438 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



the appearance of the old orchards, it is evident that 

 somebody had been a long time here — not long enough 

 however to trim the fruit trees. In fact, while speaking 

 of this, I find a great many persons who contend that 

 peach trees are better without trimming. Of this, I can- 

 not say, but I certainly shall continue to trim mine, com- 

 mencing in the nursery. 



I don't know but I mentioned before, that the red 

 unctuous clay that is found with the lead, appears to be 

 conducive to the healthy growth of fruit trees. Who can 

 tell what is the fertilising quality it contains? The ap- 

 pearance of wheat still continues unpromising — and mills 

 few and far between. 



It may interest some of your readers who keep a memo- 

 randum of the weather, that I should give occasional 

 notes of the state of it at different times and places, so 

 that by reference, they can make comparisons. This 

 then, has been a fine sunny day, and mud fast drying up. 



Jan. 30, I passed Mine-la-Motte, situated in Madison 

 county, the oldest worked lead mines in the United States. 

 A tract of land, I believe 3 miles by 6, is owned, or rather 

 held under a somewhat doubtful title, (the claim being 

 disputed by the heirs of Reno, who was here in 1723,) 

 by a company who lease out the right of mining for one- 

 tenth of all the ore dug, and also the privilege of buying 

 all the miner's ore at a given price. Notwithstanding 

 these terms are considered hard by the miners, there ap- 

 pears to be a large number of them engaged, and some 

 eight or ten smelting furnaces in operation, and two 

 erecting for copper, which is also found here. Cobalt, 

 manganese and nickel, are also found, but not worked. 

 The land looks as poor as poverty, and shows but little 

 cultivation, and that of a corresponding quality, and if 

 I may judge from the appearance of the miserable little 

 block log cabins, and squalid children, the whole popula- 

 tion would be far better off if they were settled upon 

 some of the thousands of uncultivated acres of rich 

 prairie lying waste within a few day's journey of their 



