Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-05-28
To the Editor

R=published by request.
To the Editor:
Reviewing the resources of your
county the other day in response to
inquiry from a homeseeker, revealed
some interesting statistics of much
concern to your readers and rather IL
Illuminating to those promoters seeking
to entice Grant county people and
capital from the state. The 1910
census (the corrected bulletins of
which are now available) has proved
an unexpected gift to Wisconsin and
there is much therein of significance
to your people.
With a production of cereal crops
totalling considerably in excess of six
million bushels annually, the yield
per acre 1.-THE true test Uf fertility is
relatively high when comparison is
had with the neighboring states, Iowa
and Illinois. More than half Of the
counties in the latter state and forty
in the former, bore less of corn per
acre in 1909 than the average of Grant
county with 35.7 bushels. And yet
at the exhibits maintained by the
immigration board at outside exposi-
tions we have repeatedly been inform
ed that this is not a corn growing
state, thar it is too far north. AS
matter Of fact. the corn belt has been
extended TO Lake Superior.
Of Iowas SO counties, 90 grew less
per acre of oats than yours and much
more than half of those in Illinois
failsd to respond to the yield had in
your county, 1877 bushels. Again,
the same census proves that in produc-
tiOn of wheat II Iowa counties and
more than half in Illinois. grew less
per acre than the average of Grant
county. Nor is this all, for no county
in the great state of Iowa approached
tine production Of barley per acre
brought forth in yours.
In fact, in amount per acre of corn,
oats, wheat and rye the same census
establishes the fact that one acre Of
Grant county produced on an average
more than two acres in the states of
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia and Texas. It is a matter
worth considering to know that
although the use of commercial
fertilizers decreased in Wisconsin Sc
per cent during the period 1900 1910,
there was an increase of 1913. s per
cent in North Carolina, 237. 3 per cent
in South Carolina, 1888 per cent in
Georgia and 377 per cent in Texas.
Notwithstanding this Texas promoters
are securing our state seeking the dis
contented and urging the investment
of capital in a state which the census
proves is but half as productive as
your county even with the soil
stimulated by the use of commercial
fertilizers. These yields in your
section and this good showing can be
attri buted to soil naturally fruitful
and easily kept so, to superior farm
ing practices and to your splendid ar
ray of live stock.
With 80, 600 head your county
leads the states of Wyoming aud
Arizona in the number of dairy cows,
yielding six million seventy three
thousand gallons of milk annually.
But the position enjoyed by your
county is not confined to cereals and
dairy cattle. Much attention is given
to beef and pork production. The
census has no satisfactory classified
ton for beef cattle but does de-
monetrate that this county has a
greater number of swine than the
state of Name, or the state of Montana
or Wyoming OF Arizona. Here are
the figures.
SWINE.
Grant Comfy Wisconsin ia 997