The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-05-14
.LEHNERTS TELLS OF
STATE'sREsOURCEs
Extension Division Worker Says Wa
terways Will Play Big Part in Min
nesota's Welfare for All Time. -
LANDS EQUAL ANY IN WORLD
Remarkable Climate, Rivers, Forests,
Game and Fish Make Country
Attractive to Immigrants.

- ---=- II
Rivers of Minnesota constitute one
of the most important natural re-
sources of the state, both on account
of the water power they furnish and
the waterways they provide, says E..
M. Lehnerts, of the general extern
sion division of the university.
Mr.. Lehnerts says that the total
water power of the state exceeds one
half million HORSEPOWER, equivalent
to the strength of fifteen million
strong men ready to do full work
without food or srest twenty-four
hours every day throughout the year
Unlike the coal fields of other states,
Minnesota's waterpower- will not be-
come exhausted but will remain avail
able for all time. Continuing Mr.
Lehnerts says:
Carries More Tonnage.
= The waterways Of Minnesota fur
nished routes of travel for the explor-
ers and fur traderstof early days and
for the Indian hunters of long ago,
and played an important part in the
settlement and industrial develop
ment of the state. 4 It is not gener-
ally known that regular steamboat
service connects International Falls
with Canadian ports by the Rainy
river and the Lake Of the Woods, one
of the most scenic of waterways; and
that improvements on the Mississippi
from Minneapolis to St. Louis promise
to give a new impetus to the freight
and passenger traffic on this import
ant route, especially when the stim-
ulating effects of the Panama canal
make themselves felt more and more
The Lake Superior route already car
ries more tonnage than any other in
land waterway in the world, and Du-
luth already rivals Liverpool and
New York in the number of vessels
and the tonnage of freight which puts
out of itsefarbor " = - -. !. {.
Unsurpassed In Fertility. .
The farm lands of Minnesota pos
sess soils unsurpassed in fertility by
any state or country in the. world.
Analysis and tests, comparing soils
from nearly every state, place Min
nesota in the first rank and show that
it's soils contain the highest per-
centage of plant foods.
In accounting for the high pro-
ductivity of Minnesota farms, sew
eral additional reasons may be men
toned. These are, briefly, the favor
able depth and physical texture OF
the surface soils and subs0ils; the
adequate and unfailing supply of rain
and underground water; the album
dant content of. decaying vegetable
matter or humus; the satisfactory
conditions of sunshine, temperature,
and air moisture; the total absence of
injurious soil elements, such as alkali
salts; the comparative freedom from
hail, drought or floods; and lastly,
but of the utmost Importance, since
good soils will not of themselves pro-
duce the best crops, the good farm
ing methods now in general use
thrOughOlt the state
It's Climate Remarkable.
Minnesota possesses climate re-
markable for it's dry and healthful
atmosphere, invigorating winds, and
abundant and productive rains during
the growing season. The average an
nual precipitation for the whole state
is about 26.9 inches, varying from FL
! inches in the extreme northwestern
part to 33 inches in the southeastern
counties. --
Great Pulp-Wood Producer. ;
At the time when the first settlers
came into the state, about five
eighths Of Minnesota, chiefly in the
northern and northeastern part, was
covered with virgin forests. Although
much of the timber has been cut
away, Minnesota still ranks among
the great lumber and wood-pulp pro-
ducers of America. At present there
remains about 2S,OO0,00O acres
which still bear forests of some kind.
The leading varieties are white pine,
Norway pine, red and jack pine,
spruce, cedar, tamarack, birch and