The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-06-16
| AN OVERLAND JOURNEY
From New York to Kansas.


: was closing.
Here is the substance of the inform
tion gathered in regard to Farming il
South Western New York: Wheat wa:
moderately sown last Fall and this Spring
bat was looking very we'll uutil the late
s hot, dry weather, which caused it to spin
die instead of spreading. and would have
seriously damaged the Fallsowu but fol
: the recent change from hot to cold
moist temperature. or Rye, but little
: was sown, and that little is doing fairly
Oats have been pretty extensively sowD,
and promise a good yield. OF Corn. a
large area has been and will be planted
Grass would have suffered seriously bad
the rains which begun last Sunday or
Mouday in Western New York, been
withheld few days longer. Now, the
prospect is good.
1t Yves quite dry along the south shore
of Lake Erie, but is probably wet enough
sioee. There, as before in our own Ssate,
it was plain that the area plowed on or
before the ltb of May was greater this
year than ever before. With good sea-
son hencefcrth, the growth of Indian
Corn this year in the Old as well as the
New States must be far beyond all pre-
cedcnt, Aud well it may be; for the
country was hardly ever so bare Of food
for man and beast as in this same May
of $50 Flour is higher and Wheat and
Corn scarcely lower in Chicago than in
New York or Liverpool; Oats nearly the
same. Thousands of Cattle throug hout
the Prairie States have died Of starvation
this Sprug, though Prairie Hay might
almost anywhere have been put up last
FaIl at cost Of less than 81 per ton !;
Minnesota, with perhaps the best soil for
Winter Wheat in America. is buying
Flour in Chicago by the thousand barrels;
and | hear from different sections of this
great grauary of nation-from Illinois,
from Iowa from Mssouri--o Of whole neigh
borbood, destitute alike of bread and of
the whereWithal to buy it, Unpropitious
as last sea,on was, it does not fully ex-
plain thi~ scarcity, especially Of Fodder.
| trust the like will never occur to need
explanation again.
Coming down through Illinois from
Chicago south -westwardly to Quincy (263
uiles) it was gratifying to see how gener-
al are the effort and obvious resolve to
look starvation out OF countenance this
year. Though the breadth of Winter
Wheat was but moderate, owing to the
iucessant rains OF last Autumn, it is plain
that the farmers began to plow and SOW
as early as possible this Spring, putting
in, fret Spring Wheat; then Oats; latter
ly Corn; and they mean to keep putting
in Oats and Corn for a mouth yet. In
the Northern part of the State, owing to
the dry. warm weather, Spring work was
never before so forward; further South it
has been delayed By rains; but every hour
is diligently improved. If Illinois and
Iowa DO not grow far more Grain this
year thsn ever before, it will hardly be
the fault of tie euItivators, for they are
bent on doing their utmost. Considering
their bad fortune last, this resolute in.
du,try does them credit; cut they are
generally in debt. out of money aud al
mos, out of credit, aud are making Fl
nal stand against the sheriff | heartily
wish them good dcliverance.
Aud. despite the hard times, Illinois is
growiny. There are new blocks 10 her
cities, new dwellings in her every village,
new breakings in this or that edge of al
most every prairie. The short, young
grass is being cropped by large herds of
c.ttle, whose improved appearance within
the last fortnight is said by those who
have observed them from day to day to
be beyond credence on any testimony but
that Of eye-sight. Here, every horse or
OK that can Pull is hitehed to plow or har
row whenever darkness or rain does not
forbid; and, by plowiug the dryest ridges
FIRST and seeding them; then taking the
next dryest and serving them just SO, near
Iy every oultivator ran keep putting in
seed at least four days per week from
March till June. Many will plant corn
this year till the middle of June and O.
ven later, unless compelled sooner to de-
sist 10 order commence cultivating that
first planted. Then cultivating will re-
quire every hour till harvesting begins,
aud this (including haying) will last till it
is full time to plow for Winter Wheat
No buster season was ever seen than this
is to be; from the Hudson to the Missis-
sippi. you see four horses or oxen at work
to one in pasture; and there are thousands
of farmers who would plant or sow a
quarter more, if they had grain to feed
their teams, than they will now be able
to do. There are few travelling in the
cars, few idliDg about stores or taverDs,
but many iD the fields. May bounte-
Gus Heaven smile on their labors
Illinois is just beginning to be culti-
vated. presume she has no railroad
along which half the land within a mile
has ever been touched by plow. Back
from the roads, there is of course still less
probably less than tenth Of
her soil has ever yet been broken. She
has more Coal than Great Britain-far
more than any other State-but has hard
Iy begun to mine it. Her Timber is not
20 excellent; she lacks Pine and all the