STOCK — CATTLE RANGE. 471 



The first settlement in tlie county was made on Little 

 Sioux river in 1857. There were but few families in the 

 county until after the Illinois Central railroad was built from 

 Dubuque to Sioux City, in 1869. 



ADVANTAGES. 



No county in the United States produces better crops of 

 grass or grain than Buena Vista county, with the same outlay 

 in farming. The amount of grain and fat stock shipped from 

 the county is astonishing. 



The climate is unsurpassed for health] and salubrity. 

 Spring opens here generally in the latter part of March, and 

 first frosts are had about the first of October. I liave resided 

 in this county ten years, and have never seen a frost 

 sufficient to kill vines earlier than the middle of September. I 

 have never seen a thaw in Winter sufficient to make muddy 

 roads except once. 



STOCK. 



Hogs are the principal stock raised. My favorite breed is 

 the Poland China. Within the last two years there has been 

 a very large increase of cattle in the county, thousands of 

 young cattle having been shipped in from the eastern part 

 of the State. There came during the Winters of 1879 and 

 1880 many herds of from fifty to two hundred head. 



CATTLE KANGE. 



Iowa enables any county in the State, by a vote of the 

 people of the county, to compel every one to take care of his own 

 stock, thus saving hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to 

 every farmer by dispensing with fences, except such as each 

 farmer may see fit to build to care for his own stock. A law- 

 suit has never been brought against any owner for the 

 trespassing of stock in consequence of poor division fences or 

 otherwise. 



No country in the world offers such inducements to a poor 

 man to commence farming in as does northwestern Iowa. 

 Good land can be had of railroad land companies at from five 

 to ten dollars an acre, and the farmer with a good pair of 



