OF WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA. 149 
doubtless, from the decomposition of the felspathic granites and argillaceous schist, 
on which the whole reposes. 
Towards the heads of the streams, the standing water is often so great, and the 
surface covered to such an extent with erratics, as to be scarcely habitable, except 
by a race, like the Chippewa Indians, content to subsist on fish, wild rice, and the 
sugar of the maple. It is but heré and there fit for agricultural purposes; and 
these arable tracts are chiefly confined to narrow strips, bordering the larger lakes 
and streams. 
In striking contrast with the above is the soil overlying the igneous ranges,* 
rich, black, and of remarkable fertility, but often low and wet, and embarrassed, 
like the preceding region, with large, loose blocks of stone. 
This section of country is chiefly inhabited, at present, besides Indians and half- 
breeds, by men exclusively engaged in the lumber trade. 
The importance of this trade may be judged from the following statistics, collected, 
in 1847, by Mr. Randall. 
The lumber is chiefly manufactured on the Wisconsin, Black, Chippewa, and the 
St. Croix Rivers, and their tributaries. 
On the Wisconsin River are twenty-four mills, running forty-five saws, and saw- 
ing about nineteen and a half millions of lumber, worth, at the mills, about six 
dollars a thousand, and three millions of shingles, worth two dollars a thousand. 
The total value of the lumber on the Wisconsin for that year was, therefore— 
19,500,000 feet, at $6 per M. feet, : ; ; . $117,000 
3,000,000 shingles, at $2 per M., , , .. 6,000 
On Black River and its tributaries there are thirteen mills, running sixteen saws, 
and turning out six millions three hundred and fifty thousand feet of lumber 
annually ; one and a half million of shingles, and forty-five thousand feet of square 
timber, say— 
6,000,000 feet, at $6 per M., ; , : 1 ‘ $36,000 
6,500,000 shingles at $2 per M., : ; : 13,000 
45,000 feet square timber at $25 seg M., : : ! 1,125 
* The analysis of soil from the vicinity of a trap ridge near the Falls of the St. Croix, yielded — 
Water, 4 : : i ; : : 2:25 
Organic matter, 7:25 
Silicates insoluble in hi deohiors and dalphanie ae : . 81-44 
Alumina, soluble in hydrochloric acid, : 1-14 
Oxide of iron, soluble in hydrochloric acid, . P ‘ 1-50 
Silica, soluble in cuale gui acid,. .. ; . ; 0-05 
Carbonate of lime, : : ; ; : 1-40 
Magnesia, . 0-37 
Chloride of potaaedtien; with a icace of dhiadide of bodied : 0-15 
Alumina, soluble in sulphuric acid, : 1-83 
Loss, and inorganic acids not determined, ; ‘ : 2-61 
