The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-12-30
LETTER FROM MISSOURI.

SALEM, DENT Co., Mo-, Dec. Is, 1871.
Mr.. ED1ToR:-Please permit me, through
The Cecil Wing, to address myself to some
of my old friends in Cecil, who desire to
seek homes in Missouri, where land is cheap.
Dent county is situated in what is prop
erly Southeast Missouri. 1t is in the same
degree of latitude as Virginia and Ken
lucky. 1t is 25 miles north and south,
and from 80 to Sc east and west. The
counties of Crawford, Washington and
Iron, on the north and east-although some
of them possess railroad facilities, which
Dent does not, at present, are old settled
counties; more densely populated; lands
more worn and higher priced, and conse-
quently do not offer the same inducements
to the emigrant that Dent does. So with
Phelps, on the north and west; although a
splendid county, it lies along the South
Pacific Railroad, and lands are at what
would be called exhorbitant prices in the
county of Dent. In agricultural and min
eral resources, the counties of Texas and
Shannon, on the west and south, are more
broken than ours, but they possess great
deal of good farming land, which can be
had at very reasonable figures. They are
rich in undeveloped mineral resources
But the greatest objection is their distance
from market. Dent, fortunately, lies within
easy distance of the South Pacific, giving
her better market facilities than those
counties south of her. The school OF
mines located at Rolla, the county seat of
Phelps county, will be as much advantage
to Dent, for all practical purposes, as to
Phelps. The comfy is situated on the
range of hills known as the Ozark Noun
tains. Persons acquainted with this sing
ular mountainous range are aware that the
nearer you approach the main Divide, the
less broken is the country. In Southeast
Missouri, for instance, the top of the Ozark
is beautiful prairie, equaling the grand
prairies of Illinois for beauty and extent.
In Dent county there is very little prairie;
the portions that were prairie twenty years
ago, are now generally grown over with
young timber; but along the Divide of the
Ozark, which runs few miles south OF
Salem, the country is gently rolling, becom'
ing more abrupt and broken as you pass
down the water courses on either side
The valleys running north and south from
the main Divide, were formerly all prairie
for several miles, until you came to running
streams of water. But as we have stated,
the prairies are now grown up with young
timber, such as walnut, oak, hickory, &c.
Along the water courses the bottoms OF
valleys are exceedingly rich and produc-
tive The valleys are divided by ranges of
hills which run parallel with the valleys,
and which are covered with timber, more
or less valuable, according to the growth.
Formerly, no effort was made to cultivate
any portion of the country, except the val
ley; but of late many farmers are spring
ing up along the Divides, and we are
informed that better quality of small
grain is produced in the uplands than in
the valleys. 1t is also noted that orchards
do far better on the uplands than in the
valleys. So much superior are they for
horticulture, that no farmer pretends to
plant an orchard on the valley land where
he has upland convenient. In the eastern
and western portions of the county, these
hills contain vast beds of limestone, while
in the neighborhood of Salem sandstone
predominates. The hills, in many places,
are exceedingly stony, while in others they
are comparatively free from stone, and sus,
ceptible of high state of cultivation.
In our next, we will give soil and climate;
timber and water; stock raising; products
fruit and heath; description of our town;
mineral resources; society; and advice to
emigrants coming west to seek homes.
JOHN READY.