11 



Early" nursery trees produced ten full grown luscious peaches 

 fourteen months from the setting. The timber is of great value 

 to the settler, for in the winter months he can cut wood, railroad 

 ties and logs, and sell them for cash, and thus make high wages, 

 besides large profits. Experienced men have made estimates of 

 the timber on some tracts, and consider the following figures safe, 

 and underneath the actual amounts. On an acre there are : 



50 railroad ties, worth say 22 cents each $11.00 



6,000 feet hemlock lumber " $8.00 per 1000 48.00 



'750 "pine " " 10.00 " " 7.50' 



350 "ash " " 20.00 " " V.OO 



175 "cherry " " 20.00 " " 3.50 



3 cords Hemlock tan bark 5.00 " cord 15.00 



25 "ofbeech and maple wood 3.50 " " 87.50 



$179.50 



It will be seen that the above are minimum prices. When all 

 this is taken off the land, it will sell for far more than it cost, 

 because fruit-growing is so profitable, that cleared land cannot be 

 obtained fast enough. Suppose we allow one-half for cost of 

 cutting, handling, &c., even then an acre clears $89.75 in cash, 

 besides a large amount of small wood for fuel, and the land is 

 cleared ready for fruit purposes. Some of these lands are offered 

 for less than half of the net profits on the timber alone. Thus it 

 w^ill be seen that a man can make high wages while he is cutting 

 his timber, obtains his fine fruit land for nothing, and receives a 

 handsome sum of money per acre besides. If every State in the 

 Union were challenged, could a locality be pointed out, offering 

 equal inducements or so generous a reward? The facts and 

 figures given above are a sufficient answer. 



HARBOR AMD MARKETS. 



The splendid natural harbor of Fruitport, has already been de- 

 scribed, and its importance to these lands will at once be seen. 

 Every one knows that freights by water, are vastly cheaper than 

 by rail, so that the fruit, produce, lumber, &c,, can all be shipped 

 at low rates, and the competition of vessel and propellor owners 

 will have the tendency to reduce their prices in the future. This 

 water communication brings these lands, practically for marketing 

 purposes, in close proximity to Chicago and Milwaukee, so that 

 a ready and accessible market is always certain. There is not 

 another point on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, with so good 

 a harbor, and possessing such varied resources and extraordinary 

 natural advantages. But beside the harbor, there are the railroads, 

 which make the Eastern market accessible, and which make sure 

 growth and prosperity doubly sure. These two powerful interests 



