THE GENESEE FARMER. 



S13 



abundance in many parts of this country. It is a 

 very nutritious plant, nearly resembling the onion in 

 form and texture, having a sweetish and not unpalata- 

 ble taste. These tubers are eagerly sought by swine, 

 and during the winter and early part of the summer 

 furnish them an abundant supply. In the fall the 

 Oaks furnish a supply of mast. The only drawback 

 upon tlie raising of swine, is a tolerably "smart 

 sprinkle " of bears and wolves, who come in for a 

 share of the pigs, and not uufrequently make a draft 

 upon the more advanced grunters. 

 ^There are two varieties of bears in this country — 

 the black bear, similar to that found in the East, and 

 the grizzly, a much more formidable and dangerous 

 animal, although much inferior in size to the grizzly 

 bear of California. When wounded, or when the fe- 

 male is attended by her cubs, no animal is more 

 ferocious. 



The average weight of the animal when gTOwni is 

 from eight hundred to a thousand pounds. Their 

 great weight prevents them from climbing, and gives 

 the hunter a chance to escape their fury. 



Deer are found in great abundance in the Umpqua 

 valley, and elk are occasionally seen. The Umpqua 

 is a rapid stream, navigable only for a short distance, 

 and having a difficult entrance. 



Scottsburg is the only town of importance on the 

 Umpqua. It is situated near the mouth of the river, 

 and is the seat of consideral)le trade with the north- 

 ern mines. There is much valualjle land in this sec- 

 tion of country yet unoccupied, and emigrants are 

 beginning to appreciate the peculiar advantages which 

 this portion presents to an enterprising farmer. — fV., 

 of Willamette Forks, O. T., in the Maine Farmer. 



AGRICULTURAL QUALITIES OF XE- 

 BRASKA. 



The Cleveland Herald contains an interesting let- 

 ter from the Nebraska region, written by AViijjam 

 Walker, an intellighnt and worthy half-breed, and 

 tlie chief of the AVyandot Indians, from which we 

 make the following extract: 



" As far as I have been able to make observation 

 on cultivated lauds, I have no hesitation in affirming 

 that there can be no country found to surpass it in 

 the production of corn, wheat and oats. Clover, I 

 think, will not do well. The soil is too loose, and the 

 clover freezes out in the winter, and what is left gets 

 the finishing stroke during the autumnal drouths so 

 common in this country. That this country is well 

 adapted to fruit-raising I can speak with confidence, 

 as 1 have been doing something in that hne myself, 

 and take much interest in that department of horti- 

 culture. I think I never eat as luscious peaches in 

 my life as my neighbors and I have raised. It is to 

 be regretted, however, that in some seasons the peach 

 crop has met with total failure. But apples and oth- 

 er fruits seldom fail. On the alluvial lauds we have 

 paw-paws, &c., that will eclipse anything in the west- 

 ern world. 



" With regard to mercantile and mechanical pur- 

 suits it would be difficult at present to tell. This 

 will depend upon the population in the various prom- 

 inent points, and when the current of trade has set- 

 tled down to the permanent maximum. The location 



of the Mississippi and Pacific Railroad through the 

 central route will soon develope the business points. 

 But upon the organization of the territoiy, and more- 

 over, upon the extinguishing of the title of the 

 Shawnee and Delaware Indians to their lauds upon 

 the Kansas river (as they own both sides), a great 

 opening will here present itself to the enterprising 

 and business men of all pursuits. It is navigable for 

 200 miles up the " Republican Fork," except in alow 

 state of water, which occurs generally in the fall. — 

 The country upon this stream is considered the best 

 portions of the territory, the land generally being 

 well adapted to agricultural purposes, and being well 

 watered by streams emptying into the Kansas River. 



" I have not traveled this portion of the territory, 

 and therefore state only what I derive from reliable 

 authority. I have explored the southern portion, and 

 cannot speak in rapturous terms of the country. It 

 is not well watered, nor has it as many privileges for 

 machinery as in the northern part, nor is the soil as 

 good, though a fine grazing country. The whole ter- 

 ritory is a prairie, except upon the streams, and like 

 most other western countries, has hills and dales, riv- 

 ers and creeks, prairie and timber, rich and poor land. 

 The upland lies high and rolling into beautiful waves. 

 The timber in the country is red, white, black burr, 

 and pine oak, shell and smooth bark hickory, cofiee 

 bean, niulbeny, ash, hnden, &c., and in the bottom 

 lands which are subject to inundation, nothing but 

 Cottonwood of the rankest and most rapid growth. 



" There can be no better country for raising live 

 stock. The water (from springs) is generally hard, 

 owing to the source being from beds of limestone. — 

 There are springs, however, that proceed from clay 

 banks, and the water from these is invariably soft. 



" With regard to the climate, it is about the same 

 as in the northern part of Ohio, except the winters 

 are not so long, and the summers are longer and 

 warmer. As evidence of the latter, I will state that 

 through the months of July and August, the mercui-y 

 in the shade is frequently up to 100 and 105 deg., 

 and I recollect two or three instances of 110 deg. 



" In the winter, the weather is veiy irregular. In 

 the winter months, the mercuiy will sometimes stand 

 at 55 deg. of "temperate," and in twelve hours' time 

 it will be 10 deg. below zero. The irregularity of 

 the climate is by many attributed to our altitude 

 above the Mississippi and proximity to the Rocky 

 Mountains. But permit me to say at least one thing 

 in praise ot the " Queen of the Prairies " — we have 

 both in winter and summer, the finest roads for wheel 

 carriages on the Continent of America. I do not 

 say turnpike MacAdamized roads, but roads made by 

 the plastic hand of Nature. In the mnter, especial- 

 ly, it is glorious wheeUng. Indeed, good for any oth- 

 mode of traveling. 



" One peculiarity I cannot pass without remark. — 

 The morning and evening twilight lasts about an hour 

 longer than in Ohio." 



Illinois Wheat Crop. — The Jllton Telegraph 

 of the 15th of June reports the wheat crop of Illi- 

 nois as promising a very bountiful yield, and antici- 

 pates that Illinois will this year take position imme- 

 diately under Ohio in the scale of wheatrgrowing 

 States. 



