Till: MOVEMENT OF WHEAT-GROWING 345 



The kind of farming in Olmsted County in 1870 has already 

 been indicated, also that used in this county in 1900. Figures 

 >lk, Lac qui Parle, and Renville are selected, because these 

 were the leading wheat counties in the three main wheat sections 

 of Minnesota in 1900. 



\Ve thus have before us three types of farming : first, wheat- 

 raising with the reaper, as seen in Olmsted County in 1870; 

 second, highly diversified farming for products such as butter, 

 o, and pork, as seen in Olmsted County in 1900 ; ami 

 third, wheat-raising according to modern methods, as seen in the 

 counties Polk, Lac qui Parle, and Renville, in 1900. The con- 

 trast in the value of implements and machinery per acre in 1870 

 and the values for 1900 is due to the very high prices of farm 

 machinery in icS/o. When the binders first came into use, the 

 value of implements and machinery per acre became still greater. 

 Thus the figures for this in Renville County in 1880 were $3.24 

 per acre. In the comparisons for 1900 the value of implements 

 and machinery per acre is seen to be greatest in Olmsted County. 

 It will be noticed, however, that the average size of farms is the 

 smallest in this county. In the other counties the same amount 

 of machinery is used on a larger number of acres, and the value 

 per acre is accordingly diminished. For purposes of wheat- farm 

 ing one set of machinery (one binder, one seeder or drill, one 

 in do all the work on each of the averaged-sized farms 

 of the counties referred to above. Where, the farms are largest, 

 :ore, and still use "one set," the implements and machinery 

 ^i\ with greatest economy and the value of these pci 

 becomes least. This explains why the figures for Olmsted 

 v in 1900 are greater than those for Polk County, and also 

 of the latter county are larger than those <!' Lac qui 

 : Kenville. The reason why the figures : lac qui 

 County are not smaller than those of Kenville is due to 



the farms in the former county are so large tl 

 imher of cases one set of implements and machir. 

 "ik required in other words, more 

 fine of the implements have to U- used for the average 

 farm. As far as the use of capital U : lieu-fore, the 



