Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-09-02
9ailg 1ireiaiaa.
Correspondence Of the virginian ]

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Correspondence Of the virginian.l
Tho State Of Iowa-Descriptive sketches
IcoSrisurp.l
DAvESroRr. Iowa, August, 1889.
rRAIRiss.
Ono of the most interesting features of this
country is the Prairies. On leaving the Missis-
sippi River you see befhre you u narrow strip OF
land which rises Immediately into high hills two
or three hundred feet high. These hills nre gene
rally too steep 10 ascend on horseback. Ynu sup
pose. Of course, that when you get TO tho top you
will have to descend on tho other side. Not so
When you get to the top, you see before you an.
Other marrow Lowell sir.p; and, beyond, nnother
range of hills. On reaching tho summit Of these
you are ON n level with the p,aries. which. al
though nnduatng appear in tho distance to be
lcvel for there is nothing to interrupt tho view as
lar us the eye can reach. Yon travel four or Ave
miles over dead level when the ground begins to
slope downwards You soon reach tho bottom Of
the shallow ravinc and see n strcnm Of water one
inch deep and twelve inches wide with six feet of
dark looking ground on each side where thcrc is
grass Very much to your surprise your horse
stops and refuses to cross; you give him the lash
aud he reluctantly steps upon tho dark looking
ground; you lash him ngain and are nstonishcd
by his making desperate dash forwards. almost
ursAating YOU. Whom you recover Yourself you
find your horse honndering in deep mud. lie
struggles desperately, lets HIS feet down n. so and
gently as would cat md jerks them up ngnin ns
quick rs lightning. lou got alarmed and think
Of quicksands. You think you SEQ snie landing
place. and pull the reins in that directo>, hut your
horse will not 80 there lilo stops aud sinks eccp-
er; you get more alarmed and give him til" rcins.
lie rlnngcs and jerks his iect quick and fast, aud
finally lands yun terra Grmn.
You now ascend another slnpc, then you pass
over three or four miles of dead level again, and
you come 10 another ravinc and another small
stream Of water with the dark looking ground
This time you are satisfied that your horse knows
mme about sionghs than you do, und you give Lin
the rein he stops. views the ground moves up
ten or fifteen feet, and by soft treads and quick
jerks Of his feet puts you over nicely. You won
der why they do not bridge these sIoug,s with
ten foot bridge II you nsk farmer he will sny
that that stream, one inch Deep rises fI,ccn miles
nwny und has each side Of Il u shelving prairie
three miles wide S, that when shower Of rnin
comes, this stream il, instead of one inch by
twelve. about six to twelve feet deep by twenty to
one Hundred feet wide, which would sweep away
your ten foot bridge in ten minutes after tho show
er ccmmcnced A load of grass or whent straw
thrown upon these sloughs affords u very good
crossing until it rots.
Last Summer started about dark one night to
\" IbI1e, tNeNe iniicS oStT tncbo prHFlcs. n tcT-
rible thunder-cloud came up in n few minutes and
it became NO dark could not see the horse or the
road, hut continued flashes Of lightning enabled
me to keep the road. After n while the lightning
roa cd and the rain commenced and my horse
sto,ped. got out and found pair Of draw-hnrs
which pulled down ard drove through, and care
fully put them up aguin.
The next day, passing ly the same way, found
that there tencc on either side of The bars
! soon got lost. turned hack. and then furward
again. Presently found Was passing over fresh
~ plowed ground then snvo up and expected
Ia remain on the prairies all night; but rs the
horse was moving on gave him ull liberty to go
where he ploased For two hours he kept moving.
now down steep hills. now laundering through
desperate sL"uphs. now fnrking me "ror rough
r:pnnd--it Icing all the time ns dark ns pitch.
Presently lie came 10 II stream OF watcL fifty yards
wide aud halted then turned up the stream ns if
looking for place to cross. Soon | saw u light
shining from n house, and hning man came out
and told Inc to go duo East t. get to my home. |
started due West, when he stopped me. 1 had
become completely turned around, all lhe time
thinking knew the points of the compass. The
man poted me over the water, and giving my
horse the reins again, he carried me safely home
by midnight.
You frequently hear the word Lreakiag used
II means IL p'ce Of prairie broken up by the
plough for the first time. This is done by II pra-
very large, or rather very long; nbont Nv" md II
haft, three feet long in the mould board, nm cuts
n iurrow fifteen inches wide and three inches deep
The roots Of the prairie grass are 40 strong and
woven together that it requires from tonr to sir
yoke of oxen to draw ono Of these plows; AMI it
cost, when you hire about three dnlla's mn acre
to have your prairie broken up. This sod is mere
ly turned over WHOLE but tho grass dies; and some
say it never grows again--but, from enquiries
made, think il grows again in about twenty
years. Before the county wis surveyed and
stakes driven in to mark the boundaries. it wa>
customary for u man to make bis boundary l'y
simply ploughing furruw all around hs land.
This kills tho prairie grass in the fnrrow and for
i'renfy years you may see the line Of demarkation
in the fnrrow
This fact has led me into some sverulations in
regard to the ageofAe worid. lf,he p.airie grass
was propagacd by the seeds they would of course
be blown by the wind ut least twenty or Thirty
spread that much every year hut the probability
is the grass would spread from the roots. Now it
it takes twenty years for the roots to travel fifteen
inches. how long would it take to travel from O.e
gon to Illinois?
When the prairie is broken they plant it the first
year with sod corn; that is, they plant corn in the
regular way and let it bring what il will. without
the slightest cultivation. Cultivation Is imp 'ss-
sible. because the sods US tough so much
soleleather The next year the grass has rptted
and the soil become puverulcnt. aud they can then
weed and plough.
There is nothing moro beautiful than prairie
in full bloom in August and September. The
grass is just about six feet hgh and flowers Of
cry color top t; for the prairie grass s not Of one
kid but of several. The prairie grass makes on
ly Indifferent hay. The custom is to s"w tie brc-
ken ground with timothy and c.t it. hut when, II
farmer can do no better he cuts the prairie hay.
was ovcrtaken, in the middle Of n vast prairie,