The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-11-04
THE FARMING AND GARDENING INTEREST AT
THE HEAD OF LIKE SUPERIOR.

real interests of this place to greater ex-
tent than those who have gone on steadily
improving their farm property during the
last few years. We owe an especial debt
of gratitude to those men who have been
constantly laboring to develope the agricul-
tural and horticultural resources Of Douglas
County. Several of our public spirited cit
izens have done much in this behalf, and
established facts in reference to the capa-
bilities of our soil, that will at no distant
day be worth more to us than mining
wealth.
The soil Immediately at and around the
head Of Lake Superior, is of wonderful
richness and fertility. There is only one
thing that equals it, and that is the Won
derful misapprehensions and misrepresent-
ations which prevail with respect to it IN
the minds Of people abroad. Even men
like Dana, of the n. Y. Sun, and others
who would be supposed to know the facts,
persist in representing the farming and
gardening capacities Of this region as about
on par with the moss and ichen districts
of Labrador or Lapland.
But it remains a simple truth, and well
known fact, that for the production OF GER
eals, vegetables and small fruits, this region
has scarcely its equal in the limits OF either
temperate zone, and that whether as re-
CARDS quantity or quality. A section OF
country that can raise more wheat to the
acre, and that of heavier head, or plumper
grain, than can be raised on these farms IN
Douglas County, must be finer section
than we have yet come across III wide
range of travel in the East and West. The
same is true of the oats yield. 1t is truly
magnificent in the cereal scale. AS to cab
bages and beets they excel in size, sound
ness and flavor, any it has been our good
fortune to meet and eat elsewhere.
We might go through the vegetable list,
and say pretty nearly the same thing Of
each article, while as to potatoes we can
say in the knowledge of thousands who
have tried them, that few regions can equal
those here produced, and certainly no spot
on the globe can surpass them. And we
predict at this early day that the demand
in the Central States for the splendid pota-
toes of the Lake Superior region, will yet
require fleet Of sailing craft IN that trade
alone. Men will yet order their potatoes
from Lake Superior, as they now depend
on the peach crop of Lake Michigan for the
genuine peach.
It is marvel indeed that Chicagoans
and other unfortunate citizens of the lower
latitudes continue to afliict their stomachs
with the waxy, watery, black and yellow
vegetable petrefactions they call potatoes,
and we are almost inclined to a feeling Of
equal surprise, that our citizens have not
done more to cultivate the Lake Superior
potato on large scale, and introduce it by
regular advertisement, and commission sale
to the appreciative appetites of the Central
West
But our farmers have done much to lay
the foundations of such an extensive agri-
cultural specially in the near future, and
to them all honor is due for the notable
facts already established concerning the
esculent in question.
Passing on to speak of our small fruits
and emitting for want of time, and space,
much that might be said about the minor
garden vegetables of this climate and re-
gion-we may state that this is the natural
home of the strawberry, the raspberry, and
plum. In their wild state here they often
equal in flavor and size the cultivated ones
of other sections, and when carefully do
mesticated and nurtured in our gardens
they fully merit the adjectives superb and
delicious. Besides these, the gooseberries,
all varieties of currants, and many other
small fruits and berries speak wonders for
the fertility of the soil, and the forcing,
fervid summers of the Lake Superior
country.
1t will be noticed that we have mention
ed no names and glven no measurement
and weight of specimens, and samples.
The trouble is that we know not where to
begin or end. Any name would represent
model farmer, and any yield model crop
in other regions. Let the doubter write to
any citizen for special proof, or send fo1
average samples, or better yet come and
see for himself Seeing is believing. We
challenge contradiction, and invite inyesti
CATION, as numbering the farms at the heao
ef Lake Superior among the model farms
cf the continent.
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