Litchfield enquirer., 1877-05-31
Agricultural.
LYONS, Iowa, Aug. 4. 1877.

LYONS, Iowa, Aug. 4. 1877. z
 ED. EEQ-I have just returned from a trip to the interior of the state and am amazed at the quantity and quality of the grains growing and being harvested.
 For eighty or Q hundred miles back from the river it seemed to me. that two thirds of the. whole country, was in corn. and thfes quafters of the balance in small grain, with here and there green spot of meadow or pasturage. though most of the hay is cut in sloughs and low ground.
 At times as we rose up an elevation overlooking large extent of country, the sight was truly magnificent, the whole country for 20 miles around seemed to be one vast grain field, beautifully varigated with shadesfof green and gold, dotted over in places thick with grain in shocks. and the ''sound of the, reaper abroad in the landpc& EC1~ N s { F
 Not the least interesting sight, was a couple of Marsh Haryesters following around in a field of heavy grain, each AA&81AA~1 rWAS4 SAAOG AuO11 Q NAANO@ Ss@A0 WY binders, all riding under an awning, and leaving the grain bound,, in heaps ready for shocking. The only improvement on this know of, is the "Headers," which cuts and loads the:grain at the same time; and, taken direct to the threshing machine it is:put through and hauled home in bags all the tams day. This requires large outlay of mcans and there may be. other drawback. for they have not come into very general use. g q. .s.-e.s--~lesst
 The improvements for gathering corn have not seemed to keep pace with other invsntions. Perhaps it is because the ne cessity is not as great. A fellow towns man went down East, last fall, to visit the old homestead, when he labored on farm when boy, and said they were carrying m thsif corn crop in 'fbushel baskets.p It will take something larger than that to move our crop this year. I met a man who said he planted corn on sod ground in 1SA6 and got good crop, and the same ground had been planted with corn every, year but two since, and it was still bear. ing good corn, without manuring or ex. tra care. heard of man, but did not see him, whom they call ''sod corn Char. ley" who bought piece of prairie, burn cd the sod ,cut holes in it with an ax, drop ped the corn in and grew so large crop. 1t paid for the land the first year and left . surplus. He was So. elatsd, he bought . large quantity of land around him and has bsen Hand poor" ever since. Anofh- CT nan said his corn grew SO tall and large he had to climb up three feet on the stalk to reach the ears, but this last statement I cannot vouch for. @ct
 I Av but few heads of cattle, and was told that sale hogs for fattening were very scarce. Nearer the interior of the state ths farmers club together, hire ''herder," and send their cattle vest upon the open prairie. to be return. cd in the Fall and fattened or range the harvested -cofn and other fields. h2;Ij
 In some places where wheat has been thrashsd it was yielding from 30 to S5 busheln on acre, and oats from 60 to 80; but I hink this is considsrabIy above the avsrsee- A farmer has just sold 2eo bushels of new wheat to one of our mill ers at $1.25 bushel. Barley is worth 50 cents; oats, 26 cents; and potatoes, 30 cents; and ''tame" hay $.7.Oo. The pros poets are, that corn and oats are going to bs very cheap. and the horses are not sor- ". . . A.B.