10 FIELD OPERATIOXS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. 



one of the most important products of the county. In 1864 the fir^it 

 railroad line was built through the county, and the improvement in 

 transportation facilities greatly stimulated agriculture. 



In 1879 about 9 per cent of the area of the county was in crops. 

 About 42 per cent of the cropped land was in hay, 28 per cent in 

 wheat, 16 per cent in corn, and 7 per cent in oats. The 1890 census 

 showed an increase of 59 per cent in crop acreage. About 50 per 

 cent of the cropped area was occupied by hay, 20 per cent by corn, 

 15 per cent by oats, 7 per cent by potatoes, and 4 per cent by rye. 

 In 1899 about 66,000 acres, or over 22 per cent of the area of the 

 county, was in crops. About 29 per cent of the farmed area was in 

 wild hay, 17 per cent in corn, 13 per cent in rye, 12 per cent in oats, 

 ,11 per cent in tame hay, 10 per cent in potatoes, and 7 pej^ cent in 

 wheat. The value of dairy products sold in 1899 amounted to 

 $118,687, of animals sold or slaughtered to $103,101, and of poultry 

 and eggs produced to $25,639. The 1910 census reports 71,601 acres, 

 or almost one-fourth the area of the county, as being cultivated or 

 used for hay production. About 26 per cent of the cropped land 

 was occupied by wild hay, 17 per cent by corn, 15 per cent by tame 

 grasses, 15 per cent by potatoes, 13 per cent by oats, 8 per cent by 

 rye, and 2 per cent by wheat. 



The value of all crops produced in 1909 is reported by the census 

 as $1,118,212. On the basis of value of production the most important 

 class of crops is vegetables, chiefly potatoes. Potatoes were grown 

 on 10,756 acres in 1909 and produced 1,255,880 bushels, or an average 

 of 116.7 bushels per acre. Miscellaneous vegetables were grown on 

 482 acres. The value of all vegetables produced amounted to $406,395. 

 The area in potatoes increased by 58 per cent from 1899 to 1909. The 

 crop is gi'own principally as a source of revenue, and is shipped 

 largely to St. Paul and Minneapolis. 



The value of all cereal and seed crops produced in 1909 amounted 

 to $402,818.' Gorn occupied 12,075 acres and produced 375,378 

 bushels, averaging 31.1 bushels per acre. Oats occupied 9.668 acres 

 and produced 278,498 bushels, or 28.8 bushels per acre. Rye, which 

 was grow^n on 5,500 acres, produced 77,062 bushels, the yield aver- 

 aging 14 bushels per acre. Wheat occupied 1,523 acres, producing 

 28,487 bushels, an average of 18.7 bushels per acre. Barley was grown 

 on 613 acres, beans on 294 acres, emmer and spelt on 154 acres, and 

 buckwheat on 49 acres. Cereal and grain crops are grown mainly for 

 use on the farm. Much of the corn crpp is put in silos and used to 

 feed stock, principally dairy cows. 



Hay and forage were produced in 1909 to the value of $236,258. 

 Wild hay, cut mainly from peat land, occupied 18,503 acres and 

 produced 22,814 tons, an average of 1.23 tons per acre. Tame or 

 cultivated hay crops, consisting almost entirely of timothy and 



