AND WHERE TO FIND ONE. 253 



CHAPTER XI. 



The West Illinois, and the Central Railroad Lands Climate, 

 Soil and Productions Vine Growing in Missouri Free Lands 

 in the Territories. 



THE vast region popularly known as &quot; The West,&quot; 

 has been so often travelled by thousands from the 

 older States, and so repeatedly described in print, 

 that all must have a general knowledge of its char 

 acter and capabilities. Little, therefore, remains 

 for me on these subjects, than a compilation of de 

 tails appropriate to the matter in hand where to 

 find a farm. 



In the year 1850 Congress granted to the Illinois 

 Central Railroad Company 2,595,000 acres of land, 

 to aid in building a railroad which would open up 

 to sale and settlement a much greater adjoining 

 area belonging to Government, most of which had 

 been many years in market without finding pur 

 chasers, even at the low price of a shilling per acre. 

 The quality of the land thus so long for sale was 

 undoubted. It was prairie and rolling land of well 

 ascertained fertility, but, like the long neglected 

 soil of Long Island and of certain portions of New 

 Jersey and Delaware, was effectually shut out from 

 public approach for want of railroads. Mr. Gree- 



