FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART X. 727 



BENTON. 



Geo. D, McElroy, Vinton^ Iowa, October 14, 1904. 



The general condition of crops in this section are on a fair average with 

 those of former years. 



Corn— Yield will average about forty-five bushels per acre, about ten per 

 cent of which will be effected by frost. 



Oats — Yielded about thirty-five bushels per acre and were of good 

 quality. 



JV/ieat— Not much raised in this county. 



^ar/i?l/— Yielded on an average about twenty-five bushels per acre, and of 

 a good qualit\'. 



Sorg-hum— An average crop. 



Ti/Mot/iy— Good . 



Clover— Good. 



Potatoes — Liarge crop and of good quality. 



Vegetables — Good. 



Apples— harge yield. 



Other fruits— Yielded well. 



Cattle— Not many being fed in this vicinity. 



Horses — Good prices being paid, and a great many being shipped. 



Swine — Have done well, and there is a large increase in numbers. 



Sheep— Not many in this county. 



Poultry — A growing industry; large numbers being shipped. 



Bees-Yery poor. 



Drainage— A large amount of tiling being laid. 



Other industries — The growing of sweet corn for canning purposes is an 

 extensive industry in this county, the several companies putting up over ten 

 millions cans the past season. 



Lands— K&nge in price from $75 to $125 per acre. 



Report of fair — Thirty-third annual exhibition, held at Vinton, Septem- 

 ber 13th, 14th and 15th. The weather was favorable, and the fair was a 

 success in every particular, the attendance being up to the average of former 

 years. 



The races did not fill, owing to the smallness of our purses and the 

 number of fairs held on the same dates in our immediate vicinity. 



Entries in all departments, with the exception of swine, were well filled, 

 there being nearly one thousand entries in the agricultural department. 



BLACK HAWK. 



B. L. ManzvelU La Porte City, Iowa, October, 15, 1904, 



Corn — An average crop; some extra good, while that planted on low 

 ground and late is injured to some extent by frost. 



Oats — Not a large yield, but the best quality produced in years. 

 Wheat— Very little raised, but of fine quality. 

 Rye— Not much sown, but of an average yield. 



