180 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



believe, less than 1,000,000 of acres, while the amount held by the State is 

 inconsiderable. Individuals and corporations hold the balance. In looking 

 over this unoccupied territory we cannot go into details, as the time at our 

 disposal is too limited. Beginning at the eastern border of tlie Upper 

 Peninsula, midway between the Straits of Mackinaw and the falls of St. 

 Mary's River, traveling westward, we find ourselves in what is known as the 

 "burnt lands." These occupy an extensive plateau of many townships. 

 The original forest, for the most part, has been swept oS by fearful fires 

 which raged over this whole eastern portion, many years ago. The surface 

 is covered with a rank groAvth of grass, while limited groves of small poplars 

 and white birch, with patches of willow and clumps of fir, cedar, hemlock 

 and pine are interspersed throughout this region. 



One often sees in the valleys or along the margins of streams, American 

 elms, which have escaped the fires, standing out, sometimes solitary and 

 alone, sometimes in groups, giving to the landscape, with its graceful, 

 drooping branches, a park-like ajipearance. The sub-soil over this entire 

 region is a rich red clay, and on the surface usually a clay loam, a strong, 

 good soil, which only awaits stirring into life, and exposure to frost and 

 sunshine, to produce immense crops, of all the cereals and grasses adapted 

 to the climate. This portion of tlie peninsula is but sparsely settled ; it is 

 nowhere elevated more than 5350 feet above the waters of the great lakes, 

 and abounds in many swift-flowing streams. It is well watered and admir- 

 ably adapted for grazing purposes. Continuing westward we pass over a 

 diversified surface, and note not a few cedar swamps of valuable timber and 

 large tracts of excellent hardwood lands, that are often interspersed with 

 groves of pine and hemlock. The surface of the country is rolling, espe- 

 cially along the Lake Superior slope, where the streams are short and rapid, 

 the water shed or divide being near that lake, while the region south of the 

 divide is more nearly level or undulating, with numerous streams, some of 

 considerable size; here we find extensive marshes, many of them containing 

 bog iron ore, also fine reaches of blue-joint meadow grass, much prized by 

 the pioneer and lumberman, as it makes good hay. Many of those natural 

 meadows may be found along the Tahquamenaw River. As we approach the 

 mineral region, and traverse the western portion of the peninsula, the region ia 

 more rolling and broken, ranges of rocky hills abound, and we are reminded 

 of a mountainous country, but these elevations nowhere exceed 1,400 feet 

 above the lake. It is here that the iron and copper mines are found. The 

 soil all through this portion is good, and there is much hard-wood timber, 

 especially about Agogebic Lake and the Montreal River. Fine groves of 

 sugar maples, yellow birch, basswood and elm may here be found, with some 

 oak, ironwood, soft maple and cherry intermixed. There is also a gen- 

 erous sprinkling of evergreen trees all through the region. It is a well 

 watered and well timbered country, and thought to be far superior, for 

 farming purposes, to much of the New England States, to some portions of 

 which it bears a great resemblance. The granite and trap rocks, which 

 abound in this portion, are bare over but small areas; the soil is warm and 

 quick, the timber tall, large and of thrifty growth. The surface is often 

 quite stony and is varied and interesting. As yet but little has been done ta 

 develop its agricultural resources, and away from the vicinity of the mines 

 there are but few settlers. As a new iron region of great promise is being 

 opened near the Montreal River, it is believed that settlers will speedily 

 occupy the soil. 



