Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-07-11
For the Standard.
Defense of Western Agriculture.

Mr.. EDITOR Through the kindnes;
of friend / am favored with an occa
sional glimpse of the Standard. In the
issue of April 18th, my atte ention was
arrested by an article entitled, how much
money will it produce? claiming to be
an extract of an address by the Hon.
Daniel Needham, upon the agricultural
prospects of New England, in which he
draws a comparison between the west
and New England in relation TO several
agricultural products; this is all right
were it done fairly, and without being
misrepresented, but allow me to say, Mr..
Editor, that he has left out the very
items that constitute the advantage we
claim over the Eastern farmers that is
the cheapness of the land, and the ease
with which it is titled, why, it is enough
TO induce a smile on the face of a stole
TO hear him compare wheat raising in
Vermont, as equal with raising it in Hi
nois. l do not know, certainly, what the
price of land is in New England, but am
aware that it is much more than you can
get the virgin soil of this distant land
for, after ii is bought. Then, as far as !
know, about one-third of the land there
is waste, unfit for cultivation in any way;
that is, on an average. Then the labor
that is necessary to bring it to what is
called a state of cultivation, is more than
enough to buy a farm here in a good
state Of cultivation, and then quarter of
the surface is covered with stumps for a
great number of years, another quarter
with stones, forever, for the more you
pick of, the more there is to pick
Compare that with a farm of Virgin
soil, here in Iowa. Here, in good Sit
uations, within 20 miles of the Mississip-
pi, land can be bought for ten dollars an
acre for raw prairies, twelve and a-half
to fifteen, broke and fenced with build !
ings, more, of course, must be paid. A
man can go on to piece Of raw prairie,
put up shanty, and break up 80 acres
with two teams, in about four weeks.
Now look at the difference between sub.
DUNG the virgin soil here, and there.
Here it costs two and a-half to three dol
lars to break an acre,-about the same
that it does there to cut down the timber,
which is only the commencement of the
hard labor. Here, newly broken land
requires little more narrowing than old
land, bat otherwise it is as easy TO at
tend, having neither stump nor stone,
nor hardly a clod to hinder any opera
ion. There newly cleared land is a
perfect coal pit to work in, and team
and man-killer for years and what is
he result? Here one man will put in
md harvest 40 acres, cheaper and east
n than he can acres there, and accord
ng to Mr.. Needham himself, he does not
'aise so much to the acre, on an average,
IS we do, and if he does get double the
,rice for it that we do, he earns it at the I
hardest. Another advantage that the
beginner in the West has over those who
tart anew in n. England, is that the i
and he is not able to subdue at once, in '
tead Of being dead weight, produces i
,ood crop of grass, so that with proper |
are he can keep quite stock of cattle c
be first winter. &
Mr.. Needham asserts that at that time q
Theat within 60 miles Of Chicago was i
ringing only sixty cents per bushel.- y
Iot being posted as to the local markets S
i Illinois, l will give you the market e
rices of several towns in the Garden |,
tate, reminding you that the river Il
'ade with the South being cut of, these il
Iarkets are more affected by it than if I,
ley were nearer Chicago, and l give t,
lem for the last of February and March, Il
,e two poorest months to sell in these a
larkets. l give the prices of the sta $,
les mentioned in the article referred to, II
heat, corn and pork: b
ED. 22, 1862. Wheat. Corn. Pork, cwt. B
.eokuk. 80 a55 15a1S $2,5Oa 800 7
55 13a15 2,50 "a 30,0I
uscatine, 50 50 l5 2,50a3,0O d
'avenport, 81 60 10a13 2,0Oa $50 m
dubuque, 81 63 15a2O 2,5Oa $50 g
[cGregor, 50 a 63 18a22 2,00a2,75 re
March 20. The same markets are as 8,
llows: d,
Wheat. Corn, Pork, cwt v
eokuk, 49 so Is a18 1925 $50 d.
urlington,58 63 14a17 $50 a 800, m
Iuscatine, 60 a Sc Is 800 a $50 :.
avenport, 67 a70 14a17 275a $50 II
ubuque, 63 &C Halls 800 $50 OF
-cGregor, 60 Go Is 8a25 2,50 a 3,25 m
Now, these markets are more than tn
rec times sixty miles from Chicago, ia
I'd you see that wheat averages over 60 tn
5 ; corn only once comes down 20 his pa