12 



FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. 



In addition to the area in potatoes and a small acreage in sweet 

 potatoes, the census of 1910 reports a total of 558 -acres in vegetables. 

 A total of 42,848 apple trees, 19,382 peach trees, and 15,493 grape- 

 vines is reported, with a small acreage in berries, chiefly strawberries. 

 There are several thrifty pear orchards in the county. A number of 

 special crops are grown in a small way. 



The following table indicates the status of the live-stock industry 

 as reported in 1910: 



Domestic animals, Porter County, 1910 census. 



Animals sold or slaughtered: 



Calves, sold or slaughtered 



other cattle, sold or slaughtered 



Horses and mules, sold 



Swine, sold or slaughtered 



Sheep and goats, sold or slaughtered 



7,201 

 4,254 

 799 

 17, 886 

 2,346 



Number on farms and ranches 



Milch cows 



All other cattle 



Horses 



Hogs 



Sheep 



11,981 

 9,960 

 8,214 



17,216 

 7,781 



The production of cereals combined with dairying and stock raising 

 is the dominant type of agriculture in Porter County. Corn is the 

 most important crop. It is grown as a cash crop on many farms, 

 especially in the southeastern part of the county, and furnishes the 

 bulk of both rough and grain feed on many stock and dairy farms. 

 Timothy hay is fed to work horses and to some extent to cattle on 

 the farms. Some hay is sold and finds a ready market both in local 

 towns and in Chicago. Oats constitute an important.horse feed, and 

 a part of the crop is sold. The straw is largely consumed by stock 

 or used for bedding. Wheat is almost strictly a cash crop. No 

 other crops compare in importance with com, hay, oats, and wheat. 



The Indiana Bureau of Statistics in 1913 reports that among the 

 counties of the State, Porter County ranks third in acreage and yield 

 of timothy, sixth in acreage of marsh hay, ninth in acreage of pota- 

 toes, and eighth in acreage of buckwheat. 



Dairying developed in this section under the stimulus of the 

 Chicago market, so that the counties of Porter and Lake hold almost 

 equal rank as leaders in this industry among Indiana counties. 

 Although Porter was sixth in the number of cows milked, it was 

 third in gallons of milk produced in 1913. The dairying consists 

 almost entirely of the production of whole milk for the retail trade. 

 While over 4,600,000 gallons of milk were produced in 1913, only 

 21,671 gallons of cream were sold, and 227,821 pounds of butter 

 made. The 1914 figures showed a decided increase in the produc- 

 tion of cream and butter. Porter and Lake Counties lead the State 

 in the number of silos. Porter County now has an average of ono 

 to every 2.7 farms, and is building silos at the rate of about 100 

 per year. 



