The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1842-10-21

lakes on the north, and by the Mississippi
on the south, together with its own nav-
gable streams running far away into the
afording cheap and direct facili-
ties for transportation and communication
the extent of its territory
these conjoined with the cheapness of Its
lands, the beauty of its country, the salu-
brily of its climate and the richness Of It's
soil, do render it peculiarly adapted to
agricultural operations; and would, one
might suppose in the absence of every
other inducement, render this, of all others,
the state to which the tide of immigration
would most naturally tend.
There is combination Of natural adj
vantages in this state which are rarely, il
ever, met with in any other country even
of much greater geographical extent.
With these combinations in his favor,
shall the Illinois farmer retire disheartened
from the contest! The great staples Of
our state are, and always must be, either
to a greater or to less extent, in demand.
Wheat, flour, beef, pork, and tobacco,
must be consumed so long as men retain
their present physical organization and
where in the whole world can they be
produced as cheap, or as good in quality,
or in as great abundance, as in Illinois {!
In these respects, out of the valley Of the
Mississippi, she will and must stand with
out a rival-as l sincerely believe, first
and foremost among the producing states.
The day is not far distant when the
western farmer will have to contend with
but few competitors IN the eastern mar
ket. The cheapness of his land, the ease
with which it is cultivated, and its luXuri-
ant production, will destroy competition
on the part of those who have at least fifty
times the amount of his capital invested,
but who are denied those natural advan-
tages which he in such an eminent degree
enjoys. Take for instance the farmer OF
the Genesee valley. How long can he
successfully compete with the La Sale
county farmer in the production of wheat T!
His land costs him at an average rate $50
to the acre, and yields as all average crop
only about fifteen bushels, in ordinary
seasons. The La Sale county farmer en-
tiers his land at the government price at
81 25, and it produces an average crop OF
at least twenty bushels 10 the acre.
Whatever other difference there may be
in expenditure, it is in favor of the Hi
nois farmer; and when the Illinois and
Michigan canal shall be completed, which
we all sincerely hope may be soon, the
farmers in our vicinity will be enabled 10
deliver their wheat or -four in New York
city or the Canadian ports at nearly as
cheap a rate for transportation as is now
paid by the Genesce farmer for getting his
products to market. The difference in
the actual cost will at any rate, be but
triAing. The low price Of this staple will
soon leave its sole production to those
states where ilcan be raised in the greatest
quantities, and at the least trouble and the
lowest cost. This is the natural tendency
Of things. If the principle is correct,
who cannot foTesec the time when this
northern valley of the Mississippi must,
from necessity, become the wheat growing
portion to which, not only the other states
of the Union, but many distant countries
will look for their annua, supplies. The
operation in wheat this very year will do
much towards accomplishing this result ;
and each succeeding harvest will tend
more and more to effect il, until after the
lapse of few years many of those states
which have heretofore been eminent a:
wheat raisers, will withdraw from the
contest and leave the harvest TO be Leaned
by our own bold, enterprising, hardy, anC
industrious farmers Of the west.
While the east shall busy herself il
manufactures--in constructing curlously
wrought fabricks; and IN furnishing those
thousand notions which add so much tC
the convenience of others and which has
conduccd so much to her own thrift; ant
which has made of New England a work
shop, it will be the business of the western
agriculturists to furnish its busy ant
thronging population with supplies
There will he find the readiest market lol
his surplus produce; and in exchanging
his staples for their manufactured goods
both will be Observation-Disclosures vii
again be restored--healihy business trans
actions revived--and universal prosperity
produce universal contentment.
| Tho ,yoctern farmer moods "A home n, p