The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-01-16
For tho Register.
North Western Michigan.


To those Of your readers who are ia.
clincd westward, for homes or business.
perhaps few observations, on the part
Of Michigan known as the Grand ira.
verse, would not be wholly uniutcrc,tinr.
Grand Traverse Bay, from which tho
adjacent country takes its name. is
beautiful sheet Of water extending in
land from Lake Michigan. bearing south.
Of thirty five miles in length. VARYING
from eight to fourteen in width. aud di,
weed by peninsula nearly equal. of
nineteen miles long one and Il half to
three in width.
a batter idea, however, both Of the
form Of the Bay, aud loca ton in the
State, will BE had, by referring to State
maps of Michigan
The country, unlike large portions of
the West, is limberod The maple pre-
dominates mixed with beech. lynn. ash
elm aud some oak On lower lands
will be found the cedar, black ash some
Lemloci: and pines the pines. however.
are mainly found inland on the smaller
Lakes and Rivers
The surface Of tho country IL. eener.
ally Speaking gently rolling some tracts
level and an occasional hill. but no
Iodges, stone in moderate quantities.
found on different parts of the Bay. and
as whole little or no waste land pro.
duc;ivc soil, Of black sandy loan. with
clay subsoiI, generally, but some loca
tions clay entire. White lime is a prom
inent ingredient in its composition shown
by chemical analysis, and the successful
results OF wheat growing. whose average
last season was twenty-five bushels to the
acre, and that on the old Indian fields.
dnlled tor years, in the raising of In-
dian corn, which also speaks well for tho
wear of the soil Corn does we'll. aul
even the Dent or Ohio corn ripens read.
iiy--what those living one hundred and
hity miles south, and inland. can rarely
boast of. Potatoes, oats. barley and in
fact, all produce raised i'll any western
Statr,are ais d here to advantage. Acri.
culture is 10 longer considered N eAper-
iment, but a certainty.
Fruit raislng,as shown By the products
Of trees, both the leach and the apple
set ou. years ago by the Indian Mission
ionary, and the peach by lutc expert
men'S also, the quality aud quantity
OF common fruit, or Indian apples, leaves
the success of this very essential mart of
the luxures Of life, beyond a doubt. al.
so, the severe test Of last winter. on the
young peach, while South Of US, they
were winter killed, aluost universally
with U.s. uuirjured.
10 the eyeuness Of our winters. and
the holding off 0: our autunnal frosts,
can be ascribed d, in great measure. the
success OF the farmers. Southern Michigan
or Northern illinois are cut of by frosts
earlier by two weeks than the Bay couu-
try. The ground freezes but little.snow
comes on aud with II winter sets in IL
bout the last Of December or first Of
January, continues steady till the mid.
die Of March, or first of April All then
leaves aud the rapldlty with which YER
dure starts is often remarked. The last
of January, tho smaller Lakes and Bay
close. The Rivers rarely treeze and
our winters are noted more for equality
than severity.
For its remarkable health, b4in2 dc.
void entirely Of that we'll known western
pest, fever aud ague, it is justly noted
This Is attributable to its pure air and
water. Its rivers, creeks, and smaller
streams are like crystal, while the inland
lakes with which the country abouuds are
but miniatures Of Lake Michigan, stored
with fish Of every variety, equally good
at all seasons on account OF depth Of
water. White fish, aud Mackinuc trout.
iu abundance, are caught, barreled aud
sent to market, or sold ou the ground at
u good compensation to the fisherman.
Its present resources are vastly supe.
rior to those of any timbered couutry
heretofore known, whlch argues well for
It's speedy settlement, as helc cord wood
is III immediate demand at fair prices,
OH the beach, dock, or to steamers and
piopellers, that woJd at the Bay. 1t
Is a great help now to those of limited
means, aud Will some day constitute the
main wealth of the laud, as the commu-
uicatiUn is so direct to one Jf the best
markets in the world for lumber, timber
or wood in fact, Chicago is not second
as market for all produce as there is
no reshipping, transportation will be
light. Our wheat ou tho direct whea:
route, to Oswego or Buffalo, OF course
will command as high price as at any
port, III Wisconsin or Illinois, aud when
the Communication over land to South
ern Michigau,uow III progress, to connect
the Bay with Grand Rapids, on the
South, shall be completed, to favor tLose
preterriug land trave. to water as at
present, aud our iaeilities for wator con-
muaieatiou Increase rs for the past they
have done, then every season will make
decided change iu the appearance Of
our Bay country.
7 hree years ago, it would have been
difficult to 20 to Or from the Bay. Last
season, a propeller connecting twice
week atMackiuac with the Collingswoad
Liue of steamers, also those of Detroit
aud Chicago, and line to Grand Haven