The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-10-24
IocAI AND MISCELLANEOUS


o,,r Productive Soil-Large Pumpkin.
\, one who has migrated from the last
crn. Middle, or Southern States to the "es'
%, have failed to notice the marked diner
once between the vegetable productions -
tho West and those of the East and Sou'h'
In the deep vegetable mould found hef'' 40
in no other country, all kinds OF safu'n
roots and vines grow to enormous o'.'
s;ons. The deep rich soil OF our p'"'''u'
seems to be peculiarly adapted to the grown
of v;nes and vegetables. All the various
kinds and species of vines cultivated III 'n'
United States, here yield in the greatest
abundance. Cucumbers grow to the mag
,;tude of melons-melons are expanded 10
,be dimensions of Eastern pumpkins--pump-
k;,s and souashcs are swelled in their pro-
portions, until they Sc: I'm no longer the veg
ctables designated by the names assigned
them. but arc mammoth productions deyerv-
inc TO be classed as of different species. In
the fall of 1855, Mr.. JESSE I. DAVIS, OF lie
Soto, n. r., deposited in our ofhcc ono Oh
these latter huge productions. II was fa''-
ed upon newly broken prairie, from see''
obtained from the Patent Office. 1t was
termed species of Mexican Squash 1t
measured in circumference Sere'1 feet Sth
inches. and weighed one hundred ana N.Y.
four D;,,ads. 1t YVES a monster Yrouuctloii'
and attracted considerable attention IRON
the citizens Of this city, many OF whom
doubtless remember its ''magmhcent pro-
,ort;,ns., We chronccd it as the largest
production of the vegetable kind, ever raised
in the West or any where else. In TINS We
were slightly mistaken.
Atthe State Fair. held shortly afterwards,
there WAS exhibited monster pumpkin
which weighed one hundred and sirty..tonf
Dogpds. OF course we had to knock under
and acknowledge the-pumpkin. But then
..olI Pottawattmi1" had not yet tried her
lanI. but We felt confident that she would,
and bear of the pam-or pumpkin. In this,
we are happy to announc" that we were moi
mistaken. Democratic Politicians say that
"old Pottawattamic' is always true to her
<.lf in political matters, then why not III
vegetation? The answer is to the purpose.
Mr.. +. b. HEWITT, brought to town on Mon
diy specimen Of the genus pumpAin, that
for s;z, and weight is ieetle ahead of any
thiu~ in that line that we sever iearn tel
on" 1t measured i'll circumference eiyi
fcci Mrce inches, and weighed one huHdreo
amt Hriy-sir and hGU pounds. 1t is de-
nominated the English pumpkin, and was
raised on the Mosquitoes bottom about ono
mile east Of this city. The seed was obtain
ed frop the Patent Ofic". Again, we ask
can anybody beat it Don't all speak a
Ohcc.
fnch succeeding year furnishes new proofs
of Western fruitfu,n"ss, and We hope that
ere many wears rlnpse, mammoth Squashes.
gigantic corn, monStrous pumpkins, melons,
curumhrrS, etc., will not be the only as
founding productions of Western Iowa. On
the contrary, we confidently expect that
cI,oirc iHiiS, will come tccming in from new
orchards of mproy cment, and cre'y branc.
nf our Western agriculture will rejoice in
,uccr,s and abundance. SO mote it be.
County Fairs.
Our exchanges from the eastern part OF
the State. are filled to some extent, with the
proceedings and descriptions Of the fairs
that have been held in every considerable
county on the Mississippi slope, during
tn, present month. Why cannot we have a
County fair in old Pottawattnmic? 1t is,
Of course, on: of the question this year, but
r;rtv, an to take the initjatory steps for
an exhibition next season. Will the farmers
of this section, take this subject under con-
>idcratinn? We hope so, for such societies
aud exhibitions, exert great and health,
ni'urucr, by tending to foster and cncour-
are nruisewurthv and laudable rivalry for
excellence among the producing classes, and
to stimulate them to greater rXcrtions in
the future. BY the time another season
rolls around We hope that Pottawattamc
County will take her place among the coun-
ties Of Iowa. that have resolved to use ever,
rndcavor to promote the interests of agricul
turr, and to secure emulation in everything
that tends to bring before the public the nat.
ural productivcness of the soil. We bellcv,
no County on the missouri slope" has vel
made any advance in this direction. and il
is but meet and proper, that ''old Potta-
whttamic. should set the example, which we
hope soon to be followed by all other coun-
tie, bordering on the '.big muddy That
western Iowa is naturally as productive as
any other portion of the habitablc globe, is
indisputablc. That its interests would be
materially promoted by systematic cxhi-
htion Of its capabilities, seems to US equal
ly indIsputablc. That this can only be done,
through the agency of a welldircctcd Ag-
ricNltural Society, we are quite confident.
The question is then, shall we have it. We
await an answer.
c. Great numbers of operatives have
been discharged in New York and other
eastern cities, IN consequence Of the de-
raDremcnt in money aH,;rs L. ,ot;,;,r