The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-10-27
An,NylTIN6 COUNTRY.
The big woods-.-TAe Prairies...The
m..a.vvs...Quallsi es Of the SOLE.
The Observation-Disclosures 60.

rn. w,~ yvoods...TAe Prairies...The
INSTRUMENTATION OF tho SOLE.
The scenerv---Produetio 60.
From . Special Correspondent.
FOREST CsrI. NEEKER Co, Mina..(
October IA, 1855
To ue Editor Of tie Power:
The portion of Minnesota lying west and
north.westo of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and
traversed by the main line Of the st. Paul and
Pacific Railroad, embraces the finest iands-not
only Of cur state.-but Il the whole North
west.
The Big Woods stretch fifty miles to the
westward from the Mississippi and are heavily
timbered with OAK, hickory, ash, linn, butter
nut, elm and sugar maple, and the scenery OF
the dense forest Is rendered more delightful by
many lakes and streams Of SURPRISING beauty,
and numerous natural meadows OF the finest
grass, which afford an abundance OF hay and
pasture for the farmer at once without waiting
10 clear and seed his lsad, upon commencing
the lucrative business OF raising stock. Inc
numerous rapids of the Crow River VIII furnish
an abundance of water power. The soil Is
rich black mold and rests upon clay SUBJ
The prairies lying west of the Big Woods are
covered with luxurious growth OF grass, and
. good crop of hsy can be mown from the up
lands. But upon the low grounds are the fin
cat meadows in the world, which viii produce
from two to four tons of the finest quality of
hay per acre, and the bottom is hard and
smooth and easily worked by machinery.
Nearly every quarter section has plenty of
meadow land upon it. The prairie soil is .
rich black loan, from two to three feet deep,
and of u unsurpassed fertility, and is easily cui-
tivated.
Immigrants arriving here are astonished At
the enormous stacks of grain grown upon such
small pieces of land.
Forty bushels Of wheat, sixty Of oats and
seventy of corn per acre, is not an uncommon
or extraordinary yield; and vegetables of 50.
perior quality are easily raised in enormous
quantities. Groves of timber are scattered
over the prairie, affording plenty Of timber for
farming purposes. This is both grain and
grazing country.
The scenery is beautiful beyond description.
Here, bordered by green prairies of waving
grass and stately groves of timber, are innu-
merable silver lakes with pebbled shores,
Astounding with the finest qualities of fish, and
from which flow ripping brooks of pure va
ter. There are maHy-Ve,y many situations
here more delightful than any upon the Hud-
son, or the lakes in Central or Western New
York.
The surface of the country is gently undu-
lating and We never suffer from the severity of
drought, wet seasons or freshets. The lakes
and marshes not only afford an abundance of
water, but act as huge reservoirs for the sur
plus rains and melting SHOWS, which our sod
during the dry seasons, preventing vegetation
from parching up as in other localities.
have travelled extensively through all the
Northern States, and passed the last year and
half In the cotton fields of Louisiana and Mis-
sissippi, but have never found q locality com.
facilities for acquiring competence In Mime
sofa are equal to those in the southern climate
Of malaria, without mourning the risks of the
latter locality. The climate Of Minnesota, with
our pure atmosphere, inparts q health and
vigor to the system that must be experienced
to be appreciated. InvalAs after q short resi-
dence here and themselves hearty and robust.
Their debility and diseases leave them 90 soon,
and are replaced by vigorous health that the
change seems the work Of magic. And the
invigorating influences of our climate are no
less marked upon animals than the human sys-
tenn.
Many people at the East think Minnesota Is
% far north - to be ''too cold" But they
forget that the temperature of . climate Is
subject to other influences than that of lati-
tude, and that climate invariably grows warm.
q upon the Same parallel - We advance from
In the same latitude of " the vine clad hills Of
France" and the perennial shores of the Pa
cifc.
Though in winter the thermometer may in
dieate cold weather, yet the system is prepared
for II, and we never suffer from frequent. sud-
and East. Our coolest weather Il dry, still and
bright with sunshine. Last winter I suffered
With cold more in Vicksburg Miss, than I
ever did during my nine years residence in
Minnesota.
Our first and only frost this season was on
that 1t was only felt In the most exposed To-
eAlities. Tomatoes and the most tender vege-
tables here are still green as they we're in July.
The spring is generally ten days earlier here
than In Southern New York.
Immigration is rapidly coming in upon U.S.
The emigrant wagon, filed with household
utensils and implements of agriculture and
followed by herds of stock, is quietly moving
across our prairies. The emigrant wagon
here It is the same as we saw it pictured in the
old school geography, and at which we gazed
with youthful fancy. But to find first choice
the frontier, and they are now turning their
attention to the lands of the st. Paul and Pa
cifc Railroad Company, which were withdrawn
from occupation in the early settlement of the
country. The liberal policy of the company of
allowing settlers to occupy their lands at once
and afterwards to purchase them at a triaing
advance upon government price, gives them
the advantage Of first choice lands. and in the
yery midst Of the oldest settled and most i'm
proved localities, without encountering the
privations and vicissitudes incident 70 pioneer
life.
The cheap. though rapidly advancing lands
of Meeker, Mcleod, Kandiyohi, Monongalia;
and other western counties Of this State, will
furnish delightful homes OF opulence and COM
fort for the surplus population of the older
settled States; and we submit 10 those OF
moderate means whether or not it is their
moral duty to avail themselves OF the oppor-
tunity now offered of procuring land enough
not only for themselves, but sufficient to settle
hair "a ohoux 81,