Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-01-07
Che fteemau.
For he Freeman.
Eptter from Iowa.

IDA GRONE, lul 20, DEC. 3D. ~.
.Nr. Editor: Again we address the
FREEMAN from new locality, having
been called from our former residence in
Minnesota by the grim monster death
who en- cred our home and broke the fam
ilv circle; and we now find ourselves To-
Gated in this county, with the family o.
Mr.. Harrison Hackett, n former residen
Of Washington county, VT.
We will cndcavor 10 give your readers
some idea Of this portion Of the great west
Ida county is in the western part of The
state, some forty miles from the Missour
rive, and although Of comparatively re
cent settlement, is considered one of tht
most tlourishing and prosperous countie,
in the state. 1t consists of high rolling
prairie, intersccled with numerous small
creeks, and the soil is extremely fertile
we'll adapted 10 farming purposes, tht
raising of wheat, corn, oats and barley
and ii is also admirably fitted for the rails
ing of stock of all kinds, of which ther,
IRE now immense herds in the county
During the past few years the average
yield Of wheat has been over twenty
bushels per acre, and of corn from fifty tt
sixty bushels.
There are here some that would be call
ed large farmers in Vermont, owning
from four hundred TO two thousand acres
and harvesting from two thousand to siA
thousand bushels of wheat, and mucl
larger quantity of corn. 1t is nothing
uncommon to see one man own herd o.
five bundled cattle, and the swine are no
enumerated but weighed, and are disposed
of at any season of the year by live weight
Ida Grove is our county seat, and is
lively, growing, business place. railroac
passing through the town. giving til,
county good and ready market.
Our religious and educational privileges
are gool-much better than in some Of the
older portions OF the state. The cause O
temperance is gaining ground.
Unimproved lands in the county from
second owners can now be bought at from
five to eight dollars per acre, and improv
I'd farms, all under cultivation. will
buildings, are sold ut from twelve t.,
eighteen dollars per acre. The cost OF
wild land, together with the cost Of break
ing. can be paid from the proceeds of the
first crop.
We have had 10 snow this winter, but
few days Of cold weather, the thermom.
eter in some instances sinking below zero
We d. not expect any snow, and shall
probably commence seeding in February
or the first Of March, at least.
This is healthy clinn.e-no fever and
ague or other epidemics. School hous,
dot the prairies in all directions, and. in
fact, we see nothing 10 hinder this county
in the far west, as we know that many oi
the settler are rapidly increasing their
mater inl wealth. The only draw back tina,
the writer can see to the future greatness
of this section is the lack of timber, anC
this is not considered drawback here, as
coal is good substitute here, and timber
Can be raised in u short time.
All the produce of the farmers now
br ngs n cery high price for this county,
wheat, one dollar ten cents per bushel
corn, twenty-five to twenty-eight cents
pork about four dollars per hundred, live
weight, and other products are equally
remunerative.
Today being Christmas, VIC extend ;
hearty greeting to the proprietors, employ
es and readers Of the FREEMAN.
l.. u. {.