Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-06-14

| az We make room for another interesting
communication from Minnesota, written by L.
g. COLLINS. The best recommendation we can
give these letters is-we find nothing in them to
erase and nothing to ada commentator We
are rarely able to bestow -
LETTER FROM MINNESOTA.
ST.. PAUL, NJ. T., Jan. 81, 1856.
In my last letter promised one or two more
directly in reference to Minnesota. There is no
point for immigration attracting more general
attention than this Territory. And none, am
bold to say, that answers more fully the great
purposes of settlement. Its soil for agricultural
purposes has superior. There may be moro
waste land here than in Illinois, as it Is more
rolling and billy, and interspcrsed with any con-
ceiveable number of small lakes of pure water.
But even this, as whole, is in its favor, mas
much as it contributes to the beauty, healthful-
ness, and farming interests of the country. In
the immediate vicinity of St. Paul, much Of the
land is too uneven for pleasant farms, and though
possessing a very good soil, is no sample what
ever of the farming lands in the Territory
There is as good land here in any western
| CedsC IucTC Cuu VIC uO UOs1CA, "no Nv o''ssS PO'
sesses a greater variety of soil. The soil in
many parts is composed Of rich black mould,
from two to six feet deep, of inexhaustible fer
tility, such as an eastern farmer would covet for
dressing on his land. 1t is usually covered with
hazel brush, or small poplars, which present lit
tie obstruction to the plough. The smooth
prairie lands have similar soil, though not
SO deep rich. The bur and white oak
openings mako excellent and durable farming
lands. The soil is rich loan with a clay SUBJ
soil. 1t is moro expensive to subdue, on account
of more Or less underbrush, which being killed
down from year to year, by the fire, form a
dubious root which requires some eight strong
oxen to turn under, or they may be grubbed out
with mattock, when the land may be broken up
| by light team without difficulty.
The soil here is universally quick and warm,
stimulating to vegetation, and maturing crops
with astonishing rapdity. Potatoes do well
planted the last Of June, and even the yellow
dent corn rpens without danger from frosts,
if planted the first ten days of the same month.
The great fertility of the soil is fully demon
strated by the luxuriance Of its
am safe in saying that in raising common
garden vegetables. and in quality and quantity
of potatoes, Minnesota will beat the world. Her
soil stands second to none for oats is we'll adapted
to rye, and is most excellent for both wheat
and corn. In fact, every kind Of farming pro-
duce grows and ripens here equally we'll, as it
| does in latltudes two and three hundred miles
south of us. Most of our eastern
may be cultivated here to any extent. Actual
experiment has gone sufficiently far to show that
the apple, pear, plum, cherry, &C.. are well
adapted to this soil and climate. never saw
| finer young trees than here, some Of which have
commenced bearing. We have native plumb
which grows in great profusion, excellent both
for eating and preserves. The strawberry, cur
rant. grape, and raspberry are natives here
But one of the greatest inducements to the settle
ment of Minnesota is its delightful
| CLIMATE.
OF this you may say Minnesotians are always
boasting. 1t may be so but not, think, with
out some good reason. For taking into
count both its pleasantness and healthfulness.
believe it to be unequaled. Its temperature is
more uniform, far less subject to sudden changes
than New England. 1t is true there are changes
in the weather here, rs we'll as ere, but they
are not as great or as frequent. We almost
exempt from long and tedious storms. To have
a continued storm for twenty-four hours is
thing hardly known here. One of twelve
| hours duration is Of rare occurrence. There are
not two dlys in year that teams have to
lay by account of bad weather. We have
| sho corth md r,;, l,,.
most of oar rain falls in showers, and the most
of this in the night time. We have rain after
about the first of November, until near the first
of April. And this fact goes far to make plea
SAINT, what our eastern friends regard as the
long dreaded
OF Minnesota. But, believe me, winter is the
merry time for Mmnesotians. Good slcghing
for four months, with usually clear bright sun,
all is life, business and pleasure the cold is as
little felt as in Illinois, or with you. Not day
but the men of business and pleasure are OUT
The markets are crowded with buyers and sellers,
the teamster is driving upon the road, the sound
of the woodman's axe is ringing from the forests,
the hunter is pursuing the nimbe deer, and the
rich, mullled in furs. with Ginning bells and
plungng steeds, are enjoying the gala ride. We
have here no hard driving snow storms. For
| three winters there has been but some twelve or
fifteen inches of snow upon the ground at any
one time. AMI this in it's fall interrupts no one.
1t comes down little hy little in the night time,
and you rise in the morning to behold clear sun
rolling up the heavens, disclosing world stud
ded and sparkling with the most brilliant gems.
The present winter has been one of unusual
severity, and yet will vouch for both man and
beast throughout the Territory, that two months
of such weather would be attended with less dis
comfort than single one of your cold eastern
rain storms. 1t is impossible for any one to know
until he has experienced it, how much the Dry
ness OF the weather in winter adds to its comfort
and pleasantness. gentleman the other day
was adinirn5 the winters here in comparison with
those of Illinois, which State he left for this,
some three years since. 'sThere,o said he, ssit is
neither one thing nor the other it is freezing
and thawing, and you have rain and snow and
mud, rendering it constantly disagreeable. Here
yon have but to provide yourself for winter, and
| you have no further inconvenience
When the winter leaves spring comes; there