Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-09-04
Northern Michigan.

From the Detroit Free Press.
A few weeks ago we published a
note from Canadian correspond
ent questioning why so many
emigrants should go 10y Michigan
into the far West when land, valua-
bic for agricultural purposes, can
be obtained within the borders of
Michigan. The editor Of this de-
partment, from some questions that
had been sent in concerning the
agricultural promises of Northern
Michigan, concluded to take a
short trip to the Traverse region
for the purpose of getting what
information he could from the car
window and from occasional tramps
through the country; and now
writes from the tip end of the
little peninsula that lies between
the two arms of Grand Traverse
Bav. 1t is said that this
region is made glorious by passing
throguh such Il waste of country in
getting here. This is all wrong.
TO one who is used TO estimating
the value of land Ivy the forest
growth that is upon it, the country
along the line of the Grand Rapids
a. Iudiania Road is, n majority of
the way, very promising. To be
sure, there is good deal of pine
timber, Int the best of it is upon
land that produces excellent pine,
aud the best Of pine never grows
upon poor land. Again, for long
stretches, one example of which Is
above Big Rapids, and another be-
tween Walton and Traverse City,
the timber of mixed maple, beech.
Eastwood and pine indicates soil
that will grow excellent crops, and
although about Traverse City we
found some light land, and at in
tervals along the line we found
tracts Of land we would not take
as q gift; still we do not find any
greater proportion of this land
than we have seen in other States.
There is room and opportunity
between Kent County and Petoskey
for a grea. population and the
country can support it without any
dependence upon pine saw-logs,
and this country is suffering from a
lack of men who are willing to
pioneer it for n time on good land,
for the sake of a rich reward that
comes from developing farms hav-
ing a good soil and near railroad
communication with the world
Too many men have carried the
idea that when the pine was ent off
this country would be a great waste.
Their neglect to tell the whole
truth, that the pine that is of
least value is upon the poor lands
and will not be cut off until the
best pine is removed which will
simply give to the State large tracts
Of excellent farming lands.
There is two things that should
be remembered, however:
/. No lazy man can come into this
country and succeed any sooner
than elsewhere in new country.
1t requires hard, earnest work to
clear up farm here, but if the
land is chosen judiciously, and the
economy practiced that must al
ways 90 with successful pioneer
life, these lands, a majority OF
them, may ere long be made a
source of wealth to the State and
of support to large number of
people-worthy people.
.. There is special problem
TO be worked out in the removal Of
the pine stumps from q large por-
ton of this land. Hardwood
stumps in few years decay and
are gone. The farmer endures the
disagreeable task of working
around them, expecting soon to be
rid of the annoyance. Not so with
the pine stumps; they are n long
trouble unless removed at the out
set. So full of pitch, they have no
appreciable decay in an ordinary
generation, hut it seems as if in
these days Of invention some plan
must be adopted by which these
hindrances shall be economically
removed.