New-York tribune., 1880-01-16
SErrLLNG UPON rLunERED LANnG

For nearly half a century the attractions Of
The rich prairics Of the West caused foreign
immigrants and the migratory portion Of
our native population TO overlook, IN their
search for now homes. the unsettled hmOered
Lands il The older port Ons Of the Union. The
spirit Of the hardy old pioneers who hewcd
their farms out OF the dense forests
of Western New York. Pennsylvania. Ohio
and Kentucky seemed for time 10 have van
ished People wanted TO find fields all ready
FOR the plough, and as Nature bad prepared
milton. of such acres for their use, there
seemed 10 reason why thcy should struggle
with the forests. Within tie last few
years. hoveye., as Western settlement has
advanced to the region of drouths and
eI,s .hop,ers, thc Disadvantages OF the
rrairics bccia to be weighed more care
fully ju comparison with their advantages, and
the merits or miuy woodland district. when
have been skipped in the race for the West
are better understood. The hard times, too,
threw many Iu3u ustrious people out OF work
who hcroi-ally set about winning for them
selves independent BONES from the for
c-ts near bv, which lad before been
though, valuable only Tor lamber and fuel.
THUS the process of clearing land began
arew m maay of the Older States. Ia
Nene. for cx pu'c. thousands of new farms
haye been opened, and te wheat crop has Sd
largely increased ,ia. the Sa.e moss almost
supplies ij-e.i with tonr, instead of buying
nearly half It. supply in tle West as /. used
90 ao. Weston New-lora and Northern
peuu-llv-uia show thr u.rs of ,hc Same
movement. lur whole ol Northern Gicl-
i.an rc-w1s v.h us vo53mau's aAe.
Nov counties h,y. been organized, new
torn. have sprnnr up. new railroads. have
been buil, ia ID region which Wtd recently
WaS an ubro,cu wilderness. In The Black
swamp coun,i~s of uorthV stern ONO, where
the only faut that can be found with the
land is that IL is too rich, large districts have
been cl,arodal settled. Eatcrlii-.- are on foot
for an ORGANIZED .e'HcWcnt OF thc great Cum
IIlaua Paicau, of Tennessee whore there aie
hundreds of thousands Of aces of h,htly-tim-
hel.daad oasiyuilcdllul.. The KentucaYc0i-
ci,ls are trying 80 1t the world know that t'eic
are immense fertile areas In the eastern por-
u.u oi t,3t S.tte. which VII be almost si' en
away to people who Will take tAe timber of
and MAKE farms for then selves. West Yil-
cinia hold. o1t Just rs good Inducements. y
scheme for settling the mountains OF western
Nauh Carolina with Swiss immigrants is max
ing progress, AMI promises important results.
From all This We may draw the encouraging
conclusion that orr reserves OF fertile land
vu by no means De exhausted when thc
plg.us cf lhc Far Wes. ave peoplcd We may
fud. too, in Ills ucv tendency 10 srpplc
with the hariships of pioneer lie in the woods
proof that the old hard'hood, patience and
couraer which made orr ancestors delight in
the rude tax Of subduiug toe wilderness, GO
their use still survive. The settlers upon
nmtcrd lands have advantages in the
steam saw-mill tAc stump-pu.Ime machine,
aul many other itbor-~aylre Inventions which
tac last generation know nothing oi . lut tl'e
labor of converting forest. into suco.h fields
rs siill very esat. Taero is compensation.
however, III the feet that tbe soil which gtows
big trees Nil grow big crcps, ana ihc work
Of preparing IL for cultivation i, lishiou,d ass !;
advances 10y the health and sturdncss II de
yci0ps.