12. 
Lo productive and attractive farms, which adorn its valleys 
and hillsides. 
The eariy settlers who came to this county 
brought their claims rrom the agents ot the particular 
company in whose domain they Wished to settle. They built 
rude log huts, chinking the spaces to kee, out the cold. 
At first they gained their Living chiefly oy hunting and 
fishing. But soon these primitive industries gave way 
to the operation of plowing; saw mills ana grist mills were 
built, and frame houses were built in lace of the poor log 
Shanties. AS rast as the land was cleared of its tinber 
it was put under cultivation. The principal crop was wheat. 
Before i850 the production of wheat was close to 
1,500, C00 bushels annually. Aoout 1854 the wheat midge 
began to cause great damage, and in 1860 the production 
of wheat had decreased very markefly, about 200,000 bushels 
being produced annually. Other croys, oats and corn particularly 
bepan to be produced in increasing amounts. Beans and 
potatoes also began to become important and to-day Livingston 
county ,roduces very large crops of beans, Wheat has by 
no means passed out, for the last census reports a production 
of 750,000 bushels. Hay and forage crops are increasing 
in importance. Animals are becoming more numerous, 
especially dairy cows. Cheese factories and creameries 
are increasing very rapidly. There is also a small but 
