34 acres, as follows: |