Year: 1859

throughout the Prairie States have died of
starvation this Spring, though Prairie hay
might almost anywhere have been put up
last Fall at a cost Of less than 81 per tun;
Minnesota, with perhaps the best soil for
Winter Wheat in America, is buying Flour
in Chicago by the thousand barrels; and /
hear from different sections Of this great
granary of nations-from Illinois, from To-
wa, from Missouri--of whole neighborhoods
destitute alike Of bread and of the where
withal to buy it. Unpropitious as last sea
son was, it does not fully explain this scar
city, especially of Fodder. trust the like
will never occur to need explanation again,


Coming down through Illinois from Chi
cago south-westwardly to Quincy (26S
miles) it was gratifying to see how general
are the effort and obvious resolve to look
starvation out of couutenance this year
Though the breadth of Winter Wheat was
but moderate, owing to the incessant rains
of last Autumn, it is plain that the farmers
began to plow and SOW as early as possible
this Spring, putting in, first Spring Wheat;
then Oats; latterly Corn; and they mean
to keep putting in Corn and Oats for a
month yet. In the Northern part of the
State, owing to the dry, warm weather,
Spring work was never before so forward !;
further South it has been delayed by rains;
but every hour is diligently improved. If
Illinois and Iowa do not grow far more
Grain this year than ever before, it will
hardly be the fault of the cultivators, for
they are bent on doing their utmost Con-
sidering their bad fortune last year, this
reSolute industry does them credit; but they
are generally in debt, out of money and al
most out of credit, and are making a final
stand against the sheriff. / heartily wish
them a good deliverance.


And despite the hard times, Illinois is
growing. There are new blocks in her ci-
ties, new dwellings in her every village, new
breakings on this or that edge of almost
every prairie The short, young grass is
being cropped by large herds of cattle,
whose improved appearance within the last
fortnight is said by those who have observ-
ed them from day to day to be beyond Gre
dence on any testimony but that of eye
sight. Here, every horse or OK that can
ever darkness or rain does not forbid; and,
by plowing the dryest ridges first & seeding
them; then taking the next dryest and
serving them just so, nearly every cultiva
tor can keep putting in seed at least four
days per week from March till June Many
will plant corn this year till the middle o
June and even later, unless compelled soon
er to deSSt in order to commence cultiVat
ing that first planted. Then cultivating viii
require every hour till harvesting begins:
and this (ncluding haying) will last till it
is full time TO plow for Winter Wheat. No
buster season was ever seen than this is to
be; from the Hudson to the Mississippi
you see four horses or oxen at work to one
in pasture; and there are thousand of far
mers who would plant or SOW a quarter
more, if they had grain to feed their teams
than they will now be able to do. There
are few travelling in the cars, few idling
about stores or taverns, but many in the
! fields. May bounteous Heaven smile OIL
their labors !


Illinois is just beginning to be cultivated
| presume she has no railroad along which
half the land within mile has ever been
touched by plow. Back from the roads
there is of course still less cultivation
probably less than a tenth of her soil has
ever yet been broken. Possibly one-fourth
of her spontaneous product of Grass may
now be eaten by animals that contribute
to the susteuance or comfort of man, though
| think one-sixth would be nearer the mark
She has far more Coal than Great Britain
far more than any other State-but has
hardly yet begun to mine it. Her Timber
is not so excellent T; she lacks Pine and all
the evergreens, but she is bountifully and
cheaply supplied with these from Michigan
and Wisconsin. Boards are sent through
her canal from Chicago to the Illinois, and
thence around by st. Louis and up the
Missouri to build houses in Kansas and
Nebraska. Her Timber, such as it is, pal
pably increases from year to year, and will
increase still more rapidly as roads and
plowings check the sweep of prairie fires
If her prairies were more rolling, they
would be dryer and could be worked earlier:
but then they would wash more, and prob,
ably have less depth and richnes of soil -
Doubtless the child is born who will see her
State of Ten Millions of People, 0ne
Million of them inhabiting her commercial
emporium,


stopped over night at Quincy, and took
the steamboat Pike at IL next morning
for Hannibal, 20 miles below. l had re-
peaLedly crossed the Mississippi, but this
was my first passage on it. The river is
very high, so that its banks are submerged
and the water flows under the trees which
line either shore. Islets covered with tree
and shrubbery abound the bluffs reced,
some miles on either hand and are softeneC
to the view by the deep green foliage
hardly clearing breaks the uniformity oI
the most tropical prospect though here
and there miserable little hut in the last
stages of decay tells where a chopper OF
steamboat wood held on until whisky or the
ague took him Off In food, as it Is, the
river is turbid, not muddy, and pursues its
course with delberatOn and gravity be-
fitting the majestic Father of Waters, to
whom with head bare and reverent spirit
wave a respectful adieu.


For our good boat has reached Hannibal,
the first point below Quincy at which the
Missouri bluff approaches the river, and
whence the valley of streamlet makes up
through the hills TO the broad level prairie.
Hannibal is pleasantly situated on the in-
tervale of the creek aud up the side Of the
klnR ID. l. a ht -