• SOIL SURVEY OF PORTER COUNTY, INDIANA. 45 



The glacial Lake Chicago Plain in the northern part of the county, 

 the Valparaiso morainic system across the center, and the Kankakee 

 Basin in the southern and southeastern section are the main physio- 

 graphic divisions. The topography of the northern and southern 

 parts of the county is generally level to gently sloping, except for 

 the narrow belt of sand dunes along the Lake Michigan beach. The 

 moraine belt includes considerable rough land, especially along its 

 northern slope, but the top and the southern part are generally well 

 suited to farming. 



Elevations range from 585 feet at Lake Michigan to 667 feet at 

 Dunnes Bridge and 888 feet at the highest point of the moraine. 

 The surface drainage is well established over most of the morainic 

 area. The Kankakee Basin was naturally poorly drained, but has 

 been reclaimed by dredged ditches. 



Porter County was first settled about 1822. The population is 

 reported m the 1910 census as 20,540, 66 per cent of which is classed 

 as rural. The population of Valparaiso, the county seat and principal 

 town, is given as 6,987. 



The county was first reached by railroads about 1850, and it is 

 now well supplied with transportation faciUties, both steam and 

 electric. The county has a large mileage of improved roads. 



Local towns, chiefly Valparaiso, constitute good markets for farm 

 products. Chicago is the chief outside market. 



The climate is temperate, but extreme seasonal and monthly 

 variations in temperature and rainfall occur. The mean annual 

 temperature is about 49° F. and the mean annual precipitation about 

 31 inches. The growing season averages about 173 days, and usually 

 is sufficiently long to mature all the staple crops. 



At present cereals constitute the most important agricultural 

 products. Animal products and hay and forage crops rank next. 

 Corn occupies the largest acreage, and hay, oats, and wheat are im- 

 portant crops. Porter County ranks third among Indiana counties 

 in the production of milk. Most of this is shipped to Chicago as 

 whole milk, and little cream or butter is sold. A part of the grain 

 and rough feed is used for hog raising and the fattening of cattle. 



Most farms are well equipped and well managed. Crops are 

 rotated and barnyard manure is used extensively. Little commercial 

 fertilizer is applied. Farm labor is scarce and high priced, but is 

 efficient. 



The average size of the farms is given in the 1910 census as 125 

 acres. About 70 per cent of the farms are operated by the owners, 

 and practically all the remainder by tenants, mainly on the share 

 basis. The 1910 census reports a total of 1,915 farms, about 90 per 

 cent of the area of the county being farm land. Of the farm land 

 about 78 per cent, or an average of about 97 acres per farm, is reported 



