The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-08-31
Correspondence Of the Free Trader.
Chicago, Aug. 30, 1870.


/ MeSSrS. OSman-The cholera ha-
wing almost disappeared from our
"city of the lake." every thing
seems to be enduced with new life.
The hum OF business has everywhere
taken the place of the church like
stiffness that prevailed here a few
weeks since. The district of the
great fire, but few days ago a pile
ofSmoking rubbish, is now pcrfr city
alive with mechanics and laborcrs !;
and will soon be one of the best, if
not the very best built squares, in
the city. The Hotel, being erect
ed by the MeSsrS. Couch, will be a
most magnificent structure, extend
ing one hundred and eighty feet up
on Dearborn and one hundred feet
on Lake streets, five stories high,
with an attic; the whole to be sur
mounted by splendid observatory,
which, from its commanding height,
will overlook the City, Lake, and
surrounding country to great dis
lance.
The canal, too, begins to feel the
invigorating influence Of increasing
trade. Yesterday gentleman from
Springfield, in this state, purchased
a cargo Of sixty or seventy thousand
feet of pine lumber, to be slipped
via canal and river to Naples and
thence by railroad to Springfield.
Ihe grain market has been quite
active for few days past: superb
or lots ofwinter wheat will command
50 cents per bushel. A gentleman
from Henry, on the Illinois river,
sold cargo Of wheat here on Mon
day, at 50 cents for first, and 50
cents for second quality. lie had
sent samples to St. Louis, and the
best offer he could get for the sec
ond quality was sixty cents, making a
difference of twenty-eight cents per
bushel in favor of the Chicago mar
ket. Corn brings from IS to 4SctS.
Flour at the city mills has gone up
to five dollars per barrel.
am aware that wheat growing is
less popular among our farmers than
it was a few years since, and in ma
ny districts there is now but little
fall wheat sown, and spring wheat is
substituted to avoid the losses sus-
tanned from freezing out, or winter
killing. This change has had bad
effect upon the character of Illinois
wheat. Spring wheat is very rare
ly if ever entirely plump, and never
worth as much in the market by
from ten to twenty cents per buslel
as good winter wheat; and it is a
fact that all must have observed,
that while the latter always finds a
ready market, and generally at fair
prices, the former is frequently
drug at any price.
From my own observation | am
satisfied, that winter wheat sown in
August upon prairie sod or fallow-
land broken up in June previous,
and ploushed again just before SOW
ing, will produce full crop of a
good quality at least four years out
of every five, The land should be
thoroughly prepared, and the seed
well narrowed in, if we expect to
look with any reasonable degree of
certainty for full yield. Tie habit
of sowing upon old land among corn,
and frequently among weeds and
grass which prevent the proper COW
ering of the seed in the first instance,
and afterwards render the growth of
the young plant, during the autumn
al months, puny and sickly, an easy
prey to its insect enemies or to the
frosts of winter, has done much to
destroy confidence in the success Of
fall sowing. Wheat, corn, beef, and
pork can all be abundantly produc-
ed in La Sale, and adjoining coun-
ties, and no farmer when it is prac-
ticable, should fail to produce a sur
plus of each. This will always Gu
able him TO take advantage of the
market; for it rarely if ever occurs
that all these articles are depressed
at the same time, and by disposing
of the most salea5lc, the others may
be retained till prices advance. In
this particular, the farmers of north
crn Illinois have great advantages
over the southern portion OF the
State, and the Ohio valley generally.
Wheat, WeR stacked in this region,
will stand for one, two, or even three
years perfectly secure from injury
by the weather, or attacks from
weerii, an insect which renders the
keeping Of wheat exceedingly / re-
carious farther south.
This random cpis,le may excite
the visibility Of t 9 exquisite admir-
crs Of uphony and order, INT if it
contains single idea which may be
useful TO the industrious and world