Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-12
NOTES BY THE WAY.


NOTES BY THE WAY.
Editorial Correspondence of The Star1
sTEANING on THE RoAD-PENNED BY STEAM
JUNE 8, 1857.
closed my last while "speculating'' chat
the term in the West,) over the want of water
in this vast prairie, over which the locomotive
is drawing me, which by the by extends with
few intervals Of timber and broken ground the
whole length Of this vast State. Just now their
cattle look admirably; for all the water-holes
are full, and the spring grass has not COM
menced to wither under the scorching rays of the
summer sun. In two months, however, all the
cattle of four fths of all the farmers on the line
OF this road must necessarily depend on being
watered from wells as they (the cattle) must be
thus provided for since the prairie is chequered
with fences in all directions
Ten years ago cattle were marked and
branded, and turned loose here, to be penned
only twice year, as twenty years ago through
out all Texas. No fences then prevented them
from getting to water and grass wherever
they knew well both were to be had. Now.
every man must keep his stock on his own land
for the most part, and must provide water for
them throughout the droughts Of summer: al
ways much more severely felt on the prairie
than any where else. Here they resort to
wells. Yet / have not so far seen what seemed
to me to be sufficient supply Of wells for a
farm destitute Of any other facilities for obtain
Ing water. That is, for such stocks as such
farms should keep. Labor and the expendi-
ture Of money is evidently avoided for any and
every thing but raising crops of wheat and corn.
Families, culuvating perhaps FIVE hundred acres
of this 80 fruitful soil, live in shanties costing
probably not over two hundred dollars, the price
Of the :" cullings'' out of which most of them are
knocked up being perhaps SIS per thousand at
the spot where the shanty is raised.
Not tree casts shade over one in ten of them.
and their out-buildings with few xceptions, are
almost as nu,h behind their shanty dwellings, in
comfort for stock, as their shsnty dwellings are
behind the houses in which farmers live, east of
the Aleghanies. Under such circumstances I
am not surprised that one does not see a good
wei in every field Of the Illinois farm not on
running water, as there should be; though
hear that throughout the State fair supply Of
water Is obtainable at from ten to thirty feet
from the earth's surface. In no other coupt,v
In the world will winduills answer so unifo,r,-
ly and surely for power with which To rails.
water Thus, for at most SiO0, Tor dollar per
acre, y can an ample supply be raised for any
number oil cattle hundred acre field of this
delta will Craze at any season Of the year
One dollar per acre as an investment for n
sure and ample supply of this necessary. with
at most, SIX cents per acre per annum to keen il
up, Is mere bagatelle I must do these neo-
Pie the justice to write, that after getting in
Their hrstcrOp and fencing it, they nearly all Of
mem seek TO plant the beginning of an orchard
and few shade trees If they will ne.t turn
tneir attention to well-digging and windmill
building they will perform an act of substantial
philanthropy towards their cattle and viii .,
'ne same ume, be insuring for themselves hes
er Pron"- saw great many Miehi9an
breaking up ploughs at work to-day. for tho
hrst time. They are large Swimming machines
to cut OF the surface to depth Of from one ,nJ
a half TO two inches, and a width of ,,ron,..
inches, and then to turn it bottom unward. 81
great regularity. Five yoke of heavy o,.n 90
required to drag one, and its execution ia g.
three to four acres day, depending on tho in
dustry and skill Of the driver, the strength Of
the team, &c. One hand only is required
who drives. A small truck on wheels nj
the end Of the beam, geared so as to regu-
late the depth and direction of the furrow
Tor rather shaving) does away with neces-
sity for man to hold the handle as in all other
Ploughs. 1t is certainly the most valuable i'm
plement conceivable for the country in which
1t Is used, answering its purpose perfectly.
These implements cost an average of s35, and
their proprietOrs charge So per acre tor the
services of driver, FIVE yoke of oxen, and tho
plough As their use is required but once on
any prairie soil, few farmers keep them at home.
iney are geared Intentionally to shave of the
thinest slice of soil that will hold together to be
turned over regularly, because the prairie gra..
roots lie all very near the surface and will No,
rot In a single season, unless exposed 10 the sun
air and rains without considerable covsrinu os
soil After being once broken up, these pra;r;e.
are as eultivable with an ordinary two-horse
plough as light land east of the Alleganies that |
bas known the plough for a century.