360 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



years of age, as it regards the works of civilized lif°, 

 when you bear in mind that all infants must "creep 

 before they walk" — and that but a small portion of the 

 first settlers in any new country ever read. 



The great object, apparently, of the great portion of 

 the cultivators, is to cultivate — no not cultivate — but to 

 plant the greatest quantity of land with the greatest pos- 

 sible amount, not of labor and attention, but of the care- 

 less, slovenly, skinning system; raising grain to waste 

 and straw to burn ; moving barns to get away from the 

 manure; sowing wheat in November, to prove how easy 

 it will die in March; sowing, and consequently reaping, 

 wheat and chess in equal quantities, just to see how easily 

 it can be separated in a good winnowing mill; keeping 

 cattle in winter for the purpose of getting hides to tan 

 in the spring. 



But understand me, this is not the universal system, 

 for "the spirit of improvement" is rapidly developing. 

 Improvvements in stock, tools and husbandry begin to be 

 seen ; farmers begin to think and read, and educate their 

 children to be proud of, and able to maintain the dignity 

 of their calling. 



Now, sir, having told you something of the "condition 

 and prominent features" of this region, need I say a word 

 as to "the prospects of agriculture" upon the great, rich 

 prairies of the West? 



It appears to me that every discerning reader will dis- 

 cern that the prospects of agriculture are almost incom- 

 prehensible. Who can imagine the amount of the pro- 

 ductions that the thousands of uncultivated acres will 

 bring forth, when all are brought under the dominion of 

 the husbandman who shall cultivate the land with scien- 

 tific skill? 



You, in the Empire State, should prepare for the com- 

 ing events, the shadows of which you may now see dimly. 

 If you intend to compete with the prairie farmer, who 

 cultivates land of surpassing fertility at a cost of only 

 a few shillings an acre for the purchase, you must break 



