230 | GEOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR. 
their eastern border. The extraordinary increase of population in the northwestern States— 
of Wisconsin, of Iowa, of Minnesota, and of Шіпоів--ів the most convincing evidence how 
much they invite settlement, and of their resources, as great elements of power, commerce, 
and wealth, in a mighty nation. In the State of Minnesota much is being done in the way of 
establishing good wagon roads. Individual enterprise will, by next July, have a very excellent 
road open from Superior City, by Mille Lacs, both to Madeira and to Crow Wing; and from 
Crow Wing the line will soon be taken up to the western border of the State. There is a road 
connecting Superior City with St. Paul. There is a pretty good natural road from St. Paul to 
the navigable waters of the Red River of the North. So we find both water lines and wagon 
roads to move through and occupy this State. Much of the larger portions of Minnesota, 
from Lake Superior to the Red River of the North, is heavily timbered. Hereʻare very large 
pineries ; groves of oak, and elm, and ash, and maple; there are also the linden, cherry, beach, 
ironwood, birch, cottonwood, spruce, hemlock, tamarack, arbor vite or white cedar, and red 
cedar, in abundance, and fifteen other kinds of trees of less importance; of the maple there are 
four; of ash, two; elm, three; oak, six; birch, two; cottonwood or poplar, three ; pine, four; 
and of spruce, four distinct species, varying in properties and appearance—making the timber 
trees thirty-four varieties. The soil is uniformly good. Winter wheat is raised with great 
success. Е. Patch, a few miles north of the Falls of St. Anthony, raised, two years ago, forty 
bushels to the acre; it yields largely as far north as the 48th parallel. Corn isa certain crop 
as far north as 48°, and is raised north of 49°. The southern corn, commonly called the gourd 
seed, is generally cultivated as far north as Sauk Rapids. Near St. Paul, sixty bushels have 
been raised to the acre. In no country do potatoes do so well, yielding commonly from 200 to 
400 bushels to the acre. The southern part of the State is strictly an agricultural region; the 
soil is a rich, sandy loam, with a clay sub-soil, and extends as far north as the Crow Wing 
river, where the pine belt commences, which follows up the Mississippi and its tributaries to 
their sources, with occasional intervals of maple, oak, spruce, birch, &c., &c., at Red, Leach, 
and Cass, and at the lakes, corn, wheat, and all other kinds of vegetables are raised. 
The past year the citizens exported hundreds of thousands of bushels of oats and potatoes, 
also a small quantity of wheat. 
The valley of the Minnesota river is thickly settled, and the land yields all kinds of grains 
and vegetables. From this valley to the Red river, and from the latter, by the Otter Tail lake, 
to the Mississippi river, thence to Crow Wing, thence south to the northern line of Iowa, the 
country is thickly settled. 
Minnesota is surpassed by no portion of the country for grazing purposes; the rich growth 
of wild grass everywhere to be found, the dryness of the atmosphere, and the lateness of the 
frosts in the fall, together with the small quantity of snow that falls during the winter, particu- 
м. adapts that State to the honor of the farmer and stock grower. The valley of the Red 
river as far north as the 51st parallel is rich, and produces wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and 
vegetables, equal to any part of New York. Land in the vicinity of St. Paul has yielded ninety 
— of corn to the acre. Tobacco does well, and from the last year's experience, it is 
раш that Minnesota will be able to compete with any of the tobacco-growing States of the 
Union. Sweet potatoes are raised in great abundance, and to be found in the principal market- 
houses. The western coast alone can compete with this State in raising vegetables. The 
