grant.] MINNEAPOLIS TO MOORHEAD. 317 



Prom Sauk Rapids to Little Falls an area of modified drift extends 

 for some distance on each side of the load. At this place the Missis- 

 sippi is again crossed and a small area of slate, mica -schist, anddiorite 

 is seen along the river; these rocks are all Archean, but their exact 

 horizon has not been determined. They cause the rapids in the river. 

 A few miles south of Little Falls the southwestern limit of the ever- 

 green forest is crossed: scattered pines have been seen farther south, 

 hut here they appear in large amounts. The principal species is Pmu8 

 ba/iksiaua, black pine, more commonly known as the "jack pine." It 

 rarely grows to be of sufficient Size for good lumber. 



At Little Falls fche .Mississippi is again crossed and the railroad now 

 runs directly away from the Father of Waters, taking almost a north- 

 westerly course to the western edge of the State. From Little Falls to 

 Staples a region of rolling and often hilly morainic country is passed 

 through. 



From Staples to Perham a Hat to undulating area of modified drift 

 is crossed, excepting that there is a small hilly morainic area between 

 New York Mills and Perham. Before reaching the latter place the 

 southwestern limit of the evergreen is again crossed, and only a small 

 area of deciduous forest is seen before entering the prairies of the west- 

 ern part of the State. Otter Tail county, in which are situated the two 

 last named towns, is crossed by an elevated morainic range of hills, 

 the highest in the western half of the State. This elevated region is 

 known as the Leaf hills, and is thickly dotted with numerous crystal 

 lakes. In Otter Tail county these lakes cover more than one-ninth of 

 the surface of the county. This lake area is entered just beyond Per- 

 ham and continues to and beyond Lake Park in Becker county. 



In the vicinity of Lake Park the prairie has become fully established 

 and no more timber is seen except along water courses. Beyond this 

 place a more Hat or undulating area of till is entered and the descent 

 toward the Bed River of the North is begun. 



One-fourth of a mile (A km.) east of Muskoda the first of the 

 ancient beaches of Lake Agassi/, is crossed. This is a low, gracefully 

 rounded beach-ridge of gravel and sand, called the Herman bead). 

 Then a plain, two miles (3.2 km.) in width, representing an old delta 

 deposit, is crossed before reaching the second or Norcross beach. A 

 mile (1.(5 km.) beyond this the Campbell beach is crossed, and about a 

 quarter of a mile (.4 km.) further is the McCauleyville beach; the latter 

 is seen just before coming to the Buffalo Biver. The low flat valley of 

 the Bed Etiverof the North is now entered and the road runs in a straight 

 line directly west to Moorhead, a distance of 13 miles (21 km). The 

 ground here is almost as level as a table, and the streams have cut but 

 shallow narrow troughs in it. Between Moorhead and Fargo the Red 

 Biver, a sluggish stream, is crossed. 



