52 FARMING ON THE PBAIEIE 



corn is another of the many excellent purposes subserved by 

 that most productive of all grain. 



Crossing the Illinois Eiver at La Salle by a viaduct 2000 

 feet in length, and 80 feet above the bed of the stream, we had 

 a fine view of the limestone bluffs which here rise to a height 

 of 200 feet. After a run southwards of some sixty miles, I 

 stopped at Bloomington, which is within the district of what is 

 usually reckoned the richest territory in the State. At this 

 flourishing and pretty town I had the good fortune to obtain 

 the guidance of a gentleman of much intelligence and local ex- 

 perience, who unites in his own person the various functions 

 of banker, lawyer, judge, and colonel. We spent the day in 

 riding over the country, and in looking at the farms and talk- 

 ing with the settlers. They were men chiefly from the State 

 of New York, and were all complaining of the last wheat har- 

 vest as a nearly total failure. One of the pioneers of the set- 

 tlement thus told me his story. He came here four years ago, 

 and was so much pleased with the land and situation, that he 

 advised his neighbours in the State of New York to follow his 

 example. He purchased 2,500 acres of as fine prairie as can 

 be desired. The first two. years everything was successful. 

 He grew more than thirty bushels of wheat an acre on the 

 newly broken land, and sold it for 5s. a bushel. He was thus 

 tempted to lay out the money as fast as he made it, in enclos- 

 ing and breaking more. The autumn before last he sowed 800 

 acres with wheat ; 600 of it was killed by frost, the snow that 

 winter being so light as not to cover it. He ploughed this up 

 and sowed again with spring wheat, which succeeded admirably. 

 Last autumn he laid down 600 acres with wheat, but was 

 somewhat late and out of season in getting it sown. The 

 spring proved unprecedentedly wet, the wheat was late in ma- 

 turing, extreme hot weather set in, and his wheat, which till 

 then looked well, was in one week rendered nearly worthless. 



