/ 
462 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
the amount cultivated than some of the older counties in the southern por¬ 
tion of the state. 
Our agriculture is in keeping with that which generally prevails in new 
countries. The first settlers have many difficulties to overcome, and are 
driven by their necessities to make the most they can out of the virgin soil 
which they till. All the processes are wasteful, and look no farther ahead 
than the coming harvest. The great laws of compensation are neglected, 
and in a few years the soil is impoverished to such an extent as to demand 
systematic labor, if farming continues to be profitable. 
We have just reached that point where farmers begin to see that exhaust¬ 
ive farming must give place to intelligent system, if they succeed iu mak¬ 
ing the profits of their lands cover the ever widening circle of their wants. 
Still our methods are crude; experiments are wanted to adapt farming to 
the peculiarities of our soil and climate. 
It is doubtful whether a crop of green clover has ever been turned under 
in our county; if it has, the instances are few and the results are not gen¬ 
erally known; neither is it probable that plaster has ever been ajjplied to 
the soil, or that lime has been tried, or ashes, only to get rid of them. Our 
farmers have escaped all imposition in the matter of guano, superphos¬ 
phates, etc., and are generally annoyed at the accumulation of barnyard 
manure. Still the day begins to dawn and many questions of interest to 
farmers begin to be discussed. 
Enterprise has been manifested in procuring improved breeds of stock. 
The common stock of hogs has been greatly improved and full-blood Suf- 
folks and Cliester-wliites are found in almost every neighborhood. Our 
county has been fortunate in being the location of a herd of full-blood 
Short Horns, and some improvement is manifest, but yet, the greater share 
of the benefit has passed beyond our borders. The American Merino 
sheep is common among us, and full-blood Cotswolds are also bred in the 
county. 
We can justly claim some pre-eminance for our county in fruit growing; 
our nurserymen have been behind none in intelligent experimenting, 
and we have a list of hardy fruits upon which we can rely with certain 
confidence. We have generally borne away the prizes from our state fairs 
and there is no doubt but that our hills and timbered lands are the best 
adapted to fruit of any portion of our state. The following is the .approved 
list of five hardy varieties of apples; Duchess of Oldenburg, Drap D’Or, 
Autumn Strawberry, Fameuse, English Golden Russet, and Talman Sweet. 
Our great abundance of good grass land, well watered surface would sug¬ 
gest an adaptation to the dairy business, and there is a growing interest in 
that direction. There are three cheese factories established, and the busi¬ 
ness is attracting its full share of public attention. 
We have a rich soil, an abundance of good water, a healthy climate, 
plenty of choice timber, inexhaustible beds of w iron ore, stone, lime, 
