Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-23
Jefferson County.

The senior editor of this paper has
occasion to travel over a considerable
portion of the United States and Can
ada every winter in the delivery of
dairy lectures at agricultural conven-
tons. 1t is his conviction that in no
portion of the country, east or west
are the times as easy or the farmers
and towns people as prosperous as in
the dairy sections of Wisconsin. AL
though prices of dairy products are
not high, still they are much above
the average of other products. All
this gives our farmers an opportunity
to work over low priced feed into but
ter and cheese, bringing good price.
Indeed, if we compare the price of
butter to day with the market value of
grain and hay, the feed cost of pro-
ducing the butter, there is more profit
in butter now than for years past.
Jefferson county and the farming
territory lying about her is particular
ly fortunate, compared with other
sections of the country. Our farmers
ofttimes get in the way of thinking
that there is more money to be made
out West or down South, but we be-
lieve they are mistaken. There is no
portion Of the United States that is in
easier shape financially, or that is
bringing In more money to-day than
this country. 1t is the boast of Hol-
land that she has COW to every in
habitant. AS near as we can COM
pute, this county lacks but about 300
of that ratio. There are eighty-four
creamerIes, four cheese factories and
$4,000 COWS all working every day in
the week to transmute raw material
into cash butter and cheese. Our
$4,000 cows at a moderate computa-
ton should earn gross, $40 each.
This would make their product worth
81, 440, 900 annually. Add to this the
pork, beef, veal, eggs and grain sold.
and 1t makes handsome showing
even in these hard times.
The farmers anG towns people of
this county have no reason for discon-
tent. They are really more prosper
Gus than they know Of They will
make nothing by looking for better
times else II some of our dis
contented farmers could take a trip
East, could contemplate, as the East
ern farmers do, the prospect of less
and less product every year, together
with 80 per cent. decline Of value in
land in the last twenty i've years, they
might conclude to let we'll enough
alone and stay where they are. These
Eastern farmers have wasted the fer
Utility of their lands, whereas under
the enriching tendencies of good dairy
farming, our Jefferson county farms
are much more productive than they
were twenty-five years ago.
The state census of 1895 places the
value of the agricultural products of
Jefferson county at over $4,000,000
This for an area OF twenty-four miles
square, with much of the territory un-
/ productive marsh and timber land
gives evidence of good, brainy farm
ing. When it comes to the showing
Of good farmers, the backbone and
foundation of the prosperity of every
community, Jefferson county will not
take back seat, we believe, for any
county of like extent and population
in the United States. All this pros
perity, the rise in value of land, in
crease in the number of good farm
buildings, growth of our villages and
cities, Is based on Ithe COW. Verify,
she hath wrought a great work. Fort
Atkinson U7lion