Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-07-30

gate of arabic soil Yet rich as Clark
county is, advanced as it is for its few
years of good agriculture, less than one
fourth of its soil is cultivated and but
a trifle over two-thirdS of its broad acres
are in farms. 1t has a population of
but 2l.54 to the square mile, while, to
illustrate by the older counties, Rock has
1888. Dane 5S.45. Walworth, sos. JEFF
ferson, 63.4S, and Washington 55.7
But Clark county increased in popula-
ton from 1890 TO 1900 almost 40 per
cent. and it is attracting settlers from
the older counties in Wisconsin every
year in large numbers. Its population
has more than doubled since 1880, when
railways opened its principal northern
and southern portions to markets.
According to the census of 1900, Clark
county contained over 5000 homes, 3402
of them being the homes of farmers, of
which but PA were rented. The farms
averaged 94.3 acres each, and with live
stock upon them valued at 81, 1853, 104
produced in excess of products fed TO
stock an income value of 81 .304 210
There were owned 1862 horses and 49,
500 COWS, and the county produced L.
$50, 900 pounds of butter, and in round
figures 1900 pounds of cheese. Sheep,
hcgs, poultry and bees were also impor-
tant sources of farm income, the county
producing, for example, almost 1000
pounds of honey.
The rivers and streams of Clark coun-
ty ard all the wells abound in what is
known as soft water" There are nu-
merous water powers, as a rule unde-
veloped. The climate is healthy and
while the winters are cold they have a
steady cold and fuel is plenty and cheap.
But the mean monthly temperature of
Neilsville in December, January and
February, III, 12.S and 1874, respective
", is not low in comparison with any
other portion of Wisconsin. In rainfall,
for the growing season, NeillSvlle's rec
ord is 2219 inches, the largest average
reported between there and Lake Michi-
gan, following its latitude eastward.
Wisconsin as whole, has larger rain
fall than Illinois, southern Michigan or
Minnesota, and is exceeded by less than
an inch by Iowa.
| have gone into details and statistics
more as TO Clark county than may seem
necessary in writing for a well-infOrmed
constituency of Wisconsin farmers, like
the readers of The Agriculturist, but
have seen and known the development of
Clark county from its early days and
realize the full force of its achievements
as we'll as the abundant opportunities
vet open for it. | consider it. moreover,
as typical of the best that is and is to
be, in the agricultural sense, in northern
and central Wisconsin. | know because
| first saw Clark county when 1t was a
wilderness. that what experience has
demonstrated there, will be much more
rapidly accomplished on the similar soils
and with the similar opportunities that
abound in the newer counties to the
north. where land is still cheap, as it
was in Clark county but a few years
since.
When Gov. C. c. Washburn died a
few years ago his estate included large
amount of cut over land and hardwood
land in Clark county that was sold TO
men of my acquaintance at a large lump
sum. 1t has, most OF il, increased ia
value over five times within the twenty
years, and this case is one OF a number
with which everyone acquainted with
Clark county since it began TO develop
agriculturally is familiar.
What have said about the part OF
central Clark county over which | drove
last month applies also to the eastern
part along the Wisconsin Central road
and 10 the northern and northwestern
/ portions. along the Central from Withee
10 Stanley. / drove through newer por-
tons of northwestern Clark county from
Stanley that showed the st,me evidences
Of growth and progress that I found
along the Neillsvile road to Withee.