Democratic banner. (Bowling Green, Pike County, Mo.) 1845-1852, 1850-09-23

Il
'lbpskels Of ssdnd corn. This was in ls45
ssN Me corn in the fall. Allkinds of veg.
etables can be produced in almost any situ.
alton, by maDuring the land well, as you
have to do in Missouri to make pro luc.
tive garden. Potatoes and turnips grow
fine and large, and a:e equal to any that
have ever seen. Apple and peach trees do
well, and bear every year. Orchards are
and will be very valuable here. Green ap.
Pies were worth last fall ten dollars per
bushel. Wheat is the only grain raised here
as yet for market, and very little of that
this year, as there was but little sowed in
the tall Of ls4S, and good deal of that was
not taken care of. A good many farmers
who sowed wheat in the fall, went to Cali
fornia in the spring, leaving their crops of
wheat to be destroyed by the cattle and
horses Of the neighborhood. Some crops
was very Indifferent, seed having been SOW
ed on the old crop of stubble and scratched
over with a wooden tooth harrow. ] be-
lieve that there can be from 25 to 80 bush
els Of wheat made TO the acre, by following
up the land in May or June, then SOW in
September. Wheat is usually sowed here
the latter part of October and in November.
Spring wheat in April. This kind of whea at
usually produces about 90 bushels to the
acre. The crop of '4S was very good
many fields yielding 40 to 80 bushels 10 the
acre. Of this have no doubt at all, from
the heavy crop Of stubble that I tsw on the
land in the fall, and from what was told BY
men of veracity. There was very little
wheat sowed last fall, not half enough for
the consumption of the country, no matter
how good the crop may be. Though think
it likely that there will be great deal Of
spring wheat sowed, as a great many gold
diggers will have returned by next April.
Farming Operations have been very
much deranged in Oregon, by the discove.
ry Of the gold mines in California. In the
fall Of '4S at least two-thirds Of the male
population left for the mines. Those who
went in the fall and returned in the winter
done well, generally bringing home from
$1,000 to $4,000 in the yellow boys. Those
who went in the spring did not do SO well,
in consequence high water. By the time
the waters had run down, the sickly season
set in, when a great many took the chills
and fever, while others were afflicted with
the head or crazy fever. A great many re-
turned to Oregon during the summer very
sick.
A. J. Doak, Claiborne, Bolivar and B. F.
McCardie, all left my house for the mines
on the 29lh of April. They packed through
on horses and mules. Three Of them re-
turned on the 4th of July, leaving McCar-
die in California, he not being satisfied at
gold digging. The others were all sick
Dosk was taken with the chills on Feather
river, in California; the others took il on
road home. They were all perfectly salts
fed with California and the mines--so much
SO that they could not be WhiT ped back with
"a poll. Doak swears that he will never
leave Oregon again. This was the first sick
ness that he has had since he left Missouri.
Bolivar was married on the Goth Septem-
ber, to Miss Catherine Purvine, daughter
of Capt. John Purvine, of Morgan county,
Illinois, who emigrated TO this country in
1s4s, and travelled part Of the way in our
company. Capt. P. and FIVE Of his sons
started 10 California on the Goth If the same
month, leaving the balance of his family in
charge of Bolivar until he returns. He is
living about 20 miles north of me on the
road to Oregon City. Claiborne is single,
and likely to be SO. He stops with me part
of his time, with Bolivar part, and the re-
mainder of the time at Doak's. He hes made
some money since he come to this country,
and has considerable stock, and very good
claim with some improvements on it.
Doak's family have enjoyed good health,
and are we'll plessed with the county
Jack says that he would not 60 back to Mis-.
souri, for the best farm in your neighborhoOd,
Iif It was given to him. He is doing very
we'll, has good claim, considerable i'm
provement on it, and good deal Of stock
about him, and don't seem to have so great
an aversion to hard work as he had in Mo.
Jack is quite politiciaD-he sPouts loud
at times.
JANUARY 4th, 1850.
Inow write from my new home. We NOV
/ ed on the Gath December, rather forced out
before we were entirely resdy by high we.
ter. We had fall Of snow about the 18th
of December, which was eight inches deep
lin the valleys, and much deeper near the
Imountains. This snow was taken of very
lrapidIy bv q very warm rain, which contIn.