430 RURAL MICHIGAN 



crops of timothy, wheat, oats and harley.^ While 

 climate and soil conditions are regarded .as favorable 

 to the sugar-beet, its culture is confined to the south- 

 western portion of the (!Tstrict, west of Lake TNIichi- 

 gan. All root-crops seem to thrive here; while the 

 almost unfailing rainfall of the growing season is 

 favorable to forage crops and live-stock. However, 

 with live-stock there remains the problem of winter 

 feeding, which is not insoluble and perhaps not more 

 serious than drought feeding in the southern coun- 

 ties. Eecent success in the growing of sunflowers for 

 ensilage may solve this problem, although expert 

 opinion is not unanimous in regard to the value of 

 the crop. On the heavy clays, principally in Chip- 

 pewa County, hay does exceptionally well, and has 

 been largely exported from the region. There being 

 no large cities in the district, the absence of large 

 local markets must be considered. Expert opinion 

 seems to favor the region as a dairy section, and there 

 is now a considerable traffic in milk and cream both 

 local and by railway to urban markets within and 

 without the district. 



In estimating the dairy possibilities of the region, 

 the human factor must also be considered. The large 

 foreign population, particularly Scandinavian and 

 Finnish, is attracted naturally to dairying. Sheep- 

 raising on the large cut-over ranges has been pro- 

 moted in both peninsulas, but the consensus of expert 

 local opinion seems to favor the industry in the hands 



'Walker & McDowell: "Farming on Cut-over Lands of 

 Mich.," U. S. Dept. Agr. Bull., 425, p. 4. 



