The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-08-04
Agriculture in Iowa.


adapted to agriculture generally than
Iowa, nor does any State excel it in ia
cilities for stock raising. Our undulat-
ing praires are dry. fertile and easily
cultivated. Nature has made such
distribution of water. timber and prairie
that neither predominant unfavorably to
the agriculturist or stock grower. There
are but few counties or even townships
without sufficiency of timber, if pru-
IDENTIFY used, and in some of those coun.
ties where timber is scarce there has been
wise provision made in the stores of
coal waiting for use as fuel by the tillers
Of the soil, and for making steam power
for manufactures. There is scarcely a
square mile TO be found without good
water. and there is not township with
out some prairie qIfa4
A State with such physical character
istics would be expected to have very
healthy climate, as is the case. The NOR
tuary statistics prove it to be one of the
healthiest States in the Union.
The soil is especially we'll adapted to
the growth of grass as well as corn and
wheat The Chinese Sugar Cane has
grown no where in greater perfection, or
yielded a better return. Oats and pota-
toes are usually bountiful crops, and
fruit trees, by rapid growth, very soon
reach tae bearing state
The deep rich soil for miles on each
side o! the Maquoketa. Wapsie, Cedar,
Iowa and Des Moines rivers, offers in
ducements to emigrant farmers, not Of
tered at this time in any portion of the
West. The valleys of those rivers are
already settled, and schools and churches
are established, and settlers, whatever
may have been the refinement of their
former localities and associations. will
not be subjected to the hardships and
privations of pioneer life.
The land is cheap. The day of high
prices consequent on the speculation of 4
years ago has passed. Farms somewhat
improved, or good lands well situated can
be bought in almost every township. and
crops of two or three years will pay the
whole cost of the farm and prairie land,
and pay for the cultivation and fencing.
Building materials are cheaper than they
were several years ago. and other ex-
penses for necessaries and conveniences
of life are also cheaper.
Besides this, the railroads are being
extended into the interior Of the State.
and by the time the farmer settlers of this
part have crops raised for expectation,
the railroads will be ready to carry the
produce to market. The steamboat nav
isation of the Cedar and Des Moines riv-
ers has opened cheap outlet for farm
products in the vicinity of those streams,
not attempted until the present year. The
value of products depends much on the
distance from market and the facilities
for reaching 1t. but with such rivers and
railroads leading to the Mississippi, the
best avenue to the best markets in the
world. the question is settled as to the
good position of Iowa as an agricultural
State.
We want no better proof of the good
character of Iowa rs an agricultural
country, than the success of those farm
ers who came into the State 5, 10, Is or
20 years ago. Most of them now have
comfortable homes and well improved
farms, worth in cash value from So, 900
to $4,000. These are not isolated in
stances, but may be seen all over the
State. and many of them in every town.
ship in all the older settled Counties
The same length of lime will show the
same result in all the new counties, and
in the thinly populated district in the
northern part and in the unsettled north
western portion Of the State. The whole
districts traversed by railroads leading
from the Mississippi toward the Missouri
river, are at this time especially attract
i've to persons wishing to buy lands for
agricultural purposes. The late depres.
sion in business and in prices affected the
value of land. as it did everything else.
With the revival of business land prices
will also be increased, and they will be
increased still further also by the con-
struction of railroads. These facts make
the present the most favorable period for
years for the purchase of good farming
lands.-pub. North West.