189 
SPECIAL STATISTICS OF FARM RESOURCES AND PRODUCTS. 
Continued. 
1. What is the average percentage of increase (or decrease, if cases of decrease 
exist) in the price of farm lands in your county since 18601 
2. What is the average value of wild or unimproved tracts of land; and 
what is the character, quality, and capabilities of such land? 
3. What marked or peculiar resources have you in soil, timber, or minerals ; 
’ and what is the state of their development, or inducement for attempted devel- 
opment ? 
4, What crops, if any, are made a specialty in your county; and what facts 
illustrating their culture, quantity, and the profit derived ? 
5. What kinds of wheat are cultivated; and which of them are preferred ; 
and why? What is the time of drilling or sowing? For harvesting? And 
what is the amount and mode of culture? What proportion is drilled? 
6. What grasses are natural to your pastures? How many months can farm 
animals feed exclusively in pastures? What would bea fair estimate, per head, 
of the cost of a season’s pasturage of an average herd of cattle ? 
7. What are the capabilities of your county for fruit? What fruits are best 
adapted to your soil and climate? Give some facts concerning yield and profit. 
MICHIGAN. 
1. Of the counties making returns to our circular but one, Ontonagon, reports: 
a decline in the value of farm lands, depreciation in this case being attributed 
to the great depression of the copper mining interest. Bay county claims an 
increase of 300 per cent; Iosco, Alpena, and Gratiot from 200 to 250; Delta, 
Leelenaw, Cass, Clinton, and Jackson, 100; Kent, 66; Lapeer, Ingham, 
Barry, Branch, Ottawa, and Muskegon, 50; Berrien, Van Buren, Macomb, St. 
Joseph, 30 to 40; Alcona, Livingston, Hillsdale, and Kalamazoo, 15 to.25 per 
cent. ; showing an average increase of about 70 per cent. for the State since the 
estimates of 1860. Mason county has been mostly settled under the homestead. 
laws since 1862, and farm lands have increased from $1 25 to $10 per acre. 
2. Wild or unimproved lands are reported at various figures from the govern- 
ment minimum price up to $50 per acre, according to location and condition. 
In Ontonagon, in the northwest, on Lake Superior, the average value is $6. per 
acre, heavily timbered with hemlock, maple, birch, and pine, suited to wheat 
culture, fruits and vegetables. Delta county, $1 25 to $2 50; about one-tenth 
in hard wood, good soil; the remainder pine, sandy and poor. Leelenaw, gov- 
ernment lands, $1 25; held by individuals, $5 per acre; soil a sandy loam.. 
Mason, government land, $1 25 to $2 50; State swamp, $1 25; railroad,. 
about $2 50; the swamp is in cedar, ash, and hemlock timber; when cleared: 
makes good grass land; one-half the county in pine now being cut off, soil poor,. 
light. Muskegon, $8 per acre ; soil partly clay loam, remainder sandy. Ottawa, 
$8 50 on an average, though some fruit lands are selling as high as $50 to $75 
per acre. Kent, average value, $15; soil various, some superior wheat land.. 
Van Buren, $16 per acre. Cass, $25 if dry evough for cultivation without 
draining ; wet lands not worth so much; dry lands generally timbered heavily ;. 
will produce grass, wheat, corn, potatoes, &c., in perfection, also fruits suited to 
the latitude. Branch, $10 to $40 per acre, mostly timber. Hillsdale, $10 per 
acre, generally broken by hills and swamps. Jackson, but small parcels left, 
worth $25 to $30 per acre. Calhoun, $15 per acre; three-fourths good farming 
lands when cleared; one fourth swamp, mostly without timber. Kalamazoo, 
mostly oak openings and beech and maple lands; soil fertile, desirable for wheat 
and grass. Barry, $10 peracre. Clinton, unimproved farming lands are worth 
