of
Muscatine County Iowa
1879
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1879 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Historical Section, 1879, pages 432-432
STATISTICAL ITEMS. The country west of the bluff lands of the river is exceedingly fine. The county is well watered and well timbered. It is a county rich in natural advantages.
In a State which might be made the granary of the nation, and which has the capacity of producing breadstuffs sufficient to feed the people of the United States, if a system of cultivation equivalent to that of many of the countries of Europe were to be inaugurated, one unconsciously falls into the habit of accepting marvels in the form of development with a sang froid which none but Americans can exhibit. An invention which is destined to revolutionize methods and expand capabilities in almost an infinite degree, produces a momentary ripple on the surface of society, and then is accepted with a practical estimate of its applicability to the machinery already employed.
From the census reports of 1875, the following summary of products is compiled: Number of acres of improved land in the county, 178,945; number of acres returned as unimproved, 48,832; number rods of fence, 759,050. From 32,375 acres there were produced 416,471 bushels of spring wheat; from 63 acres, 629 bushels of winter wheat; from 54,760 acres, 1,715,973 bushels of Indian corn; from 13,287 acres, 405,562 bushels of oats; from 2,358 acres, 59,127 bushels of barley; from 2,541 acres, 29,455 bushels of rye; from 232 acres, 3,445 bushels of buckwheat; from 2,030 acres, 183,116 bushels of potatoes. In addition to these crops there were 13,672 bushels of sweet potatoes, 2,342 bushels of onions, 3,155 bushels of flaxseed, 16,507 gallons of sorghum sirup, 22,000 tons of tame hay, 6,394 bushels grass-seed, 42,094 bushels of apples, 620 bushels pears, 261 bushels peaches, 3,557 bushels cherries, 321,572 pounds grapes, 6,349 gallons wine made. The hog crop in 1875 numbered 40,169; sheep, 4,550; wool clipped, 20,317 pounds. There were 498,968 pounds of butter made by private parties.
VALUATION OF THE COUNTY IN 1878. Auditor McCampbell made the following report to the Auditor of State for the year 1878:
Total number of acres assessed----------------------------------- 266,148
Valuation of farm lands----------------------------------------$3,138,396
Village and city property---
Stockton------------------------------------------------$ 5,392
Atalissa------------------------------------------------ 12,956
Moscow-------------------------------------------------- 7,263
Muscatine----------------------------------------------- 969,700
Conesville---------------------------------------------- 9,992
Nichols------------------------------------------------- 10,940
Fairport------------------------------------------------ 7,415
West Liberly-------------------------------------------- 90,120
Wilton-------------------------------------------------- 151,790
--------$1,265,568
Value railroad property----------------------------------------- 506,776
Aggregate personal property------------------------------------- 1,438,293
-----------
Total valuation of county-------------------------------------- $6,349,032
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