CONTENTS. V 



Plan of managing Eight Thousand Acres. Onarga. Its Neighbourhood. 

 Dairy Farming. Artesian Wells. Kankakee to Momence. Price of Land. 

 Broom Corn. Country from Momence to Monee. Management and Produce 

 Monee to Chicago 69 



LETTER VII.. 



Boil and Climate of Illinois. Nature of Prairie Soil. Its Chemical Composition. 

 Rich in Nitrogen. Wheat Culture and Produce. Indian Corn. Facility 

 of Culture. Oats. Barley. Sorghum. Substitute for Sugar-cane. Potatoes. 

 Stock Farming. Prairie Grass. Blue Grass. Timothy .... 80 



LETTER VIII. 



Average Prices of Agricultural Produce in Illinois. Cost of Labour. Cost of In- 

 dian Corn in England. Cost at which Pork may be raised by it. Profit of 

 Farming in Illinois. Detailed Example. Lands of Illinois Central Railway. 

 Advantages of their Position. The Company's Terms of Sale for Cash or 

 Credit. Exemption from State Taxes till paid for. Comparison between 

 Farming in England and owning Land in Illinois. Capital necessary to start 

 one Farmer in England sufficient for four Land Owners in Illinois. Profits of 

 Sheep Farming. Lands farther West only apparently cheaper. Great Oppor- 

 tunity for Farm Labourers of Character and Skill. Farming by Shares. 

 Facility for investing Money in Land. Even the Labourer can so invest his 

 Savings from Time to Time. Prospects of Emigrants from Towns . . 87 



LETTER IX. 



The Ague : Opinion of a leading Physician. Easily curable. Wisconsin. 

 Life-guardsman turned Implement Maker. Success of Emigrants. Madison. 

 Milwaukee. Its Trade Facilities. Schools. Public Buildings. Catholic 

 Church. Western Shore of Lake Michigan. General Nature of Country. 

 Green Bay. Early French Settlements. Their Hold in the North- West. 

 Character of various Races of Settlers. Price of Land. Its Value dependent 

 on cheap Access. Interest of Money. Credit low. " Custom" pleaded for 

 Abuses. London Carpenter's Experience as a Settler. The Mississippi. 

 Nails and Glass only allowed by American Government to their Surveying 

 Engineers. River Steamers. Anecdotes. Lake Pepin. St. Croix . . 95 



LETTER X. 



St. Paul's. Route to Red River. Minnesota. Daily Newspapers. Market 

 Place. Red Indians selling wild Ducks. American Militia. Fort Snelling. 

 Minnehaha. Falls of St. Anthony. Lands and Funds set apart for Public 

 Objects. The Credit System. Dubuque. Burlington. Iowa. Natural Ob- 

 stacle to Progress of Population Westwards. Wages. Nauvoo. St. Louia 

 in Missouri. Slave State. Iron Mountain. Relative Cost of Production 

 of British and American Iron .... 107 



