842 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



middle men. It is to be the workshop of the country. For this 

 purpose it has all the elements of success. Accumulated capital, • 

 skilled and intelligent man power, al#iindance of water and heat 

 force, a boundless before, and a net work of communication, within 

 and lying back of it unparalleled among men, and last, but not 

 least, intelligence and enterprize to plan and execute, which will 

 surely elevate it to the highest point in commerce and manufac- 

 tures. 



When this basin shall have the ratio per square mile of inhabi- 

 tants, as the State of Massachusetts, it will be tilled with the homes 

 of 50,000,000, and twice this amount when it attains the ratio of 

 Great Britain. The ratios of its manufactures is as three to one, 

 compared with other basins. The tonnage of its commerce vastly 

 exceeds all other portions. When its manufacturing population 

 shall be in ratio with Massachusetts, its annual amount of manufac- 

 tures will be the enormous amount of Jive (housand millions of 

 dollars. 



Mississippi Basin. 



This vast expanse of fertile land, reaches through 36° of longi- 

 tude, and 24° of latitude; or 2,200 miles east and west, and 1,500 

 north and south. From the mouth of the Mississippi river, as our 

 stand-point of visiou, and looking northwards, it presents the ap- 

 pearance of an expan.ded fan, with the basin of the St. Lawrence 

 making a deep intendure into its northeastern rim. The Missis- 

 sippi flows from the north, southwai-d, through its eastern third. 

 The Ohio, and its affluents drain its eastern rim, while the Mis- 

 souri, and its branches, the Arkansas and Red rivers, Avith the Rio 

 del Norte, drain the western two-thirds. The ascent of tlie Mis- 

 sissippi is gradual up to 800 feet above the level of the Gulf of 

 Mexico. Ascending from this low depression the rise westward 

 is ver^^ gradual to the base of the Rocky mountains, or about 8,000 

 feet above the sea. At this point peaks in the western rim shoot 

 suddenly up 14,000 feet, while the whole rim averages about 

 12,000 feet. The eastern rim attains a more ijcntle heiirht of onlv 

 2,500 feet, but some peaks tower above this elevation, 3,000 feet 

 higher. 



Its great range of latitude enables it to raise all varieties of 

 crops from tropical sugar, and cotton, through the isothermal 

 lines of vines, wheat, and grass, to polar oats. 



Its meteorological range is so great, that if drought, or frost, or 

 extreme moisture visit any one portion of it, so seriously as to 



