The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-05-19

Blue Earth county is also placed
prominently among the principal corn
producing counties. there being but
seven named. 1t appears from the
report on this product that our coun.
ty had 1882 acres planted, which
produced 628,04 bushels, or al aver.
age yield per acre of 3l.54 bushels.
In the growing of sugar cane it is
gratifying to know that Blue is one of
six counties in the State that pro-
duced the greatest number of gallons
per acre, which we find to be over
100. Now right here let us call the
attention of our agriculturists to the
feasibility of more extensive cult.
walton of sugar cane. 1t has been
shown that of 446 acres planted in the
county, a yield of over one hundred
gallons per acre was the result. At
the average market price of syrup
this would bring the producer $50 per
acre-or a larger return than almost
any product that can be grown.
The number of farms under cult
walton IN the State in 1881, is given
as 81 ,O89, and the total cultivated
acreage 4,729, $3.50. To show the great
rapidity with which this State is
gaining permanent settlers, it is only
necessary to state here that in 1870
but l,725,ll acres were under cul-
tivation. Even as late as 1877 we
find that there were but 1887 ,842
acres under the plow, which dem.
onstrates that the past five years
have witnessed rapid agricultural
developments in the North Star
State.
1t has been enormously supposed
and even emphatically asserted by
parties unfamiliar with the tempera-
ture of this locality that fruit can not
be grown to any extent in Minnesota.
1t must be remembered that the cul-
tivation of fruit has never been under
taken to any considerable extent, but
reports show that in 1880 there were
apple trees to the number of /, OBS, 315
growing in the State, and in 1881, 275.-
796 bore fruit. Blue Earth county has
32,363 trees growing, 9,232 bearing.
The number of grape vines bearing
in 1881. was 40 1877, of which number
Blue Earth county is represented
with 2,072 bearing vines. and the
number of pounds Of grapes realized
from these was 1882. In 1880 there
was total in the State of 147,803
bushels of apples picked, and al ,731
pounds of grapes produced. 1t having
been demonstrated beyond peradven.
ture that apples and grapes can be
raised here rs successfully as in any
of the Northern States. more atten.
will be given to their cultivation in
the future than in the past.
The number of milch cows in the
State in 1880 is given at 22S,o55, from
the products of which 1898, 283
pounds of butter was produced, and
Alt 1914 pounds of cheese. We find in
that year that Blue Earth county had
100 milch cows, from the products
of which were made 86I ,648 pounds
of butter and 1900 pounds of cheese.
With the present boom in the dairy
and creamery interest it is safe to
say that during the present year the
number of milch cows in this county
will be increased to fully 10000 and
the amount of butter will exceed a
million pounds. This great increase
in yield of butter over the compare
tive number of cows may be account |
I'd for in two ways. ~ The i'm
prOvement of stock and (2) the SUI
perior care which will be given cows
that produce milk. 1t may not prove
unsatisfactory for our farmers to
know that the Commissioners report |
shows that we are the banner county
in the State for producing the greatest
number pounds of butter. Fillmore
county comes next, and to make a
comparison we produce figures show.
ing the number of mich cows in each
of these two counties and the pounds
of butter produced.
No. Cows. Lbs. But. Lbs. Cheese /
Blue Earth. 800. 7,700 COL ,648 $500
Fillmore....... 1886 49,o0s l,lto
1t will thus be seen that while Fill. !