Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-06-24
& Home Again."

Not exactly "from foreign Shore" but
from journey Of over month eastward
being the longest period Of absence from our
post since the commencement of our editorial
career. We doubt not, however, that our
readers will pardon our truancy, especially
as they have been well entertained by our
substitutes 1t will no doubt be admitted as
a truth that most editors do not travel enough.
They should be men of general information
and liberal ideas, but their incessant duties
usually keep them so closely at home that
their views become contracted and pref
udiced. We can assure our readers that our
recent opportunities for observation and COM
parison of the development and progress of
other portions of our happy country with
those of Iowa have been well improved. We
have been "takin' notes. which we hope
will be of frequent service to US hereafter.
We return to our adopted home better than
ever satisfied with its advantages and ulti-
mate destiny. Iowa is not only the faircst
and richest but is bound to become the most
populous of the Western States. Her soil,
climate, rivers and prairies present natural
attractions superior to any country we have
vet seem and it only naods liberal policy
on the part of her inhabitants in inviting i'm
migration to secure the development Of her
resources and make her the foremost State in
the North West. The fact so we'll known
here does not seem to be as generally known
in the East, that it requires only about one
half the labor to produce crops on Iowa soil
as on the stony, sterile lands Of that region.
This iact-the surprising richness of our
soil taken in connection with the health
ness of our climate, must influence thousands
to follow those who have already sought and
found homes with u.s. There is another fact
bearing strongly in favor Of immigration to
this country at the present time. Land is
really cheap here. Farms throughout Ohio
are valued at from $75 to 800 per acre, with
the improvements. Here, much better land,
with almost if not quite as good improve
ments, can be had for $40 to $50 per acre.
Wild lands, convenient to market, can be
bought for $40 or $l2 per acre. A farm of
$50 acres in Ohio, at 500 per acre, would
sell for $500 which would buy over 1900
acres of land in Iowa at $l2 per acrc-or, as
would be most advisable, the farmer could
purchase a less quantity Of land and have
plenty of means left to improve it according
to his taste. Many farmers in the East with
only 100 or 200 acres of land have sons grow
ing up whom they are DESTROYS Of settling in
life, but the old homestead is too small to d.
vide among them, giving each enough to con-
stitute good farm. Such can well afford to
sell at the current rates there and come West
with money thus obtained, with which they
can purchase several large farms, each of
which will in few years be worth more than
the old homestead itself These facts ought
to be spread before the cramped and hard
working people of the East. The papers
published there are 10th to give them, and it
is only through the efforts of residents in the
West that such information will ever be given.
We shall perhaps refer to this subject
again when we have more leisure.