Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-06-19


go" For the Journal.
Iowa Agricultural College.
FRIEND MAHIN Il have just returned from
the meeting of our Board Of Trustees, at the
Farm, on the 10th Of June. We transacted
considerable business arrangements for fin
ishing the Farm House, quarrying and haul
ing a large quantity of stone for the founda-
ton of College building, selected the site
on the farm for these buildings, Git being the
intention, eventually, to have three of these
College buildings, instead of having one I'M
mense bui ding, large enough to accommodate
400 students, as in Pennsylvania and New
York, } the sale Of donated lands in Story
county, and the five sections at Monroe City,
in Jasper county, the sale of SIC, 900 of Story
county bonds, and last, though, to us, not
leaet in Importance, to prevent the Chicago,
Iowa and Nebraska railroad from passing
through our farm, diagonally, near the GEN.
ter. We offered the railroad the right of way,
if they would locate on the rou'e which they
have surveyed, near our south line. This
railroad is now within thirty miles, and
progressing quite fast.
The farm is this year rented for one.third
of the crops-about 100 acres in crops. We
also provided for selecting and employing, at
reasonable salary, thorough, practical
and experimental farmer, who should be
employed next year, and provided with tools,
teams and help, and few animals of the
choicest blood stock.
First and foremost. before all this is gone
into, the Executive Committee are ordered to
wait little, and see if any hinderances will
be in the way in Story County,,of the pro-
gross of this institution in the business above
marked out.
JOURNEY TO STORY COUNTY-CRoPS, &c.
left Muscatine, Monday, June sth, by
rail-1O2 miles, to within miles of Grin
nell where l arrived at 1880, A. M-dined
with my fellow Trustee, DR.. Holyoke, of
Grinnell thence by buggy, via Newton and
Nevada to the Farm, Tuesday, 8, P. NJ, 70
miles. The country on this route for so
miles, was quite rolling, mostly we'll supplied
with timber, and the crops of all kinds looked
quite well. 1t was dry, but think notquite
as dry as at Muscatine. On Thursday and Fri
day, as passed home on nay journey, saw
showers passing over the western part of this
Journey, which was just in time to make
good crop of wheat, which generally looked
WclIs ultuOuSh SiACIO W 90 SVA1C CiAot AOOhSN
rather poor, and more poor complaints than
poor wheat. Corn was up and looked well,
and the horse and cultivator were moving
briskly. Many acres of rye, and some of fax,
some breaking teams turning up the virgin
soil, and about as many acres of old fields
lying unplowed- war.
The country for 90 miles before We reached
the College Farm, was mostly prairie, toler-
ably good, most of it, but there were great
many little pond holes and wet places. But
when we arrived at the Farm, it was admitted
by all, several of whom had not seen it be-
fore, that it was one of the very best for our
College, that could be selected in the State
The prejudice which has heretofore existed
against its location, because it is in a thinly
populated part Of the State, will soon be over
come. Around this Farm there is an abund-
ance of good timber and good prairie, We
have 800 acres of wild land in small pieces
about that neighborhood, for sale at 50 80 to
IS 90 per acre. Also 5000 at Monroe City,
at probably 81 90 to IS 90.
Homeward we came through Marshall, IS
miles to Grinnell. The country has little
timber, but is richer and more beautiful, larg-
er farms, and better buildings--crops looked
fine
At Grinnell-This is one of the bright spots
in this State. The railroad will be finished
to this town before the close of this month.
It is now town of about 500 inhabitants,
mostly farmers-a few stores and first class
hotel. The Iowa College is located here,
which is fine large building. Here are some
of the finest and largest fiocks of sheep in
Iowa. I found Hon. j. B. Grinnell IN the
sheep-barn, with fine wool greasy Merino
eve in his lap, taking off the "clip." He
has many focks, in all something over 4, 900
head. He has many choice bloods, some ewes
wool each. Bucks worth $500 to $500, shear
ing 25 pounds. Many other farmers there
have focks. The sheep are generally healthy,
larger, and yield more wool than the same an
finals at the east. 1t costs from 70 cents to
81 90 to keep sheep ayear. They do quite
well on prairie grass and prairie hay, but I
have no doubt that when the pastures are
covered with bluegrass and white clover, as
is the case about all our older towns, the sheep
will do even better than now. Eastern sheep
farmers begin to acknowledge that the west
will soon supply their markets with wool, as
we'll as beef and pork. SUEL FOSTER.
CLEAR AS MuD."-Age gentleman on board
a steamboat with his family was asked by his
children 'wtat made the boat go!' when
he gave them q very minute description of the
machinery and its principles in the following
words: "You see, my dears, the thingumbob
here goes down through that hole and fastens
the jlgmares, and that connects with the
crinkum- crankum; and then that man-he's
the engineer, you know kind O stirs up the
-what-do you .call-it with a long poker, and
they all shove along, and the boat goes ahead"
-"I say, squire, have you got any sons
that would like to enlist in the cavalry?"
:.No, but I've got sone daughters that might
be pressed into the infantry service"
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