Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-09-05
Correspondence Delaware Gazettc
letter frou1 ToTua

Correspondence Delaware Gazettc-
Letter from Iowa
REDNAN, TAMA Co., Iowa, Aug. 9, 90.
DEAR GAzErTE;-I send you a few jottingS
OF my observations since my last eOmmunica-
ton in Deceinber, 1861
METEeRoLoGY-At4 42 deg. n. Lon. Is deg
% min. west from Washington. Snow COM
meneed falling about Dec 25th. and we had
continual sleighiDg 70" 80 days. Jan. 18Th
Mercury stood % deg. below zero; Feb ID
was the eoldcst day. Thermometer stood 81
deg below zero; Jan. 18th and 18th two ter
rible snow storms.
GEoLoGY.-rhe face of the country is lilly
(all alllVia) aud on the water courses bluffy;
high hills and ravines commencing or the
prairie and deepening as they advance toward
the streams like The river hills OF the Olen-
tangy aud 5eioto. 1t appears that at some
time there has been vast current passing
over the NJ ississippi valley, southern course;
and il subsided .esring the Ohio aud Mis-
sissippi, with iheir branches, as mement0es OF
the vast expanse OF water that once covered
this great valley. The vast quantities Of ice
fUimed at the north AMI analing south ward
lifted vast quantities of sIene (boulder>) car
ryng them down and posting the:l as the
ice melted by The southern sun. Hence we ac-
count for the lai ge amount of boulders scat
tered over the western countries There Is
coal and gyPsoni..in SC, eral parts OF this 5ia'e-
In Nin;on | saw specimens of fossils picked
up on the prairies; one rattle snake inches
in diameter; one turtle 4 p inches in diane
ter; specimens of bas>aits, horns and variety
of petreted substances
BoTANY--Spring came and clothed the
prairies III beautiful green mantle. As far
as the eye could reach it appeared like one
vast wheat field. When May came Flora
dressed them in beautiful shades Of the most
gorgeous colors. vaIy yiHs in the sunlight is per
lectly iacinating Ehey assume different
dress each month, and while l write they are
dressed in wh'e-the emblem of purity
Among the extraordinary productions of the
vegetable kingdom is iLe Resin plant, or as
some Gail ii. the Prairie Guide 1t is a plant
witha notched leaf like the oak. and has the
magnetic quality of arranging It's leaves so
that the notched edges point north and south.
Il grows from to feet high, bears a yellow
flower resembling The sunHower, ab"ut inch
es in diameier, and always faces the cast
When cut or broken it eniis u thick. unctious
matter, and has AT 'oior similar to that of ros-
in when warmed. Whether it is the plant the
famous magnetic ointment" is made OF am
not advised.
ADVANTAGES OF THIS CoUNTaY Wells pro-
ducing good wl.i,c. nni plenty Of i, can be
had by digging from 10 10 20 icet There
are streams Of living water all over the prair-
ir, and plenty OF good unimproTed land can
be had for $3.50 per acre, guol location as to
roads and settlement. Same qualifv Ertl.er
back can be had for from s. to So Another
advantage IS, the land is very fertile, produc
Ing large crops, and not often failing. Il Is Il
porous soil, and II hours after the ground is
saturated With heavy raHs. it is dry enough to
piow--no wad ng III mud like in Ohio. We
have Wholesome laws, school houses built by
the county, aud good teachers cl.n ha procur.
ed for $40 per month. The streams arc slug
gish, but there are Saw and Gris mills on
lhem that do goud service There is Metho-
dist, Christian, Congregationalist and Pres
ayIerian preaching within miles of where
reside.
DIsADvANTAGEs-T;m scarce; people
have 10 60 from one half to II for it; hence
the enclosures Al ( large, from 10 to 900 acres;
horses and cattle are turned outside on the
prairie; fences ate generally post aud laii,
) rails nigh, the irsi rail- feet from ground;
hogs are kept in tight let's, aud each man
lends To his oNn land inside the enclosure
The greatest disadvanta9ei' the distance to
ia,trhti. NJ. | spring wheat IS worth 81
cents AZ Chicago aud at Be!plane IS, costing
US 40 cenis pee bushrl 10 take it 10 market
T MI,
worth 81 sc; other lumber in proportion Dry
Ioods, groceries, &C., about the same price as
in Delaware Bui!diag stone is very hard to
get, and the scarcity oil clay aud timber make
brick scarce.
CRoPs.-Salt Cresk Valley. in which | re-
side has partially escaped the ravages of the
chinch bug. We rented a farm this year and
put in 90 acres Of spring wheat We thrash
cd ) acres OF the lightest, which made abont
Il bushels to the acre; the other 45 will think
meke ID bushels to the acre, making Us $50
bushels wheat. l saw a letter from Lynn
county which says wheat there will not average
over 212 bushels to the acre. A letter from
johnson county states that wheat there will
not yield bushels per acre. As far as | can
learn | think wheat will be a failure III Iowa.
In June was IN Jasper county. and the wheat
looked fine; thousands and thousands of acres
could be seen gil along the road, that bid fair
for % bushels per acre. But a'asI the de-
sroyer came in the shape Of chnch bug, ard
our hopes were blastad, as faT as wheat is con-
cerned Corn crops look well, and bid fair to
yield 80 bushels per acre. We have % acres
planted. At the above rates this will yield
1855 bushels; giving one-'bird rent would
leave US S32 bushels. think oats will yield
40 bushels To the acre.
1t is very healthy in this locality. l am
better able to labor now than I have been for
several years. The air is salubrious and bra
cling, and health governs unmoIested We are
all better contenled, and are making more mo-
ney than we did in Ohio The war excite
ment is at fever heat here. This county has
l400 on the muster roll, When the call for
100000 came, 2l5 volunteered in one week,
being one-seventh of the whole number en-
rolled. Your obedient servant.
j. EANDIKE
Por the Delaware Gaz.tto