4 BULLETIN 41, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



was shipped out of the counties, there being no local market of any 

 consequence. 



This area is one of the oldest settled regions in the central part of 

 the State. The land was originally covered with heavy hardwood 

 timber, except for a few strips locally known as prairie soil. The 

 land is level to slightly rolling, being cut up in some places by 

 sluggish streams. The soil is a dark, rich loam and under good 

 management is very productive. After the land was cleared large 

 areas were too wet to cultivate well, but extensive systems of tile 

 drainage have overcome this difficulty. Many farms have miles of 

 tile drains running through them. 



General farming is followed in almost all cases. In a few sections 

 canning factories have developed, " and this encourages some truck 

 growing. This type is usually confined to small farms near towns cr 

 cities. The average size of the 277 farms studied was 112.8 acres. 

 Of this area 86 per cent was tillable, 9.2 per cent was in woods, and 

 4.5 per cent in waste land. Roads, streams, swamps, etc., are included 

 in the waste area. 



The important crops are corn, oats, wheat, hay, and clover seed. 

 Of the rented farms 38 per cent of the tillable area and 36 per cent of 

 that on the farms managed by the owners were in corn. Oats occupied 

 19 per cent, wheat 11 per cent, first and second year clover and tim- 

 othy mixed, each 8 per cent, and pasture, not permanent, 13 per cent. 



The prevailing rotation was corn two or three years, oats, wheat, 

 clover and timothy mixed, and pasture. Few men follow a definite 

 rotation on their entire farm, certain fields often being kept in corn 

 for several years. Generally the corn and hay were fed, oats, wheat, 

 and clover seed being the crops sold. 



On the farms studied practically no beef cattle were raised and 

 only a few were purchased and fed. Hogs were the most important 

 of the productive live stock. 



Farm buildings, as a rule, were well built and neatly kept. The 

 fences were unusually good, the farmers seeming to take a pride in 

 this method of farm improvement. 



Practically all the roads in this region were graveled, there being 

 only a few of the original dirt roads, which are almost impassable in 

 the early spring. The building of the graveled roads has been a 

 heavy expense to these farming districts and has been one of the 

 causes of high taxes. The region as a whole is more prosperous and 

 enterprising than some other sections of the State. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLINOIS AREA. 



In Illinois the district selected comprised an area of approxi- 

 mately 110 square miles in the southern part of Cass and Menard 



