Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-11-11
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We don't pretend to one bit of
originality in this article. We have
been interested in looking at the
Report Of the Commissioner of the
General land Office; in noting there
in how an unbiased witness-one
without Hawkeye prepossessions;
one whose field of operations is the
whole territory of the Union, from
Alaska to Florida-looks at our
State, and how it appears to him.
We don't say anything; don't sug-
gest anything; we put him on the
witness stand, and for the rest, the
reader has only to do with Mr.. Com
missioner. Mr.. Commissioner, pro-
coed!
His first declaration is gratifying
to any born or adopted Iia" k"ye.
He says: ''Iowa--lhe territorial
position Of this flourishing state il,
unsurpassed, and scarcely e4ualcd
in its advantages for commerce and
industry" Proceed now without
any further interruption; walk over
it, and you traverse titty-hve thou
sand square miles; measure it, and
you get thirty-five million two hun
dred thousand acres. On the high
way between Western Europe and
Eastern Asia, that great par; Of the
worlds commerce will pass through
it. It's own admirable facilities for
domestic commerce will tun that
to great advantage. The returns of
1867 are the latest the Commissions
er has. 1t will be interesting to
bear these in mind and compare
them with the returns Of 1870, when
published.
Then s,263,l74 acres Of inclosed
land: l,O57,33l Of them in wheat,
yielding 1865 500 bushels; 1892
396 acres Of corn, and 56,92S ,93s
bushels the resulting crop. With
1,075rl77 bearing, and 3.629.7SO
non-bearing, fruit trees. Raising
2,4s3,o1o bushels of coal, and its
western coal fields covering an area
of $4,000 square miles. The manu-
features of t'ne State for that year
amountlr g to Sl5, 957 500. One thou
sand one hundred and tifty-two
miles Of completed railway, repre-
senting capital Of thirty-tivc mill
ion dollars. Sixty-two colleges,
academies and universities, and in
crease Of twentv-one in three years.
We have but taken a few represent
alive figures. We don't want to
make this article table Of statis-
ties: "The State presents surface
sufficiently undulating for drainage,
but nowhere rises into mountains.
In some cases along the MISSISSIPPI
pi the bluffs appear in considerable
abruptness, but generally the land
is in graceful slopes, alternately
swelling and sinking to the line Of
horizon. In many eases these are
crowned with heavy oak forests,
while in other instances the beauti-
fully rounded SUBMITS have Il car
pet of green, dotted with clumps of
trees, battling the utmost initiative
skill of the landscape gardener.
Upon these slopes and their inter
vening alluvions are located flour
ishing towns and cities, the way
stations of the splendid tide of Miss
issippi commerce. Back from the
great rivers the traveller meets with
immense prairies, covering, per-
haps, threciourths Of the surface of
Iowa. These in a state of nature
are beauti!ied with Il prolusion and
variety Of delicate wild flowers and
grasses, and skirtcd along the
streams, with belts Of heavy timber.
The soil of the State, especially
in the southern part, is remarkably
well adapted to the growth ofcercals,
presenting very desirable comb
nation Of organic with earthly and
saline matter, and based upon cal
careous and magnetism rocks. The
prairie is generally undcrlaid By the
deyonian and carboniferous forma-
tons, atlording by their decomposi-
ton the most desirable inorganic
elements, which, in combination
with accumulations Of animal and
vegetable matter, dated back
through ages, afford productive
surface found only in the choice of
upland plains. No. soil, perhaps,
affords greater nutriment to woody
fibre, as is attested by the rapid
growth of forest timber since the re-
preston Of the annual prairie fires.
1t is estimated that timber in Iowa
is growing much faster than its con
sumption, through the influence of
and extensive tree planting enter
prise and careful economy in the
use Of fuel. The rapid growth Of
woody fiber has been attributed BY
chemists to the immense accumuIa-
tons Of potassa and its combina-
tons, caused 10y annual prairie
fires. Fruit trees grow rapidly and
bear early. The climate Of the
State, extending as it does through
three degrees of latitude, presents
some variations, but it is free from
unhealthy extremes. Its general
character is salubrious dryncss,
which greatly allcviatcs the ex-
trcmes of winter cold and summer
heat. The sweep of prairie plains
facilitates free circulation near
the surface, removing malaria and
conducting to general health, both
Of animal and vegetable organic life.
The advance Of civilization and its
consequent changes, and the exten-
sion of fruit culture, will tend to re-
move such general and local causes
as produce disease, and thus inn
prove the sanitary condition Of the
country. The experience of the
community has already detected,
and, to great extent, ncutralizcd
those minor difficulties which en-
barrassed early settlement"
And this is how Iowa looks to
the Commissioner Of the General
Land Office.
The Benefits Of Advertising.