The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-20

dense population and well watered The soil - univer-
sally described excellent and many do not hesitate
much has been said and written of late concerning this
wonderful region, that but little can be added. All
agree in assigning it prominent rank among the unset
tied portions Of the West"
The country adjacent to the great Bend
Of the Minnesota River, including the Blue
Earth region-has long been represented as
one of the most fertile and beautiful in the
United States. DR.. b. F. Shumard, United
States Geologst under Owen, thus speaks of
it:
The fertility of the soil and the background Of for
est will undoubtedly make this at very distant day,
desirable locality for settlers seeking home.
The woodland abounds in linden, white and sugar a.
ple aspen elm, butternut and hickory with an under
growth Of pricky ash, gOosberry and grape-vnes."
We need however 60 no further. These
extracts will suffice to demonstrate tLat we
still retain millions of unpreempted acres as
choice as any that have yet been taken up
within the borders of Minnesota. The emf
grant must not suppose that because we have
accumulated here sufficient population to en-
title us to the rank OF state that all the OPP
portunties afforded by new country are
passed. We must bear in mind that We pos
ess an area almost twice as great as the
State Of Ohio and that the population of Ohio
in lie 80 was nearly two millions as contrast
ed with our one hundred and fifty thousand,
so that an increase of the present population
of Minnesota twenty times would fail to bring
US up to the position of Ohio in point Of den-
sity
1t must be admitted that occupying a high
northwestern locality we are subject to q
greater degree of cold during the winter month
thanis to be found in the majority of che States.
This however has been much exaggerated and
made formidable weapon of argument a.
gainst, us, while it applies with equal force to
the greater part of Wisconsin and Michigan
against whom however it is never urged. We
think that the are one or two circumstan-
ces which materially to mitigate the temper
allure of Minnesota as contrasted with Iowa
and Kansas. In the first place, it does not
follow that the same degree of the ther-
mometrical temperature will produce the
same results in localities where the amount
of humidity in the atmosphere or the guam
tity and character of the winds is different.
One quotation will determine this to the
a question of humidity. We quote from
Lorin Bloget's work before referred to, D. l6l:
1t may be said here, however, that the effect of ex
tremes in the growth vegetation is apparently similar
to that animal fe and that the absence of heat
be borne much more easily in dry climate than its
excess in humid Col. Emory in a connection al
ready quoted, remarks that the greater humidity of
night near the ella made temperature of 81 Sc
verely felt than of 25 in the dry regions"
We would here add, that the climate of
of Minnesota is essentially dry one-more
particularly so during the winter months
The following table shows the amount of rain
and snow that falls at st. Paul during the
winter, as contrasted with other points ia the
Union.
Mean Fail of Rain and Melted Sn0o-- Depth IN inch
and Deci1nQLS of an inch.