336 
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
earlier, and the frosts in the Fall, not as early by the same 
time. I account for this by the fact, that this region, being in 
the valley of the Mississippi, has a less altitude above tide 
water than that county. Other elements probably contribute 
to produce the result. The winters, however, are more steady 
than in a more southern latitude ; and' while we do not have 
more snow than Dane county, yet the ground seldom thaws 
enough to be muddy, until the Spring fairly opens. 
All kinds of vegetables that can be raised in any other part 
of Wisconsin, grow luxuriantly here. The more sandy portion 
of the soil has produced melons equal to any ever raised on 
Long Island, in size, quantity and quality. 
While winter wheat cannot be regarded as a certain crop in 
any part of the West, yet I have known it to fail but once in 
this region since its first settlement. Some fields, last year, 
averaged over forty bushels to the acre. Spring wheat aver¬ 
aged about thirty-fire bushels. I have frequently raised thirty 
bushels per acre of spring wheat, years previous. The corn 
crops have generally been very heavy. ' 
No extra effort has been made in raising stock, but the 
county has many good horses and cattle. I think this region 
is very favorably adapted to raising sheep. The entire county 
with its hills and valleys, is covered with a luxuriant and nutri¬ 
tious wild grass, on which all kinds of stock thrive well.— 
Sheep, like goats, are only at home when they can be climbing 
over hills and rocks. Mr. Geo; H. Smith of Galesville, the 
President of the County Agricultural Society, brought in three 
hundred of fhem last summer, to try xhe experiment, and I 
understand that they have met his highest expectations; 
But little has been done yet towards raising fruit, and the 
experience on apples has been quite unsatisfactory. This is 
probably, in part, owing to the fact that the grafted trees have 
been obtained from down the Mississippi, in a much more 
southern latitude. George Batchelder. Esq., of Trempealeau, 
has a few grafted bearing trees that are doing well. Currants 
and gooseberries are very successfully grown. 
Trempealeau County is yet quite new, the greater part of 
