OTHER FACTORS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS 283 



part of the corn is fed to hogs. Colts, beef, butter, and 

 eggs are minor products. 



Most of the settlement of this county took place be- 

 tween 1870 and 1885. Many of the settlers were not 

 soldiers and so were entitled to only 80-acre homesteads. 

 In 1880, there were 886 farms of from 50-99 acres. Practi- 

 cally all of these were 80 acres. 



TABLE 56. CHANGES IN SIZE OP FARMS, CLAY COUNTY, 

 NEBRASKA 



The county was not fully settled before grain binders 

 and mowers came into general use. About 1895, the prac- 

 tice of driving four or five horses on gang plows and wide 

 harrows started. In a few years the plowing, harrow- 

 ing, discing, drilling, harvesting, and some other opera- 

 tions began to be done with four- or five-horse teams. 



The 80-acre farm does not furnish full employment 

 for one man who drives 4 horses. In thirty years, the 

 number of farms of 50-99 acres has decreased from 886 to 

 186. This size of farm has been practically eliminated. 



