Kane Co., Ill., Jan. 21.--Cold weather continues. On eight days of this month the thermometer has been below zero. It has been above the freezing point only on one morning, the 13th. Sleighing is good, except on some of the graveled roads. Cattle are in good condition. The horse distemper prevails in some localities among colts. Hay is plenty. A few fat hogs were sold last week. One farmer, in Kaneville, sold 80 hogs, averaging 443 pounds each, at $6.10 per cwt. There are but very few fat hogs left. The cold, dry weather has improved the condition of corn in the cribs. Coarse feed is scarce. Considerable corn has been shipped here from Kansas. Bran and middlings are coming in from Minneapolis, and sell at $15 and and $17 per ton. Cheese factory dividends for November from $1.50 to $1.60 per cwt. Large quantities of milk are daily shipped into Chicago from this county. J. P. B. * * * * * I see that you request items in regard to the cold wave that swept over our country during the first week in this month. There is no doubt the cold was as intense over the country generally as it has been known for many years, or perhaps ever before, but so far as I can learn the damage to fruit trees, etc., is very slight. On the morning of the 16th of December we had our first snow, but the weather was quite pleasant to the end of the year, with occasionally slight freezing, but thermometer never down to zero. The result of this favorable weather was the thorough ripening up of the wood of all fruit and ornamental trees, so that when on the 5th of the present month the mercury ran down to 26 degrees below zero, and in some parts of the country far below that even, the damage was very slight. The writer has been extensively engaged in cutting scions, and knows whereof he speaks. I have also examined some peach trees and find the wood slightly discolored but not dead. I did not thoroughly examine the fruit buds of the peach, but suppose, of course, they are all killed. Had this intense cold weather occurred early in December, there is no doubt but the damage would have been immense. There has been a great loss of potatoes in cellars and pits, as most people had worked themselves into the belief that we were to have a mild winter, and had not prepared their cellars to resist cold at the rate of 30 degrees below zero. The result is that thousands of bushels of potatoes are frozen and ruined, and although the largest crop of potatoes was raised last year that ever was raised in the United States, yet potatoes will be high priced before planting time. H. A. TERRY. CRESCENT CITY, IA., Jan. 19. Seed Corn Famine.