1817. THE CULTIVATOR. 237 
MICHIGAN AS AN AGRICULTURAL STATE. 
Messrs; Editors —Having been a subscriber to the 
Cultivator, as well as a constant reader, since its com¬ 
mencement, I feel in some sort entitled to claim a 
place in your columns. At a time when so much at¬ 
tention has been attracted to western lands, as is shown 
by the great and increasing emigration from the At¬ 
lantic states, and when much and intentional misrepre¬ 
sentation exists, I purpose to send you a few obser¬ 
vations on the agricultural capabilities of Michigan. 
These^are designed not so much to create a favorable 
prejudice in behalf of my adopted state, as to exhibit, 
in a just light, the distinctive characteristics of the 
eastern and western states, and in particular of that 
one of the latter which has been the subject of per¬ 
haps both extremes of misrepresentation. I am en¬ 
couraged to this by the opinion that your journal is 
one of that extended circulation and liberal character 
which invites information from all parts of our varied 
country. 
I commence, then, with some observations upon the 
General Character of the Lower Peninsula 
of Michigan. —One of the most striking features of 
Michigan, is the great extent of water by which it is 
surrounded. The chain of great lakes form a penin¬ 
sular coast of more than 1,200 miles, which is sup¬ 
plied with an uncommon number of good harbors. 
The latter are due, mainly, to the unusual volume 
and depth of the streams, some of which are naviga¬ 
ble for river steamboats for more than 100 miles from 
their mouths. On the western coast, these streams 
generally expand into lakes just within the bar at their 
mouths, many of which are sufficient in size and depth 
to float a navy. It will at once be obvious that these 
features afford the peninsular state a more ready and 
cheap access to markets, from every part of the inte¬ 
rior, than any other equal extent of territory in the 
union. 
Michigan is also furnished with an unusual number 
of small interior lakes, which cover a proportion of her 
surface equal to one acre in thirty-nine. 
The fact is well established that climate depends 
less on latitude than on the conformation of the sur¬ 
face and the relative position of land and water. The 
great inland lakes of the northern frontier of the Uni¬ 
ted States, as they are one of the most striking charac¬ 
teristics of its physical geography, so they give rise, 
in connection with some other features, to the most re¬ 
markable modifications of climate. It is not my pur¬ 
pose to discuss the causes of this phenomenon, but 
simply to exhibit facts; and that these may not appear 
to be mere hypothesis, let us appeal to an acknow¬ 
ledged authority—the thermometer. Dr. Forrey, au¬ 
thor of a work on u the Climate of the United States,” 
comparing the observations taken at the different mili¬ 
tary posts of the United States, remarks, that u at the 
posts on large bodies of watgr, the mean temperature 
of winter is higher, and that of summer lower than in 
the opposite localities. Thus, Fort Brady, at Sault 
Ste. Marie, show T s a difference of only 42 degrees 11 
minutes, between the mean temperature of winter and 
summer, while Hancock Barracks, half a degree fur¬ 
ther south, in the state of Maine, distant only 150 
miles from the sea coast, exhibits a difference of 46 de¬ 
gress 19 minutes, and comparing the warmest and 
coldest month, the difference of the former is 47 de¬ 
grees 22 minutes, and that of the latter 54 degrees 70 
minutes.” Again, il so remarkable is the influence of 
large bodies of water in modifying the range of the 
thermometer, that although Fort Brady is nearly 7 de¬ 
grees north of Fort Mifflin, near Philadelphia, and not¬ 
withstanding the mean annual temperature is 14 de¬ 
grees less, yet the contrast in the seasons of winter 
and summer is not so great at the former as at the lat¬ 
ter.” During a residence of eleven years on Detroit 
river, the extreme lowest point of the thermometer 
was 12 degrees below 0, while in central New-ITork 
the thei-mometer several times, within the same period, 
sank to 35 degrees below. 
Winter in Michigan lasts from three to four months, 
during most of which the ground is covered with snow, 
to the depth of from one to two feet. During eight 
months of the year cattle will find subsistence for them¬ 
selves, in the woods and plains. The ground is fit for 
the plow about the 20th of March, and frequently much 
earlier. About harvest, which is in July, there is very 
commonly a period of several weeks duration, during 
which scarcely any rain falls. This circumstance, 
though often prejudicial to some crops, is of advantage 
to the wheat grower, enabling him to harvest that 
staple article with the least labor, and free from rust. 
I do not remember to have seen this fact alluded to, 
as among the characteristic advantages of Michigan, 
as a wheat producing state, but it deserves to be. 
The prevailing winds, for at least four days in five, 
throughout the year, are west or south-westerly, and 
these are almost invariably attended by pleasant wea¬ 
ther. The north and east winds are sometimes at¬ 
tended by cold storms, but never of so long duration 
as on the Atlantic coast. Showers come from the 
west or southwest; last generally but a few hours, and 
are most frequent in the night. These facts, added 
to the usually mild character of the westerly winds, 
and the effect of the surrounding waters in equalizing 
the temperature, give to Michigan an uncommon pro¬ 
portion of clear days, and a climate more than ordina¬ 
rily free from sudden and great variations, and from 
long periods of cold wet weather. In short, they pro¬ 
duce that happy medium between extremes, which is 
the most healthful and desirable. 
The autumns are commonly mild and protracted; 
the season of Indian summer, which lasts from two to 
six weeks, being one of the most soothing and delicious 
known under any parallel on the globe. 
To these favorable features there is frequently a draw¬ 
back in the variable weather of spring. This is subject 
to frosts, occurring sometimes in April or May, several 
weeks after the orchards are in bloom, and which great¬ 
ly impair if not destroy the prospect of fruit for the 
year. This calamity occurs about as often as once in 
four years. 
Another most important feature of Michigan, is the 
character of her soils. While in the more broken dis¬ 
tricts of the eastern states the soils are in great part 
derived by decomposition from the underlaying rocks, 
are usually of little depth, and in the primary districts, 
(which include most of New England,) of sterile cha¬ 
racter, those of Michigan are made up of the relics of 
previously existing rocks, or of the rocks of distant por¬ 
tions of the country, which have been broken up and 
spread over the surface, by widely operating geologi¬ 
cal causes. Whatever these may have been, it is suf¬ 
ficient for our present purpose to say, that they have 
covered the rocks of the peninsula with a deposit, va¬ 
rying from one to 100 feet in depth, consisting of sand 
