Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1868-09-10

= ST. 4 +
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tencho1 - lestlGo1A n Hnxr1pon arG
M0nona couut34 tfnan fnrf1ker - the
nonthWaFti, wlliIe tl8 cl,3nces q
flndfng Il nt ali diminish = one ROee
nnrlhWard ffUm tho61 cDun4l6A The
exi1fe0eeOf the csfAunaceot1s hand
In the r0cks near Hl0ux City II not
overlooked but win Be- re1nTred % II
c, A. WHITE.
Htate Geoiogist.
Rayneuth, sfomx wnA n4yem
Counf1em.
BesidN the Big 6ioux, which
forms the western boundary of al
these counties, they arU drained also
by tho Floyd and Rack rivers and
their tributaries. The general char
acter af the surface is o very gently
andulating prairie, bat adjacent %
the valley Of the Big siox In Piym-
outh. and the southern part Of Sioux
counties Ii b much brnkan into the
steep and particularly rounded hills
50 common along the Missouri river.
Although have written so Tnuch in
eOnamendation Of the valleys of 9TH
er parts Of Iowa, I cannot forbear to
say that tha State does not eontain
q more beautiful one than that 0fthe
Big Sioux. Its average width be-
low the mouth of Rock river IL
something more than q miies and
above that point it Il about a mile Ia
width between the bordering hiIls.
With the exception named, the hills
slope gently and beautifully
TO the valley. For the iiEst twenty
miles from the mouth Of the river
the greater portion OF the bottom
land Is ON the west, or Dakota side.
IL Is here broad, level and very
fertile plain, continuous with the
Missouri river bottom, but above
fhis 1t looses the definite chafacteTis-
tics OF d food plain, and the bottoms
Of the valley usually presents very
gentle longitudinal and even trans
verse undulations, together with o
general batvery genfleslope from the
base of the hills 80 the river, pre-
senting the surface In the best posi-
bic position for farming purposes.
The view OF these valley lands frUm
the adjacent and bordering hills Is
often one OF remarkable beauty,
which Is heightened by the cosy APP
pearanee of the rustic farm houses
1f the settlers. The farms thus far
opened In the valley are principally
lpon the Dakota side; not that the
natural advantages Of that side are
greater. but that the land in Iowa
having long since been sold by the
senersl Government Ii il now held
,y lou-xEsixIeats fssF asa advances up
,sl the government price, while the
title 10 that upon the Dakota side is
till In the Government and open TO
and homestead settle
nent. Thus the Iowa side is still
ground for elk and deer
while the western side Is being rap
dly settled.
The character OF the soil In these
three counties Is to considerable ex-
Ient different from that OF the Mis-
souri river counties, but although 30
much has been said in c0mmenda-
lion of that sol, 1T must not be Infer
red that this is not also excellent.
The bluff deposit which constitutes
that soil becomes quite unimpOrfant
even in the southern part OF Piym-
oaith county, and rapidly disappears
10 the northward, indicating the
of the lake In which that
was deposited. Yet
because much OF the original mate
rial from which the bluff depasit was
derived remains here I'm Its natural
position to form q part Of and 10 give
character TO the soil, yet that OF
Sioux and Lyon counties at least 10
largely composed Of drift material -
In this case II contains eonsidera
Bile proportion of sand, not by any
means enough 10 cause 1t TO approach
oarrenress, but enough TO give such
warmth and neIIoWneSs to III 10 10
insure as early d perfection Of the
.rops as upOn q heavier soil although
much farther to tho Southward. One
striking feature Of this valley, and
indeed OF the whole region, Is the
great abundance OF the more natri-
Eious varieties Of the native grasses,
it . natural and most exeei-
lent grazing region.
The upper friable and chalky beds
of tiss eFpiaceous ranks mentioned in
my last letter on Woodbury. and
,ther counties, are found well deyel.
,ped I'm Plymouth conIEs bat
sith0ugh evidently existing in Sioux
md Lyon, yet I'm consequence 0f the
diminishing depth 10 which the yal-
eys are eroded and the friahle ma
are Of the rocks, they are nOt now
exposed; but coming up beneath
.hese beds, at The extreme north west
sorner of Lyon county b formation
ii which We have hitherto kn0vn
aothfng III Iowa except as drift bouidr
srs scattered over the western part
1f the state; and IL was with ax-
Ireue mtisfactiop that we were able
10 trace those houlderS stem by step
% their original I0dges. The home
ii the 9ranife bcsildexs a8s0eisted
With them Il stiII further 10 the
1orthw4r1. huk ne shall net hliow
.hem Up = theIr original ledgps ~
Wo have the efhexH s
This forupe<ion = . very hard red
pck kncsIm au,png R10logjsfs 60
e. u,efsfnpr prphic aandstuues
4 Althouah - tntenssly tasd - tD rs4'
sjst or1j jnery t0otH - thece = -