4 BULLETIN 425^ UJ S, DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



swamp lands, especially in northern Minnesota and the northern 

 peninsula of Michigan. Much of the swamp land is productive when 

 drained and generally the cost of drainage is not excessive. As is 

 common in most glacial districts, the soils range from light sand to 

 very heav^' clay. Tliere is a small percentage of worthless sandy 

 land that the prospective settler would do well to avoid, and there 

 are larger areas of light sandy soils that can not produce large crops 

 mthout fertihzers. Sandy loam and medium loam soils predominate 

 and these when properly managed produce satisfactory yields of all 

 crops adapted to the district. Such crops as clover, beans, peas, rye, 

 vetch, buckwheat, corn, potatoes, root crops, and small fruits do 

 v/ell on the sandy loam soils. These crops also do well on the heavier 

 soils, and in addition these richer soils produce satisfactory crops of 

 timothy, wheat, oats, and barley. 



The \\inters in this region are usually long and cold, with st heavy 

 fall of snow. Ordinarily the summers are short and hot, with ample 

 rainfall, well distributed. Late frosts in spring and early autumn 

 frosts hmit the kinds of crops that can be grown, yet early varieties 

 of corn mature in the southern portion of this belt and make good 

 silage over a large portion of this area in the average year. 



Forest products and rich iron and copper mines have brought the 

 railroads to almost every part of the region. These enterprises have 

 also caused the growth in tbis district of many towns of considerable 

 size and a few comparatively large cities. The railroads and Great 

 Lakes furnish excellent shipping facilities for agricultural products 

 and the towns and cities furnish good local markets. Wagon roads 

 are generally poor, though there is ordinarily good material for road 

 construction close at hand. Scattered population and lack of funds 

 have prevented the rapid building of good wagon roads. It is also 

 true that until recently there has been little in the way of agricul- 

 tural products to be hauled over the roads, consequently there was 

 small demand for road improvement. Considering the undeveloped 

 condition of the country, school advantages generally are very good. 



The cut-over district is exceptionally well watered. Many small 

 streams and lakes are distributed over the region. (See fig. 2.) 

 Nearly everywhere wells of moderate depth furnish an adequate sup- 

 ply of first-class water. 



TYPE OF FARMING. 



In most parts of the cut-over district definite types of farming 

 have not yet become established. Over a large part of this area 

 conditions are especially favorable for the development of dairying. 

 The relatively large acreage and high yields of hay, together with fair 

 yields of silage corn over much of this section indicate a promising 



