The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-09-01
A VISIT TO WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

A vacation being given us at the
recent meeting of the consistory, we,
the parson and his wife, took our de-
parturc Tor the west on the morning
of the inst. We had three object
i've points, in view, the Heidelberge
University, our alma mater, located
at 1iffin, Seneca County, Ohio; the
Worlds Fair, and friends living in
Wood County, Ohio.
We first stopped at Tiffin and were
entertained here by our good brother,
Rev. ]. A. Peters d. d., who is presi-
dent of the University, and was
formerly pastor Of the Shiloh Reform
ed Church at Danviile, Pa. We will
not soon forget the kind attention of
this good brother and the pleasant
interview with former teachers and
students. As we spent our college
and seminary days at this institution
which now has first class buildings,
we felt that we indeed were very much
at home here amidst familiar scenes
and associations.
Our visit 10 Chicago We will not
now attempt TO describe, but will con-
fine our remarks to Wood County,
Ohio AS we alighted from the cars
at Deshler. where we expected to
take train to Weston, we were agree
ably surprised 20 see Mr.. ], Howard
Kline and Mr. A. II. Kitchen who
had driven theie to meet us. We
were soon seated in the new carriage
of Mr.. Kline and on our way to his
home, distance Of nine miles. The
latter part Of our drive was very much
accelerated on account of an ap-
preaching shower which overlook us
when we were few rods from home.
AS there had been no rain for weeks,
it was natural to associate this rain
with our coming. AS there is so
much that is of interest in Wood
County, shall be obliged to treat my
subject somewhat historically.
Less than fifty years ago the whole
of Ohio had been settled and occu-
pied except section in which Wood
County is located, then familiarly
known as the Black Swamp. The
great question for Legislative solution
was, what will we do with the Black
Swamp? Some portions were prolific
IN prairie grass, and other portions
were heavily timbered, but the land
being level and very wet, it could not
be drained or inhabited. The per-
picking question of utilizing the Black
Swamp was finally solved by the
proposition to dig several large and
deep bitches through these lands. This
proposition was accepted and effect
ually carried out. Some of these
bitches are as wide and twice as deep
as the common canal. Into these
county bitches the township bitches
flow and into the township bitches
the farmers run their surface and un-
derdrains. Undertaking or tiling is
necessary to successful farming in this
county. The tile used here is from
two and half inches to five inches In
diameter, and one foot long. The
average size can be bought for nine
dollars per thousand, and one thous-
and will drain about 60 rods. 1t costs
about as much to lay the tiles as 1t
does to purchase them. Using 500
tiles to an acre, it will cost S. to tile
the same. When the tile is properly
laid, it will last for years. AS phos-
phates are not used on tiled lands, it
is much cheaper in the end to tile in
Wood County than to phosphate in
the east. The soil in this county is a
black loan with clay subsoil. 1t is
rich and will produce abundant crops
if properly tiled, indeed not few
farmers burn their straw.
This county is great place Tor
raising cabbage. We have seen a
number of large patches, some OF
which contained ten acres. To see a
ten acre field of cabbage must be
pleasing to the lover of saur-krout.
Agents buy up this cabbage at $Ia per
ton in the field and ship it to distant
points. Usually the cabbage field will
average 500 per acre.
Hay in. new meadows averages three
tons per acre, and oats about forty
bushels per acre. The wheat crop
was good here this year. The yield is
from II bushels to IS bushels per
acre, and averages in the county IS
per acre. Mr.. Howard Kline had
eight acres out and received 1913 bush
els. On neighbors farm We saw
one acre patch which yielded this year
AZ bushels.
The mammoth clover is raised here
for the seed alone. All over the
county we saw large fields of this pro
duct in process of being cut or thresh-
ed. The yields from 3 to 9 bushels
per acre, and sells at about IS per
bushel. Corn, however, seems to be
the nrinciple cereal product of this