Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-09
A FARMING OUTLOOK.
How an Allegheny County Yeoman
Took Greeley'S Advice.
NOW he PROSPERS In MINNESOTA.
The Crop Situation and Outlook in the
Great Northwest.
THE WEEKS SIGNAL SERVICE REPORT
OFFICE OF PITTSBURG DISPATCH,
TTTECna~ 1880

OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH,
TUESDAY, OCTOBER s 1859.
George Y. Mckee, County Commissioner
having recently returned from six weeks
tour through Minnesota and Wisconsin, in
an interview said: "a large portion of Min
nesota, particularly the southern part. has
been subject to drought for three years past,
and this season has been the worst in this
respect In addition to drought, chinch
bugs have been a sore pest to Minnesota
farmers for a few seasons past In the
farming region southwark IRON st. Paul, to
the Lake Pepin region, where few years
ago immense crops of wheat and, barlev
were raised, the farmers haYe only planted
small quantities of these staples the past
season or two, owing to disasters from
drought and chineh bugs.
Large in Proportion.
THE yield, however, from the small acreage
sown has been beyond expectations this season
and the quality of grain raised was never bet
ter. The failure of old staple crops for few
seasons has forced many enterprising farmers
to stock raising and the dairy business. The
latter business has had phenomenal develop
ment in Minnesota and Wisconsin the past few
years" An illustration of the changes of late
years is furnished by Mr.. McKee's account of a
visit to Mack Johnston's farm on Lake Pepin
6O miles south OF ST. Paul:
"Mr. Johnston. is a native of Jeffreystown,
Montour Run, this county, and about the time
of the Fremont campaign concluded to follow
Horace Greeley's advice, Go West and grow
up with the country On the high table lands
overlooking Lake Pepin. near Lake City, he
planted his stakes, and has been growing up
with tie country there now for an entire gen.
Grafton.
A Change of Products.
His broad acres for many years yielded mag
niicent crops of wheat and barley but OF late
years he has found the dairy business more
profitable. The marsh grass which grows spon-
Ianeously on his lands furnishes food sufficient
for his Jerseys, and the butter finds ready sale
in St Paul at 25 cents Der pound"
Mack Johnston learned in boyhood DAYS on
Montour Run, the value of deep ploughing
and this knowledge has been dollars in his
pocket during these late seasons of drought
through Southern Minnesota The black
sandy, gravelly soil on the highlands east of
Lake Pepin, in the words of Mr.. Mckee. ''when
deeply plowed, doesn't dry out in times of
drought such as that region has lately passed
through, or drown out IN wet seasons since
thar kind of soil naturally drains itself" With
his 200 acres of land his comfortable home
looking out on Lake Pepn good market for
the product of Is Jersey COWS, the old ALE
gheny county boy on Lake Pepin
Is Better Of Than
the Gar of Russia, who must needs steal his
sleep surrounded by guards he fears to trust
In Central Wisconsin there is the same CON-
plant of drought as in Southern Minnesota.
In the region west of Madison for so miles or
more crops are generally good but dairy farm
ing has been resorted to of late years on ac-
count of drought. Mr. Mckee reports that
during his visit through that section he discoy-
cred instances where farmers were compelled
to drive their live stock five and six miles in
order to find water. With our too muchness of
rains the past season it seems hard to realize
tnat many sections of our country have suffered
sorely from want of water.
Weeks Weather Bulletin.
A. W. Greely, Chief Signal Officer, in his
weekly bulletin concerning weather, presents
many facts of interest, from which the follow
ing is culled Weather during the past week
IN corn and wheat regions OF central valleys
has been favorable for farm work and securing
of fall crops Winter wheat is in good condi.
ton except in Michigan, where rain is needed
Drought in this region has reduced the yield of
corn and potatoes
Through the Middle and Western States
weather for the week past has been favorable
for securing crops. - g
The first general frost in New England was
on the 18th of September. The Yield of pota-
toes IN New Jersey is good, except on low
ground, where the wet season has been damag-
ing to crops.
Rains during the early part of the past week
were favorable to plowing and seeding in Ore
gon. The glst of the weather bulletin from
signal service headquarters for the week Dast
is favorable TO agriculturlsts the country over