The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-01-08
all intemlxed with beaatifal open groves

And Missouri may be well called the
"homc Of the apple" To even attempt n
description Of the abundance Of the crop
and the size Of the fruit, would be simply
to risk my reputation for veraclty. | had
heard, but was like the titled lady who
came TO see Solomon. So will others be
when they see u half bushel Of apples
growing In solid cluster on Il twig not
as thick as your thumb and the entire
tree covered with such clusters, like Sweet
Williams in spring. The wood seems to
he made Of different fiber from our East
ern stock, to bear up such loads Of apples.
The common practice in order to produce
q first class crop Of apples, Is to pluck out
the third or half of the apples when the
size of cherries.
The most popular varieties seem to be
the Winesap and the Jennctting-they
bearing load Of apples every year. Yet
saw our popular Black GillihOwer, sew
eral trees, black mass Of apples.
Imight particulArize Andrew and Holt
counties In the orchards the air seemed
turned to apples, and in the potato fields
the soil to potatoes. When left potatoes
were selling for 81 per wagon load, or five
cents per buslcl.
The country opposite in Kansas 1 had
visited before, and thought il to I've named
with, ifnot ahead Of what | Ind seen Of
the Shenandoah, Sciota, Miama and Cum
bcrIand vallies, or the richest of the Ill
inois prairics. 1t only differs in the coun-
ties Of Missouri mentioned, may be, in the
greater scarcity Of timber. Yet n man
can lice in this region. Hewho would de-
sire better farm than the old govern
mcnt firm at Fort Farncsworth desires o
good thing. Yet a friend who had been
with me on this firm, and taking stroll
through the Central Park-New York
remarked TINT if he were buying n farm,
he believed he would purchase there. The
West possesses one particular advantage
over this park, land Is cheaper. -
Holt county claims the best corn raised
on the continent the present season, con-
sidering the failure of the crop in many
places.
Its soil Is certainly well adapted to stand
both the wet and dry season, ifexperience
and observation 60 to prove anything. Its
strength and depth are truly wonderful.
Dirt thrown up from the depth Of seventy
feet producing seemingly as well as the
surface yet Of a different color. In dig
ging that distance but two stones were
found, the size ofyour fist. The soil be-
ing ofsuch mellow nature / remarked its
aptness to wash by heavy rains, yes y
replied q farmer, %that isan advantage VIC
have. The rains wash the top soil off and
we get fresh every six or eight years"
The soil seems to have the popularity
OF retaining just enough moisture for the
proper production ofa crop, through wet
and dry, and this popularity allows the
digging ofcellars Of any depth or in any
part, neHr troubled with water. To keep
fruits, vegetables and such, u hole Is dug
in the ground, no attention paid to drain
ing, and all comes out rs sound and dry as
when put in. Good water, yet often at
considerable depth. On every stream l
noticed cropped out good variety of
building stone,
Many returned Calilornians are settled
in this section, that is north and west of
St. 10. Passing through on their way to
California, and seeing It's fertility, settled
there on returning. This, too, after seeing
the wonderful advantages Of California,
which speaks well for this section, seem
ing TO rival rs it does the Golden State in
vegetables and fruits. Potatoes Us large
as n mans head. Beets, ditto-leg.
There arc various sizes you are aware.
Our reputation for voracity was es-
tablishcd while in that region, and II OF to
risk my reputation for vcrlcity farther,
will only give you the poet
Go sec what have sec,
Go feel what have felt. :
From ST. Josepll-but why do VIC all
write SO, and all say St. ,Joy contrary to
the rule Of using Gbreviations-my note
would be with the printer-"not for
Joseph"
From here must make but little delay
until l had crossed the new bridge at
Kansas City. Eleven years have swal-
lowed up tho Village; the grassy bluff
has mostly disappeared, and the place
where it once stood, as well us the place
where it now lies, once rlvine, is now
covered with business blocks. A stroll
led me 10 the conclusion TINT its thirty
thousand inhabitants, or It's many visitors,
drank more whisky than any other thirty
thousand 1t had ever been my fortune to
visit. 1 shall atone for this by another
remark that they seem to have more
money than many others, and may be take
this way Of spending it. Report that q
mans pocket is lined and you hRye ioucli-
cd his pride; he is pleased. z i.sst' Z p
Just now the excitement seemed TO be
turned toward Southeast Kansas on the
new lands just come into market, and 1
looked anxiously out the new Fort Scott
Railroad. But time and other engage
ments forbid taking a trip in that dirCc-
tion, aud left me no way to form
IN opinion Of tlmt new Ellorado,
but to sift the accounts of those re-
turning. More Of which may be in the
future. ..L:g .tf
On the Missouri Pacific Railroad, stop
ped at several points to visit several West
Virginians, who have located along here
to better tlieir condition. did not press
them by questions rs TO whether they had
done so. Nothing was particularly no.
ticeable beyond the rapid Improvement of
tho past ten years; probably not owing to
the superior advantages Of this portion Of
the State any more than TO the passing
through of the first Pacific Railroad.
Much of the broad and unsettled prairie
stretches away on all sides. This Is still
the case some of the Oldest settled por-
tions Of the State.
Ihedsd of a sweet potato in Cass county
nine feet longl Can be seen, or could be-
fore frozen, In the Office of Col. Hine, for
merly superintendent on the o. & N. r.
r at Harrisonyille, Cass county, Missouri
reaching from ceiling TO flour. The
postmaster at that place my Informant. It
was raised on Col. Hines flrm He will
not sell. A few Of his neighbors will.
Land Is high there, although compare
lively new county, for everybody who