The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-04-29

islands; trap soil, of limited extent, near
the foot of the igneouS outbursts, and final
", alluvial bottoms, which are confined
almost exclusively to the valleys of the nu
me-ous streams emptying into the lake,
" The drift soil prevails through the high
lands, elevated six hundred to one thousand
feet above the level of the lake; also over
the high grounds west OF Chengwomigon
Bay, at she height of three hundred to six
| hundred feet. and the higher points Of the
neighboring Apostle Islands.
The trap soil, which support growth
of sugar maple, oak, and other hard woods,
are next, in richness to the a!uvial lands.
! They are found chiefly on high ridges and
| slopes, which, at the east AND west ends of
! the district, are ONLY a short distance from
the lake shore; but on the waters of Bad
! River and the Brule, they receede three
| fourths of the distance back toward he
| sources of their various branches.
"The red clay and mari lands, occr pying
| the high plains skirting Lake Superi,r re
characterized particularly by the prepond,
GRANGE Of oxide of iron, from which they
derive their color, and which amounts to
four and half per cent, or nearly one.half
Of the weight Of the saline matter; it is al
ways a retentive SOIL from the abundance
Of argilaceous earth which enters into it's
compositions; hence, these red clay and
mari lands are often wet, particularly when
defended from the direct RAYS of the sun by
the dense growth Of cedar, balsam, spruce,
! birch, and hemlock that usually covers
| them. Still, these lands are not so wet but
that by clearing and n jadicious system of
| husbandry, they would soon become sutfic-
iently dry TO most kinds of crops and gard
EN- vegetables. They may be compared in
| quality to the red lands Of Maryland and
! Virginia. which border. the Potomac River.
in Montgomery and London counties, which
| by deep subsoil ploushing and proper
system of drainage produce wheat crops
that can harlly be excelled. The larger
portion of the Lake Superior basin is occu-
| pied by these red clay and mari lands The
general elevation Of the red clay plains
above Lake Superior is about two hundred
feet They are, for the most part level.
! with gentle slope towards the lake, cut,
however, into deep, abrupt gulIies in the
immediate vicinity of the streams.
"lhe bulk of the land as yet cultivated in
this country is what is known as the red
clay soil; and it has proved productive in
the highest degree. Vegetables of the lar
gest size and finest quality are grown in it;
and for the production of wheat, rye, barley
and oats, it cannot be surpassed; forty
| bushels OF wheat to the acre is the average
OH thesh lands, and in many instances they
have yielded fifty bushels"
In the immediate vicinity Of Superior the
soil is of this red clay variety, and to un-
derstand its productive qualities one should
see the crops on the ground at harvest
time, as the writer did last season. But
we have for twenty miles around Superior
three kinds of land, not differing materially
in productiyeness, if properly titled. These
are the red clay, which is so much imprcg
mated with lime, that it almost comes I'M
der the denomination Of mari. The tama
rack swamp, which is a mixture OF red clay
with large portion OF dccayed vegetable
matter, which with the action of water has
changed its color to black, and will be our
best meadow land. And what is usually
termed the hard wood land, generally con.
tanning "a mixture OF sand or gravel, and
bearing the oak, ash, elm, sugar maple,
yellow birch, &c. This soil, producing as
it does luXuriant grasses, will make stock
growing a profitable source of income to
Il.