The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-02-20
farm-@aroen 1esusebo


VNesaern Past ares.-A o.ook 4 Aeaa.
Until rsOsntlv but little stssntioa has been
given 70 the subject Of improving pasearss il
tie West. The amount Of uncl"sed land has 4
been 90 large, compared With that which VA pro-
tected BY fenoe, that farmers IN most places bad
nothing - do to support their cattle dsriay he /
nmmer. bat to turn them out u the public io-
main or ON lsnd owned BY railroad ssmpsniss sr
regulators, who we're holding large tracts Tor n
Increase of prics. Even in the imnediste vicini.
u of Chicago and other large towns, thopsands
e oa&sls were owned and pastnrsd on saclosssl
land by persons who owned not = toet Of soil.
Indeed this state Of affairs exists to-day IN ths
region Of this city; for it 10 not probable that one
~eew in Ave hundred that 10 driven ia and eut Of
eur streets every day in summer, ever gess H.
oside Of an enclosed pasture They sre sfas6d %
Celand that the hopeful owners expect long =
lay out Ia lot~ that are to form additions 70 or
svergrewing city. In the central portions Of
The state, not only are the herds Of the rsSidsHt
| hensrs and tock.growers pastured % asoccs-
sspisd land, bat Immense numbers Of TezHsg md
a Cherokee cattle sre every year brought IN to
(, ted for tho market q
gar But it is obvious that this STATE OF aairs can
! not long continue The krge increase ef popu-
latisn, which this rich prairie soil u constantly
attracting together with the Importance which
the dairy interest is beginning to assume. will
soon bring all these tracts into the market - b
occupied by actual settlers. When this becomes
matter Of history and not ct prophecy, - u sooa
Z will BE- owners Of land will be seeking T. lssrA
3 how to make most OF their pastures, a. they BOW,
dc Of their fields that are planted to cultivated
crops. SO long Is farmers find ample range and
efficient food fer their stock, on lands that some
one else owns it IN ,kes little difference to them
whether the heritage embraces the best varieties
Of forage plants.
u But let this state Of things change, A. IL will
before the expiration Of the preseat decade, and
every man be compelled to provide food for his
cattle as he now does for his family, and he will
come to take an interest Ia the question Of how
many head OF cattle or sheep can be supported on
given number OF acres. With large amount
of money invested Ia iaad that is appropriated
solely TO grazing purposes with fences to BE- main
tanned around IL and taxes 20 pay, he will not
find it any more profitable 70 have poor pastures
when be might have good Ia N he now hHds it
t. raise seeding apples when the jonathan and
Grmes Golden can be pr cured just As e~ly.
1t is not best then in view OF the necessity
y which will soon compel to action. to sutici-
pate the new order OF things. and begin TO pre-
pare for tho emergency which is even now threat.
enng US ? We shall not wish 10 keep less stock
3 than we do vow. and farmers will still need ~
!, large an amount of corn, wheat aud petatUes.
Few Of them will have the means to purchase
more lanu IN IN. Vicinity OF tHeir farms, 10 use
for grazing purposes since single acre will
soon cost more than forty acres did when they
bought their farms. In truth, additional stock
must soon be kept to maintain the fertility OF
land which is now being rapidly impoverished;
and the keeping OF stock is the readest meaRs OF
accomplishing the purpose. ssr % g.as J
The glory OF any land lies in great measures
in it, fine pastures. They constitute tho wealth
Of Holland, the poetry OF Ireland. Furnishing
food for animals which perform the labor for man
and which constitute large portion of his food,
they continue their productiveness for years
p without labor on his ptrt, and without seeming
x to exhaust the soil-of its produc,iveness. The
loss of crop would entail such an injury to
any people as the failure OF a crop OF grass; any
effort THAT can be made 10 increase the produce
8 tveness Of our pasture lands by the introduction
OF new varieties OF grasses, by adapting them
to particular soils. must be looked upon, at 'east,
as great aecessions to our agricultural wealth.
Irairie Ftlrnser
FUNERaL OF BEE--A gentleman writing