454 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
relief to ns from tlie present onerous and extravagant railroad tariff winch 
so reduces the profits of our several branches of industry. 
The public improvements of this county, in roads and bridges, are rather 
limited, having but a few miles of the Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad run¬ 
ning through the southwestern part, along the Wisconsin river. Efforts 
are being made to secure the construction of other lines of road, which we 
hope will be attended with success. 
Our public improvements, state and county roads, etc., are proportioned 
to the general development of the country. Our county buildings are 
mostly convenient, and adequate to the present wants for official and judi¬ 
cial purposes. The educational interests of the county are regarded as in 
a successful and prosperous condition. We have many good and conveni¬ 
ent school edifices in the several villages; and the country districts are 
generally well supplied with comfortable school houses. 
The principal farm products exported from this county are wheat, pork, 
beef, butter, wool and poultry, which have largely increased within the last 
five years. This county being so well adapted to stock growing, the atten¬ 
tion of the farming community is becoming largely directed to that kind of 
husbandry, as there is found to be less risk from unfavorable seasons or 
variations of markets, and it will eventually be the leading occupation of 
the farmer in this section. The wool growing interest has not yet re¬ 
ceived that attention which its magnitude evidently warrants, owing partly 
to the exposure of sheep to wild animals, and partly to the want of experi¬ 
ence in the business, but it is evident that in a few years this county will 
be largely engaged in this safe and profitable business. 
Fruit culture has attracted considerable attention for several years, and 
the success justifies the hope that with experience, and proper care in the 
selection of those varieties adapted to our soil and climate, that fruit can 
be grown here to supply our home necessities. There is a horticultural so¬ 
ciety in this county of about three years standing. To Mr. A. L. Hatch, 
the secretary, I am indebted for the substance of the following remarks 
upon this subject: 
The diversified surface of the country gives nearly all desirable features 
of slope and soil; the hills with timber, furnish protection from winds, so 
that good orchard sites may be found on a large share of the farms. In the 
south east part of the county there is a stretch of sand prairie, and a small¬ 
er one in the southwest part, bordering on the Wisconsin river, that present 
no very inviting features to fruit-growers, except for the production of 
strawberries and melons, which produce largely on such soils. Within the 
limits of Richland are some of the finest ridge lands in the state, elevated 
from 200 to 250 feet above the valleys, mostly heavily timbered. Native 
plums and blackberries abound in great variety. Raspberries, especially 
are plenty; cherries and crab apples are natural to the valleys, and are 
found in abundance. 
