SOLON ROBINSON, 1842 359 



called "barrens;" but why so called, when the soil is of 

 the best quality, I cannot explain. 



Between the above extremes of quality of prairie land, 

 there is of course almost every variety of soil suited to 

 the wants of the husbandman. There is one universal 

 characteristic — that is a deep, strong, grass sod, and a 

 mellow, loose, black vegetable mold. This has a depth 

 varying from five inches to five feet, and a substratum 

 varying from loose sand and gravel, of unknown depth, 

 to that of the stiffest yellowish clay, slightly mixed with 

 slate and sand gravel, or rather scales, and some few of 

 lime, which is of uniform compactness after leaving the 

 surface four or five feet, and requires to be dug up with 

 a mattock. This bed of clay uniformly rests upon beach 

 sand or gravel; it varies in thickness from one to sixty 

 feet; such is the character of the greatest portion of 

 prairie land. This clay land being almost impervious to 

 water, requires deep plowing and surface draining, and 

 will then grow wheat with the least labor or cost of any 

 other land in the world. 



Of course the same description of land will produce 

 all the other small grains and grasses (excepting a few 

 that flourish best in sand,) in untold quantities. 



Indian corn upon this variety of soil is only a medium 

 crop. But roots of every description usually cultivated 

 for feed in this latitude, and particularly Irish potatoes, 

 (what an Irish bull to call them so,) grow with great 

 luxuriance and richness. 



The natural grass of the prairie makes the best beef 

 ever eaten, and remarkably fine butter and cheese; it is 

 also good for hay. There is no description of land upon 

 which sheep do better. The outlet for the superabundant 

 productions that the immense tracts of prairie in this 

 region are capable of producing, is through the northern 

 lakes and New-York canals, and down the St. Law- 

 rence, &c. 



"The present condition of agriculture" in this region, 

 is such as you might expect in a country not a dozen 



