14 FIELD OPERATIOl^S OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918. 



is next in importance. In 1916 it occupied a total of 150 acres, 

 according to the Iowa Yearbook. Small areas of alsike clover, 

 millet, and cowpea hay are produced. Millet is seeded where corn 

 has been drowned out. The production of cowpea hay is largely 

 confined to the sandy areas near Fredonia. 



All the wheat produced is sold to the elevators. There are three 

 leadmg varieties of winter wheat, among which Turke}^ is by far the 

 most extensively grown. Next in importance is Iowa 404, which 

 normally occupies 500 to 600 acres; and then MalakofI, occupying 

 400 to 500 acres. The leading varieties of spring wheat are Early 

 Java and Marquis. 



Of the rye produced, two-thirds is shipped out of the comity. 

 The barley, however, is all used for feed. The Oderbrucker (six- 

 rowed) is practically the only variety grown. 



A considerable acreage is devoted to crops for canning. A factory 

 at Columbus Junction, which manufactures catsup, gets its supply 

 of tomatoes from about 400 acres fairly evenly distributed in the 

 vicmity. A factory at Wapello is primarily engaged in the canning 

 of sweet corn, although this year (1918) they have also canned 

 string beans. All the sweet corn produced in the county, except 

 that grown in gardens for home consumption, is taken by the can- 

 ning factory. The factory obtains part of its raw material from an 

 area of about 250 acres which it farms, the remainder being contracted 

 for with farmers. In 1918 the contract price was $14 a ton, in the 

 shuck, delivered at the factory. The farmers buy their seed from 

 the factory. Dm-ing the 1918 season corn and beans from about 

 2,800 acres were canned. The leading varieties of sweet corn are the 

 Country Gentleman and Evergreen. 



Orcharding is carried on to a very small extent. There are seven 

 or eight commercial apple orchards, averaging about 10 acres each. 

 One is situated near Newport, another near Cairo, and the rest near 

 Columbus Junction. The fruit is for the most part sold within the 

 county. Probably two-thirds of the farms have home orchards, 

 which seldom are over one acre in size. The orchards consist mainly 

 of apple trees, though there are many cherry trees and smaller 

 numbere of peach, pear, and plum. Only the winter varieties of 

 apples are grown commercially, and these are chiefly the Ben Davis, 

 Grimes, Jonathan, and Gano. Some strawberries, raspberries, 

 blackberries, and grapes are grown. 



Trucking may be said to be limited to the sandy parts of the 

 terraces and the sandy part of the Mississippi bottoms in the vicinity 

 of Hopewell School. Melons have given good results, but lately 

 they have been largely displaced by sweet potatoes. Some water- 

 melons and a smaller acreage of cantaloupes are still grown, two- 

 thirds to three-fourths of the crop being consumed within the county. 



