Redwood County, Minnesota - Chapter 30: Agriculture of Today, 1916

Chapter 30: Agriculture of Today

Redwood county is situated on the southern bank of the Minnesota river, in the southwestern part of the state. It is about 100 miles from St. Paul and Minneapolis, with which it is connected with the M. & St. L. and the Northwestern railroads.

The population of the county in 1910 was 18,425, of which 14,968 were native born, the foreign population being as follows: Germany, 1,527; Sweden, 268; Norway, 499; Great Britain and Ireland, 147; Austria, 247; Denmark, 458; other countries, 361. Their occupations are the ones incident to farm life. Two marble dressing establishments and a few cement plants constitute the manufacturing industry. Everything else in the county, the professions, merchandising and the like, are all dependent upon the farmers for their support.

The agriculture of any section is controlled to a great extent by its climate. The main factors which limit the growth of crops are temperature, rainfall and the amount of sunshine. In Renville county these elements are so favorable that a majority of the crops common to the temperate zone may be successfully grown and a failure in the important crops is unknown.

Rainfall is an important factor for most crops, because the amount of water in the soil at the critical period of development of the plant is necessary to produce a large crop. The length of the growing season is also very important and probably no other factor from the standpoint of the farmer should be given more consideration.

Redwood county is favored with these factors which help to make successful production of crops. The following statistics on the climatic conditions of the county are from the reports of the United States Department of Agriculture Weather Bureau from observations taken at Bird Island only a few miles from this county, over a period of twenty-two years.

Average precipitation (rainfall), 24.57 inches; average precipitation (snowfall), 25.8 inches; highest temperature recorded, 105 degrees; lowest temperature recorded, - 38 degrees; prevailing wind direction, northwest; average date of first killing frost in autumn, September 25 ; average date of last killing frost in spring, May 9; earliest date of killing frost in autumn, September 9;

The distribution of the rainfall is particularly favorable to agriculture, being in favorable years heaviest during the crop season and ample for the full development of crops. The most rainfall from the reports is shown to be in the months of April, May, June, July and August. The average date of the last killing frost in the spring and the first in autumn are May 9 and September 25, respectively. This gives an average length of growing season of 139 days which is ample for the growing of corn.

The soil of Redwood county is a black loam surface on all the prairie portion of the county, which runs into a brown sand surface along the streams, all being underlain with clay. In some portions of the county, such as the soil that is found along the bluffs of the Minnesota river, a very fine sand crops out in places, which is also true of portions of the Redwood river. There soils carry a very high percentage of mineral matter and while they are not regarded as a heavy soil they are very fertile and are much easier to handle than the extremely heavy soils. The soil is quite uniform in type and the shallow depressions which are seen over most of the county only need drainage to make them as valuable as the rest of the county.

The following outline of a survey of the soils of the county was taken in the fall of 1915 and shows the various types of soil found in the county, also the condition of the soil with reference to acidity.

Redwood County Soil Samples. Field 1 - Sec. 3 - 112 - 36. N. "W. Cobleigh, P. 0. Redwood Falls. Soil is a black loam surface, with a clay subsoil - neutral soil. Alfalfa sown alone 6/15, 12 pounds of Grim seed per acre. Stand 100 per cent. Inoculation 25.

Field 3 - Sec. 18 - 112 - 36. W. D. Lines, P. O. Redwood Falls. Soil is a brown sand surface, limestone pebbles, with a loam subsurface with clay subsoil - neutral soil.

Field 4 - Sec. 26 - 112 - 37. W. H. Gold, P. 0. Redwood Falls. Soil is a dark fine sand surface with a heavy loam subsoil (alluvial) - neutral soil.

Field 8 - Sec. 19 - 112 - 38. S. F. Scott, P. 0. Vesta. Soil is a black sandy loam, with a clay subsoil - neutral. Sown 5-15-14 with one bushel barley, S. D. seed used. Inoculation with Commercial culture, stand 80 per cent. Inoculation 100 per cent. Seed was covered too deep.

Field 10 - Sec. 16 - 112 - 39. Christ Rust, P. 0. Vesta. Soil is a black fine sand surface, with a clay subsoil. Alluvial surface - intense acid.

Field 15 - Sec. 10 - 110 - 39. John Christianson, P. 0. Walnut Grove. Soil is a black fine sand surface, with a sand subsoil - alluvial - strong acid.

Field 24 - Sec. 27 - 110 - 37. Stewart Rogers, P. 0. Lamberton. Soil is a black clay loam surface, with a clay subsoil. Sown alone in 1915, S. D. seed. Stand 100 per cent. Inoculation 25 per cent. Neutral.

Field 26 - Sec. 19 - 109 - 36. G. W. Roger, P. 0. Lamberton. Soil is a brown sandy loam surface, with a clay subsoil - slight acid. Sown in 1914, after wheat, with S. D. seed. Stand 85 per cent. Died out in spots, winter killed. Inoculation 50 per cent.

Field 27 - Sec. 22 - 109 - 36. John Voss, P. 0. Sanborn. Soil is a dark fine sand surface, with a sand subsurface and clay subsoil - ( alluvial ) - neutral.

Field 29 - Sec. 20 - 110 - 35. C. G. Lawrence, P. 0. Springfield. Soil is a black loam, with an old alfalfa field. Clay subsoil. Stand 100 per cent. No inoculation found. Neutral soil.

Field 30 - Sec. 5 - 110 - 35. M. Neudecker, P. 0. Clements. Soil is a black loam surface, with a clay subsoil. Old alfalfa field. Stand 100 per cent. Plant crowns small 5-10 stalks. No inoculation found. Grass is crowding in. Slight acid.

Field 41 - Sec. 31 - 113 - 35. D. F. Crimmins, P. 0. Redwood Falls. Soil is a deep fine sandy loam surface, with a gravel subsoil (alluvial) - neutral. Is on top of bank between Minnesota and Redwood rivers. Sweet clover growing along the road.

Field 43 - Sec. 14 - 113 and 114 - 36. H. Mority, P. 0. Delhi. Soil is a brown sandy loam surface, with a clay subsoil - neutral. Field 44 - Sec. 35 - 113 and 114 - 36. D. W. Whittet, P. 0. Redwood Falls. Soil is a black loam surface, with a clay subsoil - neutral.

Field 45 - Sec. 14 - 112 - 36. J. F. Connor, P. 0. Redwood Falls. Soil is a black loam surface, with a clay subsoil - intense acid. Old alfalfa field. Stand 100 per cent. Inoculation 100 per cent.

Field 46 - Sec. 28 - 112 - 36. Wm. Johnson, P. 0. Redwood Falls. Soil is a black loam surface, with a clay subsoil - neutral. Field 47 - Sec. 8 - 111 - 36. G. I. Davis, P. O. Redwood Falls. Soil is a black loam surface with a clay subsoil - distinct acid.

Field 48 - Sec. 21 - 111 - 36. S. A. Witwer, P. O. Redwood Falls. Soil is a black loam surface with a clay subsoil - distinct acid. Old field, common seed used. Stand 85 per cent. Inoculation 50 per cent.

The first settlers located at Redwood Falls attracted by the water power. From Redwood Falls they spread up and down the Minnesota, and up the Redwood river. A few settlements were also made along the Cottonwood. The early railroads came to Redwood Falls and across the southern part of the county, and the development of the central part of the county did not come until many years later.

The parts of Minnesota over which the last continental ice sheet passed, is characterized by many lake-like depressions which hold water until late in the season, which not only makes considerable wet area, but prevents the early seeding of crops in the spring. Redwood county lies within this portion of the Btate and the farmers and officials of the county realize the necessity of drainage to this section and also the value of the land when it is drained. Up to the present time many thousands of dollars have been spent on drainage projects within the county and there is still under construction an extensive system of county and judicial ditches. These systems of drainage provide an outlet for the farms within their territory. Complete drain- age can then be taken up by the individual farmers and the entire area can be thoroughly drained. As the drainage of the county has become more important it has become necessary to change the system that was started a few years ago. This is partly due to a better understanding of the work and partly due to an increase in the value of the land which has made it possible to bond the county heavier and thus put in more thorough systems of drainage. At the present time the old plow ditch, as it was called, is not in use at all. It, however, served its purpose and at one time was the only kind of drainage used in the county. The new system in use at the present time, and which was started a few years ago, provides for both open and tile ditches for main outlets. In many cases it being necessary to use an open ditch where it would not be practical to use tile on account of the excessive cost. The benefits of drainage are readily recognized by everyone and it is only necessary to travel a short distance in Redwood county until a good demonstration can be found as to the practicability of draining land. There is no one thing which will add more to the returns of a farm than a good thorough system of tile drainage. There is no upkeep to the system when properly laid; there is no waste land where the tile are placed and the productive capacity of the land is doubled by the constant water level. It goes hand in hand with road building which requires the removal of the surplus water before permanent roads can be built. These facts are all being made use of in the plans for drainage systems in the county and many sections of the county are in first class shape at the present time.

The natural outlet for all drainage in Redwood county is the Minnesota river. The Redwood river and the Cottonwood river, each supplemented by their tributaries carrying the water to the Minnesota. The Redwood river supplemented by Ramsey creek and Clear creek, takes care of the northwestern portion of the county, and the Cottonwood river, supplemented by Sleepy Eye creek on the north, which is the largest factor in direct drainage in Redwood county, and the several smaller creeks to the south, takes care of the southern, central and eastern portion of the county. The divide which separates the water going to the Minnesota river and the water going to the Des Moines river being located south of Tracy.

The farmers of Redwood county are taking up the idea of diversified farming very fast and the single crop system is being discarded almost entirely by the more stable system of growing corn, clover and livestock. Redwood county has proven its place as a great corn growing county, not only in the quantity produced, but also in the quality of the product, and the corn that is shown at any of the corn shows in this vicinity, or the larger shows, amply proves this fact. At the present time several men in the county have taken up the breeding and improvement of corn for this locality ; among these are, Thomas Hoskins, of North Redwood, who has done exceptionally well with Minn., No. 13; S. 0. Mason & Sons, of Redwood Falls, with Minn., No. 13 and Silver King, and H. C. Lau, of Tracy, with Silver King. These men have established their corn and the varieties grown by them are the most prominent. There are many others in the county who have taken up the improvement of corn in a less degree and all are working toward the type of corn that is safe and matures well.

The climatic conditions of Redwood county are such that practically all of the crops common to the corn belt area can be grown successfully, the predominating ones being corn, oats, wheat, barley and rye with flax grown to some extent and buckwheat to a less degree. Among the tame grasses, timothy and red top are the most common, and these along with red clover, alsyke clover and alfalfa, which produce wonderful yields in all parts of the county, constitute a great combination for hay and pasture, as well as the important part which the clovers and alfalfa play in a crop rotation.

The growing of fruit in the county has become an important factor and at the present most of the common varieties of apples and plums are grown besides the bush fruits, such as raspberries, gooseberries and currants. The fruit grown in the county is all used locally, and on most of the farms all of the fruit needed for home use is produced. There is but one nursery in the county, belonging to J. M. Kenyon, of Lamberton, which does considerable business in that locality. The majority of the nursery stock used in the county comes from outside sources.

The beginning of alfalfa growing in Redwood county, just as iu many other sections of the country, cannot be said to have started at any particular, definite time. The early fields that were sown were certainly not started with the common opinion back of them, that the crop could be grown in this county with any degree of certainty. Much credit is, therefore, due to the first men who conceived the idea that this wonderful crop was worth a trial in this section of the country; and in this particular county. The way some of these older fields have developed and produced year after year is one of the biggest arguments in favor of encouraging the crop at the present time. It is true that there were many failures among these early fields, just as there are some failures today, and as there will, no doubt, continue to be for some little time yet. but these early pioneers who held their faith in the crop are today enthusiastic believers in alfalfa. It has proved itself worthy of consideration and more and more people are beginning to see the value of it, so much so that it can now be classed as one of the substantial crops of the county.

Previous to the year of 1914 there were a great many different varieties of alfalfa tried out by different people in this county; the seed was also varied, coming from many different sections, south as well as west and north. The Grimm alfalfa was among these and was tried by several different men, who were wont to risk a little more money than the average, and the results from this seed have been uniformly good. It has withstood the winters, yielded good crops of hay and in a few instances some seed has been produced. The scarcity of the seed, which in turn brought up the price, has kept it from general use among the majority of the people. Several different strains of South Dakota and Montana seed were also tried with varying success.

In the spring of 1914 a campaign was started to encourage more farmers in the county to try some alfalfa in a small way, it being proven by the foregoing statements that alfalfa could be grown profitably, if care and judgment were exercised in the seeding of the crop. At this time thirty bushels of South Dakota dry land alfalfa seed was shipped into the county. This seed was distributed on between forty-five and fifty different farms. This does not include a number of other men, who started a field, but who did not procure seed through this shipment. The germination and the purity of this seed was very high and as a result good stands were secured on all of the fields, with the exception of two or three. This seed was sown under almost all possible conditions ; some of it was seeded in the early spring with a nurse crop and some was seeded alone ; other fields were sown at various other times through the year from May until August. In the majority of the cases, however, the seeding was done without a nurse crop. During the forepart of June and under these conditions the success was exceptionally good. This was especially true, where the ground was plowed during the forepart of May and harrowed and disced continuously until the time of seeding. All of these fields showed a good green color in September and went into the winter in good condition. Out of this lot only two or three fields were inoculated, either with soil or Commercial inoculation, the great trouble being the high price of Commercial inoculation and the failure to get soil from old established fields. The effects of the inoculation, however, can be seen much better in the future and it is probable that as the acreage is increased more inoculation will be practiced. Each one of these fields has served to act as a demonstration, as the majority of the seed was sown on farms where alfalfa had never been grown before, and it has interested many who have thought little of it previous to this. This amount of seed covered about one hundred and thirtyacres and this, together with what was sown otherwise, would bring the alfalfa acreage up to about one hundred and eighty acres for 1914.

The livestock industry has grown with wonderful rapidity within the past few years and the number of cattle and hogs kept on each farm is increasing each year. The one serious drawback to the raising of hogs has been the scourge of cholera which has, at intervals, taken its toll of hogs in the county. In the year 1913 Redwood county passed through one of the worst scourges of hog cholera that it has ever experienced and nearly all parts of the county suffered heavy losses. At the beginning of November, 1913, when the county agent work was started in the country, a movement was started at once to hold the cholera in check for the coming year, if such a thing were possible. At the various meetings held in the county during the winter the cholera situation was taken up and the uses of serum, sanitation, etc., was discussed and by this means a clearer understanding of the disease was made to the people of the county.

Early in the spring of 1914 when a few of the first cases of cholera were reported the matter was taken up in detail with the state livestock sanitary board and with a representative of the board most of the township boards in the county were visited, and the matter of reporting outbreaks in their localities was taken up. At the same time the educational work was kept up at all meetings held in the county and a supply of serum was kept on hand for emergency use. Under this plan all outbreaks in the county were located and the disease did not assume the ravages that were apparent in 1913. This was, of course, due in part to a shortage of hogs in the county. In 1914 about 2,500 hogs were treated with serum with a saving of 90 per cent of the number treated, which shows very good results for the serum treatment, as in many of the herds the hogs were well advanced in the disease before the case was brought to the attention of the bureau. As a result of this careful watching there were but two cases of cholera in 1915 and these were of a very mild order. The direct organization of the work, handling of the serum, etc., was in charge of the county agent, J. E. Neil, and the results of this plan of work have been entirely satisfactory.

In the matter of the cattle industry, very rapid strides have been made. This industry shows up very prominently in the number of silos that have been built in the county during the past few years. In the year 1915 there were fifty-nine silos in the county on June 1st; in 1916 there were one hundred silos in the county on June 1st and this will have increased considerable by the time this goes to press. This method of handling the roughage is recognized by everyone who handles livestock, and the only reason that there are not more silos at present is a lack of capital on the part of some and the high cost of filling machinery. This, however, is rapidly being overcome by a number of farmers joining together and working co-operatively.

Nearly all types of silos are found in Redwood county, from the wood stave, which was one of the earliest types, to the cement stave silo, which is the latest. Within the past year a number of cement silos of the Keystone type, a cement stave silo, have been erected in the vicinity of Redwood Falls, where the blocks for this type of silo are made. This has also been true in the part of Redwood county adjacent to Springfield, where a number of the clay block silos have been built. Both of these types of silos are of the permanent variety and this is an important factor to consider in the erection of a silo. The silo is a wonderful monument to the development of present day agriculture and its appearance on the many farms throughout the county spells definite progress in the livestock industry in Redwood county.

The dairy industry, while it is not one of the largest industries in the county, it has held steady within the past few years. There are at present five co-operative creameries in Redwood county located at North Redwood, Morgan, Brookville township, Wabasso and Wanda, which handle the major portion of the cream in their territory. These creameries have all been in operation for some time with the exception of the Wanda creamery, which was built in 1914 as a result of the consolidation of three old creameries located in Sundown, New Avon and Waterbury townships. Private creameries are in operation in several villages. Cream shipping stations are maintained in all of the towns of the county where there are no creameries and several of the towns have cream shipping stations in addition to the creameries.

The breeders of pure-bred livestock are increasing in numbers each year and at this time nearly all breeds of cattle are represented, likewise hogs and horses. Among the herds of cattle that have gained considerable prominence outside the eounty is the herd of Holstein cattle owned by Gold, Wise, and Gold of Redwood Falls and the Hereford herd of R. W. Christy of Underwood township. Besides these are the Shorthorn herds of Peter McKay of Delhi and Malcolm Dennistoun of Redwood Falls, who have figured very prominently in the county.

The following list includes the various other breeders of purebred livestock in the county who have gained considerable prominence. Short Horn Cattle : Peter McKay, Delhi ; Thomas McKay,

Delhi; Banker & Dennistoun, Redwood Falls; Henry Petri, Redwood Falls; C. T. March, Redwood Falls; M. "W. Dennistoun, Redwood Falls; Douglas Allen, Redwood Falls; Charles Garnhart, Redwood Falls; D. M. Tiffany, Redwood Falls; John Rohlik, Vesta ; Frank Petri, Lucan ; Nash Bros., Tracy ; D. F. Riordan, Lamberton ; Wasson Quinn, Lamberton. Hereford Cattle : R. W. Christy, Vesta ; Frank Sheffield, Springfield ; C. H. Fredriksen, Clements, Nash Bros., Tracy; W. H. Cook & Son, Sanborn. Polled Durham Cattle : Archie McDougal, Wabasso ; J. M. Little, Seaforth. Aberdeen Angus Cattle: William Peterson, Belview; D. R. McCorquodale, Delhi; John Stevenson, Delhi. Holstein Cattle: Fred Hoepner, North Redwood; Gold, Wise & Gold, Redwood Falls ; H. S. Kleckner, Redwood Falls ; Byron Sweeley, Tracy ; Charles Hensch, Sanborn. Jersey Cattle : William Bondeson, Walnut Grove ; Axle Bondeson, Walnut Grove. Duroc Jersey Hogs: J. M. Little, Seaforth; Peter McKay, Delhi; Thomas McKay, Delhi; R, E. Fuller, Redwood Falls; J. F. Connor, Redwood Falls ; Michael Skow, Springfield ; H. C. Lau, Tracy ; Wasson Quinn, Lamberton. Poland China Hogs: Thomas McKay, Delhi; Douglas Allen, Redwood Falls:; C. T. March, Redwood Falls; Ernest Beerman, Wanda; T. A. Allen, Walnut Grove; D. F. Riordan, Lamberton. Chester White Hogs: John Ruder, Delhi; J. A. Metcalf, Redwood Falls; H. S. Kleckner, Redwood Falls. Percheron Horses: R. E. Fuller, Redwood Falls; C. C. King, Redwood Falls ; Banker & Dennistoun, Redwood Falls, Jens Scott, Vesta. Clydesdale Horses : D. A. Dennistoun, Redwood Falls. The poultry industry of Redwood county is one of its steady assets. Large numbers of poultry are kept on every farm and the production of eggs from Redwood county ranks among the best in the state ; likewise the shipments of live poultry from the country surrounding the towns. The reliability of the farm flock is well recognized in the county and on many farms the poultry take charge of a good share of the grocery bills. A poultry show is held each year at Walnut Grove and there are several fanciers around this town who have taken a keen interest in the poultry business. A poultry exhibit is also held in connection with the county fair each year at Redwood Falls which has shown an increasing number of entries each year.

The farm improvements in Redwood county are among the best. Large commodious houses occupy the place of the older ones which housed the early settlers and the large barn and house with its spacious surroundings is one of the common sights on Redwood county farms. On many farms in the county the houses are entirely modern, being equipped with electric light, furnace or hot water heat, running water throughout the house, with laundry room and labor-saving washing machinery on the interior. Large groves which form a protection from the severe

A friendly community spirit is maintained between the business men and farmers, which is one of the most lasting and beneficial steps to be found in any community. The banking institutions of the county offer encouragement to agricultural enterprises such as loaning money to build silos and offering premium money for exhibits of the various agricultural products in the county, all of which tend to cement friendship and help towards that ideal relationship between town and country that goes along with the well-balanced community.

The county has within its borders three high schools which maintain agricultural departments, located at Redwood Falls, Morgan and Lamberton. At each one of these schools a competent agricultural man is employed whose duties are to teach agriculture in the schools and to carry on extension work among the farmers of the district. These men have taken up various phases of agricultural development in their districts, among which might be mentioned the boys' and girls' club work, which consists of corn and pig contests for the boys and bread baking and gardening for the girls. Many other lines of work are also undertaken by these men, such as testing seed corn, pruning fruit trees, etc.

The county agent work was started in Redwood county on November 1, 1913, which made Redwood county one of the first counties of the state to take up this line of extension work. Under this new form of agricultural development a part of the expense is born by the state, a part by the United States Government, and the remainder is raised in the county. In Redwood county the work was started in 1913 with J. E. Neil as county agent. One of the first steps that was necessary was to get in touch with the people of the county and perfect some means of keeping in touch with all parts of the county at all times. The purpose of the work being to bring together the farmers of the county for mutual co-operation and to get in touch with some of the problems that were confronting them. Among the things which were taken up at the beginning of the work was the control of hog cholera and the introduction of alfalfa. These two projects occupied a good share of the time of the first years work during which time there was no direct organization in the county to plan out and direct the work. It being necessary for the agent to take up such work as he deemed advisable to be done or which was necessary at the time.

During the first year many miscellaneous problems came up besides the major ones, such as the selection of seed corn, encouragement of boys' and girls' club work, pruning fruit trees, the selection of desirable sires among cattle and hogs, etc. This continued until February, 1915, at which time the Farm Bureau was organized with representative men in nearly all of the townships of the county. By this plan a close contact was kept with all of the outlying parts of the county and more thorough and effective work was secured. Another phase of the work which occupied considerable time was the organization of farmers' clubs. This is one of the most effective means of developing community spirit and the result among the farmers' clubs of the county have shown this to be true. While most of the clubs were organized on the social basis many of them have taken up the commercial and educational side as well. Many other lines of work have been taken up, among these are the selection of breeding stock, farm management, drainage, silo construction, etc. This work was developing in standing and benefit to the people at a very rapid rate, but owing to a lack of funds the work was discontinued on August 1, 1916. This is a much regretted step by those in the county who were closely associated with the work and who were aware of what such an organization could do for the farmers of the county. The marks of the work of the organization and the county agent have been made and a great deal of credit is due to the loyal people who stood back of the plan in spite of an opposing board of county commissioners and the continuous deriding of those people who are found in every community and who oppose all progressive movements. During the brief period which this plan was in operation a big step in advance was made and the sudden lack of funds which caused the discontinuance of the work can only be marked with regret.

The railroads maintain stockyards at Belview, Delhi, North Redwood, Redwood Falls, Gilfillan, Morgan, Clements, Rowena, Wabasso, Lucan, Milroy, Wanda, Sanborn, Lamberton, Revere and Walnut Grove, this list embracing all the railroad stations in Redwood county except Wayburne.

Redwood county is acknowledged as being among the best and most prosperous stock-raising and agricultural counties in Minnesota. Its people are wideawake and keep step with the progressive march of the times in all that pertains to a civilization of happiness, industry and culture. The first permanent settlers of the county were farmers, and their object in coming was to till the soil.

All had many lessons to learn. Many of the pioneers were from foreign countries, and all the conditions were new. Some were farmers from the eastern states, and they, too, found circumstances absolutely changed. Some were men who had previously been engaged in other occupations, but who saw in the opening of Minnesota an opportunity to secure a farm, together with the health and longevity that come from outdoor life. All of them, regardless of their previous circumstances, were ahle and willing to work; they had industry and courage and they were determined to win.

In the face of obstacles of which they had previously no knowledge they started to carve their fortunes in the wilderness. The country was new, there was no alternative hut that success must he won from the soil, which was their only wealth and their only help. And in spite of all the obstacles and inconveniences, and notwithstanding the fact that in the face of many disasters hundreds of the pioneers left the county, those who stayed, and those who have come in since, have met with unbounded success. Nor is the end yet reached, for the county has in its agricultural and dairying resources a mine of wealth yet undeveloped, which, when the years roll on, will grow more and more valuable as the people become, through scientific methods, more and more able to utilize it.

The farms of Redwood county are similar to the farms of any other county having a rich soil. It has its good farms and its poor farms. Or, better stated, it has its good farmers and its poor farmers. Agriculture, like every other trade or profession, has its successes and its failures, but perhaps not as many complete failures.

The high altitude gives to Redwood county an ideal climate. Its mean temperature for summer is 70 degrees, the same as middle Illinois, Ohio, and southern Pennsylvania. The extreme heat that is felt in these states is here tempered by the breezes of the elevated plateau. Its higher latitude gives two hours more of sunshine than at Cincinnati. This, with an abundance of rainfall, 26.36 inches annually, on a rich soil, accounts for the rapid and vigorous growth of crops and their early maturity. There is a uniformity of temperature during the winter season in southern Minnesota, with bright sunshine, dry atmosphere, good sleighing and infrequent thaws that make life a pleasure in this bracing, healthy climate.

There was a time in Redwood county when, like all new lands, the first consideration was to build good barns for the housing of the flocks and herds, and the home was the most inconspicuous object in the landscape. As the farmers prospered, the log house disappeared, and now there are few log houses in the entire county. Now the farmer's house vies with the city residence, and has many of the modern conveniences. Where electric light and power cannot be secured, gasoline engines furnish power, and a number of farm houses are lighted by their own gas plants. By the use of elevated tanks in the house or barn, or pneumatic tanks in cellars, farm houses often have all the sanitary conveniences of a house in town. Farmers realize the value of keeping their property in the best of shape. Houses and barns are well painted, lawns are carefully kept and flower gardens show that the people recognize that the things which beautify add a value to life as well as to property.

The rural telephone reaches practically every farm house, which, with rural mail delivery and the newspapers, places the farmer in close touch with the great markets and with the current of affairs of the outside world. There is no longer any isolation such as existed in the early days when pioneering meant privation: no longer any need for the denial of many of the luxuries as well as the comforts of life. The farmer can have his daily newspaper and his daily market reports; he can have the advantage of the circulating library, and his table can be supplied with whatever the village or city market may have to offer. The changes of the half-century have been more marked in scarcely any direction than in the condtions which surround lif 3 on the farm. The plodding ox which did the field and farm work has disappeared; the gang plow, the mower, the seeder, the harvester and the steam thresher are doing the work so laboriously and imperfectly done by the scythe, the cradle, the hand-sower, the flail and the horse-power thresher. The buggy, the carriage and now the automobile are almost universal among the conveniences of the farm, while the sewing machine, the organ and the piano are familiar objects in the inner life of the farm home. The future doubtless holds still more in the way of conveniences and comforts, but it can give nothing beyond what the great service the farmer has rendered and is rendering the country in the way of its development merits. There cannot but be deep regret, however much it is in the nature of things, that so few of those who bore the heat and burden of the day in the years of beginnings, have survived to enjoy the fruits which their labors produced.

Deep and wide, The wheels of progress have passed on : The silent pioneer is gone. His ghost is moving down the trees, And now we push the memories Of bluff, bold men who dared and died In foremost battle, quite aside."

The threshing activities in Redwood county mark the birth of a new industry. The threshing of the grain each fall seems to be a sort of a natural part of the year's work and little is thought about it and the many changes that it has gone through in the past generation. In looking back over the development of the county it is easily seen, however, that the threshing of the grain is one of the most important parts of the scheme that goes to make up the agriculture of the county and a little mention of its place is perhaps well founded.

This region was primarily a grain country and for many years was used for that almost entirely, and from the time the first crop was grown the threshing of that crop was of direct importance. When the earliest settlers came to this county and began growing wheat there were few markets; the roads were mostly trails which followed the higher lands and threshing at that time was much more difficult than at present.

The first machines were small, were run by horsepower and had to be moved from place to place by means of horses. The machines were fed by hand and the straw had to be taken away from the rear end of the machine with horses. This was usually done by means of a "bucker," the straw being pulled off to one side and burned to get it out of the way. The horsepower was soon supplanted however, by the steam engine, a small twelve to fourteen horsepower engine that also had to be pulled about with horses. These engines were a great revelation and soon crowded out the old horsepower. They were small and light and burned straw. This did away with a lot of the horses that were required to run the old horsepowers. Soon after the steam engines came into use and began to be moved with their own power the trials of the thresher began to grow less. The self-feeder and the blower came into use nearly the same time and this made a decided difference in the size of the crew about the machine. The first feeder came into the county about the year 1894. The self-feeder is still in use but has been modified into what is known as the wing-feeder. This is especially true of the larger machines. The blower has come to stay with very few changes, bringing a great deal of satisfaction to farmer and thresher as well. The first gasoline engine was used in the county about the year 1907, and at the present this type of engine is growing rapidly and taking the place of the old steam engine. There are still a few straw burning engines in the county, but these are gradually declining in favor. This type of engine was a great boon in the early days when coal was scarce and straw was worthless to most people.

Right along with the changes that have taken place in the machines, many other factors have entered in. The first threshing rigs complete cost in the neighborhood of two thousand dollars, while at the present time one of the larger rigs will cost in the neighborhood of four thousand dollars and many of them more, depending on the engine used. The price of threshing, however, has varied little during this time. During the early days oats were threshed for three cents per bushel and wheat for five to seven cents per bushel, and these prices are about the average today. The crew at the present being about half as large as formerly. At the present time there are many private rigs, or rigs owned by three or four parties, in different parts of the county, and their use appears to be coming more general. In favorable years the threshing season usually lasts about two months, much of the grain being threshed from the stack. Some shock threshing is being done in all parts of the county, but in general the people do not wait for the machine but prefer to stack their grain instead.

Wild and Tame Grasses of Redwood County, by S. F. Scott, cashier of State Bank of Vesta. The wild grasses of Redwood county are numerous and different varieties thrive in the various kinds of soil and conditions. The upland grows the bluejoint grass which makes good pasture and hay. The lower lands grow the blue top grass which makes a fine grade of hay. The sloughs grow the ordinary slough grass and also the winter grass, which has a triangular stem and is of a rank dark green color and is not eaten by stock except in the winter time. It grows in water mostly and the cattle will walk on the ice in winter and eat it greedily.

The tame grasses most grown are timothy, red clover or the different varieties, alsike clover and white clover. There is a new clover appearing with a yellow bloom and it resembles alfalfa in some ways more than it does clover. The name of it is not known locally.

Alfalfa is being grown quite successfully of late years and there seems to be no difficulty in securing a good stand if the seed bed is firm enough and the seed is not covered too deeply. Inoculation is not found to be necessary but an application of lime would be quite beneficial. It is also good policy to apply a good coat of manure on the ground before seeding alfalfa. The greatest drawback to a good stand of alfalfa is to have the ground too loose when the alfalfa is seeded. On that account, the best results have been from sowing the seed on corn ground and making a fine seed bed by disking and dragging the corn stubble without plowing it. The disking and dragging is done several times between spring and the time of seeding and when the weeds have been eradicated the alfalfa is sown at the rate of eighteen pounds per acre, sometimes along with a nurse crop of barley sown at the rate of one bushel per acre and sometimes the alfalfa is sown alone. Broadcasting is considered the best way to sow, as a drill is apt to plant the seed too deeply in some places, and by broadcasting the seed is not buried so deeply. The roots rapidly grow in length and thickness and keep increasing with age.

year by stock, and they make their own living on it at all times except when it is covered with snow. S. P. Hicks of Tracy has five sections of land and keeps a part of it in blue grass pasture and always has on hand from 500 to 700 head of high grade Polled Angus cattle. C. Frederickson of Redwood Falls also has most of his land in blue grass pasture and keeps a large number of cattle. He gets good interest on land worth $100 per acre in that way.

The grass crop is becoming more important each year and farmers are beginning to realize that nothing will restore the fertility of the soil so quickly and at the same time give a good profit as the grass crop.

Farm Names

Many of the farm owners in Redwood county have shown their progressive spirit by giving names to their farms. Twentyone such names have been legally registered in the county, seven in 1910, two in 1911, none in 1912, four in 1913, two in 1914, four in 1915, and two in 1916.

County Fairs

The county fair, maintained for over forty years, has been a vital factor in the social and agricultural life of Redwood county. It has not only reflected the agricultural life of the people, but in many cases had led it. It has been a great "get-together" movement of all the residents in the county. Its prizes have encouraged development along all lines of farm and domestic endeavor. The fair, under capable management, and in the hands of enthusiastic supporters, is now in a flourishing condition, and is annually growing in importance, value and influence.

The original Redwood County Agricultural Society was organized in 1873 and held its first fair that fall on a tract of land on the west side of the Redwood river, not far from where the old road crossed that river at Redwood Falls. The first officers were: President, J. S. G. Honner; vice president, H. D. Baldwin; treasurer, E. A. Chandler; recording secretary, G. W. Braley; corresponding secretary, William B. Herriott.

In 1882 the society was reorganized and incorporated, and a tract of forty acres was purchased, this being the present site of the fair grounds. The incorporators were : T. H. King, Delhi; 0. A. Mason, Paxton; 0. L. Dornberg, Redwood Falls; A. D. McLean, Delhi; J. W. March, Paxton; G. E. McKay, Redwood Falls; A. E. King, Redwood Falls; George Holden, Delhi; Thomas March, Paxton; H. D. Everett, Redwood Falls; Archibald Stewart, Kintire ; A. T. Stevenson, Delhi ; Robert Parker, Three Lakes ; Andrew Stewart Delhi ; Henry F. Clippell, Honner ; I. M. Van Scaach, Redwood Falls and Franklin Ensign, Redwood Falls.

officers and the business men often being necessary to pay the current expenses, especially on those years when wet weather prevented a large attendance. The association, as incorporated in 1882 was to run twenty years. At the close of this period, the officers for many years having been Joseph Tyson, president; 0. L. Dornberg, secretary, and G. E. McKay, treasurer, the business of the association was closed. For several years thereafter street fairs were held at Redwood Falls, with agricultural exhibits in the court house. This was done under a new Redwood County Agricultural Society incorporated Aug. 21, 1905, by H. A. Baldwin, H. M. Aune, C. Fred Thompson, A. M. Welles, Frank G. Hubbard, A. M. Dennistoun, H. G. Schmahl, Julius A. Schmahl, 0. L. Dornberg, S. G. Peterson, W. H. Gold, J. P. Cooper, E. A. Pease, Fred L. Warner, George L. Evans, S. J. Race, J. A. Johnson, I. M. Tompkins, C. V. Everett, W. J. Smithers, C. W. Mead, William S. Brammer, H. M. Hitchcock and C. T. Howard. Of these, the first directors were : F. W. Philbrick, W. H. Gold, J. A. Schmahl, 0. L. Dornberg, H. M. Aune, H. A. Baldwin, F. G. Hubbard, C. H. Mead and C. F. Howard. The capital was placed at $10,000 and divided into shares of $5 each. On Dec. 26, 1912, the articles were amended so as to place the value of the shares at $10 each.

This association continued to hold street fairs until 1911, when the old grounds were purchased, and a splendid county fair inaugurated. The half mile track, which is considered the best in the state, was improved at a cost of $2,000, and an old building erected in the eighties, 24 by 24 frame, and still standing, was converted into a poultry exhibition house. The erection of new buildings was started at once. In 1911 there were constructed a frame barn, 32 by 100, and a frame trotting horse barn, 120 by 8 feet, since lengthened to 160 by 8 feet. In 1912 many more improvements were made. "Floral Hall," a splendid exhibition building, was erected of cement blocks with a substantial cement floor. The building is in the form of a cross, the arms of the cross being 100 feet long and 30 feet wide. A horse barn of cement blocks was also put up, its size Being 32 by 100 feet. Stables were erected the same year. In 1913 the cattle barn, 32 by 100 feet, of cement blocks, was erected, while the grandstand, 160 by 34 feet was put up in 1912 and 1914. All the cement buildings have metal roofs and are fire proof and sanitary.

In 1915, the school districts of the county erected a sightly cement building for the purpose of exhibiting the work done in the schools. This splendid project, costing $1,600, is a decidedly progressive move, speaking highly of the character of the educational work done in the county.

spent annually in purses, premiums and attractions, in addition to what is put into the buildings and grounds. Prizes are awarded for every branch of farm, home, and school endeavor, the annual prizes for exhibitions amounting to some $1,500.

The present officers of the association are: President, Rud. Stensvad; vice president, George Phillips; secretary, C. V. Everett, C. A. Luscher, Frank G. Hubbard, A. C. Dolliff, George Phillips, M. W. Dennistoun, John Colville and A. D. Stewart.