442 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



look as though they had been trimmed in all that time. 

 The question is often asked me, "should orchards be cul- 

 tivated in other crops?" I answer yes, always, until the 

 trees get big enough to take care of themselves. Grass 

 is injurious to young trees; though for the matter of 

 that, I don't think it is likely to injure them in this part 

 of Missouri; there is not enough raised to injure any 

 thing. Wheat still looks poor — has the appearance of 

 having just come up. 



From Jackson, I traveled the "dividing ridge;" all the 

 waters to the north and west, instead of running toward 

 the Missouri, run away from it and spread out in the 

 swamps of Arkansas. After leaving the ridge about a 

 dozen miles from Jackson, we have a swamp five miles 

 across, through which the water run ten feet deep dur- 

 ing the high water of last summer, not finding its way 

 back again to the river until it had wended its way per- 

 haps 200 miles through the swamps. This water leaves 

 the river a few miles below Cape Girardeau, in conse- 

 quence of the high bank that formerly kept it in its chan- 

 nel, having been washed away during the last season, 

 proving very injurious to many who found themselves 

 suddenly in possession of a new water power upon their 

 farms — rather an uncontrolable one to be sure — that in- 

 stead of serving to grind their corn, served them with 

 notice that they could not have any to grind. 



Across this swamp the road is partly through, not 

 over, a very soft black soil, and partly over a raised 

 causeway only 8 feet wide, and upon which, if two wag- 

 ons were to meet, I suppose one would have to drive over 

 the other, as there is but one chance in several miles to 

 drive round. 



From here to Benton, the land improves, and there are 

 some good farms; those of Mr. Hutson and Mr. Allen, 

 clerk of the county of Scott, being the best in appear- 

 ance. Crops, corn and tobacco. Benton is a town that 

 would not do much honor to the gentleman for whose 

 honor it was named. * * * Although it was night, I hur- 



