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First, as to the general condition of Agricuitiire in Ruck County, 1 must answer 

 that it is at present in a very depressed state; the cause of it is, that wheat has 

 been the great staple ujion which our farmers have relied, and relied so confi- 

 dently, that they have anticipated the croj) for a year or two in advance — and its 

 • partial failure for the last three years has produced a state of universal indebted- 

 ness, which added to the present extreme low price of most kinds of produce, has 

 caused a general cry of hard times from one end of our county to the other, 

 and very justly so no doubt. 



From the first settlement of this county up to the year 1848, wheat was a very 

 profitable crop, and considered as sure as any other; but since that time, from 

 some cause, or causes, as yet not perfectly known, but comparatively few good 

 crops of wheat have been raised. 



One cause of the failure in the wheat crop may probabably be attributed to 

 the want of snow for the last thi'ee winters. Snow exerts a twofold influence on 

 the wheat plant — one is to protect it from the extreme cold of our winter winds, 

 another is the largo amount of nitrogen, in the form of aiiunonia, brought by it 

 from the atmosphere, and with which it enriches the soil about the young plant, and 

 supplying it with an absolute essential in the formation of the grain. This is also 

 obtained by the application of gypsum. Another cause probably is, the exhaus- 

 tion of alkali, which has been accumulating for yeais, by the repeated burnings 

 of our prairies and openings. I do not wish to be understood as presenting this 

 as a postulate that needs no proof. I am too much of a tyro in the science of 

 agriculture for that, but merelv throw it out in the form of a bint to otheis, who 

 may be better cjualified to prosecute the impiiry — believing tuyself that there is 

 some truth in it. 



In answer to your next inquiry, as to the manner of cultivaliou in this county; 

 a strict regard for truth compels me to say, that, as a genei'al thing, it is rather 

 slovenly. I ask pardon of our farmers, but believe it to be a i'act, that in no other 

 country but Wisconsin, would it be considered as apj)roximating to the science 

 of agriculture. 



The causes are obvious, the excuse reasonable. Fii-st, they have attempted to 

 cultivate too much land with very limited means; next, they have been deluded 

 with the notion that wheat could be gi-own successfully for an indefinite period 

 of time — that manuring, I'otatiiig crops, seeding down with timothy, clovei', and 

 other grasses, growing stock, flax, henip, roots, cfec, was altogethei- unnecessary. 

 To surround a quarter section of Ian d with a sod fence — bre;ik and sow it to wheat — 

 harvest the same and stack it — jilough the stubble once, an<l sow it again with 

 wheat — thresh the previous crop and h:iul it to the Lake, was con-;i(lered good 

 fiirming in Rock County, continue. 1 fri>Hi year to year; ;uid h'.indreds c >nliilently 

 expected to win, bv going it blind, in this veiy unscientific mannoi-. And for a 



