INDUSTRY OF COUNTIES. 
429 
LA FAYETTE COUNTY. 
BY HON. H. n, GRAY, DARLINGTON. 
The last decade embraces the most important period of agricultural pros¬ 
perity in this county. Notwithstanding it is the first settled part of the 
state, twenty years embrace the existence of all its industries, except min¬ 
ing. In 1827 the present county limits contained one-third of the popula¬ 
tion of the state. Farms were opened only in a few places near old military 
stations, or smelting furnaces, or by miners making mining the principal oc¬ 
cupation. The Rock River valley as late as 1847, furnished a large share of 
the meat and bread consumed in this county. 
When the agriculturist began in earnest, husbandry was more diversified 
than in any other part of the state, owing to the demand of a large non¬ 
producing class requiring variety at the start. In 18G0 it was estimated 
that there were 8,500 persofis dependent on the lead mines for support. 
Starting later in agricultural development than the other counties in the 
southern portion of state, it now ranks with any of them in its improvements 
and the wealth of its inhabitants; it compares favorably with any county 
in the state in school and county buildings—having erected a poor-house 
for the accomodation of the indigent and insane at a cost of $30,000. Roads 
are much looked after, while the public bridges exceed most counties in the 
state for architecture, beauty and durability. 
Excellent water-power abounds in most parts of the county, with a suf¬ 
ficient number of flour mills thereon to meet the wants of the people. 
Wood for fuel is increasing faster than the consumption, the price of which 
• has fallen 30 per cent., in ten years. 
The agriculturists of the county were impelled by a desire to speedily 
realize the largest amount of money, to pay for the farm and subsequent 
necessary improvements, thereby keeping themselves on the lookout for 
changes in the market, to the neglect of the laws of nature; the conse¬ 
quence has been weeds and short crops; but being still young in farming, 
and new in soil, they are now regarding the future as well as the present. 
Our farmers have given themselves up almost entirely to wheat-raising; 
more care is being given to variety sown, and to the preparation of the soil; 
but the yield is decreasing every year; less upon new ground as well as old. 
Exhaustion of some chemical agent cannot be assigned as the reason for 
short crops, it is in the climate or deterioration of the grain seed; the stalk 
is not so vigorous, the heads less numerous, the kernel smaller and the 
bushel lighter than was the case fifteen years ago. Wheat from Pembina, 
St. Paul, New York and southern Illinois has been experimented with. 
There was a marked excess of the southern Illinois over any other for the 
first year; the second year (1870) did not give a true test owing to dry 
weather. This is contrary to the prevailing opinion of most fanners. Not- 
