The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-10-03

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such as potatoes, turnips, bects, car
rots, onions and the like. And both
the soil and climate are not less
adapted TO the growing of the great
est variety of fruits; among which
are apples, pears, peaches, plums,
cherries, and grapes, as well as most
Of the tropical fruits, particularly
such as oranges, lemons, ctrons,
dates, figs and pomcgranates.
Many kinds of grain and fruits
above enumerated, are Indigenous
for Instance, the oats, wheat, rye {;
many of the tropical fruits and a
great variety Of grapes; flax, a kind
Of hemp and red and white clover
are also indigenous productions.
The oats are alluded to, have pre-
ciscly the external appearance of
our common oats; but upon exam
nation, it will be seen that the grain
differs slightly, from that of ours.
1t is rather smaller and is covered
with a kind of fuzzy integumont :;
otherwise it is precisely similar TO
that Of our common oats. They gen.
orally grow much higher than ours,
and the stalk is much larger, but
this is attributed to the superior fer
tility OF the soil, and the greater gen
erative influence of the climate, and
not to the difference of the species.
Their usual height is about two or
three feet, and the stalk is common
ly about the size Of that Of our ordi-
nary oats; but they are frequently
found even eight feet high, having a
stalk half inch in diameter. SIEVE
raj of the farmers have informed me.
that they have often seen many hun
drcds of acres in body, which were
higher than they could reach when
on horseback. They only grew to
this enormous height, during those
seasons which have been proceeded
by the falling of an abundance of
rain, during the season that is, COM
paratively little rain fell during the
previous rainy season, but upon sew
eral occasions, | measured the stalk
of oats, which were six feet LONG,
and nearly half of an inch in diane
ter. In travelling through the vari-
Gus sections of the country, | have
passed through thousands of acres.
which were from two TO five feet in
height, and as dense as they could
possibly stand; when at the same
time, | almost hourly saw the old
stalks, ofycars previous, which were
seven or eight feet in length, ana
sufficiently large and strong for
walking canes. 1t is not uncom-
mon either in dry or wet season,
to see continuous plains and valleys
ofthousands of acres in extent, which
are thickly, and almost intircly clad
with oats Of two or three feet high.
winch would produce much more
abundant crops, than our cultivated
oats. In many portions of the coun-
try i'll the interior, the Indians sub.
sist almost wholly upon them, aud in
other portions, if farmer wishes to
grow a crop of oats, he has nothing
to DO but to designate a certain tract
as his outiield, and either fence it,
or employ a few Indians to prevent
the herds from grazing upon it,
which being done, in May, or June
he reaps a much larger crop than we
are able to in any of the States, with
all the labor and expense of cuItiva-
ton.
The clover of which | speak, is in
all respects like our ordinary red
and white clover, grown in the diff
fcrent States, with the exception of
its growing much larger. It's usual
height is about two or three feet
high, but vast bodies of it arc fire.
quently found, four or five feet in
height, and as dense as it can posi-
bly, grow. 1t is chiefly confined to
the valleys, contiguous to the rivers;
but it is also sometimes found in
large bodies, in many of the plains
and upon the hills All of the bot
toms and valleys, as well as many of
the plains and hills, abound with this
clover, which when maturcd, affords
a most excellent natural hay, Of
which all kinds Of stock arc extreme
ly fond.
The WomC" OF As-yrin aud Babylon.
Little is known of ancient Assy-
ria and Babylonia, which was at
first part of Assyria. Being a
wealthy and luxurious nation, their
women were of course treated with
a degree of consideration unknown
among savage tribes. The manner
in which Babylonish womcn are
spoken Of in the bible implies great
magnliiccncc of apparel; and as
there is always a correspondence
between the moral and intellectual