FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XIII 871 



Millet — The millet hay crop was exceptionally heavy, but the crop saved 

 for seed did not fill extra well. 



Sorghum — This was a good season for sorghum hay and the crop was 

 very heavy. 



Timothy — The timothy matured early and the crop was good. Both 

 the hay and seed crop were above the average. 



Clover — This was one of the best clover seasons that Clay county has 

 ever known. Many cut two good hay crops. Others secured a good hay 

 crop and a good seed crop. Those who seeded this season secured a good 

 stand. 



Prairie Hay — Some of the low hay lands were flooded in the spring 

 and this made the crop on those lands late, but they produced a good 

 crop. A full average crop was cut. 



Other Grains and Grasses — This was a splendid season for alfalfa. 

 Practically all the fields were cut three times, and some of them the fourth 

 time. The spring seeding with the nurse crop, in nearly every case, 

 made a catch, and every person who tried fall seeding according to 

 directions secured a stand. 



Potatoes — The few weeks' drouth in the summer stopped the potato 

 growth and the crop is not heavy. 



Vegetables — Early vegetables did well and it has been an exceptionally 

 fine season for fall vegetables, especially tomatoes and cabbage. 



Apples — Very few apples were raised in the county this year. The 

 orchards did not bloom this spring. 



Other Fruits — It has been a poor year for most fruits. There were a 

 few plums and grapes. 



Cattle — There has been nothing unusual in the cattle condition of the 

 county. There are perhaps fewer cattle than the average. 



Horses — There has been a very promising crop of colts raised in the 

 county this year. Several colt shows which have been held in the different 

 towns have added interest to the horse industry and have been a help 

 to the owners of the best stallions. 



Swine — The cold, wet spring caused some losses among the early pigs, 

 but the increased number of sows kept and the success with late pigs 

 gives us more pigs than common. There has been about 100 outbreaks of 

 cholera in the county during the year, but prompt vaccination has kept 

 the loss down to a very small amount. 



Sheep — Clay county is well supplied with sheep this year and. they 

 have been yielding good profits. 



Poultry — The spring was favorable to chicken raising and there must 

 be more chickens in the county than common. I have heard of no con- 

 tagious diseases this year. 



Bees — There are very few hives of bees kept and the owners report 

 little honey. 



Drainage — This has been a splendid year for drainage. The heavy 

 rains in the spring showed where more drainage was necessary and the 

 farmers seemed to be ready to take up the work. Two large drainage 

 ditches have been completed besides several smaller ditches. Much tiling 

 has been done in the county this year. 



