48 AGRICULTURAL NOTICES. 



rooted grasses, with which it is occupied, perhaps exhaust 

 rather than enrich it. First crops are seldom too luxuriant, 

 and land is said to improve after the breaking up of the 

 prairie. 



Agriculture embraces the growth of wheat and Indian corn 

 and the rearing of live stock ; but, from the limited number of 

 inhabitants, the cultivated fields form a mere speck on the sur 

 face of the prairie. The w T heat stubbles in the neighbourhood 

 of Springfield betokened luxuriant crops, and the height and 

 thickness of Indian corn filled me with amazement. At the 

 date of my visit, 23d September, most of this crop had been 

 severed from the earth, and was standing in conical piles on 

 the field, where it remains during winter, or until such time 

 as it is wanted. There are many kinds of Indian corn, differ 

 ing widely in habits of growth, and I was unable to determine 

 whether the uncommon luxuriance of that in this district was 

 owing to a particular variety, or congeniality of soil and cli 

 mate, but I supposed the latter. 



The herbage of the prairie, consisting of strong-rooted 

 grasses, is difficult to plough for the first time, and is com 

 monly accomplished with the aid of six oxen. The first 

 ploughing is sometimes performed by contract at $2 per acre. 

 The plough for breaking up the prairie is furnished with a 

 broad share, and cuts a turf seventeen or eighteen inches 

 broad, by two or three in depth. Indian corn is dropped into 

 every third furrow, a bushel being sufficient for ten acres, and 

 covered with the next cut turf. This crop receives no farther 

 cultivation of any kind, is termed sod corn, and said to yield 

 fifty bushels per acre. A wheat crop follows without a second 

 ploughing*, the soil being simply harrowed, receiving half-a- 

 bushel of seed, and yielding twenty-five bushels per acre. 

 When Indian corn is grown on land not newly broken up, it 

 is commonly planted on hills four feet square, and four seeds 

 are allowed to each hill. The grasses do not appear amongst 

 sod corn, and annual weeds are not often troublesome, until 

 after four or five years cultivation. 



I witnessed the process of seeding land with wheat, during 

 my visit to Mr Humphries. Four oxen were dragging a small 

 harrow, driven by his son, who left them standing while he 



