History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 29

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

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iently above drainage, is from four to six feet in thickness, with a slate parting from twelve to twenty inches above the bottom. The coal of the lower bench is much purer than that of the upper, and is the portion so much esteemed for blacksmiths' use. From the large area it occupies, its thickness and its adaptation to manufacturing purposes, this coal holds a prominent place in the mineral resources of the county, and forms a capital which will doubtless be largely drawn upon in the devel- opment of various industries.

Coal No. 7 is the highest of the lower coal group, and no workable coal is found above it in this section of the State. In the counties lying south and east of Stark, where the mem- bers of the upper coal series are represented, Coal No. 7 is overlain by a mass, some 100 feet in thickness, of shales and sandstones, the former frequently colored red, which con- tain little coal, and hence are called the Bar- ren Coal Measures. The highest hills in Stark County are composed of the lowest por- tion of this series, generally a mass of gray shale, with more or less sandstone. The hill- tops on both sides of the valley of the Sandy have this character, and it is only here that Coal No. 7 is found. In this region it is a thin seam, from one and a half to two and a half feet thick, and the coal is of inferior quality, so that in Stark County it has no considerable value. It becomes, however, of much greater consequener in the counties which lie further south.

The chief interest which attaches to Coal No. 7 in Stark County comes from the fact of its association with the black-band ore which overlies it. This is a bituminous shale, highly impregnated with iron. It often, though not constantly, forms the roof of Coal No. 7, and. where present. attains a thickness of from three to eight feet. The black band ore is generally, though not always overlain by a ferruginous limestone, in which the quantity of iron is sometimes sufficient to render it a calcareous iron ore. From the fact that this is only found in the tops of the hills. it is sometimes designated as the mountain ore; and the limestone, from its ferruginous character. assumes, on weathering. a brownish color, and hence is often referred to as the "buff" lime-

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

stone, to distinguish it from the blue lime- stone below. These ore-beds are detached outlyers of a great ferruginous sheet, which once covered much of Stark and Carroll, and all of Tuscarawas County. Patches of this ore sheet, separated from their connections by the erosion of the valleys of the Sandy, Con- notton and Tuscarawas, occur in the isolated hills of Osnaburg and Paris, the only portions of the county geologically high enough to include them. Such being the geological position of this important formation, it cannot be expected to be found in any other portion of the county.

With such natural resources, it follows that the manufacturing interests should be rapidly developed, and this result has followed building of the thriving manufacturing and mining com- munities of Canton and Massillon. But Stark is no less favored in point of purely agricult- ural resources, The varied productiveness of the soil with which it is provided, has made it one of the chief wheat and fruit producing counties in the State, and enables its agricult- ure to divide the domain with manufactures.

The first settlers here found a country thickly covered with a heavy growth of tim- ber, and the land. shielded from the piercing rays of the sun by the dense forest foliage, saturated with the moisture which the charac- ter of a large part of the country favored. To erect here a home, and render the land subject to an annual tribute for the support of his family. tasked the powers of the pio- neers to their utmost. It was an even-handed struggle for subsistence, and anything accom- plished might safely be set down as an im- provement. This was practically true for the first twenty years in the history of a settle- ment. An average of five years was consumed before the frontier farm could be relied upon to furnish support, and, in the meantime, the fare furnished by the abundance of game and wild fruit was eked out with economical pur- chases of corn and wheat from the older set- tlements. After erecting a cabin, with the aid of hospitable neighbors, from five to ten acres were felled. This was then "chopped over," i. e., the trees were cut into suitable lengths for rolling into piles for burning. After the universal bee for rolling came the burning.

which frequently engaged the services of the wife in attending the fire, while the husband chopped by the light thus afforded, carrying on their labors often to the small hours of the night. On a single farm, this innch was frequently accomplished in three months, and a small crop of corn harvested in the first year: but the average results were not so favorable. The efforts of the settler were directed toward getting ready for the "bee" as early as possi ble, for when the "rolling season" began, there was an uninterrupted demand upon the settler for from six to eight weeks in the fields of his neighbors. Many were called upon when they could least afford the time, but, from the necessities of the situation, there was no refusal possible, and, large as this demand appears, it will not be considered exorbitant when it is remembered that a " neighborhood" covered an area of miles in extent. With such an abundance of timber and the total lack of foreign demand, the prevailing tendency is to underrate the value of timber, and to carry the work of clearing to the very verge of de- nding the land of this important aid to agri culture. This tendency seems to have been quite marked in Stark County. There was quite an extent of plains in the county, known for some time as "Canton Plains," running through the townships of Jackson, Perry, Canton and Bethlehem. This plain country was avoided by the early settlers, as it did not meet their judgment as to what a pioneer farm should be, and the earlier settlements were made in the wood. The county but partially supplied with timber at first, the rapid clear ing of the remaining forest was soon sensibly felt. The discovery of coal, and its use as fuel as early as 1806, in great measure re. lieved the later demand on the timber. Ten years later, coal began to be used as the prin- cipal article of fuel in the villages, and since then its use has gradually extended, until but comparatively little wood is used. The build- ing of railroads, and the consequent accessi- bility to the pine forests, has relieved another strain upon the timber of the county which began to be seriously felt. The revolution in the style of building has done much in this direction, and but comparatively little of the native timber finds its way into the modern

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

dwelling. There are, however, sufficient de- mands, for the various manufactures, mines and railroads, to beget serious apprehension as to where the later supply is to be secured.

The prevailing system of agriculture in this county may properly be termed that of mixed husbandry, with a special prominence given to the culture of wheat. Specialties otherwise find little favor with the farmers. The prac- tice is to cultivate the various kinds of grain and grasses, and to raise. keep and fatten stock the latter business, however, being a leading pursuit of not a large proportion of the farmers. The early mode of cultivating the farming lands was not of the highest type. Provided with productive soil, and his father having made a fair support in a certain line of farming, the average farmer has not had the opportunity. or has not felt the need, of stud- ving the principles of such branches of learn- ing as relate to agriculture, and has hesitated to receive, or promptly rejected, the teachings of science. A few persons, however. were found at a comparatively carly day who brought to the business of farming that amount of patient investigation which the greatest industry of this country demands. and farmers have become less and less unwilling to learn from others. This has had its effect upon the husbandry of the county, which has attained a commendable thoroughness. and is rapidly improving in every respect.

The soil is considerably diversified. About three-fourths of the county, inchuling the eastern, southern and western portions, may be called elay and gravel soil: the northeastern portion, more level. is furnished with a heavy subsoil of clay. while the valley of the Sandy has a soil of sandy loam, which proves highly productive. The surface soil of the whole county is composed of vegetable mold. On the rolling or hilly portions of the county. this soil is thin and light, owing, doubtless, to the washing of rains. On the lower and more level portions. this surface soil is found deeper. and, in valleys or bottom lands. it varies from a few inches to several feet in depth.

The depth of this soil, other things being equal, is a fair showing of the value of the land. Clay underlies this surface soil through

ont almost the entire county, and varies in thickness from a few inches to two feet: is generally of a pale . yellow color. and affords abundant material for brick-making. It ab- sorbs water slowly, and is too compact for the roots of tender plants to penetrate to any great depth, and yet this dull clay is the basis of Stark County's agricultural wealth. Resting upon a substratum of gravel, it holds no more water than is necessary for healthy vegetation, and yet prevents the surface soil from sinking away into the gravel: holds manures which are applied to the land, which, when plowed under with clay. forms the most productive soil.

The subject of fertilizers has received con- siderable attention from the farmers, and plas- ter is freely used upon corn and clover. Lime is not much used, save occasionally to old. worn-ont fields, which have run into sour grass, and is then applied only when slaked. There have, however, been some experiments made of spreading it unslaked and plowing it under, with satisfactory results. Phosphates have come into limited use of late years, but only as an experiment, and the general voice is that it does not " pay." Nor are any artiti- cial means used to increase the barn-vard supply, which is not infrequently treated as a serious inconvenience rather than a fortu nate possession of the farmer. The constant cropping of a field for a considerable mmber of years without renewing is not often met with in Stark County. Occasional fields on the river bottoms are found which will bear such treatment and give good returns, but they are very limited in munber. Rotation of crops has been the rule with the average farm- er for some years, corn being the first crop planted on sod ground. followed by barley or oats, and then wheat: the latter is sometimes sown directly after corn. In the ordinary rota tion of crops, the manure is generally applied to the wheat crop, as it is thought it is more effectively applied here, and leaves a better soil for the grass which follows. Deep plow ing. with the Michigan double plow, was practiced to a considerable extent some twon- ty-five years ago, with variable results. It afterward fell into disrepute on account of its heavy draft, or from the fact that the upper soil was buried so doep that several seasons

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

were required to effect the proper mixture of the soils. Later, another system was adopted, with satisfactory effects., Two plows were used, and the team divided between them. A shallow soil-plow turned over the surface. which was followed by a long steel plow without a turning-board. The latter simply raised and loosened the subsoil to a depth of twelve or fifteen inches, and upon this the top soil was turned by a lighter implement. This proved a vast improvement on the old plan, furnishing the requisite depth without bury- ing the upper soil, and loosening the subsoil, thus furnishing a natural escape for the ex- cessive moisture which the character of the hard-pan too often resists, allowing it to escape only by evaporation. The practice of subsoiling is still kept up in the north- eastern portion of the county, where the sub- soil is a cold, dark-colored clay, impervious to water. It was originally a beech for- est, but. cleared and cultivated, it has proven excellent pasturage, and, when deeply plowed. fine corn, oats, rye, flax and vegetables, are easily produced. This manner of plowing is found necessary about every three years.

Artificial drainage has not been extensively used. A large portion of the county is high, rolling country, with a natural drainage, that has served the purpose of carrying off the sur- plus water. In the northern part, there is quite a marsh, known as Cranberry Swamp, a portion of the waters of which flows north to the lake, but the larger portion runs south to the Ohio River. Nearly all the streams run southward, the Tuscarawas River, in the west- ern part of the county, being the largest. The Nimishillen Creek is the next largest stream, which, with its western and eastern branches, drains the northern and northeast- ern portions of the county, and afford many fine mill-sites. The Sandy is a fine stream in the eastern portion of the county. There has been but little underdraining in this county. except to draw off the water of the ponds and swamps. This has been done to some extent with tile, but generally by ditching and filling the ditch with bowlders, and then covering up with rubbish and dirt. Tile-draining, as a general thing, is looked upon simply as a means of carrying off the surface water, and but little

account is made of it as a means of improving the character of the soil.

The grass crop, while not demanding the same attention as other crops, is one that must always prove important. No regular system has been adopted in regard to its cultivation, however, in Stark County. A kind of spear- grass and white clover are indigenous to the soil, covering the commnon and soon spreading over any cleared and uncultivated land, mak- ing a fair pasturage, but proving too short for a good hay crop. Timothy grass, with clover, is mainly relied upon for the supply of hay, meadows being turned over about once in five years. Meadows are pastured to some extent in the fall, but are seldom "turned out " for this purpose, grass lands being seeded for the especial purpose for which they are designed. Meadows are seldom underdrained, and have generally received very little attention in the way of top-dressing, the manure being gener- ally applied to the wheat crop, which preceded the seeding down. Orchard and blue grass have been introduced to a limited extent of late years, but they have not found favor among the farmers. There is considerable hesitation manifested in experimenting with the blue- grass, as it is claimed by many-among them some scientific agriculturists that the June- grass, pod pratensis, is the same thing, modi- fied by difference of soil and climate. Clover is sown in large quantities throughout the county. It is found most successful upon the uplands, but it does reasonably, with plaster, on all grounds. This is generally mown the first and second years for hay, and the third year, when full-grown, is plowed under for wheat or corn the next spring. It is usually sown with timothy for meadow, the latter being sown in the fall, and the clover with the growing wheat in the spring. The yield, when mown, varies from one and a half to two and a half tons per acre. This combination constitutes the chief part of the pasturage, and is in high favor with farmers.

While the survey of the agriculture of Stark County does not exhibit the cultivation of any specialty, it will be observed that wheat-cult- ure and sheep-raising have, from the tirst. occupied the larger share of attention. But, while this is true, these objects have not ab-

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

sorbed the activities of the farmers to the ex- clusion of other branches of farm industry. The aim of the earliest settlers. with their lands as their only resource, was to derive from these a complete support. and, to this end, a system of mixed husbandry was a no- cessity. Their descendants, hedged about by the results of experience, and aiming to sell their surplus products in such form as would take from the land the smallest amount of its fertility. have, from the nature of the case. followed in their footsteps.

The early settlers were principally of Ger- man descent. from Pennsylvania, and brought with them a strong preference for wheat-rais- ing, aud the county soon took the leading place as a wheat county .. In the early cult- ure of wheat, a great many discouragements wore met. The weevil and rust destroyed it year after year, and, when it escaped these. the frost worked great damage. But perse- verance and improved methods have wrought a great success in the culture of this grain. and it is now the leading crop in the county. There is trouble experienced from insects, but frosts have proved disastrous occasionally. The Todd wheat has been a favorito variety with the farmers of late years, though the Mediterranean for a long time held sway. This was found the most favorable. and less liable to be injured by insects and frosts. The greatest objection to this was its long. dark grain, but little superior to rye; but the effect of soil and climate greatly improved its qualities, and it soon grew a plump. fair grain, strong in straw and quite a favorite for bread, and has not yet entirely lost its hohl in the farming community. There is a great diversity in the practice and opinions of farm- ers in regard to the enltivation of this grain. and no particular system has been adopted. The prevailing method is not to sow wheat on the same field oftener than once in three years, and then only when, for two years. it shall have been in clover. It does well to fol low barley or oats with wheat or rye, but it is considered bad farming to have wheat or corn follow each other. Wheat, in early years. was sown among the standing corn, and later. between the shocks that were placed in rows through the field. and the spaces thus left put

in oats on the following spring. The latter method is occasionally practiced yet, but gen- erally an oat crop intervenes. Manure is generally spread in the spring, and plowed under in the fall for wheat. The ground is carefully prepared, and the seed generally drilled in. The breadth of land sown is pretty uniform, though discouraging erops have the effect to limit somewhat the acreage devoted to it. The grain is usually threshed in the barn, the machine worked by the portable steam engine manufactured in this county, being the favorite, and largely used. For some years, Stark led the counties of the State in the yield of this grain, but its dis- membermont by the formation of Carroll and Summit, together with the ravages of insects and frost, has reduced the yield one-half.

Rye and barley are not extensively culti- vated. Rye is marketed entirely at home, both the black and white varieties being sown. The first. however, though good for feed and distilling, has rapidly given way to the white, which is not inferior for these purposes, and makes a whiter flour. Spring barley, some years since, was quite an important crop, not only on account of its marketable value, but also because it leaves the ground in fine con- dition for wheat. The average crop is about twenty-five bushels per acre. Under the roy- olutionizing effect of the Great West, how- ever, these grains are gradually losing favor here, and are no longer cultivated to any con siderable extent. Buckwheat is very little cultivated for home consumption. and scarcely enough for that. Oats is quite an important erop, though what is raised is barely sufficient for home consumption. There are three vari oties cultivated to more or less extent side oats, branch oats and black oats, the latter being now seldom seen. The side oats weigh more to the bushel. but are not so prolifie as the branch oats. The average yield is about fifty bushels to the acre. This is a reasonably sure crop, and. though occasionally injured by the blight. it is relied upon with considerable confidence for home use, Rust has at times proved a serious drawback to the raising of this crop, and a late frost occasionally ruins the crop, but these have not beou troublesome of late years.

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

The corn erop, while not grown to the ex- clusion of the others, is the one on which the farmers of Stark County most confidently rely, and the land devoted to its culture 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 generally pre- ferred, and are usually planted on sod ground. It is usually well put in the ground, being prepared with considerable care, and worked mutil it "tassels out." The old rule of " go- ing 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 cultivation. but the exi- gencies of the season often prevent the farmer bestowing this crowning attention. The farms. many of them small, are worked by the owner alone, and the clover and wheat cutting com- ing close together. frequently obliges the small farmer to slight his corn. When, how- ever, 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 ex- pense which is amply paid by the increased yield. The crop is cut and husked in the field, the corn being stored in cribs. The habit of husking from the standing stock is also practiced, though it is generally con- ceded to be a wasteful method of harvesting this crop. Corn is sown broadcast for forage to a considerable extent.

The other crops that occupy, or have ocen- pied. a more or less prominent place among the agricultural products of the county. are potatoes and sorghum. The quality of the 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 vegeta- ble. universally used, always commands a fair price, and its general cultivation for exporta- tion would undoubtedly prove highly remn- nerative. This fact seems to have made no impression upon the farmers, as no more are

produced than are used at home. The lead- ing variety is the early rose, with the peach- blow and peerless cultivated in considerable quantities. The Neshannock is highly prized by many, while other varieties are being cul- tivated as experiments, or to suit individual tastes. The average yield of this crop is good, and is not often seriously affected by disease or insects.

Sorghum was, in Stark County, an excep- tion to the general rule. It was introduced here about 1857, but most of the farmers con- ceived a dislike to it. It was planted in small «quantities by a good many, but it was allowed to pass without any particular care, and many never harvested it at all. Two or three mills were bought, but comparatively little molasses was manufactured. The first product, owing to the lack of interest and information, and the carelessness with which it was manufact- med. was sorry stuff. This result re-acted with discouraging effect upon the producers. Another cause which contributed to this result was the exercise of a ruinous economy on the part of the mass of the farmers. Instead of purchasing new seed and sparing no pains to make a fair trial of this new crop, the major- ity of those who planted a second erop pro- cured seed of their neighbors, and allowed the farm work to seriously interfere with the cul- tivation of the cane. The result was that it deteriorated in quantity and quality, and the whole thing was voted a failure. No great effort was made to produce sugar, as the ex- pense proved an insurmountable barrier to its successful prosecution.

Tobacco is cultivated here and there by individuals, for the private use of the pro- ducer, and it may well be hoped that its cult- ure may not be further extended. It is an exacting crop upon the land, and, sooner or later, the exhaustive process will ultimately work the deterioration of any neighborhood or farming district where its culture is a prominent part of the farming operations.

The forests of Stark County are well sup- plied with the sugar maple, and farmers have not been 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

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 29

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060