land in the country. The non-swamp eastern part of the reservation is 
composed. of rock-ridges flanked with lower land. ‘These lower stretches 
are clay flats covered with black loam. On them grow birch and poplar 
forests; and when cleared they will make fine farms of the dairy type. 
Roots and grass do well on such lands. The ridge lands are the pine lands 
and will not be of much value, except for building sites and orchard loca- 
tions. 
The western part of the reservation that is not covered with “mus- 
keg” swamp is a sand region. On it grew much pine in the old times; 
but when cleared it will be practically worthless, as is some pine lands 
east of the south lobe of the lake. 
The region about Little Fork River is in the southwestern part of the 
reservation. It will make good farm land when cleared. Some open areas 
are fine meadows how. 
The surface material, except that on the ridges, was left on the re- 
treat of the glaciers. Its depth varies from nothing on the ridges to 200 
feet in the pre-glacial intervalley spaces. The irregidar dumping of this 
material and the partial filling of ancient valleys has produced the lakes 
of the country. In composition, this material varies very much. In the 
eastern part of the reservation it is composed principally of ground mo- 
raine materinlI—a blue elay filled with boulders. Some of these are found 
to be of local origin; others to have been transported from a region far to 
the north. At other places on the reservation, the formation appears to 
he practically pure sand. On the rock ridges the glacial debris is entirely 
wanting, but instead the exposed rocks show the glacial scratchings. 
The climate is very changeable in this part, ranging from 102 degrees 
above zero in summer to 6O degrees below in winter. The average summer 
is too cool for corn, and wheat has never been tried. Oats does fairly 
well. 
The Tidians have been allotted nearly twenty years; yet not one of 
them has ever made any effort to improve his allotment. As yet there is 
little inducement for them to improve them. ‘There is no market where 
they could sell their produce. Furthermore it would cost $100 per acre 
to clear the land, which is rather a big undertaking for a poverty-stricken 
Indian. In addition, there is rice growing in the lake and plenty of game 
in the woods and water fowl among tine rice in the lake. Why shoyld he 
Jabor to clear his land? 
