History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 33

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014

USA > Ohio > Medina County > History of Medina county and Ohio > Part 33

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Tobaeco is eultivated here and there by in- dividuals for the private use of the producer, and it may well be hoped that its culture may not be further extended. It is au exaeting crop upon the land, and, sooner or later, the exhaustive process will ultimately work the deterioration of any neighborhood . or farming district where its eulture is a prominent part of the farming operations.

The forests of Medina County are well sup- plied with the sugar maple, and farmers have not beeu slow to utilize them in the way of making sugar. It was the practice at an early date, to manufacture this product in grain sugar, as it proved more available for the uses of the household, but of late years it has found a more valuable market in cakes and as sirup.

A survey of this branch of Medina County's agriculture would hardly be complete without some reference to the late frosts of 1859 and 1845. The frost of 1859 came on a Saturday night in June. The previous night had brought a fall of rain, aud on Saturday it eleared off with a cool atmosphere, which grew eolder as night approached. In the morning, the " killing frost " had left scarcely a vestige of the grow- ing erops 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 peo- ple found themselves face to face with " perilous times," if not starvation. The frost had been general over the State, aud the situation was considered alarming. Some time was lost in unavailing regrets, and some crops that might have been saved by prompt cutting off even with the ground were lost by delay. Fort- unately, there were some late crops that had not come forward enough to become involved in the general disaster, aud others were saved by favorable locations. The less fortunate farmers set at onee to repair the misfortune so far as possible. The corn and potatoes were replanted, buckwheat was sowed in the place of

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HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

wheat, and, thanks to an unusually long season, these crops were fairly matured. There was a large proportion of soft corn, hundreds of bush- els of which proved almost a complete loss. In 1845, the frost occurred on three successive Mondays in May or June, and each frost fol- lowed by a burning sun. Crops on exposed situations were completely destroyed, and the severe drought that followed completed the sum of misery. To this was added such a swarm of grasshoppers as has scarcely been seen in this State. They attacked buildings, fences and tools with such vigor as to cause con- siderable damage in this way. Farmers who usually mowed fifty tons of hay got scarcely one, and the tools used iu the field had to be hid to keep the woodwork from being made too rough to use, by these insatiable insects.

Fruit-culture may be safely said to be yet in its infancy in Medina County. The first settlers, deprived for a time of its use, and realizing the great demand in every family for the important article of food, early set about planting orchards. But little care was exercised, in a majority of cases, in the selection o" varieties, or in the care of orchards after once well set. One of the earliest apple orchards was started from seeds saved from apples eaten by the family while on their way to a new home in the woods. This orchard was, for a time, the most important in the county. The lack of railroads has had the effect of retarding the development of this in- terest, and even now, taking into consideration the value of good fruit as a substantial element of food, as a valuable agent in preserving and promoting health, and as a luxury which all classes may enjoy, this subject has uot received the attention which its importance merits at the hands of the careful agriculturist. The old apple orchards have been prolific producers, and, in favorable seasons, hundreds of bushels have been allowed to waste for the lack of a market. At an early day, considerable fruit was dried, and the practice is kept up to a con-

siderable extent at present, with a fair local de- mand .*

The quality of the apples in the county is hardly adapted to the market demands of the present. This requires a large, fair-looking apple, without much regard to the taste or grain of the fruit. The apple orchards of this county are selected chiefly with respect to the taste of the owner, no attempt having as yet been made to grow fruit for market. The lead- ing varieties found here are the Rambo, Bell- flower, Seek-no-Further, Russet, Rhode Island Greening, Spitzenberg, Northern Spy, Baldwin, Fall Pipp in, Qucen Anne, Red Astrakhan, Sweet Bough and Early Harvest. King of Tompkins County is among the later varieties, and is in the line of the market demands, as is the Tulpehocken. The former is the favorite for a large apple, some of the fruit measuring fourteen and one-half inches in circumference, and at the same time retaining a fine flavor and smooth texture. The apple is the hardiest and most reliable of all the fruits for this re- gion, and there are 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, and are but little planted. Forty years ago, this fruit was as certain and prolific in its yield as apples, but succeediug years have wrought such climatic changes that there is a fair crop of this fruit only about once in five years. Late frosts in the spring usually cut off the crop, either in the blossom or when the young fruit has just formed ; and, in addition to this, there occurs every few years a winter of such severity that eveu the trees themselves are seriously injured or destroyed. There are several peach orchards in the county, princi- pally located in the eastern part of the county. The case of cherries of the finer kind is very

# An "apple factory " in Medina Village has, for the last few years, been engaged in drying fruit for the market. Some 20,000 bushels of apples were bought during the present fall (1880), at 15 cents per bushel, and at that price there is at present no profitable demand for the dried fruit.

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HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

similar to that of peaches, as the trees are somewhat tender and the blossoms are liable to be destroyed by late frosts in the spring. The hardier kinds, such as the Early Richmond, the Morellos and May Duke are much more reliable and hardy, and often yield fine crops. Pears are planted in small way principally, though there are occasional orchards of considerable size. The first trees of this sort were seedlings, which of late years have been supplanted by dwarfs or their outgrowth of half-standards. The latest additions, however, are of the stand- ards. The tendency to blight, which the pear- tree shows here as elsewhere in Ohio, preveuts any extended attention to the orchard culture of this fruit. No effective remedy has as yet been devised for this scourge of the pear tree, unless the recent discussion of horticulturists have struck the root of the matter. In the re- cent session of the Montgomery Horticultural Society, it was set forth that " the blight seldom, if ever, attacks trees which have their stems shaded by their branches ; while the branches themselves-the foliage-is defended from the direct rays of the summer sun during the hot- test part of the day, by some screen such as is afforded by a building or another tree which shades them from about 11 A. M. to 3 P. M., more or less. Another fact regarding the per- manent thriftiness of pcar-trees is, that, if the roots can penetrate deeply into wholesome soil, or otherwise can occupy a stratum which sup- plies them uniformly as to moisture and tem- perature, they succced." Plums are scarcely grown at all, owing to the prevalence of the curculio insect, although the trees seem to grow well and remain healthy.

The lack of an easy access to market has been a great drawback to the orchard culture of fruit. A generous provision for family wants has all that has been aimed at, and the consid- erable surplus that has grown out of this, has been converted into cider or gone largely to waste. This feature is aggravated by the un-

fortunate habit of the most reliable orchards of bearing full crops every alternate year, with scant ones or failures between. The effect of this habit on the market, is disastrous to the grower, and only those reap the harvest, who, by careful management, secure a good crop in the "off year." The presence of good facilities for transportation, aud a reliable nursery in the county, may be trusted to awaken a lively in- terest in this matter of fruit-growing.

The cultivation of small fruits for market has received but little general attention. The cul- tivation of strawberries, raspberries, etc., in gardens, for private use, extends to more per- sons each year, and more are used. There is, however, a growing surplus which finds its way to the villages, going a good way toward sup- plying the demand. In the matter of black- berries, the wild fruit is the strongest compet- itor against the cultivation for private use or market. Grapes have received some attention, in a small way, in this county. The hardier va- rieties of this fruit succeed reasonably well in this county, especially when the sand soil pre- dominates. Some attempts at small vineyards have been made, but with no marked results. The Isabella, Iona, Concord and Delaware are found, but the necessary amount of care is sel- dom bestowed, and the results, when compared with more favorable localities, are not flatter- ing.

In the matter of stock-breeding, there is a very general interest, though the number of those who make it a specialty, or a leading feat- ure of their farm industry, is small. Probably less than one-third can be placed in this class, though among these may be included a major- ity of the wealthier farmers. Among this portion of the farming community, a persever- ing, patient, investigating spirit has been man- ifested, that has accomplished large results for the stock of the county. No class of stock has been slighted in this respect, though perhaps cattle and sheep have profited most.

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HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

It is quite natural that the early history of the horse in Medina County should be some- what obscure. In the early settlement, the na- ture of farm work called for the steady strength, the freedom from accident and the easy kecp- ing of the ox, and horses found no general de- mand until the pioneers could afford the luxury of speed in travel. It was not long before this demand made a marked change in the charac- ter of the teams, which has continued until now one would scarcely meet with au ox team upon the road in a month's travel through the eounty. The early stock of horses were such as could be bought in the older settlements, and were marked by no particular characteristic of breed or quality. The only demand was for the ordinary purposes of the farm, and the peo- ple were not only not in position "to look a gift horse in the mouth," but were quite as powerless to be fastidious in regard to any horse. Among the earliest efforts to improve upon this stock was the importation of a horse called " Bluchier." But little is remembered of his characteristics or pedigree, but he was ex- tensively used, and was considered desirable at that time, though modern improvements have caused them to be remembered as an inferior grade. Succeeding him came "Duroc" and " May Duke," which left their impress upon the stock of the eounty to a marked degree. This is especially true of the latter animal, and the " May Duke " horses were sure to earry off the premiums when shown at the early fairs. These horses were owned at Seville, and are described as a cross between a heavy, general-purpose horse and a genuine roadster. This was the character of the animal in general demand, and a great many of their colts were got in the county. In or about 1852, F. G. Foot, of West- field, brought in a Black Hawk Morgan horse, named " David Hill." He was a fine black an- imal, weighed about one thousand pounds, could trot a mile in about three minutes, and suited the popular taste better than anything that had

preceded him. His stock was found very largely in the northern part of the eouuty, and proved excellent roadsters. Closely following him, or about the same time, Hiram Sykes, of Hinck- ley, brought "Eastman Morgan " from Ver- mont. He was sired by "Sherman Morgan," and was a little faster horse than his immediate predecessor in Medina County. Speed had be- gun to be quite au object among the younger elass of the farming community. The boys were beginning to own horses of their own, and preferred a horse that could leave the dust in others' eyes to one better fitted for heavy work. With this class the Vermont Morgan was a great favorite. The horse in question was a " blocky, pony-shaped " animal, weighing about twelve hundred pounds, aud surprised horse- men with his speed, as there was nothing about him to promise it. Though used a good deal in the county, he never got any trotters, though all were found to be good roadsters. M. Lyon brought in a chestnut stallion from Vermont about the same time, but he was not so popular as the one just mentioned. There is some di- versity of opinion, at this time, as to the merits of the old Morgan strain. There are those who eomplain of hoof difficulties, though this is claimed, by the friends of the strain, as the re- sult of injudicious management when the ani- mal is young. Bred for speed, the owner was anxious to develop it as soon as possible, and frequently trained his young horse at an early age, when most likely to injure the foot.

Perhaps the most celebrated strain of horses -- a strain the repute of which has not passed away with the animals that represented it-was the Stranger breed. The founder of this breed a was horse brought from Kentucky by a stran- ger, and sold, when a two-year-old colt, for $70, to Horace Hatch, of Medina. This was about 1850 ; he was kept here about four years, and sold for $3,000, but he proved a short-lived an- imal, dying soon afterward. Though here but a short time, he left a good deal of his stoek in

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the county, all of which showed more or less of the fine qualities of the sirc. " Chestnut Tom" was one of liis colts, which was bought by Mr. Hatch when a colt. He possessed the charac- teristics of his sire in a large degree, and was a general favorite among horse-breeders. "Tom B.," by "Chestnut Tom," was a fine specimen of the Stranger strain of horses, aud trotted in 2:37, and afterward was sold at a high price. " Erie Abdallah " and " Hotspur " made a sea- son at Wellington a little later than this, and left a large number of colts in Lorain County and some in Melina. The first is a " general purpose " horse, noted as a spirited, active and fleet traveler, with surprising powers of endur- ance. He made, at one time, a single dash of ten miles in the extraordinary time of thirty-one minutes and nine seconds. "Hotspur," how- ever, seemed to be the greater favorite in Me- dina, and two of his colts, "Hotspur Chief," owned in Homer, aud "Hotspur Joe," owned by Emory, in Cleveland, were kept in the stud in this county. They were bred, too, quite extensively, and many of their get are to be found in the county. " Hotspur Joe " was kept some three years by the Shanks Brothers, but was finally sold, and went to Kansas for breeding purposes. "Nettie," a Hotspur colt owned by Shanks brothers, developed consider- ble speed, trotting a mile in 2:35, and was sold for $1,500.

Among the more modern horses, " General Hayes," a young horse recently sold by Shanks Brothers for $3,000, is perhaps most prominent. He was sired by old " Flying Hiatoga," and out of a marc by " Stranger ; "-fine trotting stock on both sides. He was bought at Berlin Heights when about two years old for $1,000, and kept in stud for some two years and a half, aud, after three weeks' training, he was put on a pri- vate track, when he displayed such speed as to sell readily for $3,000, to Mr. Emory, of Cleve- land.

It will be observed that the general demand

thus far was for a light, active horse. This is still true, though perhaps confined more gener- ally to the northern part of the county. Of late, the demand in the southern part has been for a heavier horse, and the "general-purpose " Clydesdale and Norman are finding more favor, especially in the township of Wadsworth and Guilford. This division is the more noticeable from the fact that the heavy horses are found in the hilliest part of the county, a country to which they are generally considered least adapted. Of the latter class, Seth Baughman, of Wadsworth, brought in a fine Clydesdale stallion. He was a large, well-built horse, and attracted lovers of the draft horse. This class of horses are of Scottish descent, of the largest size, averaging from sixteen to eighteen hands high, with ponderous bodies, stout limbs, hairy at the fetlocks, of high and noble carriage, and un- surpassed in weight and strength. They occa- sionally reach a weight of seventeen and even eighteen hundred pounds. S. A. Earle, of Friendville, has a stallion of this breed, recent- ly introduced, and a half-brother of " General Hayes," which he calls "Joe Geiger." The latter is a well-bred horse, and has developed some speed. He was raised in Pickaway County, is a dark bay, stands sixteen and one- half hands high, and weighs over twelve hun- dred pounds. His sire was "Hiatoga," or better known as "Old Togue," a grandson of the founder of the strain in Virginia. " Bonnie Scotland," the Clydesdale stallion, is a dark bay, sixteen and three-fourths hands high, and weighs, in good condition, 1,800 pounds. He was bred in Sterlingshire, Scotland, by Andrew Stuart, Esq., of Kip Dowrie, and imported to Canada in 1876. He was imported into Syra- cuse, N. Y., in the spring of 1880, and there bought by Mr. Earle. The Normans have not been popular in this county, for the reason that the general taste demanded a light, active aui- mal. In 1878, however, William Smith, of Hillsdale, Michigan, made a season in the

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county with a fine horse of this breed. He was considerably used, and the stock finds ready sale at good figures. They are natives of Franee, and embody more speed in action than the ordinary draft horse, together with great strength of limb aud power of locomotion. Their average size is from sixteen to seventeen hands high, compact in body, symmetrieal in shape, clean in limb and enduring in labor. One of the best-bred horses now owned in the county is " Membrino Thorn," recently imported to this county by Jacob Miller, lately deceased. He was bred on the celebrated stock-farm of Dr. Hurd. of Kentucky, and brought to the southern part of the State, where Mr. Miller found him. The horse is a fine black animal, weighing, iu good flesh, about eleven hundred and fifty pounds, and standing fifteen and three-fourths hands high. He is a fine-appearing, high-headed ani- mal of the roadster class, and has got quite a large number of eolts in the county, the older ones being about three and one-half years. The principal breeders of horses in the eouuty are Shanks Brothers, in Litchfield, and S. A. Earle, of Friendville. Mr. Miller, before his death, had given a good deal of attentiou to this class of stock, preparing a track and arrauging to develop this business, but death put an end to his plans before they had reached their eulmi- nation.

In the Medina Gasette of April 21, 1859, is the following ou the subject of the horses of the county : "Medina ean boast of a better stud of horses than any other county in this State. At our State fairs, we invariably take most of the premiums, and always receive praise for their fine style and purity of blood. The following horses are among the number who have received considerable prominence : Buckeye Boy, owned by Dr. Carpenter ; Em- peror, owned by Hubbard & Hall ; Stranger, owned by H. S. Hatch ; Eastmau Morgan, owned by H. Sykes ; Odd Fellow, owned by C. HI. Hill. The following are fast coming into

notiee, and have appeared at our county fairs, many of whichi have taken premiums. They are a good stock of horses : May Duke, owned by S. Beedle ; Yankee Lad, by L. W. Ladd ; Duke of York, by A. Hubbard ; Jack Best, by C. Halliwell ; Green Mountain Mor- gan, by A. Brown ; Black Hawk Messenger, by S. A. Earle ; Prince, by D. Kreider ; Black Tiger, by A. Miner, and David Crockett, by H. C. Galehouse."

Mules have never been received with favor by the general mass of the farmers. Their appearance was not prepossessing, and those conditions to which this animal is supposed to be best fitted have never existed in this coun- ty, and the mnle has therefore not secured much of a foothold.

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 existenee were very poor indeed, and few families were without them. But, once here, it required all the care aud diligenee of the settler to protect them against the ravages of wild beasts and disease. Wolves were not so dangerous to cattle as in many places, but now and then a yearling or calf was sacrificed to their voracious appetites. The murrain, a little later, took off scores of these animals, entailing considerable privation before they could be replaced. Then the marshes and the rank vegetation took their quota, so that in spite of the employment of all the available childreu of the settlement as herders, and the dosing of cattle with alum, soot and soft soap, hundreds fell victims to the snares of a new country. Under such circum- stances, the effort was narrowed dowu to a struggle to maintain, rather than improve, the breed. The people who settled this county were from New York and the New England States, where the short-horn breed of cattle had been introduced as early as 1800. Subse-

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

201

quent to the war of 1812, still larger importa- tions had been made, and short-horn grades were not unfrequently met with in the New En- gland States at the time this country drew up- on them for its settlement. This general interest was soon transferred to Ohio by the way of Kentucky more largely than from the East, and, in 1834, the "Ohio Importing Company " was formed to import short-horn Durhams from England. Seven bulls and twelve cows, nine- teen in all, were imported and exhibited in the following year at the State fair. This company subsequently increased the number of their importation to thirty head. In 1852, the "Sci- oto Importing Company " imported sixteen head, and, in the following year, a similar com- pany, formed in Madison County, imported twenty-two head. In 1854, similar companies were formed in Clinton and Clark Counties, by which some forty more animals were brought to the State. Amid all this activity in the im- provement of stock, it is not to be expected that the enterprising people of this county should fail to profit by it. Not long after the introduction of these cattle by the Ohio com- pany, Messrs. Wheatley and Spencely, of Gran- ger, separately introduced the breed here. Lit- tle more is remembered of the matter than this bare fact. E. A. Warner dealt in this stock early, bringing in a bull known as Talleyrand, a namesake, if not a descendant, of one of the cows brought in by the Ohio company. Other leading bulls of this herd were Solomon, Ab- salom and Gen. Grant. For years, Mr. Warner was a leading breeder of this class of stock, though he discarded the practice of registering his cattle in the herd book. In 1855, Mr. T. S. Shaw bought a bull in Sullivan, which was raised on the farm of Cassius M. Clay. It was a fine white animal, the favorite color of that stock farm, and, after staying licre three or four years, it was sold and taken to the West. The herd of A. L. Clapp was started in 1874, by the purchase of a bull, Punch 8,881, bred

by J. G. Hagerty, of Licking County, Ohio, a heifer of William Wheatley, of Richfield, Sum- mit County, and, soon after, a cow of R. Baker, Elyria, Ohio. This cow was bred by William Warfield, of Kentucky. In August, 1877, an- other heifer, of the Rose of Sharon strain, was purchased of J. G. Hagerty. The herd now consists of thirteen head.

A letter from C. C. Cottingham, at Sharon Center, thus details the history of the short- horns in his vicinity : "In 1846, John Bell bought a bull of Raw Jackson, of Orange, Cuyahoga County, and, four years later, bought another from the same man. These two bulls did much to improve the native cattle. In 1859, I bought a cow of Raw Jackson, which he had recently purchased of Samnel Thorn, of New York. Ten years later, we started our present herd with four cows purchased of John Jackson, of Orange, Cuyahoga County. In 1871, I bought of J. G. Hagerty, of Licking County, Duke 9,787, and subsequently added two young cows. In 1874, I purchased Scot- tish Crown 2-1,795, of William Miller, of Can- ada. Three years later, in connection with T. G. Briggs, I bought one of the Bates family, Duke of Winfield 22,985. Have sold for breeding purposes, forty head, and have in my herd at present twenty-seven head.

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History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 33

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1014

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014