Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-04-28
MJCHIGAN-HER ADVANTAGES.

tion with respect 10 ue SOIL, climate, prooucIs
and resources of the commonwealth, with view |
to inviting and inducing emigration to our bor-
ders. Absorbed in their own private interests
and affairs her citizens have piodded on in qui-
ct way, in the pursuits of commerce, agriculture
and the mechanic arts, and, until very recently,
apparently quite uninterested in the manifold
enterprises of the day calculated speedily to de-
velop the abundant resources of Michigan, and
thus to add hundred fold to her wealth and po-
sition among her sisters OF the Union.
Meanwhile other States, west of us, have ex-
erted every energy, and strained every nerve, to
grafton in all possible ways, and by all possible
thus increase their wealth and population, in
many cases directly at our expense, and tempo
rarily, at least, to our great detriment. This
state of things, however, has nearly had its day,
and recent experience has demonstrated that as
in other matters, so in the strife between States
for ascendancy in population and resources, +" let
not him boast that pulleIh on his armor, but he
that putteth it off" The disastrous failures in
the great staples of the West.in Wisconsin, for
the last four years, have demonstrated the unfit
ness of her soil for its sure production, and has
compelled the majority Of her farmers to aban-
for purposes of traffic, and to confne themselves
to the production of spring wheat mainly for
subsistence The causes Of these repeated mis-
fortunes, in our sister State, are supposed to be
found in the peculiar nature of the soil, and the
prevalence of open winters, with succession
of freezing and thawing which inevitably roots
out and destroys the crop of winter wheat
Whatever they may be, the lamentable fact
seems to be established that Wisconsin is not
destined to be great grain growing commune
ty. Similar disadvantages are found in other
portions of the western country, to initiate a.
gainst the realization of the glowing prospects
for many years past held out to emigrants as
inducements for them to overlook Michigan, in
their search for a western home
Of course all this has created a diversion in
the public mind very much in our favor, and our
State is already beginning to occupy place in
the estimation of the emigrants from the east,
rs we'll rs from the countries of Europe, more
in accordance with her merits and the abundant
elements of prosperity of which we are possess
ed. Our people, too, are waking up to the pol
icy and necessity of "letting our light shine,"
with view to diffusng all proper information
upon subject of such Importance to individual
and public welfare, and the press throughout the
State are by no means behindhand in this neces-
sary work. Among various and pertinent arti-
cles exhibiting the manifold advantages which
Michigan holds out to the emigrant,we have late
ly seen none more useful in its aim and compre-
hensive in its details than the following from the
ShiapaSsee Democrat, of this State, to which we
gladly give q place in our columns:
Detroit Free Press
"The natural advantages of Michigan, CON-
pared with the country west, will be seen at
once by taking glance over the map of the U.
States. First, we have better home market
than any portion of the country west Of Lake
Michigan. The average price Of wheat at De-
troit, over the price of the same article at She
boygan, Southport, and Chicago, the best mar
kets west, is not less than ID cts. per bushel.
The average price of flour per barrel at Detroit
is at least 80 cts. over the price at the above
med places, so that the Michigan farmer is sure
to receive from a crop of 1000 bushels at least
$3.50 for the same above the amount received
by the Wisconsin farmer This difference in
the market price of wheat and flour at Detroit
and other points still further west is much great
err What is true of wheat and flour in regard
to the home market price, is true in regard to the
same market value of every other agricultural
production of these States. Nor is it to be Won
dered at The same reason that Buffalo market
is better market than Detroit, applies to the
superiority of the market of Detroit over any
place on the west side of Lake Michigan, and
this reason must continue so long as we depend
upon an eastern instead of western or south
ern market. The price of wheat, corn, rye, and
oats, has always been in this State, about doub-
lie the price of the same articles respectively in
Iowa, showing conclusvely the superiority of
the eastern over the southern market. Even
from the southern portion of Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois, their wheat flour seeks eastern mark
ct at the expense of transportation hundreds of
miles over canals and railways before it reaches
its shipping destination on Lake Erie. Millions
of bushels being annually transported east in
this way from the very banks of navigable wa
tiers entering into the Gulf Of Mexico 1t is
therefore certain that the surplus produce of the
States will always be worth, at home, less the
cost of transportation around or across this
State, than the surplus produce of Michigan at
Detroit. 1t may be asked why is the eastern
market so much better than the southern? The
answer is this: In the first place, the excessive
hot climate of the south forbids the transporta-
ton of flour to foreign market by the way Of
the Mississippi and the Gulf-hence for trans
portation to foreign market there are in none
of the southern towns any wheat or flour buy
ers. In the next place, the market for these ar
tieies growing out of home consumption must
always be much better east than south, so long
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