St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-06-09

correspondence of the 81, Charles City Intclligcuo,
Illinois Correspondence.

Mont MEAcHAM Ill.,, May, 1859.
EDToRs lNrELIIGENcEI The world
teens with scientific investigation and
Improvement. Founded upon geo.
logical and chemical basis is that
knowledge which, when applied to
agricultural science, ,enriches the world
and sustains the almost countless
millions that swarm upon the surface
of the globe. Nor is our fair and far
famed Illinois wholly in tue rear. 1t
is conceded, So far as have learned,
that no other spot on the known globe
OF the same amount of area, possesses
greater facilities for sustaining a
greater weight Of population. This
is saying much it is true, but the chal-
lenge is thrown out to the world to be
met. In every country except the
Great West, the agriculturists talk of
good lands, medium lands, poor lands
and worthless lands. But in the lat
ter, but more especially in Illinois, the
lands of the last two named classes
are not to be found. Such talk is idle
when applied to any lands in this
State. la planting their Indian corn
on these good lands III some parts Of
New England, it is said they often
have to carry the earth in their hats
for some rods to cover it, the ground
is 50 filled with stones. Contrast this
with our poor lands.
You have good crop Of corn"
said to an old man in this State,
some years since, referring to field
that approached near to his house.
"WclI, jest tolerable," said he, "but
it is not as good as it has been some
years"
"How long have you had that field
in tillage ?" inquired.
Well, let me see ; it is seventeen
years this summer" was the reply,
"and I've had it in corn every season,
sir"
About what amount do you sup
pose there will be to the acre. | asked
We'll, lreckon about fifty bushels" !"
was his answer.
"What kind of soil do you call
this" continued.
"Well, it's what we call barns,'"
(barrens.)
And you have put it into corn,
now, for seventeen years successively,
and it will now bring, as you think,
fifty bushels to the acre. But how is
it that your land yields so much bet
ter than other mems +? Yours is an
uncommon yield for such old land"
"Case | till my land, and a heap on
'em DON'T" was his sage reply.
That, then, is the secret Only
"tal" the lands, and they will tell the
story on the scales.
From my observations in the east,
north and west, and from fair com
parison of the same, | am constrained
to say that we have no worthless, or
even poor lands here. This may be
questioned and secuted, but what |
mean is that we have no lands that
are not susceptible of being made to
yield fair product in some useful
commodity if properly titled. The
whole mass of the earth's surface in
the west possesses a chemical basis
for the formation of the choicest oi
soils. 1t has often been noticed that
the earth thrown from the bottom OF
wells twenty and thirty, or forty feet
or more, will produce thrifty stock
of corn, or growth of grass or weeds
whose seeds have chanced to be de
posted therein. That from the chemi
cal properties of these soils they are
susceptible of being made, by suita
BILE culture, so productive of such al
amount as will sustain the creates
known population to a given extent o
area is what we claim. In this W,
may be charged with eXtravaganc,
, by such as are the least qualified t,
know. But the tests made amply sus
tain the position Even within til,
: last very unpropitious year, on an ad
joining farm to me, considerably owe
: a hundred bushels of sound corn wa
! grown to the acre Nor was the sol
, a whit better than that for mile
, around it. 1t is suitable tHlage tha
gives a great yield. In regard to tn
present season the prospects, so fal
, are fair. 1t has, however, for the mos
part verified the astronomical prog
: nostications drawn from the transit o
! the great comet OF last Autumn. Rain