Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-07-23
Abroad in the Countrywide Crops and
Orchards.


round by way of Platteville, Belmont,
jefferson, Hazel Green, Fairplay,
Dickeyville and Potosi-stopping by
the way with many country friends.
In writing report of what seemed
to pass the eye as wide and endless
panorama, it would appear hardly
worth while to more than notice the
harvest promise of 1867. We have
never seen anywhere such great
crops of wheat, oats, barley, hay, fax
and even corn-the latter hardly ex-
pected at first, US the cold days from
planting for most Of month after so
greatly hindered an early start.
The annual increase of cultivated
acres is and has been greatly beyond
the increase ofpopulation, and there
fore rather indicates the growth of
wealth-at the rate certainly of 20
per cent. each year for prairie land,
and 10 per cent. for best timber land.
Of course such increase of cultivat-
ed acres is limited to parts not entire
" in cultivation. From Platteville
to Hazel Green, unbroken prairie, ex
cept here and there a narrow belt of
timber, the land is all under fence
and plow. The central and north
parts Of the county are falling under
culture at the rate of a tenth each
year, which rate must hold good for
several years, after which the surplus
labor and wealth will be given to i'm
provements. And such will be the
rate Of subduing the land till the
spare, uncultivated acres shall be as
scarce as in the older states. Prob
ably half of Grant County is under
fence, and not far from q third in
grain crops, the remainder of inclos.
ed land being in grass and pasturage.
In the county there are about 800, 900
acres-400, 900 thereof under fence.
and say 100000 acres in grain this
year, good for at least five million
bushels.
-sixths Of the route we travel.
cd is continuous lane and the land in
culture. 1t is believed the crops are
not in danger of failure from any
cause except storm, flood or extreme
wet-there being no chinch bugs, and
the straw being too strong and too
near ripe for rust.
The fruit prospects are but medi>
um. The cold, wet days at blooming
and for time thereafter DESTROYED
halt the crop. But there will be abuu-
dant for the home use in many neigh
borhoods. The Kilbourn orchard, in
jamestown, will not supply over q
dozen or twenty families with apples.
The orchard of Jabez Hurd, formerly
W. W. Wright, in Potosi, will yield
about 500 barrels-the latter having
n favorable situation, the former an
unfavorable.
OBSERVATIONS Orchards must
certainly be set on lands facino any
direction but south, anorth being
the best of any. The northeast and
southwest are tolerablo exposures.
In all cases land must not be wet
drainage, natural or artificial, being
essential to the life Of trees. Kind of
trees must next be taken into ac-
count; The following kinds are doing
well IN all eXposures-not one in q
hundred falling at twenty years old !:
lied Astrachan, Golden Russell,
Dutcness of Gutenberg, Fameuse,
Twenty or, Pippen, and some others.
VI course we are supposing that
our improved method of managing
trees is not yet generally adopted. .
Those who adopt it may be perfectly
successful with four>ffths of all the
apple kinds offered in market. provi-
ded they are of western nursery cul>
ture. We can show Rhode Island
6reentng, bearing and in perfect
health. Is there one other in the
country? In our rounds we found
several practising our method with
perfect success and as aafixed institu-
ton.
In an orchard Of several thousand
trees IN Lancaster, a third now bear
ing, we have not lost the fourth part
VI one per cent. in three years. This is
better than can be said for any part
New York, New Jersey, or even Obi.
o or Michigan. The extra labor 10
produce such results has not been to
exceed one day to 400 trees. and we
can teach any one the whole art in
half an hour.
fLAIIENlLLE INTERESTS.
That invincible man Robbins i
recting the Normal School building
We should judge from the walls and
size OF foundation it is to be a similar
building to the old one near bv to
which it isjoined by cross walls fin.
ished up as parts the other mason
ry. The new building is to cost
$50, 900, we learned. Q
Mr.. Rindlaub is doing well with
the Witness, and making it paw we'll
He keeps his office as 1eat as IS \ Sit
ting room-a practice unknown TO
his predecessors. James Beyans for
merly in the book trade in PlatteyiIIe
but for several Years absent in thu
far west for his health, returned some
time since quite well and is now do
ing good business With IT Evans
in the Family Grocery. Crockerv
Wooden ware and Notion trade
f. t. Mears is running a hardware
store. }. B. Penn has gone in with
Davendorf in the hardware trade
LAYING sold his beautiful farm for
money to go into business These are
all the recent changes we know of
The Railroad is the absorbing tkema
at Platteville, but we await a more
suspicious time for writing at LENGTH
upon this subject .
Further notes reserved for nax+
week.