Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1853-08-03
Quality OF Soil INA the Mines.

"Although bearing the reputation Of being
a lead-bearing region, and with that character
associating ideas of barrenness, peculiar to mi
neral land, we are not sure but that for agri-
cultural resources, Lafayette county will com
pare fayorably with any county in the State of
Wisconsin, Pick and Cad, Shullsburg.
The Lead region Of Wisconsin had the name
Of being barren section Of country some do
zen or twenty years ago. The inhabitants had
also rather hand name in those days but we
have not heard any reiteration OF such charges
within few years. The frequent visits of
travellers, and tie facts presented in the col
umns of the several newspapers Of the Mining
counties, have aided vastly in dissipating
those errors. The census reports have also
been valuable aids for the same purpose. We
export more than double what any other equal
number Of people occupying an equal surface
of country does; and we pay higher salaries
TO school teachers than any other people in the
State: fair exhibitions these of The produc-
tiyeness Of our lands, and the intelligence a nd
morals Of our people.
In respect to the quality of our soil, as COM
pared with other parts of the State and of the
West, we believe the time is nearly at hand
when ours will be found and adjudged superior
10 any other. This assertion may be thought
vain one, and untenabe, but we are confident
Of its correctness.
We describe the soil, subsoil, clay and rock,
and present seine other facts in proof Of what
we have said: The soil, or top earth is not dif-
ferent from what is seen in middle Wisconsin
and Illinois, except that it is more compact,
from the lime in its composition. The subsoil
underlying the top, at depth of IS to 20 in
ches, is yellow or reddish clay, compact,
though not Of q stubborn or clammy quality, and
receives its color from lime and other miferals,
as the oxides Of iron, &c. The subsoi produ-
ces vegetables almost equal to the soil, as pro-
ven from the grass and plants springing up on
the heaps of dirt thrown up by miners. The
rock basis next in order, and underlying the
clay at depths varying from 10 to 90 feet, is of
blue limestone, and magnetism limerick some
places there is small hint-rock incased in lime.
Lime bears large proportion of the compo-
sition Of all, from the soil to the sand-rocl1,
which underies The lower magnetism rock in
places at depth averaging, say rs feet. This
will be found tolerable average description
of the Lead region, embraced within Grant,
Lafayette and Iowa counties. ... .
The soil Of Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa,
but out Of the mines, rests upon a sand and gra-
vel basis, overleing sand-rock. This is al
most universally true. Such basis or founda-
ton, though good enough for the present, Will
not last-lt cannot. 1t won't hold water and
manure DRAWINGS like our clay. The fertile
qualities Of their soil will be washed through
with every rain, and unless kept up by con-
slant manuring will finally forfeit some, if not
all its fertility. 1t should also be remembered
that all the fertilizing manmes are present in
our soil-vegetable, mineral and animal, while
western soils are generally IN want of the mi
neral or lime quality. Now whoever has OBJ
served western lands, generally, and particu-
larly those OF the mines, can bear testimony to
The facts we have presented, and the same con-
clusions cannot well be avoided.