The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-10-10
FROM ILLINOIS.

VENICE, ILLINOIS, Oct. 3, 1867.
: Ed. PIONEER Dear Str-Believ-
ing that many of the readers ofyour
paper would be interested in short
letter from here, which would briefly
set forth the condition of affairs on
the American Bottoms, will send
you a short reviews I have gath
cred it. II .,,-a-s r1; ,-e..l,a
The weather here is very much
Esimilar to that with you-a trife
warmer, perhaps-and the drought
is equally as great; it however does
.not.aappear to have affected the
crops SO much, owing perhaps to
the better adoption Of the soil to
that Kind Of weather-it being of a
sandy, leamy nature, and thus re-
tanning moisture better:
The. crops are good, compared
with those Of your own little State,
| yet the farmers claim very inferior
crop. .....-...-. ..- ,..
Farming is carried on more ex-
tensively and very much different
from that pursued by your Ohio far
mers. Being so near the great mart
Of the West, the raising Of vegeta-
bles,. fruits, &c, for which they
/ usually have ready market in the
1cItyaof St. Louis, seems to receive
most of. their attention. At present
however the sale of vegetables is
4 4entirely stopped, on account of the
ravages of cholera, which is daily
hurrying so many Of its victims to
ah antimely grave. Hence much of
t tthe.yegetable crop, which has been
the care of all the season, must rot
| and go to waste. "a- ..-.
4 Many of your gardeners, who are
accustomed to raising few heads
4 of cabbage in their garden, to sim
lpiy meet the demand of their family,
fwould no doubt be little surpris-
Led at seeing field of from five to
twenty acres covered with green
! cabbage. Here they would soon be
come accustomed to such sights, fol
they are not at all uncommon, some
! lhaying even more. But, then this
season it is quite drag, being pool
bug eaten, and no sale.
Melons, too, are nearly as exten
), siyc1y grown, and in some cases art
l pretty fair crop, but are as mucl
in demand of a market as vegetable
q generally, consequently are no rari
/ ty with the farmers, who are nearl,
t. as cautious in the use of them q
I the city authorities, hence load
upon leads of this delicious frui
r will be left to remain upon mothe
e earth-there to rot and again return
; to its original dust, .rafe
The potato, which seems to b.
, the principal crop raised here, il
). pretty, good, and the farmers ar
now busily engaged in digging
l them and hauling them to market
: RheGSt. Louis market quotes then
. at So O0@3 IS per barrel, and there
: are daily hundreds of barrels, and
might almost say as many loads
: gross on. the ferry to find a marke
in the city. They are raised here il
fabout the same proportion as th,
: farmers of Wyandot raise wheat 90
! corn. Generally farmers raise from
, 40 to 60 acres, while some have a
. Nigh as 100 acres. @"" ~
e The corn in some instances il
: good, whilst in others it is poo
: enough. aTsl@ ... 9Tss. a.H
Wheat was an ordinary crop.
= Fruit is very plenty-especiall.
!. peaches. -~r. - -s.--... =.
1.-THE soil is very rich, yielding
) abundantly to the hand of industry
: with very little exertion in commit
= :. ting the seed to the earth.
This is very wealthy county an,
=: men owning farms have such larg
: tracts Of land, and demand sucl
high figures, that men of ordinar,
circumstances can find no home ex
cept as ''tenant men, of which
= There are now a great number.
j have now given you brief de
!. tail of the condition Of the farm
: and farmers here, which may per
haps prove interesting to some.
! Respectfully, j. A. X.