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Tlic Country Gcntlcuiaiis Magazine 



of the (iulf of Mexico. Within twenty-five 

 years cities have grown up, now numbering 

 250,000 inhabitants; and the exports from 

 one lake — Michigan — alone, equal about 

 90,000,000 of bushels per annum. To take 

 an example of an individual State — Min- 

 nesota—as late as 1859 she imported wheat 

 for consumption, in 1865 she harvested 

 10,000,000 of bushels, and this is but an 

 earnest of what is for coming years to be 

 reaped from her 52,000,000 of acres. That 

 is but the most recent example of a new State 

 beginning to open up. When we look at that 

 vast territory and its grain-producing capa- 

 city, we need have no fear for the next half- 

 century as to the food supply for the rapid in- 



anticipated ; for these States can be reached 

 by navigation — on the one side by the 

 St Lawrence and the Lakes, a distance of 

 2500 miles inland ; and on the other, by the 

 Mississippi, a distance of 2000 miles. Such 

 views of inland navigation quite stagger the 

 mind that has not been beyond its island 

 home. Water transport, when easily carried 

 on, will always, for heavy produce, be pre- 

 ferred to the railway. In fact, the railway 

 must be content to make its profits out of 

 passenger trafiic and lighter goods. The 

 Mississippi and the St Lawrence may there- 

 fore be regarded as the great natural channels 

 for the western trade. The former of these, 

 till 1825, was almost the sole outlet, because 



crease of the population. All that is recjuired is around the falls and rapids of the St LawTcnce 

 labour in the Far West, and greater facilities no canals had been cut. But since then, 

 for carrying grain to the sea-board : thus re- except for the southern markets, the northern 

 ducino- the price in transit, and consequently route is necessarily the favourite for trafiic. 

 giving the producer greater remuneration. New Orleans is the ocean port of the Missis- 

 It is estimated that the surplus products of sippi, but the cost to that port is greater, the 

 the West, moving eastward to the Atlantic route to Europe longer, and the climate not so 



States and other markets, exceeds 9,000,000 

 tons annually. The gi'ain that is therefore 

 exported for England, even at its largest 

 computation, is a mere fraction of the pro- 

 duce of even one of these States. But it is 

 not our object at present to refer to the extent 

 of these food-producing states to the west of 



favourable for preserving the grain from heat- 

 ing. On the shores of the Lakes it was naturally 

 to be expected that cities would grow up at 

 which grain would be collected and fonvarded 

 to the East and ocean ports. But no one 

 could possibly have formed any conception 

 of a growth within a quarter of a century of 



the great lakes, yet we may remind our readers such cities as Chicago and Milwaukie, the 



that they embrace an area of over 262,000,000 

 acres, of which not one-third has as yet been 

 occupied. We do not at present Avish to 

 enter upon the discussion of the character of 

 these soils and the manner in which crops 

 are grown and harvested ; but this we may 

 remark, that the soil is of course virgin and 

 rich, that 99 per cent, of the farming com- 

 munity are in total ignorance of scientific 

 agriculture, that the air is innocent of the 

 smell of guano, and broken British weather 

 seldom worries the life of the prairie farmer 

 as he reaps his autumn yield. 



But however rich and productive these 



great trading centres of the West. From 

 these points produce is forwarded to its par- 

 ticular destination. If intended for Europe, 

 the most natural route is by the St Lawrence 

 to Montreal, there to be transhipped to ocean- 

 going vessels. This would be an easy route, 

 but for the Falls of Niagara and the Rapids 

 of the St Lawrence. These have to be over- 

 come by a series of magnificent canals and 

 locks. To overcome the Falls of the Niagara 

 River, some 270 feet, a canal, twenty-eight 

 miles, with twenty-seven locks, has been con- 

 structed ; but, unfortunately, allowance was 

 not made for the great and rapid develop- 



States may be, they undoubtedly labour under ment of the West, and these locks will only 



the great disadvantage of lying at such a pass vessels of 350 tons. Besides this there 



distancs from the sea-board, as to render the are forty-seven more miles of canals, with 



cost of transport of produce very great. Yet twenty-seven more locks, to overcome the 



this is not so great as at first sight might be Rapids of the St Lawrence. At Montreal 



