MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 195 



good looking farms. I do not know how much they produce annually, 

 but they appear to be getting on well, quite as well as many farmers 

 in Southern Michigan. The winter season is long, of course, and the 

 summer short and with the danger of late frosts in the spring, and early 

 frosts in the fall, there is a limit to the kinds of grain that can be 

 produced. It is certain too, that it must be difficult and expensive to 

 feed stock through a winter so long and cold. I do not know that I 

 could advise any person to take up a farm in the district, for there is 

 yet much land in the United States which is more easily put under cul- 

 tivation, and is more valuable. At the same time, I must say that it 

 is possible to live on this land, and live well too. If the time comes, 

 and come it must, though probably not soon, when the people of the 

 United States are being crowded for room such districts as this, although 

 now only a wilderness, will support many people. 



The country is covered with hemlock and maple chiefly, but there is 

 a small amount of pine and spruce. In some places the timber is small 

 and without value, as in 29 and 30 48-46, which have practically noth- 

 ing but small poplar and spruce, mostly about three inches in diameter, 

 and so thickly grown together that it is difficult to get through. There 

 is a great deal of small cedar in the swamps. 



In 18-48-46 there is a large peat bog covering at least a half square 

 mile. The peat is generally about six feet thick. There are several 

 other smaller peat bogs some on the west side of the river, and some 

 on the east. There is no doubt that they will produce much fuel v^hen 

 the time comes that it is required. 



Black River has many falls and rapids, and is capable of yielding a 

 great deal of power. JEven in the low water season of August there 

 is considerable water in the river. 



It is difficult to say whether there will ever be any copper mining 

 in the western part of the Michigan Keweenawan. There does not ap- 

 pear to be any geological reason why copper should not be present as 

 on Keweenaw Point. Copper is present in Western Michigan but it 

 has not been found in quantity. Some of the rock from 3 and 4-48-46 

 shewed small particles of copper but the shewing was only small. 



There have been some attempts at mining. Several years ago, in fact 

 before 1850, some tunneling was done in the side of Chippewa hill. More 

 recently an attempt was made by the Old Peak Mining company on the 

 same hill and in 34-49-46 but without success. 



