Under this head, the late J. B. Phillips, Commissioner of Statistics,
from whose work we have already quoted, says:
"The soil of the arable part of the State is generally of the best
quality, rich in lime and organic matter, and particularly well adapted
to the growth of wheat, over 26,400,000 bushels of which cereal were
produced in 1873, and over 30,000,000 in 1875. Although its fertility
has never been disputed, these authentic figures prove it beyond
question. Good wheat lands in a favorable season will produce from 25 to
30 bushels to the acre. I believe the whole county of Goodhue, in a
yield of between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 bushels, very nearly averaged
the first figures in 1875. A great portion of the State is equally
adapted to stock raising, and many farmers think it would be more
profitable."
We will add to this, by way of a note, that in 1877, as will be seen on
another page, Minnesota with only 3,000,000 acres of her land under
cultivation, produced 35,000,000 bushels of wheat, almost all No. 1
quality, and that Goodhue County, mentioned in the extract quoted, had a
yield of 4,050,250 bushels.