192 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
LETTERS FROM THE WEST—No. 3. 
Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 1840. 
I took the canal route to this place, the first part of 
which I found dull enough, for though the country is 
said to be picturesque and tolerably well settled, and 
cultivated all the way, yet after leaving the fertile bot¬ 
toms of the Cuyahoga, the water line is bounded almost 
entirely to Akron, by a thick belt of forest and under¬ 
growth, alternated by high embankments, which greatly 
circumscribe the view to the traveler, and I was not 
sorry, therefore, that this section was to be passed 
mostly in the night. We arrived at Akron, 38 miles 
from Cleveland, early the following morning, and found 
it situated on the summit level of the canal, 395 feet 
above Lake Erie. Here the little Cuyahoga gives a 
considerable and never failing water power,—inexhaus¬ 
tible mines of iron ore, and the best of bituminous coal are 
found in the vicinity. Akron has consequently risen 
within a few short years, from a paltry place of a dozen 
or so log huts, to quite a manufacturing town of about 
2.000 inhabitants, abounds in mills and furnaces, that I 
suspect are but a small earnest of what they will be here¬ 
after. 
There are sixteen consecutive locks to be overcome 
here, and being single, and something of a crowd of 
boats to pass up and down at the time, I.made the best 
use of the delay I could, by taking a stroll through the 
town. We had a pelting shower during the whole time, 
but rain never deters me from any enterprise, so spread¬ 
ing a rude umbrella over my head, and rolling my panta¬ 
loons up to the top of my boots, I gave a wide leap from 
the deck of the boat and trudged away. There are 
some fine buildings here, and a pretty view of the ad¬ 
jacent country from the hill back of the churches, and 
so well as I could judge, the soil seemed to be of a 
loamy gravel, and sufficiently fertile for all ordinary 
farming purposes. I should suppose it an excellent dis¬ 
trict around here for sheep, but unfortunately I found 
no one who could give me any positive knowledge as to 
whether they were bred to much extent or not in this 
vicinity, or indeed of improved stock in general. But the 
want of information on these points, was probably pretty 
amply compensated by what I obtained from a sort of 
Natty Bumpoo dried up coon skin looking old fellow 
on another, viz : “ that beaver here abouts in the ponds, 
that foolish canal and milling folks was drying off as 
fast as the rain would let ’em, was kind o’ plenty when 
he first knowed the woods, hang their skins for scaring 
’em off, and a feller like him out of an honest livin’, and 
if he warnt so old,” he added, “ he’d soon be off to the 
Rocky Mountains, where he thought a body would’nt 
be troubled by this sort o’ game for one etarnal while.” 
I presume he was one of those whose steps had ra¬ 
pidly been followed up, by the march of western civi¬ 
lization for the last half century, and he had now found 
himself, in his old age, entirely overcome and surround¬ 
ed by it to his great sorrow, and as for sheep thinks I, 
versus beaver, I’ve worn their fur in the shape of a 
hat now this many a year, but I always found the lat¬ 
ter so much lighter and more agreeable than the for¬ 
mer, that upon recollection, I could not but sympathise 
in the querulousness of the old trapper, so giving him 
a hearty shake of the hand, and telling him since beaver 
had fled, I hoped he had found plenty of other more 
profitable occupation, each turned upon his heel and 
went on his own way. 
After passing Akron, some little distance, we began 
to look down, and now found ourselves in a more open 
and thicker settled country than we had before passed 
through. We were not long in approaching Massillon, 
a fine flourishing town of about 3,000 inhabitants. This 
place again has almost entirely grown up, since the 
Ohio canal was cut through, some ten years or more 
since. It is situated in what I was informed, is the 
best wheat district of the state, and abounding in water 
power, its mills have become celebrated at the east. 
Of the interesting German colony at Zoar, I hope to 
speak at length hereafter, so coasting along down the 
beautiful waters of the Tuscarawas, with now and then 
a pleasant village interchanged with an open forest, and 
a delightful farming country, crowned with numerous 
stacks of grain and hay, and glittering in tall corn fields, 
we crossed over from Jefferson to Newark. This is not 
quite so showy and large a town as Massillon, but is 
much older and abounds in wealth, and from the fertile 
country that surrounds it, must ever continue to flourish 
and be one of the most important inland towns of Ohio. 
It is not till we arrive at Lockbourne, that we fairly 
burst upon the wide rich bottoms of the Sciota, cele¬ 
brated the country over for being the finest corn district, 
taking its whole length and breadth, to be found upon 
the face of the globe, and I must confess, as much as I 
had been prepared by reading and conversation to see 
“ a pretty tall sight,” as an urbane fellow traveller ex¬ 
pressed it, “ in these ere diggins,” I was absolutely 
amazed when rising a small eminence, I got a command¬ 
ing look around me. It was not exactly a sea, but it 
was a pretty fair lake of corn spread out before me, 
and I can compare it to nothing else that I ever saw, 
but the extensive plains of wheat, that stud the middle 
counties in harvest time of western New-York. But 
the corn here is much the more extensive of the two, 
and I think myself within bounds when I assert, that 
in occasional bends of the river, the views would ex¬ 
tend from four to seven miles, and perhaps more in 
length, and one to three in breadth, of almost uninter¬ 
rupted fields as thick as grass, and in stalks far above 
the reach of the arm of the tallest mountaineer. There 
thought I, is feed for the public, and a glorious vision 
for any one that happens to be in the fear of starvation. 
Why a whole nation might come here to take a nibble, 
and then I suspect that there would be enough left to 
make considerable of a husking and as to pumkins, 
they were as thick in the fields as stars in the skies, and 
to get at the number of loads of which would require 
all the deep cyphering of the celebrated Jack Downing. 
I have thought it quite a pity, that the gallant Major 
when out here, was so engaged by political matters, 
that he could not have just made the attempt at calcu¬ 
lation—no doubt that the simple effort would have got 
up a batch of pies, big enough to have treated all his 
worthy relations down east, through an arduous thanks¬ 
giving, to say nothing of half a wintering to boot. But 
I am quite at the bottom of my sheet, and the Valley 
of the Sciota, its products and stocks, are deserving of 
a chapter to themselves, which I shall endeavor to give 
your readers in my next. 
Of stock between this and Cleveland, I am told there 
is some very good, but much more sparsely located than 
the wants of the country and the interests of its culti¬ 
vators demand. Let us hope that it may spread wide¬ 
ly from this Valley, and other favored parts of the state, 
for the crops throughout are so abundant of grain, grass 
and roots, that the producers are puzzled to know what 
to do with them, than to feed to cattle and swine. Corn 
commands now only 12£ to 15 cts. and wheat 45 to 50 
cts. per bushel. Hay in the country 2 and $3 per ton, 
and grass knee high, that will be a good bite in this 
mild climate all winter, for merely the asking ! 
A. B. A. 
TO WESTERN EMIGRANTS—No. 2. 
Messrs. Editors —Since reading my first article of 
advice to emigrants, I have concluded to risk throwing 
away a little more advice, and shall endeavor to point 
out “ who would be likely to benefit themselves by emi¬ 
gration.” 
Young hearty men, married or single, mechanics, or la¬ 
borers in agricultural employments, who with an unti¬ 
ring industry are unable to “ get ahead in the world,” 
if they emigrate to the west, and pursue the same in¬ 
dustrious course, will find their situation improved by 
the change. But let no one come here with the expect¬ 
ation of finding wages higher, provisions low, land so 
cheap that he can get an 80 acre farm for $100, and con¬ 
sequently that he will be able to acquire an independ¬ 
ence with little or no exertion on his own part. True, 
land is cheap—it is hardly possible to imagine a soil 
more rich, but land bought of the United States at 
$1,25 an acre, is not a cultivated farm. 
And although it is easy to bring dry prairie land into 
cultivation, it requires a persevering industry on the 
part of the settler, sometimes accompanied with great 
privations and hardships for himself and family; and in 
this case, “ a bad beginning” does not “ make a good 
ending.” 
Thousands, who were “ well to do in the world,” in 
the eastern States, and who on an old improved farm 
would have continued “well to do,” have had their 
minds highly excited by overwrought pictures of “ a pa¬ 
radise of a place” in the west, and without stopping to 
inquire whether they were fit for pioneers, have rushed 
upon the shipwreck of their hopes, health and happi¬ 
ness of themselves and families. 
Upon the other hand, thousands are toiling from year 
to year as tenants or owners of some barren little spot, 
who might with similar industry in this country, become 
large and wealthy farmers. For what their own little 
farm or other spare property would sell for where they 
are, they might procure a farm for themselves and each 
child around them. A farm, did I say ? No, not a farm, 
only the raw material out of which to manufacture one, 
by long and constant toil. But then that toil is cheered 
and supported by the constant exciting pleasure that an 
industrious man always feels while “making improve¬ 
ments,” while creating new things. But I have known 
many emigrants to this country, who were totally inca¬ 
pable of making the necessary improvements to render 
themselves comfortable, and after a few months of vex¬ 
ation and trouble, after exhausting almost every thing 
they possessed, have returned to the place from whence 
they came, to curse the country and discourage others 
from emigrating, who under the same circumstances, 
would have laid the foundation of a fortune for them¬ 
selves and children. Had some of these disappointed 
seekers after the paradise of their distorted vision, first 
inquired whether they were at all fitted to perform the 
pioneer duty of a new settlement, they might have saved 
themselves much money and vexation. Let the emigra¬ 
ting disposed person, then seriously inquire whether he 
is going to benefit himself or not; above all things, let 
the wife and daughters know what they have to go 
through in a new country. I have known some that 
have come to the west with high wrought fancies of ro¬ 
mantic felicities, who have removed to weep with bitter 
disappointment; such do not make happy, contented, 
good citizens. But had they “ known the worst at first,” 
they would have met it with fortitude ; and enjoyed life 
in a log cabin, better, perhaps, than they had formerly 
done in a large mansion house. 
Let those who are unwilling or unable to bear hard¬ 
ship, or who are unwilling to humble themselves to a 
residence in a log cabin, remain where they are a little 
longer. The west is no place for pride or laziness ; we 
want industrious farmers and mechanics ; we don’t care 
how poor a man is, if he is industrious, he cannot re¬ 
main poor. We are also glad to see the wealthy come 
too, particularly when he brings along a lot of choice 
stock, as many of late do. 
There is one more class of inhabitants that we need; 
that is, able and efficient teachers of common schools. 
It is one of the difficulties that all new countries labor 
under, the want of good schools. Dollars and cents are 
of so much more importance to many men, than the ed¬ 
ucation of their children, that they are unwilling to in¬ 
cur any extra expense; and in many cases, the diffi¬ 
culty of obtaining a teacher without taking any trouble, 
keeps a neighborhood destitute of a school for a whole 
season. 
But enough at present; in my next, I have some idea 
of drawing a picture of “ making a new settlement in the 
west,” for the amusement of emigrants, or those that in¬ 
tend to be such. Your old friend, 
SOLON ROBINSON. 
Lake Court House, la., Oct. 20, 1840. 
USE OF BARILLA IN VIRGINIA. 
Editors of the Cultivator —Having seen in the 
October No. of your valuable paper, an inquiry respect¬ 
ing the best mode of applying barilla, or leached ashes, 
to the soil, and having made several trials of it, I deem 
it my duty to give the results of my experiments in its 
use. I must premise by saying that until I commenced 
the use of it, those who had it to dispose of, were in the 
constant habit of selling it to the captains of the north¬ 
ern vessels, as ballast, on their homeward voyages, at 
about seven cents per bushel. My first trial of it, was 
on a small lot of ruta baga; a part of the lot was highly 
manured by my cows during the preceding winter, and 
the balance with barilla, at the rate of about 100 bush¬ 
els per acre; the portion having the barilla was deci¬ 
dedly the best. The next spring, I tried it on my corn, 
by putting it in the hill before planting, and chopping it 
well in, at the rate of about 50 bushels per acre; but I 
lound it too hot to be applied in this manner, although 
the corn was improved by it. I can now plainly per¬ 
ceive the benefit arising from its use, by the improve¬ 
ment to the succeeding crops. My third, and in my 
opinion, most successful mode of using it, was by scat¬ 
tering it on a heavy coat of weeds in the fall, and plow¬ 
ing it under immediately, the land being intended for 
corn the ensuing year. By the side of this piece was 
another highly manured with compost from my farm 
yard. I think the corn was better on that part having 
the leached ashes ; and the succeeding crop of oats and 
clover was greatly superior. I have used it this fall on 
my ruta baga at the rate of 100 bushels per acre. My 
crop is only a moderate one, having been sown late, and 
the fall being too dry for it. 
The dawn of a better day for agriculture is appearing 
to the view; and our southern farmers, profiting by the 
examples of their northern brethren, are beginning to 
turn their attention to the improvement of the soil, the 
first grand desideratum of which, is the increase of ma¬ 
nures. It is not, as formerly, the object with Virginia 
farmers to see who can first procure a crop of broom 
straw and pine from their land, but who can improve 
his land fastest. Several years ago, I remember to have 
heard gentlemen, who called themselves farmers, say 
that they had no time to devote to making manure ; and 
that they hardly had spare time to haul out what was 
made in the ordinary w r ay. This reminds me of an an¬ 
ecdote told of a gentleman formerly a resident of King 
& Queen county, who said he never made but one good 
crop of wheat, and it nearly ruined him to get it to mar¬ 
ket. Yours truly, RICHARD HILL, Jr. 
• MINER’S PATENT PUMP. 
Messrs. Gaylord &. Tucker— For several years 
past I have been in want of a new pump for my well, 
which is 18 feet deep. Wherever I have been, I have 
carefully examined all the pumps I could see in use, and 
read all the advertisements and recommendations, but 
could light upon none that suited me, till I saw Mr. 
Bement’s description and notice of Miner’s patent pump 
in the first No. of the current volume of the Cultivator. 
As soon as I could, I procured one, and have had it in 
use several months. It more than answers my most 
sanguine hopes. A child four years old can draw wa¬ 
ter with it with ease ; and it discharges water fast enough 
for any ordinary purpose. I sincerely wish others to be 
as well accommodated as I am. 
SAUSAGE MAKING. 
Should you think our mode of making sausages worth 
a place in your chapter on domestic economy, you can 
place it there. 
We prepare our sausage meat in the usual way. 
Then instead of putting the meat in skins, prepared from 
hogs’ entrails, we make bags of white clean cotton or 
linen cloth, as large, say as a man’s arm, larger or 
smaller as may suit, and of convenient length, say about 
a foot long, and put the sausage meat in these bags, and 
hang them up to dry. In this way, we save much labor 
in preparing the skins, and considerable in cooking; we 
slip off the bag from so much as is needed, and cut the 
sausage into slices of sufficient thickness for coooking. 
I much prefer sausages put in bags to those put in skins, 
as they keep more moist. Others, for the same reason 
dislike them. Respectfully yours, 
CALVIN BUTLER. 
P. $. Ripe elder berries makegood pies. Try them, 
ladies. C. B. 
Plymouth, (Conn.) Sept. 17. 1840. 
