32 BULLETIN 320, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



The county generally appears very prosperous. Most of the lead- 

 ing roads have been improved, good schools are maintained, and 

 exceptionally good farmhouses and barns are found. Almost uni- 

 versally the farmhouses are painted white and the barns red. 



Almost half the farms are operated by tenants, and usually a 

 cash rent is paid. The average-sized farm is 148.8 acres, with 109.7 

 acres cultivated, not including the pasture lands. No definite rota- 

 tions are practiced. The principal crops grown are corn, oats, and 

 hay, with some little wheat. A general rotation of corn two years, 

 oats one year, and hay and pasture two years is practiced to some 

 extent. Not enough fruit is produced to supply home demands. 

 Sweet corn is grown by most farmers living near Toledo, to supply 

 the canning factory located there. Bluegrass does well in this sec- 

 tion and pastures are maintained on most farms. Most of the grain 

 grown in this section is fed on the farms to beef cattle and hogs. 

 Some colts are raised and a few farmers keep sheep. The principal 

 source of farm income is from the sale of live stock. 



In preparing land for corn heavy teams are generally used. Most 

 of the breaking is done in the spring with a 3-horse sulky plow. 

 Wliere corn follows sod often a part of the land is broken in the 

 fall. After plowing, the land is usually harrowed with a disk 

 harrow and then just before planting harrowed twice with a spike- 

 tooth harrow. Corn is planted level and a 2-horse 2-row planter 

 is used. The rows are generally 3^ feet apart each way and the 

 hills alternate with two and three grains. The cultivation methods 

 after planting are exceptionally uniform. The corn is harrowed 

 with a spike-tooth harrow before and just after coming up. Then 

 three or four cultivations are given with a 2-horse 6-shovel riding 

 cultivator. Practically no cover crops are grown, and no fertilizer 

 is used other than stable and barnyard manure. Both the yellow 

 and white varieties of dent corn are grown. 



The most prevalent weeds in this section are foxtail, bindweed, 

 pigweed, ragweed, smartweed, and cocklebur. 



SURVEYS IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICH. 



TThere the tillage records for Michigan were taken in southern 

 Kalamazoo County, principally around Schoolcraft, the country is 

 level and is known as the prairie section. 



This region is prosperous and on most farms are found excep- 

 tionally good farmhouses and good outbuildings. Most of the prin- 

 cipal roads have been graveled or macadamized. Since the land is 

 practically level the farmers are enabled to have uniform-sized 

 fields and to use improved machinery to advantage. (Table XV.) 

 The soil consists of a dark brown to black loam from 12 to 16 



