HOME OPINIONS OF THESE NEW STATES. 223 



culture less remunerative, and to turn the attention of 

 the New York farmers more to grazing and dairy 

 husbandry, fruit culture, and other branches of rural 

 economy, in which they think the north-west will be 

 unable so directly to compete with them. 



The nearest of the new North-western States to Buf- 

 falo is Michigan, which commences at the other end of 

 Lake Erie. On the arrival of the trains from Albany, 

 steamers, during the summer months, are in waiting to 

 convey emigrants up the lake without delay. At the 

 time of my visit, 500 emigrants a-day were said to 

 leave the Hudson River, and make their way by rail to 

 Buffalo. Along the lake to Detroit, In Michigan — 

 about 250 miles — is, by the quicker boats, 17 hours; 

 from Detroit across the south end of Michigan, by 

 railway, to New Buffalo, 11 hours ; and again, by 

 steamboat, across the foot of Lake Michigan, to Chicago 

 in Illinois, is 4 hours ; and to Millwaukle, in Wisconsin, 

 about 6 hours more ; — In all, about 32 hours to Chicago, 

 (518 miles,) and 42 to Millwaukie. 



We are accustomed to attach the Idea of great natural 

 productiveness, and of boundless tracts of rich land, to 

 those new States from which come the large supplies of 

 wheat that are annually poured into the port of Buffalo, 

 and which vex the New York State and New England 

 farmers, by their effect upon the prices of the staple 

 article of vegetable food. But a closer examination of 

 these counties undeceives us as to both these points. 

 The power of exporting large quantities of wheat implies 

 neither great natural productiveness, nor permanently 

 rich land. In a district which, from a state of nature, is 

 beginning to be subjected to arable culture. 



In Michigan, for example, the geological structure 

 shows that a very large portion of the State is occupied 

 by rocks which belong to the coal measures, and, like 

 the similar rocks in New Brunswick, yield poor soils. 



