St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-06-13
Northwestern Minnesota.

Northwestern Minnesota.
Extract from letter by the great
Northwestern explorer, Col. ". H. Mob
les, to The Farmer and Gardener.
There are facts in relation to the north
crn, and especially the northwestern part
of Minnesota, that heretofore placed be-
fore the people, cannot be too often repeat
cd. ! believe it is not generally known
that the best wheat lands in the United
! States arc north Of the centre of the States.
The country northwest of St.. Cloud, to
addition to being the best wheat land, is
one Of the most beautiful in the world
fair proportion of timber and prairie. in
terspersed most beautifully with small
lakes Of clear, pure water, and
small streams, and scarcely quarter Sec
tim which would not make a first class
farm. There are no kinds Of small grain
which cannot be raised in abundance, and
it is one Of the finest countries for vege-
tables in the world. There is, an album
dance OF the finest fish in all the lakes
and streams, and the scenery is not sur
passed on this continent Nor is this all ;
too much cannot be said of it as a stock
country. The fact of it's northern location
appears to have prevented thorough ex-
animation into its real merits. Starting
from the Iowa line, every mile you travel
north the grasses become more nutricious,
until you reach far into the British pos.
sessions, and in just the same proportion
will the stock be harder and more healthy,
and in the same proportion also can it be
raised with. less expense and trouble
Cattle and hoIses, and even, sheep can OBJ
tain better living through the winter,
by grazing, ven north Of tie information
al line, than they can in Illinois or Iowa,
and l may say in any of the northern
The grasses remain. green for more
months of the Year than further south
where the droughts and hot dry sumo dry
up the feed; and when winter sets in the
animals are Letter able to stand the ,cold
we*ther, which is not as severe upon them
as the cold rains and chilly atmosphere Of
more southern and consequently: more
sickly climates. | am aware that many
Will doubt my statements in part, if not
the whole. But it will be remembered
that it is but a few years Since it was
thong ht by many that St. Paul was too
tar north to raise even small grains, much
less corn while experience has taught US
that the large Ohio dent has, ina meas
ure become acolimated, and can be raised
mi abundance aud is really safer crop,
one season with another, than in many Of
the more southern and northern States
The only drawback is the want of tacil-
tiles for getting produce to market, and
there cannot be too much said in favor of
building a railroad at least as far north
as St. Cloud: which I deem to be the
most important to the State at large at
the present time, and which will open IN
the largest and finest scope of stock and
grain growing country between the Allan
tic and Pacific. . >. ,;r,
:: The famous Sank Valley, of which so
much has been justly said, is only begin
ming, compared to the country generally as
far as fifty miles west of the Red River
and north to the British line, and even
beyond. While tits to be desired that
your paper be strictly neutral in politics,
yet it is to be hoped, that you. will not
deal with the politicians, Ono matter to
what party they belopg)5 with a sparing
hand. It will be, safe to calculate that
they will, if possible, gull the people, un-
It'll their pockets can be filed for two years
to come, as they have ince the !!'rascally
Wall Street Brokers' = proposed to build
the old Northwestern Railroad. I yet
believe that if that road had been built
the surplus Of to-day would, have been
.trebled," and at'least three millions clear
|proit would have been realized to the &C.
tual tillers Of: the soil, and in the absence
ola GIVE million loan,"s J. B. could bring
on his land Isales, and the people could
have paid for them. We. should thus
have avoided; in a measure, the hard times
and the people, instead of the politicians,
wouido have saved themselves ::from, ruin.
Railroads are What the farmer wants, and
railroad i,are'what they must have, and3if
Fttey W.T., "ith one accord, enter upon the
work 81: sending proper agents to reptc.
sent their interests in the Legislature,
there would soon beea: better state of
thingS.o ott.&5:rssa $ of,1"5 -. :r.t.u1
ID EE5Rqa iA :, the endd & Of tie selec-
ton on our outside F'Sketch of Character
rim Interpretations '"scarrea by thecrooked