Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-02-29
For the REPUBLICAN.
FROM MISSOURI.
CAMERON. No. Feb. 81. -.

SAhLhONs NV, ICU- IL -.
EDS. REPUBLIcAN:-The season of
the year is approaching when many
of the Eastern people will be chang
ing their locality for homes in the
West, and if any of the readers of
REPUBLICAN are in the list, and think
ofemigrating to Northwest Missouri,
if you will allow me the use of your
columns, l will give them the bene-
fit of three years experience and
observation, SO as to enable them to
partially realize what is in store for
them, should they conclude to pitch
their tents in this part Of the Great
West. First, then, as to the
COUNTRY ITSELF.
Which is mostly Prairie, inter
spersed with belts of timber. The
Prairie is high and beautifully roll
ing, being naturally adapted to farm
ing purposes or stock raising. OF
timber, cannot speak so favorably;
there is probably enough for prac
tical purposes, if the distribution
were more equal. In some places
the Prairie stretches away in either
direction as far as the eye can reach; /;
in other places you think you are in
a wooden country" But what is
called 'tgood timber by the native
Missourian is only misnomer for
the gigantic trees of the East. There
is also to be found here a great deal
of''brush lands;" and although there
will be plenty of the finest Prairie
unbroken for years to come, yet
these same "brush lands" when
brought under cultivation, produce
the best Wheat.
The soil is a rich, black loan,
rang ing in depth from one to two
feet; the sub-soil is a tough, blue
clay, so compact apd impervious to
water, that cisterns need no cement
ing. All that is required, is to dig
a hole, wall it up like well, and In
very short time, without any filter
ing whatever, you will have water as
pure, sweet, and clear as the best
spring water.
PRODUCTION.
Ordinarily, all kinds of Grain do
well here. The year 1871 was sea-
sonable throughout,and we had mag
nifcent crops, except Barley, which
was nearly destroyed by the Chinch
bug. This little pest is one of the
greatest drawbacks the farmer has
to contend with. 1t is increasing
in numbers each year, and does not
confne its ravages to any particular
kind of grain. Fruit trees grow
rapidly here, and generally produce
an abundance of the finest of fruit.
Missouri can truly be said to be the
"Land of the vine."" Probably no
other State-except California-pro-
duces such lucious Grapes, and SO
abundant were they last year, that
they only brought from 2 to 8 cents
per pound in the markets. l come
now to speak of what 1 consider the
most Objectionable feature about
Missouri, and that is
THE CLIMATE:
Which is rather too changeable
for comfort, or the enjoyment of
good health. Our Summers are
usually very pleasant, the hottest
days being accompanied by brisk
breeze, common to all Prairie coun-
tries. During the Winter we have
all kinds OF weather except rain,
which is almost entirely unknown at
this season of the year. The ab-
sence OF rain makes our Winters
very dry, which is one redeeming
feature in the case; the ground gen
orally freezes to great depth; our
roads become solid, dry and smooth.
1t is in the Winter that these
changes of which l speak most fire.
quently occur. To-day is warm and
pleasant-to-morrow may be ''cold
as Greenland" At noon the Their
mometer may indicate 40 degrees
and at sundown the Mercury may
be at zero, and the wind blowing a
hurricane from the Northwest, ,forci-
bly, reminding one of quotation from
Shakespeare, that "this is a bitter
and a nipping air.
PRICE OF LAND.
The price of land is governed al
together by circumstances, such as
location, distance from Rail Road,
surroundings, &c. Raw land may be
bought for So to $20per acre; i'm
proved farms from 500 to $50.
Farms Of fair improvements, from
to 7 miles from Cameron, can be
had for about $50 per acre.
CONCLUSIONS.
After residence Of three years in
Missouri, during which time l have
kept my "eyes and ears open," !
have come to this conclusion, which
1 think is nearly correct; he who
comes to this country to make farm
ing speciality, and thereby get
rich, will in a few years come to the
conclusion that he has committed
the great error of his life. There
are three things here that operate
against the farmer; first, the Chinch
bug, for which there is no known
remedy; second, the drouth, which
cannot be avoided; and third, dis
tance from market, high freights
and consequent low prices of Grain
and Produce which may, in time,
become regulated.
Stock raising is profitable bust
ness, but in order to carry 1t on sue
cessfully, man must go beyond the
borders of civilization, or have cap
ital sufficient to control a large tract
of land of his own.
Your readers will readily perceive
that l have given the dark as well as
the bright side to the picture, pre-
ferring to present the matter in its
true light rather than to give the
best side fancy coloring, and then
allow each one to decide for himself.
J. c. G.
1
SINGULAR DEVOTION.
A correspondent of the Monon-