Nodaway County, Missouri - Chapter 17: Agricultural Development of the County, 1910

Any important industry in which men engage will usually find some locality especially fitted for that enterprise. Nodaw ay county is one of those favored spots, for it has long been recognized as one of the greatest agricul¬ tural districts in this or any state. The story of this county is essentially a story of its farms, and if a true agricultural history of this county were written, this topic alone would not only fill many hundred pages, but there would be little else needed to make its history complete.

The county is vast in extent, containing nearly nine hundred square miles, or five hundred and fifty-three thousand nine hundred acres. It is one-half the size of Delaware and has less waste land and more fertile soil than any ether like territory in the commonwealth of Missouri. Also many remarkable features are connected with the development of this county, and perhaps one of the most striking is the almost incredible rapidity, with w hich it has grown. Every available acre is now a part of an improved and productive farm. Every farmer lives in a comfortable and often luxurious dwelling, and his stock is sheltered by large and commodious barns. This is what might be called an old county so far as could be told by the character of its inhabitants or the conveniences and comforts of their dwellings. In only one respect, however, is it new, and that is its, as yet, almost untouched resources. Con¬ ditions have changed, however.

Strange as it may seem at the present time, it is barely seventy years since the first white settler came to this county. At that time numerous Indians still roamed over the rolling prairies of northwestern Missouri. Deer, antelope and even elk were plentiful. The wildcat and similar animals were then dangerous, while all kinds of birds and other small game were especially numerous in this locality. This condition is now almost completely changed, though naturally the transition was at first gradual. Newcomers were at first rather slow7 to settle here, markets were distant, and all facilities for suc¬ cessful agriculture were lacking, except the exhaustless fertility of the soil.

Perhaps the first white man to make any kind of a permanent settlement here was Isaac Hogan. He came with a number of other Tennesseans to what afterwards became Nodaway county and cleared a home in the spring of 1839. His clearing was about one-half mile south of the present site of Graham, and this was the only white settlement in the county that year; it seems that the other men in the party did not remain. The next year was marked, however, by several arrivals. In he spring of 1840, Hiram Hall settled about eight miles south of what is now Maryville. That same fall, Joseph Hutson and Thomas Heady settled on the Nodaway river in what is now Lincoln township. About the same time, Col. I. N. Prather, of Kentucky, bought a large tract about eight miles south of the present site of Mary¬ ville. Of course this was just a beginning, but the tide of immigration now became stronger, and soon scattered clearings were to be found all over the county.

At the present time there is little timbered land in the county, and what remains is not especially desirable, except in isolated cases. At first, however, this was not the case, and, although it may seem somewhat strange now, all the earlier settlements were made in the timbered land. Of course, this necessitated an immense amount of labor, but is readily explained by the conditions then existing. Log houses had to be built, and as those first erected were not very comfortable in the severe winters, the pioneers felt the need of the timber as a kind of protection. Fence building was also at that time a serious matter. Cattle, hogs and horses were all permitted to graze over the open country, and for some time deer and other animals were still plenti¬ ful. This of course made necessary some protection for the crops, and this need was met by the old-fashioned rail fence, a few of which are occasionally found at the present day. Another point of some importance was the difficulty of breaking the heavy prairie sod. Many of the pioneer farmers did not own the teams for such heavy work, and a further difficulty was found in the fact that the plows of that time were not fitted for work of that nature. Per¬ haps another reason was, many of these first settlers came from timbered regions and the prairie was believed by them to be inferior to the timbered land. At any rate, the first labors of the newcomers was directed to the task of clearing the land, and where heavy timber once stood, frequently not even a lonely stump now remains.

The great changes in agriculture have not been in farms and methods of farming alone; the spirit itself has changed. The modern farmer is an am¬ bitious business man ; he produces as much as possible and sells for as much as possible. This was not always the case, however; the men who first estab¬ lished homes here had no reason at that time to operate on a large scale. In fact, they had not come for wealth. Some of the more hardy and restless came as a kind of adventure, others came that in this new country they might have homes of their own. They brought with them a few head of stock - hogs, cattle and a few horses. The hogs usually ran wild, finding, however, abundant food in the roots and mast of the timber. Perhaps the cattle were the most useful, as they furnished both milk and meat as food, and were much used as beasts of burden. No doubt the instinct to "swap" horses was just as strong sixty years ago as it has ever been since, but there was no real market for stock of any kind until years later.

Conditions were much the same with the various farm crops and there was no incentive for the business-like procedure found today. Many of these farmers, bringing their slaves with them, had come from Virginia and Ken¬ tucky, and were accustomed to growing hemp, so this came to be a staple crop in this county, and remained such until the war. Flax also did well at that time, and some successful farmers say it could be grown at a profit now, at least where the ground has not become foul. Buckwheat was also grown in some quantity, in fact, nearly every farmer had a small field. Tobacco was grown on a small scale, usually producing a very fair quality. Good hay could be had by anyone willing to cut it, for the prairie grass grew every¬ where in great abundance. From the first, however, corn was a crop of some importance, though the method of cultivation would now be considered rather tedious. The corn had to be planted with a hoe; nor was this all. Cultivators were not yet invented, and even for some time after the war, it was customary for the whole family, girls as well as boys, to spend the hot summer days in the luxurious pastime of hoeing corn. This corn was especially valuable as it served for food for both man and beast. That now rare article, corn bread, was then almost a daily ration and, with the humble hoe cake, constituted a staple table delicacy. Some wheat was raised, occasionally rye and oats. Of course there was no market for such products. St. Joseph was for years the nearest shipping point, though at a somewhat later day the railroad was ex¬ tended from St. Joseph to Savannah, which brought the market a trifle nearer.

Another point of interest, and one which was of importance in the de¬ velopment of the county, was the building of mills. The first of these was built in 1840, near the place now known as Bridgewater. It was established by William A. Cox, of Ohio, and was of course a small affair, with a capacity of only a few pounds per hour. The year following, Andrew Brown, also from Ohio, built a small mill near the present site of Graham. Its capacity was somewhat greater, five or six bushels per hour could be ground, and it had a hand bolt in addition which was turned for flour. A few years later, Hiram Lee built another mill near the present location of Quitman. It also was a rather modest affair, with a capacity of perhaps fifteen bushels per day. In 1848 another was built by A. Terhune, one mile north of where Skidmore now stands. The tide of immigration was well established now, and many large mills were built in the years following. These small affairs were of great service, however, and, although it was nothing for men to ride or drive twenty miles to one of these mills, they were often glad even then to wait, perhaps many hours, for a turn at the mill.

Agriculture was necessarily somewhat depressed during the war, but after peace came the real development of the county began. The value of the land at this time was. of course, not great; the improved land could be bought at a price of twenty to twenty-five dollars per acre. Raw land could be bought for almost nothing. Much of the land was unfenced, and many men made a business of running cattle and horses on the open range. The population now increased rapidly, however, the open ranges were closed, and all land of any value was fenced into farms. The price of land also gradually rose, and these factors together called for a new order in farming. Another factor of great importance was the railroad. The first was called the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs railroad. It reached Maryville in the fall of 1869 and was completed to the Iowa line the winter of the following year. The development of farm machinery was also an important factor, stimulat¬ ing as it did the science of agriculture throughout the entire country. Mow¬ ing machines and reapers became quite common ; the double shovel was used m the cultivation of corn, though it was soon replaced by the more modern cultivator, which made it possible to cultivate a whole row at once.

Among the contributions to the advancement of agriculture, probably none is more worthy of mention than the introduction of clover, timothy and other forage crops. The most important of these is undoubtedly clover, though its importance has not always been appreciated. This valuable legume had not grown into general favor until in the seventies, although it had been grown to some extent for perhaps twenty years. Naturally, the need for such a crop was not so great at first, when the land was new. Now, how¬ ever, it is not only recognized as one of the most nutritious of our forage plants, but also as one of the most important from the standpoint of soil fertility. Another item to be remembered is the introduction of blue grass.

Apparently the first effort to introduce this grass was made by Jehu Ware, who brought a small amount up from Andrew county early in the fifties. The attempt was successful, and from that time blue grass slowly began to spread, though it was several years before it became the general pasture grass it now is. Of equal importance, perhaps, in many ways, was the introduttion of the fruit growing industry. Mr. Ware, who was among the first to introduce blue grass here, was also among the first to bring fruit trees here on anything like an extensive scale. He brought some grafted trees, also some seedlings, from Andrew county in 1852. A few years later, in 1857, T. W. Gaunt started a nursery in the southern part of Maryville. He continued in business nearly all the rest of his life, until 1898 to be exact, and was for years the standard nurseryman of northwest Missouri. Many orchardists in this and other states depended on him for reliable stock, and the large number of fruitful and profitable trees obtained from him is a most fitting tribute to his skill and integrity.

Although the development of agriculture has been steady and consistent, the farmers here have been compelled to meet some obstacles and difficulties. Among the most serious was the panic of 1873, which came at a most inop¬ portune time. Because of the hard times resulting, many lost practically all they had. Another disaster was met in the grasshopper scourges of 1866 and 1875, when two-thirds of all crops were totally destroyed. The panic of 1893 was also a serious matter, and droughts, rainy weather, etc., have done great damage, but nothing has been able to stop the permanent and continuous development of the county.

Inasmuch as the activities of Nodaway county are now directed chiefly to the production of stock, it might be well to note the rise and rapid advance of the stock-raising industry. It is said that up until 1870 there was scarcely a pedigreed animal in the county, and really first-class stock even was rarely found. The more intelligent men of the county, however, business men as well as farmers, began to feel the need of better and more caerful methods. The immediate result was the organization of the county fair. A temporary organization was effected first, and a stock show held September 30, 1871. In view of the important results, it might be well to give the names of the men who had this fair in charge. The committees were as follows: On horses, S. K. Snively, Col. J. H. Davis and W. Snively; on cattle, E. S. Stephenson, E. Powell and J. E. Alexander; on hogs, Frank Bellows, Col. M. B. W. Harmon and William Leeper; on sheep. S. T. Kennedy, George Downing and Adelina Stingley; on miscellany, G. N. Paige, George Huebeck and John Dean ; on finance, John Ham, William Anderson and A. P. More¬ house. John Ham was president of this organization, M. G. Roseberrv, treasurer, and A. C. Case, secretary. The premiums totaled sixty dollars and fifty cents. At present that would seem a ridiculous small sum, but those men were not exhibiting for money alone. At any rate, it is doubtful if money was ever put out at a better interest rate than the sixty dollars and fifty cents; for the returns are richer now than ever before, and they are constantly growing.

The success of this first fair was so decided that a permanent organiza¬ tion was formed October 28, 1871. A. P. Morehouse was president, William Anderson, vice-president, I. Iv. Alderman, secretary, and John Ham, treas¬ urer. The capital stock was six thousand dollars, and was divided into three hundred shares of twenty dollars each. As stated before, when this fair was organized there was practically no pure-bred stock in the county, while at the time it closed in 1871 it was one of the leaders in the state, and needless to ,sav it has held this position ever since. The first fair lasted one day and little but local stock was shown. The first directors were as follows: M B. W. Harmon, John Albright, A. P. Morehouse, W. R. McKenzie, G. N Paige, A. Stingley, Samuel T. Ware, Thomas L. Martin, John Ham, William Anderson, Samuel T. Kennedy and William Swinford. The fair started with an indebtedness of two thousand five hundred dollars but by 1881 had paid off all debts and had a surplus of seven hundred dollars. The fair of 1872 continued four days, and nine hundred dollars was expended in premiums By 1881 almost five thousand dollars had been paid out in premiums, and eight hundred to one thousand five hundred was annually expended on the grounds in the way of improvements. The last fair opened September 26 1881, and lasted four days. In these latter years the best specimens of farm animals from all over the United States were brought here and frecpientlv beaten by local entries. It is unfortunate that the fair had to be discontinued, though it must be admitted that at this time it was not paying expenses. This has been explained in various ways ; hard times probably had something to do with it, though the chief reason seems to be that the farmers of the county felt that the management of the fair was not in undivided support of their interests. A revival of the fair has been considered, and if capably managed, this might well become a center which buyers and fanciers of every kind of good stock would gladly attend.

emerged from comparative obscurity, so far as the live stock business was concerned, and become a recognized center. Many men had a part in this, and among those most deserving of mention is James B. Prather. Early in the seventies he became interested in thoroughbreds and fast horses generally, and at the outset it might be stated that he met with remarkable success. He established the stock farm "Faustiana," fitted it up for the horse business, and came to have what was once considered the best stud of thoroughbreds in the United States. Many splendid specimens came from the Prather stables and made themselves and their owner famous. No horses were better known in their way than "Jim Gray," or "Galen." Other horses of national reputa¬ tion were "Fostes" and "Billet;" and no doubt many horses in this section could trace their ancestry to the big bodied trotter "Jester," or another per¬ haps equally famous. The breeders of cattle were more numerous and scarcely less successful. Among the first men to engage in the pure-bred cat¬ tle business was Frank Bellows. He procured some choice Shorthorns in 1870, and remained in business until his dispersion sale in 1894. Others were M. B. W. Harmon, proprietor of the Oakdale stock farm. He kept Short¬ horn cattle, and later Duroc-Jersey hogs. At various times Messrs. Dean, Miller, Finville, Peeper, Hooker, Wright and others perhaps equally worthy of mention have been engaged in this business. Another name that ought to be mentioned is that of W. T. Garret, long active in the county fair, and successful as a breeder of Poland-China hogs. In spite of the success, how¬ ever, which many men attained in the stock business, it is not to be thought that this was an unmixed blessing to all. Hike any other venture, it required business judgment and familiarity with the many details. In the first place the business was somewhat overdone in a few special features, also some were not fitted for such an undertaking, and so met disaster.

Another movement was started about this time, which was more import- - ant for its possibilities than for what it accomplished. This was a movement toward something like co-operation among the farmers. Three organizations made attempts to establish themselves here, the Farmers Alliance, the Grange and the Wheel. None of these was successful, and only one of these, the Grange, is now of any importance anywhere. This organization is said tc be in successful operation in many parts of the state, and it is to be regretted that it did not receive a better reception here. A movement along this same which has been eminently successful, however, is the comparative recent organization, the People's Telephone Union. This organization was started less than ten years ago. At that time scarcely a farmer wras to be found who had a telephone ; today the wires of the Union reach practically every farm house in the county. What this means to the farmers, and to the farmers' wives, can not be overestimated. The telephone itself is a matter of tremen¬ dous importance in adding to the prosperity and the happiness of the farmers' lot.

About a quarter of a century ago, a new organization was started which was destined to reach proportions undreamed of by the founders. This was the Standard Poland-China Record Association. This was really an out¬ growth of another organization, the Northwest Missouri Poland-China Breed¬ ers Association, which was started February- 23, 1884. The first officers were: W. P. Hayzlett, of Bolchow, president; D. D. Bolinger, of Flopkins, vice-president; George L. Drennan, of Maryville, secretary and treasurer. Many breeders, especially in the middle West, were dissatisfied with the cum¬ bersome methods then necessary in tracing the pedigrees of their stocks; so this association voted, in June, 1886, to start a new record association, to be known as the Standard Poland-China Record Association. The capital stock was to be three thousand dollars, and divided into three hundred shares. This capital was later increased to five thousand dollars. On August 8, 1887, the association was legally incorporated, and then it began its long and honorable career. The territory of this association may be said to comprise the world ; the pages of its records contain the pedigrees of almost two hundred thousand animals, and in the twenty-four vears of its existence, twenty-seven volumes have become necessary to contain its record. One animal in this record, "Look Me Over." was sold for five thousand one hundred dollars; the great majority are sold at prices ranging from one hundred to five hundred. At the present time, G. F. Woodworth, of Maryville, is secretary, and W. T. Garrett, also of Maryville, is president of the board of directors.

Perhaps no product of the state has become more famous in song and story than the Missouri hen; and Nodaway county has done her part in con¬ tributing thereto. According to the statistics given later, it will be seen that this countv exports annually something like two and one-half million pounds of poultry, and over two million dozen eggs, which, with other poultry prod¬ ucts, reaches a cash value of over one-half million dollars. It would seem natural then that this industry, along with the other meat-producing interests, should undergo a tremendous development. The former all-purpose hen which produced eggs more or less abundantly for a short time, then persist¬ ently "went to setting" the rest of the summer, has been supplanted by the special-purpose fowls, which under proper care have attained almost incred- ible efficiency. A large part of the increasing returns lately obtained in this county ought to he credited by all means to the local poultry association. For several years past this organization has held an annual poultry show which contained entries from some of the best poultry fanciers of this and surrounding states. At the last exhibit, held in December, 1909, nearly four hundred exhibits were entered. Birds known by fanciers all over the country, and in some instances valued at hundreds of dollars, were shown here. Hundreds of people visit these shows, poultry problems are discussed, and the way is being paved for an industry which will inevitably assume huge proportions. The people who are most interested in the county organization state with some pride that the interest here has been such as to make a formal organization unnecessary. The policies of the society are directed, however, by a board of managers, of which F. P. Robinson is president, L. M. Strader, vice-president, and Judge J. H. Saylor, secretary, all of Maryville. The other members of the board are: Robert Lamar and James D. Gates, of Ravenwood, also Melvin Gregg and George B. Temple, of Stansberry.

Residents of this county are somewhat prone to boast of its achieve¬ ments, but they feel that their pride is justified. For all of its achievements are not of the past: it is still adding to its list of glories. Among the things for which Nodaway county is justly famed, is the number of cattle exported. This fame is not due to numbers alone, however, for some of the finest cattle in the world are grown right here. Numerous examples of this might be given, but among those most familiar to people living in the county is the herd belonging to the Bellows Brothers. It may be said that this herd was really started in 1870; for. as said before, it was then that Frank Bellows first began breeding pure-bred Shorthorns. After his dispersion sale in 1894. his sons, Charles and George, took up the business and ever since have carried it on with signal success. They now have about one hundred and fifty animals in their herd, and dispose of about fifty each year at their annual sale in June. At the World's Fair held in St. Louis in 1904, a two-year-old bull from this herd. "Hampton's Model," took first place in his class, and wras afterwards sold to South America for three thousand nine hundred and ten dollars. Hie highest priced female from this herd, "Hampton's Queen Beauty, was sold in 1005 for one thousand five hundred dollars. This herd is known all over the United States, and men come here from all over the country to secure animals to head their herds. This firm employs no boosting methods, yet at their annual sale, June 15, T909, they received the third highest average in the Union. Another breeder who has also reached the highest ranks in his pro- fession is Omer Catterson. He has been breeding Angus cattle for twenty years, and in that time he has sold animals which have gone to head herds all over the land. He also has a herd of about one hundred and fifty, and sells enough annually to keep the numbers down to about that figure. He has been exhibiting for the last five years, and in that time has taken seven grand championships, besides other premiums too numerous to mention. His boxes of bright colored ribbons now serve to amuse his grandchildren.

If the skeptic should demand figures, however, it would be just as easy to show him that Nodaway county leads in quantity as it does in quality. Even thirty years ago, in 1880, this county produced almost seven million bushels of corn. In that same year, more oats were produced here than in any county in the state. As ought to be the case, however, in a good grain and hay district, this county has long been known for its remarkable production of stock. That year. Nodaway was fifth of all the counties of the state in the production of sheep, but first in horses, cattle and hogs. The number of hogs produced that year reached 86,000, and of cattle, 55,000. Coming down to more recent times, the crop report for the year 1902 gave these figures for the county: Wheat grown, 6,634 acres; corn, 247,000 acres; oats, 25,980 acres; hay, 49,000 acres. The total value amounted to $4,132,000. The figures for livestock that year were as follows: Cattle, 90,000 head; horses, 24,000; swine, 175,000; sheep, 5,000: mules, 2,900. In addition, 256,000 pounds of poultry were produced. 1,629,000 dozen eggs, 175,000 pounds of honey. 5,000,000 gallons of milk, and 1.000,000 pounds of butter. During that same year there were 4.490 farm homes, of which only 1,488 were rented. The average size of these farms was 123 acres, and their value ranged from $40 to $125 per acre. These figures would be much higher now, ranging from $75 to $200 per acre. The average farm house cost $1,000, while many cost as much as $10,000. The last official figures obtainable are for 1908, which was an exceedingly unfavorable year from the farmer's standpoint, but even then Nodaway's supremacy was undisturbed. This county led in corn that year with a yield of 4,634,838 bushels. It was also first in hogs, meat cattle and horses. The number of hogs in the county according to the live stock census, was 54,938; of meat cattle, 56,831 ; of horses, 17,219.

Perhaps one of the most significant movements in the changing conditions of agriculture is that toward the dairy system. Only a few years ago a dairy herd would have been a curiosity, and even the few specimens of dairy cows kept for family use were regarded with suspicion. Higher priced land and higher priced food products, however, have wrought a great change : for it is. assorted on apparently indisputable authority, that the dairy herd is a much cheaper agent than the beef herd for the purpose of changing farm crops into foodstuffs. Numerous dairy herds are air each- scattered over the county, and dairy plants equal to any in the country are established here. Most farmers prefer the dual-purpose cow. and so the butter and milk output is lower than that of a strictly dairying community. However, the aggregate is already enormous, and is rapidly increasing. The local creamery at Maryville and the different agencies furnish keen competition, and dairying is now, as it must continue, a very thriving industry.

A somewhat similar change has taken place in fruit production. Until after the war it was thought that apples and fruit in general could not be successfully grown here ; later years have shown, however, that this county is well adapted to such fruits, and it is now recognized everywhere as an ex¬ cellent apple and small-fruit district. Twenty years ago between three and five thousand acres had been set out in orchards, and tl ousands of bushels of fruit were taken from these trees each year. 1908 was an unfavorable year; but even then almost eight thousand barrels of apples were shipped out. 1909 was a favorable year, and although the official figures are not obtainable, the surplus is estimated at from twenty-five thousand to fifty thousand bar¬ rels. Apples are by far the leading fruit crop, but chei ries, pears, plums, peaches and similar fruits do well. Grapes bear in profusion, and the grow¬ ing of berries and small fruits is becoming an important industry. During the World's Fair in 1904, many specimens of fruit, besides clover, grasses and grains were placed on exhibition. George Null, assisted by Milton Gar¬ rett, had this in charge, and from June on, many specimens of Nodaway county husbandry were constantly sent to the fair. The county received a silver medal, and nine individual medals were awarded.

Farm practices have changed in many respects also. Twenty years ago. rotation of crops was seldom even mentioned, and practiced even less. Soil fertility was an unused term. Fields were put in exhausting crops year after year, and the diminishing returns were regarded as a dispensation of Provi¬ dence rather than as a result of bad management. Today this is entirely changed. While a few are satisfied with the decreased returns which may be expected from a less earnest effort, the great majority practice a fairly well-defined system of crop rotation. Also methods are being adopted to pre¬ vent an unnecessary loss of soil fertility, and efforts are made to restore as much as possible. Also, waste land is being reclaimed. A few years ago, Messrs. L. T. Lee, Anderson Craig, James C. Pistole, H. H. McClurg and W.

B. McComas started a project to straighten the One Hundred and Two river. This work is now practically completed, and it is estimated that nearly ten thousand acres will be reclaimed from overflow land. A similar project has been started on the Nodaway river by Messrs. William Blackford, C harles E. Walker, James W. Smith, William Carter and James Corken. It is thought that seven thousand acres will be benefited in this case.

Other improvements are seen in the introduction of new crops. Cowpeas and soybeans have already proven their worth; alfalfa has been tried by many farmers and pronounced a success ; alsike clover has recently been introduced, and proven far superior to red clover on wet land ; Canadian field peas and rape have been tried and proven uniformly successful. In a few years these valuable crops will be as well established here as in any part of the state, and will add immensely to the possibilities of successful agriculture. It is possibly in the improvement of the old methods after all, though, that the greatest ad vances will be made. One way in which this is strikingly shown, is in the increased attention paid to seed corn growing and selection. The time will soon come when every farmer will pay as much attention to plant breeding as to animal breeding, and the beginning is already in sight. Already some men are doing some important work along that line, and among these ought to be mentioned H. C. Crane, of Elmo. He came here in 1895, and has been in the seed corn business ever since. When Maryville held the corn show in the winter of 1903 to collect corn for the St. Louis Exposition, Mr. Crane entered, took first, and so his entry was sent to the fair, where it took the gold medal. In 1905 he took first on yellow corn at the state show, and in 1906 repeated this success with the additional honor of winning sweepstakes this time. At the first national corn show, held in 1907 at Chicago, he won second on thirty ears of yellow dent, and three other premiums which in all amounted to two hundred and twenty dollars. He has taken many other premiums, but it will be sufficient for our purposes to close the list with mention of the state show in 1909, when Mr. Crane took first for the best single ear in the state.

A more determined attack on the problem of successful farming is seen in other ways. Among the efforts most to lie commended, is that of interest¬ ing the boys and girls in this problem. In December. 1909, a corn show was held for the school children, which evoked an astonishing amount of interest, not only among the children, but among their elders as well. The keenness of the competition was itself sufficient evidence of its value. In March, 1910, the county superintendent of schools, Mr. Oakerson, put in motion a new organization along this line, which will include a contest in corn growing for the boys, and a contest in domestic science for the girls. Mr. Oakerson is president of this movement, and its friends feel assured of its success. Moreover, it is becoming common to have agriculture taught in the rural and graded schools. Candidates for county certificates are examined in this subject, and the Northwest Missouri Normal, located at Maryville, expects every candidate for a degree to complete a year's work in agriculture.

It has been said that a history should be not only a chronicle, but also a prophecy. Perhaps it woidd be as well to say that a history is a prophecy, for surely the events of the future are determined by those of the past. If that is true, surely the future of Nodaway county has already been read. In the lifetime of one man, it has changed from a wilderness to a garden. Seventy years ago wild beasts and savage men roamed over these prairies un¬ disturbed. Today these same prairies are fruitful farms and dotted with peaceful homes, schools and churches. These changes, however, have all been witnessed by men who are still living. If this much can happen in the lifetime of one man, is it necessary to ask what the future will be? Surely the history of Nodaway county is its own prophecy.