New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-09-10
Northern Illinois.


Having recently arriye ed in the { i,y from the Nor
ihern part Of Illinois where have resided for the
past seven years and finding among large Por-
ton Of tina, class Of persons whom presume to be
readers Of your paper, desire 70 procure. inior-
nation in regard to that section Of country, pro.
pose 10 make some observations in regard 70 IT,
which hope may be useful ! propose TO speak
OF the Population OF the Soils capaciiies-aud
OF it, position and Commercial advantages The
State OF New York contains a population Of over
hiiyfye 10 the square mile and in my Judgment
upon the best information can obtain. twenty five
per cent least Of waste land. more than that por.
ton OF Illinois Of which am speaking This to
those who have personally visited Illinois or
obtained accurate information in regard 90 it. may
/ seem erroneous. because. they have been accus
| toned 10 regard the vast praries Of which Illinois
prncipaly consists when distant from timber, n IN
! 1ct waste land however mtrinscaly fruitful. from |
the supuOsed difficulty OF procuring fuel and timber |
/ Til, Is n mistake Because. =, The Northern por
ton oi Illinois, Il all north OF the Illinois River
and as tar south OF II as Springfield contains, be-
e,e an average of twenty acres OF timber IN every
SD acres of land that j. 20 acres OF timber TO every
quarter section Of prairie and there are few tracts
more than from five 20 eight miles distant rom m-
Der the beds Of coal are pcrS aiding and neNhaus
iblc. and mined upon an average cost not tx
| cee,ng three cents per bnsicl, aud ihlk ies- -
Timber sill grow upOn the praries with eStrlOrdl
| nary r.tidfy Its easy 10 see therefore rom these
considerations that ~ this ueauul country u'fr can
never be- scarcity OiJad besides, WIN the pfoEresso
nhabitancy the lands most distant from TIMBER cannot
boz waste ands tor they viii and DO furnish an abundance
If pas,ursse and for the vast herds of ca.te hor
and siP belonging 10 the proPretofs OF the nearest
farms.
again D. In the seven years that have beer ac
Quauied in Northern Illinois It. population has more than
doubled the consumption Of fuel and lumber has aug
meniod sill greater ratio yet both are more plentiful
and cheap NJ than years ago. The produce OF
the forest aucnens By natural growth faster than con
sumption destroys. Thus theory and facts harmonic
, Pine and Wildwood lumber ~ an cNcelen qlaliy cHi
be delivered al Ottawa 20 miles from Chicago. FOR If
teen donrs per thousand II has been done To very
considerable extent this summer This is cheaper than
YOUR Hudson River farmers can get lumber. II ! am not
mistaken. Timber land is worth from y to 80 per
mere according IN quality and location unimprOyed
prairie from 81 - 70 = and improved farms, from :
no 50 per acre depending on tne same conscientious
The manufacturing capacities OF this section OF coun'
Try are not interior 10 those agricultural ones which am
about more particularly 20 describe. The Illinois, foN
and Rock Rivers inorscct IT, centrally and literally. be
SIDE smaller streams and better more ineNhausiipe
water power or o easier application Is not 70 be found
on the lace OF the earth Rejecting that The exists in
country midway between the great nayi-abe waters oil
the Lakes on the last and the Mississippi the West
and South leading the Sea, and it, importance will
readily be appreciated. nun, so,,
fear 70 trust 10 paper this point statement OF
lndub.iabc facts from an apprehension mat 10 tno'e
who have the region Of which speak, II may
seem extravacaIt will remark, however tAit the 81
pe0r protabencss OF the soil. over every other. tor
cultivation does not consist 40 entirely IN inc htsouley
greater product per acre rs IN the very greatly u'.u
amount OF labor requisite produce any given quan-
ties o grain cunirasicd with the labor requisite 10 the
production OF like quantities elsewhere. The great
stable grains of this region of country are wheat ana
corn. and the wheat IN bulk. manufactured, and the
corn changed by animal chemistry 10 poiA are the
treat staple productions send 20 the maritime mar
kets Beef horses and sheep II - needless To say can
...r. tlfe.l lei 4
laniude The expense OF sending bushcl Of wheat
from ChicagotO Buffalo does not exceed three cents
other products in the proportion. From this
. judgment can be formed as 10 me comparative '"u' ~
ran pork and beef the hands OF the producer IN III
uos and the western part OF this state IL - neces
sary to observe further. that the noi- ana hchs.h "a
nal il now IN the course OF rapid completion and that
IN the space Of three years M the utmost VIII open 70
he ,resfe.t portion Of the ant OF tie state OF which
am speaking transit for their products 70 Chicago mat
all nurcN innate their value At their doors closely tOihe
prices To be- obtained for them IN that town promising
this much will say that in my Judgment the average
wheat crop II Northern Illinois, one year WIN aholher
and allow M for partial failures. Is from eighteen 10
twenty bushels the This am aware 10 Eastern
ifigsfor. sounds moderate but viii furnish the data
by which they estimate Uay the farmers OF the pfare
-fatrs possess decisive advantage over them In
the irsf place the cost OF the soil and consequently the
ncrosi on the capital employee Is jess iu"h nhi IN me
prairie, than IN the Eastern l"hea growing Smes IN
The second place manure and comPoss indispensable IN
the Eastern States are not used IN Northern Illinois,
nave doubt they 0u9h TO De, however ana might De
vroftshlv % considerable extent In the ihfd place
from the f.ff porous quality II the soil. i cultivated
wiki In my Judgment much ess than half the labor be-
slowed upon Eastern wheat growing soils ms quaAiy
also gives il the advantage 81 wthstanding drouth 10
l,rr,, that 10 other lands possibly Ini- knOU-
Again The most usual mode ~ cultivation, after toe hrst
crop is 10 cultivate the ground ia I'm during ne sum
n,r aud sow wheat among the corn IN - pienDer-
Trs tho r0cess Of cuvang the corn = equivalent 20
summer allowing the ground in the Eastern states and
ina this point Of view more labor j. not b,sto"ei on
The corn IA Illinois than in summer alo~ng elsewhere
,ifher the corn crop may be- looked on as costing
nothing OF the summer following n costing nothing one
VI tie othe proposition = true a. compared WIN last
orn cultivation. viii now contrast tho-iHfiy ne ccst
80 .rcst nrofucton 10 Illinois. with its cost IN the
northern Cuute. In Ohio. select these. and pre-
.uroc the parallel Will hold nearly good with TIE wheat
y growing region OF this State, although prooaDy ratef
. more favorable 10 The latter
r l. Cosi Of ~ aves Uheaf m Ohio
IL IN IND na-ai M .nr acre % PEI cent > 80 %