The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-04-20
from the Geneva, n. v. Advcrtiser.]
LITTER FROM CAPT. t.. ".
FOLGER.
SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA.

~
WoRTnlNGToS, MINI, March 8, '82.
FRIEND PARKER: The changes
which one sees and experiences in COM
ing from the closely settled center of
the Empire State to the extreme south
west corner of the immense and fertile
State of Minnesota. are very many and
striking. Of course the first one motto.
es after leaving, say the lake section,
with its hills and valleys and varied
scenery, is the tat expanse Of country
on all sides. Then very shortly one
comes to the rolling prairie, stretching
away in all directions until it meets
the blue horiZon-not Il fence in sight,
and only here and there Il house land a
cluster Of cottonw osds) to break the
sameness of the scene, reminding one
of the great Atlantic, dotted here and
there with ship or steamer, many
miles apart.
The railroads, too, are very different
from those in the East. You see very
few cuts or fills, the road bed following
the roll of the prairie save il small ditch
along the side for drainage and to pro
cure sufficient soil to hold the ties in
place.
The people one meets both travelling
and residing III this part of the West,
are not SO polished as Il whole as one
meets in the East, but in the main op-
ell hearted and frank to strangers, free
to talk, and polite, ever ready to both
answer and ask questions on any and
all subjet to which may cause in Jury.
The buildings outside CT li.e cues
aud large villages are mainly hui t of
wood, one or two stories high, and look
| neat and clean, both the mercantile
| and dwelling houses. The hotels, par
ticularly i'll this locality, are well Kept.
contine myself to Southwest Min
nesota in abiding to the climate,
which is far preferable to that ot New
York. The summers, although warm
during the day for long periods, man
and beast can rest in comfort at night.
and most Of the season under i mOder-
ately thick blanket; and not twenty.
four hours goes 10y that Il breeze does
| not blow from some quarter to refresh
and invigorate. The waters not being
severe, but very rarely, spring opens
early; thus enabling the farmer to take
time 10y the forelock and get his crops
in in good season, all prepared for the
warming influence of the April sun
and showers. Very little or no sno v
falling. the February and March sun
soon tlaws out the surface Of the soil
so that Oh fall plowed ground seeding
is all done when the frost is still in the
ground + or 8 inches below the surface:
and 80 soon does the rich. light prairie
soil warm up, that oftentimes the seed
terminates and is up ere the frost is
out below. or the eastern farmer has
fully realized that spring is ut hand.
With such climate and such soil rs
we have here. the crops cannot but be
good; and we'll may this section Ike call.
ed the ''Garden Of Minnesota" The
soil Is rich, dark loan, If about IL
inches depth, with a subsoil Of red clay.
with blue clay nnderlaying) not 40
heavy As the clay about Geneva. rs it
has more Of less sandy soil intermjxetl.
A prominent English gentleman who
lately Travelled through this section.
selecting farms for his countrym, n.
has well spoken when he thus writes to
them:
"For all purposes of mixed farming.
which think is here the most safe and
profitable. Southwestern Minnesota is
all that could be desired. The surface
OF the country is rolling prairie,
and the soil \ rich. dark loan, will,
clay snbseil. would say that no
farmer with small capital should fear
tn risk it here with ordinary prudence.
There is also great demand for labor ut