446 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
provement Company, at a very early day. These lands have never been in 
the market to this day. The railroad companies have another quite large 
r eservation, and have failed as yet to build the roads as a recompense to set¬ 
tlers upon alternate sections. 
Our chief business is wheat raising; the soil and climate are peculiarly 
adapted to the cultivation of this crop. The needs of the early settler re¬ 
quire quick returns for his labor, and the production of wheat in this sec¬ 
tion has been almost certain to answer this required demand. 
The average yield per acre has undoubtedly exceeded fifteen bushels for 
the past ten years. My impression is that the future average will not be 
lessened, as our farmers are improving their manner of cultivation by ma¬ 
nuring, planting, and seeding to grass. 
The stock of the county is improving and increasing. All intelligent 
farmers begin to see the great benefit derived from manuring and planting 
the more worn fields, after which to seed to grass. To make manures they 
must increase their stock, and to make the keeping of stock profitable in 
itself, the improved breeds must be had. 
As compared with the country south of the center line of Illinois, this 
may not be considered a first class corn country. When compared with the 
country north of that line we do not fear to challenge comparison. In the 
timber sections the flint varieties are grown. In the open country the dent 
varieties are chiefly cultivated. A failure of a crop of corn is no more likely 
to occur here than far south; the yield per acre may average less. Oats 
and barley are more or less raised by every farmer, as the following census 
statistics show: 
Wheat raised in the county in 1869. 325,978 
Bye. 
...do. 
. 2,560 
Corn. 
.do. 
. 81,638 
Oats. 
. 175,198 
Bariev... 
. 25,231 
Winter wheat is chiefly grown in the timber sections, and the varieties of 
spring grain on the open lands. 
The soil being dry and porous, it was the conclusion of all early settlers 
that this could not be a good grass country; but very few made any effort 
to prove or disprove this impression. When the county became more set¬ 
tled, necessity led the farmer to a better and more systematic manner of 
farming. Little patches of grass were sown upon manured soil, after a crop 
of corn; a luxuriant heavy yield astonished the natives. Clover was not 
tried to any extent until within the past five or six years; year by year is has 
gained in the confidence of the farmer, and all now agree that this is as good 
a clover country as can be found. A large amount of seed has been exported 
from the county within the past two years. 
Fruits .—A few early settlers made the attempt to cultivate the apple with 
indifferent success. More recently with a better knowledge of the climate 
many have succeeded with the hardy varieties, and now have small orchards 
