Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-06-08

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not far distant from the above location, il i:
notorious 10 citizens Of the Territory, thai
lead ore has been found in various places.
On the St. Croix and amidst trap rock
forming the Falls of that river, veins Of cop
per ore have been observed, specimens from
which were seen by the writer. The opin.
ion was expressed 10 us, by an intelligent
member of The geological corps, who was ex-
| ploring in the direction OF Lake Superior last
summer, that the northern shore of that Lake
lying within the Territory, will afford, from
the indications, richer beds of copper ore than
any that have already been opened in either
Michigan or Wisconsin
Coal beds are reported 10 exist in the Up
per ST. Peter country. DR. Owens doubts this
on account Of the supposed geological system
of that portion of the territory But explora-
tion may show a different system of rocks 10
exist 100 miles back, west from the Misss-
sppi; and certain it is: that the author was
assnred--he thinks it was by the Hon. n. Fl
SibIey-ihat specimens of coal fonnd in the
Upper St. Peters country, had been brought
down, and were seen by my informant
THE SOIL. AND ITS FARMING CAPACITY.
The geology of a country is interesting not
merely for the development of its metallic
wealth, but mainly in consequence Of The
Influence of the disintegrated rock strata upon
the fertility of The soil, and upon lis capacity
for producing, easily and abundantly, the
usual fruits of cultivated lands.
The soil of Minnesota is a sandy calcareous
loam, derived principally from the disinle-
ration or decay of the magnetism limestoneS,
and the sandstone with cratic drift from
the granite and gneous rock regions farther
north, floods, rivers, frost, wind, and other
atmospheric influences, being the agents in
the process of its accumulation.
''The soil derived from the decomposition
Of the lower magnesian rock limestone land
of the upper, also,) is usually" says DR..
Owen, 'of excellent quality; rich, as well in
organic matters as in those mineral salts
which give rapdity to the growth of plants,
and that durability which enables it 10 sus-
tain long succession of crops" These re-
marks apply to the soil on both sides of the
Mississippi
Ncolet speaks of the country back some
distance from the Mississippi, in the follow
ing termsn "The whole country embraced
by the Lower ST Peters and the Undine Re-
gion for valley of The Blue Earth or Manka-
10 riverl exceeds any land of the Mississippi
above the Wisconsin river, as well in the
quantity and quality of lis timber, as the fer
tilily of It's soil"
Above the Falls of ST. Anthony the coun-
try assumes an aspect different from the
lands below; but for about eighty miles at
least, the soil of this upper region is good and
highly productive; though containing larger
admiXture of sand than the lands below and
around the Falls In fact, the soil Of the
Trans St. Anthony country, even where
least promising to the eye, is deceiving as TO
its fertility, the settler having already proved
by experiment, that the lands looking the
most sandy and barren are capable of yield
ing, when broken up and cultiyaied very
large crops without manure.
The chemical character of the soil of Min
nesota, indicates lis adaplabiIity for growing
all the leading articles of cultivation. Ana
lysis has shown it 10 contain in 100 parts
50 per cen! of organic matter, l1.2 of salts,
I'll per cent OF insouble silicates, and O.S
per cent of carbonate of lime. The average
specific gravity is about $50; while that of
Massachusetts, by way of comparison, is
2 "A.
(ro BE coNTINUED)