76 BEMEN. ONARGA. 



than six bushels an acre. The Indian corn was a tolerable 

 crop. He is now sowing out his land as fast as he can, his 

 present plan being to have it all in blue grass, timothy, and 

 clover, except about 1000 acres, which is to be kept under In- 

 dian corn for fattening his cattle. He then hopes to be able 

 to sell 1000 fat cattle annually, and, if he can succeed in this, 

 his purchase will prove extremely remunerative. The blue 

 grass I find everywhere spoken of as best adapted for the 

 prairie. It is sometimes sown on the fresh prairie after the 

 grass has been burnt off, the ground being first well harrowed. 

 But though this occasionally succeeds, the process of breaking 

 up the prairie and sowing it out after one or two corn crops is 

 preferred. Turnips are grown here as an experiment with fair 

 success. Sown after wheat harvest, the roots are now 2 to 3 

 Ibs. weight. Large tracts of land are for sale here at prices 

 from 40s. to 50s. an acre. 



Keturning from Bement to Urbana I drove through a fine 

 rich rolling prairie country, the larger proportion of which is 

 still open and unoccupied. A nurseryman has established near 

 the railway line a very thriving and extensive nursery of va- 

 rious fruit and forest trees, the thriving condition of which suf- 

 ficiently proves the capability of the prairie soil for the growth 

 of fruit trees and ornamental timber. 



Taking the railway at Urbana I again proceeded about for- 

 ty miles farther north to the station of Onarga, a rising town 

 on a fine prairie, which seems all dotted over with neat two- 

 story houses. I visited a good many recent settlers in this 

 neighbourhood, most of them men with no previous experience 

 of a country life, and without any knowledge whatever of the 

 practical details of farming. These persons were all disheart- 

 en%d by the failure of the wheat crop. But others again, who 

 had been brought up to farming and understood their business, 

 were hopeful and making every exertion to ensure success. 



