130 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



part of this nursery consisted of "Black Locust, Locust Vine, Honey- 

 suckle, Althea, Lilac, Roses, a great variety, and Evergreen Myrtle." 

 Think of that, you publishers of three or four special catalogues ! 



THE NEW ERA. 



But in the region of 1840 we begin a new era. The Bryants and 

 Samuel Edwards established themselves in Bureau county ; John A. Ken- 

 nicott and M. L. Dunlap settled in Cook, and Louis Ellsworth in DuPage. 

 The Overmans came to Fulton ; O. B. Galusha and S. G. Minkler came 

 to Kendall ; Robert Douglas to Lake ; Jabez Capps to Logan : the Whit- 

 neys to Lee : Jonathan Huggins, A. A. Hillard and J. A. Pettingill to 

 Macoupin ; Dr. B. F. Long, the Starrs and Dr. E. S. Hull to Madison ; 

 Tyler McWhorter to Mercer; Prof. J. B. Turner to Morgan; Edson 

 Harkness to Peoria; Smiley Shepherd to Putnam; Dr. L. S. Pennington 

 to Whiteside, and Dr. Geo. Haskell to Winnebago. Here again is an 

 imperfect list, which should, I suspect, be a good deal increased by the 

 names of some whose date of settlement I do not know. 



At this time there was a quickening of agricultural life all along the 

 line. Immigration came in rapidly. The Union Agricultural Society 

 and other organizations of a kindred character were formed. The Union 

 Agriculturist, later The Prairie FariJier, began to be published, and elic- 

 ited the experience, the hopes and the aspirations of the more cultivated 

 part of our new settlers. It was the morning time of agricultural life in 

 our then new and beautiful Prairie State ; and these young fellows I have 

 been naming, as they gazed over the broad and balmy wastes of flowers, 

 were doubtless as enthusiastic, as positive and as hopeful as it is the pre- 

 rogative and happiness of youth to be. "The world seemed all before 

 them where to choose." " Fair as the garden of the Lord," the beauti- 

 ful valleys and oak-crowned eminences of the Rock and Fox rivers were 

 spread out towards the sunset. Along the picturesque bluffs of- the Illi- 

 nois, and on the broad bosom of the Mississippi, brooded the spirit of 

 romance and adventure, of high hope and undefined purpose, wherewith 

 youth invests even the commonplaces of life. " The unshorn fields, 

 boundless and beautiful," were doubtless peopled by these young enthu- 

 siasts, in their fancy, with a new population. Like Cobbler Keezar, they 

 had their vision. The lines of the landscape, in their imagination, 



" Wece broken 



By many a steepled town, 

 By many a white-walled farm-house, 



And many a gamer brown. 

 * * * * 



" Yellow and red were the apples, 

 And the ripe pears russet brown, 

 And the peaches had stolen blushes 

 From the girls who shook them down. 



" And with blooms of hill and wildwood, 

 That shame the toil of art. 

 Mingled the gorgeous blossoms 

 Of the garden's tropic heart." 



