Rock Outcrop Land in Minnesota 



When anyone mentions rock outcrops, our minds 

 are very apt to turn to northern Minnesota because 

 we may have seen some of the rocky lands north of 

 lake Superior. There certainly are outcrops there 

 worthy of our attention ; there is no denying that ; 

 but it ?s not altogether a fair inference. There is an 

 a st on i shingly large area of outcrop in the southern 

 part of the state. 



The State Geological Survey has, in cooperation 

 with the U. S. Geological Survey, published a soil 

 type map of Minnesota. There are three maps, one of 

 the northwest quarter of the state, one of the north- 

 east qaarter and one of the south half. They are is- 

 sued in connection with bulletins 12 and 13 of the 

 State Geological survey. As far as the boundaries of 

 the types are concerned, the maps are remarkably 

 accurate, but the descriptions of the types are quite 

 as remarkably vague, and, to the seeker after forest 

 land, misleading. 



The authors explain this vagueness by saying that 

 the maps were made from an ''agricultural view 

 point." Hence no forest land is indicated. Radishes 

 are recommended for certain tracts, where the rocks 

 are too close together for larger vegetables, but never 

 trees. Certain portions of the maps that are colored 

 red are described as "rock outcropping, of little 

 value for farming." This, in the extremely conserva- 

 tive wording of these descriptions, means forest land. 



With this explanation, the maps immediately be- 

 come of interest to those who are looking for the 



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