The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-08-25

IN Daacl, gtuNs ~ IN TINS country " TIE size 1
OF four or i've inches in diameter, making 1
quite little tree. and aldergrows the same. I
| have given Sou-a short description of the .
soil, productions and climate, and will (
now change the subject to that Of our socie-
", schools, religious institutions. Get.
The society here,-in my opinion, as n gen
eral thing is equally as good rs in any other I
new settled country, and am almost ready .
10 believe rather better than some Of the eN-
treme Western States, although there are
some very quarrclsome and unpleasant peo- /
pie and NAV other characters that are calcu- !
lated TO injure society, But not many such
who are residents of the country, they ap- |
pear to be Pacific shores, for the purpose OF
gaining wealth by any means, either honest !
" or otherwise, and many being djsappoin-
ted in their expectations in the gold mines,
have literally thrown themselves away, and
some Of these characters visit Oregon, and
when they prove troublesome, they are most
ly handled by the laws of the country, and
brought into proper subjection.
During the late emigrations there have
been great many very enterpnznS men
and excellent citizens come into the country,
and there arc schools established in almostI
every section of country, where there were
sufficient inhabitants to form one. There are
also several high schools in the Territory
Two at Portland, two at Oregon City, one at
Salem, and at Laiayett, and one Six mliesi
from Hillsborough in very beautiful part of
the country, and one just mile from where
live, and there may be others that | do not
know of, All these teach the higher bran
chcs Of education, and are very well suppoT-
ted with students In fact think this cnun-
try Is rapidIy advancing in point of educa-
tiop. The country is also toerabiy we'll sup
piled with churches, es,-oomposed OF Metho-
/ dists, Prcsbyterians, Cumberland Presby-
terlans, two or three denominations of Bap-
| tist DC, DC, all of which have more or less
salutqry influence on society, and are using
all their ability in trying to christianize the
hardy pioneers OF this western world. Ia
king all things in consideration. | believe this
country will in a few years be as far advan-
ced in point of Education, Religion, Morals,
&c, as most OF the middle or western States.
The inhabitants heretofore have been too
much absorbed in the pursuit Of gold, for
The general prosperity ot the country; but for
the last year or two they have turned their
attention more to farming, and improving
their farms and buildings, which is making
quite a different appearance in the face OF
the country; and every thing begins to as
sume a more healthy and prosperous appear
ance then when | first arrived here. In re-
gard to the health Of this country, | believe
it to heas general thing very good, aItho' 1t
is Ike all other countries, people will get
sick and die along the rivers particularly
inc Willamette and Columbia, it is consid-
erabIy aguelsh, and in fact some sections Of
country At a dlseaseis none or less prevalent,
but does not affect the system as it does in
,he States Persons predjsposedt to rheuma-
cism are generally affected here with that
disease, particularly during the wet season.
There are other diseases Ola more fatal
character that some times make their APP
,Dea,ance, (but not in an epidemic from
which carry some to The Land of Spirits.
AS for myself and family, we have enjoy
ed better general health since We have been
here, than we ever did during the same pc
riod of time in the States; although we
have had some brushes OF sickness, and a
small turn of the ague during last summer;
but in amiluer form than wehadtin States.
You wish to know somctingof farming here,
also the ingathering and safe keeping of the
products, &c. The manner OF farming is
very simple and easy. For wheat, the
ground is plowed with what is called the dia-
mond plough, in the month Of Scptcmr, and
from that time on ill the first OF January,
and sowcd the same as in the States, only
we saw more to the acre, of wheat, about
TWO bushels, and oats, two and a half per
acre; but from what experience have had,
and from observa ION together, | think wheat
does much better sowed early in the fall,
than it does late Oats should be sowed in
| Fcbrury or March, in order to get well root
ed before the dry season commences, and in
fact all other vegetation has to be put in the
ground much earlier in the Spring than it
is necessary in the States, owing to the same
reason, and should be cultivated the same
as in States, to insure good crop. The
harvesting of grain commences about the
: 2u,h Of July; after which, it has either to be
thrashed or put into barns, before the wet
season commences, as it cannot be saved
during that season without being under COW
er Consequently all that farm to any ex
tent have to build their barns sufficiently
large for that purpose. Potatoes and other
products of that kind are put into dry wafnl
houses. There is very little hay made in
this country; and what feeding is done du-
ring winter is with oats and wheat. But
Stock generally get sufficient grass to keep
them without feed, except those kept for use,
which are fed while working.
; The labor in this country, after a person
: has got his tarm once enclosed, is very easy,
S compared with the States, as there is but
little feeding done during the winter, and
, consequently, very little preparation made
r for it, which is certainly great saying oI
l labor. And taking every thing in consider
D alton, believe it will in time be n pleasant
q and easy country to live in, providing there
. continues to be ii market for the products ot
Q the country, which to me is mater of somt
v doubt, AS our main dependence at present
O is California and the mining districts, and j
It they should fail, the price Of vegetation vii
|, certainly be very much reduced but thu
e mines, which ! think is altogether probable
If as there continues to be new discoyelie
!, made and some within our own Territory
1t not more than one hundred and fifty mile