| 618 trees indigenous to the center of Iowa and Missouri, in other places offering the smooth meadow land to the tiller's hand.
"To the west of Grand River, lies the town of New Buda, a small hamlet of some years standing; but as lifeless and dull as the new state of the country there will admit of. It is built upon a beautiful site, just on the rising ground between the highland and the wide bottom of the river valley. Not far from New Buda, still westward, the land rises to the general level of the Missouri slope, and the country is a sweep of wide prairie, intersected here and there by small water courses scantily timbered. The township of Fayette lies with a part of its southern extent in the State of Missouri; in fact, the northern line of that state did originally run to the north of the township, but when the boundary was ultimately settled the line passed through the second southern tier of sections about one and three-fourths miles north of the south township line. The soil throughout the country is good; not so rich as the bottom land of the Boyer, Soldier, Maple, and the Nishnabotna's; nor the great alluvial deposits of the Big Muddy, but quite as good as any of the uplands of either of the small streams above named.
"Wheat is raised, but has not been made a staple, for lack of market. Corn, potatoes, oats, timothy, and clover are here as good as the average in the countries where these flourish; and vegetables and small fruit may be had for the trouble of cultivation. A fair quality of water is obtained by sinking wells from twenty to forty feet.
"The prices of land vary from five to ten dollars for unimproved, and from twelve to twenty-five for improved farms, and land can be obtained in any amounts, from twenty to one hundred and sixty acres and more.
"The board is now prepared to say to all concerned in and for the good of Zion, that the location is made; and to advise all who wish to seek and make homes in that vicinity, that they can now feel safe in purchasing there, as there is now a sufficient amount of land held to ensure a settlement. Those who wish to look at the country with a view to settle with us, are referred to Messrs. Jordan and Robb, of Leon,
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