History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 43

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County and Ohio > Part 43

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* Agricultural Report of 1876.

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fertilizing, and others have only been relieved by a rotation of grain crops. This practice has, in most cases, borne its legitimate result, and is awakening a decided interest among the most progressive farmers in this vital subject. Ro- tation of crops, on a more or less extended scale, is now being gradually introduced, corn being the first crop planted on sod ground, fol- lowed by a second crop of corn, or oats, or flax, and then wheat. With the latter crop the ma- nure is used, as it is thought it shows largest results in this erop, and leaves a better soil for the grass which follows. Deep plowing has never been popular with the mass of Crawford County farmers. Some experiments were made with the Michigan double plow, but its great draft. with the general lack of appreciation of the value of deep plowing, soon caused it to fall into disuse. The objection that the upper soil was buried so deep by the Michigan plow that several seasons were required to effect the proper mixture of the soils, was remedied by a later experiment. This consisted of two plows, be- tween which the team was divided. A shallow soil-plow turned over the surface, which was followed by a long steel-plow without a turning- board. This proved, in many places, a vast improvement upon the old plan, furnishing the requisite depth without burying the upper soil, and loosening the subsoil, thus furnishing a natural escape for the excessive moisture, which the character of the hard-pan too often resists, allowing it to escape only by evaporation. But the prejudice against subsoiling was too firmly rooted to allow the experiment to spread, and it is now considered impracticable, or even in- jurious to the land. Artificial drainage has been necessary from the first in many parts of the county. In a large portion of the eastern part of the county, at an early date, marshes ocenpied almost the whole country, and pioncer life was little more than a hopeless struggle against the miasma of the air and the miry con- dition of the earth. Speaking of the Maumee

Valley, in which this county is situated, Seere- tary Klippart says :

" Every acre, almost, of the entire Northwest requires thorough underdraining, because there is nowhere a porous or gravelly subsoil, but, on the contrary, I have everywhere found a stiff clay subsoil. Even in places where the soil was very sandy, the subsoil was an almost im- pervious clay. Without thorough underdrain- ing, the actual fertility of the soil cannot be developed."*

Surface draining, by county ditching, has been carried to a considerable extent, the State Report of 1876 placing the number of public ditches at forty, with an aggregate length of 195 miles. The longest of these ditches extends twenty-four miles, and four of them connecting with ditches of adjoining counties. Less atten- tion has been given to tile training. According to the report referred to, there were but two tile manufactories in the county at that time. There has been a marked increase of interest in this subject of late years, however, and many are learning the value of tile even in meadow lands. The demand has increased, so that the manu- factories of these goods are driven to supply the demand. The increased value which these efforts have added to the lands of the county. would be difficult to determine. Low lands that were an entire waste are being reclaimed, so that there are not more than 300 acres of what can be properly called waste land in over 252,000 acres in the whole county. The land thus underdrained produces the finest crops. and, it is claimed. can be cultivated much sooner after a rain, or from eight to ten days earlier in the spring.

The subject of grass lands has always been an important one in Crawford County, from the fact that a majority of the farmers are more or less interested in grazing stock, though forming a more prominent feature in the southern part of the county. In this part of the county,

* In Report of 1876.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

grain is raised principally for home consump- tion, and the system of husbandry, so far as any has prevailed, has been directed mainly to secure the best results for the grass crop. Timothy grass, with a mixture of clover, is mainly relied upon for the supply of hay, meadows being turned over about once in five years. Meadows are generally pastured and are turned out frequently as pasture lots, after serving in their prime as meadows. Of late. some attention is being paid to under-draining this class of grass lands, and some attention is paid to top-dressing with barnyard manures. Orchard and blue-grass, though introduced in a limited way, have not taken any strong hold upon the interests of the farmers. There is considerable hesitation manifested in experi- menting with blue-grass, as it is claimed by many-among them some scientific agricultur- ists-that the June grass, poa pratensis, is the same thing, modified by the difference of soil and climate. Millet and Hungarian grass sup- plied a want in the agricultural economy of twenty years ago, but are not now used at all. In the matter of clover lands. the prevailing policy is to grow it for the seed, which is a cash article, and finds a ready sale. For this pur- pose, the seed is very sparingly sown, in order to secure a large stalk, and a consequent large yield of seed. Three bushels is a very large yield and two bushels is considerably larger than the average yield. It is generally sowed in combination with timothy, for the purpose of producing a quality of hay highly esteemed for milch cows and sheep. It is largely used as pasturage, but the predominant purpose is for seed. The acreage turned under has been very small in past years, but this short-sighted policy is being remedied of late, and more value is being placed upon it as a means of renewing exhausted lands.

In the cultivation of the cereals. the dis- tinctive features of the husbandry of Crawford County are plainly marked. The aim of the

early settlers was, obviously, to derive from their lands, their only resource, a simple but sure subsistence, and, to this end. a system of mixed husbandry was a necessity. Their descendants, hedged about by the results of their fathers' experience, and aiming to sell their surplus product in such form as would take from the land the smallest amount of its fertility, have, from the nature of the case, fol- lowed in their footsteps. The Manmee Valley, while not rivaling the Miami or the Muskingum Valleys, as a wheat country, is, nevertheless. well adapted to its cultivation. Of this divi- sion of the State, Crawford County's average for nine years, immediately subsequent to 1849, 14,781 acres, producing 187,980 bushels. was third in the list of counties. This showing would, doubtless, have been greatly changed, had not so large a proportion of her territory been devoted to stock-raising. In 1876. though the acreage had increased to 23,281 acres, with a product of 232,075 bushels, it had been out- stripped by Sandusky County, which had in- creased from an acreage of some 12,000 to over 30.000 acres in 1876, and stood fourth in the list. In the report of 1879, Crawford County still retained its position of 1876, with a breadthi sown of 29,880 acres. and a product of 617,786 bushels. In the early culture of wheat, a great many discouragements were met. The first settlers found the blackbirds an almost insuperable obstacle, and, when rid of this pest, found it of so rank a growth as to be unfit for use, which gained it the name of "sick wheat." Later. the weevil destroyed it year after year, and, when no particular excep- tion could be taken to the season, the crop seemed to fail because it was in an uncongenial climate. During the period succeeding 1849. the yield, it will be observed. was less than thirteen bushels. In 1876. the yield was still lower, being less than ten bushels to the acre, but for the last four years. the product per acre has rapidly increased. as it was. in 1878, over

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

twenty bushels per acre. During later years, and especially during the past four prosperous years, there has been a marked improvement in the results of wheat culture. The grain seems to have become acclimated ; and farmers, gain- ing more confidence in its stability, have sown during the present season-fall of 1880-a larger breadth than any year previous. The favorite seed in early years, was the old blue- stem. This, however, was late in maturing, and proved objectionable on that account. This was supplanted by the Mediterranean, which matured some ten days earlier, and is still cul- tivated to a considerable extent. Under con- tinued cultivation, it has lost much of its "rye appearance," to which many had objections. The Fultz wheat was introduced by Dr. George Keller. by seed from the Agricultural Depart- ment at Washington, about 1872. This is get- ting to be a favorite with the farmers, and larger quantities are being sowed. Experi- ments have been made with the Genesee, white Mediterranean and Amber. No particular sys- tem has been adopted in the cultivation of this grain. At an early date, the practice of plow- ing "bare fallows" during the summer, and then re-plowing the same, before sowing in wheat, was occasionally practiced, but it is now resorted to in scarcely a single instance. The object seems to be to put no work into the cultivation of the grain, that can be possibly avoided, and get passable results. There seems to exist, also, a feeling among a large class of the farmers, that improved methods are an in- jury to the soil, and that the old way is the only safe way. Corn ground is sometimes used for growing wheat, but generally it is sown on oat or flax stubble lands. After plowing. manure is spread upon the surface ; and, when the seed is sown broad-cast, the wheat and manure are harrowed in together. When the drill is em- ployed, as in a majority of cases, the manure is well harrowed in in the first place. The practice of sowing wheat upon the same ground

for several successive years, does not obtain to any great extent, save where occasionally the soil seems well-nigh exhausted. The breadth of land sown is quite uniform, with a gradual increase from an average of 14,000 acres up to 1858, to 23,000 in 1876, and some 30,000 acres in the present year. The difficulty experienced in commanding anything like a complete file of the State Reports, renders anything like a com- parative statement impossible, and we shall be obliged in this chapter to forego any attempt at tabulated statement. The grain is threshed in the barn or barnyard, the straw being piled, with little effort at stacking, in the yard adjoin- ing. Horse machines were introduced about 1840, which, with the various improvements, held the ground until late years, since when, the steam thresher has been the favorite. Trac- tion engines are used considerably, as the level character of the land is quite suitable to this mode of locomotion.

Rye and barley are but little cultivated. The former is cultivated almost exclusively for the straw, which finds a ready sale in limited quantities for binding stalks, and, when chopped up, as packing for eggs. The average yield of the grain is about fifteen bushels per acre. Barley is occasionally raised to some extent, and, where the soil is fitted for it, proves a valuable crop. Its cultivation. however, has received very little local encouragement. Though there are several brewing establisli- ments in the county, there is very little local demand, as they use corn principally in their manufactures. The crop for 1878 was 4,658 bushels from 232 acres-an average of a trifle over twenty bushels per acre. This is a considerable falling-off from the earlier years.

In the early history of the county, buck- wheat was sown considerably, as a substitute for wheat, but, as the culture of the latter grain prospered, the former has become less promi- nent, and the acreage has shrunk from an aver-

Charles Hetich

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

age of 867 acres in 1850-58, to 169 acres in 1876, and 40 acres in 1878.

Oats are extensively grown, but find a home demand nearly equal to the supply. It is a reasonably sure crop, and, though occasionally affected by droughts, it.is relied upon with con- siderable confidence. Rust has at times proved a serious drawback in the early years, but it has not been a subject of serious complaint in later years. The breadth sown is quite uniform, and does not vary materially, save to gradually increase in extent. The crop in 1878, was 617,- 968 bushels from 17,283 acres, which was an average crop for the past five years.

The corn crop, while not grown to the exclu- sion of the others, is one upon which the farm- ers most confidently rely, and the land devoted to its culture, especially in the southern part of the county, is only limited by the necessities of the situation. It is far more stable in its yield, less liable to disease, and may be slighted in its cultivation with greater impunity, than any other crop. The soft varieties of seed are gen- erally preferred, and are usually planted on sod ground, though a second crop off the same field is not an uncommon occurrence. It is usually well put in, the ground being prepared with considerable care, and worked until it “ tassels out." The old rule of "going through" the field a certain number of times before "laying by " the crop, has long since been abandoned by the better farmers. The last plowing, after the corn has reached the height of five or six feet, is considered the most effective in its cul- tivation, but the exigencies of the season often prevent the farmer's bestowing this crowning attention. The majority of the farms in the northern part of the county being small and worked principally by the owners alone, the wheat and clover cutting coming close together, frequently obliges the small farmer to slight his corn. When, however, the farmer is able to hire help, or has boys who can be trusted to do the work, the plow is kept going through the

corn, an expense that is amply repaid by the increased yield. The manner of harvesting the crop differs materially in the different sections of the county. Among the small farmers of the north part of the county, the crop is usu- ally cut and husked in the field, and the stalks either stacked or hauled to the barn for use during the winter. In the other section of the county, when large farms are the rule, and feed- ing stock the leading occupation, the crop is frequently not cut or husked at all. The gen- eral practice is to husk enough to supply horses with feed, and the rest left standing for the cat- tle and hogs that are turned in to feed indis- criminately. Husking from the standing stalk is practiced occasionally, but it is generally considered wasteful of time and material. The Maumee Valley for years was greatly retarded in its development on account of the lack of natural drainage, which converted a vast terri- tory into what is generally known as the Black Swamp, ard by the Indian reservation, which held large tracts of land out of the market. Since 1850, however, there has been a rapid ad- vance in the cultivation of cereals, and this di- vision is rapidly gaining upon the Scioto and Miami Valleys, which have so long constituted the corn-fields of Ohio. Among the eighteen counties that make up this division-the north- west part of the State-Crawford stands third in her corn product, with an average yield of 615,370 bushels from 18,943 acres in 1850-58. 1,159,259 bushels from 29.777 acres in 1876. and 1,531,111 bushels from 32,048 acres in 1878. But a comparatively small proportion of this is exported, the greater part of the product be- ing consumed by stock fed in all parts of the county. Some of the largest results shown by farmers in raising this crop were by Linus Ross, in 1852, one acre, with a yield of 126 bushels ; by E. Barritt, in 1853, three acres, with an av- erage yield of 129.2 bushels per acre ; by S. S. Caldwell, in the same year, three acres, with an average of 124.25 per acre, and in 1859, by Jo-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

seph Kerr, from one acre, 128 bushels, Abel Dewalt, from one acre, 117.29 bushels, and Abram Eckart, from one acre, 117 bushels.

The other crops that occupy or have occupied a more or less prominent place among the agri- cultural products of the county, are potatoes, flax or sorghum. The quality of this soil is well adapted to the raising of potatoes, and farmers who have given considerable attention to the proper cultivation of this highly prized and indispensable esculent, have always been well rewarded for their labor and painstaking. It is a staple vegetable, universally used, always commands a fair price, and its general cultiva- tion for exportation would undoubtedly prove highly remunerative. The fact, however, seems to have been overlooked or the obstacles greatly exaggerated, and no more are produced than are needed for the home supply. The leading varieties are the Early Rose, Early Ohio, with the Peerless and Peachblow cultivated in con- siderable quantities as a winter potato. The Triumph is highly prized and cultivated by some, while the Prairie Seedling and White Peachblow are being cultivated as experiments. The Neshannock, Early Climax, Brownell's Beauty, Beauty of Hebron, Dunsmore Seedlings, are among those that have strong friends among the farmers. The average yield of this crop is good, and is not often seriously affected by disease or insects.

Flax, although grown in this county to some extent every ycar, is subject to violent fluctua- tions in the acreage devoted to its culture. It is now raised exclusively for the seed, which has become an important article of commerce, large amounts being purchased annually by the warehousemen at the villages of the county. It is an exacting crop, and the fiber is only in- cidentally valuable, owing to the unsalable con- dition in which it has to be sold ; an amount of discouragement which is only overbalanced by the fact that the seed frequently commands a high price, and is always a cash article. It is

not relied upon to any great extent, however, as a source of revenue. Some years ago, a flax- mill at Galion, made a market for the fiber, but the usual fate of these institutions overtook it ; it was burned down, and the promise of busi- ness did not warrant its rebuilding.

The history of the cultivation of sorghum cane in Crawford County, is similar to that of most other parts of the State. The first intro- duction of this cane in the United States, was by D. J. Brown, of the United States Patent Office. He procured the seed in France, and left it at the Patent Office in November, 1854, whence it was distributed through the States of Georgia and South Carolina. Here it was thoroughly experimented with, and a good sirup manufac- tured and exhibited at the fair of the United States Agricultural Society in 1857. Experi- ments were early made in Crawford, by William Cox, of Sandusky Township, but it did not take any strong hold in the county until 1862. In the early part of this year, the papers of the county took up the subject and urged upon the farmers the necessity of cultivating sorghum to supply the deficiency of shipments from the South. This advice was quite generally heeded, and the first introduction of the seed was re- ccived by the farmers with great enthusiasm. The first seed, perhaps, was brought in about 1857, and small bags containing about half a pint, sold readily for a dollar each. The exper- imenters, however, were not over-sanguine, and, though the aggregate acreage reached a consid- erable extent, the largest amount under culti- vation on a single farm, was not more than two acres. The requisites for the successful culti- vation of this crop, as given by the most eminent authority upon the subject, R. G. Peters, of Georgia, are "First, appropriate soil : a warm, dry soil, and, where it is practicable, sandy loams or those of a limy nature ; rich upland rolls are better than bottoms ; sandy loams with clay subsoil are good ; any soil good for winter wheat will do ; the rich, black

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

283

corn lands produce as large or larger stalks, but the juice is not so rich, nor the flavor of the sirup so good. Second, pure seed : Much of the cane of this country has become mixed with broom corn ; it will not pay to raise such ; the pure sorgo and one or two kinds of the im- phee will pay. One pound of good seed is enough for an acre. Third, proper culture : Plow deep, and let the ground be stirred afresh just before planting, that weeds may not get a start ; the largest yield may be had by drilling one way ; four feet one way by two the other, does very well ; most persons plant as they do corn ; cover not over half an inch with fine dirt ; don't plant until the ground is warm-from the 15th to the last of May, according to the season. Fourth, prepare the seed : Put the seed into a vessel, and pour boiling water on it ; after about a minute, turn it into a basket for the water to drain off, and cover it with a wet paper, and let it stand for about twenty-four hours in a warm place ; this will crack the hull, and cause it to start some seven or eight days sooner than if started dry, thereby causing it to get the start of the weeds and ripen earlier in the fall ; stir the ground from the time you can see the plant, until three feet high ; about six seeds in a hill is the correct quantity." The experience of the farmers here is summed up in an article by J. H. Cox, who took an active part in this project as follows : " Here comes a man with a load of cane, and the question is. how much cane did you plant ? ' Well, I planted about an eighth or a quarter of an acre (as the case may be), and after a long time it came up. I hadn't the ground in very good order ; and when it did come, I thought it was so small it wouldn't come to anything, so I just run through it a couple of times with the shovel plow, and let it go. I did not go to see it until after harvest, or until I went to eut up my corn, and I found it had done pretty well after all, considering the chance, so I cut it up, and brought it down to get it

worked.' Here is another : He has done a lit- tle like the first, only he sowed buckwheat on his cane patch, and harrowed it over, but the cane would grow, and he got five gallons of ex- cellent molasses. We have made over 150 gal- lons of sirup from the cane grown on half an aere. * * * We have in our possession a gallon of sirup that we will put up in competi- tion with anything that anybody has made, and it was made from green cane. *

* * My ex- perience is, that it will stand more cold than corn. * It will stand drought better than corn. for the reason that the roots grow deeper than corn. Wet weather will work out

its destruction."* The papers were full of discussion of this sort, but with a unanimous conclusion in its favor. Mills, both iron and wooden, though the former were considered preferable, were secured and put into operation, and hundreds of gallons of the sirup mannfact- ured. The first produced in most cases, owing to the lack of information on the subject, and the carelessness with which its manufacture was conducted. was sorry stuff. To the skeptical part of the community, this result strength- ened the prejudice formed against the under- taking and greatly discouraged many of the experimenters. Another cause which contrib- uted to this result, which is suggested in the foregoing quotations, was the exercise of a ruinous economy on the part of the majority of farmers. Instead of purchasing new seed, and sparing no pains to make a fair trial of this new erop. the majority of those who planted it borrowed seed of their neighbors and allowed the work of the farm to seriously interfere with the cultivation of the cane. The result was that the cane deteriorated in quantity and qual- ity, and the whole thing was voted a failure. A few, however, were not so easily discouraged, and kept up the experiment until a really fine molasses was obtained. Experiments involv- ing considerable expense were made to pro-

*Bucyrus Journal, March 28, 1862.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

duce sugar from this cane, but its manufacture was found to be so expensive that it had to be abandoned. A poor grade of sugar was made much cheaper, but it was of no commercial value, and but little interest is now manifested in the enterprise. Some four or five establish- ments do a limited business in this line, and, by careful and intelligent handling of the cane produce a first-class article, which has attained a considerable local reputation. In 1878, some seventy acres were planted, and sixty-one pounds of sugar and 5,878 gallons of sirup man- ufactured. Tobacco has been cultivated to a very limited extent, simply for the private use of the grower, and it may well be hoped that its culture may not be farther extended. It is an exacting crop upon the land, and sooner or later the exhaustive process will work the deterioration of any neighborhood or farming district where its culture is a prominent part of the farming operations.

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 43

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034