FARMERS' INSTITUTE WORK 395 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



is a new county, full of iron ore and with plenty of mines, some at work and some 

 idle. The general character of the surface is somewhat similar to Iron county, 

 but good farming lands not so plenty, with more of the poorer sorts. The township 

 of Norway contains most of the lands used for farming purposes. Dickinson county 

 in 1895 reported 55 farms, containing 2,251 acres of improved lands and 3,805 of 

 unimproved land, of which amount the township of Norway claimed 1,287 acres of 

 improved and 1,623 unimproved acres. Number of farms twenty. This number is 

 increasing slowly. As a whole the land is not so fertile as in Iron county. There 

 is less hardwood land and more of lightish sandy land. Though some wheat, corn, 

 oats, and hay are grown in this county, the main crop is the potato crop, 31,000 

 bushels having been raised in 1894 with an increased amount in 1895. On some of 

 the lighter lands of this county is located a farm of several hundred acres and finer 

 crops of mangels, fodder corn, and hay need not be expected from the more fertile 

 farms located elsewhere. These crops were produced by a systematic method in 

 farming. Plenty of stock is kept and large quanties of manure made and properly 

 applied, all going to prove that superior cultivation, even upon poorer land, brings 

 with it a proper reward. 



One thing noticeable in all the counties mentioned is a lack of sheep. As soon as 

 suitable houses for winter shelter can be secured i believe that there is nothing 

 that will tend to make farming in these localities pay so well as a proper number of 

 good sheep. Add to this the dairy, which in both Iron and Dickinson counties 

 should be increased. I saw some as good corn grown in the vicinity of Norway 

 (fully matured) as need be seen in any county. Variety, what is known as flint 

 corn. Wheat is grown quite successfully upon a few farms and probably may be 

 on many more. Fruit and vegetables grow well. Among the many iron localities 

 are found many, acres of fair farming lands which should be cultivated and if the 

 mines resume active work, as people believe they will, a home market and a good 

 one will be found at the farmers' door. Land is cheap. The climate healthy, water 

 pure, schools and churches abound, and while there are some drawbacks, there is 

 much to encourage thrift and industry as applied to farming in Dickinson county. 



MENOMINEE COUNTY 



is situated further south than any of the counties enumerated and is from its loca- 

 tion better adapted to agricultural purposes. This county has been noted for its 

 lumber interests in the past, but as its forests of pine disappear farming operations 

 increase and upon the whole men who have been engaged in lumbering are be- 

 coming convinced that the permanent wealth of the county lies in its agricultural 

 capabilities. The surface of the portion over which I traveled, a distance of forty 

 miles from north to south, was mostly level and soil for farm purposes mostly 

 good. This was attested by the crops grown. The land reported as now in farms 

 in 1895 was in round numbers about 53,000 acres. Of this number of acres about 

 20,000 are improved; number of farms about 600, and this number is increasing, 

 judging from the new clearings and new buildings as seen along the highway. 

 The township of Stephenson leads all the townships in the number of farms, 

 amounting to nearly one-fourth of the whole. In this county are grown wheat, 

 corn, oats, potatoes and hay; potatoes leading with an amount in 1894 of 88,634 

 bushels from 881 acres. 



In the year 1894 there were raised 30,000 bushels of wheat from 2,191 acres, 

 average yield 13.56 bushels per acre. Some corn was raised amounting to 1,121 

 bushels and 97,144 bushels of oats. Hay in 1894 amounted to over 8,000 tons. Fruit 

 is generally grown, especially apples. Dairying in some parts of the county is car- 

 ried on to a large extent, pax'ticularly at or near Menominee city. There are large 

 amounts of farming lands for sale at reasonable prices in this county, lands which 

 win become more valuable as farming takes the place of lumbering. The township 

 of Stephenson takes the lead today in agricultural pursuits. The farmers are a 

 wide-awake and intelligent set of men and women. At the last Institute held there 

 a very fine display of horses for farm work was made. Some very good cattle and 

 swine, but strange as it may appear very few sheep. The fruit and vegetable dis- 

 play was very fine and full. The work of the different schools showed thoroughness 



