812 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Potatoes — Mostly grown for home use; crop was fair in quality and 

 average but the soil in this county is not strictly adapted to the raising 

 of potatoes. 



Vegetables — Very good; plenty for home use. 



Apples — Not very satisfactory; mostly grown for home use. Quality 

 was poor and the October freeze found most of the fruit on the trees. 



Other Fruits — Cherries were very light crop; no peaches or pears and 

 but a few gooseberries. 



Cattle — Not very plentiful as the high prices for the half fat kind last 

 spring took most all of them out of the county. Feeders have been slow 

 filling up the yards on account of the condition of the corn crop. Less 

 than average on feed now. 



Horses — On account of high prices there is an increased interest taken 

 in the breeding of horses, especially the good heavy kind. More care 

 given to the breeding of good mares the past year than for a number 

 of years past. 



Swine — The pig crop was very poor on account of the wet, cold weath- 

 er at farrowing time. High prices have taken everything fit for market; 

 almost to a shortage. 



Sheep — Sheep are increasing. The woven wire fence has made sheep 

 growing possible in Iowa. Young farmers are taking quite an interest in 

 the sheep industry. 



Poultry — Remunerative prices have put a new impulse to the business 

 — other than turkeys. The hens will cackle with a new spirit when warm 

 days come; not 25 cent hens but dollar hens. 



Bees — Season not favorable for bees; still strong colonies gave fair 

 returns. 



Drainage — Increased interest in drainage under the new law. A more 

 systematic work will give large returns for money invested and a large 

 acreage of rich new soil will be brought under cultivation. 



Other Industries — Concrete and cement work increasing rapidly. 



Lands — Have increased in money value by leaps and bounds and it 

 will require better farming to pay interest on present investments. We 

 must farm better and increase the fertility of the soil in order to leave 

 good land and not abuse land for future generations. 



DAVIS. 



H. C. LEACH, BLOOMFIELD, OCTOEEB 12, 1909. 



General Condition of Crops and Season — General condition of crops 

 good; all kinds of grain and vegetables fully matured. 



Corn — Large acreage; good quality; about eighty per cent of full crop. 



Oats — Ordinary acreage; quality and yield good. 



Wheat — Small acreage; quality and yield excellent. 



Rye — Small acreage; yield good. 



Barley — None raised. 



Flax — None raised. 



Buckwheat — Acreage and yield small. 



Millet — Quite a good deal sowed; quality of seed and hay good. 



