The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-05-28
,lOltlngs.


fare from Iowa City North west to
Webster City and Fort Dodge and pre-
,scnting respectable amount Of timber,
and also number of living streams of
water, il became by these inducements,
one Of thchirst settled townships in our
county. The surface except along the
river bottom, is quite rolling, and in
some pa, is it may be styled billy. There
nre quite large number of good far
mers in the township who arc raising
large c.ops. At Mr.. Ramsdell's orr
County Superintendent We gathered a
couple Of items which VIC deem worthy
&c publication. lie showed us few
wild plum stocks, on which he has graf
ted the present spring some :amc plum
scions, which to aiI appearance are
growing very vigorously. He is in
inclined 10 the belief that by that me-
thod We shall succeed far better in rails.
ing the choice kinds oftame plums than
upon the original stocks. In expert.
menting with grape vine, Catawba or
Isabella, we have forgotten which, last
season in the month Of June, we think
lie separated the bark from the wood
Of the vine, for distance Of a half
inch leaving that length Of the wood
exposed to the air and sun. The con
sequence was the upper part Of the vine
grew much more rapidly than the lower
and the grapes unon it were about one
third larger and ten days earlier than
those upon the other vines similarly
situated and treated in all other
respects. In Sertcmber the bark upon
TIE upper part oftnc vine was permitted
tonnite with that upon the lower.
Those who might see proper 70 practice
this had better, however also practice
the renewal sy stem, that is save new
sine every year which starts from near
the root, for a barring vine the next
year, and then the vine treated IS above
can be cut away every fall. This re-
,newal system is much recommended by
many grape growers.
Along the line of the river bottom on
the north side in Otter Greek and Sal:
Creek 'wnships, We find also u large
number Of first class farmers. Mr.. G.
E..IIayes has the largest flock Of sheep
IN the township and with one aud per.
haps two exc options the largcs, in the
county. Mr.. Carmichael, has planted
nirnty acres 10 corn this spring being
the Iargest number Of acres devoted to
corn by any one man that We have yet
found in the county. He intends feeding
out the whole crop upon hiss farm to
cattle and hogs. A good idea. Messrs
Lewis, Barlow, Park and Wiley, have
each large crops growing the present
spring. Mr.. Wiley has very fine
young orchard which really looks the
most like bearing fruit, Of any that we
have get seen. It is the most advanced
Of any in the county. lie will doubtless
have in the ncighborhood Of forty Or
fifty bushels Of apples the coming fall
lie has also quite n variety of small
fruits. He buddeJ the most of his
apple,'rees while quite young, and SAYS
the best way to raise the tender variety
Of fruits is t. bud them in the tops Of
the hardy trees. A very beautiful por-
tion Of our county lies along Salt Creek
Considering the size of the stream The
bottom lands or valley is in most places
very wide. Some fine and well improy.
farms are here situated. No where in
tho county does it look so much like
an Old settled country as along the road
from Irving TO Redman. The road,
now in a good condition is bounded
upon both sides with fences, which in
some places are lined with rows Of
trees, and back Of which extend cult
waited fields and meadow lands, the
whole exhibiting good old fashioned
home scene, which suggest many pleas
ing thoughts Of by-gone days in other
climes. Farther up the stream in this,
York, township are a number Of other
good farms which now bid very fair to
reward the labor and care Of their
owners with bountiful harvest. Oneida
township on the north of York is more
sparscly settled, contains however few
good farmers, and noble chance for
about FIVE hundred more The land
mostly consists OF fine rolling prairies.
Carl township lying east of Oneida con.
tains = larger population. This doubt.
less is owing to the fact that it affords
more timber for the accommodation Of