The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-02


and the fields have better color. Those who
have had considerable experience IN wheat
raising here predict an unusually large yield
from the early sowing, and should the weather
continue az favorable as it has thus far been
they say the late sowing will come out nearly
If not quite as good as the early. Should this
prediction prove true 1t Will settle the fact
that this grand country will raise a crop no
matter what the season may be. We have now
had three extreme seasons. Two years ago
was the dryest season ever known here. Last
season was the wettest and this the latest and
coolest Yet each of the first two years pro
duccd an average crop, and the prospect is ia
vorable for full average crop this year.
We are now in the midst of the breaking
season. Thousands of acres are being broken
up in every direction. New buildings are
sprnging up all around me and new neigh
bors occupying them; all preparing for big
put in" next spring. The area sown this
spring will be about double that of last spring
and next spring will more than thribble the
extent of plowed lands. Wilkin county,
which four years ago had scarcely dozen
farmers in 1t, bids fair in four years hence to
be the banner wheat growing county in the
state Her lands are unsurpassed for fertility
and her wheat always No. IN quality.
There IS one thing remarkable about this
country, and that is we never have any de-
structive cyclones or tornadocs in the Red
River Valley We frequently have very high
winds but they generally blow steadily either
from the north, northwest or northeast We
seldom have a high wind from the south.
We are north of the cyclone line. Cyclones
are caused by two strong currents OF wind
meeting from opposite directions, and as those
currents start from the equator towards the
poles and from the poles towards the equator,
their meeting point is far south of here. They
attain their greatest momentum in belt some
/ 900 miles wide extending east and west, the
center line of which is supposed to run not
far from st. Louis. Hence cyclones scarcely
ever occur beyond 500 miles south or north
of this line, A steady heavy north wind here
almost invariably is followed by destructive
atmospheric disturbances IN Iowa, Nebraska,
Kansas, Missouri, Southern Wisconsin and
Illinois The recent fearful tornadoes in those
states were preceded by furious northeast and
north winds here; and the same was the case
last summer when Southern Wisconsin was so
severely stricken with tornadoes. AS cyclones
evolve large amount Of electricity, they are
liable to be affected by large water courses.
Hence their frequency along the Mississippi,
Wisconsin and Ohio rivers; water courses be.
ing powerful conductors The Red River of
the North compared with the above named
rivers is little more than mill brook. 1T
does not therefore produce the same effect
immigration still continues to pour into
this country at a wonderful rate. Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, Canada, England and Ger.
many are daily sending in hundreds of sturdy
farmers who are filing up Dacotah and this
state with wonderful rapidty. Almost daily
vast herds of cattle pass along here on their
way to more northern regions; and the never
ending train of cmigrant wagons day after day
drudges along over this wide PLAIN to regions
in the far north, 1t can take but few years
more and this whole northwest will be as
thlckly settled as Illinois Is nov. Railroads
are forcing their lines IN from all directions
and with each comes cloud of settlers, all
grabbing for the best lands. Towns and cities
are sprlnging up as by magic in regions
where but few years or months ago the butra-
10 and Indian held unmolested sway NJ. o.