Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-09-28

you ever saw. The tre<9 are mostly fir,
from very small saplings 70 one and a half
feet diameter at the foot, and about one hun
dred to one hundred and Gay feet high, and
as straight IS pine timber generally is
Along all the, little branches that run from
the prairie, IS plenty Of ash and white-oak
timber, which makes excellent fire-wood,
&c. These plains are covered with green
grass, as rich as blue grass, which is green
all winter. You break up prairie here,
with one yoke Of oxen, 81 two horses
The hills and mountains upon the border
of the prairies in this country are covered
with grass, as FIND range,Aa could be inn
ayined, and which can neger lie exhausted.
The whole Willamette valley, three hun
dred miles long, and from fifty to one hun
dred miles wide, is about such country
as | have described to you, and most Of il
is yet unocdnpied BY any one. Farming,
is perhaps, the most profitable Of all busi-
ness done III this country. II is 50 easy 10
open farm here, as you have such fine
timber for oil purposes You plough ali
winter and all summer if you choose. In
fact you can plough all the year. They
actually SOW wheat here from 18th Octo-
Der te 18th May, and make as much per
acre as in Missouri. Irish potatoes grow
here finer than any where in the world,
perhaps. saw five acres Of land sown in
wheat in May last, which produced one
hundred and ten bushels. If you sow late,
you put in more seed. Corn can be rails
ed, but not so well as wheat. You can
raise enough for all purposes, as you need
none, except for bread.
As to the climate, it is the finest you
ever saw. Winter Commences in Decem-
Der, and ends in February. This has been
ebout as W ct a season ss they have had
The rains commenced in very gentle show
ers, about the 18th November, and during
the balance Of November, il rained about
one day in eight. In December, it rained
about one day in five;s and in January it
rained or showed about every other day
In February, about The lst, we had a
slight snow, which melted as il fell, and
one slight rain succeeding it the next day,
and the balance Of the month the most
beautiful, clear and warm weather imagin-
able. Tie 18th November, we had
small snow, which was gone in three days
In December. we had very little snow, and
what fell melted as it fell. In January, we
had gond deal Of snow, all Of which
melted as il fell, excsptsone snow about
six inches deep, which lay about three
days. The ground had scarcely been FRO
zen an indh deep this winter. The rains
here are always very light, mostly driz-
cling rain, and they are very warm, and
not like lie cold fall and spring rains in
Missouri. wonld rather have a weeks
ram than two days snow. believe man
can do twice the work here in the winter
than in Missouri; and if he is mechanic
he can work every day. The srains are
now past, and the grass is growing finely.
Flowers are opening, and | have. been in
formed by VIM. O'Neal and others. the
best Of authority, that strawberries have
been in bloom all the winter. | know 1
saw them in LIST December last. have
lived since 81, January in log cabin.
floor Of loose plank, laid on sleepers high
from the ground, with only boards nailed
on the cracks; and have burned much less
wood, and not suffer half the cold as
would have done in Missouri. They
never daub the cracks Of their houses
here. 8
American cows are worth here from
fifty to seventy-fise dollars. y American
horses from fifty to seventy dollars
Oxen from seventy five to one hundred
and twenty five dollars per yoke. This is
the finest country for raising cattle you
ever saw. They keep fat all winter
Butter sells at from twenty to twenty five
cents. And what did not expect 10 find,
this is good country for hogs. At all
events you have here plenty Of grass, a
root called wappato, and also plenty of
white oak mast. A FIRST rate market can
be had here for any and every thing, and
ycu have never seen business more brisk.
Times are first rate, and every body busy.
The manufacturing power here is unsur-
passed in this world. There is more fine
mill sites than you ever saw. Snch wa
ter power as that at the falls Of Platte, cam
not be found any where. The timber Of
this country is fir, white cedar, cak, ash,
maple, cherry, cotton wood, and some 9th
ers you never saw. Great plenty Of wild
fruit here. The halle and elder grows
here ten times as largeas in the States
We make hoop poles and scrub brooms Of
the haele. YOU will find trees here even
more than three hundred feet high. This
tall timber is at the mouth Of Columbia,
and in the Cascade mountains. But even
here it is two hundred to two hundred and
iifty feet high. The other day we cut
down fir tree, and cut it towards Coor-
ER's house, not dreaming il would reach il;
but when it fell it knocked his roof severe
II, and some Of The limbs went over the
house. II took CoorxR al day To repair his
house.
will not persuade you, nor will any
Of my friends, to come to this country; but
were lin the States again, ! certainly would
-myself. For $500, you could purchase
100 young heifers; and in driving them
here, you might lcoss from Eve 70 tcn.-
When you reached here, they would Be
worth 81, 900, and in ten years without
labor or expense, would make You splcu4
did fortune. You can move here with
less expense, than you could 70 TENNESSEE
or Kentucky. sYsuf provision, teams,
&c, YOU have. Yoar oxen ana warons.
and especially your fine american horse;