St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-02-08
A WESTWARD GLANCE.
Ooothwestern Iowa . Gratlfying Revela.
tiOn Of Pastoral Beauty.

Ooathwestern Iowa . Gratifying Revela
tiOn Of Pastoral Beauty.
To those who have lived all their live.
In hilly Or mountainous country or oi
the level lands of the Middle States thu
landscape OF Southwestern Iowa is 8
gratifying revelation Of pastoral beauty
Everywhere, ia every direction, to the
bounds of the far horizon, the distinctive
feature is the rolling prairie, but sufii
ciently diversified by village. farm and
pasture to avoid mOnotony and rcpeti
tion. This landscape is restful to the
eye. There are no harsh surfaces, NJ
sharp lines, no startling contrasts
| Nature was in her most leisurely and
tranquil mood when she fashioned this
beautiful region. Everywhere is sim
plicity, with symmetry and strength.
Blue grass is king of the region. The
bluegrass pasture predominates, but is
always adjoined by the cornfield. The
farmer of Southwestern Iowa produces
moro than enough Of small grain for his
own use, but his hay and cattle and
swine arc the products which he knows
will bring him wealth and independ-
ence. 1t is the diversity OF products
which creates the diversified landscape
OF Southwestern Iowa, and gives it a
rural feature peculiarly its own. Even
the villages and larger towns illustrate
the rural character Of the region. Ex-
cepting the earlier vegetables and fruits,
which are improved during the early
spring season, the tOwnspeople gener-
ally produce their own vegetables and
small fruits
There is no soil in the world moro
kindly to the common vegetables. On
account OF this enormous production in
the towns, the price of vegetables is
very low. especially potatoes, which
often retail as low as ten cents per
bushel. The rural villagcr, and fire.
quently the man in town. keeps a cow
and produces his own milk and butter.
The aggregate Of these results is rural
region of remarkable productivcness and
fertility, where the actual necessarics of
life are as cheap as anywhere in the
world, and where pauperism and crime
are rarely known.
This soil of Southwestern Iowa is
black. rich loan. somewhat impregnated
with sand and lime, and old kentuckians
say in this respect it much resembles
their famous bluegrass region. In wet
seasons it has been noticeable that the
yield Of grass and hay was enormous,
and upon the uplands no amount of rain
except floods and washouts could dcs-
troy the certainty Of a good crop Of corn
and small grain. But the past two sea-
sons Of extreme. drought, unprecedented
in the history Of this region, has brought
out another wonderful feature of South
west Iowa and that is the fact that few
can stand drought SO well.
The total railroad milage Of South
western Iowa approximates 900 miles.
Until recently Chicago has been almost
the exclusive market of the products of
this region, and this great city is now
less than twenty-four hours ride from
the center of Southwestern Iowa by the
fast trains. The marvellous
of the packing industries
Of Omaha and Kansas City. however, has
created new and more accessible mar
kets for the products OF the region. es-
pecially the pork product. and it is only
the question of . few years when these
young cities will also afford the most de- |
,irable markets for the beef and mutton
of the Iowa bluegrass region.
The wonderful development of Kan
'as City. ST. Joseph, Omaha and Council |
Bluffs has sapped the vitality of every
small city or town in Southwest Iowa.
Many Of their best mechanics have been |
lrawn to these larger fields of works by
he extraordinary demand for skilled
abor and, finding steadier employment |
It better wages, have removed with their
antilles to these cities. But these losses
o the towns have been more than corn.
by the permanent markets they
lave created for the live-st0o1A farm
'rOduce and fruit of the regi6M
Everywhere in the country are school
lOuses. The horizon is broken by fire..
Iuent church spires. The towns and
tiles have high-schools and academies
md occasionally a college or great
University. These Indicate
hat the epeople Of Southwestern Iowa
re building on sure founda ations.-Cos-
nOpolitan.