HORTICULTURE AND FOREST TREE-PLANTING — FOREST TREES — THE DAIRY — BUTTER AND CHEESE

Winnebago county has a soil that is admirably adapted to the raising of all the cereals, and is fast becoming one of the best and most prosperous agricultural counties in northern Iowa. Its people are awake and keep step with the progressive march of the times in all that pertains to a civilization of happiness, industry and culture. Its future possibilities may be set high among the cluster of its hundred sisters, a star of pride to the noble State. The early pioneers did not come loaded with wealth, and, in fact, few had more than enough to barely get settled upon their lands; but they came with that which was, in those days, equal to it - training in agricultural pursuits, brawny hands that were able and not ashamed to do hard work, and in connection with industrious habits, they possessed the energy and determination to win success. The country was new, and there was no alternative but that success must be wrought from the soil - which was their only wealth and their only hope. And, in spite of all obstacles and inconveniences to be encountered, success has attended their efforts, and the transformation from the primitive to the present comfortable condition of things accomplished. Nor is the end yet reached, the county still has a vast mine of agricultural wealth yet undeveloped, which, as the years roll on, will grow more and more valuable, and when the years of cultivated maturity shall dawn to transform the yet unsubdued prairie to waving fields of growing grain, Winnebago will occupy a place among the foremost ranks of Iowa's banner counties.

Early in the development of this county, wheat was the main product, and for a number of years excellent crops were raised with scarcely a failure. At the present time it has partially given up its former place to other cereals, while the farmers find many other avenues in which to devote their time and energies. the general theory - or it might, more properly, be said - it is known in a general way, that the wheat belt has been traveling westward ever since it was first started at Plymouth, Mass., when the pilgrim fathers landed there over 260 years ago. At first it moved on its westward way very slowly, and, but fifty years ago, the valley of the Genesee, in New York, was the great wheat raising region. But when Michigan, Illinois and Iowa were opened up for cultivation, the wheat growing center began its kangaroo jumps toward the settling sun, and Iowa was for years its resting place, but how long it will be before its now receding line will pass clear beyond the confines of Iowa and land in Dakota and Nebraska, time alone can determine.

The staple productions of Winnebago county are wheat, oats, corn, barley and potatoes, but all other varieties raised in this portion of the State do well. buckwheat, millet, broom-corn, sorghum, flax and tobacco have been raised in small quantities with a flattering degree of success, proving that with proper care and attention these varieties can be produced in unlimited quantities. The tame grasses, including timothy, red-top, and clover, have been cultivated by a few farmers, to a limited extent, and in aevery instance have exhibited remarkably rapid and luxuriant growth. These, however, have not been cultivated to any great extent, as the large quantity and excellent quality of the native grasses have proven more than sufficient to meet the wants of farmers and those engaged in stock raising.

The following statistics, compiled from the united States census report of 1880, show the number of acres under cultivation and the amount of productions for that year:

Number of acres improved 58,070
Total value of all productions $298,004
Number of acres sown to wheat 19,954
Number of bushels of wheat raised 207,356
Number of acres of oats sown 3,654
Number of bushels of oats raised 134,920
Number of barley sown 602
Number of bushels of barley raised 13,484
Number of corn planted 4,774
Number of bushels of corn raised 165,907
Number of buckwheat 9
Number of bushels of buckwheat raised 123
Number of acres of rye sown 8
Number of bushels of rye raised 185
Number of tons of hay mown 20,022
Number of acres of flax sown 67
Number of bushels of flax raised 891
Value of orchard products $531
Number of acres of sorghum 12
Number gallons of sorghum molasses 999
Number of bushels of beans raised 140
Number of Irish potatoes 335
Number of bushels of potatoes raised 28,066
Number of sweet potatoes 1
Number of bushels of sweet potatoes raised 50
Number of pounds of hops raised 722
Number of pounds of tobacco raised 9,692

Table of Values:

Lands exclusive of town property $794,516
Value of town lots 12,427
Value of personal property 87,881
Total value of farms in county, including land, fences, and buildings 1,156,810
Cattle assessed in county 4,124; value 24,675
Horses assessed in county 1,695; value 38,216
Sheep assessed in county 807; value 403
Swine assessed in county 1,056; value 552
Value of railroad property per assessment 41,900

Grand total valuation in county $1,362,334

HORTICULTURE AND FOREST TREE-PLANTING
(by Eugene Secor)

Horticulture is still in its swaddling clothes in this country, yet when we review the ground gone over by the pioneers in this work, sice its first settlement, we cannot but admit that some progress has been made in this department.

Ever since Eve bit the traditional crab apple in the Garden of Eden, man has been trying to improve its quality and extend its area of cultivation and usefulness. The time is not very far back when it was said, and quite generally believed, that "you can't raise fruit in Iowa." But the ever restless Yankee, in his desire to improve his surroundings and to bring to his prairie cottage all the luxuries enjoyed in his boyhood home, is ever on the alert for improved fruits, flowers and ornamental trees with which to adorn and beautify the landscape, and add to the comfort and health of the family. This desire has added to our list of fruits, flowers and shrubs, many hardy varieties not known in the milder climates of southern and central Europe, and the United States east and south of us. Experiments are being made, and will undoubtedly continue to be made, until our list of hardy fruits shall be much larger than at present. Since it has been learned that the Russians successfully cultivate apples, pears, plums and cherries in a latitude as far north as Winnepeg, and in a climate more trying than northern Iowa, it has given a fresh impetus to fruit culture here, and the Russian varieties are being more largely planted.

Our excellent State Horticultural Society annually publishes a volume of transactions, invaluable to the fruit grower. Those who have procured these volumes and thoroughly informed themselves in regard to the failures and successes of the pioneer orchardists, are succeeding.

Previous to the year 1860, we suppose there was not a single fruit tree in this county, except those planted by the hand of Nature. Among these wild fruits were found some that deserve to be preserved and added to our list of desirable acquisitions. Especially fine were the red wild plums, some of which were nearly, if not quite, equal to our present (Miner). They are still the main dependence of the housewife for sauce and preserves. Crab apples were very plentiful in the edge of the timber, and used to be hawked about the streets of the town at fifty cents per bushel. they were nice to look at, as good keepers they beat anything we ever saw. The black currant, the gooseberry, the raspberry, blackberry, black wild cherry, choke cherry and high bush cranberry, also abounded in the timber, and the strawberry was found further out on the prairies.

About the first, if not the first, fruit trees planted in this county, were brought here in the spring of 1861, by my brother, David Secor, from Westchester Co. N.Y., in a trunk. They consisted of a few of the varieties common there; and were not selected with any view to adaptation to this climate. I think he brought two kinds of cherries, one sweet and the other sour; some quinces, gooseberries, currants, strawberries and running blackberries, (or dewberries), and a lot of apple seeds, principally from the Rhode Island greening, Baldwin pippin, etc., and some peach pits. The following spring, the writer brought from the same place, and in the same way, more fruits, and also some trees of red cedar, sweet chestnut, yellow and flowering locust and sassafras. It is needless, perhaps, to say that the most of these trees proved worthless in this climate. We succeeded in raising peach trees to the height of six or seven feet, only to be frozen root and branch the first hard winter. Some of the seedling apple trees raised from those seeds are still alive and bearing. The currants, gooseberries and strawberries did well, and proved to be the advance guard of numerous varieties which have since been introduced and successfully cultivated.

The first nursery trees sold in tis county, were we think, from Dubuque. From a small nursery at Mason City a few trees were also got and planted. But of all the fruit trees planted up to 1864, we think not more than two or three varieties are still living. Nearly every body made the same mistake, that of planting the kinds familiar to them in the Atlantic or middle States. Our mouths watered for the well remembered Baldwins, bellflowers, fall pippins, greenings, Vandeveres and Jersey sweets; for the sweet cherries and luscious pears, and forgot that latitude does not always determine temperature, and that the climatic conditions of our inland prairies were not the same as in the humid, protected regions far to the east of us.

During the rebellion but little thought was given to growing anything except the necessaries of life, and horticulture was almost at a stand-still, at least in this part of the State, when about three-fourths of the able-bodied men were in the army. At the close of the war, however, everybody began to plant for fruit. The commercial nurseries flooded the country with agents carrying highly colored plate books of fruits so nicely executed that one could almost taste it, and all bought and planted whatever their fancy dictated, regardless of expense, or desirable qualities. Consequently the mistakes of the earlier planters were often repeated, as to varieties. The want of a knowledge of the proper care of an orchard, also caused many failures and much disappointment and discouragement. The greatest obstacle to horticultural progress is the irresponsible tree agent who periodically perambulates the county selling at large prices, a poor stock of undesirable varieties.

Those who have studied the subject carefully and have planted intelligently are reaping their reward in fruit, and ina reasonable prospect of final success. The Russian varieties and selected seedlings from these, bid fair to solve the problem of fruit-growing in northern Iowa. After one of the most trying winters ever known in the history of this county, the past season (1883) has given us the largest and finest crop of apples and small fruits ever harvested here.

The following comparative table shows the growth of this industry from 1865 to 1883 inclusive as returned by the township assessors so far as available:

	1865	1867	1869	1875	1883
No. fruit trees in bearing ...... No. fruit trees not bearing .... No. acres trees returned ......	... 395 ...	24 732 ...	... 747 ...	231 1916 ...	... ... 34½

FOREST TREES

About 30,000 acres of this county were originally covered with timber, and as the early settlement was confined to the eastern part of the county (the timbered part) and as this furnished the first settlers with both fuel and shelter, little thought was given to planting forest trees until about the year 1869, after the passage of an act by the Iowa Legislature for the encouragement of tree planting.

As the settlement in the county extended westward to the prairies, and fuel grew more scarce, and the necessity for shelter for stock became apparent to the farmer, and added to these the pecuniary inducements held out by the State in the way of exemptions from taxes, groves began to be planted. At first the plantings were confined mostly to cottonwood, white willow, Lombardy poplar and soft (silver leaf) maple. Even these, so common now, were by no means easy to procure. None of them were native in this county. The writer helped to cut and plant the first cottonwood cuttings which were put out in this county so far as he has been able to learn. They were cut from a tree growing on the north bank of Clear lake, in the spring of 1863. From this planting cuttings were freely disseminated, and the cottonwood soon became very common. The oldest trees (twenty years), now measure five feet in circumference, one foot from the ground. The first soft maple seeds were procured at considerable trouble and expense, from a branch of the Des Moines river, in Kossuth county, where they grew naturally. The white willow was introduced here about the year 1865, from Illinois, by Judge Rosecrans, now of Clear Lake. Some very fine groves are now to be seen, from these early plantings. Notable among these, is the one planted and yet owned by S. Simmons, just west of Forest city, which is not only a pleasure to the eye, but a most perfect protection from the prairie blizzards. If any one doubts the utility, comfort and actual value of tree planting, he should visit this grove and talk with the proprietor.

Following these earlier plantings, were others with a greater variety of trees. As transportation facilities increased, and the price of nursery-grown trees was reduced so as to place them within reach of the farmer of ordinary means, the kinds planted have been on the increase. Groves may now be seen containing European larch, white ash, wild cherry, silver poplar, Norway spruce, Scotch and white pine, balsam fir, etc. And in less numbers, and as ornamental trees, there have been introduced the sugar maple, Norway maple, red maple, catalpa, Kentrucky coffee tree, honey locust, black ash, etc. Additional varieties are being added to the list each year. About twenty varieties of forest trees were found in the county. Importations have doubled the number, and the kinds that will grow and thrive here are probably many times the originial number.

From assessors' returns to the county auditor the following showing is made of forest trees planted:
Number of acres planted in 1867, one; Number of acres planted in 1875, ninety-two; number of acres planted in 1882, 453¼.

THE DAIRY

This is fast becoming one of the most important industries in Winnebago county, and farmers now incline to the opinion that it is much more remunerative than anything else. The Lime Valley Creamery is an important feature in the business development of Forest City, while other smaller and private creameries play no insignificant part in providing work and wealth to the county.  A glance at the accompanying table will show the growth of this industry in the past twenty years.

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

The following table shows the amount of butter and cheese produced on farms in the county for each enumeration from 1860 to J8S0, inclusive:

YEAR	Pounds of Butter	Pounds of Cheese	Milch [sic] Cows
1860	3,353	200	42
1863	5,560	100	103
1865	4,200	356	216
1867	16,506	500	361
1869	24,841	320	435
1870	17.305	200	390
1875	100,912		1,498
1880	193,906	2,150	2,484

¹History of Kossuth, Hancock and Winnebago Counties, Iowa. Springfield, Illinois: Union Publishing Company, 1884. 817-21.