The Goodhue volunteer., 1862-06-18
FREE HOMES In MINNESOTA.
BUREAU or STATISTICS, J
Sr PAIrI, Nav 1aGo

FREE HOMES In MlNNEsOrA.
7s.s BUREAU or STATISTICS, J
d Sv. PAUL, May 1862. 6
3SIR:-Under the Homestead Law
recently passed by Congress Minneso-
ia offers to free settlement much lar
ger area Of public lands, and better
adapted to successful agriculture il
soil, climate and situation relatively ia
the great avenues Of inland commerce
than any other Western State.
Minnesota contains SO, 77g. .OO9 acres
Of land. OF this the whole area ap-
|propriated BY yscttlement or purchase
is about {, 1900, 900 acres, and there. are
:, $780, 900 acres of School Lands, leny-
ing 43t 900 600 acres still open to free
settlement under the operation Of the
Homestead Law. ~
Threequarters Of this surface con
sists Of rolling prairie, intersper-ed
with frequent groves, oak opening.
and belts of hard wood timber, water
ed by numberless lakes and streams,
and covered with warm dark soil Of
great fertility. The rest embracing
the elevated district Immediately west
of Lake Superior, consists mainly of
the rich mineral ranges on its shores,
and OF the pine forests which clothe
the headwaters Of the Mississippi af-
|fording i,eerhoustible supplies of Ium-
Der.
The climate is beautiful and one of
the most he ealthful and productive on
the continent Though the winter is
cola-its mean temperature being
that Of New Hampshire-its severity
is very much miti gated by the ertrenae
d2yness OF 'dir, the whole average fall
Of moisture being but one-sixth that
! of New England.
The summers, on the other hand are
very warm, their mean temperature be-
ing that Of tSouthere Pennsylvania,
and the rains at this season are abun>
dant and never failing, though the air
continues comparatively dry, Professor
Maury pronounces it, the best watercd
Of all the Western States. 1t is alike
exempt from the severe drouths OF
Kansas, and the frosts and diseases
incident to moister at,nospheres and
heavier and less thoroughly drained
soils.
The following facts are col]ated
from the official statistics of Minneso
ia:
Rapid as has been the growth of th'
new Western States, Minnesota hal
surpassed them all in the rapidity O.
it's progress. Its POPULATION in 1856
was $3.50; in 1860, i72,o22. Its ag
ricult>vul developensent has been ever
more remarkable.
The number Of acres of plowed lant
in 1850 WAS l 300; in 1854, 1900 ii
1860, 4s3,267 having increased near
ly thirty fold in six years.
The number of bushels Of whoa
produced in 1850 was ,40l; in 1885,
1000; in 1860, 5,Ool ,432 bushels be
ing nearly thirty bushels to each in
habitant, or four times as much as tn
whole wheat crop Of New England il
1850.
The whole amount Of grain and po
tatoes produced in Minnesota in 1855
was 7l,7O9 bushels; in 1860 it wa
l4,693,5l7 bushels-mostly in til
small grains. What progress 70
ten years
This rapid agricultural growth ha
been achieved chiefly since the CO
, lapse OF land speculation in 1857. ]
1858 Minnesota imported bread an
provisions. In 1851 she exported 3
, 900, 900 bushels Of wheat alone.
Minnesota ia probably the best ac/teo
. State IN the Union, with the exceptio
perhaps of California. The statistic
Of her wheat crops show All averag
= yield in 1860 of twenty-five bushrl
! per acre, and in 1859 Of l9 bushels
r these results being from fifty to thre
, hundred per cent. greater than tn:
of the principal wheat States, wi,
the exceptions noted. In 1859, for g,
y ample, the average yield Of Iowa W.
I four and one-third bushels per acre
of Ohio, seven and one third bushel
1 Illinois, according to a high local =,
I thority, produces from year to year n,
1 more than eight bushels per acre, III
o fifteen bushels is considered an unus'
~ ally large average for the best .whe'
States. The comparative exemptio
r of Minnesota from the diseases al
|; insects which ravage the wheat Gro,
of other States, gives it great a,
vantage in the cultivation Of this mo
valuable staple. ~
e Minnesota il often supposed to I
: too far north for corn. This is T. gre
l. mistake, founded on the popular ia
y lacy that the latitude governs c
J. mate. But climates grow warmer t
n wards the west coasts of continent
= and although its winters are cold, Il
70 summers Of Minnesota are rs warm
q those Of Southern Ohio. II may su
r prise some readers to know that Il
mean summer heat Of St. Paul is pr
cisely that of Philadelphia, FIVE. d
ii grees further. south, and that it IS 60
= '-lsiderably warmer during the who
= six months Of growing season tn
e Chicago, three degrees further sout
1t The products Of the soil confirm d
= siindicst,ons Of the Army Meteorolos
1.Icsl Register. The average yield
y corn in 1860 was thirty five and Y
o thirds bushels per acre, and in 1859.
,e : bad year-twenty-six bushels.
80 fhs. laffup wo~r Ynv