Year: 1874

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On last Wednesday we visited the
farm Of Abrtm Howe, situated 81 miles
from Red Wing on Spring Greek, just
above and running down to the Spring
Creek grist mill, owned BY William
Featherstone., 1t consists of two hum
dred and fifty.6ve acres of land, one
hundred acres Of which is used for pas
ture and the remainder for meadows
and the raising Of crops.


Mr.. Howe commenced here less than
three years ago, the present being his
third season on the farm. He now has
stock Of 46 head Of neat cattle, 8 head
of horses, and IS hogs. Last spring he
added to his stock by the purchase Of a
thorough bred Durham bull and heifer
of the same breed. The heifer was 6
months old at the time of purchase and
cost $3.50. She is y most beautiful
looking animal and probably the finest
animal Of the kind ever brought to this
portion Of the State. The bull is also
very fine looking animal, and shows him.
self to be pure blood. This stock is Of
the family imported by Mr.. Roe Of
Wisconsin and the animals we're both
bought at Wakesha in that State. Mr..
Howe now has 25 COWS giving milk,
all natives. but Of good stock These
COWS were feeding on the clover mead
ow and were any Of them fat enough
for beef MIR. Howe evidently believes
in c]overfor COWS; he has about 60 tons
in his mows for this winters feeding
He claims that the only reason that
some stock raisers are so much more
successful than others is that they give
their stock better care and feed. Mr..
Howe has evidently acted on this prin.
ciple in the erecting Of his barns and
buildings, and it is Of these that we
wish principally to speak.


AT the time Of the purchase of the
farm by the present owner there was
one barn 30x40 feet in size. This barn
has been enlarged to 30158 feet with a
wing 1884 feet. Under the main
part is stone basement for cattle, ar.
ranged with floor, drains and lever fast
enings for the cattle. The cattle stand
in two rows with heads toward center
of the stable and are fastened by the
raising Of lever arranged for that pur-
pose. Above this cattle stable is hay
NOW and bran room, with arrangements
for feeding through the floor above.
The first story Of the wing to this barn is
partitioned off into granary with bins
so arranged as to be entirely free from
moisture, and room for storing farm
machinery. In one bin Of the granary,
We saw good plump Fife wheat that
yielded this year 26 bushels to the
acre, and the only secret was that it had
been raised on ground that had been
properly dressed with barn yard manure
and we'll cultivated. In the storage
room We found the machinery all dry,
free from rust, and all weather marks
showing that it had been promptly stored
after using. Here We noticed a corn
planter for dropping and covering corn
which was novel to US, and We should
think to be a vast improvement over
the old way. The machine is arranged
to be drawn by two horses two men sit
on the machine, one to work it and the
other TO drive the team, planting two
rows of corn at time. In the second
story Of this wing ofthe barn is hay loft
Of 9 feet elevation extending over the COW
stable which extends short distance un-
der this wing. The second barn is also in
the shape Of an ell "a feet wide and 20 and
IS feet on the respective sides with IS
feet posts above the basement. One wing
is partitioned ofinto carriage room and
ageneral shop for doing repairing ofma-
chinery and all other classes Of shop work