Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/623

 MINNESOTA 605 pickerel, bass, whitefish, muskelonge, catfish, trout, and other varieties of fish. Many nat- ural objects of interest are found in the state. The Mississippi, studded with islands and bor- dered by high bluffs, presents a succession of picturesque scenes. Mountain island, with an elevation of 428 ft., Maiden's rock, celebrated in Indian tradition, on an expansion of the river called Lake Pepin, about 400 ft. high, and La Grange mountain on the same lake, are all notable. St. Anthony's falls, celebrated as much for their surrounding scenery as for the descent of the waters, which have a perpendic- ular fall of only 18 ft., are further up the river. A few miles beyond, between Minneapolis and Fort Snelling, are the Minnehaha falls, a ro- mantic and beautiful cascade with a perpendic- ular pitch of 45 ft., flowing over a project- ing rock which permits a passage underneath. Brown's falls, which have a perpendicular descent of 50 ft., and including the rapids of 100 ft., are W. of the Mississippi, on a narrow stream which is the outlet of several small lakes. There are also falls or rapids on the St. Croix, about half a mile below which is a noted pass through which the river has forced its way, called the Dalles of St. Croix, and others of less note on various streams. About 2 m. from St. Paul is Fountain cave, an ex- cavation in the white sandstone, with an en- trance about 15 ft. in diameter opening into a chamber 150 ft. long and 20 ft. wide. The cave has been explored for 1,000 ft., without the ter- mination being reached. Minnesota has made the most rapid progress in agriculture during the past few years. The most prominent sta- ple is wheat, for the production of which the soil and climate are most favorable. Of the reported cultivated acreage in 1872, wheat oc- cupied 61-14 per cent., the average yield per acre being 17"4 bushels ; in 1873 the percentage of acreage had increased to 63*53. Next to wheat the most important crops are oats and corn, the percentage of acreage in 1872 being 17'97 of the former and 10-44 of the latter. The soil and climate are also highly favorable to wool growing. In 1860 Minnesota had 2,711,968 acres of land in farms, of which only 556,250 acres were improved, there being 18,- 181 farms with an average of 149 acres each. In 1870 there were 46,500 farms of an average of 139 acres each, the total acreage of farm lands being 2,322,102 improved and 4,161,726 unimproved, including 1,336,299 of woodland, the percentage of improved land to total in farms being 64'2. Of the total number of farms in 1870, 4,030 contained from 3 to 10 acres, 7,948 from 10 to 20, 18,099 from 20 to 50, 11,078 from 50 to 100, 5,039 from 100 to 500, 128 from 500 to 1,000, and 2 over 1,000. The cash value of farms was $97,847,422; of farming implements and machinery, $6,721,- 120; total amount of wages paid during the year, including the value of board, $4,459,- 201 ; total (estimated) value of all farm pro- ductions, including betterments and additions to stock, $33,446,400 ; orchard products, $15,- 818; produce of market gardens, $115,234; forest products, $311,528; home manufactures, $174,046; animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter, $3,076,650; all live stock, $20,118,- 841. The productions were 18,789,188 bushels of spring and 76,885 of winter wheat, 78,088 of rye, 4,743,117 of Indian corn, 10,678,261 of oats, 1,032,024 of barley, 52,438 of buckwheat, 46,601 of peas and beans, 1,943,063 of Irish and 1,594 of sweet potatoes, 3,045 of grass and 18,635 of flax seed, 695,053 tons of hay, 8,247 Ibs. of tobacco, 401,185 of wool, 9,522,010 of butter, 233,977 of cheese, 222,065 of hops, 122,571 of flax, 210,467 of maple sugar, 92,- 606 of honey, 1,750 gallons of wine, 208,130 of milk sold, 38,735 of sorghum and 12,722 of maple molasses. Besides 9,667 horses and 54,862 neat cattle not on farms, there were 93,011 horses, 2,350 mules and asses, 121,467 milch cows, 43,176 working oxen, 145,736 other cattle, 132,343 sheep, and 148,473 swine. The agricultural statistics for 1872 were re- ported as follows by the state authorities : PRODUCTS. No. of acres planted. Amount produced. Average yield per acre. Wheat, bushels 1,267.309 22,059,375 17-40 Oats, " 872,478 12,550,788 83-69 Corn " 216455 7 142 245 82 '99 Barley " 56,785 1 495,495 26-88 Rye, " 11.865 182,780 16-07 8601 49859 18-70 1 482 19,156 12-92 Flax, pounds of fibre " bushels of seed Potatoes, bushels Sorghum, gallons of sirup. . . Hops, pounds Hay, cultivated, tons I 12,161 26,061 859 98 88,990 2,908,079 71,752 8,072,349 ' 78,095 114,429 108,028 117-59 'i-2i 71414 Maple sugar, pounds " Birup, gallons Honey, No. of hives of bees.
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195.587 17,894 13,704 282,948

Tobacco pounds ... 42,788 Timothy seed, bushels 15,228 Clover " " 2,848 1,784,861 " " in bearing 87,451 89,668

Strawberries, quarts

277,716 125,723 ..... 497,045 Butter " 8,823,630 Cheese " ... 772,630 135,691 In 1873 the number of acres under cultivation had increased to 2,332,672, of which 2,166,598 were sown with grain ; number of farms, 58,373; there were 141,871 horses, 419,084 cattle, 4,005 mules and asses, 149,206 sheep, and 149,896 hogs. As yet Minnesota does not hold a high rank as a manufacturing state, the people being more extensively engaged in agri- culture. It has, however, a most important element for great industrial prosperity in the abundant water power afforded by its numer- ous streams. It has been estimated that about 100,000 horse power could be utilized during the day time throughout nearly the entire year, at the falls of St. Anthony; while the