910 



few years it succeeded ; but a short crop or two, with a depressed market, has 

 brought them up all standing. The cry is now heard, what shall we do to be 

 saved? And for the purpose of answering this satisfactorily, an Agricultural 

 Society has been organized in this county within the past year; and we do hope 

 that a different account from this w'ill be given of us in a very short time. For I 

 confidently believe, and it is the opinion of others, that with a system of farming 

 adapted to our soil and climate, scientifically and thoroughly pursued. Rock 

 County can be made to produce an amount equal to that of any other of its size 

 in the State, or perhaj^s in the Union. Its capacity for growing all kinds of 

 grain, roots, and grasses, is, in my opinion, equalled by but few, either in the 

 Eastern or Western States. 



Rock county is thiity miles in length from east to west, and twenty-four broad 

 from north to south, comprising twenty townships of six miles square, each con- 

 taining thirty-six sections of 640 acres, making 460,800 acres, or 2,880 farms of 

 160 acres each. Rock River runs through this county from the north, in a south- 

 westerly direction, affording plenty of water-power, and with its numerous tribu- 

 taries, presenting a large field for grazing and dairying. Let me say here, that we 

 have an abundance of lime stone, producing lime of a superior quahty ; also good 

 building stone. 



For the purpose of showing the capacity of this county for production, we 

 will suppose those 2,880 farms to be properly fenced and under a good state of 

 cultivation, sixty acres in pasture and meadow, forty of timber, and sixty kept 

 under the plough, in the following proportions and estimates of yield: — say 15 

 acres in wheat, at 25 bushels to the acre — 10 acres oats, at 50 do. — 10 acres 

 barley, at 30 do. — 15 acres corn, at 50 do. — 5 acres flax, at 15 bushels seed and 

 1 ton of fibre to the acre — and 5 acres roots, at 250 bushels to the acre. Of 

 Stock, say 10 cows, making 350 lbs. cheese to the cow, or 175 lbs. butter — 100 

 sheep, shearing 3 lbs. wool per head, and avei'aging 25 lambs to the flock — 1 ton 

 of pork — half a ton of beef — 1 horse and 2 head neat cattle to each fann for sale 

 yearly. This calculation gives an aggregate of 1,380,000 bushels wheat, 1,440,000 

 bushels oats, 864,000 bushels barley, 2,160,000 bushels corn, 221,000 bushels 

 flaxseed and 14,400 tons of fibre, 3,600,000 bushels roots, 10,080,000 lbs. 

 cheese or 5,040,000 lbs. butter, 864,000 lbs. wool, 72,000 lambs, 2,880 tons 

 pork, 1,440 tons beef, 2,880 horses, and 5,760 head of neat cattle, besides poul- 

 try, eggs, fruit, and culinary vegetables, in quantities to suit purchasers. 



I shall not enter into an estimate of the value of this vast amount of produce, 

 preferring to wait until it shall be grown, and the market value a shade or two 

 higher than it is at present. 



In estimating the yield per acre in the foregoing calculation I have been guided 

 by the experience of uur best farmers, and have the assurance that they have all 



