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, zich 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 or 
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 incorn. 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 
