The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-05-05
49,.

b I'D h. and dotted with M, RAIDS of beautiful axes and
natu al meadows The timber is very heavy, and con-
si-,s Of oak. maple, ash, elm, Eastwood, black walnut,
butternut, aspen aud second growth hickory. Ihe soil
is a black vegetable mould, from two to three feet IN
depth, resting on a sub.oil of clay, ard IN the ordinary
accep'atl"n OF the term, inc xhaustible.> .s
Characteristics Ut The Lnxete Portions IF he Trr-
vitrry We nov come to consider a belt Of country ex-
tending in breadth from the Big Woods t" the Chippewa
river, a distance of seventy miles, which has been sptly
termed the Farmer, 8 Paradise with a surface aimira-
bly, divided between rolling prairie, woodland and
meadow, and waterei Ly a thousand crystal lakes and
streams it also has an exceedingly fertile and durable
soil, closely resembling that OF the Big Woods.
The countr; between the Chippewa river and the
Bots dc Sioux river is but sparingIy supplied With TIM
Der, which can however be beautifully supplied hereafter
from adjacent regions. 1t has an anuvial soil, rich,
highest perfection, every grain and root adapted to a
Western climate. The species of grass called red-top' IS
in ligenous, and reaches fs quently a height Of SIX feet,
furnishing a sure index TO the productive qualities OF
the SOIL T
We quote again from the same r port ); after stating
that the region between Grow Wing and uttertall Lake
possesses few advantages, he proceeds to describe the
valley of the Red River as fellows:
- The surface is' roll rng prairie interspersed with Tine
graves ut timber, amply sufficient tor the purpose OF o
dense population AMI is we'll watered The soil IS nnl-
ver>aily described as excellent, aud many d" not hesi-
Cttc ectdTe II superior ANY OGncT III u cittA'uJ
SO much has been said and written Of late c'nccrning
this wonderful region, that but little can be added All
agree in assigning it a prominent rank anon, the un.
settled por,ious Of the Wtst' - sea12 BIS
The country adj i'cent to the great Bend Of the Min
sssosa riser, inclu,l :ny the Blue Earth region-hss long
20 shaE Bate4k asaaeN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
states GeoIogissndsr O@tkb, thasl spe4ks q il
The fe~raIity.of the soil aSa tie Enthusiastically r-
est. waf sad"abssdls n ske this, ~ no very disaa6ts day,
"a desirable t~calify fer settlers seeking aoaet NOME.
The woodland aboun Is IN linden. white and sugar maple,
aspen, maple, butfcrnut and hickory, with IN under
growth Of prickly ash, gooscberry and grape vines
We neeI however go n, further These extracts will
suffice to demonstrate that we still retain millions of
unpre. empted acres as choice as any si,at have yet been
taken up within the borders Of Minnesota. The emf
grant must not suppose that because we have accumu-
lated here sufficient population to entitle US to the rank
OF a State that alt the opportunities afforded ny q new
country are passed. We must bear in mind that we
possess an area almost twice as great as the State OF
Ohlo, and that the population Of Ohio in 1880 was
nearly two millions as c'ntrasted with our one hundred
and fifty thousand, so that an increase If the present
populations Of Minnesota twenty times would fail to bring
us up to the position of Ohio in point of density.
r. Climate = 1t must be admitted that occupying a high
Northwestern locality, We are subject to a greater de
gree of cold during the winter mouths than is to be
found in the majority Of the Sites. This howeverihas
been much exasgerat d and made a formidable weapon
Of argument against us, while 1t applies with equal
force 10 the greater part OF Wisconsin and MLfhlgaD,
against whom, however, it is never urged. We think
that tina, there are one or two circumstances which ma
terially tend to mitigate the temperature Of M'nnes1ta
as contrasted with Iowa aud Kansas. In the first place,
it does no. follow that the same degree Of the thermo-
metrical temperature will produce the same results in
localities where the amount Of humidity in the atmos-
phere or the quantity aud character of the Winds is
diff rent. In4 ~~
One quotation will determine this as to the question
Of humidity We quote from Lorin Bio gets work
before referred to. p Ill:
: 1t may be said here, however that the effect Of ex-
trenes in the growth OF vegetation is apparently similar
t" that on amin Il life, and that the absence Of heat may
be borne as much more easily in a dry climate than its
excess in a humid one.s Col. Emory in a paragraph
already quoted, remarks that the greater humidity Oft
night pear the Gila made a temperature Of 3s0 more
severely felt than one Of 250 in the dry regions
We would here add, that the climate Of Minnesota is
essentially a dry us-saore particularly SO during the
winter months, The following table shows the amount
of rain and snow that falls ut St. Paul during the winter,
as contrasted with other poin:s in the Union.
Mean Fall If Rain and Melted Snow-D~psh in inches and