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acre, as per opinion of those acquainted with the crops of 

 the county, and that elicited by our own observation. 



The market for all grain or produce of any kind is at the 

 city of Lafayette, our county seat, where there is an unlimi- 

 ted demand. 



The prevailing prices of wheat for the season has been 

 from 40 to 50 cents ; the latter being the present price. 



Corn. — This is the staple crop of our county. The prin- 

 cipal reason that it is so universally grown is, that it is a cer- 

 tain crop. Failures are so common among all other cereals 

 that the culture of them has in a great measure been aban- 

 doned. The amount raised is increasing rapidly. Our piairies 

 are being settled by farmers emigrating principally from the 

 eastern and middle States, who usually exhaust their capital 

 in the purchase and improvement of their farms, and conse- 

 quently cannot engage in the raising of live stock for want 

 of means. The only alternative left is to invest their labor, 

 which in almost all cases is appropriated to the culture of 

 corn. 



In preparing ground for corn it is plowed as early as the 

 season will admit — usually during the month of April or be- 

 ginning of May. In the preparation of the ground, most of 

 our farmers are very careless. The course commonly pur- > 

 sued is to plow very shallow, and "mark out" immediately . 

 after ; whilst the only proper method should be to plow deep, ' 

 very deep, and pulverize finely with the roller and drag har- 

 row previous to marking. Should the soil be sufficiently fri- 

 able, the use of the roller may be dispensed with. Ground ; 

 prepared in this way has many advantages, particularly in 

 the early part of the season. The ground being rendered 

 permeable can absorb the moisture, thereby enabling the 

 young plants to endure more drought. In ordinary cases, 

 where the former careless manner of preparation is pursued, . 

 the young plants suffer so severely, should the early part of ' 

 the season be dry, that they scarcely ever re-establish their 

 wonted vigor. So soon as the young corn is up, or has 



