The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1851-09-24
TUESDAY MORNINS,. SEPTEMBER q.
Tn. Country and the Crops.


The Country and the Crops.
A trip to CEDAR Rapids has given US some ht-
lie idea of the appearance Of the country ana
he state of the crops.
There is no better month thar September 70
btain an accurate and just mHession OF the
ertlty of the soil and the Beauressf our coun'
ry It is then that you behol0!tise wheat, oats,
,arley, and nay stacks dotting tise psairics IN
every directicn-the corn and potatoes rapidly
advancing to maturity-the young WcnAsos
bowling and noddng with the gentle brss1a-of
tie rFairia--the groves darkencd with their heavy
green toiage-and the gently rising hills and
valleys envelnned in their heavy mantle Of green
grass and flowers Of every variety and color
If strangers would -isit us at this season Of the
year, they could not fail to contract strong at
tachnent FOR ou highly favored country. But
the misfortune is, that the select such times for
their rambles as vail best compoF with their
business, and from whichthcy can the saost con-
veniently absent themselves. This is usaally
very late in the Fall very early in the Spring, or
in the midst of Winter-seasons which give to
the country the most gloomy aspect, and afford
few objects of attraction and little consolation
to the mind of the traveller. 1t is at such times
that they make a hasty tour through the coun-
try, and rietimi=ed, as they school themselves to
believe they are, by tho barrenness and desola-
ton which new and but partially improved
country invariably present at such seasons-thc
unpleasant state Of the roads-poor facilities for
getting about frompei,t to point-and numerous
inconvenience and. exposures attending the
traveller in new counEy-tley return to their
homes with but slight and. imperfect knowl-
edge of the country and people, and perform
what they regard an act of public trust, by in--
forming their friends and ncighbors, that al
though it may be pretty good producing coun-
try, it is in.tle wildncss of nature, tn. people
rough and rude, and they had better remain where
| they are. Such have been the characters, to a.
very great extent, who have assumed TO be the
historians of the West; and it has required for
years. and will continue to do SO, the utmost ex-
ertons of such a. feel an interest in the West.
+ to overcome the false impressions imbibed and
disseminated by thcm. But re have wandcreds
from our subject, and must find it very soon, or
we shall have used up the space allotted to US
| on this occasion.
4 Having travelled through portions Of Dubuque,
Jones and linn counties, we are able to give
some Information about the crops. The wheat
crop, as general thing, is small yield. This
| is the in this county, in the State, and We
believe throughout the West Numerous and ma.
lignant have been the diseases which iiave prey.
| ed upon the wheat crop this season; and in view
Of this fact, and'the heavy and almost constant
. rains during the fore part OF the season, we are
only surprised that the crop is as good as It has
tuned out to be. The oats have done very
well. The corn is much better than was an-
ticipated earlier in the season but the potatoes
| are almost total failure. The rot has made
sad havoc among them, which is illustrated by
the increase of the price, from twenty five cents,
| ordinarily, to one dollar at this time.
ln,Jones county, the crops have yielded bet.
ter, as genera thing, than in this county. The
potatoes have rotted some, but NO. 10 the extent
that they have here.
In Linn county, the corn looks remarkably
we'll, and the potato, were never better. There
is no appearance of the rot, and nothing can.
now prevent the farmers in that county from
gathering a heavy crop. They are asking from
twenty to thirty cents per bushel for them, but
from the reported failure Of the crop in the
northern part OF the State. they anticipate bet
ter prices. We noticed some fields where the
winter wheat is already up and looking remark
ably well. We trust this crop may come in
I e., tb,c q koc fnv he
three years.
The country between this city and Cedar
Rapids seems to be settling ~ very fast, and
from the appearance Of new cabins, new fields
where q short time since there were none, and
the black sod turned up preparatory to cultira-
ton, we Judge that the new corners are such NJ
will be of essential benefit to the country. The
towns aleng the route attest the truth Of this
statement. Anamosa, Marion and Cedar Rapids
are thriving rapidly. The number of buildings
going up in these towns, give evidence that the
country was never in higher state Of prosperity.
An absence Of two or three months 30 COM
pletcly changes their appearance, that one can
scarcely recognise them old acquaintances.
| Some very large and handsome brick build
ings, such as would do credit to places Of far
greater commercial importance, are going up in
Marion and Cedar Rapids. Preparations are
making in the latter townto erect an Episcopal
church, which will cost some three thousand
| dollars-to be of brick. The inhabitants Of
these three interior towns certainly deserve
much credit for their enterprise and public
spirit.