The streams of Illinois, with the exception of a few short ones in the n.w. part of the state,which empty into lake Michigan, find their way directly, or indirectly, to the Missis sippi. The largest river wholly within the state is the Illinois, which is formed by a junc tion of the Des Plaines front Wisconsin and the Kankakee from Indiana, and flows nearly 500m. before reaching the Mississippi. It is navigable for 245m. from its mouth. The Chicago river, which formerly emptied into lake Michigan, now flows out of that lake by an artificially defined channel into the northern branch of the Illinois. The chief affluents of the Illinois are the Fox. Spoon, and La Main rivers, and Crooked creek from the n. and w., and the Vermilion, Mackinaw, and Sangamon rivers, and Itlacoupin creek from the s. and east. The Kaskaskia rises in Champaign co. and runs parallel to the Illinois for 250 m., flowimg into the Mississippi near the s. border of Randolph county. Rock river, which rises in 'Wisconsin, flows through the n.w. portion of the state, and enters the Mississippi at Rock Island. The Wabash, which divides the state from Indiana on the e. for a considerable distance, receives the waters of the Big Vermilion, Embarras, and Little Wabash, and flows into the Ohio in Gallatin county. The Big Muddy, an affluent of the Mississippi between the Ohio and the Kaskaskia, drains a considerable extent of territory. The surface of the state is a gently inclined plane descending from the n.e. in a s.w. direction toward the Mississippi. With the exception of a low ridge extending across the southern end of the state, there is not a single elevation that can lie properly called a mountain. In the north-western corner, where there are extensive deposits of lead, the surface is broken into small hills, and there :ire bluffs on the ltlis sissippi and Illinois rivers, which, in contrast with the prairitss, present a picturesque appearance. The largest portion of the state consists of level or gently undulating prairies. with a rich and deep soil. Geologists think that anciently the waters of the great lakes flowed into the gulf of Mexico through the channels of the Illinois and the Mississippi. It is also conjectured, from the diltivial character of the soil, that the larger portion of 1110'541'We' of the stale Was once the 'bed of an immelise lake. The loam and mold which form the surface are underlaid by an almost solid bed of clay which prevents the moisture from wasting. In the river bottoms the mold is sometimes more than 25 ft. deep, and of inexhaustible fertility. In almost every part of the state the plow is never obstructed even by a pebble. Over these extensive prairies, in their wild condition, once rosined innumerable herds of buffaloes, which fattened upon their rich vegetation. The prairies are generally interspersed with islands of oak and other forest trees, and there are occasional wooded belts where the limestones and sandstones above the coal formations come to the surface, The state lies an immense field of bituminous coal, 375 m. in length and 200 in. in breadth, which furnishes a supply of fuel sutlicient not only for home use, but for exten. sive exportation, so that the demand for wood is limited. But for this abundance of coal the state must ere now have been utterly denuded of her forests. The trees most abundant are oak, black walnut, sugar maple, ash, locust, elm, hickory, linden, persim mon, pecan, cottonwood, sycamore, buckeye, tulip, poplar, beech, and black birch. Yellow pine, cypress, and cedar are found near the Ohio river. The iron ores are of an inferior quality, but are sometimes utilized by mixing them with those brought from Missouri and lake Superior. Lead, with a mixture of silver, is found in Joe Daviess co., in the n.w. corner of the state, and is mined extensively. Veins of copper ore are found iu the n. part of the state, and worked with profit. Zinc also is found in the same quarter. Limestone of good quality for building and burning, and freestone, marble, and gypsum, are foiled in some places. Salt springs exist in Jackson, Vermilion, and Gallatin counties, and sulphur and chalybeate springs in Jefferson county. In Hardin co., on the Ohio river, is a cave 80 ft. sq. and 25 ft. high, which in the early days of this century was the resort of criminals and outlaws.
Many of the wild animals have been exterminated. Few deer are left, and bears, panthers, and wildcats are rare. The prairie wolf is sometimes met with in sparsely
settled regions, and foxes, hares, and squirrels are numerous. Game-birds, such as the wild turkey, prairie-hen, and grouse, are plentiful. The of good quality and in considerable variety are found in tlie rivers and lakes. The insect tribes are numerous, and a few of them are injurious to vegetation. The climate of the state varies with the degrees of latitude. In the n. the summer heat is intense, the winter cold severe. There being no mountains to break the force of the winds they are very cutting in the cold season, while the summer heat is mitigated by them. The atmosphere is rarely iu a calm condition. In the extreme n. part of the state the mean annual. temperature is 47r, while in the extreme s. it is 58r, and in the center The climate, except in the low swampy bottom lands, where bilious and intermittent fevers prevail, is exceedingly favorable to health. The proportion of clear to cloudy or rainy days is a little more than two to one.
As an agricultural state Illinois stands in the first rank. It contained in 1870 10,329,932 acres of improved and 6,532,909 of unimproved land; and, of the unimproved lands, 1.491,331 acres were wooded. Total number of farms at the same date. 202,803; of which 302 contained 1000 acres or over; 1367 from 500 to 1000 acres; 65,040 front 100 to 500 acres; 68,130 from 50 to 100 acres; and 53,240 from 20 to 50 acres. The estimated total value of these farms was $920,506,346; of agricultural implements, $34,576,546; of farm products, $210,860,585; of orchard products, $3,571,789; of market gardens, $765,992; of animals sold for slaughter, $56,718,944; of home manufactures, *1,408,015; of forest products, $1,087,144; total, $1,379,252,100—an immense rzsult for it state which, 70 years before, had only a little more than 12,000 inhabitants, In 1873 the value of the cultivated lands was estimated at $1,600,000,000; the actual property of the state, real and personal, at $2,800,000,000. The chief productions are wheat, corn, rye, oats, barley, flax, buckwheat, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco, peas, beans. wool, cheese, hops, maple sugar, honey, and every variety of garden vegetables. Thu state in 1870 exceeded all others in the Union in the product of wheat, corn, and oats. It contained more swine and horses than any other state, and was exceeded by only New York in the aggregate value of its live-stock. The wheat crop of 1870 was estimated at 45,417.661 bush., valued at about $40,000,000. The corn crop of the same year was 54,664,569 bush., valued at $12,059,162.
In manufactures, by the census of 1870, Illinois ranked sixth among the stales; hi the value of the products of butchery, distilled liquors, planed lumber, and pork packed, she stood before all others. The number of her manufacturing establishments was 12,579; persons employed therein, 82.979, of whom 73,045 were men, 6,717 women, and 3,217 children; capital invested, $94,368,057; wages paid, $31,100,244; annual product, $205,620,672. The number of flouring-mills was 681; capital invested in them, $12,931,• 600; persons employed, 3,581; wages paid, $1,704,778; value of products, $39,413,618. Next in importance was the business of packing pork and other meats, the capital invested in Which was $6,921,000; persons employed, 2,236; wages paid, $448,560; value of products, $19,818,851.• In the manufacture of malt and distilled liquors 1955 persons were employed; wages paid, $1,031,142; capital invested, $7,397,900; value of produc tions, $12,042,976. The value of the lumber produced was $11,382,649; of agricultural implements, $8,880,390; iron wares, $7,738,443; clothing, $8,407,005; carriages and wagons, $6,019,291; machinery of all descriptions, $6.398,794; tobacco in its various forms, $4,319, 711f9jvither, $4,148,163;• 0..00d%•.F52,7::5,00;-Printing and publish ing, $2,727,549; fainiture, $2,982,532; coopering, $2,501,531; boots and shoes, $2,218, 186; oils, animal and vegetable, $2,642,733; saddlery and harness, $2,581,416; sashes, doors, and blinds, $2,316,320; tin, copper, and sheet-iron wares, $2,194,812; confec tionery goods, $1,948,710; bakery products, $1,732,885; bricks, $1,638,764; marble and stone work, $2,098,209; soap and candles, $1,250,930; grease and tallow, $1,412,900; paper, $1,188,400; railroad cars, $1,010,007.