14 I'lHLD OPKRATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1919. 



At ])ri.'sc'iit tlir pit'vuiliii^i' ty|»i' of a^riciiliui-t' consists ol" ^i-.iin 

 growing iiiul llu' liiisin^ aiul IccMliiio- of hoos. ciitlk', luul other live 

 stock. Corn, outs, luiy, barley, wheat, (lax, rye, and allalla are the 

 chief crops, named in order of their importance. A considerable 

 (juantity of oats and shelled corn has been sold direct, especially in 

 the last few years, because of the hi<i;h cash grain market. How- 

 ever, the bulk of the crop is fed to cattle and hogs, and a small 

 part to work stock. The grain that is sold is practically all shipped 

 through privately owned or cooperative grain elevators, which are 

 located in every part of the county. 



The live-stock industry in Wright County consists mainly of 

 the raising and feeding of cattle and hogs. A few sheep are raised, 

 and some western feeders are shipped in to be finished for market. 



The raising of hogs is the most important branch of the live-stock 

 industry. On January 1, 1920, there were 79,427* hogs on farms. 

 Purebred stock is mostly of Poland-China, Duroc-Jersey, and Ches- 

 ter White breeds, but mixtui'es of these breeds predominate. Pure- 

 bred sires are commonly used, but there are only a few purebred 

 herds in the county. Most of the i)igs are farrowed in the months 

 of March and April and are marketed at a weight of a))out 250 

 pounds. Corn and tankage are used for finishing. Some shorts, 

 ground oats, and l)arley are fed. Several carloads of stock hogs 

 are shipped in annually from Omaha and Sioux City for fattening. 

 Most of the hogs are marketed in Chicago and St. Paul, a few going 

 to Omaha. The larger feeders shij) carload lots direct to the market, 

 but most of the hogs are handled by local buyers and shipping asso- 

 ciations at Clarion and Goldfield. 



The Ijeef-cattle industry is second in importance to hog raising. 

 About 90 per cent of the cattle raised for beef are grade Shorthorns. 

 Quite a number of grade Angus are fed. The total number of beef 

 cattle in Wright County January 1, 1920, was 27,593. Many west- 

 ern feeders are shipped in during the latter part of September and 

 the first pai't of October and marketed in December and January. 

 Most of these are handled around P'agle (rrove, Dows, and Clarion. 

 They are kept on pasture until the middle or last of November, 

 then finished on corn, molasses feed, and cottonseed meal. Rough- 

 age is mostly silage, timothy hay, and clover hay. Some straw and 

 fodder and shredded fodder are' fed. A number of purebred herds 

 are scattered over the county. Polled and Horned Herefords pre- 

 dominate, Aberdeen-Angus being second, and Shorthorn third. A 

 considerable number of purebred animals for breeding puri:>oses are 

 shipped out of the county every year. Purebred sires are now owned 

 on nearly every farm where beef cattle are raised. 



Small flocks of sheep are found in different parts of the county, 

 mainly in the east-central and western part, on the roughest farms. 



1 



