Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-08-01
From our Kansas Correspondent.
lNpnrtNDnNcn, NO., Julv17. So.

1NpEPENDENcE, Mo-, Julvl7. 1854.
GENTLEMEN In my wanderings to and fro
in this region, find myself, tonight, in this
Pleasant town, where are some fine buildings,
good land, enterprising people, and handsome
ladies. The court house, situated in the cen,
tire of the square, that occupies the centre of
the village, is truly an elegant building
| There are, also, at least two large and well
kept hotels, as well as great number of
stores, good dwelling houses, &C., in the town.
The land, like that III Kansas territory, is roll
ling rich, and beautiful, and Yields immense
crops Of corn, hemp, tobacco, and of almost
anything else that can be raised III the United
States l have passed corn fields, to- day,
where some of the corn was so tall, that the
tallest man, sitting on the tallest horse in
Massachusetts. would be unable to reach the
top, and that,too, when it has Just commenced
to tassel out, and before the stalk has compile
ted its growth. l am told, that, when the corn is
harvested, only the tallest of the laborers can
reach some of the ears without breaking down
the stalks. Judging from the present appear
anee Of the corn, here, and of that in Illinois,
when passed through that State, the yield of
this will be nearly OF quite twice as much as
that In fact, never saw anything like the
corn here, nor " dreamed of it in my philoso-
ply" A very intelligent and systematic Bel
gian farmer, in Kansas, few days since, gave
me some Of his experience in farming. Ac-
cording TO his experience last year, which was
not so good as some, on account of the dry
weather, he will have this fall, when his har-
yesting is done, as follows:-
Corn acres with 65 bushels the acre. at SO cents
bushe, amounting to S2,762.
Wheat, 10 acres, 20 bushels to the acre, at 100
making 900
Oats, % acres, 40 bushels to the acre, 80 8l2
Timothy grass, u acres, tons, 4" g 1000 80
Clover, u acres, for the swue,
Potatoes, acre, 200 bushels, at 40 so
These products amount to 1854
In addition TO this, he has $50 swine, which,
when ready for the knife, will weigh 230
pounds each, if as good as last year, which,
at six cents pound, will come to 5000.
Deducting Is bushels of corn, at 60 cents
bushel, for each hog, viii leave $720, which,
added to the first, makes $4,314. The work
on his farm, including the garden, general i'm
provements, &c, is done by flee men, while
the owner simply superintends it.
From ten to fifteen hundred pounds OF
hemp to the acre is an average crop for this
land, and the price the year past has been
120 to $50 dollars ton. Pumpkins, melons.
apples, peaches, and fruit of all kinds, grow
here in abundance, if planted.
Such is the land in Kansas town, and such,
also, is the land in Kansas territory; for it is
of the same general character. Let it be re-
membered, that such crops as the above, are
raised without spoonful of manure, and
that too, from year to year, for all time to
come, for aught l know. l have seen corn
growing on land that has been planted for
twenty years in succession, and there was no
apparent difference between it and the corn ON
new land. Also, let the New England farmer
remember, that, to raise from 60 to so bushels
ofcOrn to the acre, here, no boeing is required.
The only work requisite, after planting, is to
plow amongst it few times, and such work
as wedding half hilling," and 'hilling,'
is unknown.
The price of this land is, for unimproved,
from % to 40 dollars an acre, and for improved
land, from 40 to 100 dollars. This is the
price Of all the land bordering on the terrific
ry, for several miles south of the mouth of the
Kansas river, and it will soon be higher, for
there is, comparatively but little such land in
the United States as this. The land all through
the Kansas riyefvalley, IN the territory, is
equally as good as that above described, and
worth as much to the acre, and will produce
as large crops. Is it to be wondered at, then,
that every young man i'll Missouri, and every
old man, also, who has not already farm of
the same quality, of his own, should be rush
ing into the territory to secure l6O acres for
$l,25 an acre, when he knowsit will be worth
from % to 100 dollars, the moment he gets his
title? Rather, is it not strange and wonder
full that, at least, one hundred thousand per-
sons from New England are not on their way
to this garden of the world, at this moments
That such would be the case, L have no doubt,
if the good qualities of the land, climate, &c.,
were understood by them as well as they are
by those in Missouri, on the borders
The rush from this State to Kansas territory,
is not so much to secure a.foothold for slavery
there, as to secure a tortuRe Notwithstanding
what the newspapers say about it. No. most
VINO go from here are young men, in want of
farms-and, slavery, to say the least, is a Sec
ondary matter with them, if, indeed they are
not opposed to its introduction into Kansas,
which is certainly the case with many.
You ask, when is the best time for New
England men to go to Kansas Unquestiona-
bly, the best time Is this fall By coming now,
they can select from the best of the land, now
open to settlement, as well as get their cabins
and fences made, and their lands plowed
ready for spring work. The winters, | am
told, are so mild that outdoor work can be
done with comfort, such as splitting rails, fenc-
ing, building houses, &C., during most of the
season. Besides, il they would be represent
ed in the first territorial legislature of Kansas,
they must be on the ground soon. Our peo-
pie are so fond of playing at politics, that the
game will commence most likely, as soon as
newspaper press arrives, with an editor to
shuttle the cards.
AT some other time, will speak of the in
ducements for mechanics to settle in Kansas
and western Missouri. KANSAS.