The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-10-01
More About the Barren Plains" Of
Lake County.

| uuAV UuuutJ'
The following letter Of Hon. VIM
l.. Weber, and extracts from news
papers, shows the manner in which
the produce from our Plains exbib.
tied at the State Fair,recently, was
received:
EDITOR LAKE COUNTY STAR Per.
nit me, through your columns, to
express my thanks TO the citizens
of your county, who so kindly fur
nished and assisted in collecting
specimens Of its productions for ex-
hibition at the State Fair. The
collection attracted much attention,
and satisfied all who witnessed il
that the "barren plains" of Lake
County had been greatly underrat
ed. The Committee on the Agri-
cultural Department made special
mention of this exhibition (Which
WAS not entered for preiniums) and
quote from their report as fol-
lows:
"Your Committee have had their attention
called to an entry Of grain and vegetab les
exhibited by VIM. L. Weber, Land Com
missioner cf the +. & r. N. Ry. Co., and
find the collection an excellent one, many
OF the articles beiug even superior to those
entered for premiums. The name of the
person raising each article, with the name
Of the township and county in which il was
raised being mar ked upon each article ex-
hibited, enabled all to form an intelligent
opinion as to the capabilities OF the soil in
Isabella, Glare and Lake counties. We
would call especial attention to the collcc-
tion presented from the $50 called "bsrrcn
plains" OF Lake County, which convinced
your committee that Prof. Mi lies was right
when he stated that Their agricultural ca
pabiities have been very much underrated,'
and we would recommend diploma"
This report was signed by Sam
ueI Chaplin, George Taylor, and
Joseph Grldle,, being the full
viewing committee. 1t is to be
hoped that The day is not far dis
tanl when the noriI, halt Of the Low
er Peninsula of Michigan will not
be an "unknown land" to those re-
siding in the south half of the Low.
or Peninsula and To the balance of
The county, and when they know
The country their prtjudices will
necessarily be done away.
VIM. l.. WEBER.
Land Com. +. & p. Nj. R'y Go.
Fast Saginaw, Sept. -, 1874.
Extract from correspondence of
the daily Evening Neaos, of De-
troit:
East SAGINAW, Sept. IL, 1874.
During the days which the fair has elready
run there has been a great deal OF interest
manifested in collection Of fine vegetables,
grains and grasses, bearing above them a
placsrd On which was written,
"E.BiBIrED ny 'HEL,ND COMMISSIONER OF THE
FLINT PEEE MARQUETTE RAILWAY"
not entered for premiums, and in another
place If, om he barren lands Of Lake coun.
ty." Among The vegetables were some very
fue beets, some very large red radishes,
large yellow and white onions, large (b,ss)
druml,ead cabbage, and fac lot OF pota-
toes, etc. Among the grains was some large
plump wtcal. coin with st ks twelve feet
tall. and three or four ears denesding from
each, and smoug the grasses some very fine
milet, with large heads and four or five feet
tall. On inquiry of the exhibitor learn, d
that these all were raised on lands where
two or three years ago the,e was hardly
settler. that the lands were supposed to be
worthless for agricultural purposes, but that
these had all been raised in few townships
In Lake county and on the supposed b,r-
rem lands" Further inquiry elected the
fact that instead OF these lands being as at
first supposed. like tie plains of Kansas, bare
n md trceless, they are quite we'll wooded
with pine. The soil is generally Of a light
loamy character, and with intelligent Guilt
vation will undoubtedly make one Of the
most fertile sections OF the State, especially
as it Is well wateled with the clearest and
purest OF water. The constituents Of the soil
are lime, mica, feld.spar and silica. 1t will
thus be seen that oil the essential elements
OF productiveness are presented in II and IL
il lack any thing at oil to make IL pre-emn-
emily productive it lie vegetable decayed
matter which may be readily supplied either
by sodding for a time with clover or In the
sHNpt Oh Usnufes Inc iunus ere nPlu LOT
sale by VIM. l.. Weber, Esq, o. East Sag
NAV Land Commissioner ofthe Road, ut low
rates and easy terms, ana offered to those
desiring to build up farm home for them
selves, a fine opportunity for 80 doing. The
question naturally occurs to us
why DO so MANY OF OUR PEOPLE 40 WEST,
where they are so far away from the great
produce markets and have such limited Rail-
road facilities to establish themselves on a
farm Of their own, when they can get just US
good land aud equally cheap lands at home,
and the answer unqucstionably ia that they
do not know Of the existence ofthcse lands,
or the facts In regard to them, and should
therefore be told OF them, so that they may
be retained within our own borders aud add
10 the agricultural wealth Of Michigan.
VIM. THOMPSON and w. j. Nc
Causey had some fine specimens of
red clover, grown on the PIains, on
in town this week.