The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1871-06-22
me CLIMATIC QUESTION.
Nffom the Iowa Northwest1
., Al

Tor the past two years the svste-
natic al cruising resorted to bv some
OF the southwestern States and Ter.
RIItories-obtalnlng more method in
Kansas than in any other StateEbas
largely diverted the tide of immipra.
tion IN that direction. One of the
principal reasons urged by those who
seek to divert Immigrants to the lat.
lVude OF Missouri and Kansas il the
advantage those States possess over
thoSe further north in having mild
ef climate and shorter winters.
The investigation of the climate.
question, we think, will disabuse the
Puolic mind iii reference to some com.
monty accepted theories which we
regard as error.
Ii we consult the history of our
country from its earliest settlement,
no truth will be more apparent than
'nat the pest muscular ability, the
most stirring mental activity and the
greatest material wealth. have been
eEe.elCPed between the fortieth and
forty-tlfth degrees of latitude. And
the reason for this arises from natural
the following: ''n aie
Ihere as more time for a,roftobLe
TABOR an this than tn q more s0xt6ern
tDtstade. While our summers NAV
De- to some extent, shorter than those
OF the adjoining States south. vet
they are sufficiently long to raise the
great staples upon which, more than
any other, civilized society is de-
pendent. Corn, wheat, oats, hay.
ana all the common root crops, with
the principal fruits, cannot be raised
10 greater advantage or with less
labor In any other climate. And while
our winters are colder, this fact is in
many respects an advantage to the
producer. All locomotion for bust
ness Is more completely prevented
ny the exlgencies of a Kansas than
an Iowa winter. The ground is GEN
orally so steadily frozen in Iowa that
the roads become excellent, allowing
the farmer, in this otherwise leisure
season. to wagon his produce to mar
Ket In Kansas and Missouri the
constant recurrence frain, sleet and
snow, alternating with freezipo and
tnIaWlng, almost entirely precIudes
all teaming and wagon h auling during
the winter months.
mr. advantages for stock raising
ore eQ"0t to q more southern Lotitato1e.
lnls may seem somewhat paradox
cal but 1t is nevertheless true. There
Is no climate In the United States.
unless in our extreme southern States
land those are generally poor stock
growing regions from other causesl
where stock does not require to be
fed and ought not to be housed in
winter. And so long as this is nee
essary 1t makes but little difference
whether the stock is fed a few DAYS
more or less time. And when we
consider how apt men are to trust
luck Tor mild winter and an earlv
spring, and thus neglect to provide
sutticlent feed for a hard winter
which is as likely to come as a mild
one, 1t will indicate the causes which
frequently result in such great losses
OF STOCK further south. 1t is well
known to farmers that dry cold eli.
mate Is better for stock than a eli
mate subject to alterations of sleet.
rain and snow.
me soa Of Ioa0o IS more generulh,
.1eT1s<e nan that Of Kansas. In Dor
tlons OF Kansas the good farming
lands are confined to the river hot.
toms, while the high lands on the
blutfs are inferior for grain raising. and
the whole is subject to great drouths.
There is scarcely rood of land in
Iowa but what is valuable for some
purpose OF general farming.
Ihe healthtulaess of our climate is
beyond question. More southern lat.
ltudes are subject to malarious dis
eases. From these Iowa is as clear
as any State on the continent.
These are only a few of the rea-
sons which indicate the folIy of q
citizen of Iowa who breaks up a good
home and goes off in the vain search
for better climate.
Our State onght to advertise its
advantages more thoroughly at home
and abroad and not only the State
out the railroad companies ought to
OTTER such inducements to colonies as
would turn portion of the tide of
immigration in this direction. The
greeley Colony, in Colorado, has
mad unparalleled success, and it is
the fore-runner of others now form
ing on similar principles in the East.
we ought to secure the settlement
OF some of these in Iowa.