The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-28

from Lake MInnet0nka 10 SauA AMY ~
occupied by dense masses Of wool known
as the Bigwoods, in,ersec.ed by small pral'
ries and meadows, covered with deep grass
"a. which mark the extreme fertility d The
SOIL and dotted with nyriads Of beau
tifui lakes. From Sank Valley 10 Grow
Wing ia a heavy forest growth on light
sandy. ba, nutritious soil, south OF which
stretch wide and fat savanbais.
The eastern slope is irayersed by the
Rum River, the Elk. the Platte and other
streams, which rise in the highlands and
lakes Of the great summit level, and cross'
ing broad belts Of pine at their upper eH'
tremitics, flow through low undaIa'ing
plain, covered with clusters Of lakes, tama-
rack swnmp-, meadows and oak openings,
with o thin sandy soil on the highest ridges
and intervening masses Of great fertility.
in all tho siopes and deprosioDs. For de-
tailed description below the belt OF pine,
this section may be thus divided From 81.
Anthony Falls TO Rum River, rolling prai.
rie, with oak openings beautifully inter
spcrsed, soil sandy but rich in organic ingrc-
dents; from Iium River TO FIX River,
open uudala,iag prairie, sparSciy wooded.
beyond Elk River, an excellent soil, Prai-
ries iaterspcrsed with beautiful parks OF
oak.
4. The 81. Cro,r paieY The st. Croix
River rises in Wisconsin, bot lie principal
tributaries the Kettle and Snake rivers be-
long TO Minnesota. They rise in the high.
lands of Lake Superior and interesting I'M
merse forests Of pine in their rapid descent
along the deelivi'y Of that region, break al
intervals through the trap rocks in falls
and rapids, and thus afford with an cx'
haustible supply Of timber water power
adequate TO iia manufacture,
iielow latitude &C, tho country bordering
theS, Croix, though heavily iimbcroi with
hard woods, has rich soil, which proves
more attractive 10 the hardy husbandman
Of northern Europe, even with the labor oi
clearing, tkan the lighter ioam Of the prat
ries, Ia i,s lover sections Il presents
succession Of oak openings Of grea, beauty
and fertility.
). The Ldks RsgIon from C'o,e Hmg
10 The sources u Tie M'"aaPP', From
Crow Wing TO l'okegoma Falls distauoe
OF 200 miles, thu Mississippi is navlgable in
high water Tor steamboats,. The shons are
Of moderate elevation and borderea genor,
ally With low aliuvial bottoms sustaining u
dcn1 growth u hard woods On either
side the country Is broken up into low OBJ
long knobs, covered with sandy loan Of
variable fertility, with gently nndulating
valleys between, intcrsptrscd with rice
lakes, meadows, ponds aad hogs, and
threaded with streams. Above the Falls
w ascend To the broad summit level, an in,
tsrminahle lab, rath Of streams and lakes,
some 81 the latter Of large size, separated
by low sayannahs and narrow sandy ridges
covered with pine, the allavial bottoms with
q dense forest 81 hardwood. This region
contains excellent land where the calcareoas
clay sabsoil breaks through the layer Of
lani which ovcrlays the
ridges,
Il IL suIlicieu, Indication Of the ngricul.
iural capacity Of this district ,ha, corn
which cannot ho cultivated At Sault st
Marie, is annually raised by the Indians at
the sources Of thu Mississippi. The abun.
dance Of the Rice plaut aud Cranberry re-
deems the marshes which they cover. pr.
Norwood Of owco'' Geological Corps thus
estimates the value Of this r,giou;
q" In th,. connssien, Il may not 10 out VI PLACE
10 remark, that, 81 far as tho mere support II
life is concerned, taking into account the amour,
Of labor required TO 10 u. this region Is equal VI
not superior 10 any OF tho settled States The
riec 6elds, which require. neither so~ng nor eui.
uvstius, only haves,iug, and yield all tina, Is
essential for trrat s,uG, hnt In addition to tht.
corn can be cultivated with little or less labor
than tn the Middle states. Potatoes, far supe.
rior in ,i,e AMI as.er 10 any have ever seen la
the cato Valley, are grown With latte attention;
and tarnips and bee,s produce Abuniaptly Ia.
no lnf tAa t.la nj