TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK—PART Nil 847 



Apples — Poor crop; almost an entire failure. 



Other Fruits — Generally good, but no peaches or pears. 



Cattle — Shortage of pasture on account of increased acreage in coi'n 

 reduces the number of cattle raised; quality good. Large numbers of 

 western and northern cattle fed during fall and winter. 



Horses — Interest in well bred roadsters and draft horses increasing; 

 quality better each year. Some complaint of dearth of well bred stallions. 

 Good demand from outside buyers at high prices. 



Sicine — In healthy condition; steady increase in numbers raised; 

 breeding improving from year to year; Poland China, Duroc Jersey and 

 Chester White predominate. 



Sheep — About as usual; possibly an increase. Exhibit at fair about 

 normal. 



Poultry — Poultry industry has been large for several years; quality 

 of birds improving each year. 



Bees — Interest declining; crop of honey not up to standard. 



Drainage — Dealers in drain tile report large sales. Large amount 

 of ditches being dug, and levee work along the river bottoms. 



Lands — Steady increase in values. Land sales in advance of last years, 

 which were also large. 



Report of Fair — Held at Columbus Junction, September 8, 9, 10, 11, 

 1909, being carried over one day on account of rain. Generally speaking 

 the fair was a success and showed increased interest on part of the peo- 

 ple. Stock exhibit was fair; other exhibits about average. Prospects 

 are good for a more successful fair in the future and efforts will be 

 made to secure more exhibits in the live stock departments. 



LUCAS. 



JAMES L. WASHBURN, LUCAS, DECEMBER 21, 1909. 



General Condition of Crops and Season — The season was erratic in the 

 extreme; very wet in both spring and autumn with severe early freeze ' 

 injuring corn and apples. 



Corn — Early planting suffered badly by heavy rains; late planting 

 hurt by excessive rains and all injured by early freezing. Feeding values 

 compared with 1908 about 3:3 per cent and about 10 per cent still in the 

 fields. 



Oats — Ninety per cent were sown early and disced in but very few 

 were harrowed. This was followed by wet, freezing weather, making 

 early prospects very poor, but final results fairly good. 



Wheat — Fairly good; larger acreage sown this fall. The farmers should 

 drill their wheat and small gi'ain to obtain good results. 



Rye — Very small acreage raised; average yield 15i bushels per acre. 



Barley — None grown to speak of. 



Flax — Used to grow it as an initial crop on prairie sod but no longer 

 used in our rotation. 



BnckiDheat — Slight acreage with fair yield; sown mostly where the 

 corn was drowned out. 



