464 THE POTATO 



were grazed without cake. The second winter 

 they were carried on straw, clover hay, Swedes 

 and mangels, and four and one half pounds of 

 cake a day until sale early in July. They were a 

 prime lot of killers. The pastures they were 

 grazed on were drained and tiled. There is no 

 history as to when these pastures have been plowed. 

 They will probably be kept for grazing for all 

 time to come. 



It would be a great problem to determine just 

 how far and in what way these cattle were a fac- 

 tor in the profitable agriculture of this farm. I 

 am positive that they would not have these fabu- 

 lous crops were these cattle not raised, as they are 

 necessary in converting the world of straw that is 

 fed and tramped into fertilizer beds of manure 

 every winter. They are just as careful to fertilize 

 their meadows or pastures here as they are their 

 plowed fields. All the manure from the horse 

 stables, pigstys, cow stables, poultry houses, and 

 butcher houses, piles of weeds, and all liquid ma- 

 nure is hauled into the feed lots and conserved. 



The Shire is the exclusive horse of this district, 

 as is the white, curly coated Lincolnshire hog. 

 The Lincolnshire sheep are also pecuUar to this 

 district. 



Mr. Wm. Dennis and his five sons are pioneer 

 growers of large acreages of potatoes. He com- 

 menced in 1869 by buying six and one half acres 

 of land at $500 an acre. They now have 3,000 

 freehold acres and lease 3,000 more. They are 

 operating 6,000 acres as follows: 1,500 acres in 

 potatoes, with extra early, early, second early, 

 medium late, and main crop in about equal pro- 

 portions; 1,500 acres in grain, and 3,000 acres in 

 pasture for grazing. The grass and grazing land 



