The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-09-09
EASTERN OPINIONS OF MINNESOTA.
An Ohio Traveller In Ecstacies.
From the Ohio Farmer,

From the Ohio Farmer
recently paid visit to the State of
Minnesota, with many deep-rooted prejudices
against her public policy, her climate, and
even her soil, for you know it is one of the
false habits of the human understanding to
make too hasty and too broad conclusions
from very scanty facts; and as some, per-
haps many, of your thousand readers, may
contemplate, Immediately or prospectively, a
home in the West, and may entertain some
of the prejudices that were fastened upon
my mind against this youngest and fairest
child of the Confederacy, a short review of
some of the things l heard, and saw, and
felt, may not be unnterest Dg.
First, of the rural districts, and then a
word about the young, beautiful aud grow
ing metropolis OF the State, st. Paul.
When l reached Minnesota, the most
beautiful month in all the year, the gay and
fragrant month of June, was fast passing
away, and the whole face of the country was
clothed in her gayest attire, as if prepared
expressly for grand celebration of the then
approaching anniversary of American indie
pendence. This young State, you know, is
known by the sobriquet of ''the land of the
flower and the prairie" and never did real.
ize the significance of this appellatiOn, until
my eyes ieasted on the beauty of the flower
and the grandeur of the prairie. Every.
thing in nature united to make the country
exceedingly attractive to me: the season of
the year the grand old prairies, on whose
rich grass the buffalo had fed for thousands
of years, undisturbed by the tread of a white
f,r of
vision, and decked with myriads of flowers
the forest trees, mantled in the deepest,
richest green, and vocal with the glorious
harmony of the feathered MINISTRIES innu-
merable lakes, with water pure and clear as
crystal, and with myriads of the fnny tribe
sporting in their sparkling waves, or assem-
bled in shoals in their transparent deeps
broad acres, waving with wheat, rye and
OATS golden and almost ready for the sickle,
or covered with fresh and tender corn, or
more luxuriant potatoes; gardens filled to
overlooking with vegetables, and blooming
with thousands of flowers. All these and
more, united to make Minnesota the very
"land of milk and honey" and a picture
upon which the eye would never tire Of look.
ing, but would forever be discovering new
duu STduutf UcdutleS.
In passing over several counties of the
State, everywhere found the farmers in
spired with the prospect or hope, of rich
reward for previous toll, and we'll they
might be, for they had glorious promise of
an abundant harvest and to-day, whilst I
write, their barns are doubtless filled with
plenty, and their hearts are over6owing
with gladness. Minnesota, apprehend, is
destined to be one of the very best agricul-
tural States in the Union; in the fertility
of her soil she is probably unequaled it is
productive far beyond that of Ohio or the
more Eastern States. Of winter wheat, the
product, learn. is about an average of
twenty-five bushels per acre of spring
wheat, thirty bushels of corn, eighty BUSH
els per acre is not an unusual crop; and of
oats, about the same number of bushels of
potatoes, from three to five hundred bushels
per acre and for all other roots and vege-
tables, the soil is well adapted, and produ-
ces almost fabulous amounts; and these
large crops may be relied upon in time to
come, for the very good reason that they
are not subject to the many contingencies
that make our crops so very uncertain.
The weevil and fly are unknown there,
and the soil is of that peculiar nature as that
the growing crops are not materially affected
either by extremely dry, or extremely wet
weather and it is worthy of note, that
crop in Minnesota has never yet been injured
or lost from any cause, save only by the
depredations of grasshoppers last year.
These facts, in connection with the advantage
of a State Agricultural College and Farm,
the health Of the climate, the cheapness of
the land, (much of it yet subject to entry,)
the ease and facility with which farms are
opened up and cultivated, the liberal
provision for school purposes, two sections
of land in each township, the most liberal
homestead exemption law in the Union, "a
grand Railroad system, and many other
elements of success, present this young State
to my mind, as very paradise for farmers;
and as such it is regarded by the pioneers
who are just beginning to develop the mines
of wealth covered up in the soil, and will
this year send forward large surplus to
the eastern markets.
AS wool growing State, Minnesota will
very soon be able to compete with any
other in the Union. The dry, healthy
climate, and its undergraduates in winter,
and the rich prairie pastures, offer great
inducements to those who have taste for
this pleasant and profitable branch of
agricultural industry. Those who have
already embarked in this department are
delighted with their success their sheep
are healthier, grow larger, and produce
more wool than sheep in Ohio. The flock
of Mr.. Carson, averaged "a pounds per
head, which sold the present season, in ST.
Paul, for forty cents pound. l saw a
flock of spring lambs, near Cannon Falls,
weighing each over ninety pounds. The
adaptation Of the climate and pasturage of
Minnesota to successful wool growing, is
Just beginning to attract the attention of
eastern wool growers, and a gentleman of
Cayuga county, New York, has recently
sent out thousand head of sheep, to be
kept Eat the ,lves," and proposes to send
more. / apprehend the time is not very
far distant when Minnesota will be distin-
, guished as great wool growing State.
The abundant pasturage Of Minnesota will
also make it great grazing State, where
the dairy department must become protita-
BILE; the cattle there look much better than
do ours in Ohio; they are all "iat and
sleek :" their horses appear to be in fine
condition, with glossy coats of hair, all OF
which is attributed to the prairie hay, of
which they are excessively fond.
A. 1ooc tho oolJ ,v:oforc IF Miupacnfo