ONARGA. DAIEY FARMING. 77 



The first man we called on was a dairy farmer from the Eastern 

 States, an intelligent practical man who thoroughly understood 

 his business. He has had the same ill luck in his crop as other 

 people, but knows that risk of seasons is one of those risks which 

 farmers in all countries must more or less reckon upon. He 

 has a dairy stock of thirty-eight cows, and makes the milk into 

 cheese. He can sell his cheese on the spot at 42s. a cwt., 

 which is not far short of the average price realised by dairy far- 

 mers in Scotland, where the rent is higher than the price of land 

 in Illinois. He finds the natural prairie grass very productive 

 of milk till the month of September. His cows yield him 2 Ibs. 

 of cheese each, daily, during the period of good grass; and 

 they can be foddered very cheaply during the winter on prairie 

 hay. He expects to improve his stock and returns materially, 

 as he goes on, by providing succulent food for the autumn and 

 spring. 



The prairie in this district frequently rises to rounded hills, 

 which though more picturesque than the long gentle sweep of 

 what is termed a " handsome " prairie, is not so fertile. The 

 soil is much more sandy. There are several artesian wells 

 here. I saw one, the water of which was rushing up full, through 

 a four-inch pipe from a boring 127 feet deep. It was iron 

 tasted, but very wholesome, and is constantly pouring out at, 

 this rate. 



The last station at which I stopped to examine the country 

 was thirty miles farther north, at Kankakee, which is fifty-six 

 miles south of Chicago. From this thriving town I drove for 

 about twelve miles up the north bank of the river to a town 

 called Momence, and thence struck right through the prairie 

 for upwards of twenty miles to Monee, a station within thirty- 

 four miles of Chicago. The first part of the ride as far as AIo- 

 mence was through a very fine dry rolling prairie, which comes 

 down to the bank of the Kankakee river, a broad clear stream, 



