388 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



the withering touch of monopoly in transportation. Such a region must oc- 

 cupy a prominent position in tlie world's industries, unless these exceptional 

 advantages are olt'set by unusual disabilities. 



Tiie enormous wealth of this region in its lumber has so filled the public eye 

 that it could not see the yet greater wealth of its soil. The consequence has 

 been that while it has been the scene of great activity in lumbering, it has only 

 slowly and tardily acquired population, from the plausible but false impression 

 that because it was good for lumbering it could not be good for farming — in 

 fact, that the better it was for lumber the worse it must be for agriculture — as 

 if a soil tliat could sustain such a wonderful forest growth must be incapable 

 of growing anything but wood. As a consequence of this erroneous supposition 

 men of other States and men of our own State, when seeking for new lands to 

 make new homes, have turned their backs on ready markets, available trans- 

 portation, schools and churches, security and civilization, to seek in the far 

 West their resting place, amid the wild disorder, discomfort and insecurity of 

 border life. They readied for sunset and grasped a shadow. So far as soil 

 alone is concerned they have "gone further and fared worse;"' wlien we take 

 into account the conditions of climate, tlie want of markets, and above nil, the 

 absence of that civilized and orderly society which alone commands security for 

 all and safety even for the weakest, we see how grave is the blunder which has 

 led them to pass by Michigan to seek homes in Kansas, Nebraska and Dakota, 

 or to turn their weary feet to the " sunny South," only to encounter the deadly 

 fevers and wasting malaria of that deceptive clime. The great mass of these 

 reckless wanderers have rejected Michigan as a home because they were in abso- 

 lute ignorance of this regiou — of its soil, productions, capabilities for cultiva- 

 tion, and its adaptedness to make a desirable home. 



Two years ago I had a glance at some of these Northern counties during a 

 trip to attend a Farmer's Institute at Traverse City. What I then saw awak- 

 ened an earnest desire to know more. A soil that could bear such magnificent 

 forests and could ripen apples so nicely colored, as if the yellow and red fingers 

 of sunset had grasped the fruit and would not let go — surely such a region and 

 such a soil were worthy of careful study. But the ground was all covered with 

 snow, and all plans of study and investigation must be postponed to a more 

 convenient season. But the desire and tiie purpose to know more of this section 

 of our State did not die out, and last spring I entered upon the work in good 

 earnest. My object was to direct public attention to the resources and capabil- 

 ities of that portion of our State which had been overlooked too long for the 

 best interests of the commoawealth. 



I could not leave my work at the college to personally examine these new 

 counties, and if I could 1 would thus satisfy myself instead of convincing others. 

 If I could place before others the means by which they could form an intelli- 

 gent and just opinion in regard to the agricultural capabilities of these north- 

 ern counties, I would do the public better service than by any amount of per- 

 sonal examination, which could bear no better fruit than personal assertions in 

 respect to this region. I preferred to merely bring the witnesses into court, to 

 examine and cross-examine them there, and leave the public to be judge and 

 jury in the case. It seemed to me that I could best do this by gathering char- 

 acteristic specimens of soil fronx as many representative points as possible, sub- 

 mit these to chemical analysis, examine the physical properties and character- 

 istics of these soils, and then present the results of these investigations and the 

 soils themselves to the public, and ask an enlightened public opinion to give a 

 verdict in the case. 



