Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-07-15

mad brought them, accordln8t0 thelr mode o
farming, to the highest impADyement; and in
1929, Mr.. Wells four landlord) counted 30C
wigwams in sight of his present residence
Not one is now standing.
CULTIVATION OF The PRAIRIEs.
The following letter fbm the Honorable
tx. L. Ellsworth, superinteIttent of the Paten,
Office at Washington city, Cite abesser idea ofthe
cost of cultivating the Western Prairies than we
have before seen, and we think bur readers gene
rally will be pleased with perutal of them.
wAsnrscro |, Jan. l, 1887.
Dear Sir-You doubtless exkect some further
statement than has been receited respecting the
investment made for you in the haley of the IVA
bash. A desire TO meet my sdp$kho was daily
expected from Lafayette, has dkhyed my wsiaing
until this time And now, let me say, generally,
that the west has grown, and will continue sos1a-
crease beyond the most sanguins calculation.
Nor will any action Of general government mats-
rally check the advancement of the lands which
are pdcously located on the great western canaA
railroads. Very little yet known of the valley
Of the Wabash. Although the fertility of the soil
is unequaled, few have ever seen this country.
The reason is obvious, there is no communication
with il, and hence Spectators and settlers have
passed around it going west, either by the Michi-
gan Lake, or by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
10 go up the lake, and yet not one went into the
valley Of tho Wabash. A slight inspection of the
maps of Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, win show
direct route TO the Mississippi from the West end
of Lake Elie, TO be up the Maumec, and down
the Wabash valley to Lafayette. 1t may, there
fore, be considered certain that when the railroad
from st. Louis to Lafayette is completed, the
great travel from the Mississippi valley to the
east, will be by the lakes, through the Wabash
JN,;o chn ,,,1f ,,cEncf
several days. A person a, the mouth Of the Ohio
will pass up to ST. Louis, then take the railroad
and canal 10 Lake Erie, in preference TO following
the meanders of the Ohio river in a steamboat.
Can there be doubt on this subject? What time
will be occupied on this route TO New York! Not
exceeding six days. From st. Louis to Lafayette
gao miles,) one day may bo allowed; from La
fayette to the lake, at the rate of "A TO > miles
OIL the canal, (how in operation considerable part
of the way,) torty-eight hours; on the lake, "a
hours; and from the lake to New York city, via
railroad, (now commenccd,) not exceeding two
days. -
What changes this must make in the value OF
OH the route The value of land depends
on the fertility of the soil and the facility OF trans
portation. From personal inspection OF the
western States, during six years past, am iuhy
the Wabash valley has the post SOIL ana
most favorable climate. In the latitude Of Phila-
dephia, YOU avoid the extreme of great heat IN
summer and Of cold in winter, and also AVOID the
danger of early frosts SO preyalent III higher iati
t,,de. You may ask, what VIII be the markets iof
Indiana! answer New York and New orleans.
The former by the Erie Cpnal, and the latter ny
the Wabash river, (naviaable to Lafayette ior
steambosts) and by the railroad above nained 70
s. Louis. also Montreal by the Welland Canal.
A choice OF all these markets, equally accessible,
s pre scented to farmers on the Wabash valley; aud
one peculiar advantage this valley possesses over
Michigan aud Wisconsin, Ia the early Navigation
of the Wabash river. The produce of this valley
can by this river pass down to New Orleans in nat
boats, free of tolls, and be transported 10 Shafies-
ION, baltimore, New York and Boston, SIX weeks
before the New York canal. opens. This early
~, 81 n, NAV be estimated Mt good profit In BUSH
ness. re y. .. !,
You NAV ask, if the Wabash and Erie canals
viii surely be completed? Undoubtedly they VIII.
Indiana and Ohio are pledged to complete 'he'i'.
Nearly all is now under contract, and government
I'm. given lands adjoining sufficient to finish the
same, without any expense 10 the States.
As like causes (other things being equai,) pro-
duce like effects, it will not tax your creduiity 10
believe. that the rich lands of the Wabash valley
will equal those ON the Ohio, New York, ant
Pennsylvania Canals, which ynry from go TO 20,
per acre. Is it possible that lands, yielding forty
bushels of wheat, seventy bushels Of corn, Sixty
bushels of oats, aud four hundred and fifty bushels
po,atoes and distant only ten to twelve days trans
portaton from New York or Now Orleans cities
can BIO less than So per ace! =.
In making seiections, have, when practicaD''
procured both prairie and timber, though uh
sure there has been common error to pass inc
rich prairie, because timber cannot be found al:
Joining at Government price. Under this pelie
many settlers have, to their sorrow, entered 'he
timber and left the prairie, because they suppose
nobody " ould enter that without possessing 'he
timber. This prairie has been lately entered.
And such is the facility Of raising timber on pfai
res by sowing the seed of black walnut aud LOCUST
that the desire for timber land has diminlshed.,
Those who doubt the comparative value Oh P.am,Is
and timber land, will do we'll TO consider tna1 , -
IL a fair price fol clearing timber land.
Timber land wheA cleared in the usual nan,si
ia left incumbered with stumps and rools' aa
| stacles to labor-saving machines. Sis,ooJ WI.
he required I'd clear 900 acres Of timer .a.
whereas tho 1000 acres Of prairie can pc p''
tame grass, without ploughing. ,,,.,. c,,,.
A prairie farm may be put into con appcord;nr -
t,atio,. at fom So 1910 So per acre, a, sws, ri
the annexed computations from 10y i, cnl,yatinp
who has been extensively engage" ~ . III ,.,,a,
tho nra r;e for the last wear. The annexed lo."l
from Mr.. Newell will also give huem ,;na,;o, =
M this mint From personal exainina., ,, y
~. ,.nds +, France. aud on the WABASH vai'ey,
feel no hesitation in pronounclhg 'ne 49, T.,
tledly the best for the beet sugar -. 80
France, eight. ten, and twelve eona.s pua S. A.
pa.a r ,s lam" am" win yield $4,000 pounds Of so
h " Com which 24O0 pounds OF sugar can o
ss.oc,s1 which at ten cents per pounds amount
10 $240 per aero. !. 80, MAD. from the res;
| II England, paper is now maze HUN ~: 'es ~.
dunn Of beets, after the saccharine mater y =
,. ae An application for a similar patent I
now pending in tho patent ohice' nc sampls ~, 2
nov exhibited is very good, and the rapicit,
wth which the paper is made, must materially re
duce The price OF this article. Many labor-savinl
machines are introduced to aid in the cultivation
of new lands. liz few years il is probable tina
ploughing OH smooth lands may DC effected .!
steam; and even now moving and reapins arr
successfully done by horse power. ;.
Such are the profits Of cultivation, that woo.e
advice all who ca.l 10 improve come part OF mel