New-York daily tribune., 1845-02-19
WESTERN ILLlNoIs-lTs' CLIMATE,
PRAlRIES. &c.

PRAlRIES. &c.
NEw.ycsx Feb. 8, Isii.
To the Edito, Of The 7'rtane:
No country offers so many natura! advantages TO
the new settler as the portion Of Illinois known by
the name of the "NIil,ary Bounty Lands" This
tract is situated between tue Mississippi and Illinois
Rivers. and contains about three million acres of
as good land as any other tract Of the same size in
the valley of the Mississippi. It's natural adyan-
tages are unequalled any where in the West
| No part of the tract IS more than thirty miles
| from navigation, and by far the greater part not
more than fifteen miles Il lies between 39o and
| ilo degrees North.
The climate is mild and pleasant; Winter sets in
about the middle Of December; there is never more
than three or four inches OF snow on the ground al
once, and that seldom lies more than week. II
is not uncommon TO see the farmers plcwlng their
ground in the month of January. The weather is
quite changeable from the time that Winter sets IN
until Spring opens which is generally the latter
part OF February. In two or three weeks after
Spring sets ir the ways are settled and vegetation
puts forth her tender foliage, which tells US that
Summer Is near. he Sammers are never SO warm
as in the Eastern States, nor are we troubled win
| the chilly wnds which sweep over New England
| from the middle of March TO the middle OF May.
| The weather is more soft and refreshing, and yet
never so sultry and oppressive as Is at tunes al
| the East.
n
Rain seldom falls the weather Is steady and clear,
winch gives the husbandman a fine opportunity 10
gather in his crops IN the best order Ihe pralres
present the most beautiful scenery that the eye ever
| behed Swell after swell meets the vision, Win
occasionally grove of trees hulng the ravlnes and
creeks. About two-brds of the country Is prairie,
the balance timber and underbrus!;, w hich Will, by
good management enable the first settlers to select
Drairies and woodland, which make much the
most desirable locations. The prairles on THIS
I I,r hpU ar fh-P4
The new settler soon as he gets fairly located,
can hire the sod turned for from two to two and
half dollars the acre by men who make II a busl-
ness so that he who comes here IN the Spring can
have his land plowed about as cheapy as he could
do ii if he had a team OF his own While the
blowing is going on he can drop IN the corn be.
tween the burrows, which will yield hlms about
twenty bushels TO the acre, without any farther at
ten,ion in the Fall he may sew wheat on the sod,
which will yield him about twenty-five bushels to
the acre, which gives you TWO crops with one
plowins All kinds of small grain can be
raised in abundance (includng Indian corn) that
can be raised in the Eastern or Middle States.
Horses, caltle, sheep, and swine can be
raised here for less than one-siXth what n
costs in New England. Horses which you do
not to work through the winter you can turn
on the river bottoms, where they cat their
own fodder till spring. Cattle and Sheep will
want more or less OF your attention, tor about Two
months-whlch will cost about forty cents Tor Cat
abundance of prairie grass, which II cut The last Of
June or the beginning of July, makes good hay, and
will carry stock through the winter IN good condl-
ton Nuts of various kinds abound-such as iIa-
eel, black and white walnqs, hickory nuts ano
acorns of different kinds, all of which The swine
feed upon, and do well, till about December, when
they are fed for short time on corn and then are
considered fit for market The farmers W no work
their meadows into tame grass such as red-tep and
Timothy, can keep Cattle and Sheep with very III
,la through
ont the winter if you let them have good start in
the Fall before you let your stock on them. Stock
can be raised here TO almost any extent, with but
little attention and the location such that soon
as the Illinois canal is completed, which | think
will be in few years, we can have the advantages
of a Northern or Southern market, where stock
and all kinds of produce can be disposed OF at
fair price. Wild game is abundant, such as deer,
wild turkies, prairle chickens. qnalls, pheasants,
rabbits, raccoons, &C. which good sportsman may
kill to his hearts delight. The natural resources Of
this country including that portion OF the valley OF
the Mississippi which hes North OF 40 degrees. is
no, surpassed on the habitable globe, the pralrles
afiording ample paslurage for millions OF cattle;
sheep and horses and producing in abundance all
kinds OF grain, fruit aNd vegetables, with proper
cultivation. lavenlure 10 predict that w!lhn less
than twenty years. that portion OF the valley OF the
Mississippi North OF 40 degrees, will be IN condl
ton 10 export millions of pounds of WOOL for which
that country is we'll adapted Great Britain, In
1880. had forty million of sheep, and the por
lion of the country above mentioned has sur
face more than ten times her Size, which could
grow wool for all Europe. am certain that wool
can be made one OF the great staples OF The coun-
y, which will bear exporting as well as cotton, or
much better than bread-stufis. And the day Is not
far distant when there will be more wool grown IN
the valley of the Mississippi than IN any other por
tion of the world Beet and Pork can be raised
here cheaper than in any other part OF the United
States. This is the young mans country; come
on, mechanics and laborers, you who by honest !R-
dustry can hardly meet your expenses at the end o
the wear in the large ovcrgrown cities of the East
come 10 Illinois where there Is land enough, 10 be
had for trhe and there Is abundance OF provl-
sion in the country, which your labor Will buy until
YOU can grow epocgh irom'your own farms. More
of the substantials of life can be had here, Tor
days' work than five DAYS work would buy IN
Newly ork If You have not the means to put
up a good frame house, You can build yourself
a log hut after the fashion OF the country, winch
will cost but little and where you can live without
seeing the landlord when quarter day comes round
The writer of this article has had one years expert
ence in log house (and will another II necessary
where he enjoyed himself much better than he does
in New y orlI = There is no necessity OF any one
being poor in this country, who will work halt o
his time: and they who will work as the farmers
do IN New England, will get rich. The large cities
on the Atlantic could spare from three TO tour hun
dred thousand, and be better off without them.
Young men who are not III any useful calling. who
arc living from hand TO mouth, mere Eewers OF
wood and drawers OF water, for the more cunning
and arlful, come out here and be men and women;
where, by Industry and Frugality, you can live
under your own vine and fg tree, with none TO
make you afraid or take your hard earnings from
your wives and children. JAMES W.
s@z@zszz9SzzzEzEs
10 THE PUBLIC
NEw-YoRK, February 10, lst5.