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necessary to ensure a good crop. The present high prices for pork and horses, and 

 the comparatively good prices for cattle, butter, cheese, sheep, wool, and swine, as 

 compared with the low price of wheat, satisfies them that they have been greatly the 

 losers by cultivating the latter to the neglect of the former; especially as the blight 

 and the killing out of wheat by the effect of frost, rendere it so uncertain a crop. 



It is evident that wheat-growing should never again, in this country, be so 

 exclusively pursued as it has been; but still it should be continued as an impor- 

 tant and necessary branch of agricultural pursuit, and one, which if pioperly 

 conducted, can be made a source of profit. To this end, the most obvious means 

 are : First, the procuring from abroad, pure and wholesome seed of the best 

 varieties, as ours, especially spring wheat, has become deteriorated by blight and 

 repeated sowing. Second, summer-fallowing and rotation of crops, seldom or 

 never sowing wheat after wheat. Third, deep and thorough ploughing and pul- 

 verizing of the soil, instead of barely skimming it, as is too often practised. 

 Fourth, drilling in, instead of sowing on the surface, and using the roller, espe- 

 cially on winter wheat. Fifth, by the use of appropriate manures, particularly 

 on clayey and sandy soils. By a thorough and careful mode of agriculture, it is 

 believed that wheat-growing may yet be a profitable crop to the Wisconsin 

 farmer. As proof that this may be so, it may not be improper to remark, that 

 one farmer in this county raised upwards of thirty-three bushels of winter wheat, 

 per acre, last summer. 



Large quantities of oats are raised in this county, and it is uniformly a safe and 

 abundant crop. Corn usually does well, the dent being generally raised on the 

 black soils, and the Eastern varieties on the lighter. Barley is somewhat culti- 

 vated, and is usually a good crop. Considerable quantities of broom corn are 

 annually raised in Troy, in this county. It grows luxuriantly and yields largely ; 

 and is believed to be as profitable as the average farming pursuits. The draw- 

 backs from the valueableness of this crop are, the very limited home market, its 

 great bulk, and the expense of transportation to an Eastern market. Very httle 

 rye or flax is cultivated. It is to be hoped that more attention will hereafter be 

 given to cultivating the latter, as it doubtless can be made a permanent source of 

 wealth. Peas and beans have been cultivated very little in the field. The for- 

 mer, when raised, have been much injured by the insect or bug in the pea. 

 Potatoes in former years yielded plentifully, but the rot has injured them more or 

 less for the last three or- four years, and the past season occasioned an almost 

 entire failure of this crop. Turnips, ruta bagas, vines, and garden vegetables, 

 flourish well. 



The average yield of wheat per acre is from twelve to twenty bushels; of corn 

 (shelled) from thirty to fifty; of oat-s from thirty to fifty; and of barley, from 

 twentv-five to thirty. 



