GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. dOd 



bad reached a depth of about 30 feet, when suddenly the water broke 

 iu upon the workmen, who escaped with difficulty. The water rose 

 rapidly to the surface and has been flowing freely ever since that time. 



If we follow .a line from Saint Paul to the southwest corner of the 

 State we find the country somewhat similar to that toward Brecken- 

 ridge. It is broken and timbered until we reach Crystal Lake, rather 

 more so than toward the northwest. This strip of timber belongs to the 

 Big Woods, and consists of deciduous trees, such as oak, elm, ash, &c. 

 After passing this point we enter upon a beautiful undulating prairie- 

 section, devoid of timber, except the little strips along the banks of the 

 streams, which continues to and beyond the southwestern border of the 

 State. The soil is of an excellent quality, and the subsoil is generally 

 more or less mixed with a kind of finely-comminuted marl, though at 

 some points it is composed in great papt of clay. There are some small, 

 clear lakes, but the surface is seldom marshy, the entire area as a gen- 

 eral thing being susceptible of cultivation. 



The following statistics, taken from the " Statistics of Minnesota for 

 1870," published by authority of the State, will give an idea of the 

 amount and character of its agricultural i^roducts : 







Crops of 1869. 





Product. 



Acres cultivated. 



Bushels produced. 



Wheat 



1, 006, 007 



278, 487 



147,587 



35, 201 



4, 632 



3, 023 



21,156 



1,910 



17, 660, 467 



Oats 



10, 510, 969 



Corn ... ... ... 



4,519, 120 



iJarley .. . .. . .... .. 



938, 466 



Rye 



75, 628 



Buckwheat - 



51,025 



Potatoes . 



1,580,431 



Beans 



29, 002 





Sorghum, gallons 35, 144 



Maple-sugar, pounds 205, 702 



Maple-syVup, gallons 14, 815 



Honey, pounds 93, 651 



Hay, wild, tons 532, 183 



Hay, cultivated, tons 69, 129 



Hops, pounds 283,335 



Wool, pounds 382, 902 



Butter, pounds 6, 552, 455 



Cheese, pounds 321,969 



Apple-trees growing 316, 552 



Apple-trees in bearing 20, 800 



Bushels of apples produced 9, 932 



Quarts of strawberries grown 148,024 



Timothy-seed, bushels 2, 279 



Flax, pounds of fiber 15, 106 



Flaxseed, bushels 7, 801 



Average yield of field-crops per acre. 



Bushels. 



Wheat 17.55 



Oats 37.74 



Corn 30.62 



Barley 26. 92 



Bushels. 



Rye 16.32 



Potatoes 74. 70 



Buckwheat 16. 83 



Beans 15. 17 



■ It is not probable that any considerable progress will be made in fruit- 

 growing, as it is evident that the climate is too rigorous for the profit- 

 able growing of any varieties except the most hardy small fruits, as 

 strawberries, currants, gooseberries, «&c. 



As before stated, the consideration of the climate is reserved for a 

 future report, which will be devoted to this subject. 



DAKOTA. 



This Territory has been so recently settled, except a small section in 

 the southeast corner, that but little can be said as to its agricultural 

 prospects, save what we can infer from an inspection of its surface and 



