Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-07-11
Letter From Iowa.

Letter From Iowa.
We reprint the following letter from a
former lady resident of Montpelier to the
Messenger:
TRAvELAND, Iowa, June 18, 1877.
DEAR OLD MESSENGER: Occasionally
some kind friend sends us copy of the
old paper, so familiar to us, over whose
pages week after week for more than five
years we were wont to look-wrting the
thousand names of people, into whose
homes it made its weekly visits, until the
name VERMONT CHRISTIAN MESSENGER is
to us as IL hallowcd memory, which shall
never pass away. Fancy oft times paints
the old office, its cases of type and COM
postors-the old form locked ready for the
press-the old arm chair, where one so
dear to us, and who was honored and loved
by many of your readers, used to sit
writing thoughts which live in our hearts
to-day; making US better and leading us in
paths that shall fit us for the I" better and
higher lfe." Methinks he will be waiting
at the portal, to greet us, when Christ shall
open for us, the heavenly gates.
To-day sitting alone in my home, so far
from you, l thought might reach many
friends (who, trust, think ofus yet, though
dwelling in land Of strangers) through
your columns. Iowa is not Vermont -
though the portion of it where we are is
not level rs are the prairie lands of other
Western States-the land is rolling, and
some Of our bluffs would pass for pretty
steep hills with you. | can stand in the front
door of our home and see more than thou
sand acres of corn-and that within an area
Of two or three miles. To your readers who
never saw anything but the grand old
mountains and narrow wales Of Vermont,
this may seem large story, nevertheless
it is true. Farmers here cultivate large
fields of small grain and corn-some small
farmers eighty, and one hundred and six
ty, acrcs-while large land owners from
two or three hundred to II thousand or
more acres. Could we crib our corn in
New England instead of Iowa, we would
soon be wealthy-but the average price of
corn here is 25 cents-even at these fig
ures it pays better than small grain.
The spring and summer thus far have
been cold and wet - storms are storms
with us, especially this year-it has seem
ed as if the heavens had opened and pour
ed torrents upon us, until, if il had not
been for His promise. who is Truth and
Righteousness, we might have feared an
other flood. wish | could paint for you
one of these storms-I fear it is impossi-
bic. The day may be clear, when sudden
ly you will hear the roll of the thunder,
muttering in the distance-perchance Il
small cloud Just visible in south or west
soon you will see II long line Of lleecy
clouds rapidly rising, one piled above the
other, until they seem like mountains of
snow-moving generally very fast--un-
derneath these the heavens will be of inky
blackness, and oft times still another mass
of clouds beneath, assuming a greenish
tint-this brings men from the field, and
we hurry out to fix up the chickens, ducks
and turkeys, covering up and weighing
down their coops sometimes before we
can get ready for it, the wind will strike
us making it policy to seek shelter in the
house. Oh! how the wind will blow, and
the rain pour; III assure you there is no
gentlcness in such storms-buL It's Nature
in one of its awful yet sublimest moods
As " child once burned breads the fire" ="
so we flee to the cellar sometimes, fearing
another tornado. Some seasons since we
have been in Iowa the storms have been
light-others they have been fearful.
Small grain looks well, but the grass
hoppers are at work upon it, and will des-
troy great deal if not all of it. They de-
posted their eggs with us last fall, and
now there are millions of them in this part
of Iowa. They hatch and develop rapidly,
and us they grow, eat all before them,
their instinct telling them where the fields
of grain are. When about half grown
) they look like bees, resembling them in
color; also, they gather in clusters, and in
passing field of grain II stranger might
easily mistake them for swarm of bees
A stalk of grain will be literally covered
with them; they eat the blades and heads.
leaving the stalk. Vegetables, such a'
onions, cabbages, turnps &C., &c., they
are very partial to, and usually destroy all
gardens that are in their course. Farmers
) are discouraged and in many instances dis
D heartened. All we can do is to plant and
sow, and then trust-G1d knows what is
best.
Il | had intended to speak Of our school,
c and religious privileges, but my letter is
e long enough may speak Of them Il
D some future day.
KATIE +. d. MORSE.