Elkhart County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 6 of those read), 1905

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 6 of those read)

Clear the brown path to meet his coulter's gleam ; Lo ! on he comes behind his smoking team, With toil's bright dewdrops on his sunburnt brow, The lord of earth, the hero of the plough.

The history of the agriculture of anv countrv nr state, or e\'en of a single community, tracing its development step Ijv step from tlie beginning, is always instructive. Particularly is such a history valuable to those who are engaged in that pursuit. The remark is frequently heard that agriculture has not kept pace with other v(.ications, that everything- else has progressed more rapidly than it has. Be this as it niav, the study of this great industry from the time \\hcn this county was settled to the present day reveals wonderful progress. Those individuals who hold to the opinion that it is behind other industries can profit by studying the agriculture of Elkhart county from the time the first settlers came here in 1828 until the year of 1905, a little over three-quarters of a century.

The pioneer farmers of this county were probably as progressive as [hose of any other part of the country at that time. They brought with them from their homes in the older states the methods which prevailed there. And as many of them came from the east, which was considered the most progressive section of the country, they must ha\'e known the best methods of farming that were practiced in their day. To trace in complete detail the evolution of the twentieth century agriculture from that of pioneer times would lie impossible, owing to the fact that the data which are accessible are somewhat meager and can be obtained only in a fragmentary form. A hasty description of the pioneers' methods of farming will first be given, together with a cursory view of the industry during the earliest period of our county's history. This will be followed by mentioning some of the more important steps in the progress of this art from that time until now.

prairies, \vas to clear away the forests wliich coxered their newly chosen farms. This at the very beginning was a great obstacle to their prog- ress. Only small patches of ground could be cleared at first and these were planted to corn. The ground was plowed with a wooden mouldboard plow and a team consisting of several yoke of oxen. It usually took two persons to do the plowing, a man to. hold the plow and either a man or Ijoy to drive the team. In a few years plows with iron mouldboards were introduced. Ijut as they would not seam well in all kinds of soil they were ntJt considered a success at first. Besides, as the ground was full ot roots, of new stumps and standing trees, the wooden mouldboard was less liable to break than one of iron, so it was better adapted to the conditions than the iron one. The culti\'ation was done witli the hoe at first, then came the single-shovel plow, which was in use f<ir a number of years. Among the trees, stumps and roots lioth the ])lo\ving and cultivation were tedious, laborious and disagreeable \\cirk. This condition continued for a number of years, until the stumps had decayed sufficiently to make it possible to remove them. The first fall wheat was sown among the stumps and trees, after the plowing had been done with the same implement and the same team as were used in iilowing for corn. The grain was harrowed in with a wooden toolbed harrow. The farmer who did not have e\-en one of those rude implements would cut a small tree, trim off part of the limbs so as to Iea\'e a bushy end. hitch liis team t(.i it and use that as a substitute for a harrow.

On the prairies the work of plowing and culti\ating were less disagreeable and could Ije done move ra]iidlv. There was no clearing to be done, and this saved a great deal of hard labor, Tlie first work was to turn over the prairie sod, and this was done with the same kind of a jilow and team as in the newh" cleared timliered lands. As the S(jd was turned o\-er a man followed about e\ery third furrow, dug into the top oi tlie furrow with his foot or with a hoe and planted corn, coNcring it in tlie same way. In some instances the corn was dropped in the furrow \'er)- near the outside, so that the edge of the next furrow when turned over would be directly over the grain. The corn would tlien come through between the two furrows. Dr. A. C. Jackson sa}'s that on the farm of his father. Colonel John Jackson, the first year's crop was not cultiwited from the time it was planted until it was hu.sked.

the present day. The prevailing practice was to pull the ear from the stock, husk and all, haul the corn to a pile and then husk it. The husk was utilized for feed, and as much of the grain as was not needed for home consumption was hauled away to market. As soon as large crops of corn were grown husking bees became the fashion. The com was pulled from the stalk and hauled to a pile, as when the farmer himself or he and his taniih- did tlie husking. Tlien a number of neighbors assembled and e\'er)body Inisketl. This was repeated at the home of each farmer until all had their crops husked.

Wheat was harvested with the cradle, such an implement as a reaper or harvesting machine of any kind not then being dreamed of. Besides the cradle, the sickle, also, was in use at that time. But that was used only in wheat that had blown down or grew among stumps and trees, making it extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to cradle. And for the first iew years that was a large portion of the crop. It was well that only a limited area could be sown, because had there been a greater acreage it doubtless would not have been harvested. The work of harvesting with those old time implements was extremely slow in comparison with the way it can be done with our impro\'ed harvesting machinery. The threshing was done either with a flail or the grain was tramped nut with horses. Both processes were \ery slow, the former l)eing almut as slow as har\-esting with the sickle. When horses were used a threshing floor was made out doors by smoothing the ground and tramping or beating until it was as solid as it could be made. The horses were ridden l)y Ixiys while two men wnrked the grain toward the center of the floor and threw out the straw.

In the early "40s a machine was in use which threshed out the grain and dispensed lioth with the use of the flail and the tramping of the horses. This machine consisted of only a cylinder and was operated by horse power. When the threshing was done l)y any of these methods the grain had tn be separated from the chaff by fanning with a sheet, the wind blowing the chaff away. There were no fanning nulls then but tbev were introduced a few \ears later, the exact vear not being known. These mills were in their crudest form but were considered :\ great im])ni\ement i-.\-er the winnowing sheet. .Ml of this labor had to he done in order that the farmer might produce a supply of wheat sufficient to provide liread for his family and if possible a small surplus to sell.

S6 History Of Elkhart County

have been e\ei" since. Other crops that were grown were oats, rye, potatoes, buckwheat and flax. Oats were fed in the straw, only enough being threshed out to furnish seed for the next year's crop. A patch of potatoes was planted on e\'ery farm for home use. but there were very few, if any, grown for market. The crop being a bulky one and the markets so distant made the growing of potatoes as a market crop wholh' impractical)Ie. Flax was raised for home use, the product being manufactured into linen for a jiart of the family's wearing apparel. Those who grew buckwheat hauled it aA\-ay tn mill and had it ground to be made mto l>uck\\heat ca'kes, which ci instituted no small portion of the winter's food suppl}'.

X(j attention was paid to the r(_itation nf crops. Corn w^as planted after corn and wheat after wheat, and that was continued year after year. Sometimes these crops were alternated, but (jnly as a matter of convenience and not to pre\'cnt the exhaustion of the soil. It was not necessar)- at that time to give any attention to this matter, which has come to be one of the nmst important cjuestions the farmer of the present day has to consider, the timber was lirst cleared away the land was full of fertility and nobody then had any idea that these lands \voul(l ever cease to furnish sufficient nourishment for any crops that might be planted. Had the same care Iseen exercised in conserving fertility then as the farmers are compelled to exercise now the soils would neyer have become impoverished, as so many of them have, and it would be just as easy to raise good crops as it was when the land was first brought under culti\-ation. In one of his personal memoirs the late John \\'. Irwin states that the wheat crop of 1834 was one of the best that was ever harvested on Elkhart prairie. The yield was good and tlie grain weighed sixty-five pounds to the measured bushel. He also states that the year previous to that, 1833, there was a heavy frost as late as June 10. wdiich injured the wheat and froze the blades all off the corn, but both recovered from the shock and put forth a vigorous growth until the crops were matured. The richness of the soil was doubtless the most potent factor in the restoration of the crops after they had been thus partially destroyed. And it was this native fertility which had more to do than any one thing with the successful farming of those days. But the abundant crops produced so early did not prove an unmixed blessing. The supply of wheat became so great and the demand was so limited that it became a difiicult matter to dispose of it. For a little while there was a demand for wheat on the part of the newer immigrants, as tlie}- would bring none with them, but after the best lands were taken up immigration to this county ceased for a time and this demand fell off. .\s a consequence the price of wheat and other grains became ver)- low. ^^'heat was exchanged for goods, the wheat being taken at thirty-se\en and a half cents a bushel, while an enormous price was charged for the goods. The production of good crops, the result of good soil, was not sufficient to make farming profitable then, as those things alone can not make it profitable now.

The ha_\' crop, which has grown to a crop of great importance, in the earliest days consisted of the native grasses. W'hen there were only a few settlers here the prairie grasses furnished an abundant supply of hay for their horses and cattle. When the prairie lands were all taken up each farmer on those lands set off a portion of his farm for a meadow, but this was sufficient only for the owners, and those farmers who had settled in the timber had to secure a supply elsewhere. There was an abundant growth of grass on what were then known as wet prairies, which w'e now call marshes. At first every farmer could find a sufficient supply of this marsh grass near his home if he had none on his farm. But in a short time the lands containing small marshes were occupied, and those who had none had to go some distance from home to the big marshes to procure a supply of hay for their winter's feed. Some of the farmers on Elkhart prairie in the early thirties went fully ten miles to what was then called Cornell's marsh to make their hay. What was then only a marsh, a hundred acres or more in extent, has been known for the past thirty years as the McVitty farm, one of the best and most productive farms in Jefferson township. This hay had to be mowed by hand, then thrown together and hauled from the marsh on a small sled drawn Ijy a yoke of oxen. Tlie ground was so soft that a team <")f horses and wagon could not be driven over it. Onl}^ a small bit could be hauled out at a time in this way, and it took a number of these sled loads to make a wagon load. And the same method of making hay had to be employed on all of the wet prairies in those days. Nobody wnuld ba\'e thought then that nearlv all of those marshes, which were utilized only for the purpose of furnishing coarse hay, would some day be counted among Elkhart county's most productive farms.

It was not long that this was the only source of supply for winter forage. The more progressive farmers began at an early day to experiment with other grasses and the experiment proved successful.

As early as 1835 timothy is known to have been grown, and in 1838 red top began to be tried. On the rich soil l>oth of the prairie and the newly cleared timbered lands timothy made a great growth and proved to be an excellent forage crop. The continued sowing of timothy, however, proljably had much to do with the exhaustion of the soil's fertility from which our agriculture suffered in later years. Red top was sown among the girdled timljer which had not yet been removed. One of the reasons for trying red top was that it had been recommended as a crop which would thrive in the shade and in wet places where timothy did not do so well. And it seemed to lie a very profitable crop for a time, but in later years it has found little favor among our farmers. The first clover concerning" which any definite information can be obtained was grown in about 1845. Nathan Smiley, of Elkhart prairie, began growing it at that time and was the first man who is known to have raised it. Other farmers soOn began to grow this crop, and in a few years it became quite popular. As early as 1852, in his first annual report as secretary of the Elkhart County Agricultural Society, C. L. Murray made the statement that all of the leading farmers of the county had begun to experiment with clover. Most of them began with a small patch in the orchard or in some out of the way corner to ascertain whether it could be grown upon their land. It was not used as a renovating crop, however, as it is now, but for hay and for seed. When grown for hay it was the common practice to sow timothy or red top along with it, because it was thought that this increased the yield. Land plaster was sown on the clover fields in liberal quantities to make a heavier growth. Though both the first and second crops were frequently removed the land was somewhat improved by the respite it had from the continuous growing of other crops. It was some years later before farmers as a rule began to raise clover especially for the improvement of the land.

At the lime \vhen the first settlements were made here wild fruits grew in abundance and these were used by many of the people before there were any fruits cultivated. There were wild strawljerries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, plums and a number of other fruits, all of which were considered luxuries in pioneer days. Fruit growing was begun at an early day, apjile orchards being set out as soon as a few acres of land were cleared. In the strong, fertile soil the trees grew rapidly and began to bear fruit at an early age. There are yet in existence parts of old orchards that were set in the latter

'30s or earl}- "40s. Tlie rows are crooked and look as if the trees had heen set in the woods, as some of the older residents say was occasionally done. It is thought that some of the trees may have been procured from the celebrated Johnny Appleseed, who, it is said, passed through this section of the state several times toward the end of his career. At first the frait was mostly seedling, but the farmers soon began to improve their orchards by having them grafted. As in nearly everything else the progress in the improvement of fruits was gradual. Those farmers who were the most progressive along other lines also manifested the most interest in this branch of their farming. It was many years after the county was settled before fruit growing was taken up as a specialty. But after the industry began to develop it grew from }ear to year until it became one of the important industries of the county. So far as can lie ascertained the first real fruit specialist was Henry P. Hanford, wh(j had a fine fruit farm of nearly one hundred acres just south of Bristol and who began fruit growing about i860. The same farm is at the present day the leading fruit farm of Elkhart county, being owned and operated In- former count\- auditor (ieorge Milburn. There are several square miles of hilly land south and southeast of Bristol which are devoted almost exclusively to fruit growing, and the fruit produced in that section of the county is known far and wide as being equal to any grown in the state.

The development of the live-stock interests of the countv is an imjiortant feature of our agriculture and, could sufficient data be secured, would be worthy of an extended article itself. But, unfortunately, no complete record of this development has been kept and the data which are accessible are only fragriientary, so it is doubtful whether there ever can be a satisfactory history of this industr}' written. The first stock kept by the pioneers was scrub stock, none of the improved breeds being represented. The hogs were the old-fashioned elm-peelers tlie name doulitless was aliout as a])iiropriate as any that could be found. They had long legs, long bodies and long noses. It used to be said that they could poke their snouts through a rail fence and root u]) the first two rows oi potatoes on the other side. No doubt they would have fulfilled the requirements of the southern planters who. according to Bill Xye, had no use for a hog that couldn't outrun a nigger. Thty were not kept up, but w^ere permitted to roam all over the woods, which meant that they could go anywhere and everj'where. Each owner had his mark for identification and the mark was recorded. The mark- ing was done in the spring, and the stock was then turned out, probabh; not to be seen again until fall. The animals had no commercial value, so it was considered a waste of time to take care of them. Hogs were then kept until they were over two years old before they were slaughtered for meat. I'hey were fattened either partial!}' or wholly on acorns and nuts, which were called nast. When these products of the forests were plentiful the}- were often sufficient for the fattening of the swine. In the }'ears when they were scarce corn was rec^uired for the purpose. The secretary of the county agricultural society, Charles L. Murray, in his tirst annual report to the state board of agriculture in 1851, described the swine (jt that period, and a part of that description may be reproduced here. He said : " We have all kinds of breeds of hogs among us, but principally the long-nosed pointer sort, with legs to correspond; the marauding propensities of this 'lean kind' make them easy to keep, ^^'hen it comes to ' root pig or die ' they carry the instrument to do it. and when it is necessary to get over a fence into their neighbor's good things they show a wonderful agility in climbing in and, if hard pressed with dogs or cluhs, in jumping out. But when it C(3mes to fattening in a pen, pouring in corn seems a waste of grain, as it takes an immense quantity to lay e\-en the hair; that lieing the nearest idea of grease you can gather from their looks after a month's feeding. But, added to all their running qualities, thank Heaven they are fast running out." From this description it will be observed that \ery little jirogress had been made in swine lireeding during the first twenty years after the county was settled.

The first swine of an improved breed of w hich there is anv definite knowledge was brought here in 1850. l-".lislia D. Irwin, who is still living, purchased of a man named Bothwell in the eastern part of Noble count}" a siiw of the breed known as the Irish (irazier and hrought her to liis farm on Elkhart ])rairie. At the same time lesse D. Vail, of Benton township, sent with ]\rr. Irwin and bought a pig of the same man. Mr. Irwin brought both of them in a wagon, the distance he hauled them being over thirt}- miles. Both Mr. Irwin and Mr. Vail bred this strain of hogs for a number of vears. They were so far superior to the native breed that a ready sale was found for all surplus stock for breeding purposes, and in five or six years they were extensively 1)red all over that section of the country. The swine referred to were white and of attractive appearance. They somewhat resembled the old Chester Whites, but those who bred them pronounced them su- perior to that breed. It required about eighteen months to mature and fatten them, so it can be readily understood that they would not be adapted to present day conditions. Just after the Cix'il war Mr. Irwin brought from Illinois several Poland China hogs, and this breed at once became popular, because they matured and fattened at a much earlier age than any other swine then known. This popularity has continued to the present ilay, and it is safe to assert that there is in this count}' more Poland China Iilriod than there is of auv (itlier breed of hiigs. 1(1 Mr. Irwm, as far as can be learned, must be given the credit nf inti'diUicing intu this county two of the impro\'ed breeds of swine, both nf which became pnpular and each une of \\hich was the means of increasing materially the profits of those who engaged in swine breeding. For a time the Berkshires were popular, especiallv along in the "70s. About the same time the Chester Whites were also quite extensi\ely bred, but neither of these is largely represented in the county at present. Both nf them were supplanted to a great extent by the Poland China. During the past fifteen years the O. I. C. swine have become ([uite popular in certain sections, particularlv in the southeast ])art of the county. The Durocs ha\-e been introduced but not to any great extent. However, this breed gives promise nf becoming one of the profitalile breeds of the future.

The cattle which the pioneers lirought with them were scrulis. but as a rule they were a better type of animals than were the swine. They were kept until they were four years old before they were slaughtered, and when marketed at that age they brought from twelve to fifteen dollars. They were neither of the beef nor the dairy type, but were used for all purposes. The cows furnished the family's supplv of milk and butter, but that was all. The steers on a good many farms were trained for work, the ox team then being in continuous use. Such animals as were not used for either of these purposes were killed for beef. The breeding of blooded stock as a specialty or as a branch of general farming was not begun until after 1850. The first blooded animal concerning which there is any positive knowledge was a Short-hom cow, owned by .Vlexander Irwin. This cow was purchased in 1833 of a man who was driving a herd of blooded cattle through from Pennsylvania to this state and selling them wherever he found a buyer. Whether they were pure-bred animals or only a good type of grades is not known. Mr. Irwin bought the cow referred to expecting to establish a herd of that breed of cattle on his farm, but he died in 1835 and his plans never materialized. The ordinary scrub cattle were all that were to be seen here for over two decades after the county was settled. The first man to bring pure Ijrecl cattle into the county and engage in Ijreeding them was John D. Klsea. of Benton township, better known in that section of the county as Squire Elsea. He established a herd of Shorthorns which became known far and wide as the finest herd of cattle in the county. His foundation stock came from \\'ayne county. Indiana. The first animal of this breed that he had was presented to him by an uncle who lived in that county. It is believed by some individuals that the blood came originally from the celebrated herd of General Sol Meredith, of Cambridge City, but there is now no evidence to establish this as a fact. A few years after Mr. Elsea established his herd Joseph Rippey engaged in Ijreeding the same class of cattle, his foundation stock having been procured from the Elsea herd. Mr. Rippey continued breeding Short-horns until a short time before his death, which occurred in May, 1893. Archibald Kinnison, another Benton township man, also engaged in the breeding of Short-horns soon after Mr. Elsea did. he, too. purchasing stock of ^Ir. Elsea. For many years these three men were known as among the leading Short-horn breeders of northern Indiana. The Elsea herd was continued by Edwin D. Elsea. a son of John D. Elsea, until about two years ago. when Mr. Elsea sold the greater numb'er of his animals at a dispersion sale. Mr. Rippey's herd was disposed of at public sales in i8go and 1892, only a few individuals being kept by him, and these were sold at a sale shortly after his deatli. W. W". McV'itty, of Jefferson township, was for a long time engaged in the Iireeding of Short-horns, and he also gained (|uite a reputation as a breeder. A part of his foundation stock was purchased by Mr. Kinnison. Mr. McA'itty dieil in 1883. but his herd was continued for some years afterward liy bis wife and daughter. Philip F. Nye, also of Jeliferson township, is at present one of the leading l>reeders of Short-horns in the count}-. The foundation stock for his herd was procured largely from the Rippey herd. It will be observed, therefore, that much of the same blood has continued through the leading herds of Short-horns in the county since the first importation by Mr. Elsea in the '50s. While there are not as many herds of pure bred Short-horns as one would expect to see a half century after their introduction into the county, the blood has been pretty thoroughly diffused and there are comparatively few farms outside of the dairy farms upon which it is not represented. The grade Short-horn is the prevailing type of cattle bred by the average farmer of Elkhart county. The breed was first crossed upon the native cattle, and the 1>reeding up has continued until most of the progressive farmers have high grade Short-horns on their farms.

About twenty years ago the Elerefords were intrcjduced, and a great effort was made tO' bring them into popularity. It was freely predicted by the more enthusiastic Hereford breeders that they would supplant the Short-horns in a few years, but that prediction failed to come to pass. Several herds which had attained some prominence were dispersed and the breeders of them (juit the cattle business after ha\-- ing expended considerable nKuiey f. ir which they received no return. Their failure was not due tO' lack of merit in the breed, but to tlie extravagant prices paid for foundation stock. At present some of the leading farmers of Clinton township are interesting themsebes in the Herefords, and they may yet become a popular breed in the county.

Dairying did not begin to command attention until a number of years after the general live stock industry had gained a foothold. -\t one time there were se\-cral hreeders of Ayrshires in the county, and that lireed was looked u])i)n with consideraljle favor. Tlie Holsteins also have been bred, but not t(i any great extent. The Jersey has been the leading breed of dairy cattle in this count)' fur fully a third nf a .centurv. and few others are bred at the present time. At first their merits were but little appreciated, many people whn saw them at the countv fairs taking them for scrubs. This was doubtless be(;ause of the unfavorable appearance they made b}- the side of the handsome Short-liorns. It is said that at one of the fairs some time in the V)os Elijah .\dams, of \\'ashington township, exhibited a small herd of Jersevs, and seme of the visitors at the fair expressed sur])risc that sucli inferior looking cattle slmnld 1)C ])lace<l on exhibition. In reijly to their inquiries Hon. John E. Thompson jocularly remarked that they were exhibited to show the sniieriority of blooded cattle ( Sliort-horns ) over scrulis. But the (lisfa\'or with which they were met by th(ise who were partial to the Sh.ort-horns did not prevent them from growing steadily into fav(jr as a dairy breed. Today upon all of the best dairy farms are to be found herds of pure bred or high grade Jerseys. .\nd dairying as a specialty has grown from a insignificant beginning to be a profitable industry, but onl\' in limited areas is it made a specialty. On many farms it is carried on with profit as an adjunct to

Sheep were brought here b}- some of the earliest settlers, and they have been raised in the county continuously. Like the other animals the first sheep kept by our pioneer farmers were scrubs, and for twenty years or more no other sheep were known. They were kept for the purpose of supplying wool for home use. the ])roduct being woven into cliidi and matle into garments. Major Violett. who located in the vicinity (if Waterford in 18^9. kept a large Hnck of sheep, probably the largest in the cnur.ty for a numl)er nf years. ( )f the first blooded sheep to be lirDUgiu int(.i the count}- but little is known. The first man to exhibit them at the county fair was \\'illiam Long, of Benton township. This was in the early '50s. The Mathers, nf Middlebury. als(j began l;reeding them at an earl\- da\'. but whether thev or Mr. Long were the first there are no data tn show. The blooded sheep of that day were the Merinos. That kind continued to be brerl cjuite extensively for thirty years or more, but there are \'er\' few of them in the county now. They have been supplanted by the mutton breeds, including the Shropshires, the SouthdoAvns and Oxfords. The first named are the most numerous of any. While there are not as many pure bred sheep in the county as there oug"lit to be the grades of the Shropshire are to be found in a great many flocks.

It is rinly in recent }-ears that poultry raising as an important branch of farming or as a Inisiness in itself has recei\'ed particular attention. From the time when the first settlements were made here each farmer kept a few chickens, and some of them kept ducks and geese. Many of the settlers brought a sufficient number of chickens with them to start a flock, and others bought a few of their neighbors after they came. Occasionally peddlers came from the east bringing chickens with them to sell to the people of the new country. Elisha Irwin tells of a man who traveled through the county in 1833 or 1834, driving a flock of geese which he was selling as he found buyers. Probably no more peculiar method of marketing poultry of any kind than this was ever heard of. The fowls that were kept by the early settlers here were of the common mongrel breed, or perhaps it would be more nearly correct to say no breed at all. They were of every color, size and form. They laid plentv of egfgs in the summer but none at any other time of the ^-ear. Their flesh was of a quality far inferior to that of the improvefl breeds of fowls that are kept now. Just when blooded chickens were introduced is not known nor is it known who introduced them. Jacob I'lieffer, Jr., of l\[i(klleljury township, and the Latta's of Elkhart township, were among the first farmers to liegin improving their flocks of poultry by the introchiction ot blooded stock. The first pure lireed chicken that was lirought in was the old Shanghai some time in the '50s. They were greatly inferior to the improved breeds of the present day, but they were so far superior to the water fowls that they immediately found favor with the progressive farmers. After the Shanghais came the Brahmas and the Cochins, which were still better. These were the leading meat breeds that were ke])t here during the *6os and '70s, Tlie first of the egg-producing breeds were the Black Spanish and the Humbugs. They were here about the same time with the Cochins and the Brahmas. AlMUt 1870 or a little before the American Dominiques made their appearance and were piii)ular for a time. These were the first of the American breeds as well as the first general-purpose breed. In the earl\- "80s the PlynKuith Rncks were introduced here, and they at once became very popular. This popularity has continued to the present time, and the}' have proxed to be profitable. On most of the farms outside of those which have made a specialty of egg production can be found Plymouth Rock blood. The Wyandottes have been introduced in \-er^- recent years, and they are beginning to share with the Plymouth Rock the popularity which the former has monopolized as a general purpose fowl. The Black Spanish have been succeeded by the Leghorns as egg producers on most of the farms upon which eggs are made the ])rincipal feature of the poultr\- business. The poultry industry is steadily growing in importance, es])ecially in the vicinity of the cities and towns where there is usually a good home market, as well as excellent facilities for shipping the products to the markets of the large cities.

While the improved stock, including poultry, which can be seen upon most of the farms of the county at this time, shows a progress beyond the wildest dreams of even the most advanced among the pioneer farmers, the methods of caring for the farm animals show fully as niMch advancement. In the early days very little of the stock enjoyed the comfort of being housed. It was about as much as could be done to provide shelter for the faithful team, and that was not always what could have been desired. The rest of the stock had to content themselves with whatever protection the woods and the bushes afiforded them. The chickens were permitted to roost in the trees, so it is not to be wondered at tliat there were no eggs except in summer. Tiie stock of tliose days must ha\'e been as hardy as were the pioneers themselves, who were able to endure the rigors of the severe winters with no more shelter than was afforded by the hastily constructed log cabins. Notwithstanding their hardiness those animals had few qualities which would commend them to the farmers of the twentieth century. It is not surprising that stock-raising was neither a pleasant nur a ])nifital)le ])art of the early settlers' fanning operations.

The county fairs, the first of which was held in 185 1 and the last in 1893, exercised a wholesome inlluence upon the agriculture of the county and contributed materially toward its progress. These fairs were held under the auspices of the Elkhart County Agricultural Society, which was organized in 185 1. But long before this an agricultural society had been proposed, as is shown by the following extract from the commissioners' record: At May session, 1836. "ordered that the clerk write six advertisements that there will be held at the court house in the town of Goshen on the last Saturday nf June next a meeting for the ])urpose of organizing a county agricultural society, and that the sheriti:' set up the same in the nmst public places in the county." No permanent result seems to ha\-e followed this action of the board. The history of the county's agriculture would l)e incomplete without some menti(in of this society and the exhibits it held from year to year. The first ofticers of the organization were: Ebenezer ]\1. Chamberlain, president: C. A. Hinman, vice-president; Charles L. IMurray, secretary: Nathan Smiley, treasurer. The first fair was held in the court yard at Goshen. October 24 and 25 of the same year. There was what was then considered an excellent exhibit of the products of the farm, including grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as live stock. In later years the same exhibit would have been considered very small and inferior in quality. In the live-stock department horses were well represented, there being a total of forty-fi\e. There were Init sixteen head of cattle, nine sheep and four hogs. According to the secretary's reiiort there was not shown at the fair a single pure lired animal of any kind. Among the exhibitors that year \\ere Elias Paul, lr\in \'incent, George P. Rowell. S. H. W'eyburn. 'S\. .M. Latta. Azel Sparklin. Peter Fetters. James Canton. William A'esev, J. ^^'. \'iolett. Matthew Rippey, Henry G. Da\'is. Thomas ]\Iiller and Aimer Blue, names wliicli were well known througlnuit the county at that time and for years afterward and uKun'

The fairs continued to be held in the court yard and court house for four years, when a small plat of ground, consisting of four acres, was purchased for fair ground purposes. This ground was located on the south side of Madison street in Goshen and extended some distance east and west of Ninth street. Later a tract of ten acres was purchased about half way between Goshen and Waterford and fitted up for fair ground purposes. In 1866 and from 1868 to 1873, inclusive, no fairs were held. In 1874 a fine tract of land consisting of twentynine acres lying just outside of the corporate limits of Goshen on the east side of the Ft. Wayne road, was purchased by a joint stock company organized for this purpose, and leased to the society. The lease also stipulated that the society should have the privilege of purchasing the grounds at some time in the future, which was done. In 1874 a successful fair was held on the new ground, and this continued for a period of nineteen years. In 1892 the agricultural society became embarrassed financially and a year later, after holding an unsuccessful fair, it practically disbanded. Subsequently the beautiful grounds were sold, and for twelve years past Elkhart county has held no fairs.

There is no doubt that the Elkhart County Agricultural Society and the fairs which it held from year to year were instrumental in advancing materially the agricultural interests of the county. The exhibits and the contests for prizes created a friendly rivalry among the farmers and live stock breeders and stimulated them to make greater efiforts for excellence in their respective lines of farming and stockraising. They demonstrated the superiority of well bred stock over the scrubs which many farmers had previously been breeding. The}^ afforded an opportunity for the farmers to meet, compare notes and exchange experiences. Each annual fair was a milestone which marked the progress which had been made during the previous )-ear. j\t the first three fairs addresses were delivered on some subject relating to agriculture, a feature -which was discontinued after the third year. In studying the progress in agriculture and horticulture in Elkhart county the fairs must be reckoned as a potent factor in this development.

.\nother movement for good in this direction is the farrners" institute. The farmers of this county began to hold their institutes three years before the fairs ceased to be held, and during that time each one proved to be a valuable supplement to the other. The first institute ever held in Elkhart county was in the circuit court room in Goshen January 22 and 23. 1890. The writer hereof presided over the meeting and served for two years thereafter as president of the association, under whose auspices the institutes were held. The maj'or of Goshen, Charles \\'. Miller, now attorney general of Indiana, delivered an address of welcome on behalf of the cit)'. The speakers furnished by the state for that occasion \\ ere : Professor \\ . C. Latta, of Purdue University, superintendent of farmers' institutes ; Hon. J. J. W. Billingsley. of Indianapolis, the editor nf the Drainage Journal; Hon. Jaiues .\. Ali.iunt, afterward o-nvernor nf Indiana, and his accomplished wife: Hon. J. X. Latta, of Haw Patch, now deceased. The work of these speakers was supplemented by home talent. The presidents of the institute from the time of its inception to the present time are H. S. K. Bartholomew. P. T. Nye, W. S. Smith, John C. Mehl, William M. Mitchell, Hon. John E. Thompson, John Scrannage, Jacob J. Zollinger, Edson C. Bartholomew and Samuel A. Hoover.

.\n institute has been held each year from 1890 on, and nearly e\-ery subject in which the farmer is interested has received attention. In the [iast two or three years besides the regular county institute held at the county seat supplementary meetings of one or two days each have been held in one or more of the smaller towns of the county. In Februar}-, 1895, the round-up mstitute for the state was held in this county, and there was a three days' session. During the fifteen years since the first institute was held the advancement which agriculture and kindred industries have made has been very satisfactcjry. The progressive farmers of the county have taken a deep interest in the work, and through them an interest has been aroused in their less enterprising neighbors. A greater number of farmers have become careful students of their business than ever had been before the institutes were held. More attention has been gi\-en to the business side of farming. The number of farmers who have taken up specialties in one line or another has been increased. In fact there has been a decided impnn-ement in the agriculture of the whole county. This im])rovement has resulted in increased profits, more prosperous farmers and a more contented rural population. It is true that not all of this advancement of the past fifteen years can be credited to the institutes. The agricultural press has played an important part, and there have been other influences at work which have contributed toward the result. But to the institutes must be aiven credit for no small share of it.

The county is admirably adapted for the growing of most of the staple farm crops and tiie raising of all kinds of live stock. Wheat was formerly the leading money crop of Elkhart county farmers, hut for the past ten years it has not been very profitable. Onl\- two good crops have been raised since 1894 - that of 1897. which was 868,870 bushels, and of 1898 - 893,758 bushels. The crop last year was almost a total failure, falling to 120,260 Ixishels. On account of the partial failures year after year the acreage sown has greatly fallen off. Corn has come to be the most profitable of the grain crops. The smallest yield of corn for eleven years past was that of 1894, which was 1,074.922 bushels. In 1900 it rose to 1,547,269 bushels. The largest crop of oats in the last eleven years was 660.264 bushels, in 1894. But a comparatively small portion of the corn and oats are marketed as grain, the greater part being fed to the live stock. There is a large acreage adapted to the production of hay, and. in recent years this has grown to be an important crop. Like corn and oats the bulk of the hay produced is fed on farms. Last year's yield of timothy hay was 20,828 tons and of clover 24,698 tons; for 1903 the figures for these two crops were 19,713 and 31,827 tons, respectively. Besides, there were 13,000 bushels of clover seed that year. In 1903, 198,573 bushels of potatoes were grown. To realize the increase in the production of these crops in three-cjuarters of a century it is only necessary to recall the statements previously made in this chapter, that for a few years after the first settlers came here each farmer raised only a small field of wheat and corn, a little patch of potatoes and occasionally nne had a patch of oats, enough of these articles for the sustenance of man and beast for the coming year. And the hay crop on each farm consisted of a few loads of coarse marsh hay. In 1830, when the county was organized, the total population was nine hundred and thirty-five. This means that the number of farmers and farms would not exceed two hundred. How insignificant were the crops grown in small plats here and there by this handful of farmers is not difficult to understand.

The number of horses in the county in 1904 was 10,363; cattle. 23,602; sheep, 33,164; hogs, 46,595. The wool clip was 144,686 pounds. The dairy interests were represented by the productions of 753,026 pounds of butter and 3,338.671 gallons of milk. The poultry product in 1903 was 30.506 dozen of fowls and 578,711 dozen of eggs; in 1904 it was 10,125 dozen and 748,465 dozen. \Miile these figures make a very creditable showing there is a possibility of their being gTeatly increased. The farmers of this county have made advancement from year to year, and the successful management of their farms shows tlie most of them to be abreast of the times. But there is still room for a vast improvement. The farms of the county are naturally fertile and they embrace nearly every known variety of soil. They are capable of sustaining a much larger population than the county now contains. The live stock interests could be greatly increased and the poultry and dairy product could easily be doubled. .\s agricultural education becomes more widely disseminated through the medium of the farmers' institutes, the agricultural press and the schools, these resources will be more fully developed.

There is perhaps no one thing which has done more for the advancement of agriculture than the improvement of transportation facilities. When all crops had to lie hauletl a distance of a hundred miles or more by wagon and all merchandise that was brought here had to be hauled a like distance in the same way. each farmer could place but a small portion of his products upon the market. The building of the first railroad ditl much to simplify the transportation problem. There are now three roads which pass the whole distance through the county, the Lake Shore and Wabash east and west and the Big Four north and south. The Indiana Railway, electric, runs about half way through - from Goshen to the western boundary. Besides, the Baltimore & Ohio passes within a short distance of the southern boundaiy and touches at the .southwest corner. These roads cany oiu" surplus products to the great cities, where they are either consumed or shipped to more remote parts of the earth. The public highways have been impro\-ed so that local transportation is not the difficult matter that it was even a quarter of a century ago. The cities within our own boundaries are easily reached over these excellent highways, and they afford a home market for a goodly portion of what there is to sell. The splendid market facilities afford an incentive for growing the most and the best of everything the farm will produce.

Not the least in importance, perhaps it would be better to say most important of all, is the change in the farmer's home and his environments. The cabin of round logs was superseded as quickly as possible by the he\\-ed log house and this a few years later by the plain frame dwelling. Later still came brick houses. The frame house and the brick house are still with us, but each has undergone changes and improvements from year to year until it no longer resembles the original type from wliich it descended. The strictly modern farm dwelling, with the latest improvements and conveniences, makes a favorab'le comparison with the modern city residence. Yet, where stands some of the splendid productions of architecture which constitute the ideal type of comfort and attractiveness once stood the rude, humble round-log cabins of our forefathers. The transformation, pleasing to contemplate, seems almost incredible. And of everything that has been mentioned there is no advancement more commendable than that wdiich has improved the home and its surroundings and made it more congenial to its inmates. Herein has been traced briefly and necessarily in a very incomplete way the development of agriculture in Elkhart county. In some respects, doubtless, this de\-elopment is typical of the progress that has been made in every other county in the state. In other respects it probably diiifers from that of any other place. But whether like or unlike that of any other section of the country it can be truthfully said that the pioneer farmers of Elkhart county and their immediate successors did their work well. They laid a good foundation for wdiat has been done since they came and is being done now in the way of agricultural development. They came there when this region was a forest, unbroken save here and there by a small area of prairie land, and they transformed it into splendid farms. They found it the dwelling place of savages; they converted it into homes fit for the habitation of the best race of people on earth. And we who have come into possession of the goodly heritage which they left when they were called from the scenes of their arduous labors should not be remiss in giving them due credit for their achievements.