DEKAB, KANE AND DUPAGE COUNTIES. 125 



west, in the towns of Rutland and Hampshire, which are reported to have also 

 been used to a slight extent. 



Agriculture, etc. The principal varieties of soil, etc., in this district, were 

 briefly mentioned in the beginning of the present chapter. The prairie soil, 

 which covers the greater portion of the surface, does not differ from the aver- 

 age in this part of the State. It is always productive, and yields good crops by 

 proper tillage. Although a few comparatively poor sections may be found, yet, 

 as a whole, in the elements of material prosperity, it is not behind any other 

 territory of equal extent in this part of Illinois. The nearness and the easy 

 accessibility of most parts, by means of the several railroads, to the great com- 

 mercial metropolis of the northwest, adds greatly to its other advantages. 



Water is readily obtained by sinking wells to depths varying from ten to 

 fifty feet, and very rarely more. The supply here comes largely from water 

 veins in the gravel beds or seams, which traverse the clays or hard-pans of the 

 Drift. It is only in extraordinarily dry seasons that any inconvenience is felt in 

 the want of a sufficient supply of water for stock. 



