Jefferson County, Illinois - Chapter 11 (1 of 2 so headed), 1883

Chapter 11

AGRICULTURE - ITS RANK AMONG THE SCIENCES - HOW TO KEEP THE BOYS UPON THE FARMEDUCATE THEM TO IT - PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE IN THE COUNTY- SOME STATISTICAL INFORMATION - COUNTY FAIRS AND ASSOCIATIONS - OFFICIALS OF THE SAME - HORTICULTURE - VALUE OF FRUIT GROWING - STATISTICS - THE FORESTS, ETC.

Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke; How jocund did they drive their team afield! How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke." - Oray.

THE advantages of science, a superior soil and the use of machinery will always render agriculture the most attractive, manly and profitable branch of industry in which the people can engage, contributing, more than any other pursuit to individual comfort, and proportionally adding to the prosperity of the country. The cultivation of the soil, in all ages, has furnished employment for the largest and best portion of mankind; yet the honor to which they are entitled has never been fully acknowledged. Though their occupation is the basis of national prosperity, and upon its progress, more than any other branch of industry, depends the march of civilization, yet its history remains, to a great extent, unvirritten. Historians duly chronicle the feats of the warrior who ravages the earth and beggars its inhabitants, but leaves unnoticed the labors of him who causes the desolated country to bloom again, and heals, with the balm of plenty, the miseries of war. When due worth is recognized, instead of the mad ambition which subjugates nations to acquire power, the heroism which subdues the soil and feeds the world will be the theme of the poet's song and the orator's eloquence.

have not fully comprehended the natm-al advantages of their soil, and its agricultural advantages. Hence, they have worked in the dark, so to speak, for many years, and the development of the country, as a consequence, has fallen behind what was its just due. The farmer will take his place among the best and noblest of the earth, only when he forces his way there by the superior intelligence, culture and elegance, with which such a mode of life is capable of surrounding itself. Each branch of the science of properly cultivating the earth is dignified and ennobling, if the farmer himself will exert his abilities to make it so. It is worthy of the devotion of the greatest intellects, and offers a field for the finest powers of the best endowed of mankind. A great need of the times is to make rural life so attractive, and pecuniary profit in it so possible, as to hold the boys and young men on the farm, that, not by mistaken ideas of gentility, of ease of life and opportunities for winning fame, so large a percentage of them may be drawn into the so-called learned professions or into trade. With proper surroundings, education and administration of the economies of the farm, with a sufficient understanding of the opportunities for a high order of intellectital and social accomplishment in the rural life of the coiintry, this need not and would not be so. A bright.

high-spirted boy is not afraid of labor, but he despises drudgery, ile will work hard to accomplish a liue end, when the mind and heart both work together with the muscles; but he will escape from dull, plodding toil. Let the boys learn that rural life is di'udgery only when the mind is dull; that the spade and the plow are the apparatus with which he manipulates the wonderful forces of the earth and sky, and the boy will begin to rank himself with the professor in the laboratory or the master at the easel. The farmer should be educated to feel that there is no occupation in life that leads the educated man to more fruitful fields of contemplation and inquiry. The scientific mind finds every da)% in the fields and orchai'ds, new material to work upon, and the cultivated taste endless opportunities for its exercise.

Agriculture, then, should rank first among the sciences, for vvithout it life itself would soon cease. All important interests, all thriving industries and all trades and professions receive their means of support, either directly or indirectly, from it, a ad, therefore, are but secondary to it in actual importance.

It is too often the case that farmers do not pay the attention to their lands necessary to keep them in a highly productive state, but through excessive cultivation exhaust their vitality while yet they should only be in their prime. Johnston, in his " Chemistry of Common Life," gives the following description of the system of farming commonly adopted by the first settlers on this continent, and the truths uttered apply with as much force to a single county or community as to the country at large. He says:

" Man exercises an influence on the soil which is worthy of attentive study. He lands in a new country, and fertility everywhere surrounds him. The herbage waves thick and high, and the massive'trees sway their proud stems loftily toward the sky. He clears a farm in the wilderness, and ample returns of corn repay him for his simple labor. He plows, he sows, he reaps, and the seemingly exhaustless bosom of the earth gives back abundant harvests. But at length a change appears, creeping slowly over and gradually dimming the smiling landscape. The corn is first less beautiful, then less abundant, and at last it appears to die altogether beneath the scourge of an unknown insect or a parasitic fungus. He forsakes, therefore, his longcultivated farm, and hews out another from the native forest. But the same early plenty is followed by the same vexatious disasters. His neighbors partake of the same experience. They advance, like a devouring tide, against the verdant woods; they trample them beneath their advancing culture; the ax levels its yearly prey, and generation after generation proceeds in the same direction - a wall of green forest on the horizon before them, a half desert and naked region behind them. Such is the history of colonial cultlU'e in our own epoch ; such is the history of the march of Euroiaean cultivation over the entire continent of America. No matter what the geological origin of the soil may be, or what the chemical composition; no matter how warmth and moisture may favor it, or what the staple crop it has partially yielded from yeai' to year; the some inevitable fate overtakes it. The influence of long-continued human action overcomes the tendencies of all natural causes. But the influences of man upon the productions of the soil are exhibited in other and more satisfactory results. The improver takes the place of the exhauster and follows his footsteps on these same altered lands. Over the sandy and forsaken tracts of Virginia and the Carolinas he ^spreads large applications of shaly marl, and the herbage soon covers it again with profitable crops; or he strews on it a thinner sowing of gypsum, and, as if by magic, the yield of previous years is doubled and quadrupled; or he gathers the droppings of his cattle, and the fermented produce of his farmyard, and lays it upon his fields, when lo! the wheat comes up luxuriantly again, and the midge. and the rust and the yellows all disappear from his wheat, his cotton and his peach trees. But the renovator marches much slower than the exhauster. His materials are collected at the expense of both time and money, and barrenness ensues from the early labors of the one far more rapidly than green herbage can be made to cover it again by the most skillful, zealous and assiduous labors of the other. "

There is a great deal of truth in the above extract, and we see it illustrated in every portion of the country. The farmer, as long as his land produces at all plentifully, seems indifferent to any effort to improve its failing qualities. And hence, the land, like one who has wasted his life and exhausted his energies by early dissipation, becomes prematurely old and worn out; when, by proper care and timely improvement, it might have retained its rich, productive qualities thrice the period.

The agricultural history of Jefferson County is but little more than a repetition of the history of almost every county in Southern Illinois. The area of the county is 576 square miles, and the greater portion of it is susceptible of cultivation. But little of this is prairie - perhaps about one-fifth. These prairies occiipy the more or less elevated lands between the creeks ajud water- courses, and are generally very productive. The white under-clay, which is such an unwelcome feature of some of the prairies farther north, hardly anywhere extends into Jefferson County. The land outside of the prairies,

For the first twenty to forty years of settlement in the county, there could be little incentive to grow crops there was no market for. Each settler raised corn and potatoes and " garden sass" enough for his own use and no more. The implements of agriculture consisted of a small bull-tongue plow, an old " Cary " plow and a hoe made by the blacksmith. The main [point in farming, in those days, was to have a herd of wild hogs in the woods, corn enough for bread and to feed the pony - when the settler was so fortunate as to have one - and a few ears to toll the hogs home to mark them.

When spring came, the crop time was rather a hard life to live. About all the revenue that could be counted on was hens' eggs - after these domestic fowls 'had been introduced - ^to buy the small luxuries, such as coffee, sugar, salt or anything in that line ; and if the hens failed to come to time on the " lay," the old man and the childi-en would strike out to the woods to dig '' ginseng." This was after game began to get a little scarce. A large sack of the then staple article of ginseng could be dug in a few days, and, when dried, would bring ?3 or $4 - a sum that would help out the family finances in gootl shape. There was but little provision made for the cattle, as they could almost live through the winter in the woods. But very little wheat was grown here then, as there were no mills to grind it, and no market for the surj^lus. Indeed, the early settlers were at great inconvenience to get their corn ground; there were but few mills, mostly run by horse power. But all this is changed now. The coming of railroads has produced a wonderful revolution in the mode of farming. Saw mills have cut the timber off, to a great extent, and much of the land has been brought under cultivation. From the sickle and old-fashioned scythe and cradle, the wheat is now mostly harvested with self-binders. The hay crops are of great value. Timothy, red -top and clover flourish as finely here as in any part of the State

In the early history of the county, the pioneers were favored by the mildness of the climate, the abundance of wild game and the fertility of the land when brought into ctiltivation. Step by step, the hardy settlers made their inroads into the heavy forests, enlarged their farms and increased their flocks and herds until they found a surplus beyond their own wants and the wants of their families. There was then but little outlet for the products of the farms, and far less of the spirit of speculation than at the present day. The result was that after a few years the farmers had plenty at home; they handled less money, it is true, but they lived easier. They did not recklessly plunge into debt; they lived more at home with their families, and were far happier. There was, too, much more sociability, neighborly feeling and good cheer generally among them. There was not such a rush after great wealth, and hence fewer failures among farmers. The accumulated wealth of farm products directed attention to the question of markets, which had hitherto been confined to a kind of neighborhood traffic among the farmers themselves. Until the openingof railroads, markets were mostly reached by hauling on wagons to St. Louis, Vincennes, Shawneetown and Cairo. Much of the surplus produce was hauled to Shawneetown and Cairo, and shipped from those places to New Orleans. But the opening of railroads changed all this, and the best markets of the country are now easily accessible.

the last report of the State Board of Agriculture, show something of the products of Jefferson County, and will, doubtless, be of interest to many of our readers:

In I860, an agricultiu-al association was organized, which, with some changes, is still in. existence. Its first officers were J R. Allen, President; Jeremiah Taylor, Vice President; J. S. Bogan, Recording Secretary; Dr. E. E. Welborn, Corresponding Secretary, and Joel Pace, Treasurer. Direo-

* From these statistics, it will be seen that one-fourth as many sheep were killed by dogs as were sold, and yet farmers still persist in keeping worthless dogs.

tors, F. S. Casey, William Woods, Jesse A. Dees, John Dodds, James J. Fitzgerell. John Wilbanks, Dr. "W. Adams, Benjamin T. Wood, S. W. Carpenter, Joseph Baldridge, Charles McClure and S. K. Allen. Fortyacres of land, the site of the present fair grounds, were bought on a credit from A. M. Grant. The sura agreed on was §800, with 10 per cent interest until paid. On motion of Judge Tanner, a Committee to solicit subscriptions for the association was selected, as follows:

The foregoing Committee was selected by a committee consisting of Dr. Green, Samuel Schenck and William Dodds, which had been appointed on the motion of Prof. B. C. Hillman. The following committee:

The first fair was held on the 23d, 24th and 2r)th of October, 1860, and was well attended and proved successful. The old officers were reelected, except Charles T. Pace was elected Treasm-er in place of Joel Pace. In 1862, no fair was held, on account of the excitement of the civil war then in progress. The Directors elected this year were F. S. Casey, Jesse A. Dees, William Wood, J. J. Fitzgerrell, John Wilbanks, Joseph Baldridge, P. T. Maxey, John Arnold, C. G. Vaughn, S. Place, S. Cummins, T. G. Holland and A. Kiffin.

For 1863, the following officers were elected: J. E. Allen, President; S. V. Bruce, Vice President; Charles T. Pace, Treasurer; J. S. Bogan, Recording Secretary, and E. J. Winton, Corresponding Secretary. Directors - S. Cummins, Joseph Baldridge, E. B. Harvey, William Wood, J. A. Dees, Isaac Place, J. J. Fitzgerrell, John Wilbanks, C. G. Vaughn, J. H. Smith, John Ai-nold, J. C. Jones, R. S. Young and F. S. Casey.

For 1866* - G. H. Varnell, President: J. C. Jones, Vice President; A. F. Taylor, Treasurer; W. D. Watson, Assistant Treasurer; J. S. Bogan, Recording Secretary; J. W. Baugh and A. M. Green, Assistant

University Of Illinois

Secretaries. Directors - F. S. Casey, William Wood, John Arnold, T. J. Williams, Q. A. Wilbanks, J. Foster, B. E. Wells, J. C. McConnell, Jacob Breeze, E. B. Harvey, J A. Dees, J. Q. A. Bay, J. J. Fitzgerrell and John W^ilbanks.

For 1867 - G. H. Varnell, President; J. C Jones, Vice President; A. F. Taylor, Treasurer; Dr. Welborn, Corresponding Secretary; J. S. Bogan, Recording Secretary; J. W. Baugh and T. J. Casey, Assistant Secretaries. Directors - F. S. Casey, M. Fitzgerrell, J. K. Jones, J. C. McConnell, E. B. Harvey, J. A. Dees, J. J Fitzgerrell, J. Arnold, C H. Judd, B. E. Wells, Jacob Breeze, William Wood, John Dodds and Col. W. B. Anderson. The same oiScers were reelected in 1868, with one or two changes in the directory. Mr. Varnell, during the year, resigned as President, and J. C. McConnell was elected, August 13, to till the vacancy. The same officers served through 186U.

For 1870 - Jesse A. Dees, President; J. M. Galbraith, Vice President; A. F. Taylor, Treasurer; J. S. Bogan, Recording Secretary; R. F. Pace and G. W. Johnsoa, Assistant Secretaries; C. H. Patten, Con-esponding Secretary. Directors - F. S. Casey, J. M. Scott, John Gibson, G. L. Cummings, E, B. Harvey, H. Moore, J. R. Knowle.s, J. Arnold, J. Walters, B. E. Wells, Jacob Breeze, William Wood, A. J. Norris and John Wilbanks. For 1871 - S. W. Jones, President; S. H. Allen, Vice President; W. E. Collins, Treasurer; J. F. Baltzell, Assistant Treasui-er; A. F. Taylor, Corresponding Secretary; J. S. Bogan, Recording Secretary; Capt. J. R. Moss, General Superintendent. Directors - J. C. McConnell, G. L. Cummins, J. W. Johnson, S. V. Bruce, S. K. Casey, B. W. Towner, E. B. Harvey, J. A. Dees, John Wilbanks, John Arnold, J. C Jones, C. H. Judd, C. M. Brown, D. C. Jones, S. S. Mannen and Jacob Breeze. In 1872, there seems to have been no election.

For 1876* - J. S. Bogan, President; T. B. Lacy, Vice President; J. AV. Baugh, Recording Secretary; G. M. Haynes, Corresponding Secretary; A. F. Taylor, Treasurer and James A. White, General Superintendent. Directors - J. C. McConnell, J. C. Maxey, J. M. Gaston, A. Marlow, W. A. McConnell, J. C. Johnson, W. R. Champ, T. H. Mannen, W. Dodds, G. D. Jones, G. W. Clark, J. A. Glazebrook, G. W. Bodine, Dr. T. F. White and Jacob Breeze.

For 1878 - S. Gibson, President; J. R. Moss, Vice President; A. F. Taylor, Treasurer and J. S. Bogan, Secretary. Directors - S. Moffitt, J. C. Gwinn, J. A. White, J. E. Goodrich, E. Jones, J. C. McConnell, J. S. Bogan, John AVilbanks, W. A. McConnell, J. A. Dees and A. F. Taylor.

For some time, efforts had been made to change the association into a joint-stock company. This was accomplished during the year 1879, when, on the 10th day of May, an agreemeat was "signed, sealed and delivered " to the Jefferson County Fair Association. The first officers under the new re gime were as follows:

For 1880 - J. A. Dees, President; John Wilbank, Vice President; J. S. Bogan, Recording Secretary; A. F. Taylor, Corresponding Secretary; C. D. Ham, Treasurer, and J. C. McConnell, General Superintendent.

For 1883 - John Wilbanks, President: A. Gilbert. Vice President; J. S. Bogan, Secretary; G. W. Evans, Treasurer, and S. H. Watson, General Superintendent. Directors - S. H. Watson, J. Wilbanks, A. Gilbert, C. D. Ham and E. A. Jones.

Horticulture. - Gardening, or horticulture in its restricted sense, cannot be regarded as a very prominent or important feature in the histoiy of Crawford County. If, however, we take a broad view of the subject, and include orchards, small fruit culture and kindred branches, outside of agriculture, we should find something of more interest and value. The flourishing trade the writer has witnessed in apples alone in the city of Mount Vernon, since he commenced his work of writing this history, is the most convincing proof that horticulture and fruit-growing is a valuable industry, to which the county is well adapted. The following statistics, Wb think, will bear us out in the assertion:

There can be little doubt but that, if the farmers were to devote more of ,_the attention that is given to wheat - a crop that has. of late years, proven to be very uncertain in this latitude - to fruitgrowing, the experiment would pay, and pay well. The climate of this portion of the State is better adapted to fruit culture than further north, though, as a fruit-growing section, it is, perhaps, not to be compared to some portions of our country.

The apple is the hardiest and most reliable of all the fruits for this region, and there are more acres in apple orchards than in all fruits combined in the county. The first fruit trees wore brought here by the pioneers, and were sprouts taken from varieties around the old home, about to be forsaken for a new one hundreds of miles away. Lewis Johnson, Sr., brought the first fruit trees here that ever flourished in the county, except the wild fruits found here by the early settlers. Apples are now raised in the county in great quantities, also peaches somewhat, while small fruits are receiving more and more attention every year. Many citizens, too, are engaging, to a greater or less extent, in grape culture.

That the cultivation of fruit is a union of the useful and beautiful is a fact not to be denied. Trees covered in spring with soft foliage, blended with fragrant flowers of white and crimson and gold, that are succeeded by fruit, blushing with bloom and down, rich, melting and grateful through all the fervid heat of summer, is indeed a tempting prospect to every land holder. A people so richly endowed by nature as the people of

Southern Illinois should give more attention than they do to an art that supplies so many of the amenities of life, and around which cluster so many memories that appeal to the liner instincts of our nature. With a soil so well adapted to fruits as that of Jefferson CouQty, horticulture should be held in that high esteem which becomes so important a factor in human welfare.

Tlie Forests. - Our rapidly disappearing forests have awakened apprehensions in the minds of many close observers, and is calling out much discussion of the subject. A late writer has remarked: " The disappearance of our old forests threatens to fulfill the prediction of Frederick Gerstaecker, who prophesied that the progress of our reckless civilization would soon make the United States as barren as Western Asia. But before the end of this century, protective legislation would not come too laie. Our mountain ranges at least, have still forests enough to preserve the agricultural regions from anything like an Asiatic drought." Forest culture has already attracted the attention of the Legislatures of many of the older States, and steps are even now being taken to not only protect the forests, but for planting forests in the less timbered regions of the country. Indeed, the only measure of relief thus far suggested, with any definite prospect of success, is the planting of new forests. Much has been said, and many plans proposed, for the preservation of those that remain, but the words seem meaningless in view of the fact that private property is beyond the control of the Government, and Congress declines even to grant means to prevent the destruction of that which still pertains to the public domain.

No one now living, it is true, can reasonably expect to see our forests entirely destroyed, yet that they are disappearing more rapidly than new forests, of spontaneous growth, attain maturity, it naturally follows that, unless some means are adopted to protect them, sooner or later Frederick Gerstaecker's prediction will be fulfilled. No doubt the time will conie, and that soon, when the protecticm and improvement of our forests will receive the attention they unquestionably merit.