The Davenport gazette., 1854-04-13
A PART OF IOWA.

road between Chicago and Peru has greatly
improved since my passage over i last fall;
il being smoother and every way better set
tied After leaving Peru, we run down the
valley Of the Illinois several miles, then take
to that Of the Bureau, which we follow some
miles further, then follow another called
Pond Brook, awhile, till we come to the
foot of the ridge which divides the Illinois
and the Mississippi rivers, about ten miles
this side OF Sheffield; place which is prin
eipally yet 10 be. Here is said to be one Of
the hest, il not the best bed Of Illinois coal
yet discovered; though il has only suffered a
beginning, in the way OF removal et the
deposltes."
To reach Sheffield, we take = going up
hill at pretty sharp rate for railroad, and
continue il for goodly distance, say ten Or
twelve miles. How much ~e rise ii mile
| do not know. We find Sheffield on the
top af the hill, whence We sweep on tow ard
the Mississippi through pretty much OF a
wilderness, broken only by one real town,
Geneseo,- and very pretty town It Is. with
a Fourishing academy in it-andh by such plat
ees as show only the sprouts OF terminating
cities. The conductor was careful to call
out the names of these "undeveloped' towns,
as If fer the want Of any real places, to make
il seem as if there were some, BY Patroni-
sing mention OF the sites where they We're
u stand. The make Of the land is beaut-
lul, and though the prairie covers the whole
face of the country till We near Rock Ri.er,
it has coal and Will bear timber enough with
moderate chance. The road i already
peopllng the country, az the cabins Of new
settlers here and there attest.
was surprised TO find Rock river and
the Mississippi also with such low lanks.
We pass the former at seeming elevation
OF ten feet or so--the bridge extending some
distance on either side OF the stream. To COW
er the low grounds We strike the Mtssis-
sippi some five or six miles above Rock Is
land, and run downits banks through Moline
TO tue former town.
We crossed the Father of Waters" in u
skiii, the steam ferry boat not vt having
started since the breaking of the ter. The
old Patriarch w4sgery quiet, and - vas the
floating ice, which we could discover easily
enough, when we were among ii; and the
writer stood for the first time on the West
ern side, in the growing State Of To-
va.
The farmers of Scott County. Of which
Davenport is the chief place, Aave promis-
ing Agricultural Society, which held is quar-
teriy meeting AZ the Court House OH the
fourth oil March; al which tine their desire
was 10 be addressed on the subject before
them. TAis desire was met Il not a. well
as, under the circumstances, could BE- ex-
neeted a. well a. tho person relied on, Vas
able to do. Among their business transact
ed, was the resolution to hold Fur next
October, and 70 raise for the purpose 600,
in all; avery pretty amount - be distributed
in premiums in county. There beng
present one female To hear the address. Judge
James Grant came forward, and made d.
nation OF $50, 10 constitute this "sjHgiy''
lady-siugly present | mean-.nd forty
nine other women, members 1ttha Societr
With tiliy women Interested in the Fair, it
will succeed, or else all calculation. aud his
tory too are at fault.
The farmers ia this region are succeed
ing lib their business finely, and many ofthem
are, aud more are becoming, iude pendent iii
il.
paid visit to the establishment Of
Messrs. TtRlrB a. Dfirc who are largely en-
gagged In the Nursery business and a,e in
tending to extend thpir establishment. till
they make it adequate 10 ati the wants of
the region aud they shall be able 10 meet a
large trade from the m1rc distant North and
West .it present they have fourteen acres
planted in Nursery. ana are about "a pIaut
sixteen more, | visited their cellar, where
are something over 200 900 root gratis ready
set, aud packed In hoxr., waiting the spring
to be planted ont. examined their graft,
ing and found ii to be cXcellentlv done =
The scion is Joined ID the root or stock. tod
With MANILA, and covered with d wax. con
s.stine Of equal parts Of rasin tallow and
bees wax; which, l. put on in melted state.
SO as to cover the crack. and keep ont the
wet--a brush being used for the purpose of
putting it on
Messrs Finley aud Dwire are believers
ia this N sde Of grating. although they do
not confne themselves 10 It: and in proof
showed m Rhode Island Graepino tree
with trunk * to seven inches in diameter
and which was certainly as thrifty tree a..
have e1er seen Of any kind. The tree has
borne full crops for several wears: and as |
ate one Of ts apples, can testify that there
il no mistake in the variety. Near ,hi,
Rhode Island Greenirr tree stands Flam-
sh Beauty Pear: which is certainly Beau
ty whether Flemish or American. It's fruit,
to the quantity of five bushels, was sold last
season for six dollars the bushel-a rood re-
turn Tor an acre of wheat; with somewhat