The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-10
THE GOLD MINES OF MINNESOTA.
THE CROPS AND THE HARVEST.

GooDHUE C0UNTY.-The Red Wing SEN
tinel says harvest hands are in demand at
81 so and So per day. Of the wheat crop,
the same journal adds
ltmay seem extravagant to jewellers on bar
rem lands down South, but it is nevertheless lit
orally true, that the wheat crop of Minnesota
WIN average thirty bushels per acre, and no
Detter quality of grain can be raised. 1t is
nearly as round as pea and aside from plump.
ness IL IS excellent in every respect. Immense
landed in Red Wing but they are all gone. A
lew threshmg machines still remain.
WABAsHAw CoUNrY.-The Journal says
that the yield of wheat in this county will
oe much larger than has been estimated.
Good judges state that the yield will aver
age thirty bushels to the acre. The work of
harvesting is gong bravely on, and nothing
can now prevent proper gathering of the
crop. The Journal cyphers cut the crop as
follows:
Let US make little calculation of the amount
of the crop: There are between 100 and l..
200 farmers in the county, no one of whom has
less than twelve acres of wheat. large num-
peI nave Irom lorty 10 elgnty acres. Quite
number have from one to three hundred 1t
will average twenty acres to the farm. Call
the farms LOO; this would give %, 600 acres
which at thirty bushels to the acre would give
100000 bushels. We know this is under the
mark, but We don't like to over. estimate
Probably 10000 bushels will be nearer the
truth.
BENTON CoUNTY.-The st. Cloud DEM
Ocrat says that the farmers of that county
are busy cutting their grain, and the yield
is almost incredible.
BLUE EARTH COUNTY.-The Mankato
Independent of August 4, says:
Harvesting operations are progressing fine
ly. Fully half of the wheat crop is now safe
in the shock, and farmers are eXerting them
selves manfully to secure the remainder. We
hear that in some localities, they are availing
themselves of the moonlight and running their
reapers through the greater part of the night.
The probable yield has not been exagger-
ated and we may count certainly upon very
material advance upon the twenty-five bushels
average of last year.
We hear of considerable smut in certain To-
calities, but not to an extent sufficient to ma
terially damage the crop.
Facts detailed to us by prominent farmers
indicate the discovery of a certain preventive
of smut, which should be widely known. 1t is
new to us and may be to many of our readers
We allude to the practice in vogue among our
best WEIGH farmers of "pickling,' or, in other
words, soaking their seed in strong brine.
Our informant states that fields sown with
"pickled' seed are invariably entirely free
from smut while the fields Immediately ad-
joining, sown from the same seed, but without
undergoing the "pickling process, it abounds
to greater or less extent.
The Mankato Record editor, having made
a hasty trip through Waseca and Blue
Earth counties, says that everywhere the
crops are looking finely. He adds:
The beautiful prairies in and around st.
Mary and Wilton are gstening with fields of
golden grain, ready for the reaper. But
small proportion OF the wheat which came I'M
der our observation was harvested, while
great deal still standing was very ripe. For
want of labOrers or some other cause the farm
ers have delayed too long the cutting of their
grain, and much waste must necessarily result
therefrOm.
The corn looked unusually fine, promising
more than an average yield. A few fields OF
buckwheat was far advanced The early frOsts
of last fall destroyed almost the entire crop of
buckwheat, and hence but comparatively little
was sown. The fields We have seen seem to
have been planted early, and will ripen in time
to escape Jack Frost.
w
sand acres under cultivation. principally in
early corn. They have few small fields of
wheat, which will compare favOrably with the
crops of this county.
The country in the eastern portion of Waseca
county is well settled, and large proportion
of it is being cultivated. We observed several
reapers at work, though most of the grain was
being cut by hand. Waseca will produce .
large surplus this season.
HENNEPIN CoUNTY-There will be an
immense yield in this county. The st.
Anthony Erpress says the yield would as
tonish any one but an inhabitant of Mime
sofa. Many fields of wheat will overgo
thirty bushels to the acre, and but very few
fall short of twenty-five
OLMsTED CoUNTY.-The crops of wheat
in this county is estimated at from $4,000
to 100000 bushels. But the farmers of
that section are raising something besides
wheat. Look here:
WOol.-A quantity of wool, weighing $500
lbs, from Rochester Olmsted county, in this
State, passed through this city today. on its
way to an eastern market. 1t is first rate
quality of Merino wool, and is the product OF
the flock of Col. Healy of Rochester. Mr..
Healy brought his sheep from Illinois to this
State last season, and his experience thus far
in the rearing of sheep has been favorable.
HoUsroN CoUNTY.-The Hokah Chief
recites an old fact, but it is worth being
"kept standing:''
The WHEAT CROP.-The farmers of Minneso-
ia are now engaged in harvesting one of the
most remunerative wheat crops that was ever
produced on any soil or under any cline. The
yield is enormous beyond, if possible, fabu-
ious conception. Minnesota can beat the
world in the raising OF wheat, for she has eli.
mate unsurpassed for its perfection. For the
year 1860, Minnesota will ship surplus (safe
calculation) Of sic millions bushels of wheat.
This, for a settlement of six years. we will
challenge the world, and all creation outside
of it, to beat. Count Minnesota right every
time
The Chief says that field of Mediterra-
mean wheat belonging to w. w. Willis, of
Caledonia, will produce from 35 to 40 bush
els per acre.
PRODUCTIVE RYE-A CHALLENGE TO THE
WoRLD.-Peter Dubois, farmer of the town of
Helena in this county, has, since our last issue.
forwarded to this Office fine specimen of rye
raised upon his farm. 1t consists OF one solid
cluster of roots, containing forty stalks, the
largest seven and one half feet high, raised from
one seed. We counted two of the smaller heads
end found them to contain ll6 kernels. This is