MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES 503 



sell or, to use a common expressiou, "gets stuck" with his load, he can 

 always ship on his own account with good prospects of winning. He 

 has a place to go, with facilities for packing, etc. We have also used our 

 association as a purchasing agent with good results, but this is in my 

 opinion of very minor importance compared with the benefits secured by 

 united action regarding railroad rates, time and facilities. I am also 

 confident that our system of bringing the buyer direct to our market 

 is the proper way to handle fruit. It does away with overcrowding and 

 consequent glutting; each buyer takes what he thinks his house can 

 handle profitably and of such grade or quality as best suits his particular 

 trade, and in this respect alone there is a great difference. Some towns, 

 even large ones, have never yet been known to give satisfactorj^ prices 

 for fine selected fruit, but will take a very large amount of common 

 stock at fair prices, while others will take little or nothing but the best; 

 and with buyers on the ground who know the w^ants of their trade, the 

 very best results are obtained. J am forced to say, however, that our 

 societj^ has not given entire satisfaction. The growers as a class have 

 not given it the hearty support which it merits, many of them saying, "O, 

 I get just the same benefit as though I belonged and paid my dollar a 

 year;" and they do, but this is not encouraging for those who do pay 

 or those who are putting in their time and energy free of charge. Our 

 association has already done us much good and our work is just begun. 

 I have faith to believe that it will eventually receive the support of all 

 the intelligent growers in this vicinity. 

 Grand Rapids, Dec. 16, 1896. 



FARMING IN MENOMINEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 



PREPARED BY MAGNUS NELSON, MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN. 



In Menominee county w^e have nearly all kinds of soil. Along the 

 west shore of Green Bay, and for perhaps a mile and a half back from 

 the water, the soil is generally sandy, with a surface soil of black loam 

 from 2 to 4 inches deep. Farther back from the lake the soil is mostly 

 clay with a good hardpan sub-soil ; here is also a good mixture of loam. 

 The land originally was nearl}^ all covered with timber. On what we 

 call the "high lands" we have still maple, elm and basswood. In my 

 judgment, this kind of land composes about one-third of the county, the 

 other two-thirds being what we call "cedar swamps." There is also a 

 slight mixture of tamarack, hemlock, white pine, balsam and spruce. 

 During the great fire of 1871 a large portion of the county was burned 

 over, and the lands not now cleared are covered with birch, popple, and a 

 few soft maples. 



So far as I know, the first settlement in the county was at a place 

 called Bench Creek, located about seven miles north of the city of Me- 

 nominee, and settled about 55 years ago. The people are mostly Ger- 

 mans, and their principal reliance is on potatoes and hay. Some of the 

 younger people are now getting into control and are going into stock 

 raising and dairying. There will soon be a butter factory in this section. 

 Perhaps the most important farm community in this county is Stephen- 

 son, a little village about 20 miles north of the city of Menominee, which 



