COUNTY EEPOETS. 881 



oned stuff sufficient for a common dwelling-liouse cannot be 

 found in the city of La Crosse, except sucli as is designed for 

 private use. 



BUILDING MATEEIALS. 



Every man who has a family to love and protect, needs a good 

 dwelling; and no country, however rich its agricultural resources 

 may be in other respects, can be truly prosperous and happy, if 

 the means for constructing comfortable residences, and pleasant 

 residences too, are either very scarce, or of a very inferior order. 

 In this particular. La Crosse county is amply supplied. Nature 

 has provided us with stone of the best quality ; pine is very ac- 

 cessible ; our clays form excellent brick ; and lime-stone abounds 

 in every section of the county. 



STOCK. 



As yet, little attention has been given to improvement of 

 stock, though those raised here appear w'ell for the kind, and 

 great facilities for success in this branch of agriculture exist. 



FRUITS. 



Our vallies, hills, and table-lands, promise favorably for fruits 

 of all the hardier varieties, and it is my opinion, that, with no 

 considerable expense, the peach may be successfully cultivated 

 here, by taking off the top, training the bottom limbs close to 

 the ground, and keeping them covered until late in the Spring. 



LA CROSSE CITY. 



This city is indeed an infant in years, with a population of 

 about 6000 inhabitants; and yet, its growth appears to be 

 healthy, and still rapidly progressing. Its scenery is truly beau- 

 tiful ; its location, the unavoidable center of an extended range 

 of business, and its future mibst be interesting. Within a brief 

 period, it is sure to have a railroad connection with Milwaukee 

 and Chicago ; also with some of the richest portions of the coun- 

 try still westward ; and possibly this may be the point, where a 

 road to the Pacific will cross the great river Mississippi. 



Yours truly, Spencer Oarr. 



