History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 44

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 44

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The forests of Crawford County are well sup- piled with the sugar-maple, and the people have not been slow to utilize them in the way of making sugar. It was a practice at an early date to make the product of the maple into sugar, as in this shape it answered the needs of the household to better advantage, and this prac- tice continned down until more recent years, when cheaper cane sugar made maple sugar no longer a necessity. The product is now about equally divided between cake-sugar and sirup, the demand, however, considerably exceeding the supply.

A survey of this branch of Crawford County's agriculture would hardly be complete without some reference to the famous June frost of 1859, which operated so disastrously all over the State. It occurred on a Saturday night. On the preceding night it rained, and Satur- day morning opened warm and bright as usual ; but before evening it grew unaccountably chilly, and as night closed in the weather was decidedly cold. With this change of temperature

came a " killing frost " that left scarcely a ves- tige of the growing crops alive. Corn was about eight or ten inches high, and potatoes had reached the growth that made the effect of the frost most damaging. All grain was ruined, and the people suddenly found themselves brought face to face with the prospect of al- most starvation. On the following day, the churches in many places were almost deserted. The farmers wandered aimlessly about their stricken fields, while the villagers thronged the country ways, anxious to measure the extent of the disaster, which had involved town and farm alike. Fortunately, there were some late crops that had not come on far enough to be hopelessly crippled by the frost, and the less fortunate farmers set about repairing the mis- fortune so far as possible. The corn and pota- toes were replanted, buckwheat was sowed in place of wheat, and, thanks to an unusually long season, these crops were fairly matured. The wheat was a total loss. The straw, if it had been cut at once, and well cured would, at least, have proved a feed for cattle, but by standing a short time the sap which would have filled out the ear, exuded upon the stalk and rendered it finally unfit for fodder. There was a large proportion of soft corn in the fall hun- dreds of bushels of which molded and proved a complete loss. This blow was severely felt by the agricultural community, and, through them, scarcely less by the whole county in all branches of business.

Fruit culture may be safely said to be yet in its infancy in Crawford County. The first set- tlers, deprived for a time of its use, and realiz- ing the great demand in every family for this important article of food, early set about plant- ing orchards. But little care was exercised, in the majority of cases, in the selection of varie- ties, or in their care of orchards after once well set ; and, taking into consideration the value of good fruit as a substantial element of food, as a valuable agent in preserving and promoting

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

health, and as a luxury which all classes may enjoy, this subject has not received the atten- tion which its importance merits at the hands of the careful agriculturist. The orchard cult- ure of apples has only of comparatively late years begun to command the serious attention of farmers. The old orchards have been pro- lific producers, and in favorable seasons, large quantities marketed. Before the railroads made the markets accessible, large quantities of fruit were dried and hauled to market, and frequently large quantities were fed to stock. This abundance of fruit, and for many provided without their thought or effort, has made farm- ers careless of the subject, but many are now awakening to the fact that, unless something is done to renew these orchards, there will be an interregnum when there will be a scarcity of this fruit in the county. The result of this awakening is to be seen in many parts of the county in the numerous young orchards coming on, and the nurserymen, both at home and abroad, are finding this county a profitable field for their goods. Among the varieties now found here, are the Baldwins, Bellflower, Belmonts, Ben Davis, Fall Pippins, Fall Wines, Rambos, Rhode Island Greenings, Roxbury Russets, King of Tompkins County, etc. The latter variety is a favorite for a large apple, some of the fruit measuring fourteen and one-half inches in circumference, and at the same time retaining its fine flavor and smooth grain. The apple is the hardiest and most reliable of all the fruits of this region, and there are probably more acres in apple orchards than in all other fruits combined.

Peaches, by reason of the unfavorableness of the climate, are, of late years, exceedingly un- certain in Crawford County. In the early his- tory of the county, this kind of fruit did well, but the severe winter of 1856, and the succeed- ing year or two killed most of the trees then planted, and since then have never been a suc- cess. These trees are periodically renewed.

but late frosts in the spring usually cut off the crops, either in the blossom or when the young fruit is just formed, or there oceurs, every few winters, a season of such severity that the trees · themselves are seriously injured, or de- stroyed. Another enemy to the peach-tree here, which works fatal results when not pre- vented, is the borer. This is a small, white grub which gnaws into the bark just at or a little below the top of the ground. They pene- trate the bark and work between the inner bark and wood, and gnaw out as much of this as they wish for food, sometimes encircling the tree completely, and generally working a little downward as they progress, but taking gen- erally irregular courses. Their presence can be detected by examining at the root of the tree. If the borer is there, you can notice the gum of the tree in small or large quantities at this point. They are sometimes numerous, say twenty to fifty working at one tree. Some- times you may find but one. They are some- times as small in diameter as a common pin. and from three-eighths to a half-inch long, some- times a half-inch through and three-fourths of an inch long. The effect upon the peach-tree is to lessen its vitality, and, if the borer encir- cles it in its ravages, the peach-tree dies, and may die if not fully encircled, as the least in- jury of this portion of the tree tends to kill it."* Another enemy that is as old as the peach-tree itself is the plant lice or aphides. Their pres- ence is indicated by the curling of the leaves. This never kills the trees, however, though not contributing to their healthful development. This curling is observable most after sudden changes of temperature, and is explained by the fact that the aphides seek the under side of the leaves as a protection against the sudden changes of temperature, where they may be ob- served in the middle of a warm sunny day or in the early part of a chilly evening. The reme- dies suggested for the extermination of the * J. Soule, in Bueyins Journal, July 4, 1862.

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borer are to use the knife. cutting away the out- er bark from the channel made by the insect, and killing the insect. Another remedy, which is largely used and found efficacious, is to ap- ply boiling water. The amount to be applied to a tree varies with its size. For a tree a year old, a quart would be sufficient, while a pailful would do no harm to one of full size, as the earth would absorb the heat before it would penetrate the thick bark so as to injure. The best time to apply hot water is about the 1st of June, and, if then neglected, about the 1st of September. Dig a narrow basin around the tree, as deep and as high as the borers are working, fill it with boiling water, and a cure is effected. Ashes as a preventive, should, when the tree is young, be placed in contact with the bark in a narrow. deep circle, as a little will then answer the purpose.

The case of cherries of the finer varieties is very similar to that of peaches, as the trees are somewhat tender and the blossoms are liable to be destroyed by late frosts. Sweet cherries are little grown, on account of these drawbacks and the tendency of the fruit to rot at the time of ripening. The hardier kinds, such as the Early Richmond, the Morellos, and such as the Early May, are reliable and considerably grown for private use. Pears are planted in a small way, principally in gardens, no extensive pear orchards existing in the county. The first trees of this sort were seedlings, which, of late years, have been entirely supplanted by dwarfs or their outgrowth of half-standards. The tend- ency to " fire blight," which the pear-tree shows in the larger part of the State, has not been so marked in this county of late years, but confi- dence in the stability of this fruit has not been so far restored as to increase the planting of these trees. The yield is, however, less varia- ble than of apples. Failures are not apt to occur, it is said, from winter killing of the buds, but the trees are so injured by the cold as to die the following year of blight. An unusually

warm fall affects the fruit at times unfavorably, causing the late varieties to ripen too early, and to decay before they can be secured. Some of the leading varieties found here are the Bart- lett, Flemish Beauty, Vicar of Wakefield, Louise Boun de Jersey, Beurre d'Anjou, etc. Plums are scarcely grown at all, owing to the preva- lence of the curculio insect. Some little inter- est was taken in this class of fruit a few years ago and some planting done, but the outcome has been the same, and but little attention is paid to this kind of fruit in the county.

In the culture of orchard-fruits in Crawford County, the great demand is for more care and attention to the trees already planted. There is a growing interest in this subject, how- ever, which promises good results in the near future. New orchards are being planted, the best variety of fruit selected and more care taken of the growing trees. The most reliable apple orchards, however, have fallen into the unfortunate habit of bearing full crops every alternate year, with seant ones or failures be- tween. The effect of these alternations upon the grower are disastrous; the prices are de- pressed, and bushels of fruit are left on the ground to rot or to be fed to stock, the prices not warranting the cost of marketing the sur- plus product. This habit, it is thought by emi- nent horticulturists, may be remedied by patient care and study. Grape culture in the interior counties of the State, though securing some attention in a small way, has never been considered successful. This is particularly true in Crawford County. A few winters ago, the vines were badly injured, and a fatal rot destroys the fruit more or less every year, es- pecially where hot, damp, sultry weather occurs in July. Another discouragement to grape growing here is the nearness of Ottawa and Erie Counties, the great grape-producing counties of the State. Grapes are shipped from points on the lake and sold here at 2 cents per pound, which has the effect to discourage any

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

attempt at the cultivation of grapes on an ex- tended scale. In the matter of small fruits or berries, there is a far greater interest mani- fested. The important villages of Bucyrus, Galion and Crestline furnish a good market for all that can be supplied, and quite a number in the county devote their attention to furnishing berries, though not in quantities to supply the demand.

The persevering, patient care and investiga- tion which seemed to be wanting in the culti- vation of crops, does not appear to have been lacking in the raising of stock. It would seem that the early settlers had a predilection for fine stock, and stamped this characteristic upon the agriculture of the county. There has been a constant effort to improve breeds, until Craw- ford County now boasts of as good an average in stock as almost any other county in the State. In this department, the prevailing dis- position of the farming community is apparent, and no class of the domestic animals is de- veloped to the exclusion of the other, unless we make an exception in the case of the mule. The history of the early horses in Crawford is not definitely known, if it can be said to have a his- tory. It was some years before horses were needed or introduced to any extent. Oxen were better suited to the work of clearing, were easier kept, and not so liable to accident and disease, and these qualifications were all that were demanded of the early teams. In later years, as the demand for traveling purposes be- gan to be felt, horses began to supersede the ox, until now one would scarcely meet an ox team upon the road in a month's travel through the county. There was nothing to distinguish the original stock of horses. Each settler com- ing in brought such animals as chance or their pecuniary circumstances dictated, and were the ordinary stock of the localities from which they emigrated. Among the first efforts to improve this stock was the importation of " Old Blue Buck," by David Cummings. This horse was

raised in Knox County, and was a strongly made horse, admirably calculated for farm work. At that time, there was no great choice as to different strains, this being about the only horse offered for breeding purposes. This was the class of horse especially desired at that time, however, as no demand for speed had been de- veloped. About 1830, a small running horse called " Backus," was introduced by a Mr. Cone. It was an imported animal, and created quite a stir among the farmers, but the final outcome to his owner put something of a damper on this class of horses, though his descendants are yet to be found in the country. A match was made up between Cone and the owner of a Kentucky running horse for a race at Sandusky City. In the trial, " Backus " outstripped the Kentucky horse, when the owner of the latter grew abusive, and, without the slightest provocation, it is said, shot Cone dead on the ground. His last words to his son was to take the horse home and not to run horses any more. His murderer mounted his horse and escaped unmolested. The horse succeeding " Backus " was "Sir Dudley," an animal of admirable qualities, and one that made a lasting impression upon the early stock of horses. He was brought from the East about 1837, was of medium size, carried his head well up, and was a stylish roadster. His stock was remarkable for their great vitality, being es- pecially long-lived. In 1840, " Sheik " or " Sher- rock," an Arabian horse, was brought here by Abram Holmes. He was somewhat advanced in years when brought into the county, and had faded to a nearly pure white color. He was kept here until he was thirty-one years old, and was in active demand most of that time. His stock was iron or dappled gray, and ran from eleven and a half to twelve hundred in weight. They were especially admired as fine carriage horses, and commanded a good price from dealers for this purpose. This strain, it is said, made a marked and valuable addition to the stock of the county. "Gray Eagle," an

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

imported horse, brought here from Kentucky, again excited the interest of farmers in running horses. His pedigree took his line back to the imported " Messenger " stock, but he failed to create any great amount of enthusiasm. The " Messenger " stock was brought to the county very early, but little is remembered of them. About 1840, or very soon after, the Black Hawk Morgan strain was introduced, " Flying Cloud" being the favorite representative of this stock of horses. Three horses of this stock were brought from Rhode Island at the same time, the sires of " Long Mane " and " Joe Hooker" being the other two, but whose names have been forgotten. These horses were fast trotters for that time, and "Flying Cloud " was looked upon as a marvel when he could trot a mile in 2.40. His stock were excellent roadsters, and some have shown 2.30 and 2.20 speed. They were very much sought after, and his descend- ants are still prized by judges of good horses. " Bellfounder " was brought into the county from Columbus, by James Clements, in 1851. This was a medium-sized. dark brown, spirited horse, and was very favorably received by horse- men all over the county. He was in the county but four or five years, when he was bought by the original owners and returned to Columbus. His spirit lasted to the very end of his life, and, when thirty years old, within a month or two of his death, he was handled with great difficulty by his groom. The Norman breed of horses was introduced in the eastern part of the county several years ago. Henry Krim, interested with others, imported several of this breed direct from France. These horses are what is strictly classified as the Percheron, but are known in the books and by dealers as the Percheron- Norman. "Nonesuch," "Louis Napoleon," or " Old Bob," as he was variously known, was the first horse of the kind ever brought west of the Alleghany Mountains. He was bought by Charles Fullington, and brought to Union County in 1851, and some time after became

the property of Louis Lee, of Delaware, Ohio, by whom he was exhibited in this part of the State, exciting a considerable interest among stockmen in this class of horses. They orig- inate in La Perche and Normandy, in France, and are noted for their docility, excellent health, and a hardy, elastic temperament. They are possessed of great bone, muscle, ten- don and hoof, which gives them immense strength as draft horses. Their color is a fine silver gray, the best adapted to withstand the burning rays of the sun in the field or on the highway. The horse imported to this county, " Pulo," is now owned in Galion, and is in active demand by breeders in the county. These horses mature carly, command a good price, and are always in demand. Indeed, so much is this the case that one is scarcely seen in any of the farm teams of the county. They in- volve too much capital and command cash too readily to be used on the farm, and it may reasonably be doubted whether there is much preference for this class of horses for use on the farm here. The average horse of the county is estimated to stand fifteen and one- half hands high, weigh eleven and a half hun- dred weight, and bring $125 when in good order for shipping.

Mules have never been received with favor by the general mass of farmers. Their appear- ance is not prepossessing, and those conditions to which these animals are supposed to be best fitted have never existed in the county, and the mule, therefore, has never secured a foot- hold. This is a good field for buyers, and Crawford County contributes a considerable number of horses each year to the Eastern markets.

The introduction of cattle into the county was as early as the coming of the first settler. Cows were a necessary part of the pioneer's outfit, without which his chances for obtaining a reasonably comfortable existence were very poor indeed, and few families were without

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

them. But, once here, it required all the care and diligence of the settler to protect them against the ravages of wild beasts and disease. The wolves took off the yearlings and frequent- ly made successful attacks upon cows ; the murrain, a little later, took off scores of these animals, and journeys of a hundred miles were frequently undertaken to replace the animals thus lost. Then the marshes and the rank vegetation took their quota, so that, in spite of the employment of all the available children of the settlement as herders, and the dosing of cattle with soot, alum and soft soap, hundreds fell victims to the snares of a new country. Under such circumstances, the effort was nar- rowed down to a struggle to maintain rather than improve the breed. Among the early settlers of the county were many progressive farmers. and, as soon as the pressure of the first years in a new country was removed, they began to look about for means to improve the cattle of their new homes. The southern part of the county was then distinctively prairie land, and stock-raising soon became an impor- tant feature of agricultural activity in that part of the county. In 1834, the Ohio Importing Company made their first importation of the Short-Horn Durhams and exhibited them at the State Fair of that year. This set the whole farming community of this part of the State agog to improve their stock, and nothing but the Short-Horn Durham was to be thought of. The first of this breed was probably introduced in this county by :Robert Kerr, who bought some animals of Wilson, in Licking County, Ohio. John Monnett also bought, at an early date, several head of young thoroughbreds, of Michael Sullivan, of Pickaway County. John Ross, another breeder, brought some of this class of cattle from Kentucky. The interest, however. in thoroughbreds may be said to be on the wane. Though bred to a considerable extent by a number of farmers in Crawford, there is no longer the ready sale at high prices

that once characterized the business. Another feature which perhaps contributed to this re- sult was the fact that many of the large farm- ers in the southern part of the county began breeding the ordinary stock for beef purposes. Some of them kept as many as fifty cows sim- ply for breeding purposes, and annually sold off a large number of bullocks for market pur- poses. This feature of cattle-raising has en- tirely passed away during the past five years. Since the general decline in the price of beef, it has been found too expensive to keep a cow just for the value of a calf, and it has been demonstrated that cattle may be bought for feeding purposes much cheaper in the West than they can be raised here as a specialty. Several fine herds of Short-Horns are found in Crawford County, the largest of which is proba- bly the one owned by Mr. Carlisle. Others of more or less importance are owned by Jared A. G. Lederer, Horace Eaton, Dexter Bacon, J. A. Klink, Jackson Ross, R. B. McCammon and E. W. Cooper. The Devon breed was represented at the last county fair by animals owned by J. H. Keller. " This is a strikingly distinct breed in form and quality, medium in size, uniformly red in color, comely in appear- ance, and of decided excellence ; the ox for labor, as his agile form indicates ; the cow for milk, when cultivated for that object, and the uniform excellence of their flesh when properly fed and matured."* They can hardly be said to have much of a following in this county, though generally admired when exhibited. The Alderneys are exhibited by Judge Thomas Beer and George Donnerworth, Jr. "This breed, having a common origin with the Jer- seys and Guernseys, owe their present distinct- ive qualities in appearance to their manner of breeding, and the tastes and preferences of their long-time propagators. In size, they are smaller than our native cows, delicate in form, unique in shape, diversified in color, and blooded in appearance. The prime quality claimed for the

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

cow is the exceeding yellow color and rich qual- ity of her milk, cream and butter, in all which she stands without a rival, although her quan- tity of milk is moderate compared with the weight of butter which it yields. The Ayr- shires are also represented in the county, but are much less popular than the Alderneys. They are a native of Scotland, and in size are about equal to our common cattle. They are usually red or brown, more or less mixed with white ; are shaped more like the Short-Horn than any others, though lacking their fair con- tour and comeliness of appearance. They are claimed as a dairy or milking breed.

Sheep were introduced into the county as early as 1819, but the rank vegetation and the number and boldness of the wolves made sheep-raising a burden upon the resources of the early set- tlers. The earliest were probably brought to Sandusky Township, where they soon died from eating some poisonous weed. Another scourge in the early history of sheep-raising in this county was the number of villainous dogs that infested the country. These animals seemed a necessity to the earliest settlers, and there were few families that did not possess one or more of them. As the country began to be cleared up, and game and wild animals of all sorts became scarce, the demand for these animals to a large extent ceased, but the sup- ply, unfortunately, seemed to be little affected by this change. Many of these animals were crossed with the common wolf, and soon showed the traces of their origin by attacking the few flocks that were kept in the new community. The damage in this way was a great burden, and an indiscriminate slaughter was begun against all dogs found running loose. Gen. Myers relates that out of a flock of one hundred Merino lambs that he brought into the county one year, forty were killed or seri- ously wounded in a single night. The first

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 44

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