UNOCCUPIED LANDS.

There are eight to ten millions of acres of unoccupied lands in Michigan, which are capable of being made profitable in agriculture. The table which is printed on the face of the map accompanying this pamphlet points out where many of these lands may be found.

UNITED STATES LANDS.

There are about 300,000 acres of land yet belonging to the United States in the lower peninsula. Except in a few counties these are generally in small tracts, among which are occasional 80 or 40 acre lots of a desirable character, some of them in the vicinity of valuable State or railroad lands. The greater portion, embracing a considerable diversity of soil, lies in the northeastern counties bordering upon or near Lake Huron, more than half of the whole amount being situated in Presque Isle, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Iosco. In the upper peninsula there are 1,400,000 acres, lying in greater or less proportions in every county. Locations of government land in that region heretofore have been mainly for mining and lumber, but increase of railroad communication is rapidly drawing attention to its agricultural character.

HOW TO ACQUIRE TITLE.

Title to government lands may be acquired either by settlement under the homestead law or by purchase. Under the former process any person who is a citizen, or has legally declared his intention to become such, may obtain a homestead of 160 acres (or less) of contiguous lands, by filing an application describing the land he has selected, and an affidavit asserting his purpose to be actual settlement and cultivation. The fees required to be paid when this entry is made are $14 for 160 acres; $7 for 80 acres; and $6 for 40 acres. After a residence of five years and reasonable improvements upon the land, and before seven years have expired, he must prove such residence and improvement to the satisfaction of the district land office, paying a further fee of $4 on locations of 160 acres, $2 for 80 acres, and $1 for 40. He will then receive a certificate showing his compliance with the requirements of the law, and without further payments the land will be his own in fee, and the government will issue its patent to that effect. Lands entered under the homestead laws of the United States are exempt from taxation by the State during their probationary occupancy. The laws also declare that "no lands acquired under the provisions of this chapter (on homesteads) shall in any event become liable to the satisfaction of any debt contracted prior to the issuing of the patent therefor."

The only way except by purchase that government lands may be acquired is under the homestead laws, which in their general application demand actual residence and cultivation on the part of the settler during a period of five years before the completion of title. Persons who served ninety days or more in the army, navy, or marine corps during the Rebellion may, if they choose, deduct from this period of five years the time covered by their period of service, not to exceed four years, and may also hold a tract selected in person or by an agent for six months before

entry. But there must be at least one year's actual bona fide residence and cultivation of the homestead. This exceptional right to perfect title on a shorter occupancy than is required of those who have not performed military service becomes of practical value chiefly if the settler desires to make early sale of his land. In States where there are "double minimum" lands--that is, alternate sections of tracts covered by railroad grants, which are held at $2.50 an acre-a "soldier's homestead" may be selected from among them to the extent of 160 acres, other settlers being limited to 80 acres. In this State there are no "twenty shilling lands." When the title passes from the United States to an individual the land becomes subject to taxation.

All of the government lands in market in this State are now offered to purchasers in sections or fractions of sections at the rate of $1.25 per acre. Any person may become the owner of such lands by making application at the district land offices, describing the tracts desired, and paying therefor at this rate.

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UNITED STATES SYSTEM OF SURYEYS.

The system of United States surveys which governs the description of lands in this State and elsewhere is based on meridian lines running north and south, and base lines drawn from east to west. The meridian line of Michigan forms the boundary between Hillsdale and Lenawee counties, and extends through the entire length of the State to the St. Mary's river. The base line crosses it at right angles on the north line of Jackson county, running due east and west from Lake Michigan to Lake St. Clair, and forming the northern boundary of the second tier of counties. Townships are numbered in northern and southern directions from the base line. Ranges (as they are called) are numbered in eastern and western directions from the meridian The intersection of a given range (east or west) with a given township (north or south) describes a locality. Township No. 4 north of Range No. 2 west, for example, designates the township in which Lansing, the capital of the State, is situated, and means that it is in the fourth tier of townships north of the base line, and in the second range of townships west of the meridian line. Counties laid out on a uniform plan usually contain 16 townships; each township is six miles square, and contains 36 square miles; each square mile is called a section; each section has 640 acres of land, and is divided into sixteen equal parts of 40 acres each, and each subdivision of 40 acres or more is described by its geographical relations to the whole section. Thus, the exact locality of the capitol building is on the west half of section number sixteen, in township number four north, of range number two west; or in the abbreviations usually employed it is the W. of Sec. 16, T. 4 N. of R. 2 W. These descriptions carry a certain and specific meaning, and are used in legal conveyances. Lands which have been private property for many years retain their original designation. The State, the railroad companies, and individual landholders employ the same method of describing lands in their transactions with purchasers.

THE GOVERNMENT LAND OFFICES.

A government office for the sale of United States lands is established in each land district, of which there are four in Michigan. The officers in charge are designated respectively a Register and a Receiver. The limits of each district are closely

defined, and the officers in one have no relations to the territory of another.

The Detroit district covers the eastern and earliest settled portions of the State, in which the government lands were long since disposed of, together with the eastern portion of the Huron peninsula, Alpena, Montmorency, Presque Isle, and parts of Otsego and Cheboygan counties. The office is located at the city of Detroit, and on the 1st of October, 1881, it had on sale about 96,000 acres of land situated in the following counties:

The Saginaw district embraces the territory lying in the lower peninsula east of the meridian line and not included in the Detroit district, with parts of Gratiot, Midland, Gladwin, Roscommon, and Crawford. The office is at East Saginaw. The lands remaining unsold in October amounted to about 127,000 acres, and were situated as follows:

The Reed City district includes all the lower peninsula not covered by the Detroit and Saginaw districts, dividing Cheboygan and Otsego with the former and Crawford and Roscommon with the latter. It has its office at Reed City, in Osceola county, and holds about 78,000 acres of land in the counties named below:

The Marquette district covers the upper peninsula. The office is at Marquette, and nearly five-sixths of all the lands belonging to the United States government which lie in the State of Michigan are at its disposal, and numbered in October, 1881, about 1,400,000 acres. These lands were distributed among the following counties:

EXPERIENCE NEEDED IN SELECTING LANDS.

It is not wise for inexperienced persons to undertake the selection of lands without the aid of practiced examiners. The United States district officers have no other information in regard to specified tracts than is contained in the surveyor's notes, and these are not sufficiently precise to lead to an intelligent judgment. Settlers will always be able to acquire a general knowledge of the local characteristics of a neighborhood through reliable people in the vicinity, and for a moderate fee may procure the services of an experienced surveyor or agent. But the ultimate choice should depend upon a careful consideration of the questions which a man must determine for himself, and which involve all the points of soil, timber, exposure, drainage, schools, churches, accessibility to markets, and future growth.

Letters addressed "Register and Receiver U. S. Land Office," at either of the places mentioned above as the location of a Government Land Office, will reach their destination.

LANDS BELONGING TO THE STATE.

The lands offered for sale by the State are of three classes, and are known respectively as Swamp Lands, School Lands, and College Lands.

SWAMP LANDS.

The lands which are thus described came into possession of the State under a general law of Congress passed in 1850, which ceded to each State "the swamps and overflowed lands" remaining unsold therein, and known and described as such on the public surveys, for purposes of drainage and reclamation. Under this act Michigan received 5,891,598 acres. It has been found on actual examination that many of these lands are not swamp, but are composed of some of the best soils known to Michigan, bear some of the finest timber, are level or rolling in character, and are easily converted into rich and productive farms. The presence of overflowed or swampy ground on some portions of a section undoubtedly caused many such tracts to be characterized as wet lands in the surveyor's notes, while most of their legal subdivisions were not only dry but were particularly valuable for purposes of agriculture. It is known that some of them have proved to be among the best farming and timbered lands in the State. Liberal use has been made of these lands in opening up large sections of country by the construction of wagon-roads, paid for in special grants, and directly subsidiary to the purposes of the original cession by the drainage which resulted not only from the building of the roads but from the consequent settlement and cultivation.

These so-called Swamp Lands are offered generally for $1.25 per acre. In a few townships in the northern part of the State they are held at $2 per acre. One hundred and sixty acres or less lying in one body can be bought on payment-of a quarter of the price at the time of purchase, by any person who will make affidavit that he will settle on the land within one year, and that it is not valuable mainly for the pine, cedar, or hemlock timber growing thereon. Ten years' time, with interest at seven per cent annually, is allowed on the remainder of the purchase money.

These lands are also subject to homestead entry in lots of 80 acres or less upon certain conditions. The application must show that the applicant-man or womanis 21 years of age or upwards, and is not the owner of forty acres of land anywhere in the United States; that he or she intends to settle upon, occupy, cultivate, and improve the land described in the application, and has never taken a State homestead before. A fee of $2 must accompany the application, which will be returned if a license to locate is not granted. If the land is found to be vacant, and the required qualifications are satisfactory, the applicant receives a license, under the terms of which he or she must immediately settle upon, and continue for five years to reside upon, occupy, and improve the land. Within three months proof of settlement and of the beginning of improvements must be filled with the Commissioner of the Land Office. After five years of residence the settler may obtain a patent from the State without additional charge. Any person having a State homestead may purchase adjoining Swamp Lands on the terms given above, but his total number of acres, including the homestead, cannot exceed 160.

Nearly 300,000 acres of the Swamp Lands ceded to the State remain undisposed of.

SCHOOL LANDS.

Those who have read the account given in preceding pages of the generous endowment of lands made by Congress for primary school purposes will readily understand the meaning of this term. The State has yet in its possession about 400,000 acres. They are held at $4 per acre. In cases where these lands are valuable for pine,

cedar, or hemlock timber they must be paid for in cash at the time of purchase; where they are valuable mainly for farming purposes time is given on half their cost. Persons who desire to buy partly on credit must accompany their application with an affidavit, duly verified and indorsed, giving a description of the land selected, and the kinds and estimated quantities of the timber growing thereon, and the Commissioner will then decide whether it is of the class upon which credit can be given. Blank forms of affidavits will be furnished by the State Land Office. After the first payment has been made on what are held to be strictly farming lands, and which must. be at least one-half their value, unlimited time will be allowed on the remainder, which will bear interest at seven per cent, and may remain unpaid at the option of the purchaser as long as the interest is promptly met.

There are many good lands to be had under this description in the northern counties of the State. The table which follows will indicate their locality. Some counties contain extensive areas lying in contiguous tracts.

COLLEGE LANDS.

These lands are a grant from the United States for the benefit of the Agricultural College. They are all in the lower peninsula, and in its northern counties. The law under which they were ceded admitted of a choice from "the public lands subject to sale at private entry at $1.25 per acre," excluding mineral lands, and they were carefully selected by experienced land examiners after personal inspection with reference especially to their agricultural qualities. Similar conditions attend their sale as those which exist in regard to the School Lands, but they are held at a higher price. Where their timber resources are a primary consideration, the price of $5 per acre must be paid at the time of purchase; when valuable principally for farming purposes the same price is demanded, but three-quarters of the purchase money may remain on interest at seven per cent for an unlimited period. There are about 140,-000 acres yet in the market.

THE STATE LAND OFFICE.

The State Land Office, at Lansing, under the charge of a Commissioner, has the management of all public interests pertaining to the State lands. It employs no local agents, and business with it may be transacted by correspondence. It advertises in its official circulars that the office "cannot give information about the soil and timber of any particular lot, but buyers and settlers are advised to examine for themselves before taking." It will furnish plats, however, to aid in looking up State lands, at established rates, viz.: Plats showing vacant lands, 25 cents per township; same with streams drawn, 50 cents per township; same showing vacant lands, streams, and names of purchasers of State lands, $1.50 per township. Plats showing all the vacant State lands in any county will be furnished at prices ranging from 25 cents to $4, according to the amount involved. The United States system of surveys, heretofore explained, regulates the usages of the Land Office, and in ordering plats of townships it is necessary to give number and range.

The Land Office will also furnish all needed instructions as to forms of procedure in acquiring title to State lands, together with blanks for the affidavits which are required. Money may be forwarded by post-office orders, registered letters, national bank drafts on New York or Detroit, or by prepaid express. Personal checks are not credited until collected. Post-office orders and bank drafts should be made payable to "Commissioner of the State Land Office," and correspondence should be addressed to that officer, at Lansing, Michigan.