The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-01-12
AGRICULTURAL ADVANTAGES
Poor Men Made Rich by Sue
cessfully Thing the Soil.
A Beautiful and Fertile Country Open
10 The Poorest.
A Healthful Climate, With Dis
ease Unheard OF.

81
The advantages afforded TO the poor
man for the successful pursuit Of argi-
culture la this section are far superior
to those OF many of the prairie States,
Is Is testified to by the universal con-
tentment Of farmer here, as well as by
hundreds Of persons who have Guilt
waited the soil both here and there.
While the land is hilly in some places,
Il Is perfectly level in other places. IL
is covered with an immense growth OF
timber, both hard and soft among the
different qualities Of which might be
mentioned hard maple, elm Eastwood,
yellow and black birch, and hemlock'
on the ridges; In the valleys and Hats
between the ridges can be found i'm
mense quantities Of pine, cedar, spruce
tamarack and FIR The soil is a clay
loan. producing luxuriantly wheat
oats. potatoes, turnips, and rutabagas,
while garden products are also largely
produced. The seed for timothy hay
can be sown In the spring time and a
good crop cut the same season. On the
logging roads in summer time timothy
can be found growing six feet In
height, with heads from six 20 eight
inches long. Small apples also prosper
nicely. Wild strawberries blueberries
and red raspberries are gathered In
immense quantities every year. They
are luxuriant, and grow in such album
dance that little more than an hour
will suffice for the gathering OF a
bushel of them. The country never
suffers from drought, but rain is at all
times abundant. Every quarter sec
tion is drained by rapid clear spring;
water brook. or by tiny lake. with
LIQUID as clear as crystal IL is, there
fore, no wonder that the soil is 80 fruit
full. and that our products grow 50
luxuriantly. Only in few places can
such fine specimens Of potatoes, rut-
abagas or cabbage be found as were
grown In this district last season. and
nowhere do they grow so sweet. The
first duty OF the settler in this region
is 10 clear piece OF land and build
himself a house. which, with the as
sistance OF few generous neighhors,
il the work Of day. Considering the
cost Of labor. the expense Of clearing
an acre Of land, where the timber is
Ont down and burned, is about $lS.
The way settler usually begins to
clear the land and plant the first crop
Is novel proceeding, even to person
nsed TO clearing land in this country.
The timber IL all chopped, brush too,
where there is any. Then the timber
is logged into piles. called log-heaps,
with the aid of an OK team. where
they have them. The heaps are then
fired, and. as the timber consists large
ly Of hard maple, birch, and pine, soon
burn mp and are out of the way, and
the surface being burned over, deep,
decayed, and rotten leaf mold Is left
az top dressing TO the soil to begin
with. Then planting Of potatoes and
other crops Is commenced The farmer
here can always find ready market at
home for his products, and at good
steep prices. The demand is created
by the large number Of men constantly
employed by the mining and lumber
ing companies operating in this vici-
nifty. In the winter our farmers are
not obliged 10 remain idle, as in other
farming districts. and thus consume
the surplus Of their earnings in the
simmer On the contrary, there is al.
WAYS plenty to do X the farmer has
no desire TO turn the natural gifts of
hisown forests into ready cash, he can
eaaly secure work AZ remnnerative
wssea ia the logging camps OK il he il
AN experienced hunter aud trApper II
mar perhaps pay him better 20 turn
hishbor ia that direction. at the SAME
lind clearing his land with care and
takAg Whatever prolific can get out
N own forests As yet &c Is almost
too NOn 90 NAltrt AtaA NMA VIII
Sine water power and abundant
iac itles TOR manufacturing that same
oanrkt BE- much longer delayed. Then
the farmer viii reap the true benefits
afoAed by this district. When mill
ow,hs take advantage Of our wonder
ful opportunities. and create q market
for he splendid timber which we pos
sesa the farmer will realize immense
uroits from his forests. To show him
the angifcance Of the statement, he
mus come and examine the country,
and when he finds birds-eye maple
worh $50 per thousand feet. he will
ium) at the opportunity But this Is
not lll Our other timber is sslo OF
-. -. GA tho dav In not Far