The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-01-01

State immigration Board Tell Of the
Wonderful Opportunities Which
This Section Offers Investors
and homeseekers.
George Welch, director of the state
Immigration bureau, has prepared
an address for the Academy of Soc.
ial Science of the Minnesota Uni
versity, which says great things for
the natural resources and future Of
northern Minnesota.
Mr.. Welch tells of the opportun-
tiles awaiting acceptance at mere
ly nominal price, in a most con.
vincing way.
"No greater field for agricultural
development is to be found" says
Mr.. Welch, "than is offered by this
state. Minnesota has, approximate
ly, 5OOOOOOO acres of land, 80 per
cent of which is capable of agri
cultural production. Of this, not to
exceed 100000 acres has ever been
plowed"
| Relative to northeastern Mime
sofa, he says:
The northeastern section of our
state is but little known to the people
Of Minnesota, and not at all to the
inhabitants of other states. This
region was originally covered with
a dense forest, the popular opin
ion being that it was all pine, but l
am informed by our state engineer
that not to exceed 10 per cent OF
northeastern Minnesota ever had
pine on it. I mention this because
it is popular impression that pine
grows only upon sandy soil-which
il erroneous in the extreme. Pine
timber may be found on soil 50
sandy that it is valueless except for
demonstration, and 1t may be found
on the heaviest of clay soil. Tests
have been made in this district in
the production of all kinds of pro-
ducts, and it is today the universal
| opinion of those who know that
there is no section in America that
equals this northeastern part of
Minnesota for production OF root
crops and tame grasses. Nor did l
wish to be understood that this sec
ton has failed to produce cereal
crops, for such is not true but the
place to produce any given com
modify is where it can be produced
the best and the cheapest. and tor
that reason state that this region
of Minnesota is particularly adapt
ed for dairy products a nd root crops.
| l contend that'a given trac, of land
in northeastern Minnesota will
pasture nearly double the amount
OF cattle or any other livestock than
will the same area in the more
highly developed sections of the
Mississippi valley.
"We have upwards of 6OOOOOC
acres of land in this region known
as swamp lands all of which can
be easily drained; and as large
part OF them are now denuded OF
timber, when drained, can be i'm
mediately turned into farms. The
state is doing magnificent work in
this direction, which is aiding in a
large measure the settlement of this
district of Minnesota. The cheap
ness OF the land, the productiveness
OF its soil, the timber thereon which
can be used for fuel and building
material by the incoming settler
makes this most desirable location
tor man of limited means to build
a profitable farm home. No bette,
opinion can be formed of the cap
abilities of Minnesota to produce
agriculturally than by a short re.
view of what she has accumulated
In 1888 the entire farm products OF
the state amounted to less than
100000, while in 1907 the com bined
products of the farms amounted tc
$2650O0OO, Notwithstanding the
small per cent of land under cultiv
alton.
"From the foregoing it will be
readily seen that there are two
propositionsconfronting the Mime
sofa people to bring her agricultur.
al products to where they should
be; first, more people to till the soil;
second, more scientific method in
til'age by specializing products"
In giving brief examples of wond.
erful showings made in northeast.
ern Minnesota, Mr.. Welch says:
&c. G. Hartley OF Duluth opened
up farm in the swamps of western
St. Louis county, and after draining
land which was not valued to ex.
ceed S. per acre, the following wear
produced on tract of 10 acres.
$4,000 worth of celery
ASpleadid Attraction.