Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-05-18
NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
MackinHc and Chippewa
COunties.-Their Soil and Aiivan.
tages for Farming Purposes.

MackanNc 0n0 CntpPe"a
Csunties.-Their Soil and Advan.
tages for Farming Purposes.
A week or so siEce I'VE gave some
extracts i'm the TRIBUNE from the edi-
tOrial. correspondence of the Michigan
Farmer in regard'to Cheboygan County.
That paper, of May End, contains four
columns of "Notes by the Way" from
the same source from which we take the
following extracts. After describing his
trip from Cheboygan TO Pine River the
Editor says:
"a good clearing had been made here
by Mr.. Wing and about 25 acres had
been got ready for sowing this spring. 1t
had been plowed UP last fail. The soil
was very rich, red, clayey loan, which
by exposure to the winter atmosphere
had become Stacked and loamy. 1t was
evidently to us soil that no mismanage-
ment could spoil. and which the more it
was worked the more it would produce.
The brushwoOd was mostly hazel, with
only a few trees and fallen logs. About
three miles from the river. we came to
another clearing made by A. S. Smith
who keeps the hotel here, which is about
half way between Point st. Ignace and
the Sault. There We stayed all right and
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, both of whom were
former residents cf Cass Coulty, made
everything as comfortable as could be ex-
.pected in this region. Mr.. Smith has a
fine clearing here, which had been plow-
ed in part and part of which he had
brushed, logged and got ready for burn
ing. He exhibited to us fine samples of
oats and of spring wheat, and his garden
though small. was ready for sowing and
planting, and it was only the 10th of
April.
On Wednesday morning. the l7th.. we
set out on horseback for the Munuscong
River, which We were informed runs
through tract of the richest lands in
this part of the State, and at the same
time admirably adapted Tor farming pur-
poses. After ride of eight or nine miles
through lands part of which were heavily
timbered. bat the greater part Of which
was composed of openings wh"re the
timber had been burned off. and whert
grass and thickets of young birches, pop
liars, haz!e brush and low growing Shrubs
had sprung up, which left the clearing o.
the land for the pIow all easy work. We
came to point of land above a bridge
that crossed large creek that seemed tt
run for miles from the nOrthwarl TO tht
southwark, through valley that wount
itself into the distance. The flats OIL The
bottom were green with the grasses thai
were springing into life and lay out like
natural meadows, interspcrsed here and
there with clunps of shrubs; on either
side rose the sides of the valley, not Il;
tluffs, but gentle rounded hills, that were
mostly fit for culture of any kind, an(
broken by the channels cut by the brook:
which flowed down from the plateaux
plains or prairies, that stretched as far a:
we could see OIL both sides till they me-
the land which was bounded by the Pine
River. This land was the valley of tht
Munuscong. Sometimes it is called the
Burnt Lands" Many years ago the
fires had swept over large tract of lant
| In this district and had burnt the timber
completely of it. Then the grass sprans
up and all other vegetation was swep
away and kept down by the fires kept uI
by the Indians. Now. here and there
few birches, young pines. black ash ant
other trees about the size of whip stock
had begun to show themselves, from thre
to four feet In height. The grass grow
ing on this plateau had been cut in SOM
places and stacked by parties who needet
| it. and was composed of varieties tha
made most rich and sweet smelling hay
and our hoises ate it gre"dily. This gras
when cut must have been from three II
four feet high, and We were told by tin
owner that he had gone through it whel
it was as high as his chin. and he was 81,
feet i'm height. The whole of this trac
had on the surface only few burnt tree
and fallen logs Scattered here and there
and its condition was such that two me-
and two teams could clear up, plOw an
put i'm wheat Fl ON 80 to loo acres betwee
the first of July and the first of October
There are no high lands, here i'm thi
section of Mackinaw and Chippewa Cour
ties, but many fine tracts of timbere
lands are in reach, and these are rolling
We have seen few tracts of land Outsid
of the oak openings of Southern Mich
gan that present such facilities for eas
clearing and quick returns as these burn
lands. The fires which cleared thel
have left them almost like a western pra
rie with a rich top soil, with few or n
distractions TO the plow, but little [
pick, no stumps and no roots. The sui
soil is that rich red calcareous clay whic
seems to extend throughout all this pal
Of Michigan on both sides of the strait
We found it in Cheboygan, in Emmett, i
Mackinaw and in Chippewa Counties.
: These lands need settlers. and prescr
inducements to men with small capita
and who do not care to seek what h:
been left in Kansas, Nebraska and tn
western territories. The whole Lake S,
, periOr country, with its large lumber AN
mining interests, make market for tI
grain, hay and live stock which is close ;
hand, and secures Tor these products TIL
best prices. There is no danger of an
; malaria or miasma here. The pure watt
and equally pure air, and the exc.llel