Measured from northeast to southwest it is seventy-five miles across and is within forty-five miles of St. Paul and thirty-five of Superior. This central location, owing to lack of railroad facilities, does not benefit the county now, hence its good lands are the cheapest in all the Northwest. They are destined, however, to become the most valuable agricultural lands in Northern Wisconsin, as they are close to and midway between the best markets in the entire Northwest.

    It is no longer necessary to argue the question of the productiveness of Northern Wisconsin. Its qualities are now known. Burnett County has them all. It has soil of all kinds, from light sand to heavy clay, and as a grass county it cannot be excelled by any. It is one of the largest counties and has less population to the mile than almost any other county. This lack of population makes land cheap and accounts for lack of railroads. With the coming of population will come railroads and increased valuations.

    There is sufficient timber still standing to make an abundance of fuel and lumber for years to come. No county in the state is better supplied with lakes, and, besides a hundred or more small streams, mostly spring brooks, there are seven good-sized rivers crossing the county. The water supply from wells is fine and the county is rapidly developing as a dairy county, owing to good water and grass. There were no creameries in the county in 1895. Now nine creameries ship from Grantsburg, the county seat, and only village and railroad town in the county. A refrigerator car of butter every week goes direct to New York City. In 1898, Burnett County took first premium on butter at the Northern State Fair, and Burnett butter is always a cent above market price in New York City.

    Besides some improved farms which can be bought reasonably, there are 125,000 acres of government land subject to homestead entry, 60,000 acres of railroad land, 70,000 acres of state land and many acres owned by speculators. The swamp lands of the county amount to nearly 100,000 acres and there is hardly a tract of wild land in the county which is not partly ready for the plow, so that the new settler can begin farming at once.