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Norton S. Townshend, M. D. 
 Father of Agricultural Education in America. 
 
 Born : Clay Coaton, England, 1815. 
 Died : Columbus, Ohio, 1895. 
 
HISTORY OF OHIO AGRICULTURE 
 
 A Treatise on the Development of the 
 
 Various Lines and Phases of 
 
 Farm Life in Ohio 
 
 CHARLES WILLIAM BURKETT, M. Sc. 
 
 Professor of Agriculture, New Hampshire College of Agriculture 
 and the Mechanic Arts 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 CONCORD, N. H.: 
 
 Zbe IRumforD press. 
 1900. 
 
THE I iBSARY OF 
 CONGRESS. 
 
 On? Cot-- >-»cH,vPr 
 
 £EC„ 10 1902 
 
 CLASS CL. XXc. No. 
 
 copy a: 
 
 
 Copyright, 1900 
 
 By Rumford Printing Company, 
 
 Concord, N. H. 
 
TO 
 
 ftbomas ffors^tb frnnt 
 
 Insi'IRIng Teacher 
 
 AND 
 
 Constant Friend 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Introduction 9 
 
 Chapter I. Soil and Climate 13 
 
 Indian Agriculture .... 26 
 
 People of Ohio 39 
 
 Canals, Railroads, and Turn- 
 pikes 53 
 
 Principal Farm Crops ... 68 
 
 Horticulture and Forestry . . 78 
 
 The Horse Stock in Ohio . . 90 
 
 VIII. Cattle Development in Ohio . 105 
 
 IX. Breeds of Sheep in Ohio . . 121 
 Introduction and Development 
 
 of Some Breeds of Swine . 137 
 Introduction and Development 
 of Farm Implements and 
 
 Machinery 151 
 
 Dairying in Ohio 177 
 
 Agricultural Education . . . 189 
 
 II. 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 VI. 
 
 VII. 
 
 X. 
 
 XI. 
 
 XII. 
 XIII. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Norton S. Townshend .... Fro?itispiece 
 
 The First American Reaper . . Page 164X 
 
 A Model Creamery Page 186 * 
 
 Townshend Agricultural Hall . . Page 202 • 
 
PREFACE 
 
 In the preparation of the pages which follow, 
 the writer has endeavored to trace the develop- 
 ment of one side of the industrial life in Ohio. 
 It is to the farmer, more than to any other, that 
 this state owes her greatness. 
 
 In recognition of this fact, the writer has 
 endeavored to present a readable account of 
 the progress and evolution of the agriculture in 
 its various phases in the state. A chapter has 
 been devoted to canals and railroads, because 
 with the advent of the former the real agricul- 
 ture began. It is to bring together some of the 
 historic agricultural facts now scattered through 
 a thousand places that this little book appears. 
 
 c. w. B. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 In 1650 Ohio was an unbroken forest. Its 
 waters on the north and south had occasionally 
 been furrowed by the adventurous craft of civil- 
 ized men ; but its borders possessed neither a 
 hamlet nor a house. Only its interior showed 
 signs of life of man, and that in the savage 
 state. Tradition only tells us of the beauty of 
 the wild scenery. That must have been a 
 pleasant view to the Jesuit missionary Jean de 
 Brefeuf, in 1640, as he coasted along Lake 
 Erie's bank in the waters calm and sublime, 
 typical of the solemn hum that marks the Atlan- 
 tic roll. Or as La Salle, in 1660, moved slowly 
 down the stream on the south, majestically 
 along, noiseless as the foot of time, and as re- 
 sistless. No wonder he used haste to take pos- 
 session, after beholding the tall trees, covered 
 with vines of the grape and of wild roses, from 
 near the ground to topmost branches. He saw, 
 too, the beautiful shrubbery and wild flowers, 
 tall grasses, and the great profusion of flower- 
 ing plants in full bloom, of every shade of color. 
 We do not wonder as thus he floated down the 
 stream he saw that truly the country and the 
 silvery river was fair and beautiful ; with this 
 thought in mind, he exclaimed : " La belle 
 
 9 
 
Intro- rivere ! " The Indians, too, felt the same pleas- 
 uc ion ure j n t j le ^ eaut y f i-jjg scenej anc j j on g before 
 
 the Wyandots had named the river by the ex- 
 pression, O, he, zuh ; which meaning applied 
 by the French, means great, grand, and fair to 
 look at, hence the name of Ohio for the river 
 and the state. 
 
 The history of the agriculture of Ohio is free 
 from the startling sensations which arise from a 
 Perry on Lake Erie, or the policies of a Vallan- 
 digham, or the tragedies and comedies of social 
 life. Ohio's agriculture is deep and calm ; its 
 history quiet, but marked with the ever-increas- 
 ing steps of progress. 
 
 As the sailor takes his bearings to keep his 
 course, and from every view he sees nothing but 
 water, so it is with the agriculture of Ohio, — 
 a broad ocean of uncollected facts, one bearing 
 here, another there, often uncertain and unre- 
 liable, extending through a period of a century 
 in length. But we see a few landmarks here 
 and there that are valuable aids in directing our 
 course. 
 
 Ohio agriculture may be divided into the fol- 
 lowing periods : 
 
 Prehistoric or Indian agriculture, from pre- 
 historic times to 1788. 
 
 Early agriculture, 1 788-1 832. 
 
 Modern agriculture, 1 83 2-present. 
 10 
 
Our present period is experimental ; can we Intro 
 
 not within another half century give place to a 
 fourth period, and term it scientific agriculture, 
 with date from about 1890 ? 
 
 In this treatise we need not go into the his- 
 tory of the boundary of Ohio. It is true that a 
 few straggling settlers lived in Ohio, but her 
 industrial history begins properly with the Mari- 
 etta settlement. Those settlers did not live by 
 manufacturing, nor by mining, nor by hunting 
 and fishing ; but the growing of crops and the 
 tilling of the soil at once took a prominent place 
 in the work. Trees were soon cut and raised 
 into houses. Protection started, the area thus 
 cleared gave place for sowing, and cultivation 
 and harvesting at once followed. Little is 
 known of the agriculture of this period. In 
 fact, there was little history, and nothing of 
 importance in any way occurred to those first 
 settlers prior to 1800. There was no means of 
 transportation. Shipbuilding began about this 
 time, and an outlet for the crop surplus was 
 now slightly possible. But the agriculture of 
 Ohio cannot be said to have commenced as an 
 industry at a period before 1832. The Ohio 
 canal was at this time completed ; the facility for 
 transportation by that means was the com- 
 mencement of the era of improvement in this 
 state. The accessibility to market induced 
 
 11 
 
 diiction 
 
Intro- every landowner to pay greater attention to the 
 duction cu i tivation of the soiL 
 
 Up to this time there had been no reason nor 
 demand for improvement. Now an occupation 
 for thousands had been made possible. The 
 necessity gave rise to invention and improve- 
 ment, and henceforth there was to begin a de- 
 velopment and improvement in live stock and 
 implements that was to make Ohio one of the 
 foremost agricultural states of America. From 
 that time forward prosperity followed, and the 
 entire state rapidly grew in population and 
 wealth. Log cabins disappeared, and commo- 
 dious frame dwellings took their place. Towns 
 sprang into existence, with shops, schools, and 
 churches. Farm products found a ready cash 
 sale, and at remunerative prices. Thus agri- 
 culture proper had its beginning. The oppor- 
 tunity was now afforded for the virgin earth to 
 have developed its riches and beauty. 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 SOIL AND CLIMATE 
 
 On the surface, within the limits of Ohio, 
 is almost everywhere a rich vegetable 
 mould, made by the decay and putrefac- 
 tion of vegetable substances. Along the 
 Ohio river and all its larger tributaries in 
 this state are wide intervals of rich alluvial 
 soils, on which originally a thick growth 
 of gigantic forest trees flourished. In the 
 hilly regions there are two kinds of soil — 
 the silicious and the argilaceous. The 
 former is made by the disintegration of the 
 sandstone, near the surface ; the latter by 
 the clay slate which exists there. And 
 where it is quite hilly these two kinds often 
 become blended together. Nature has pro- 
 vided us the clay for bricks and the sand 
 in which to mould them. 
 
 The interior of the state and the country 
 bordering on Lake Erie are generally 
 level, and in some places marshy. From 
 one quarter to one third of the state, com- 
 prehending the eastern and southeastern 
 part, bordering on the Ohio river, is gen- 
 
 13 
 
Soil and erally hilly and broken. The lands on the 
 Ohio, and several of its tributaries, have 
 great fertility. On both sides of the Scioto 
 and the two Miamis are the most extensive 
 bodies of rich and level land in the state. 
 On the headwaters of the Muskingum and 
 the Scioto, and between the Scioto and the 
 two Miamis, are extensive prairies, some of 
 them at one time low and marshy, produc- 
 ing a great quantity of farm products of 
 all kinds. Prior to its present claimation 
 to agriculture, this area produced a great 
 quantity of coarse grass, from two to five 
 feet high ; other parts of the prairie are 
 elevated and dry, with a very fertile soil, 
 though they have sometimes been called 
 barrens. The height of the land which 
 divides the waters which fall into the Ohio 
 from those which fall into Lake Erie was 
 the most marshy originally of any of the 
 state ; while the land on the margins of the 
 rivers is generally dry. 1 
 
 The southeastern section, over one third 
 of the state, is dependent upon its original 
 rocks for its soil fertility. These being 
 mostly of sandstone origin, afford little 
 
 1 Sherman & Smith's Gazetteer of the United States. 
 14 
 
fertility either to the hills themselves or to Soil and 
 the valleys over which the wash is carried. ima e 
 They are the only native soils we have, 
 coming either directly from the rocks that 
 underlie them or that rise above them in 
 the boundaries of the valleys and uplands. 
 The rocks thus being disintegrated vary 
 in composition, and consequently the soils 
 are "characterized by considerable ine- 
 quality and by abrupt changes." All have 
 a fair degree of fertility, and those derived 
 from the underbed of limestone are not 
 surpassed by any in the state. Of this 
 driftless soil region there is another class 
 less productive. Forests and fruit produc- 
 tion have flourished to a considerable de- 
 gree in this region. The chestnut and the 
 chestnut oak are partial to this class of 
 soils, and vineyards and orchards have 
 done remarkably well upon them. This 
 class of soils are derived from Devonian 
 shales. Another class of native soils are 
 what are known as the Waverly group and 
 lower coal measures. They are popularly 
 known as the cheap land belt. Forests do 
 well upon this area also. Some of our 
 highest quality of timber has been pro- 
 
 15 
 
Soil and duced from this type. Dr. Orton says that 
 these soils if farmed in an exhaustive man- 
 ner will not last long, but if cattle and 
 sheep are raised, a system of grass and 
 grain rotation followed and the addition of 
 a ton or two of artificial fertilizer made, a 
 farmer can do well upon them. 1 
 
 Writing of our drift soils, Dr. Orton 
 says, " The drift soils are by far the most 
 important, alike from their greater area, 
 and their intrinsic excellence. Formed by 
 the commingling of the glacial waste of all 
 the formations to the north of them, over 
 which the ice has passed, they always pos- 
 sess considerable variety of composition, 
 but still in many cases they are strongly 
 colored by the formation underneath them. 
 Whenever a structure of uniform composi- 
 tion has a broad outcrop across the line of 
 glacial advance, the drift beds that cover 
 its southern portions will be found to have 
 been derived in large part from the forma- 
 tion itself, and will thus resemble native or 
 sedentary soils. Western Ohio is under- 
 laid with silurian limestones, and the drift 
 is consequently limestone drift. 
 
 1 Howe's History of Ohio, Vol. I, page 87. 
 16 
 
The soil over much more than one half Soil ancl 
 of the state is of foreign origin, 1 that is, has 
 not been derived from the decomposition of 
 the underlying rocks, but has been trans- 
 ported, by drift agencies, frequently from a 
 great distance. Over the northern part of 
 the state the most conspicuous element in 
 the drift deposit is clay. We have in that 
 section the tenacious clayey soil which has 
 given character to the original forest and to 
 the system of agriculture which we have 
 to-day ; the cultivation of grasses, the rais- 
 ing of stock, wheat, and the manufacture of 
 butter and cheese being the most success- 
 ful. On the Western Reserve, Newberry 
 says, " The underlying rocks are frequently 
 highly arenaceous, — conglomerate and 
 sandstone, — yet this is the dairy of the 
 West, for over nearly all parts of the sur- 
 face a sheet of drift clay has been spread, 
 of such continuity and thickness as com- 
 pletely to modify the character both of veg- 
 etation and agriculture. Along the south- 
 ern range the drift deposits are more or less 
 composed of gravel and sand." 2 
 
 1 Howe's History of Ohio, Vol. I, page 87. Geology of Ohio, 
 Vol. I, page 23. 
 
 2 Geology of Ohio, Vol. I. 
 
 17 
 
Soil and Some considerable part of the state is 
 embedded with coal. Here the soil is 
 affected by the underground bed. The 
 rocks are sandstone shales, fire clays, and 
 coal and limestones, which give local diver- 
 sity to the soil. Where the ridges are cov- 
 ered with sandstone, the soils are light and 
 porous and have little agricultural value. 
 The chestnut and the wild grape grow abun- 
 dantly on this class. Frequently, however, 
 the ridges are sheeted with limestone, as in 
 some sections fine crops of corn and wheat 
 are produced on the summits of the hills. 
 
 In the valleys of the Muskingum, Scioto, 
 and the Miami the soil is deep black allu- 
 vial, which yields, year after year, abundant 
 harvests of our most important agricultural 
 crops. In the Miami valley we have our 
 highest type of fertile lands, occasioned by 
 the drift of limestones and the underlying 
 calcareous gravels. 
 
 In the western and northwestern parts of 
 the state there is a type of prairie land, 
 covering a considerable extent of territory, 
 originally marshy, but of recent years 
 ditches and tiles have converted this waste 
 land into productive farms. 
 18 
 
Climate. Soil and 
 
 s- •' i i ' ■!• T-. • Climate 
 
 Ohio has a variable climate. From its 
 
 geographical situation it is necessarily one 
 of moderate extremes. The state is swept 
 over by the southwest trades and the north- 
 west polar winds in their alternatives. The 
 southwest winds bring in the rains, and 
 during the summer months often of a 
 strongly cyclonic character. The summers 
 of southern Ohio and the winters of the 
 northern part are often intemperate, but the 
 spring and autumn, in both cases, compen- 
 sate for the excess. The equable temper- 
 ature which Lake Erie diffuses upon the 
 adjoining country has been valuable in an 
 immense degree to the various agricultural 
 and horticultural industries ; orchards and 
 vineyards thrive especially well in that 
 locality. 
 
 Ohio lies in the region where the best 
 conditions of climate exist for the adapta- 
 tion of vegetable and animal life. Situated 
 in the temperate zone, the state falls entirely 
 under the influence of a variable climate. 
 And those variations of heat and cold, of 
 moisture and dryness, within extremes not 
 too great, have been important factors in 
 
 iq 
 
Soil and the development of vegetable and animal 
 
 Climate vr mi • .• • i 
 
 life. 1 here is an inspiration in changing 
 
 seasons, the lovely springtime, with the 
 summer that follows, bringing the warmth 
 and moisture and sunshine which make 
 the fruits of the soil abundant in this land, 
 fitting rewards for our labor ; and winter 
 with its cold, exhilarating influence, with its 
 period of rest and renewal of vigor. In 
 this respect, then, Ohio has a climate un- 
 surpassed, with winters that are not severe, 
 and summers that are not depressingly hot. 
 The climatic conditions are favorable for 
 the production of a wide range of vegeta- 
 tion. Cereals of practically every nature, 
 fruits of all descriptions, vegetables of 
 nearly every variety, find cultivation on 
 Ohio farms and gardens. There are many 
 picturesque and charming hills that are 
 noted for their fruit ; the mild and equable 
 temperature of Lake Erie's region is unsur- 
 passed for its vineyards, while the hundred 
 valleys, level and fertile, not only furnish 
 the produce for Ohio's people, but have to 
 spare to feed the hungry mouths of other 
 climes. Climatic conditions, with the fer- 
 tile soil, were what caused the extraordi- 
 
nary development of animal and vegetable Soil and 
 forms during the time of Indian ownership. 
 
 Temperature. 
 
 From the observations of the state 
 weather bureau we have exact data for 
 the last fifteen years on the weather con- 
 ditions of the state. We also have records 
 extending over a period of forty years that 
 give a close idea of the normal conditions. 
 The observations of G. A. Hyde 1 of Cleve- 
 land are especially interesting. Since 1855 
 he has kept careful records of the tem- 
 perature, rainfall and snowfall, the winds 
 and sky. From his observations we find 
 that during the period there is no uniform 
 deviation from the normal, and no gradual 
 change of seasons as so many people are 
 inclined to think. The average tempera- 
 ture for the forty years is 49. 3 ; the high- 
 est temperature observed in the vicinity of 
 Cleveland was 99 on August 12, 1881, 
 while the lowest temperature was 20 
 below zero, January 29, 1873. We find 
 by dividing this period of forty years into 
 decades, that the average temperature of 
 
 1 Forty Years' Record of the Weather, by G. A. Hyde. 
 
 21 
 
Soil and the first was 49.58 ; the second, 48.32 ; 
 the third, 49. 46 ; and the fourth, 49. 34 . 
 From the State Weather Bureau, we find 
 during a period of fifteen years the mean 
 temperature is 50. 5 ; the highest, 108 , 
 July 18, 1887, at Pomeroy; the lowest, 
 34 below zero January 25, 1884, at 
 Sidney. Range of temperature 142 ; 
 mean daily range, 21. 3 ; greatest daily 
 range, 6o° on October 19, 1894, New 
 Waterford ; lowest range, o° January 13, 
 1892, New Holland; and February 7, 
 1895, at Kilbourne. 
 
 The warmest month is July and the 
 coldest January. 
 
 Precipitation. 
 
 From the observations of Mr. Hyde on 
 the amount of rainfall, melted snow 
 included, during the forty years of his 
 observations, we get the following interest- 
 ing facts : The greatest fall in one day or 
 twenty-four hours was 4.67 inches, Sep- 
 tember 12 and 13, 1878. The greatest 
 fall in one month was 10.33 inches in June, 
 1855. The least fall in one month was 
 0.25 inches in February, 1877. The 
 22 
 
greatest fall in one year was 49.66 inches Soil and 
 in 1878. The least fall in one year was 
 25.28 inches in 1856. The average rain- 
 fall and melted snow for forty years is 
 38.08 inches. 
 
 From the State Weather Bureau we get 
 the following averages for the state : The 
 number of days that rain fell during the 
 last fifteen years was 125 ; mean yearly 
 rainfall, 37.87; mean daily rainfall, 0.10; 
 greatest rainfall at Demos in 1890, 65.39 
 inches; least rainfall, 20.38 inches, Pome- 
 roy, 1894 ; with a mean monthly rainfall 
 of 3.14 inches. The rainfall for the grow- 
 ing seasons is not always sufficient to 
 furnish water enough for the maturity of 
 the crop, which makes it essential to con- 
 serve the moisture that is taken in the soil 
 during the other months. 
 
 Snowfall. 
 
 Mr. Hyde notes the most remarkable 
 snow-storm, in his record of forty years, to 
 have occurred January 31, 1878, between 
 the hours of 4 A. m. and 9 p. m., in which 
 time there fell twenty-two inches of snow. 
 During the time of the observation the first 
 
 23 
 
Soil and snow fell September 30, 1888, and the 
 latest November 29, 1865. Of the last 
 snowfall of the season, the latest occurred 
 May 9, 1885, and the earliest March 24, 
 1878. The greatest snowfall for any 
 season occurred during the winter of 1880- 
 '81 when 101.8 inches fell. The least 
 snowfall of any season occurred during 
 the winter of i86$-'66, when but 22.6 
 inches fell. The average snowfall during 
 the forty years was 54.4 inches. For the 
 average condition of the weather proper of 
 the state during the past fifteen years, we 
 find that the number of clear days, fair 
 days, cloudy days, and rainy days, per 
 month, was ten each. During the forty 
 years' period the prevailing direction of the 
 wind was from the southwest. As to the 
 state of the general climatic conditions, 
 little needs to be said. There seems to be 
 no change in temperature, amount of snow, 
 and change of seasons. The destruction 
 of forests, however, has had some effect on 
 the prevalence of floods and their distribu- 
 tion. 
 
 24 
 
Ice, Frost, and Storms. Soil and 
 
 Cli7nate 
 The formation of ice from three to six 
 inches occurs in all sections every year, 
 and sleighing and skating are possible in 
 nearly every section of the state. The 
 northern part of the state never fails in its 
 ice crop. 
 
 Frosts are usual, especially in the sec- 
 tion south of the lake to the line where the 
 climate is affected in a favorable way. 
 Hundreds of acres of fruit trees and often 
 the cereals are entirely destroyed by frosts. 
 Summer storms, too, are frequent, and 
 the occasional winter storm is not uncom- 
 mon. Periods of excessive rainfall are not 
 unknown, when great floods have inflicted 
 great losses on both farms and prosperous 
 towns. 
 
 25 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 INDIAN AGRICULTURE 
 
 The Ohio Indian was not an agricultur- 
 ist ; he regarded the cultivation of the soil 
 as degrading. Yet he found it necessary 
 to cultivate the soil to obtain a living, and 
 he put the task upon the old women and 
 the children. It is customary to speak of 
 the Indian as subsisting by the chase, but 
 this is true only to a limited extent. More 
 than half of them cultivated the soil, and in 
 the Ohio and Mississippi valleys quite well 
 and extensively. Up to 1776 the entire 
 land of Ohio was in possession of the Indian 
 tribes. No white men were permanently 
 within this Indian land, and those who 
 were roaming about within the borders 
 were known only as enemies, and their 
 presence meant war. The most powerful 
 tribe and honest were the Wyandots, who 
 occupied the fertile and level region of the 
 Sandusky river, where they held the undis- 
 puted right to the northern part of the state. 
 In the rich valleys of the Tuscarawas and 
 Muskingum were the camping grounds of 
 26 
 
the Delawares, whose power gave them Indian 
 possession of nearly half of the state. The tt f rg 
 Scioto and Miami country furnished the 
 beautiful valley homes of the Shawnees ; 
 the fame and power of whose brave war- 
 riors were extended even to the civilized 
 courts, so that the French found efficient 
 allies during the Seven Years' War. Piqua 
 and Chillicothe are named from two of the 
 four sub-divisions of this powerful tribe. 
 The Chippewas and the Ottawas occupied 
 portions in the northern part of the state. 
 
 These tribes were the occupants of Ohio 
 while the white men were building up a 
 civil society in the East, and the former had 
 little disturbance from the latter. Here 
 they roamed and hunted, and tilled their 
 little fields and made love and war at pleas- 
 ure, little conscious of the approaching 
 troubles and doom ! Though the Indian 
 was lazy and careless he exercised more 
 forethought about his corn crop than any- 
 thing else. In some parts of the state along 
 the river banks and valleys where trees 
 were not abundant, were found the corn- 
 fields of the Indians ; back in the hills and 
 forest areas the Indian found it necessary 
 
 27 
 
Indian to clear out a part of the trees lor his fields. 
 
 hire ' This was done by belting the trees near the 
 roots, through the sap wood. This would 
 soon destroy the trees so that enough sun- 
 light would enter to produce the corn crop. 
 During winter the branches would drop to 
 the ground, and in the springtime the 
 women and children would gather them to- 
 gether and burn them as the first prepara- 
 tion for the crop. Thus rid of its rubbish, 
 the ground was then gone over with rude 
 hoes made of stone, or a crooked stick, or 
 even the bone of an animal, and put in 
 condition for planting. We find reference 
 in Colonel Smith's diary that on planting, 
 a crab or fish from the stream was caught 
 and put in the hill over which was placed 
 the kernels of corn. In many places the 
 doing or not doing of this meant a yield or 
 failure of the crop. It was necessary then 
 for the embryonic farmers to keep watch of 
 their crops throughout the entire growing 
 season. Birds were legion then, and with- 
 out careful and continued vigilance on the 
 part of the faithful and persistent squaws, 
 total destruction from their ravages would 
 no doubt have resulted. 
 28 
 
The Indian practised deep cultivation. Indian 
 The idea of shallow and level cultivation tj f r * 
 was as foreign to him as to thousands of the 
 farmers of Ohio to-day. 
 
 He carried the matter a little further, 
 however, hilling the corn as high as two 
 feet 1 . The corn was plucked before fully 
 ripe and a careful selection of the seed corn 
 was made from the stalks that contained 
 the largest and most perfect ears. How 
 fortunately and yet unconsciously they 
 were following out the idea of selection ! 
 After the corn was husked it was packed 
 in birchbark boxes and buried in holes in 
 the earth for future use. Many writers have 
 told- us that these underground barns were 
 carefully concealed by the women, lest the 
 lazy and thoughtless husbands and sons 
 should discover and eat up the contents. 
 These dirty, lazy, contemptible husbands 
 and sons were the only hogs the Indians 
 had, history tells us, and they would often 
 root open the doors and in their gluttony eat 
 the whole of the hard-earned larder in a day. 
 
 Indian corn was the chief product raised 
 by the Indian, and many references are 
 
 1 Taylor's History of Ohio, page 99. 
 29 
 
Indian 
 
 Agr 
 
 ture 
 
 made by the early travelers and of the war 
 ture parties through Ohio to the fields of corn. 
 
 Along the banks of the Ohio and in the 
 valleys of the Scioto, the Sandusky and 
 Maumee rivers, the Muskingum and Mi- 
 amis were many acres of this product raised. 
 The usual method of preparation was to 
 pound the corn into coarse meal or swell 
 hominy and then boil in water, making a 
 thickened soup, without salt or anything 
 else 1 . 
 
 Another method was to mix with the 
 hominy, peas, beans, and fish and flesh of 
 all sorts, either newly taken or dried, veni- 
 son, bear's flesh, moose, otter, or raccoon, 
 cut into small pieces, with nuts, acorns, 
 pumpkins, and squashes 2 . 
 
 During the roasting-ear season the hunt- 
 ers became exceedingly lazy, and spent 
 their whole time in singing and dancing. 
 They were unconsciously fulfilling the 
 Scripture, beyond those who profess to 
 believe them, in taking no thought of the 
 morrow. Colonel Smith, in the account 
 of his captivity, says that roasting ears 
 
 1 Taylor's History of Ohio, page 99. 
 
 2 Bolles's Industrial History of the U. S. page 3. 
 
 30 
 
and the food they got from the Indian Indian 
 corn lasted them until October in this t7 f re 
 state ; after that time they turned to fowl- 
 ing. Geese, ducks, sevans, and cranes 
 came from the north and alighted on the 
 inland bodies of water, without number 
 and innumerable, and the streams fur- 
 nished abundant fish and fowl, both in 
 spring and fall. 
 
 But while corn was the chief product 
 raised by the Indians, it was not the only 
 one by any means. They cultivated and 
 collected several fruits and vegetables. 
 Among their corn were planted peas and 
 beans, the corn stalks answering the pur- 
 pose of brush to support the vines. Pump- 
 kins and squashes were also grown, and 
 reached a fair degree of development on 
 Ohio soil. Both of these were planted in 
 the corn, as is the practice of many farm- 
 ers of to-day. Bolles makes mention of 
 a kind of muskmelon, though very inferior 
 in quality. Though wild grapes, wild 
 cherries, and plums grew almost in abun- 
 dance, in the wild state, where the Indian 
 towns were permanent, trees and vines 
 were set apart and the fruit often dried 
 
 31 
 
Indian for winter use. Other wild fruits flour- 
 ture° U i sne d here, and were great sources of food. 
 In Smith's account of his captivity with 
 the Ohio Indians in 1755— '59, he makes 
 mention of some observations of their agri- 
 cultural life. While not at all agricultural, 
 they made use of all edible foods they 
 could find. The potato was largely culti- 
 vated by the Indians in this state. 1 It, 
 with Indian corn, was easily cultivated, and 
 furnished a comparatively large amount of 
 food. Colonel Smith, in 1755, speaks of 
 potatoes growing spontaneously, and de- 
 scribes them as a kind of rough brown 
 potato, very palatable and nourishing. 
 This was probably the Jerusalem arti- 
 choke, which answers Colonel Smith's 
 description, for it is improbable that either 
 Irish or sweet potatoes were ever cultivated 
 by the Indians in this state. The Indians 
 would peel the so-called potatoes, and dip 
 them in raccoon's fat before eating. They 
 would have a taste, when prepared this 
 way, really like our own sweet potatoes. 
 The dried green corn mixed with beans 
 was used by almost every tribe in the state. 
 
 1 Shaler's The U. S. of America, page 245. 
 32 
 
During the captivity of Colonel Smith Indian 
 
 Agricid- 
 he was nearly all the time in southern t ° re 
 
 Ohio. Speaking of the soil in that section, 
 he says: 1 "The land is generally good; 
 chiefly first or second rate, and compara- 
 tively little or no third rate. The only 
 refuse is some swamps, that appear to be 
 too wet for use, yet I apprehend that a 
 number of them if drained would make 
 excellent meadows. The timber is black 
 oak, walnut, hickory, cherry, black ash, 
 white ash, water ash, buckeye, black and 
 honey locust, sugar tree, and elm; there 
 is also some land where the timber is 
 chiefly white oak or beech — this may be 
 called third rate. In the bottoms, and also 
 many places in the upland, there is a large 
 quantity of wild apple, plum, and red and 
 black haw trees. It appeared to be well 
 watered and plenty of meadow ground, 
 intermixed with upland, but no large prai- 
 ries or glades, that I saw or heard of. In 
 this route, deer, bear, turkeys, raccoon 
 appeared in plenty, but no buffalo, and 
 very little sign of elks." 
 
 We see by Smith's observations that 
 
 1 Colonel Smith's Captivity, page 26-28. 
 33 
 
Indian cherry, crab apple, and plums were possi- 
 
 ture ble foods for the Indians. 
 
 Although the Indian was unacquainted 
 with the sugar cane, he did not lack sugar, 
 and often had it in large quantities. Quot- 
 ing again from Colonel Smith, he says: 1 
 "In the month of February the Indians 
 begin to make sugar. As some of the 
 elm bark will strip at this season, the 
 squaws often finding a tree that will do, 
 cut it down, and with a crooked stick, 
 broad and sharp at the end, take the bark 
 off the tree, and of this bark make vessels 
 in a curious manner that hold about two 
 gallons each ; they make about one hun- 
 dred of this kind of vessels. In the sugar 
 tree they cut a notch sloping down, and at 
 the end of the notch strike in a tomahawk ; 
 in the place where they struck the toma- 
 hawk they drive in a long chip, in order 
 to carry the water out from the tree, and 
 under this they set the vessel to receive it. 
 As sugar trees were large and plenty here, 
 they seldom or never notched a tree that 
 was not two or three feet over. They also 
 made bark vessels for carrying the water 
 
 1 Colonel Smith's Captivity, page 37. 
 34 
 
that would hold about four gallons each. Indian 
 They had brass kettles that held about tt f™ u 
 fifteen gallons each and other smaller ket- 
 tles in which they boiled the water. But 
 as they could not at all times boil away 
 the water as fast as it was collected, they 
 made vessels of bark, that would hold 
 about one hundred gallons each, for re- 
 taining the water ; and though the sugar 
 trees did not run every day, they had 
 always a sufficient quantity of water to 
 keep them boiling during the whole sugar 
 season. The way that we commonly used 
 our sugar while encamped was by putting 
 it in bear's fat until the fat was almost as 
 sweet as the sugar itself, and in this we 
 dipped our roasted venison." 
 
 The above gives a good idea of the way 
 in which the Ohio Indian obtained his 
 sugar. This same process was afterward 
 learned from the natives by the whites and 
 resorted to by them. This method of 
 obtaining sugar was practised by the 
 majority of the Ohio tribes as well as 
 throughout the whole region of the Great 
 Lakes and the St. Lawrence. 
 
 Tobacco was everywhere grown through- 
 
 35 
 
Indian ou t the state and was as necessary to the 
 ture l Indian life as paint and the tomahawk. 
 The Indian possessed no domestic animals 
 except the dog, nor poultry of any kind. 
 And he did not need the latter. The trees 
 and groves were better for the culture of 
 fowls than were the rude wigwams for shel- 
 ter and protection. It is true that some 
 tribes were in the habit of capturing vari- 
 ous species of birds and animals and of 
 taming them as pets, but as a rule not for 
 economic purposes. 
 
 Thus the Indian lived on Ohio soil. He 
 has left a record that cannot be forgotten. 
 A creature of circumstance he has done 
 the best he could. Though his agriculture 
 was crude and undeveloped in form, yet it 
 points that his civilization was not as low 
 in the scale as many would have it. 
 Shaler 1( 2 advances the reason of slow de- 
 velopment of Indian civilization to be due 
 to the fact that the Indian had no domesti- 
 cated animals as beasts of burden. It is 
 true he had the dog, which was common 
 to all the Indian tribes throughout America. 
 
 1 Shaler's United States of America. Page 249. 
 
 2 Shaler. Domesticated Animals. Page 218. 
 
 36 
 
Its use was for the watch or an ally in Indian 
 hunting. It was a failure as a beast of t ^ 
 burden to the red men. Domestication of 
 animals in the thought of Shaler is the last 
 stepping stone to perpetuity. The Ameri- 
 can Indian never reached it. Ready to 
 place the foot on its solid surface the white 
 man came and the lone Indian had to grasp 
 his weapons of defense, face about and pre- 
 pare for the foe. " How thoroughly pre- 
 pared," says the same author, " the Indians 
 were for this step is evidenced by the alac- 
 rity with which they welcomed the intro- 
 duction of the horse, pig, sheep, and 
 domestic fowls. That unaided they would 
 ultimately have domesticated the American 
 bison, cannot be doubted ; for the bison 
 though wild and intractable could with 
 proper care and breeding in a compara- 
 tively short time be made serviceable as a 
 draft animal and also for its milk. It was 
 of immense importance to the Indian in its 
 wild state, but under domestication it would 
 have proved a powerful factor toward civil- 
 ization." 
 
 Ohio was an especially favorite land for 
 the Indian. Fertile soil for the corn plant 
 
 37 
 
Indian and abundant game on inland lake and river, 
 ture^ ' a l an d coveted and admired by red men 
 and white men as a garden of second crea- 
 tion. No wonder the white man struggled 
 for it, and the Indian died rather than yield ! 
 38 
 
CHAPTER III . 
 
 PEOPLE OF OHIO 
 
 The first permanent settlement within 
 the present limits of the state of Ohio was 
 made in 1788. Many years prior to this 
 attempts had been made to get people to 
 emigrate into the valley of the Ohio. But 
 Indian conflicts were many and frightful. 
 The first mention we have of an attempt by 
 white men in the way of exploration was 
 that of Christopher Gist who in 1751 came 
 over the mountains from the East, and 
 crossed the Ohio river at about Pittsburg ; 
 striking for the interior of Ohio and follow- 
 ing a trail he passed the Muskingum river 
 at Dresden where an Indian town was then 
 located ; crossing the Licking and Hock- 
 ing rivers he traveled down the Scioto to 
 the Ohio and from there down to North 
 Carolina. The Indians received him 
 peacefully and his acts caused the Indians 
 to feel a kind and friendly disposition 
 toward the white man. No settlement fol- 
 lowed, however, as permanent till 1788, 
 when the Ohio company made its purchase 
 
 39 
 
People a t Marietta. The years of hostilities had 
 passed and emigration to the new country 
 began. The active spirit of the new move- 
 ment was free to the impetus and the living 
 column steadily took its Western course, 
 till the vast region should be possessed and 
 populated. After the beginning was made 
 the inflowing tide of newcomers was rapid. 
 Every part of New England furnished its 
 quota, and New York, Pennsylvania, and 
 Virginia contributed to swell the tide of 
 emigration as it rolled across the borders 
 to the promised land of the West. 
 " Never," says an early writer, " since the 
 golden age of poets did the siren song of 
 peace and of farming reach so many ears 
 and gladden so many hearts as when the 
 hostilities in the Ohio land had ceased, and 
 the prospect of taking up homes there was 
 possible." The Ohio, as it is called, seemed 
 to be literally a land flowing with milk and 
 honey. The farmer wrote home of a soil 
 richer to appearance than can possibly be 
 made by art; of plains and meadows with- 
 out the labor of hands, sufficient to support 
 millions of cattle summer and winter ; of 
 wheat lands that would vie with the island 
 40 
 
of Sicily ; and of bogs from which might People 
 be gathered cranberries enough to make * 
 tarts for all New England : while the law- 
 yer said that while on his circuit his horse's 
 legs were dyed to the knees with the juice 
 of the wild strawbeny. Such was the 
 report of the fertile lands and pleasant 
 climate of the Ohio land. Emigrants fast 
 came in. South, East, North, and West 
 received their share. The country where- 
 ever they went to plant their homes was 
 covered with dense forests, and the echo 
 of the axes was the first sound of civilized 
 industry in all the regions. The bluffs 
 and bottoms and hills were covered with 
 hickory, walnut, ash, poplar, and other 
 trees indicative of good soil. And as the 
 valley stretched out from creek to river the 
 gigantic sycamore loomed up in view, 
 thick set, and lofty from lake to river boun- 
 dary. Pioneer life is prominent in the his- 
 tory of every state^'and country, and the 
 mission of the pioneer is great and noble. 
 If for one reason Ohio is a great state, it is 
 because of the greatness of her early peo- 
 ple. Their monument is the state itself, 
 glowing and peering in all its sublimity, 
 
 41 
 
People glorious because of the unselfish lives of 
 °J ° tfie heroes of early Ohio life. We quote 1 
 the following as typical of the Ohio 
 pioneer's home : 
 
 " The first business of each settler was 
 to make a little clearing and erect a log 
 cabin, which was built of unhewed logs, 
 poles, and clapboards, puncheons, and in 
 those days wooden pins instead of nails. 
 In its erection, no tools were necessary 
 except an axe, an auger, and perhaps a 
 cross-cut. Straight trees of the proper 
 size were cut down and either drawn by a 
 team or carried with the assistance of 
 neighbors, to the building spot. The logs, 
 being cuts of proper lengths, were notched 
 and laid up somewhat as children build 
 cob-houses. If a large or double cabin 
 was desired the logs were laid up to form 
 two square pens, with an open space 
 between connected by a roof above and a 
 floor below, so as to form a parallelogram 
 nearly three times as long as wide. In the 
 open space the family sometimes took their 
 meals in pleasant weather, and it served 
 the triple purpose of kitchen, lumber room, 
 
 1 History of Athens County by Walker, pages 114-116. 
 42 
 
and dining-room. The roof was covered People 
 with thin splits of oak, something like J 
 staves, about four feet long, from four to 
 six inches wide, and about one third of an 
 inch thick. Instead of being nailed, these 
 staves or clapboards were generally con- 
 fined in their places by heavy timbers, laid 
 at right angles across them, giving the 
 roof a unique and rough appearance. A 
 doorway and windows were made by 
 chopping out the logs of proper length 
 and height before laying them up, so as to 
 make suitable apertures. The doors were 
 made of thin clapboards, split, like the 
 roofing, from fresh cut timber, and were 
 generally hung in the ingenious fashion on 
 large wooden hinges, and fastened with a 
 substantial wooden latch. Frequently the 
 latch was raised from the outside by a 
 small leather string attached to it, and 
 passing through a hole from within. When 
 the string was drawn in the latch could 
 not be raised from the outside nor the door 
 opened ; hence the western expression to 
 signify hospitality, that ' the latch string is 
 always out.' Into the window apertures, 
 small pieces of wood were fitted for sash 
 
 43 
 
People and upon them paper was pasted and 
 
 of Ohio 
 
 rendered translucent by oiling. Wooden 
 shutters made of staves, like the doors, 
 were attached to the windows and closed at 
 night. The floors, when any were used, 
 were made of short, thick plank, split from 
 poplar, walnut, or oak. In some cases the 
 more wealthy settlers had logs hewed on 
 the inside and the puncheon floor hewed 
 and planed. For a fireplace and chimney 
 a space about six feet was cut out of the 
 end of the cabin, the lower part of the 
 chimney built of rough stones, and the rest 
 laid up with small logs and flat pieces like 
 laths, cemented with clay mortar, well 
 intermixed with short cut straw or hay. 
 The chimney had a huge aperture, and 
 tapered up like a pyramid. The hearth 
 was made of clay mortar or sometimes a 
 large slab of sandstone. Finally the 
 spaces between the logs were filled with 
 timber, split like firewood, from some soft 
 tree, and made impervious to wind and 
 rain by daubing the cracks with mud. A 
 few chairs and stools, and a bedstead of 
 poles, interlaced with bark, and furnished 
 with plenty of bear skins, a table split from 
 44 
 
a large log, and some cooking and eating People 
 utensils, constituted, perhaps, the bulk of ^ 
 the furniture within. Though rude in struc- 
 ture and limited in accommodations, they 
 answered the charming places of home." 
 
 Not only have their walls sheltered rural 
 plenty, manly independence, guileless 
 honesty, contentment, and happiness, but 
 they have been the birthplace of men and 
 women who have left their impress on the 
 age in which they lived. No more charm- 
 ing picture of honest industry and unal- 
 loyed happiness can be imagined than was 
 afforded by the interior of these rude 
 cabins. When the winter wind blew, and 
 the shutters were barred, and the walls of 
 hewed logs showed the white lines of 
 plaster which marked the interstices ; 
 when the fire blazed high from the wide, 
 open chimney, illuminating the stores of 
 dried meats or vegetables which hang from 
 the rafters, and the rustic table, around 
 which are gathered the happy and healthy 
 family, smokes with woodland plenty — at 
 such a time no one could doubt that even 
 these primitive log cabins were compatible 
 with real and profound enjoyment. 
 
 45 
 
People When the state was settled such glowing 
 
 accounts of its soil and climate and possibili- 
 ties were scattered about, that people flocked 
 to her borders, and the territory of Ohio 
 became in a short time one of the most 
 populous, wealthiest, and most respected 
 of America's territories. Her prosperity 
 and wealth is due in a degree to the 
 advantages given in rich profusion by 
 nature ; but a great part is due to the 
 character of the first settlers ; the right 
 impulse which they gave the institutions of 
 the commonwealth, the well directed 
 energy with which that impulse was 
 followed by their successors, and to the 
 hardy and industrious character of the 
 population that streamed in from the other 
 states. Surely the people of Ohio had 
 forefathers worthy to be founders of this 
 new empire. The pioneers who first pene- 
 trated and opened up the wilderness within 
 the limits of this state were a hardy, 
 adventurous race of men and women, 
 inured to toil, possessed of courage, steady 
 energy, and strong practical common 
 sense. 
 
 The suffering of pioneer life and human 
 46 
 
foe, the privations and the hazardous dan- People 
 
 tt 1 n i Of OhtO 
 
 gers could not have been endured by any 
 other class. Their declaration in the bill 
 of rights that " neither slavery nor involun- 
 tary servitude " should exist upon the soil 
 of Ohio had much to do in making the 
 millions of free, industrious, intelligent citi- 
 zens of their well directed and constant 
 labor to add to the wealth of the state and 
 the prosperity and happiness of the people. 
 This freedom of every creature had much 
 to do with strengthening the bold, free 
 thought and action of the people. 
 
 The early pioneers were not favorable to 
 the formation of large settlements. These 
 would be hurtful to the success of their fav- 
 orite pursuit. The backwoodsman, as a 
 rule, had improvements confined in extent 
 to a rude log cabin ; a small piece of ground 
 cleared and fenced for raising Indian corn ; 
 a horse, a cow, a few hogs, and some 
 poultry comprised the live stock. The fur- 
 ther operations were performed with the 
 rifle. If the number of settlers increased 
 these backwoodsmen moved further into the 
 interior until about 1820, when the state 
 became fairly occupied, the continued 
 
 47 
 
People change of homes was abandoned, and a 
 higher state of agriculture began. Now 
 an orchard was planted, and livestock 
 became more numerous than that of the 
 backwoods predecessor, but the great 
 trouble was the inferior quality of all the 
 livestock, until the infusion of new and 
 pure blood by the importation of later 
 years. The agriculture of this time was 
 crude and undeveloped, and the Ohio occu- 
 pant was just preparing the conditions for 
 the larger scale of work when the era was 
 to begin. From 1810 to 1820 few new 
 developments were made and data of the 
 agricultural condition rare and unsatisfac- 
 tory. At this time deer, bears, wild tur- 
 keys, and in a word, almost every variety 
 of game was abundant, and the farmer's 
 family enjoyed game in its season to a 
 greater extent than they do at present the 
 flesh of domestic animals. For with the 
 rifle's aid the tillage, care, and curing of 
 many an acre of corn and grass was saved. 
 The rifle was the most indispensable neces- 
 sity about the house, not so much as pro- 
 tection from the Indians, but as a means of 
 furnishing food, and the gunsmith was 
 48 
 
more important than the blacksmith. In People 
 many localities the female portion of the J 
 farmer's family was as good a shot as the 
 males. 1 From 1810 to 1820 farming con- 
 sisted in clearing the land, sowing a few 
 acres of wheat, a few of corn, buckwheat, 
 flax, oats, and potatoes. During 2 this period 
 wheat declined to the minimum price of 
 25 cents per bushel; corn, 12 to 15 cents; 
 oats, 10 cents; potatoes, 10 to 12 cents per 
 bushel ; the price of a cow w r as six to eight 
 dollars ; of a horse, twenty-four to forty ; 
 and other products in like ratio. 
 
 Speaking of the work done, Flint says, 3 
 " Farming establishments in Ohio are 
 small. Most cultivators do everything by 
 themselves, even to the fabrication of their 
 agricultural implements. Few hire others 
 permanently, it being difficult and expen- 
 sive to keep laborers for any great length of 
 time. They are not servants, all are hired 
 hands. The utensils used in agriculture are 
 not numerous. The plow is short, clumsy, 
 and not calculated to make either deep or 
 neat furrows. The harrow is triangular and 
 
 lOhio Agricultural Report, 1859, page 475. 
 2 Ohio Agricultural Report, page 468. 
 s Flint's Letters from America. 1818. 
 49 
 
People i s light. Articles are carried on horseback ; 
 
 of Ohio u x , j 
 
 J heavy ones by a coarse sledge, a cart, or 
 
 wagon. The smaller implements are the 
 axe, the pickaxe, and the cradle, scythe — 
 by far the most commendable backwoods 
 apparatus." 
 
 The grain cradle is described at great 
 length by this traveler, in that it is a val- 
 uable implement. In his travels through 
 Pennsylvania he did not see it, and so was 
 inclined to the opinion that it is an Ohio 
 implement. In 1820 there were not half a 
 dozen points in Ohio where wheat could be 
 sold for cash ; and corn and rye could not 
 be sold as a commodity at all. So it was 
 converted into whiskey, and during the 
 period of 1820 to 1826 a large amount of 
 corn and rye was made into this beverage. 
 The trouble was, no outlet for the agricul- 
 tural products. People knew they could 
 dispose of the surplus if they had markets, 
 and as the completion of the Erie canal 
 approached, strangers having heard of the 
 haven land here, poured into the state. 
 Many coming from old states where agri- 
 culture had been better developed, brought 
 with them experience and knowledge, in- 
 5° 
 
dustry, frugality, and perseverence. From People 
 1826 to 1836 large numbers immigrated to °* 
 this state. Almost every one purchased a 
 farm, of from sixty to one hundred and 
 sixty acres. In the hands of this later 
 class of immigrants the resources of the state 
 very rapidly developed. 
 
 From the very first opening of the state 
 to settlers there was continual inflowing of 
 immigrants. Josiah Espy 1 in his observa- 
 tions through the state in 1805, says, " The 
 people of Ohio have come from nearly 
 every state in the union, but chiefly from 
 Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, 
 Maryland, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and 
 during the present year I have good 
 reason to conclude that from twenty to 
 thirty thousand souls have entered the state 
 for the purpose of making it their future 
 residence. At the present time the inhab- 
 itants of the state of Ohio, being so lately 
 collected from all states, have as yet, 
 obtained no national character. 
 
 " Iri traveling through this immense and 
 beautiful country, one idea, mingled with 
 melancholy emotions, almost continually 
 
 1 Ohio Valley Historical Collection, page 23. 
 51 
 
of Ohio 
 
 P i $f? e - P resent ed itself to my mind, which was 
 this: 1 That for many years the people of 
 that great tract of country would separate 
 themselves from the Atlantic states and 
 establish an independent empire. The 
 peculiar situation of the country and the 
 nature of the men will gradually lead to 
 this crisis." 
 
 What a mistake the observer made. 
 Along with the industry, knowledge, re- 
 ligion, which the early settlers brought 
 with them was government and patriot- 
 ism. Where have you found a more law- 
 abiding people ; what primitive citizenship, 
 more conservative and conscientious ; or a 
 mission filled better than by the pioneer 
 settler of Ohio. What state can show a 
 record so clear, or a galaxy of names so 
 lustrous in defense of that union which our 
 observer had thought Ohio able to destroy. 
 
 The patriotism of her brave men, the 
 loyalty of her women, worthy descendants 
 of noble pioneers, is to-day proverbial. 
 
 i Ryan — A History of Ohio, Ohio in War, page 162. 
 52 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 CANALS, RAILROADS, AND TURNPIKES 
 
 Internal improvements did not begin in 
 Ohio at a very early date. Before 1832 
 there was no means of transportation, ex- 
 cepting a national road and ships on the 
 northern and southern borders, rafts on the 
 rivers, and the rude ox- and horse-carts, 
 over impassable, unmade roads. With this 
 state of affairs it could not be expected there 
 would be much or any advance in agricul- 
 ture. Livestock could be driven to market 
 though very unsatisfactorily ; but wheat, 
 corn, and other products could not receive 
 any improvement and development when 
 they could not be taken to market, no mat- 
 ter how much they were in demand there. 
 With the opening of the Erie canal the first 
 real and strong impulse was given to the 
 agriculture of the state. Even before its 
 completion the realization had come to all 
 that progress was now certain. Ohio with 
 her splendid climate and fertile soil could 
 furnish abundance to the country if only 
 
 53 
 
Canals, means were provided for transporting it. 
 roads That realization came in 1832, and then our 
 and agriculture proper began. The history of 
 
 tikes' ^ e trans P orta ti° n i n tne state is divided by 
 the course of events into three periods. 
 From the time of the first settlement until 
 the completion of the Ohio canal in 1832, 
 during which there were no artificial ways 
 to facilitate the transportation of the farm 
 products of the state, is the first. 
 
 The second period, from 1832 to 1852, 
 was distinguished by the National road, 
 extending from Cumberland city, Mary- 
 land, to Zanesville. The remarkable pros- 
 perity arising from the eight hundred miles 
 of canals in the state, and ultimately the 
 introduction of railroads and their ascend- 
 ency as a means of transportation in 1852, 
 when they had accomplished through lines 
 from the leading cities of the state to the 
 great commercial cities of the East. 
 
 From 1852 to the present time railroad 
 transportation has been a large factor in 
 the prosperity of Ohio, and may be prop- 
 erly considered the third period. 
 
 During the first period the principal 
 means of communication between Ohio and 
 54 
 
the Eastern states was by pack horses. 1 Canals, 
 Roads were made and improved from year roa( j s 
 to year when Pennsylvania wagons drawn and 
 by from four to six horses were seen. The J£ n ~ 
 early common roads had been made where 
 nature offered the least resistance. During 
 the early days no attempts were made to 
 improve them. Where they crossed streams 
 of the smaller sizes, they were forded. Even 
 as late as 1830 there were but few bridges 
 over the larger streams of the state. These 
 roads were moderately good during eight 
 months of the year, but the winter season 
 found them quite impassable. 
 
 The turnpike road was the next step. 
 The first one in this state extended from 
 Warren, Trumball county, to Lake Erie. 
 Another turnpike, one hundred and six 
 miles in length, extended from Columbus 
 to Sandusky city. One from Cincinnati to 
 Zanesville through Chillicothe and Lancas- 
 ter. Another from Perrysburg to San- 
 dusky. An excellent turnpike road was 
 made from Cincinnati to Springfield, 
 through Lebanon, Waynesville, and Xenia. 
 These and a few other minor ones made 
 
 1 Howe's History of Ohio, Vol. I, page 106. 
 55 
 
Canals, U p the turnpike roads of the state as late 
 
 Rail- r r 
 
 roods, as l8 4°- 
 
 and So difficult was travel in these days that 
 
 fakes' our National government entered upon a 
 scheme of national improvements. Of these 
 the National road, or Cumberland road, 
 was one. It commenced at Cumberland in 
 Maryland, running thence westward to the 
 Ohio river, through Pennsylvania, and 
 thence through central Ohio. The first 
 appropriation was in 1806, when Congress 
 voted $30,000 to make a survey of route and 
 report. It was subject to approval of the 
 president. Having gained that, appropria- 
 tions were made from time to time thereafter, 
 until 1838, when a little over three millions 
 of dollars had been expended in this work. 
 About 1825 the people of eastern Ohio 
 began the use of this great route, its first 
 artificial means for the transportation of its 
 commerce. 
 
 This great road opened the way through 
 the mountain barriers of the Allegheny 
 range, and made level a way for the com- 
 merce of the East, and for the pioneer and 
 his family, who were seeking homes in the 
 wilds of Ohio and the farther West. It was 
 56 
 
the first great movement of the people in Canals, 
 the direction of internal improvements. roaa - St 
 The progress in building the National road and 
 was slow. An appropriation was made *£ es ~ 
 March 2, 1825, for extending it westwardly 
 from Zanesville. It had a great deal to do 
 with the great prosperity of Ohio, and the 
 opening of the new era in the history of the 
 state by the marks distinctly made when 
 canal construction was begun. 
 
 The introduction of steamboats upon our 
 rivers and lakes quickened the enterprise 
 of the people, and various schemes for 
 facilitating the transportation of freight 
 were discussed everywhere throughout the 
 state. The Muskingum was navigable 1 
 150 miles and by a portage of five miles 
 from a small lake at its head, a line of 
 communication was formed into the Cuya- 
 hoga, thence into Lake Erie. The 
 Hocking river was navigable for sixty 
 miles, with the exception of a few falls 
 and dams. The Scioto was navigable 150 
 miles with but a few obstructions, which 
 were passable in high waters. The Great 
 Miami was navigable for 125 miles, and a 
 
 1 Ohio Railway Report, 1881, page 123. 
 57 
 
Canals, portage of five miles communicated with 
 roads ^ e Maumee and thence to the lake. With 
 and the lake on the north of the state, the river 
 urn- on ^ e sout ]~^ an( j these meagre tributaries, 
 were formed the only ways of commerce 
 enjoyed by the people of Ohio during the 
 first period of transportation. At this time 
 no artificial roads had been made ; canals 
 had not been thought of; the rivers, as 
 above described, at the most were hazard- 
 ous at all times, always tedious, and often 
 impracticable. Nothing but necessity 
 prompted the inhabitants to engage in 
 commerce. The farmer had no motive to 
 increase the products of his fields beyond 
 the wants of his family. The "new- 
 comers" or immigrants created the only 
 demand which existed in the interior settle- 
 ments for the surplus products of agricul- 
 ture. 1 As early as 1815 public opinion 
 was turned toward water courses for com- 
 merce. The want of a permanent navi- 
 gable water communication between Lake 
 Erie and the Ohio river had long been 
 felt. Private individuals had endeavored 
 to get a charter for the company to make 
 
 1 Burnett, " Notes of the Northwest." 
 S3 
 
such a canal, but all had failed. The tide Canals, 
 of public opinion began to move, however, roa # s 
 in the direction favorable to public owner- and 
 ship of such a canal as early as 1820, and *££ m 
 to Micajiel T. Williams 1 of Cincinnati, a 
 member of the legislature, who was the 
 soul of the movement, credit for the early 
 commencement of the canal is due. A 
 bill was introduced into the general assem- 
 bly on the 6th day of December, 1821, and 
 became a law the 31st of January there- 
 after. By the passage of the act, commis- 
 sioners were appointed, whose duty it was 
 to employ an engineer to examine the 
 country and report on the practicability of 
 making a canal from Lake Erie to the 
 Ohio river. These commissioners em- 
 ployed Hon. James Geddes of Onondaga 
 county, New York, as expert engineer, 
 who arrived at Columbus in the month of 
 June, 1822. These commissioners them- 
 selves assisted in the examination, and de- 
 voted nearly all their time to the service. It 
 was finally decided early in 1825 to extend 
 the route, commencing at Cleveland and 
 ending at Portsmouth, on the Ohio river. 
 
 1 Executive Documents. 1820-1825. 
 59 
 
Canals, They also determined on making a canal 
 
 roads fr° m Cincinnati to Dayton, on the Great 
 
 and Miami river. In the meantime a board of 
 
 Tu [ n ~ canal commissioners had been created by 
 pikes J 
 
 law, and a stock had been created, and 
 these fund commissioners had borrowed 
 money in Newport city sufficient to begin 
 the excavation of the canals and carry on 
 the work the first year. All this being 
 done, David S. Bates as chief engineer 
 and several assistants were appointed, and 
 work on the Ohio canals was begun at 
 once. 
 
 The total disbursements on canals 1 up 
 to December i, 1832, amounted to 
 $5,163,025.24. The aggregate length of 
 navigable canals constructed and owned 
 by the state at that time, amounted to four 
 hundred miles, comprising 184 lift locks, 
 overcoming a total ascent and descent of 
 1,547 feet; nine guard locks; twenty-two 
 aqueducts ; 214 culverts, 182 of which 
 were of stone masonry, sixty of wood ; 
 nine dams for crossing streams, and twelve 
 feeder dams. The main trunks of the Ohio 
 and Miami canals have each a minimum 
 
 1 Reports of Canal Commissioners of Ohio. 
 60 
 
breadth of forty feet at the water line, and Canals, 
 twenty-six feet at the bottom, with four y 0ads 
 feet depth of water. A larger proportion and 
 of both, particularly the Ohio canal, is of J^T" 
 much larger dimensions, having a breadth 
 at water line varying from sixty to one 
 hundred feet, and a depth of from five to 
 twelve feet. In many places it even ex- 
 ceeds, for considerable distances, these 
 dimensions in both depth and breadth. It 
 was a standing rule in the construction of 
 the canals, to increase their dimensions 
 beyond the minimum, in all places where 
 it could be done without materially enhanc- 
 ing the cost. 
 
 The walls of the locks are of solid stone 
 masonry, resting on floors, composed of 
 timbers laid crosswise of the pit, covered 
 with planks three inches in thickness, both 
 in chambers and under the walls, and be- 
 tween the walls with an additional floor of 
 two-inch plank well joined and secured 
 with spikes to the timbers on which they 
 rest. The face of the walls are of cut 
 stone, laid in regular range work, and in 
 line mortar, the whole wall grouted with 
 the same material. The breadth of the 
 
 61 
 
Canals, locks is fifteen feet between the walls and 
 roads tne l en gth of the chambers, being the face 
 and between the upper and lower gates, ninety 
 . u ? n ~ feet, admitting boats seventy-eight feet in 
 length, and fourteen feet ten inches in 
 breadth, to pass freely through. 
 
 Aqueducts were constructed with wooden 
 trunks supported by pins of stone masonry 
 which in the Ohio canal is the same char- 
 acter as that used in the locks. 
 
 The Ohio and Erie canal, extending 
 from the Ohio river at Portsmouth to Cleve- 
 land in Lake Erie, was finished in 1832. 
 It is three hundred and nine miles long. 
 This main canal has many other canals 
 connected with it. The side cut leading 
 from Lockbourne to Columbus is eleven 
 miles long. Ascending the main canal at 
 Carrollton, a side cut canal to Lancaster, 
 the falls of Hocking and Altoona, is seventy- 
 five miles long. In Licking county a canal 
 is made from the Miami trunk to Granville. 
 Still ascending to Dresden we find the main 
 canal is connected with the Muskingum 
 river by a dam and lock. 
 
 The next canal connecting to the main 
 one is the Waldhoning canal at Roscoe. 
 62 
 
Ascending to Bolivar in Tuscarawas county Canals, 
 at the mouth of Sandy creek is a canal one roa( J s 
 hundred miles in length. This canal con- and 
 nects with the town of Beaver on the Ohio T L u P l ~ 
 
 river, thirty miles below Pittsburg. Start- 
 ing from near Beaver is another canal to 
 intersect the main canal near Akron. The 
 Miami and Erie system canal extends from 
 Cincinnati to Toledo, passing Middletown, 
 Dayton, Piqua, etc. 
 
 The following are the principal canals 
 of the state, which were built at a cost in- 
 cluding the different reservoirs as feeders, 
 $15,967,650: 
 
 Ohio canal 
 
 The Miami and Erie system 
 Hocking canal . 
 Waldhoning canal 
 Muskingum canal 
 
 For twenty-five years these canals and 
 waterways were the stimulating factors of 
 our agriculture, commerce, and population. 
 Farming communities increased and flour- 
 ished where they had not before. The 
 cereal crops increased in production 
 and area many fold. Through their influ- 
 ence small farms developed into large, pro- 
 
 63 
 
 pikes 
 
 334 
 
 miles. 
 
 282 
 
 a 
 
 56 
 
 tt 
 
 25 
 
 a 
 
 91 
 
 u 
 
Canals, gressive ones, towns were built and villages 
 roads became cities, and agriculture and trade 
 and became profitable enterprises. The newly 
 Turn- found markets for farm products added fifty 
 and one hundred per centum to their prices, 
 thus enlarging the field of agriculture and 
 bringing wealth to the state by its exten- 
 sion. Farming now began as a productive 
 commercial industry that was to be devel- 
 oped and make Ohio one of America's 
 leading agricultural states. 
 
 The first railroad 1 made in this state, 
 was finished in 1836 by the people of 
 Toledo, a town some two years old then. 
 The road extended westwardly into Michi- 
 gan and was about thirty miles in length. 
 A second railroad 2 extended from Cincin- 
 nati to Springfield. This road followed 
 the Ohio river up the Little Miami river, 
 and then turned northwardly up its valley 
 to Xenia, and passing the Yellow Springs 
 reaches Springfield. Its total length was 
 about ninety miles. The state owned one 
 half of this road, individuals and the city 
 of Cincinnati the other half. 
 
 Atwater's History of Ohio, page 279. 
 Atwater's History of Ohio, page 279. 
 
 64 
 
As soon as railroads were begun char- Canals, 
 ters were given for numerous other rail- roa j s 
 roads, but many of these were never made, and 
 because of the want of enterprise and pub- Jj££ 
 lie spirit. 
 
 From 1852 when there were 890 miles 
 of railroad in operation, until 1869, when 
 there were 3,324 miles, there was great 
 activity in the building of railroads in Ohio. 
 The increase of miles of railroad in the 
 
 state is as to 
 
 Hows : 
 
 
 
 1838 
 
 
 30 
 
 miles. 
 
 1853 
 
 
 • 1,385 
 
 it 
 
 1858 
 
 
 . 2,788 
 
 a 
 
 1880 
 
 
 • 5> 6 54 
 
 a 
 
 1896 
 
 
 . 12,596 
 
 a 
 
 In 1869 an important change 1 was ac- 
 complished in railway management by the 
 consolidation of railroads into through lines, 
 connecting Chicago with the Atlantic cities. 
 The act providing for consolidations was 
 passed by the Ohio legislature in 185 1 and 
 was perhaps the earliest act of the kind in 
 any of the states. Many minor consolida- 
 tions of railroads took place prior to the 
 
 * Ohio Railroad Report, iS8i,page 135. 
 65 
 
Canals, 
 Rail- 
 roads, 
 and 
 Turn- 
 pikes 
 
 formation of through lines. The first of 
 the through lines was formed by the exe- 
 cution of a lease between the Pittsburg, 
 Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway com- 
 pany and the Columbus, Chicago & In- 
 diana Central Railway company, dated 
 January 22, 1869, to take effect February 
 1, 1869. The Pennsylvania Railway com- 
 pany was the third party to the contract. 
 This was the first line formed between Chi- 
 cago and the sea-coast. 1 In December, 
 1869, the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chi- 
 cago Railroad company was added to this ; 
 and the same year the Lake Shore & 
 Michigan Southern was added, making the 
 third through line. In 1874 ^ e Baltimore 
 & Ohio was added, forming the fourth 
 through line. 
 
 "These long lines unbroken in their 
 management are practically arrangements 
 for the more economical, commodious, safe, 
 and perfect operation of several lines of 
 railroads." These lessened the cost of 
 freight and had a material effect upon the 
 agricultural commerce of the state. Dr. 
 Townshend says, " The railroads appear to 
 
 1 Ohio Railroad Report, 1881, page 135. 
 
 66 
 
have doubled the price of flour, trebled the Canals, 
 price of pork, and quadrupled the price of r ™^ s 
 corn." and 
 
 A century has given us a wonderful de- ^!? n ~ 
 velopment of transportation facilities. 
 Ohio is no longer a state of isolated points. 
 But her farms are connected to-day with 
 fairly good roads and pikes, her towns and 
 cities banded with the canal, railway, and 
 electric road. Commerce is easy, cheap, 
 and rapid. As long as there was no way 
 to market the produce from the fertile 
 farms, agriculture in the state was slow 
 with no chance of development. But as 
 soon as the touch of the canal and railway 
 systems was made, the impulse acted like 
 the magician's wand, converting in a mo- 
 ment the industries of Ohio, from their un- 
 developed, unimproved conditions, into a 
 profusion of wealth, greatness, and prosper- 
 ous success. 
 
 67 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 PRINCIPAL FARM CROPS 
 
 The history of farm crops in Ohio, like 
 that of the livestock of the state, has been 
 one of gradual development. While some 
 are of general importance, others have a 
 sectional history only. 
 
 The early settlers brought with them 
 seeds of all kinds, for they intended to de- 
 velop the agriculture of the state at once. 
 With a soil of virgin fertility and a climate 
 favorable in temperature and rainfall, do 
 we wonder that in a half century Ohio rose 
 to third in agricultural importance in the 
 United States? The farmers of the state 
 have directed their attention to the follow- 
 ing principal crops : Wheat, corn, oats, 
 barley, rye, tobacco, grasses, potatoes, 
 flax, hemp, sorghum, and the sugar beet. 
 Neither history nor tradition tells us who 
 first introduced the various crops into the 
 state. We do know, however, they were 
 brought with the pioneers, not to be grown 
 for commerce, but as means of subsistence. 
 From a few acres at first they became 
 68 
 
spread over vast areas, and instead of fur- Princi- 
 nishing food alone for those who cultivated p arm 
 and grew them, they are now important Crops 
 factors in commerce and international in 
 importance. 
 
 From the first, though in but a small 
 degree, mixed farming was practised. 
 The farms were small and undeveloped. 
 The scientific idea to the Ohio pioneers was 
 a foreign matter. They found everything 
 in Ohio, the representative state of the 
 West, new; as much so, perhaps, as did 
 the New England colonists. The uncer- 
 tainties, too, were very great. Their crops 
 and their flocks were subject to ravages by 
 new enemies. Likewise were the crops 
 liable to such mishaps, for each had its 
 preference for weather ; each had its own 
 possibilities of danger, each its own ene- 
 mies, and each its own diseases. Practi- 
 cally all the general farm crops found 
 favorable climate and soil for their develop- 
 ment in the state ; yet each has experienced 
 years of failure or years with bountiful har- 
 vests. The farmers of the state were ener- 
 getic from the first to introduce improved 
 varieties of all, and the history of farm 
 
 69 
 
Princi- crops in Ohio has been one of continual 
 Farm development and care. If the soil of the 
 Crops state had received from the farmers of the 
 state the same careful treatment and exper- 
 iment as the different farm crops, the agri- 
 culture of the state would be quite different 
 from what it is to-day. Crops of all kinds 
 in the early history of the state could be 
 produced with abundant yield at little 
 effort. But that virgin fertility has been 
 destroyed, and thousands of acres have 
 become depleted, exhausted, and abused 
 and to-day, as known by all, there are re- 
 quired all the knowledge of science, and 
 the care and painstaking efforts of practice 
 to produce even moderate results. 
 
 Wheat has always been extensively 
 raised in this state, and as early as 1825 
 was the stable crop. One of the first 1 kinds 
 of wheat cultivated in the state, and espe- 
 cially in central Ohio, was the Red Chaff 
 Bearded, which was introduced by the 
 early settlers. It grew with a " heavy 
 crop of straw, short, plump berry, full 
 bosom, full weight, and for a considerable 
 time produced the most abundant crops." 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1858, page in. 
 70 
 
Tradition says that it was not an uncom- Princi- 
 mon thing for fifty bushels of this variety p arm 
 to be produced from one acre, on a small Crops 
 field. About 1838, being very susceptible 
 to rust, it passed into disuse ; so badly was 
 it affected in its latter days, the last crops 
 were often utterly worthless. 
 
 A more hardy variety displaced it, 
 known in these days as Velvet Chaff. 
 This variety also grew a good straw, very 
 long heads and a luxuriant beard, with a 
 longer berry than the Red Chaff Bearded, 
 and nearly as plump. It produced abun- 
 dantly ; often from seventy to eighty grains 
 were taken from a single head. It made 
 very white, nice flour. For a short time 
 this variety was the standard one, and 
 " wheat growers thought their fortunes 
 made," but alas, the rust used up this 
 variety also, it only producing two or three 
 crops, after which there was so much 
 effort made to produce it, and such utter 
 failures that upon the whole its introduc- 
 tion was a serious loss. About the same 
 time a White Flint wheat was introduced, 
 which produced well for a crop or two, but 
 was soon abandoned on account of rust. 
 
 71 
 
Prime*- A variety called the Michigan wheat was 
 p arm introduced on the failure of the old Red 
 Crops Chaff, which produced a few good crops 
 before it was destroyed by the rust. A lit- 
 tle later, about 1845 or 1846, the Mediter- 
 ranean variety was obtained, which had a 
 "good growth of rather weak straw, but 
 generally a sure crop, seldom if ever 
 injured by rust, when sown early on good 
 land well prepared." For a long time this 
 variety was sown, and has been worth mil- 
 lions of dollars to the farmers of Ohio. 
 The next varieties introduced were the 
 Genesee and Malta, both of which soon 
 became badly affected with rust and passed 
 out of use. Other varieties came in their 
 turn, to succeed or fail, and to-day we 
 have several scores of varieties of this 
 cereal. The returns of the acreage and 
 yield of the wheat crops from 1850, when 
 returns were made by law, to the present 
 time, forms a very interesting theme of 
 study as presented in the following table : 
 72 
 
Year. 
 1850 
 
 ^55 
 i860 
 
 1865 
 
 1870 
 
 1875 
 1880 
 
 1890 
 
 Average in Princi- 
 bushels. p a i 
 
 18. Farm 
 
 13.81 Cro ^ s 
 13.80 
 
 9.00 
 11.00 
 
 9.22 
 17.20 
 15.60 
 
 From 1850 there was a gradual decline 
 in yield per acre until it had become but 
 7.2 bushels in 1859. The yield advanced 
 slightly after that year, and remained for 
 about nine years at 12.11. Since then, 
 through the introduction of commercial 
 fertilizers and better tillage, the average 
 yield per acre has increased. 
 
 In the early history of the state corn was 
 one of the most extensively grown crops ; 
 the virgin soil and climate were conducive 
 to splendid yields. Michaux, 1 in describ- 
 ing his observations in Ohio, says, "The 
 culture of maize is nearly the only one 
 which the early inhabitants follow, and 
 although it is far from being brought to 
 
 1 Michaux Travels, page 133. 
 
 73 
 
Princi- perfection, and the land is still so full of 
 Farm roots ' ** 1S nevertheless so fertile that the 
 Crops stems rise ten or twelve feet, and the 
 annual produce is from twenty-five to thirty 
 quintals per acre. During the first years 
 which succeed the clearing, wheat grows 
 too rank and sheds its seed without form- 
 ing an ear, so that it cannot be sown until 
 the end of four or five years, by which 
 time the earth is freed from the greater 
 part of the stumps and roots which re- 
 mained in it at an earlier period. Nine 
 tenths of the interior farmers use only 
 maize bread ; they make it into loaves of 
 eight or ten pounds weight, which they 
 bake in cottage ovens ; or into small cakes, 
 baked on a plank before the fire. The 
 bread is generally eaten hot, and is not 
 much relished by those who are unaccus- 
 tomed to it." 
 
 About 1833 much interest was being cen- 
 tered in the sugar beet industry. France 
 was making quite a success of the manu- 
 facture of sugar from the beet at that time, 
 and it was thought the same could be done 
 in Ohio. One of the most enthusiastic 
 supporters of the idea was Mr. J. Sullivan 
 74 
 
of Columbus, who deserves the highest Princi- 
 praise for having demonstrated at that p arm 
 early date the great aptitude of Ohio for Crops 
 that species of agricultural investment of 
 labor and capital. Liberal expensive ex- 
 periments at that time were made with par- 
 tial success in the extraction of the sac- 
 charine matter, but as the company could 
 not succeed in securing crystallized sugar 
 because the facilities for extracting the 
 sugar were so meagre, the culture was 
 abandoned before the accomplishment of 
 the desired object. The cause of the 
 abandonment at this date was only because 
 the want of practical experience made 
 the manufacture of sugar uncertain in the 
 minds of the members of the co-partnership 
 engaged in the experiment. 
 
 In the early settlement of Ohio flax was 
 grown for the fibre, to be manufactured 
 within the family for clothing and other 
 domestic purposes. The seed produced an 
 oil, the demand for which increased for 
 a while with the growth of the state ; and 
 in later years the plant was grown chiefly 
 for the seed. If a paper mill 1 was in the 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1875, P a S e 333- 
 75 
 
Princi- vicinity the fibre was taken and manu- 
 p arm factured into paper ; but if the distance 
 Crops was too great, the fibre was permitted to 
 rot in the manure pile. At one time there 
 were quite a number of flax manufactur- 
 ing establishments located in Ohio, which 
 for a time did a fair business, but were 
 finally destroyed by unfavorable legislation. 
 Hemp, also, in the early history of the 
 state was to some extent produced. But 
 with the development of the cotton industry 
 in the South, both flax and hemp gradually 
 declined in value and production. Since 
 then the cotton fibre has completely sup- 
 planted the place once occupied by flax 
 for clothing and other purposes ; and the 
 oil produced from cotton seed is much 
 esteemed in the arts — possibly it fully rivals 
 the flax seed for all artistic purposes. 
 Then, too, another rival to the flax seed 
 oil is found in certain preparations of petro- 
 leum, which serve an admirable purpose 
 for the rougher and more common kinds 
 of painting. The cotton seed oil being 
 cheaper than that of flax, there is no sur- 
 prise in the decline of the flax industry in 
 Ohio. 
 
 76 
 
Rye and barley at one time were exten- Printi- 
 sively grown, but they have fallen short p arm 
 in acreage and value within the last two Crop 
 decades. 
 
 Ohio lies in the great agricultural belt 
 of the United States, and consequently 
 the majority of all important crops have 
 received culture and attention some time 
 during the history of the state. Numerous 
 varieties of all kinds of farm crops have 
 been tried for success or failure, and 
 though a century of our history has passed 
 we are just now systematically making the 
 tests and trials of the best kinds and the 
 best conditions for the production of the 
 various farm crops on Ohio soils. 
 
 77 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRY 
 
 When the early immigrants came to 
 Ohio they brought with them either young 
 fruit trees or grafts of some favorite variety 
 from the old homestead, as well as seeds 
 of the vegetables and different kinds of 
 fruits and grains. So the kinds and vari- 
 eties of fruit depended upon the place from 
 whence the immigrants came. On the 
 Western Reserve were found chiefly the 
 New England varieties, while in the 
 counties south of this section the Pennsyl- 
 vania and Maryland varieties predomi- 
 nated ; but at Marietta the New England 
 varieties were found as well as throughout 
 southeastern Ohio. 
 
 Prominent among the different kinds of 
 fruit were the apple, pear, and cherry. 
 The first year these were planted in the 
 garden patch, to be replanted in a year or 
 two in the few acres later cleared. In the 
 congenial soil and climate the trees grew 
 thriftily and successfully for the settlers, 
 and in a very few years yielded fruit. In 
 78 
 
that virgin soil, filled with available plant Horti- 
 food, we are not surprised at the ease that and 
 everything would come to maturity. There Forestry 
 is occasionally found an old apple tree of 
 the first settlers, but most of them have dis- 
 appeared. One of the oldest orchards in 
 the state was at Marietta, Ohio, which was 
 located there in 1790. The place on which 
 this orchard was started was known as the 
 Dana farm. " Some four or five acres on 
 the bank of the river were cleared the first 
 season, and apple seedlings, as soon as 
 large enough, transplanted to it. Some 
 few of these still remain. There was some 
 fair fruit in it, but none that was worth prop- 
 agating." Pears, peaches, and cherries 
 in their native element flourished without 
 signs of disease and produced bountifully 
 the most luscious fruit. In 1805 the peach 
 tree l was most extensively cultivated, if we 
 may use the term, in the state. It required 
 no attention, but would grow with such 
 vigor as to bear in the third year. Pears 2 
 flourished abundantly until 1825 when they 
 were affected with the blight and by 1830 
 
 1 Micheaux Travels, page 134. 
 
 2 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867, page 462. 
 
 79 
 
Horti- they were mostly dead. Ever since then 
 and ' pears have been very uncertain, though 
 Forestry certain seasons have afforded some of the 
 richest crops. About 1835 tne peach be- 
 gan to be diseased and soon acquired the 
 same character of uncertainty. Cherries, 
 too, in some sections of the state have de- 
 teriorated to a marked degree. The fac- 
 tors, which have most prominently affected 
 our fruit trees and caused this deterioration, 
 have been the fungous diseases and numer- 
 ous insects. It may be that more careful 
 attention to our orchards in the way of 
 spraying, etc., will restore vigor to the 
 trees so that we may hope to see some day 
 the fruit of our boyhood days. In 1796 
 Israel Putnam returned 2 to New England 
 partly for the purpose of getting scions of 
 the choicest apples. He obtained quite a 
 quantity — a one-horse wagon load — and 
 sent them to his home on the Muskingum, 
 six miles above Marietta. He sent to Ohio 
 forty varieties 2 ; and distributed a portion 
 of the scions to the settlers who had trees 
 to ingraft. He then in connection with his 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867, page 462. 
 
 2 Ohio Cultivator. 
 
 80 
 
brother, Aaron W. Putnam, who lived in Horti- 
 Belpre, opposite Blennerhasset's Island, and 
 commenced immediately the nursery busi- Forestry 
 ness. The first trees planted by the Mar- 
 ietta settlers were in 1796, yielding some 
 apples, and from these they obtained suffi- 
 cient seed for a small beginning. These 
 were the only two men who carried on the 
 nursery business or cultivated trees for sale 
 till about the year 1817. 
 
 The Western Reserve had been settled 
 by the New Englanders also, and good 
 fruit received their earliest attention. Some 
 of their early orchards were very good, 
 others were indifferent ; this was because 
 they were established from seedlings, for it 
 was too difficult to bring cumbrous freight. 
 As their seedlings grew up and opportunity 
 offered, a very large majority of the trees 
 bearing independent fruit were grafted. 
 Whenever any of these settlers returned to 
 the East either on a visit or on business, 
 they always returned with young trees or 
 scions of the most popular varieties ; these, 
 as their trees grew, supplied many others 
 with grafts, and much was obtained in this 
 way before any nurseries were established. 
 
 81 
 
Horti- A large number of the fruit trees were also 
 and obtained from Virginia and Western Penn- 
 Forestry sylvania by settlers who went there for 
 their necessary supplies. In the northern 
 part of the state, among the individuals 
 who were prominent in introducing fruits 
 was Mr. Dille, who at an early date grafted 
 his orchard with fine varieties, from whence 
 many obtained grafts. Judge Fuller, com- 
 ing from New York at an early date, 
 brought many varieties from that region 
 which were disseminated over a large ter- 
 ritory. George Hoadly was also promi- 
 nent in this matter and was, perhaps, the 
 first to introduce the pear to any extent. 
 " He was one of those intelligent amateurs 
 in horticulture and pomology, whose pride 
 was to excel, and whose fine taste was of 
 the highest adornment." About the year 
 1810 Dr. Jared Kirtland came from Con- 
 necticut and settled in Mahoning county 
 with his family, and to this family the state 
 is indebted, and perhaps more than to any 
 other, for the advance in horticulture. 
 
 In 1824, Professor J. P. Kirtland, in con- 
 nection with his brother, established a 
 nursery at Poland, then Trumbull county, 
 82 
 
and brought on from New England above Horti- 
 a hundred of their best varieties of apples, C ^ n ^ re 
 cherries, peaches, pears, etc., and in a Forestry 
 year or two following, brought from New 
 Jersey above a hundred of the best varieties 
 of that state. Others were obtained from 
 New York, making the Kirtland nursery 
 from the first very extensive and valuable. 
 Dr. Kirtland devoted a great deal of his 
 time to the improvement of the cherry ; by 
 his system of hybridation and the judgment 
 and skill with which he managed it, he pro- 
 duced over thirty varieties of cherries, 1 
 which stand prominent for their excellence. 
 Credit is due his brother for producing the 
 Kirtland pear. Another man who was very 
 active in trying and experimenting in horti- 
 culture in the early history of the state was 
 Mr. Andrew H. Ernst, near Cincinnati, 
 who during his career introduced into his 
 grounds nearly six hundred varieties of 
 apples, and about seven hundred of pears. 
 The object was to test by experience the 
 most valuable sorts of the diversified soil 
 and climate of the Western country. 
 
 Another character prominent in the hor- 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867, page 464. 
 83 
 
Horti- ticultural affairs of the state was Nicholas 
 and Longworth, of Cincinnati, who died in 
 Forestry 1 863. For fifty years he was closely iden- 
 tified with the growing of flowers, straw- 
 berries, and grapes. He was well known 
 in both the United States and Europe, and 
 as an amateur cultivator he expended thou- 
 sands of dollars in horticulture and floricul- 
 ture. He owned large tracts of land in the 
 lower parts of Cincinnati, and as early as 
 1820 he established nurseries there and 
 planted and disseminated "every variety 
 of fine fruits that could be obtained in the 
 United States, East or West, making occa- 
 sional importations from Europe of such 
 varieties as were thought to be adapted to 
 our Western climate." 
 
 The first vineyards of the state were 
 planted by Longworth in 1822, with the 
 Cape or Schuylkill grape. Some years be- 
 fore a French settler, Menensier, attempted 
 to grow grapes in the city of Cincinnati, 
 but he had little success. His efforts, how- 
 ever, attracted Longworth's attention, and, 
 together with the fact that the Germans very 
 naturally desired to cultivate, to which they 
 had been accustomed in Europe, led him 
 84 
 
to undertake the improvement of the grape. Horti- 
 Great numbers of foreign grapes had been and 
 imported and tested, but were universally Forestry 
 unfortunate, and for a time it was thought 
 vine culture would result in utter failure 
 and disappointment. But just at this time, 
 about 1820-22, the keen and thoughtful 
 observation of this determined vine-planter 
 noticed an account of a native vine, a prom- 
 ising wine grape, in the possession of Major 
 Adlum 1 , of Georgetown, D. C. The Ca- 
 tawba was at once sent for and procured, 
 and is now the great wine grape of the 
 country, being now cultivated in every state 
 of the Union. The remainder of his life 
 was spent in developing this grape. Until 
 the last year of his life he was untiring in 
 his efforts to procure and test all varieties 
 of native grapes in his gardens and vine- 
 yards. Mr. Long worth bears the same 
 relation to vineyard culture as Fulton did 
 to steam navigation. Others made earlier 
 efforts, but he was the first to establish it on 
 a permanent basis. It is, therefore, with 
 justice that he has been distinguished as the 
 father of successful wine farming in the 
 
 2 History of Cincinnati. 
 
 85 
 
Horti- West. His experiments at first with foreign 
 a?id grapes were numerous and costly, and after 
 Forestry years of trial, they all had to be abandoned 
 as unsuited to our climate, and the best 
 native varieties substituted. He spared no 
 efforts and expense to find out the best 
 native varieties, for at the best even our 
 hardiest native vines are subject, like all 
 other fruits, to diseases, and cannot be 
 relied on to produce uniformly good crops. 
 Mr. Longworth had at one time over one 
 hundred varieties growing in his vineyard 
 for experimental purposes alone. But with 
 all the grapes the Catawba was his greatest 
 success, and as long as it continues to 
 spread its leaves, to stretch its tendrils and 
 bear its precious fruit, his name will be re- 
 membered, indelibly stamped upon every 
 vine-clad hill. 
 
 The culture of the strawberry owes its 
 remarkable success and extent in this state 
 to the determined and persevering efforts of 
 Mr. Longworth. A market gardener had 
 long known the value of planting the pistil- 
 late and the staminate plants, as fertilizers of 
 the fruit, but had kept it a secret because he 
 feared if it became known his profit would 
 86 
 
be lessened. One of the sons of this man ^ tf - 
 one day visited Mr. Long worth's gardens, and 
 and in looking over the strawberry beds Forestry 
 pointed out the sexual difference in the 
 plants, from which Mr. Longworth took 
 the hint. He immediately tried the experi- 
 ment and found it successful. He at once 
 published it to the world for the benefit of 
 all cultivators. 1 " From that time on Cin- 
 cinnati became famous for her strawberry 
 market, and the prices of this fruit were so 
 reduced as to bring it into abundant use 
 with all classes." No sooner had Long- 
 worth unlocked the key to successful straw- 
 berry growing than the shafts of ridicule 
 were directed to him. Editors, botanists, 
 and horticulturists were against him, and 
 the most serious attacks were made by them 
 in opposition to his theory ; but the stern 
 facts of nature, which were open before his 
 eyes, though overlooked by them, were 
 brought forward as clinching arguments, 
 and enabled him to sustain his position and 
 carry his points with the jury of a discrimi- 
 nating public, until now all are upon his side 
 of the question, and no one will admit he ever 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867, page 466. 
 87 
 
Horti- entertained any other views. But many a 
 
 (~ 7/ if 7/ fP 
 
 and hard battle was fought and many a conten- 
 Forest?-y tion he had with "wise savants, Eastern 
 nurserymen, and learned English garden- 
 ers, before his new theory was admitted to 
 be true ; and almost as much ink was shed 
 in this strawberry war as in some of the 
 wars of the Western borders." 
 
 The most important varieties of strawber- 
 ries that he produced were the Superior, 
 Prolific, and Extra Red. Had he produced 
 no others his labors in this department were 
 well rewarded. 
 
 The Ohio ever-bearing raspberry, from 
 the Shaker village of Watervliet, was 
 brought first into notice in other parts of 
 the state by Mr. Long worth, and by him 
 widely disseminated throughout the coun- 
 try. 
 
 FORESTS. 
 
 The forests in Ohio in their original dis- 
 tribution extended almost compact and un- 
 broken throughout the length and breadth 
 of the state, with the exception of a few 
 marshes in the western and northeastern 
 parts, but at the present time the encroach- 
 ment of field and pasture has destroyed the 
 88 
 
greater part of the forest areas. Nature has Horti- 
 been as lavish in her variety of forms of ^ 
 forest growth as of the smaller native fruits. Forestry 
 Among the most prominent of the former 
 have been the oak, elm, ash, beech, maple, 
 hickory, chestnut, butternut, black walnut, 
 wild cherry, sycamore, tulip-tree, basswood, 
 locust, sweet gum, poplar, willow, mul- 
 berry, cucumber, boxelder, buckeye, Cot- 
 tonwood, dogwood, etc., and of the latter 
 were the cranberry, which grew in the 
 marshes, blackberry, paw paw, raspberry, 
 plum, persimmon, wild grapes, wild straw- 
 berries, etc. The early settlers often de- 
 pended upon the forest fruits, as chestnuts, 
 acorns, beechnuts, etc., for the food for 
 fattening their hogs. 
 
 The forests of Ohio have been very rap- 
 idly removed, to a greater extent than 
 should have been permitted, and to-day we 
 find ourselves affected with forest hunger. 
 The time is close at hand when legislation 
 will be necessary for the protection and the 
 promotion of forest growth in the state. 
 
 89 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE HORSE STOCK OF OHIO 
 
 It is a matter of great difficulty to trace 
 the horse stock in Ohio. Good horses 
 were introduced into different portions of 
 the state at a very early day, but most of 
 the stock produced in Ohio previous to the 
 introduction of railways, that gave any 
 indications of superiority, was at once 
 transferred from the East. The first horses 
 in the state were brought by the Marietta 
 settlers, but the introduction proper began 
 about 1807, and came chiefly from Pennsyl- 
 vania. This immigration of horses reached 
 a very high tide between 1820 and 1830, 
 and they were distributed principally 
 through Columbiana, Stark, Wayne, Rich- 
 land, Huron, Harrison, and Jefferson coun- 
 ties, 1 and from them spread throughout the 
 state. The original horse was of large size, 
 heavy and slow gait, perhaps of Flemish 
 origin, and of the breed known then as Con- 
 estoga. The Dunkards and Memoirists lived 
 in these counties, — two religious sects, whose 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, page 350. 
 90 
 
members were invariably agriculturists, and The 
 whose excellent stock and neat farms were stock f 
 know as in proverb, — being interested in Ohio 
 improving stock, introduced the best of 
 this early stock of horses. In 1828 some 
 of the French settled in Stark county, 
 bringing with them excellent crosses of 
 the French horses. There were in the 
 same county about the same time some 
 native crosses, and these bred with the 
 French draft horses produced a strain of 
 excellent farm horses. 
 
 New England people came in greatest 
 numbers to Ohio from about 1815 to 1820, 
 while the Pennsylvania and Virginia peo- 
 ple came to central and southern Ohio at 
 an earlier date, fixing in a degree the type 
 of horses of the brawny Flemish blood of 
 the Dutch farms of Pennsylvania, while 
 the lighter and better breeds came with the 
 Virginians. This early stock composed 
 the native stock of Ohio. As Ohio was 
 the earliest settled of the Northwest terri- 
 tory the original type of the horses of 
 Ohio was diffused over the great West. 
 
 One writer says: "It was a notorious 
 fact that most of the earlier settlers had no 
 
 91 
 
The j us t appreciation of the superiority of a 
 
 Stock of well-bred horse over any animal called by 
 
 Ohio that name, even though as ungainly as a 
 
 kangaroo, and bred downwards until they 
 
 had as little heart and loin as a newly 
 
 dropped merino lamb." 
 
 Of the blood stock first brought to the 
 Scioto valley region were several mares 
 introduced from the south branch of the 
 Potomac, Virginia, by John I. Van Meter, 
 and later the stallion " Spread Eagle " from 
 the same region. The stock of this stal- 
 lion seems to have been most diffused and 
 esteemed of any single horse's ever brought 
 to southern Ohio. He was afterwards 
 owned by Felix Renick of Chillicothe, and 
 after further service in Ohio was taken 
 back to Virginia, on account of the popu- 
 larity of his stock in that region. Virginia 
 also furnished a stock of horses which were 
 esteemed especially for their value as sad- 
 dle horses. There was also another horse 
 in Franklin county of saddle type that was 
 very popular for years, known as "Pun- 
 ter," of a bayish body, muscular and low, 
 and similar to the Morgan breed in build 
 and action. They were excellent in short 
 92 
 
races, but were too light in bone. These The 
 strains of horses were the principal ones in stock f 
 fixing the type in the Scioto valley. In Ohio 
 the eastern part of the state was introduced 
 another class that had much to do with fix- 
 ing the style of the early Ohio horses. In 
 the vicinity of Steubenville and eastern 
 Ohio a large French draft horse, called 
 " Salisbury," was bred to the heavy Flem- 
 ish and Conestoga mares of the teamsters 
 and wagoners of this region, who carried 
 on the conveying and transfer business into 
 Ohio from the Eastern cities. This stallion 
 was well known in this section, and his 
 diffusion was spread far and wide. Other 
 stallions in this same district, but of less 
 importance than the above, were " Shy- 
 lock," a stallion of fair size, but popular as 
 a roadster; and "Pirate," an animal smaller 
 and belonging to the running strain. 
 
 An early writer in the Ohio Cultivator 
 says : " There were classes of horses which 
 were diffused all over eastern Ohio and 
 western Virginia whose popularity is still 
 known. They are the ' Tuckahoe,' the 
 * Heatogo,' and the * Timelion.' These 
 are well kept, lively, serviceable horses. 
 
 93 
 
The Most of the good mares in eastern Ohio 
 
 J-Jovsc 
 
 Stock of are based upon « Consul ' blood ; the * Eli- 
 
 Ohio pose ' stock is considerably interwoven, 
 
 and the kindred of ' Sir Archy ' and 
 
 « Duroc' " 
 
 The first blooded stock appeared about 
 1825, when a few good stallions were 
 brought into the state ; but we have no 
 authentic date of any good brood mares 
 having been introduced. 
 
 Northern Ohio was even worse off in the 
 way of horses than the eastern and south- 
 ern sections of the state. The immigrants 
 were from the Northeastern states, and had 
 brought quite a miscellaneous assortment 
 of horses. Harris says, 1 " There was more 
 ill-breeding done in this section than in any 
 other part of the state. They seemed to be, 
 in too many cases, scrub breeding from run- 
 out English and Flemish mares, showing a 
 great number of narrow-chested, leggy, 
 pale dun, and sorrel animals, without con- 
 stitution, or action. Many of the first set- 
 tlers in all the sections of the state brought 
 good teams with them, but for want of suit- 
 able stallions the race was not kept up." 
 
 1 The Horse of America, Vol. II, page 76. 
 94 
 
Such was the condition of the horse stock The 
 in Ohio as late as 1835. But a few stal- stock of 
 lions had been brought into the state and Ohio 
 no mares, and the grade of this stock dete- 
 riorated into the lowest order of scrubs. 
 Between 1835 an d 1840 a livelier interest 
 appeared in the horse-raising of the state. 
 Improvement had been begun. Though 
 brood mares were of an inferior quality, yet 
 suitable stallions were what were needed. A 
 few race courses were in use in 1826, but up 
 to 1838 the number increased considerably. 
 This feature had its influence in bettering 
 the condition of the horses of that period. 
 The trouble was, continual cross-breeding 
 had so deteriorated the horse stock in a few 
 years, that 1835 found a fairly large number 
 of horses, but of a more inferior quality 
 than twenty years before. Not until about 
 1847 did conditions become better. Impor- 
 tations all along had been slow. As early 
 as 1836 a Morgan horse was introduced 
 into Lake county by Dr. Miles. This stal- 
 lion was but a fair representative of the 
 breed ; and through numerous crosses the 
 farmers were disgusted with the inferior 
 stock and favored larger animals than the 
 
 95 
 
The Morgans. This was not the fault of the 
 Stock of Dree d, however, but of this particular ani- 
 Ohio mal. 
 
 In 1840 there was a change. A few 
 years before a tide of prosperity had struck 
 all classes alike. Emigration was to the 
 West, and in the excitement of the times 
 farm stock took a rise with the rest. Im- 
 portations now began, and were continued 
 uninterruptedly, but it was several years 
 before the grade of Ohio horses had im- 
 proved. 
 
 The style of stock-raising in Ohio now 
 fast assumed a new and fixed character in 
 favor of utilitarian availability. And it was 
 especially true in regard to horses. In the 
 earlier days, as we have learned, the heavy 
 stock from Pennsylvania was esteemed the 
 perfection of horse flesh. Upon this were 
 engrafted some of the tapering styles of the 
 English blood, and the Eclipse stock be- 
 came also quite common as well as the 
 other strains heretofore mentioned. As a 
 natural consequence we soon had a breed 
 of tender, imperfect animals, that turned 
 out a race in every part of the state of crip- 
 ples, in which ringbone, spavin, heaves, 
 96 
 
founder, and blindness became the common The 
 characteristics. sZkof 
 
 In 1832 " Bellfounder," from the famous Ohio 
 English horse of the same name, was foaled 
 in New York city, on Long Island, and 
 raised by T. K. Kissam, and was sent to 
 Ohio by T. F. Allen, who stood him at 
 Cleveland for some time, after which he 
 appeared in different parts of the state. 
 From him were secured a very large num- 
 ber of very fine colts, whose popularity and 
 value were immensely great in developing 
 early horse-raising in Ohio. They were 
 highly esteemed as light carriage horses. 
 They possessed a large share of speed and 
 endurance, of good fair size and propor- 
 tions, and if well bred were easily kept in 
 good condition. The prevailing color was 
 dark bay, with black mane and tail. The 
 effect of this horse was great, and was seen 
 for many years after. 
 
 The year 1847 was an important epoch 
 in the horse affairs of the state because of 
 the introduction of the Morgan animal from 
 Vermont. The original Morgan horse from 
 Vermont was foaled in Springfield, Mass., 
 in 1793. He was got by True Button, 
 
 97 
 
The whose father, Wildair, was of such distin- 
 
 Stock of guished excellence he was re-exported to 
 Ohio England for the benefit of his stock. The 
 Morgan horse stood in Vermont from 1792 
 until his death. From him and the choice 
 mares of Vermont descended many excel- 
 lent colts. The result has been the pro- 
 duction of a family of roadsters of much 
 similarity of appearance and uniformity of 
 character, unsurpassed by any others for 
 serviceable qualities. About 1847, when 
 the farmers began to bestow increased at- 
 tention on the improvement of their breeds, 
 many became interested in the Morgan 
 breed, which became quite famous and no- 
 torious throughout the state. The first 1 of 
 this breed in the borders of the state was 
 brought by the Messrs. Wm. J. & H. D. 
 Ladd into Jefferson county. A short time 
 after A. E. Austin, of Trumbull county, 
 introduced another. In 1849 an associa- 
 tion of farmers in Erie county introduced 
 the Morgan " Messenger," 2 the third Mor- 
 gan horse in the state. Further introduc- 
 tion was now rapidly spread throughout 
 
 1 Ohio Cultivator, Vol. V, page 133; The Horse of America, 
 Vol. II, page 
 
 2 Ohio Cultivator, Vol. VI, page 54. 
 
 98 
 
the northern and central sections of the The 
 state. The chief fault to be found with the stock * 
 animal was the size ; however, he was suf- Ohio 
 ficiently large for roadsters and general 
 usefulness in the state. 
 
 The early Morgan horse 1 was esteemed 
 for activity, gentleness, hardiness, and do- 
 cility ; well adapted for all work ; good in 
 every spot, except for races on the turf. 
 They were lively and spirited in their ac- 
 tion, carrying themselves gracefully in the 
 harness. They had size in proportion to 
 height; bone clean, sinewy legs, compact- 
 ness, short, strong backs, powerful lungs, 
 strength and endurance. They were known 
 by their short, lean heads, wide across the 
 face at the eyes ; eyes lively and promi- 
 nent ; open and wide under the jaws ; large 
 windpipe, deep brisket; heavy round in 
 the body, broad in the back, short limbs in 
 proportion to size, broad quarters, a lively, 
 quick action, indomitable spirit, move true 
 and easy in a good round trot, and fast 
 on the walk. Color, dark bay, chestnut, 
 brown, or black, with dark, flowing, wav- 
 ing mane and tail ; head up ; moving with- 
 
 1 The Albany Cultivator, 1848. 
 99 
 
The out a whip ; about fifteen hands high ; ac- 
 
 Stockof ^ on P ower ^ u l an d spirited. They were 
 
 Ohio highly celebrated for general usefulness, 
 
 made the best of roadsters, and lived to a 
 
 great age. In fact they were termed the 
 
 perfect " Yankee harness horse." 
 
 The first importation 1 of Norman horses 
 to Ohio was in 185 1, when Dr. Brown, of 
 Circleville, who was on a visit to the 
 World's Fair, brought home with him a 
 two-year old stallion named " Normandy," 
 better known as " Old Bill," or the Val- 
 ley Horse. 2 Dr. Brown was impressed 
 with the great power and moderate speed 
 which this class of horses possessed, hav- 
 ing an average weight of fifteen hundred 
 pounds, and standing fourteen to sixteen 
 hands high. The stock of this stallion was 
 very uniform in character, of good size, 
 hardy, and free from hereditary defects. 
 Another important importation that had a 
 direct and emphatic influence upon breed- 
 ers, was that when the gray colt ' ' Louis Na- 
 poleon " was imported, in 185 1, by Messrs. 
 Fullington and Martin, of Milford. The 
 
 1 Ohio Cultivator, Vol. VIII, page 98. 
 
 2 The Perch eron Horse, page 20. 
 
 IOO 
 
tedious voyage had the effect of making The 
 the colt look rough and sullen, and the stock f 
 popular verdict was against him. The Ohio 
 first year Fullington bred seven of his 
 mares to him, and as the foals developed 
 " the fame of the horse began to come up 
 and he rose in favor and value year by 
 year." His weight was near sixteen hun- 
 dred, and he stood fifteen and one half 
 hands high. In 1856 he was taken by 
 A. P. Cushman to Illinois, whose coming 
 to that state was the beginning of an impor- 
 tant industry. The editor of the " Per- 
 cheron Stud Book " says of him : " It has 
 been estimated that over four hundred of his 
 get were successful stallions. He was un- 
 doubtedly the best known and most popu- 
 lar French horse ever brought to Amer- 
 ica." He died at Normal, 111., in 187 1. 
 The loss of this horse to the state was soon 
 felt, for this class of horses seemed to sat- 
 isfy the farmers better than any other, and 
 the great popularity of the stock induced 1 
 Messrs. Groton and Martin to attempt the 
 importation of another stallion. They suc- 
 ceeded in getting the bay stallion, "Rollin," 
 
 1 Ohio Cultivator, Vol. VIII, page 98. 
 101 
 
The of fine style, from the family of the French 
 Stock of cava l r V horses. In February, 1854, he 
 Ohio arrived at Woodstock. He was a mahog- 
 any bay, sixteen and one half hands high, 
 a beauty for strength and style in his line 
 of blood. 
 
 These three horses were the means of 
 producing an improved breed of horses, 
 especially useful for the plow and other 
 farm purposes. The next important impor- 
 tation of horse stock from Europe was that 
 of the Darby Plains Importing Company, 1 
 of Union county, where they brought in 
 1857 " Defiance," an English draught stal- 
 lion ; " Eber," a Cleveland bay stallion; 
 " Lady Sykes," a thoroughbred mare; 
 "Niger," Clydesdale stallion; "Young 
 Sir Tatton," thoroughbred stallion; "Hi- 
 ram," a Cleveland bay stallion; two Nor- 
 man stallions and a Norman mare with foal 
 by a superior Norman stallion. This im- 
 portation brought to the state the first Cleve- 
 land bay, Clydesdale, and English draft 
 horses. They were not long in gaining 
 friends, and soon were in great demand for 
 breeding purposes. At the close of the 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, page 358. 
 102 
 
year 1857, Morgans, French draft, Per- The 
 cheron, and Bellfounder breeds had fully stock f 
 established themselves, and were practi- Ohio 
 cally the only strains in service. 
 
 The Darby Plains Importing Company's 
 importation had material effect after this 
 time on the development of the horse stock 
 of the state. Further importations of 
 Clydesdales, Percherons, Cleveland bays, 
 and French draft horses followed in con- 
 stant succession to that of the Darby Plains 
 Importing Company in 1857, so that in a 
 few years the service of pure-bred sires 
 was possible in nearly every township of 
 the state. The popularity that the state 
 and county fairs received after i860, di- 
 rected attention to the importing and breed- 
 ing of running and trotting breeds. While 
 at an early date there had been introduced 
 into the state animals of this type and 
 much interest centered in the race-courses 
 as early as 1825, yet the moral side of rais- 
 ing animals of this class was questioned, 
 and even modified by the legislature of the 
 state, so that interest in raising the " blood 
 stock " subsided and the stock itself depre- 
 ciated. Within the last three or four de- 
 
 103 
 
The cades, however, popular favor has turned 
 Stock of m f avor of si sporting breeds," and interest 
 Ohio has again become prominent in the produc- 
 tion of these classes of horses. 
 
 In the decline of live stock during the past 
 decade, horses have depreciated to the min- 
 imum in value. Many of the best brood 
 mares have been sold for export, and only 
 a few colts are raised each year, so that 
 to-day on thousands of farms in Ohio there 
 is an inferior grade of horses. We have 
 not kept on advancing. Our horse stock 
 is not what it should be. We err when we 
 stop the breeding of horses. The future 
 is going to demand them good and well 
 bred : bred along some special line to pro- 
 duce a special purpose horse that shall be 
 typical of his class. The future outlook 
 for such animals is bright. Let Ohio farm- 
 ers interpret the situation and profit thereby. 
 104 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 CATTLE DEVELOPMENT IN OHIO 
 
 England can rightly claim the honor of 
 improving and developing the cattle of the 
 world. The work of Bakewell and Coll- 
 ings and Knight and Bates will never be 
 forgotten. Accounts of their successes 
 with cattle improvement were not long in 
 reaching America, and as early as 1783 we 
 find importations being made from England 
 into Virginia and Kentucky of the " Short- 
 horn " or milk-breed cattle by a Mr. Patton, 
 and who followed with a second importa- 
 tion in 1817. Some of this milk breed were 
 introduced into Kentucky about 1803. A di- 
 rect importation from England to Kentucky 
 was made in 181 7, with the comment that 
 " the cattle were the best of the kind to be 
 had in England." 
 
 Ever since Ohio was organized as a state 
 the Miami and Scioto valleys have been 
 regarded as the stock region of the state. 
 As far back as 1808 cattle were supplied 
 for the Eastern markets from this section, 
 and there is no doubt that some of the de- 
 
 105 
 
Cattle scendants of the Virginia importation of 
 tnent in I ^3 f° un d their way into the Scioto valley, 
 Ohio while it is also probable that some of the 
 best cattle in southern Ohio owed paternity 
 to Kentucky and were descendants of the 
 bulls 1 Phito and Shaker, which were im- 
 ported into Kentucky in 1803. 
 
 The first importation made into Ohio 
 from England direct, was made in 1834 
 under the auspices of the Ohio Breeding 
 and Importing Company. On November 2, 
 1833, Governor Trimble, George Renick, 
 General Duncan Mc Arthur, and others, 
 for the purpose of promoting the interests of 
 agriculture and of introducing an improved 
 breed of cattle, formed a company and con- 
 tributed the amount necessary to import 
 from England some of the best improved 
 cattle of that country. The sum of $9,200 
 was very soon subscribed in ninety-two 
 shares of $100 each, and after making the 
 necessary preliminary inquiries and ar- 
 rangements, the company appointed Mr. 
 Felix Renick of Ross county, Ohio, their 
 agent for the purchase and importation. 
 
 i Farmer's Guide, page 92. Fanner's Chronicle, vol. I, page 89. 
 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867, page 301. 
 I06 
 
Nineteen bulls and cows of the pure-bred Cattle 
 Shorthorn and Durham stock were pur- ment f n 
 chased from some of the most celebrated Ohio 
 and successful breeders of England. These 
 were brought to Ohio, and kept together, 
 under the care of an agent, and they in- 
 creased in number by additional importa- 
 tions from England, when the whole was 
 sold in October, 1836. After paying all ex- 
 penses a dividend of $280 per share was 
 divided on the ninety-two shares of the 
 stock company, amounting to $25,760. 
 
 This was really the beginning of the cat- 
 tle business in Ohio. The greatest benefits 
 resulted to the country by the introduction 
 of this improved English Durham stock 
 into the state of Ohio by that company. 
 The immediate effect of this importation 
 was to arouse an interest in improved cattle 
 breeding. It made it possible to have an 
 improved breed of cattle throughout the 
 state as a result of crossing the English 
 stock with the common stock existing at 
 that time ; and a very fine, large, and thrifty 
 race of cattle in many parts was bred by 
 this laudable enterprise. We must not for- 
 get, however, that the Marietta settlers 
 
 107 
 
Cattle brought with them from New England 
 ment in some excellent stock. This furnished the 
 Ohio bulk of the cattle until 1807, when Mr. D. 
 Wilder introduced into Warren county some 
 of the Patton strain of Longhorn and Short- 
 horn cattle, which crossed with the natives 
 gave a cross noted for their remarkable en- 
 durance. 
 
 Among the early pioneers in the Scioto 
 valley were some Virginians who brought 
 with them some cattle for feeding purposes. 1 
 These people introduced into Ohio the 
 method of securing corn and stover to- 
 gether by cutting the stalks near the ground 
 and shocking it in the field, as is the method 
 in the present day. By this means the peo- 
 ple were able to feed a large number of 
 cattle. The only market was the East, and 
 it was thought impossible to fatten cattle 
 and drive all the way to the Eastern mar- 
 kets, on account of the distance and moun- 
 tains. But in 1805 the trial was made, when 
 George Renick of Chillicothe fed and drove 
 a lot of cattle to Baltimore, the first that 
 ever crossed the Alleghany mountains. 
 
 lOhio Agricultural Report, 1869, page 434. Ohio Cultivator , 
 vol. V, page 133. 
 
 108 
 
The cattle arrived in good condition, and Cattle 
 from that day the cattle industry increased, wntin 
 but did not, however, reach any great Ohio 
 marked success until after improved blood 
 had been given through the effects of the 
 various importing companies ; for to these 
 companies the improvements to the cattle 
 stock were in a great degree attributable, for 
 not only had the cross of the cattle then 
 imported with the former stock produced 
 a breed far superior to the latter, in all 
 essential qualities, such as size, form, neat- 
 ness, early maturity, and aptitude to fatten, 
 but made the raising and feeding more 
 profitable and created a spirit of improve- 
 ment among the people that soon made 
 itself felt throughout the country. 
 
 The first four improved breeds of cattle 
 introduced into the state were the Short- 
 horns, the Herefords, Devons, and Ayr- 
 shires. It should be kept in mind that 
 almost contemporaneously with the admis- 
 sion into the Union, Ohio was known as a 
 cattle raising state, but it should be remem- 
 bered that during the first quarter of a cen- 
 tury of the state's existence, very little else 
 than *' natives" were reared or grazed. 
 
 109 
 
Cattle While it is true that a few of the'" Patton 
 mentUi stoc ^ " were introduced into the Scioto 
 Ohio valley at an early day, yet they never 
 spread over a very large territory, and lit- 
 tle affected the general conditions of the 
 stock. 
 
 At the time of the Ohio company's im- 
 portation, the cattle trade of the state was 
 included in four distinct sections of native 
 breeds, where no effort had been made at 
 improvement, and assimilated or possessed 
 characteristic qualities peculiar to itself and 
 entirely dissimilar from the other sections. 
 From a history of the early cattle trade in 
 Ohio J by William Renick, an extensive 
 cattle raiser and feeder, we find some data 
 as to the native stock. Renick purchased 
 his cattle in a territory extending from the 
 fortieth degree north latitude in Ohio south- 
 wardly to Green river in Kentucky, and 
 was acquainted with all the cattle districts. 
 From his report we find a description of the 
 cattle of the Hocking or Hill district, which 
 extended from the eastern margin of the 
 Scioto valley indefinitely eastward. These 
 cattle were healthy, hardy, and compact, 
 
 1 The Farmer's Chronicle, 1S68, page 230. 
 
 no 
 
but too small and without room for improve- Cattle 
 ment for profit to be dealt in by the regular f ^ t %' 
 feeder. Ohio 
 
 The Adams and Highland county cattle 
 with the adjacent territories of surrounding 
 counties, were known by the general name 
 of Brush creek cattle, and were a little 
 larger than the Hocking, also healthy, 
 hardy, and early fattened, and their gen- 
 eral good qualities almost made up for their 
 inferior size. 
 
 In Fayette and Madison counties, and in 
 a part of Clarke and Champaign counties, 
 was found the stock that was known by the 
 general name of Barren cattle. These 
 were much larger than the Brush creek, 
 but their general qualities were not nearly 
 so good. They were loose made, harder 
 to fatten, and very much subject to disease. 
 Their better size over the other breeds was 
 their only recommendation. The last cattle 
 district is the Scioto valley counties, where 
 there was such a mixture and commingling 
 of all sorts, from the common scrubs to the 
 full-blood Patton, as to render them utterly 
 indescribable. Such was the stock in ex- 
 istence in Ohio in 1834, when the Short- 
 
 iii 
 
Cattle horns from England were introduced. The 
 ment in stock brought into the state by this impor- 
 Ohio tation was of the very best that England had. 
 The Ohio company had greatly the advan- 
 tage over all subsequent companies in more 
 than one respect, the principal of which 
 was, at that time, the beginning of the 
 American demand for Shorthorns. The 
 agents had the choice of very nearly all the 
 cattle to be found, and the best English 
 breeders seemed desirous to encourage the 
 thing — as they naturally would for their 
 own prospective interest — and one of them 
 at least declared 1 he would not sell to an 
 Englishman the cattle he sold to the agents. 
 We learn from this importation that the 
 showiest bulls brought the best price when 
 sold, but some lacked pedigrees and in the 
 end were not nearly so good as some less 
 valued with good pedigrees, and which 
 transmitted their good qualities to their get. 
 Devon cattle had many enthusiastic 
 friends in other states before their introduc- 
 tion into Ohio. But a short time after the 
 improved Shorthorns had been brought 
 into the state, an occasional Devon found 
 
 1 Farmer's Chronicle, 1S6S, page 214. 
 112 
 
its way in. The first pure-bred Devon Cattle 
 cattle that we have any record of being J^ t °^ 
 brought into the state was in 1842, when Ohio 
 John (Ossawatomie) Brown imported from 
 England some pure-bred Devonshire cattle. 1 
 
 A few years late C. A. Ely, Esq., of 
 Elyria, purchased seven Devon cows, eight 
 calves and a bull of C. H. Crippen of Mich- 
 igan. All of these were pure-bred, and 
 the bull, " Duke of Devon," an imported 
 animal from England. Other prominent 
 breeders of this breed were E. Matchem of 
 Pittsfield and H. C. Safford of Oberlin. 
 Devons were imported and bred in Ohio in 
 much greater numbers some years ago than 
 they have been of late years. 
 
 The first direct importation 2 of Herefords 
 to the state was about i852-'53, by Messrs. 
 Thomas Aston and John Humphreys, two 
 English farmers in Elyria, where they im- 
 ported for breeding purposes two Hereford 
 bulls and two heifers, of very fine stock. 
 In 1853 Mr. D. B. Kinney, of Oberlin, pur- 
 chased a fine Hereford bull, 3 four years 
 old, that was imported from the best stock 
 
 1 Allen's American Cattle, page 73. 
 
 2 Allen's American Cattle, page 73. 
 
 3 Ohio Cultivator, vol. IX, page 215. 
 
 113 
 
Cattle in England. Several herds were soon 
 ment hi established in Lorain county, and were bred 
 Ohio well and successfully there, but for some 
 reason at first they did not become exten- 
 sively popular in Ohio, especially, south of 
 the Western Reserve, where the Shorthorns 
 held the field against all rivals. 
 
 Ayrshire cattle came into the state about 
 1848, and soon established themselves in 
 the state by their superiority as milkers. 
 The Scioto valley had early imported the 
 Shorthorns for beef, but the dairy stock 
 long remained undeveloped, until the intro- 
 duction of this breed into the Western Re- 
 serve b}- E. A. Brown of North Bloomfield, 
 Trumbull county, who purchased a prem- 
 ium bull and cow of the Ayrshire breed at 
 the Buffalo fair in 1848, and Messrs. Will- 
 iam H. Ladd and J. R. Cunningham of 
 Richmond, Jefferson county, the following 
 year brought into the state from the herd 
 of E. P. Prentiss, Albany, N. Y., a bull, 
 cow, and heifer of the breed. These ani- 
 mals were of the best Ayrshires of the 
 country. The bull " Dandy" held the first 
 premium of the New York state fair, and 
 though not a large animal was one of the 
 114 
 
best and most excellent of the Ayrshire Cattle 
 breed. He was bred by Mr. Young at Jj^tffa 
 Killmann Nains, Scotland, imported by Ohio 
 Samuel Wood of Lenox, Massachusetts, 
 and brought to this state by the Messrs. 
 Ladd and Cunningham. The Ayrshire 
 cattle were slow to establish their good 
 reputation in Ohio. 
 
 Since 1870 several noted breeds of cattle 
 have become firmly established in the state. 
 Dairymen had not been entirely satisfied 
 with their cows as butter and milk pro- 
 ducers. The fame of the Jersey and 
 Guernsey breeds reached the progressive 
 farmers and in but a short time after the 
 first importations in America by Messrs. 
 Tainbow, Norton, and Buck, the Jersey 
 and Guernsey breeds found their way into 
 the state in rapid numbers since 1875. The 
 first pure bred Jerseys in the state were im- 
 ported in 1865 by A. D. Bullock of Cincin- 
 nati. The same year several cows were 
 imported direct from the island of Jersey 
 by John F. Stettinius, also of Cincinnati. 
 About the same time Joseph Langsworth 
 and William P. Anderson of Cincinnati 
 both imported and brought animals from 
 
 115 
 
Cattle other importations into that section. From 
 mentbi ^ s as P arent stock the Jersey breed was 
 Ohio gradually extended in other parts of the 
 state. Numerous herds of fine imported 
 stock have been established almost con- 
 stantly since then, and to-day the Jersey or 
 Guernsey cattle are found in large numbers 
 in every county of the state. 
 
 Between 1875 an d 1880 the craze for 
 dehorning and the organization and impor- 
 tation of the polled breeds began. The 
 first importation of the Aberdeen-Angus 
 was by Mr. D. N. Hine of Erie county, 
 who went to Scotland and personally se- 
 lected a number of the finest stock. He 
 was followed by Renton Garringer who in 
 1882 established a herd in Fayette county. 
 Soon after came the direct importation of 
 nearly one hundred head by C. R. Dye of 
 Miami county. In rapid succession to these 
 came the herds of Mr. G. W. Perry in 
 Champaign county, and Bradfute & Son 
 in Greene county. To-day there are over 
 fifty persons in this state recording pure 
 blood Angus to the American Aberdeen- 
 Angus Association. Perhaps the most 
 prominent herds of this breed in this state 
 116 
 
to-day are the Meadow Brook and Nickel Cattle 
 Plate herds owned respectively by Bradfute 1} ™nt in 
 & Son of Cedarville, and J. P. Hine of Ohio 
 Shamrock. From these several herds have 
 emanated a large number of smaller herds 
 now located in more than half the counties 
 of the state. About the year 1881 William 
 W. Crane of Miami county conceived the 
 idea of producing a hornless breed of Short- 
 horn cattle. His plan was to begin with 
 the common native muley cow and cross 
 with a pure blood Shorthorn bull, reserving 
 the muley calves, and again using a Short- 
 horn bull of pure blood, continuing the pro- , 
 cess for several generations when it was 
 believed that " there would be a fixed type 
 of muley cattle to all intents and purposes, 
 practically pure blood Shorthorn." The 
 plan succeeded. Miami county, the birth- 
 place of the Poland China breed of swine, 
 again came before the breeding world, and 
 showed in a short time a popular breed of 
 cattle. 
 
 Another general purpose polled breed of 
 cattle that has received its principal atten- 
 tion and development by the hands of Ohio 
 men, is the Red Polls, a breed of ancient 
 
 117 
 
Ohio 
 
 Cattle lineage recently imported from England. 
 
 ment in ^^ e foundation herds of this breed are those 
 of J. McLain Smith of Dayton, and Capt. 
 V. T. Hills of Delaware. These two 
 breeders have imported a very large num- 
 ber of very choice animals from England, 
 and their " continual success in the Ameri- 
 can show yards gives strong testimony of 
 the high rank which these men have at- 
 tained for their favorites." The newest of 
 the polled breeds of the state are the Polled 
 Jerseys, which also had its origin and de- 
 velopment in the Miami valley. Credit for 
 founding this new herd belongs to Mr. J. 
 R. Orr of Greene county, who " founded 
 the herd upon the old Polled Jersey cow 
 ' Daisy,' " a sport believed to be a pure 
 blood Jersey. All the offspring of this 
 animal have been muleys, so the type is 
 well fixed, and a bull of this breed can now 
 be counted on for a large per cent, of muley 
 calves from horned Jersey cows. This last 
 named is one of the youngest breeds of the 
 state, and will undoubtedly fill a long felt 
 want. 1 
 
 i History of Polled Breeds abstracted from Seventh Annual Re- 
 port Farmers' Institutes of Ohio, page 225. 
 
 Il8 
 
The first Holstein in Ohio is credited to Cattle 
 O. F. Jones of Wooster, Ohio, who in 1866 n ^ t % 
 purchased " Zuyder Zee" 4th, a bull bred Ohio 
 by Winthrop Chenery. The next was a 
 bull purchased by O. B. Gould of Franklin 
 Furnace, Scioto county, in 1874. ^ n t ^ ie 
 same year John Connor of New York im- 
 ported a three-year old cow named " Lucy" 
 for Robert Gowdy of Xenia. The boom 
 for Holstein importation began in 1872 and 
 ended in 1882. Thousands of these cattle 
 were brought to America and many were 
 brought to Ohio. These animals at that 
 time were purchased for from $20 to $100, 
 and the cost of importing together with the 
 quarantine averaged $85, for those brought 
 into Ohio. They readily sold for good 
 prices. Heifers, according to quality, for 
 $150 to $600, and cows for $150 to $1,200. 
 In 1882 even there were one thousand Hol- 
 stein cattle in Ohio. Since that time this 
 popular breed has so advanced in this state 
 that to-day there are over five thousand 
 registered cattle owned by more than two 
 hundred breeders, besides a large number 
 of unregistered pure bred stock. A good 
 part of the dairy herds of the state contain 
 
 119 
 
Cattle one or more pure Holsteins or a grade, and 
 ment in P roDa bly one fifth of the dairy cows to-day 
 Ohio in Ohio are of this breed. 
 
 The history of the cattle industry in the 
 state has been one of continual improve- 
 ment and development. The condition of 
 Ohio being cosmopolitan, all breeds have 
 found foothold and favor ; and some of the 
 best and most typical animals have been 
 bred by the skilled and painstaking breed- 
 ers of Ohio. 
 
 120 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 BREEDS OF SHEEP IN OHIO 
 
 In Ohio the raising of wool and mutton 
 has always been a very important branch 
 of productive labor. With both sheep and 
 swine the so-called native breeds, or those 
 introduced by the first settlers of Ohio, were 
 better calculated for the conditions attend- 
 ing the early periods of our history, where 
 the lands were wild and infested with beasts 
 of prey, than for existing circumstances. 
 In those days fleetness and strength were 
 desirable qualities in both. But the directly 
 opposite quality, sluggishness, small bone, 
 fine head, are now desirable points in their 
 present easy circumstances. 
 
 The improved sheep required acclimat- 
 ing and use to soil and food. At first in 
 some sections sheep were quite popular, 
 both for wool and mutton profit, but the 
 serious losses occasioned by dogs and wild 
 beasts, and the difficulty of effectually pro- 
 tecting the flocks against these intolerable 
 nuisances, deterred new capital from enter- 
 ing the field. It was for this reason that 
 
 121 
 
Breeds improvement in sheep was slow to take 
 
 of Sheep , c . 
 
 in Ohio P iace in some parts of the state. 
 
 To Seth Adams belongs the honor of im- 
 porting 1 the first sheep for breeding pur- 
 poses into this state, when he brought a pair 
 of Spanish Merinos from France to his flock 
 at Zanesville in 1801. In 1807 he moved 
 to Dresden, taking with him twenty-five or 
 thirty of his flock, the descendants of this 
 pair. He continued to breed them for sev- 
 eral years, but the newness of the country 
 discouraged him and he sold his entire flock 
 and moved back to Zanesville. The first 
 pair Mr. Adams sold in Ohio was to Judge 
 Todd of Kentucky, for $1,500. This im- 
 portation of Mr. Adams's was of great benefit 
 to Ohio and Kentucky. After moving back 
 to Zanesville, Adams again took up the im- 
 provement of sheep, this time getting some 
 of the Humphreys Spanish Merinos, 2 one of 
 the best ever imported into the United 
 States. He had a sort of partnership 
 agency from General Humphreys for keep- 
 ing and selling them ; but they soon became 
 scattered for lack of care and appreciation. 
 
 1 The American Merino, page it. Fine Wool Sheep Husbandry, 
 page 31. Ohio Agricultural Report, page 460. 
 
 2 History of American Merino Sheep, page 34. 
 
The Humphreys importation is the most Breeds 
 important as well as the first traceable of °f n omq 
 the early sheep importations into the United 
 States. Colonel Humphreys had been min- 
 ister to Spain under President Adams, but 
 was recalled by President Jefferson. On 
 his return in 1802 to his home in Derby, 
 Connecticut, he brought with him twenty- 
 one rams and seventy ewes of the finest 
 sheep he could obtain in all Spain. It is 
 acknowledged on all hands that this impor- 
 tation was carefully selected from the 
 choicest flocks of Spain. Occupying the 
 position of minister as he did he was in 
 favor with the government, and was granted 
 privileges in the selection of sheep which 
 others had not enjoyed, and he no doubt 
 made the best of his opportunity, and se- 
 lected nothing but the best and purest blood. 
 
 The history of the improved sheep of 
 America is full of interest, and the state of 
 Ohio has had no little part in the produc- 
 tion of the fine strains of the sheep we have. 
 The Spanish Merino received our first at- 
 tention, but soon in our state as in other 
 sections of the country there were imported 
 the French Merinos or the Rambouillet, 
 
 123 
 
Breeds an d the German or Saxon Merinos ; and 
 in Ohio fr° m these early Spanish Merino importa- 
 tions was developed the American Merino. 
 All these various breeds were derived from 
 the original Merino of Spain. Sheep, 
 originally brought into Spain and subjected 
 to the influences there, in process of time 
 had certain distinct traits fixed, by which 
 they were characterized. The French 
 Merino resulted from the change of condi- 
 tion, and altered system of management 
 when the Merino was taken from Spain 
 into France. While in the same way, the 
 Merino, being taken from Spain into Sax- 
 ony, a new isolation of them took place 
 there ; and new conditions after a time re- 
 ceived modifications, to which the name 
 Saxon properly belongs ; and in the same 
 way still, the Merinos being brought from 
 Spain into the United States have under- 
 gone many changes and assumed modifi- 
 cations until it became a special being in 
 itself as distinct as the Spanish, or the 
 Saxon, or the Rambouillet. It is not nec- 
 essary to go into the details of the history 
 of the Spanish Merino sheep since its im- 
 portation into the United States. There 
 124 
 
seems to be no uncertainty or doubt about Breeds 
 Col. David Humphreys's importation being f n ^f 
 the most prominent in having wielded the 
 greatest influence in the Merino flocks of 
 this country. Aside from the Adams im- 
 portation of 1 80 1 and later the sheep that 
 he brought into this state from Colonel 
 Humphreys's flock, that of Mr. Thomas 
 Rotch was the most important. In 1809, 
 Rotch with a number of friends emigrated 
 from Connecticut to Stark county, Ohio, 
 and brought with him a small flock of the 
 imported Spanish Merinos * which he had 
 purchased from Colonel Humphreys. Mr. 
 Rotch bred his flock carefully for a num- 
 ber of years. Three of the number which 
 he brought with him from Connecticut he 
 sold to W. R. Dickinson of Steubenville, 
 Ohio, in 1809. Dickinson was a member 
 of the firm of Wells & Dickinson, who were 
 extensive woolen manufacturers at Steuben- 
 ville. They owned some fine flocks and 
 spared no money in improving them. The 
 foundation 2 of the Dickinson flock was pur- 
 chased from James Caldwell of Pennsylva- 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1899, page 456. 
 * Delaine Merino Register, Vol. I, page 24. American Farmer, 
 Vol. VIII, page 81. 
 
 I2 S 
 
Breeds n ia, who was an extensive breeder of Meri- 
 in Ohio nos * Caldwell's flock was likewise im- 
 proved from the Humphreys importations, 
 but not altogether ; for Caldwell himself 
 says he spent more than $40,000 upon Me- 
 rino sheep, from the importations that fol- 
 lowed Humphreys. A large flock was 
 accumulated by him, which in 1815 was 
 sold to Mr. Dickinson, and this flock was 
 further improved at Steubenville. The 
 fame of this improved Dickinson flock be- 
 gan to spread until it became one of the 
 most celebrated in the United States, and 
 large numbers were procured for breeding 
 purposes. It was soon found that the 
 sheep differed from the Spanish and the 
 French and Saxon that had been imported, 
 and in course of time assumed distinct mod- 
 ifications over the other breeds. This is one 
 of several varieties of the Delaine type of 
 Merinos. 
 
 Its improvement and development have 
 principally taken place m this state and 
 Washington county, Pennsylvania. The 
 American Merino has a few items as land- 
 marks in its progress. 
 
 " While the writings or printed histories 
 126 
 
of the Adams, Humphreys, Heaton, and Breeds 
 Jarvis importations are practically lost, °f n omo 
 owing to numerous transfers, the flock of 
 C. S. Ramsey, Castleton, Vermont, has an 
 unbroken traditional record from the Hum- 
 phreys importation to the present time. In 
 1809 Isaac Putnam of Marietta, Ohio, 
 bought of Seth Adams, Zanesville, some 
 full blood Merinos, and founded a flock 
 which was continued by his son, J. L. P. 
 Putnam, substantially to the present time, 
 but without registration. June 13, 181 1, 
 Dr. Increase Matthews of Putnam, Ohio, 
 bought an imported ram and two ewes, 
 just imported into Virginia, and had them 
 brought in a wagon to his farm in Ohio, 
 where he kept up a pure flock until 1850. 
 In 181 1 Colonel Humphreys sold a ram 
 for 1,600 acres of land in Ohio, to Paul 
 Fearing and B. J. Gilman of Marietta, 
 Ohio, and this ram was brought and laid 
 the foundation stock for a flock which was 
 kept up for many years. In 1826 Col. 
 John Stone and George Dana of Bellepre, 
 Ohio, bought a number of pure Merinos 
 from the celebrated Dickinson flock of 
 Steubenville, Ohio ; this flock just men- 
 
 127 
 
Breeds tioned was founded in 1815 and continued 
 of Sheep ., . _ , _ 
 
 in Ohio untli 1 ° 2 9i when it was a great nock of 
 
 three thousand head shearing about five 
 
 pounds of washed wool per fleece. It was 
 
 then sold and scattered ] . The Black Top 
 
 or Delaine Merino is an excellent variety 
 
 of the American Merino. 
 
 All these breeders were instrumental in 
 building up and improving the pioneer 
 sheep of the state. And to their care and 
 energy much of the credit of the American 
 Merino is due. 
 
 The introduction of the full blooded Sax- 
 ony Merinos into Ohio is not definitely 
 known, but it was soon after their first 
 importation into the United States in 1825- 
 1826. In i860 the Saxons had practically 
 run their course and were generally super- 
 seded by the Spanish Merino. There was 
 some crossing with the French Merino and 
 also with the Silesian, introduced by Wil- 
 liam H. Ladd into Jefferson county in 
 1854. From 1854 t0 I 86o the number oi 
 fine-wool sheep greatly diminished, and 
 long-wooled sheep began to attract more 
 attention. The common, or so-called native, 
 
 1 The American Merino, page 20. 
 128 
 
sheep went into Ohio with the early settlers Breeds 
 but were eventually crossed out by the ( n oh ? 
 Merino. As early as 1830 the improved 
 English breeds were taken into the state. 1 
 In 1834 I saac Maynard brought into Cosh- 
 octon county the first Southdowns, New 
 Leicester, Lincolnshire and Cotswold sheep 
 that were ever brought into the state. 
 
 The importation consisted of ten South- 
 downs and three of each of the other kinds. 
 An early Southdown flock was that of 
 J. F. King of Warren, Ohio, who com- 
 menced breeding Southdown sheep in 
 1844 with stock from the flocks of Jonas 
 Webb, England, imported by J. H. 
 Hesless of Trumbull county, Ohio. In 
 1848 he bought a ram of imported stock 
 known as " Morris ram." Descendants of 
 this flock are found in some of the best 
 Ohio flocks of the present day. 2 
 
 The great change in the sheep industiy 
 of the state is attributed to the low prices of 
 wool since 1872. Merino flocks at this 
 date were not as large, and the mutton 
 sheep were more looked to, and in general 
 
 1 Report of Sheep Industry of the United States, page 521. 
 
 2 Sheep Husbandry, 1892, page 921. 
 
 129 
 
Breeds proved to be the most profitable. Fine 
 in Ohio Leicester, Lincolns, Cotswolds, Oxfords, 
 Hampshires, Southdowns, Shropshires, 
 and Horned Dorsets have found their way 
 into all parts of the state and are increasing, 
 while the Merinos are decreasing. In 
 1865, 90 per cent, of the sheep of the state 
 were Merinos and their grades, but to-day 
 scarcely one fourth are of this class. Fine- 
 wool flocks have suffered since 1883. The 
 decline of wool and the uncertainties of 
 legislation continued with the increasing 
 demands for mutton convinced many 
 farmers of Ohio that wool-growing could 
 be made to pay only when combined with 
 raising mutton. Breeds were therefore 
 selected which would raise good carcass as 
 well as shear a good fleece. The Cotswold 
 came in for a good share of this change, 
 and many farmers found it advantageous 
 to cross the Cotswold with the Merino. 1 
 
 For a long time the Southdowns were the 
 favorite mutton sheep, particularly in the 
 neighborhood of the cities where the best 
 mutton was in demand. Among the early 
 mention of the Southdowns in Ohio, "The 
 
 1 Sheep Industry of the U. S., 1892, page 552. 
 130 
 
Western Farmer and Gardener" issued in Breeds 
 Cincinnati in March, 1841, contains an en- °f n Ohio 
 graving "of a pure-bred imported South- 
 down ewe, and of a ewe whose dam was a 
 pure imported Southdown and her sire an 
 imported Bakewell," the latter being rep- 
 resented with a lamb at her feet. These 
 sheep were owned by George Smith, near 
 Carthage, Ohio, who it is said, "is one 
 of the few individuals in the West who 
 have turned their attention to the breeding 
 of the finer improved varieties of sheep." 
 Of the sheep it is said, "the Southdowns 
 may be taken as the model of the hill- 
 s/iceft, they have a patience of occasional 
 short keep, and an endurance of hard 
 stocking equal to any other sheep ; and 
 early maturity, and the flesh finely grained 
 and of a peculiarly good flavor. The wool 
 of this breed is short, close curled and 
 fine, and free from projecting fibres." In 
 a later issue, 1 October, 1841, we find Mr. 
 White advertising for sale, " 18 buck lambs 
 of pure Southdown and Bakewell breeds 
 and few of a cross between those and the 
 Cotswolds ;" also, "several thoroughbred 
 
 1 Western Farmer and Gardener, October, 1841. 
 
 131 
 
Breeds Southdown and Bakewell bucks will be 
 in Ohio P erm i tte d to stand in the season." 
 
 Mr. J. F. King, Warren, Ohio, com- 
 menced breeding these sheep in 1844, with 
 a ram and four ewes that Mr. Hesless, 
 above mentioned, had imported from the 
 flock of Jonas Webb, England. In 1848 
 he bought a ram from H. G. Morris that was 
 bred by Mr. Morris from imported stock ; 
 in 1852 he bought from Seth Bushnell, 
 Trumbull county, Ohio, a ram that had 
 been imported from England by Mr. Christy 
 of northern Ohio ; in 1856 he bought of R. 
 A. Alexander, Spring Station, Kentucky, 
 the choice often rams imported from Scot- 
 land ; in i860 he bought from Joseph Cope, 
 West Chester, Penn., a ram that was bred 
 by J. C. Taylor, Holmdel, New Jersey, 
 that was by an imported ram out of an im- 
 ported ewe ; in 1870 and 1874 he bought 
 rams of Thomas Bennington, Sr., LaPorte, 
 Ohio, and in 1874 ne bought a ram from 
 Mr. Fell of Pennsylvania. 
 
 T. C. Jones, Delaware, Ohio, commenced 
 
 breeding Southdowns in 1864. The first 
 
 ram used was purchased from George H. 
 
 Brown, Washington Hollow, New York. 
 
 132 
 
This ram took first prize as a yearling at Breeds 
 the New York State Fair in 1864, and was f n Ohio 
 from Samuel Thome's, Dutchess county, 
 New York, breeding. His first two ewes 
 were also from Mr. Thome's flock. Rams 
 afterwards introduced into the flock were 
 from the flock of A. J. Alexander, Spring 
 Station, Kentucky. 
 
 G. J. Hagerty & Sons, Hanover, Ohio, 
 were early in the seventies, perhaps before, 
 breeders of Southdowns, purchasing from 
 J. F. King, Warren, Ohio; S. Meredith & 
 Son, Indiana ; T. J. Magibbon, Kentucky, 
 and others. 
 
 J. Duer, Galena, Ohio, was in 1875 
 breeding Southdowns with stock from the 
 flock of T. C. Jones, Delaware, Ohio. 
 
 T. L. Anderson, Anderson, Ohio, was in 
 1876 a breeder of these sheep with ewes 
 from the flock of A. J. Alexander, Ken- 
 tucky, and ram tracing to the flock of Sam- 
 uel Thorne, New York. 
 
 The Oxfords, Hampshires, and Shrop- 
 shires all took a fresh start about 1885, and 
 their respective breeders soon became very 
 enthusiastic in the production of these mut- 
 ton breeds. 
 
 i33 
 
Breeds A breed that has since 1891 come into 
 
 in Ohio ratner prominent note is the Horned Dor- 
 set, 1 whose distinguishing peculiarity is its 
 ability to lamb at an early season. Lamb 
 production has lately become an important 
 feature, and the past few years have 
 demonstrated the wonderful success of the 
 breeding. Horned Dorsets have been 
 known in the United States only since the 
 fall of 1885, when Messrs. E. & A. Stan- 
 ford of England exhibited a small flock at 
 the Chicago Fat Stock Show. The first 
 owned in the United States were purchased 
 by William Daley of Lockport, New York, 
 from V. E. Fuller of Canada, in March, 
 1887. The first direct importation from Eng- 
 land was the twelve head of Adin Thayer 
 of New York, in June, 1887. The first 
 importation into Ohio was in 1891, by T. S. 
 Cooper. Mr. Joseph E. Wing of Mechan- 
 icsburg, Ohio, is one of the prominent rais- 
 ers of this breed. His flocks consist of 
 some of the original Cooper importation, 
 and later purchases from Pennsylvania and 
 New Jersey. 
 
 In the early history of the sheep industry 
 
 1 Continental Dorset Club, Vol. I. 
 134 
 
of the state but little importance was at- Breeds 
 tached to the production of good mutton, / oh ^ 
 and it was further neglected when the intro- 
 duction of Merinos directed the whole atten- 
 tion to wool. Wethers and rejected sheep 
 furnished the mutton ; but this was but a 
 secondary object. It was only in some 
 particular districts where there was an in- 
 creased demand for fat wethers, or on farms 
 containing rich pastures and an abundance 
 of food, the fattening of wethers became a 
 matter of much importance. This state of 
 affairs prevailed not only because the pro- 
 duction of wool was more profitable, but 
 also the savor and value of good mutton 
 was not appreciated. Years later the prices 
 of wool had fallen, and production of mut- 
 ton began to receive attention. The Eng- 
 lish races of sheep were looked to ; for the 
 English people appreciated mutton and de- 
 veloped the mutton breeds. So about 1845 
 to 1850 two English breeds, the Leicester 
 and Southdown, became of practical inter- 
 est, and many animals of these classes were 
 introduced. At later periods the Lincoln, 
 Cotswold, and Oxford Downs were im- 
 ported and became well appreciated. 1 The 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Reports. Sheep Industry of U. S., 1892. 
 
 135 
 
Breeds most noted of the early Shropshires in the 
 in Ohio state were imported from England by Geo. 
 Mailer in 1862, when a ewe and the famous 
 ram " Lion," both bred by Lord Berwick, 
 Shrewsbury, England, were brought into 
 the state by Judge Chaffee. At the present 
 day there are prominent flocks of all these 
 breeds in Ohio. 
 
 At first, as we have inferred, wool re- 
 ceived the principal attention of sheep 
 growers. But wool growing was not 
 always a grand success. It was a difficult 
 matter for the flock master to keep an eye 
 on his flock and the other on the Washing- 
 ton politician. While improving the former 
 the latter got the best of the situation, and 
 the farmer to-day realizes that to receive 
 profit from his flock, the mutton side must 
 be largely taken into consideration. And 
 so the paying sheep of Ohio are of the latter 
 class. The course of the strictly wool sheep 
 has been run. It was a glorious race and 
 famous. If the breeders of mutton sheep 
 reach as great success, the highest laurels 
 can be given them, and the loudest shouts 
 in their praise. 
 136 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF 
 SOME BREEDS OF SWINE. 
 
 Ohio has always been a swine-producing 
 state, and within her borders two of the 
 most popular and celebrated breeds owe 
 their development. 
 
 While the early settlers and immigrants 
 brought with them the best household and 
 farming implements their limited means 
 would allow to obtain in the older states, 
 they also brought the best strains of 
 cattle, horses, sheep, and in many cases 
 hogs. But the last class did not receive 
 the early attention for improvement that the 
 others did. The China, Berkshire, and the 
 Russian were the first 1 used to cross upon 
 the common hog of the state. As soon as 
 the people of the state realized the value of 
 the hog and the ease of producing him by 
 corn and the timber-furnished food, im- 
 provement began and was continued in a 
 marked degree. The production of hogs 
 increased then so rapidly that Cincinnati 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Reports. 
 137 
 
Introduc- early became the packing center of the 
 West. In the Miami valley the China, 
 
 Develop 
 ment of 
 Swine 
 
 Berkshire, Woburn, Russian, and the Irish 
 Grazer blood mingled with that of the com- 
 mon hog and the Poland China breed was 
 evolved and improved to meet the wants of 
 packer and feeder. In northern Ohio, in 
 the dairy districts, where the conditions of 
 feed, soil, and handling were very different, 
 the white hog of Pennsylvania was im- 
 proved and we find a breed known as 
 Todd's Improved Chester White. The 
 early importation of hogs was meagre and 
 unimportant. We find expressions of some 
 improved and pure-bred hogs introduced 
 into the state from 1815 to 1820. But little 
 advance was made before 1850. A few 
 had been exhibited at the fairs the few 
 years previously, but in no classified lists. 
 Since that time, improvement has been 
 rapid, and even greater than any advance 
 that has been made with horses, cattle, or 
 sheep, and with a far smaller outlay for 
 imported animals for breeding stock. The 
 earlier importations were from the Eastern 
 states, while a few were imported from 
 England. But very few of these importa- 
 138 
 
tions took place prior to 1850. At HasMrodut- 
 period there was scarcely a herd in the^^x 
 state. A few pedigreed sires of Leices-*«*«* of 
 ter, Essex, Berkshire, and Yorkshire weve S,wme 
 introduced and an occasional brood sow 
 was the limit of the first introductions. 
 
 The common hog of the state was princi- 
 pally bred, and at an early day cattle and 
 hog raising became the important branches 
 of farming in some parts of the state, es- 
 pecially in the Miami valleys 1 . For a 
 long time then the common hog was grown 
 and bred. But demand of hogs with cer- 
 tain requirements for the packing houses in 
 Cincinnati, led all hog growers to adapt 
 themselves to certain conditions, which 
 gave rise to improvement, by more careful 
 feeding, and judicious breeding, with 
 other and pure-bred animals, which in 
 time found development of the Poland 
 China hog. This breed of hogs has since 
 become very popular in the Western states. 
 The history of their origin, development, 
 and correct name has been subject of much 
 comment and theory. 
 
 This breed has been characterized by 
 
 1 One Hundred Years Progress. 
 139 
 
introduc- numerous names, because of its develop- 
 tion and . , . , 
 
 ment, but no one man, in any particular 
 
 Develop 
 ment of 
 Swine 
 
 place, and any particular time, produced 
 the breed. Its formation is the result of 
 many conditions and circumstances. " The 
 Poland China hog originated in the Miami 
 valley, and it is nowhere apparent that it 
 originated from the purpose or work of any 
 one individual. The conditions of soil, cli- 
 mate, produce, and markets of that region, 
 all favored the business of swine growing, 
 and as a result pork producing became the 
 most profitable feature of farming." * The 
 Poland-China breed has not been the pro- 
 duct of a few years, neither was the breed- 
 ing and selecting of someone special breed 
 of hogs. It has resulted from the crossing 
 and selection of several strains. Breeds in 
 evidence in the production of this famous 
 herd were the common hog, the Berkshire, 
 the Bedfords, Byfields, Irish Grazers, the 
 Russian, and the Chinas . 2 These differ- 
 ent classes and breeds have all entered in 
 the blood. 
 
 The common hog in the state represents 
 
 1 Swine Breeding, page 21. 
 
 2 Record of Poland-Chinas, Vol. I. 
 140 
 
the animal the early settlers brought with 7 ^ 7 ^- 
 them. And upon this animal was begun D eve j p. 
 the framework that supports the intrinsic ment of 
 type of the most celebrated breed that has ^ 
 been evolved and developed on the Ameri- 
 can farm. The common hog was the basis 
 of this illustrious breed. He no doubt was 
 first brought to the state by the settlers at 
 Marietta and Washington, but by whom 
 history does not record. No doubt his 
 blood was mixed with so many different 
 crosses that it was easily influenced and 
 impressed by contact with blood of any 
 other animal of better breeding. The By- 
 field and Russian hogs 1 were early intro- 
 duced in the Miami valley and were highly 
 esteemed for crossing purposes. The for- 
 mer was a great white hog with lopped 
 ears of considerable length, small head, 
 dished face, thin hair, large fine bone, and 
 thick in the shoulders. " Different grade 
 crosses of these two breeds and again with 
 the Chinas, have produced the Warren 
 county hog." Both of these breeds were 
 known in Ohio before 1840. 
 
 The Berkshire element was prominent in 
 
 1 Record Poland China, Vol. I. 
 141 
 
Introduc- fat history of the breed, for as early as 
 Develop- ^35 a boar and a sow were introduced 
 ment of into Butler county, from Albany, New 
 Swine York. It seems probable that the Berk- 
 shire and Sussex had many years before 
 produced the Bedford or Woburn strain 
 which was a permanent breed of hogs in 
 southwestern Ohio in 1845-1850. About 
 the same time the Irish Grazer appeared. 
 This animal was " white, with a few spots 
 of black, upright ears, light jowl, fine coat- 
 ing, and would fatten at any age. This 
 was the stock of hogs that gave the Poland 
 Chinas their fine coating and symmetrical 
 form." 1 In 1839 these Irish pigs were brought 
 to Cincinnati ; later importations soon fol- 
 lowed and they became an approved breed. 
 " Latterly the introduction of some of 
 our best breeds (from England) with which 
 to cross the old Irish swine had been at- 
 tended with decided success, although there 
 is room for further improvement. Berk- 
 shire, Suffolk, Yorkshire, and some Chi- 
 nese boars and sows have been intro- 
 duced" 2 (1838). 
 
 1 Western Stock Journal, 1870. 
 
 2 Genesee Farmer, Vol. Ill, page 98. 
 
 142 
 
The breed which did the most for ft&lntroduc' 
 improvement of the hogs of the Miami val- rtevelop- 
 ley, as they did for the improvement otment of 
 swine in England, is the China. The first wine 
 introduction of this breed into Ohio was in 
 1816 by the Shakers of Union village. 
 They were called the " Big China Hogs." 
 They were bought in Philadelphia by John 
 Wallace, trustee of the Shaker society, 
 near Lebanon. There was a boar and 
 three sows. One sow had some sandy 
 spots about her, in which appeared some 
 small black spots. The boar and the other 
 sows were white. By their use on the 
 mongrels, by the Russian, Byfield, and 
 common hogs, came the Miami valley hog. 
 That this Shaker importation of Chinas 
 was pure China stock there is reason to 
 doubt. 
 
 Nevertheless, they impressed in a won- 
 derful degree their offspring with the 
 quicker feeding quality, that seemed to be 
 the leading idea in the improvement of that 
 period. 1 Before the year 1842 many allu- 
 sions were made concerning the China hog 
 by writers in the Ohio Cultivator ', and the 
 
 1 Standard Poland China Record, Vol. I, page 26. 
 
 143 
 
Introduc- 
 tion and 
 Develop- 
 ment of 
 Swine 
 
 Western Farmer, as to their value for 
 crossing purposes, for their impress was 
 made on all animals which were crossed 
 with them. "The use of the China has 
 been beneficial in correcting coarseness of 
 frame, in quieting the restless disposition 
 and increasing the tendency to fatten at 
 any age, and refine the texture and quality 
 of flesh." 1 
 
 The Poland or Red hog was another 
 powerful element in attaching its charac- 
 teristics to all its posterity, especially the 
 color and vigorous growth. There is some 
 question and doubt as to whether the Po- 
 land was a distinct breed at all. This 
 class might have been the sandy Berkshire 
 from England, or even an improved mon- 
 grel in this state, but it is reasonably cer- 
 tain that it was a class near akin, in form 
 and disposition, to the Berkshire. And to 
 this class belongs one of the strongest ele- 
 ments of improvement, which impression 
 upon the hogs of the valley and the West 
 has been lasting and powerful. 
 
 As to the precise crosses, and by whom 
 and under what circumstances the Poland 
 
 1 Standard Poland China Record, Vol. I, page 26. 
 144 
 
China breed was formed, history does not Intro(iuc - 
 tell and tradition has scarcely more to tell, jj eve i p. 
 except that the common hog as a basis, ment of 
 crossed with the better breeds and offspring wme 
 intercrossed through many years with an 
 unconscious guidance all the time by the 
 law of selection, the Poland China breed 
 has been evolved and developed, until the 
 law of isolation had produced a type, sepa- 
 rate and distinct. " Their size, color, 
 hardiness, docility, and good feeding qual- 
 ities make them favorites when purely bred, 
 and where more fineness, quicker maturity, 
 and a little less size is demanded, we are 
 satisfied the sows bred to boars of the Berk- 
 shire breed produce the best feeding and 
 farm hogs in the world." 1 
 
 Todd's Improved Chester White breed 
 of hogs has its origin in northern Ohio, in 
 the dairy region of the state. The origin 
 of this breed began about 1834 when Knee- 
 land Todd brought into Ohio from Connec- 
 ticut a boar of the " Norfolk Thin Rind" 
 breed and a white pig known in East 
 Haven as the " Grass-Breed." The latter 
 were considered by the farmers of that 
 
 1 Colburn's Swine Breeding, page 33. 
 145 
 
Tntroduc- vicinity as very valuable hogs, " noted for 
 
 * Develop' tlieir earl y maturity, good feeding quality, 
 
 ment of and excellent meat. They were of medium 
 
 Swine size and pure white." 1 "The 'Thin 
 
 Rind 'was black, belted and white. The 
 
 progeny of these pigs were very fine and 
 
 soon had notoriety." 1 
 
 In 1833 Isaac Haskins brought from 
 New Bedford, Mass., a very choice pair of 
 pigs for breeding purposes. He settled in 
 Wakeman, Ohio, the home of the Todds, 
 where acquaintance with these breeders 
 was made and which resulted in crossing 
 the Todd hogs with the Haskins, making 
 for the former one of the finest herds of 
 swine at that time in the state. 
 
 In 1848 one of the Todds in attending a 
 county fair discovered some very fine pigs 
 bred by Joel Mead of Norwalk, Ohio. 
 These were of the " Large Grass-Breed," 
 pure white in color, with short, heavy legs, 
 knees springing, head short and dished, 
 hair straight and fine, ears large and closely 
 lopped, tail large, body long, back straight 
 and broad, good ham, and full flank. The 
 
 1 Record of Todd's Improved Chester White Swine, Vol. I, 
 page 11. 
 
 146 
 
best boar pig of this exhibition was rmr- Introdue- 
 chased and bred to the Todd stock, V^Dwdot- 
 during a cross which not only carried off ment of 
 the prizes at the Cleveland State fair ovzr Swine 
 all competitors, but was a marvel to all 
 who saw it. In 1862 a hog called " Nor- 
 mandy Boar" was purchased. This breed 
 was of French origin but nothing more 
 seems to be known of it, excepting its 
 characteristics, uniform in appearance, 
 pure white and curly, short, thick neck, 
 and medium bone. This animal made a 
 valuable cross with the Todd hogs, and the 
 combination of these different bloods formed 
 a class of hogs known then as the " Todd 
 hog." The Todd Improved Chester White 
 breed is the result of the combination of 
 blood of the " Pure Chesters "mingled with 
 the " Todd Hog." 1 In 1867, Hon. S. H. 
 Todd purchased of George B. Hickman a 
 pair of "Pure Chesters," and soon after 
 three more, followed by three other ship- 
 ments, which mingled with the breed pre- 
 viously developed found the Ohio Chester 
 White breed. 
 
 1 Record of Todd's Improved Chester White Swine, Vol. I, 
 page 12. 
 
 147 
 
Introduc 
 Hon and 
 Develop- 
 ment of 
 Swine 
 
 Berkshire hogs were found in mongrel 
 condition to some considerable extent about 
 1840. It had oft been repeated that at this 
 time no pure-bred animals of this race were 
 to be found in the state, though a few pure- 
 bred animals had been brought to the state 
 long before. Soon after, however, the 
 Berkshire fever struck the state. Importa- 
 tion and improvement at once began and in 
 a few years this breed was well established 
 in the state. Among the early breeders in 
 the state whose untiring industry devoted 
 to the Berkshire breed as seen to-day 
 should be mentioned, E. R. Glenn of 
 Springfield; Garrett Williamson, Spring- 
 field ; Aaron Tichenor, Lebanon ; Munson 
 Reach, Lebanon. This breed spread very 
 rapidly ; the farmers bred them with great 
 zeal, with a view of the greatest possible 
 improvement. 
 
 Improved Suffolk hogs made their ap- 
 pearance in the state about 1853, when 
 Peter Melendy, 1 near Cincinnati, Ohio, 
 brought from Boston the Suffolk hog " In- 
 dependence," which had been pronounced 
 the best hog in New England, by winning 
 
 1 Ohio Cultivator, Vol. IX, page 273- 
 148 
 
the various prize cups and fair premiums. Introduc- 
 Mr. Melendy brought from the same place D eve i s,_ 
 fifteen Suffolk swine at the same time. lament of 
 the same year Messrs. N. F. Chaffee and^ 1 ' 
 F. J. Jones 1 brought into Ashtabula county 
 a lot of this rare breed. They were beau- 
 tiful specimens of the pork race. In 1854 
 N. B. Hogg, Esq., Newark, Ohio, pur- 
 chased some Essex and Suffolk swine from 
 the imported stock of Col. L. G. Norris, 
 Fordham. 2 These three breeds furnished 
 in the main the Suffolk stock which was 
 later diffused to some extent throughout 
 the state. The Chester Whites, York- 
 shires, and more recently the Duroc-Jersey 
 breeds of swine have been well received in 
 this state. The Chester White in the dairy 
 regions and the Yorkshires and Duroc-Jer- 
 seys in the corn-producing districts, have 
 received considerable attention. No es- 
 pecial efforts have been given to the devel- 
 opment and improvement of either in this 
 state. They owe their introduction to their 
 peculiar fitness for certain conditions and 
 environments. The history of swine rais- 
 
 1 Ohio Cultivator, Vol. IX, page 358. 
 
 2 Country Gentleman, 1864. 
 
 149 
 
/ntroduc- [ n g anc J breeding in Ohio is one of contin- 
 Develojh ua ^ improvement and advancement. The 
 ment of factors of selection and judicial breeding 
 u ' uie have been the most potent in the produc- 
 tion of our improved breeds of hogs to-day. 
 What breed or breeds of cattle, or sheep or 
 horses have been produced from such 
 mongrel stock ? We are proud of all these 
 that have been developed but we are just as 
 proud of our swine, which choice animals 
 and breeds have been produced through the 
 aid of but little imported stock. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 INTRODUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF FARM 
 IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY 
 
 With the approaching completion of the 
 Ohio canal, a great activity was taking 
 place in converting the forests into waving 
 fields of grain. Agriculture was unsettled 
 until 1832, when canal navigation was 
 begun, and so great an impulse was given, 
 the effect was felt for a long time. Im- 
 proved farm implements now resulted as a 
 necessity. Before the number was few 
 because not needed. Now life was put into 
 the work. A market was obtained and the 
 call left unfilled. A period of improved 
 machinery set in. The old wooden mould- 
 board plow was being superseded by the 
 cast-iron mouldboard in 1825, and similar 
 progress was taking place in all other 
 branches of agriculture. The demand of 
 the market was for wheat, and soon the 
 lands were being stripped of their forest 
 growth. In the development of farm im- 
 plements, none had done more than the 
 
 151 
 
Introduc- wedge-shaped, plain, narrow, convexed 
 Improve- e< % e > w ^ tn lts light handle of tough hick- 
 ment of ory, cut to fit and retain the grasp of the 
 ^Zhin- hand - What a weapon that has been ! 
 ery What fitter emblem for the state than the 
 
 pioneer axe ? Next in order came the stump 
 puller, which was an efficient aid in reclaim- 
 ing the land for the plow and the produc- 
 tion of crops. The plow came in its order. 
 Of all farming implements the plow holds 
 the first place of importance. Jethro Wood 
 had brought out his cast-iron plow, but it 
 was not introduced in the state until 1825, 
 and received no general use until some 
 years after. Up to the year 1840, there 
 was little improvement in the plow. Editor 
 Q^ D. Harris says the following of the 
 Ohio plow r 1 "In 1817, when we took our 
 first lessons in plowing, by riding on the 
 beam, farmers had only one kind of plow, 
 the wooden plow, — massive beam, mould- 
 board, landside, standard — all except the 
 wrought-iron share and long bolt ; and 
 many is the week our boy's legs have 
 trudged between the handles of such an 
 institution after a yoke of oxen with a horse 
 
 1 Ohio Cultivator, Vol. VIII, page 340. 
 152 
 
in the lead. When we arrived at the yea.vs /ntro ^ uc - 
 of discretion — that is, twenty-one and %■ j m p roV e- 
 wife — the cast-iron plows were coming into ment of 
 fashion, but though a great improvement ^c/rin- 
 on the timber plow, it was such a thing asery 
 no modern farmer (1857) would take as a 
 gift. The opening of the rich, black lands 
 of the West created a demand for a plow l 
 that would scour, which the best cast-iron 
 plows would not do upon the prairies or 
 upon the Scioto bottoms. Then the steel 
 plow was brought out, and the farmer could 
 hardly credit the tale that a plow was found 
 that would clean in any soil. Up to the 
 year 1848 steel plows in Ohio were as 
 scarce as honest lawyers in chancery. At 
 the beginning of that year, a blacksmith 
 who had learned to make steel plows, came 
 to Gambier, Knox county, Ohio, with his 
 young family, for the purpose of educating 
 himself for a minister of the gospel, at Ken- 
 yon college. Having no capital but a good 
 trade and a stout heart, he set up a rude 
 forge and commenced to * work his pass- 
 age.' On the first of February, 1848, he 
 inserted a modest advertisement in the Ohio 
 
 1 Ohio Cultivator, 1848. 
 
 153 
 
fntroduc- Cultivator to furnish steel plows and war- 
 Improve- rant tne snare an d mouldboard of every 
 ment of one to polish throughout in any soil how- 
 Machin- ever damp. This was thought a very bold 
 ery proposition, and brought orders from some 
 
 of our heavy valley farms. The plows 
 justified the warranty, and the student- 
 blacksmith had his hands full of work. 
 Having acquitted himself creditably in both 
 capacities, the student laid aside his leather 
 apron and hammer and betook himself 
 more exclusively to the surplice and prayer 
 book, while others have kept up the apos- 
 tolic succession of the plow. We will not 
 say in which capacity the blacksmith has 
 done the more good to the country. Cer- 
 tain it is that as a plow maker he deserves 
 the meed of a most honorable mention, and 
 now as we sometimes take the hand of the 
 Rev. E. A. Strong and look into his keen 
 eye and determined face, we feel like pro- 
 nouncing upon him the benediction of agri- 
 culture ; and when we go to Gambier Hill 
 we look upon the sight of that rude forge 
 with as much interest as we used to muse 
 among the ruins of Ticonderoga and Crown 
 Point." 
 
 i54 
 
These plows, made by student Strong, tntroduc- 
 
 , , r. r i • , i j. ti° n and 
 
 seem to be the first successful iron ones ^^ i m p rove . 
 
 were used in the state. The steel plow ment of 
 came into use about 1848, and passed ^J lin _ 
 through the stage of experimentation mosWj/ 
 successfully. Plow makers now exercised 
 their best skill in fashioning a plow that 
 should turn the soil in the best manner with 
 the least possible draft. 
 
 We find the improvement about as fol- 
 lows : The timber plow was in use about 
 1825 when the cast-iron plow appeared and 
 was used simultaneously with the old tim- 
 ber plow, when in 1840 the timber plow 
 fell into disuse and the cast-iron was used. 
 But it was not satisfactory because it would 
 not clean. Eighteen forty-eight brought 
 out the steel plow. This one turned the 
 soil in a good manner, with a diminished 
 draft over the others. Plow makers now 
 exercised their best skill in fashioning the 
 steel plow. Eighteen fifty found the plow, 
 first begun by student Strong, popular and 
 efficient ; they quickly superseded the old 
 cast-iron plow throughout southern and 
 central Ohio, when a few years later they 
 were introduced all over the state. In 185 1 
 
 i55 
 
Introduc- fat Michigan plow 1 of Newell French was 
 Improve- introduced into the state and was pro- 
 ment of nounced good by most of the intelligent 
 *? r; f •. farmers. It was a cast-iron double plow. 
 ery The " double " feature was especially es- 
 
 teemed, and in 1855 there appeared a num- 
 ber of steel double plows, along with the 
 steel single ones. Steel plows now came 
 into general use. Two of the most prom- 
 inent makers were Gill & Co. of Columbus, 
 and J. Roberts & Co. of Cincinnati. One 
 enthusiast in writing of the steel double 
 plow says, " A steel double plow makes a 
 seed bed as handsome and clean as if it 
 were done with a spade — not a weed or tuft 
 of grass left uncovered, and the whole sur- 
 face even and as fine as meal. Here is 
 another advantage, upon a sod field, thus 
 prepared with but one plowing you can 
 go on with the wheat drill, or cultivator 
 plow, and put in the seed at once, with 
 all the elements of fertility in the right 
 place." 
 
 At this time much attention was given to 
 improved plows. " The old must go " was 
 said and acted upon by farmers rich or 
 
 1 Western Farmer and Ohio Cultivator. 
 
 156 
 
poor all over the country. The timber ?ind /ntroiiuc - 
 the old wrought-iron mouldboard plows /J^^. 
 were laid away. In the United States vXment of 
 about the time cast and steel plows came ^ r; f • 
 into use three hundred different plows were ery 
 patented and of these forty or more were 
 granted to Ohio people. In a short time 
 the side draft, hillside, center draft, subsoil, 
 and drainage plows came into extensive 
 use. 1 The plow in most common use in 
 Ohio during the ''fifties" had a share to 
 take in about ten to twelve inches, and some 
 of the valley plows as much as eighteen 
 inches ; the mouldboard of corresponding 
 style, to turn over the great width. The 
 short bold curve, which was usually given 
 to this mouldboard, was not adapted to lay 
 the even unbroken lap, but left the land in 
 a more broken and pulverized state. This 
 plow was not so well suited for clay soils, 
 but after a time manufacturers got to mak- 
 ing them of all sizes and dimensions, to 
 suit all soils and every taste. The coulter 
 was not uncommon, being used a great 
 deal in newly broken land to prevent the 
 plow from being choked with rubbish; 
 
 1 Howe's History of Ohio. 
 
 157 
 
Tntroduc- sometimes it was a sharp steel disk, some- 
 
 Improve- tmies a perpendicular projection from the 
 
 mentof share, and sometimes the place of coulter 
 
 ^V"! . was rilled bv a smaller plow, but much 
 
 Machin- J r 
 
 cry larger than our plow coulter ot to-day. 
 
 Hillside plows were used to some consider- 
 able extent in the hilly parts of the state. 
 It was quite popular to use across hillsides, 
 always throwing a furrow down hill instead 
 of running it up and down the slope, which 
 besides the inconvenience on steep land, 
 occasions in rainy seasons great washing 
 oi the soil. It is also used on level land 
 whenever it is desirable to avoid ridges. 
 The plow was made by having the upper 
 and lower sides of the share and of mould- 
 board precisely similar, so that each in turn 
 may form the sole, and fixing it on a pivot, 
 which admits its being thrown around be- 
 neath the beam, from right to left or from 
 left to right, and forming either a right 
 handed or a left handed plow. 
 
 Left handed plows were most common in 
 the state ; the reason given was that the 
 plowman was better enabled to guide the 
 furrow horse with his left hand and the 
 plow with his right. The team invariably 
 i 5 3 
 
consisted of two or three horses abreast, Introduc- 
 which are kept at a proper distance by & / m j, rove _ 
 " jocky stick" extending from the collar oimentof 
 one to the bit of the other. ^Tachin- 
 
 The pioneer harrow, made from the^-y 
 crotch of a tree, was succeeded by the tri- 
 angular and " v" shaped ones, and they in 
 turn gave over to some new inventions. 
 The " v" shaped harrow most used was the 
 Geddes folding, divided longitudinally, and 
 the two parts hinged together, so as to ad- 
 mit either being raised by the driver. This 
 was very convenient in fields encumbered 
 with stumps and boulders as was the case 
 in those days. The square harrow, both 
 single and double in form, was in its primi- 
 tive form efficient for pulverization on 
 smooth land free from obstructions. Wood- 
 en teeth, and afterwards iron teeth, were 
 used — large, square, or round, and few in 
 number. Tough and sound timber four 
 inches square was used for the frame. 
 
 Later inventions on this harrow gave us 
 an implement with a large number of teeth, 
 fastened in an iron frame. This makes an 
 admirable harrow and ordinarily leaves the 
 ground smooth and level. The spring tooth 
 
 i59 
 
Introduc- and disc harrows came in later, and have 
 Improve- P rove d their high value for the work in- 
 nmit of tended. 
 
 F " rn J. _ The old method of cultivating corn by 
 ery hand and by the horse hoe, to rid the fields 
 
 of weeds, caused particular attention to be 
 given to dropping the seed at regular inter- 
 vals, so as to admit the horse hoe, travers- 
 ing the field in many directions. In 1824 
 a corn cultivator appeared, and was a valu- 
 able implement for the cultivation of the 
 large areas that were being planted to corn 
 in the state. Improved methods of field 
 culture of cereals came principally through 
 the invention and introduction of a va- 
 riety of cultivators and other implements, 
 by which animal power replaced the hand 
 culture of the crop. At an early date the 
 single shovel cultivator for one horse was 
 produced, and later another shovel was 
 added, forming a two-shovel plow. The 
 latter was generally used until about 1860- 
 '65, and to some little extent as late as 1880. 
 The first straddle row two-horse cultiva- 
 tor was made by George Esterly in 1856. 1 
 This idea was immediately adopted and 
 
 1 One Hundred Years of Progress. 
 160 
 
cultivators of this type were soon used over Introdnc- 
 , u , • Hon and 
 
 the entire state. improve- 
 
 In 183 1 the first threshing machine was ment of 
 
 introduced in the state, in the northern por-v? 77 ?. 
 ' r Machin- 
 
 tion. Up to that time all the wheat wastry 
 either threshed with a flail or tramped out 
 by the use of oxen and horses. In the first 
 quarter of this century in Ohio, eight to six- 
 teen bushels of wheat were considered a 
 light average for a man to thresh with a 
 flail, although when the wheat was well 
 filled, as it often was in some parts of the 
 state, the result was higher. When horses 
 were used a larger amount could be 
 threshed. Three horses, a man, and a 
 boy, in one day, could thresh from thirty 
 to forty bushels. In those days this work 
 was done in the winter time ; the grain was 
 winnowed and the straw used from day to 
 day as threshed for feeding and bedding 
 purposes. The first threshing machine in 
 the state was a great curiosity, but at the 
 same time emphatically opposed by all 
 farm laborers. " They claimed it as a right 
 to thresh with a flail, and regarded the in- 
 troduction of machinery to effect the same 
 object in a few days which would require 
 
 161 
 
Introduc- their individual exertions during the whole 
 tion and . . n . c 
 
 Improve- wmter > not on ly as an innovation of a time- 
 
 ment of honored custom, but as absolutely depriv- 
 
 ^ r; f. ing them of the means of obtaining an 
 Machin- & & 
 
 ery honest livelihood. At a later date, when a 
 
 reaper had been introduced into a field of 
 ripe wheat as a matter of experiment only, 
 every one of the harvest hands deliberately 
 marched out of the field and told the pro- 
 prietor that he might secure his crop as best 
 he could, that the threshing machine had 
 deprived them of their regular winter work 
 twenty years ago, and now the reaper 
 would deprive them of the pittance they 
 otherwise would earn during harvest." 1 
 
 The first threshing machines were awk- 
 ward in appearance and clumsy in con- 
 struction, and almost as much power was 
 lost in friction as was expended in thresh- 
 ing ; at that time it was regarded to have 
 accomplished a very extraordinary feat 
 when it threshed fifty bushels per day. 
 Since the year 183 1 each successive year 
 has brought with it improvement after im- 
 provement, when in 1850-53 they were 
 perfected so as not only to economize power 
 
 i M. B. Bateman, Ohio Agricultural Report, 1869. 
 162 
 
and lessen friction, but would " thresh, sep- Introduc- 
 , , ,. ,, . Hon and 
 
 arate, winnow, and deliver the grain in & / m p rove . 
 
 measure prepared in every respect ready ?nent of 
 for the market, mill, or for feed." Great ^™^_ 
 improvement has been made since then.^ry 
 The large number of laborers that were 
 required for threshing and raking, separat- 
 ing the straw and placing it on a stack, is 
 now displaced and the whole done by 
 machinery, working by the same power 
 that drives the thresher. A machine has 
 been developed from one which formerly 
 threshed fifty bushels a day into one which 
 in its utmost capacity may thresh several 
 thousand. 
 
 The year 183 1 brought one of those great 
 and valuable inventions which commence 
 a new era in the progress of improvement, 
 and whose beneficial results have been 
 manifested not only in this state and coun- 
 try, but in the world at large. It was at 
 this time that Cyrus H. McCormick in- 
 vented and successfully operated the Mc- 
 Cormick reaper, an invention that is as 
 important to agriculture as the cotton gin is 
 to manufacture. Perhaps no single inven- 
 tion made has done so much for the pro- 
 
 163 
 
Introduc- gress of agriculture as did this invention. 
 Improve- ^ doubled the production of wheat per 
 metit of capita of the population, and it released 
 \% n/ 7- more than one half of the agricultural pop- 
 ery ulation for manufacturing industries. The 
 
 first machine was characterized by those 
 practical devices that have been incorpor- 
 ated in every successful reaper made since. 
 The original reaper was made and tested 
 in 183 1, and embraced the following fea- 
 tures : The serrated, reciprocating blade, 
 operating in fingers or supports to the grain 
 being cut. The platform for receiving the 
 cut grain deposited upon it by the reel. 
 The grain was then raked to the side in 
 bunches ready to bind. There was also a 
 divider to separate the grain to be left stand- 
 ing from the grain to be cut. The horses 
 traveled ahead of the machine, and along 
 the standing grain. The motion to move the 
 operating parts was derived from the outer 
 of two wheels, upon which the machine 
 was mounted. In 1833 another reaper, the 
 Hussey mower, invented by Obed Hussey 
 of Carthage, Hamilton county, Ohio, ap- 
 peared. Both of these machines were 
 patented in 1834, tne conditions in the 
 164 
 
patents being simply these : McCormick's^^^- 
 
 , . .j r. i tion and 
 
 machine was mounted on two wheels, a 7 m ^ rove . 
 
 main wheel which supported the greater ment of 
 part of the weight of the machine, gave^ r/ ^. 
 motion to the crank, reciprocating the knife, e ry 
 and revolved the wheel, and a grain wheel 
 at the outer end of the platform. Hussey's 
 machine according to the patent had three 
 wheels at the stubble side, all of which 
 rested upon the ground. In case a wide 
 platform was to be used the machine should 
 have four wheels, the extra one at outer 
 end of platform. 
 
 With all the untiring efforts of these 
 early inventors, their reaping-machines 
 did not reach a very high degree of suc- 
 cess, because they were not practical. 
 However, many were very enthusiastic 
 and sanguine in their hopes. One editor 
 in describing one of these early machines, 
 says: "The Hussey reaper cuts a swath 
 five feet, but it is intended, when perfect, 
 to cut from fifteen to eighteen feet. There 
 is no agitation of grain. It falls to the 
 ground where it stood in an opposite direc- 
 tion. Requires two horses to propel it, a 
 boy to drive, and a man to lay the grain 
 
 1 6 5 
 
Introduc-ixi bundles for binding. The man and boy 
 Improve- b° tn r ^ e - The horses may walk or trot. 
 ment of Will perform better work in fast than slow 
 j^ rn j l - _ motion." 1 But it required many years to 
 ery reach the time for a reasonably perfect 
 
 reaper. And the day is still in the distance 
 for drawing the mowing-machine with the 
 horses in a trot. These reaping-machines 
 at first were not practical ; but with con- 
 stant efforts they became better and wider 
 known when, in 1855, they were used gen- 
 erally and successfully throughout the state. 
 The two machines 2 that were most popular 
 and generally in use at the time of the uni- 
 versal introduction in the state, i854~'55, 
 were the Ketchem's and Maury's patent 
 combined and adjustable reapers and mow- 
 ers. But with the success of these, im- 
 provements did not stop. There was still 
 too much labor required to bind the bun- 
 dles. Eighteen hundred and fifty-eight 
 marks the century with an invention that 
 has revolutionized harvest methods. Charles 
 W. and Wallace W. Marsh of Illinois con- 
 ceived the idea of so constructing a machine 
 
 1 Farmer 's Record, 1833. 
 
 2 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1856, page 173. 
 
 166 
 
that it would deliver a swath of grain to a Introduc- 
 receptacle in the machine where two men /;; . , ove _ 
 standing could bind it as fast as cut. At went of 
 first failure resulted because of improper f? r; f. 
 financial help and faulty mechanical worker/ 
 on the primitive machines. But with con- 
 tinual perseverence 1862 found a fairly 
 perfect machine that was practical in every 
 respect, and to which every successful 
 grain and corn harvester owes its ideas 
 and success. In 1864 twenty-four practi- 
 cal machines were built in a little sash fac- 
 tory. In 1865 twenty-six were built. In 
 1866 the number grew to a hundred, and 
 ten years later the Marsh harvester was 
 being improved and built by nearly all our 
 reaper manufacturers. Still the harvester 
 was not complete. There was needed an 
 automatic binder attachment. Eighteen 
 hundred and seventy-five brought it, but 
 it was the objectionable wire-binder. So 
 every effort was made to find a suitable 
 substitute for wire. Thousands of dollars 
 were spent in efforts to get a straw band- 
 binder, and then attention was turned 
 toward possibilities of a twine-binder. To 
 Mr. William Deering belongs the credit of 
 
 167 
 
fntroduc- fat conception, as well as the putting into 
 Improve- P rac tical use, of single thread binder-twine. 
 ment of In 1880 the self-twine-binder became a 
 ifT" . P r onounced success. In 1884-85 the first 
 ery all-steel machines were manufactured ; 
 
 while in 1892 the principles of ball- and 
 roller-bearings were applied to our har- 
 vesting machinery, completing the devel- 
 opment of the reapers conceived by Cyrus 
 H. McCormick in 1831. Fifty years of 
 effort, — what a victory for agriculture ! 
 While Ohio was not the birthplace of the 
 improvements and inventions, she was the 
 great experiment field where the survival 
 of the fittest took place. 
 
 Before the reaping machines came into 
 use throughout the country, the grain-scythe 
 and cradle were the implements with which 
 most of the grain was leveled. The length 
 of the scythe was four feet ; the cradle was 
 formed of five finely-tapered ash fingers, 
 and curved correspondingly to the blade ; 
 the snath, as light as is consistent with 
 strength, was bent into an elegant curve. 
 With this implement a good cradler could 
 cut four acres per day. Mr. Flint, in his 
 visit to America in 1818, was much pleased 
 168 
 
with the cradle. He says: 1 "The use oiintroduc- 
 this grain-cradle undoubtedly requires a /m j, rove . 
 peculiar knack ; it is accomplished with a m.ent of 
 great swing of the body, and the grain is^jfT. _ 
 tipped out at the end of each cut ; but \i e ry 
 our people could learn the art of using it, it 
 would prove a most valuable substitute for 
 the sickle, or the common scythe. In fact, 
 one cannot watch the operations in an 
 American harvest field, without being im- 
 pressed with a conviction that, if English 
 farmers and our colonists are to compete 
 with the American in growing corn and 
 wheat, they must adopt some of those im- 
 plements which American ingenuity, stim- 
 ulated by necessity, has already invented 
 and proved. It is not the grain cradles 
 alone that are superior, the corresponding 
 implements of this country, but the common 
 tools, such as hayforks and rakes, and 
 dungforks display a lightness, combined 
 with strength and beauty of proportion and 
 high finish, which is not seen even in our 
 most improved ones, and is far superior, 
 indeed, to those commonly used here. 
 Their best five-pronged forks are cut out 
 
 1 Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol. xx. 
 
 169 
 
Introduc- f a single piece of steel, and when swung 
 
 Improve- aroun d and dashed against the floor, a 
 
 ment of common test, ring like a tuning-fork ; 
 
 Machin- n g ntness an d handiness are particularly 
 
 cry attended to in these. It is to be feared 
 
 that unless our manufacturers vie with 
 
 these models, they will lose the colonial 
 
 and foreign markets." 
 
 There had long been felt the need of 
 seeding machines for both wheat and corn. 
 The old method of putting in the grain by 
 hand was exceedingly laborious and expen- 
 sive. Inventors had been working for years 
 to get a grain-drill that would not clog and 
 choke from either the foulness of the ground 
 or of the grain, and at the same time carry 
 out the seed evenly and equally, depositing 
 it at the bottom of the drills made by the hol- 
 low coulters. From time to time machines 
 of this kind had been brought out, but it 
 was not until 1848 and 1850 that a machine 
 of any great degree of success was ob- 
 tained. The Gatling wheat-drill, perhaps, 
 came nearest the ideal at the time, and was 
 quite extensively used. The seed by this 
 machine was distributed by auger-like 
 screws, which revolve as the machine is 
 170 
 
drawn, and in proportion to its speed, by fntroduc- 
 means of as many bevel wheels on the axle /w x r ^,_ 
 as there are coulters or teeth to the ma- ment of 
 chine ; these mesh into a like number of Jt ri, j ■ . 
 small, pinion-bevel wheels attached to the ery 
 iron rods or shanks of the augers. These 
 were extended into the bottom of the seed- 
 box, to which are connected the hollow 
 coulters, which carry the seed. The prin- 
 ciple upon which the seed distributed the 
 grain rendered its adaptation very complete 
 for sowing oats, barley, wheat or rye. The 
 quantity of seed can be varied from half a 
 bushel to three bushels per acre, and in all 
 cases the work was done with astonishing 
 accuracy. 
 
 Following in close order the success of 
 the grain-drill came the introduction of 
 machinery for planting corn. Dropping 
 corn by hand, and the use of a " hand 
 jabber," were the methods that nine tenths 
 or more of the farmers followed in corn 
 planting up to 1854. Planters before that 
 time were crude, undeveloped, and inferior, 
 and did not answer the desired purpose ; 
 and though corn-planters for one and two 
 horses were invented and introduced and 
 
 171 
 
introduc- to some little extent used in 1854, tne Y 
 Improve- were not fully spread over the state until 
 ment of twenty years after. The Barnhill Planter 
 Jl rn }. was one of the early patents, and very 
 ery much commended in the sections where it 
 
 was used. It was drawn by one horse, 
 "planting with ease from five to seven 
 acres per day, doing the furrowing out and 
 covering at one operation, and better than 
 could have been done by hand." It de- 
 posited one or two grains of corn at every 
 nine or ten inches in the furrow. This 
 machine was invented by J. Barnhill, Circle- 
 ville, Ohio. The ** hand jabber" was in 
 use to a very great extent until the modern 
 improved planters were introduced. This 
 latter tool for all conditions has been about 
 the only really successful implement for 
 planting corn that we have had in this state 
 until the modern two-horse planters have 
 been developed. 
 
 As early as 1824 the horse-rake in its 
 simplest and original form was invented. 
 It was made of a piece of strong scantling 
 three inches square, in which were set 
 "horizontally about fifteen teeth, twenty- 
 two inches long by an inch or an inch and 
 172 
 
three fourths at the place of insertion, Introduc- 
 tapering on the under side, with a slight Im p rove . 
 upward turn at the points, to prevent xxm-ment of 
 ning into the ground. The two other teetn ^Jto- 
 were cut off to about one third their first ery 
 length, and draught ropes attached. Han- 
 dles served to guide the teeth, to lift the 
 rake from the ground in avoiding obstacles 
 and to empty the accumulated hay." The 
 revolving horse-rake was next generally 
 adopted, possessing the great advantage 
 of unloading without lifting the rake or 
 stopping the horse. A further improve- 
 ment was made by attaching the revolving 
 rake to a sulky on which the operator sat, 
 enabling him to do a larger amount of 
 work with less fatigue. The most satis- 
 factory improvement was the spring-tooth 
 contrivance. In its original form, the teeth 
 were made of stiff elastic wire, on the points 
 of which the rake ran, instead of the fiat 
 sides, as in the case of the wooden rakes. 
 They bent in passing an obstruction and 
 sprang back to their places. This rake 
 was unloaded by simply lifting the han- 
 dles. The last improvement has been 
 made by attaching the spring -tooth rakes 
 
 i73 
 
fntroduc-to wheels, making a sulky in form, on 
 Improve- which rides the driver, and by patented 
 ment of modifications he with ease lifts and lowers 
 M™;- tn e rake as they become full or empty. 
 ery Hay tedding machines have been known 
 
 for many years, but the heavy and cumber- 
 some condition in which they were made 
 prevented them from coming into common 
 use. Within the last decade, however, it 
 has been satisfactorily made and success- 
 fully used. It is furnished with forks held 
 nearly upright, but worked by a compound 
 crank, which scatters and turns the hay 
 with great rapidity in the rear of the 
 machine. 
 
 The original horse hayfork appeared 
 about 1848, and was quite a relief to the 
 severe labor occasioned by pitching hay 
 from the wagon. It consisted of from three 
 to four steel prongs fastened to a handle 
 somewhat as our common hand forks of 
 to-day. The prongs were plunged into the 
 hay and elevated to the mow on the plan 
 of leverage. The single fork was soon 
 succeeded by the double-clasping fork 
 which held the bundle of hay like the claws 
 of a bird. The harpoon fork, on account 
 i74 
 
of the rapidity of its use, has been most /n ^ ro ^ uc " 
 commonly and satisfactorily used. Within / m p rove . 
 recent years the hay loader has been o-per- went of 
 ated in the field, carrying the hay up and^™^_ 
 dropping it on the load. It has obviated^ 
 hand pitching. 
 
 During the past few years unexampled 
 progress has been made in the improvement 
 and manufacture of farm machinery ; all 
 of which has been given immediate trial on 
 Ohio farms to receive the judgment of 
 Ohio farmers. Plows have been made of 
 harder materials, and perfect in form and 
 use. Harrows and cultivators, general and 
 special, of numerous kinds and descrip- 
 tions, now perform all the labor at one time 
 done by hand. Seed drills for grain and 
 vegetables, are truer in their distribution of 
 seed, than the human hand itself. Mowers, 
 reapers, and binders for grass, grain, and 
 stalks, and machines for threshing, are now 
 universally adopted by every husbandman 
 of the state. 
 
 Hand labor has been replaced by machine 
 power, physical energy by thought. From 
 the wooden plow and harrow, the sickle, 
 hoe, and flail, have been developed these 
 
 i75 
 
Farm 
 
 Machin 
 
 ery 
 
 Introduc- implements whose quality and use is near 
 Improve- tne P ei *fect. The poorer farmer sowed his 
 ment of grain by hand, covered it with the uncouth 
 wooden harrow or a bundle of brush ; with 
 the assistance of wife and children, the 
 harvest was done, the grain reaped, 
 bound and secured, for the winter's thresh- 
 ing and cleaning. But progress was alive 
 if slow. For it brought him the grain 
 cradle, then the improved plow, then 
 the winnowing mill, the threshing ma- 
 chine, the corn sheller, the improved 
 wagon, the canal, the carriage, the reaper, 
 the mower, the self-binder, and a thousand 
 and one other implements and machines 
 that have lessened his labors and cares and 
 multiplied his material enjoyments for 
 physical easement and mental culture. 
 176 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 DAIRYING IN OHIO 
 
 Dairying in Ohio began with the first 
 settlers. The cow was usually a part of 
 the family, and grazing near the home 
 could be heard the sound of her tinkling 
 bell. And how gladly she was received 
 with her treasure of milk, fresh for break- 
 fast, fresh for the evening meal ! The 
 churn and the cheese-press were used at 
 once by the earliest pioneers, for the 
 products they furnished were not luxury 
 but contributed to daily food. We have 
 no evidence or records of any dairy 
 products for commercial form in the early 
 periods of the state. Butter and cheese 
 had been made from the first but only for 
 the family use. The chief reason perhaps 
 was want of transportation. A large part 
 of the pioneers had been skilled in cheese 
 making in their eastern homes, but the 
 wilderness afforded no place for the manu- 
 facture of butter and cheese as commercial 
 articles. The cow was kept to labor and 
 to furnish milk to the family. As the trees 
 
 177 
 
Dairying were cleared away and the settlers' condi- 
 tions bettered a second and a third cow 
 were added to the herd and butter and 
 cheese making resulted in their order. 
 Home cheese and butter making began in 
 Ohio at an early date. It was a common 
 thing during the spring and summer 
 months to see at almost every pioneer's 
 home the cheese hoop in operation. This 
 consisted of a rail 1 or pole, with one end 
 under the lower log of the cabin and lying 
 across a rudely constructed cheese hoop, 
 with a weight attached to the outer end, 
 sufficient to press the cheese. 
 
 Many tales have been told about these 
 proverbial cheese hoops where the leeks 
 covered the earth and tainted the milk in 
 every manufactured form. To an epicure 
 or the modern cheese or butter maker such 
 would be a serious drawback, and a wonder 
 beyond expectant possibilities. As areas 
 were cleared and enclosed, dairying in- 
 creased and cheese making was developed. 
 The chief difficulty was access to market. 
 Cheese to some little extent had been made 
 in Ohio for export before 1820, but the 
 
 1 History of Geauga County, page 29. 
 I 7 8 
 
difficulty of transportation kept the amount Dairying 
 down to a minimum. The section of the 
 state known as the Western Reserve has 
 always been known as the principal dairy 
 region and there, perhaps, the first cheese 
 for commerce was made. The first man 
 who carried cheese to the Southern markets 
 was Mr. Harvey Baldwin, who during the 
 summer of 1820 took the first cargo down 
 the Ohio river. This first cargo 1 consisted 
 of two thousand pounds, which had been 
 hauled by wagon from Aurora to Beaver 
 Point, Pa., and from there transferred to a 
 pine skiff, on which he embarked as cap- 
 tain, supercargo and owner, and commenced 
 his voyage down the Ohio, selling his 
 cheese as he journeyed along at Wheeling, 
 Marietta, Gallipolis, Portsmouth, Marys- 
 ville, Augusta, Cincinnati, Madison, and 
 Louisville, Kentucky, where he made sale 
 of it, and terminated his voyage at a good 
 profit above cost and transportation. 
 
 This undertaking had been so successful 
 that making and marketing cheese on a 
 large scale was now begun. In 1825 
 Harvey Baldwin, Samuel Taylor, and 
 
 1 History of Geauga County. 
 179 
 
Dairying Apollos White purchased several dairies 
 in Bainbridge and Auburn and sent cheese 
 down the Ohio. Cheese was sold in this 
 manner for several years to the Southern 
 markets of Cincinnati, Nashville, Hunts- 
 ville, and others at from 25 cents to 30 cents 
 per pound. At the same time a little cheese 
 had been shipped north to New York and 
 Pennsylvania. These pioneers started the 
 cheese trade in Ohio that has grown to be 
 a leading interest and specialty in north- 
 eastern Ohio, and which influence was felt 
 in neighboring states. 
 
 Until after 1834 tne Western Reserve 
 cheese had entire control of the Southern 
 markets. 1 About that time the Yankee 
 population, who settled in the Darby plains, 
 commenced its manufacture and their 
 cheese came into competition at several of 
 the Southern cities, and on account of 
 nearness to market and less expensive 
 transportation they undersold the Western 
 Reserve cheese. The quality of this 
 cheese " was equal, if not superior, to the 
 early Western Reserve cheese," but such 
 small quantities that the price was not 
 
 1 History of Geauga County, page 29. 
 180 
 
materially affected. To-day home-made Dairying 
 cheese is seldom made, the factory having 
 so generally superseded farm cheese mak- 
 ing, that the latter receives no attention in 
 the consideration of the dairy interests of 
 the state. 
 
 The old method of cheese making on 
 the farms of individual farmers continued 
 as the rule, until about 1848-49, when the 
 factory system was put in operation. " In 
 the Western Reserve of Ohio where the 
 making of cheese has been largely carried 
 on for several years, a change of system 
 has lately taken place to some extent. 
 Certain men who are well acquainted with 
 the manufacture of cheese, purchase the 
 curd, unsalted, of their neighbors, and 
 make it into that kind of cheese for which 
 they find the readiest sale and best price. 
 A single manufacturer sometimes uses the 
 curd produced from the milk of several 
 hundred cows. It is gathered every morn- 
 ing by men who call at the different farms 
 for that purpose. These large establish- 
 ments are called factories. 12 This method 
 
 i Albany Cultivator, 1849. 
 
 2 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1850, page 91. 
 
Dairying had some effect in establishing permanent 
 systems but they were only local in influ- 
 ence. Up to 1850 the manufacture of cheese 
 and butter was pursued by almost identically 
 the same processes that had prevailed from 
 time immemorial, but about that time inquiry 
 and investigation seemed suddenly to per- 
 vade the dairy interest of the communities, 
 and from that time improvement has steadily 
 been carried on. 
 
 About this time, i848-'5o, the first im- 
 proved dairy fixtures were introduced 
 and the first dairymen's association was 
 formed, which was styled the Geauga 
 County Dairymen's Association. By 
 means of this organization investigation was 
 set on foot, inquiry awakened, and it was 
 no doubt the prime mover of very many 
 of the improved fixtures which were intro- 
 duced at about that time and a few years 
 thereafter. Between this time and i860 
 many improved cheese vats, heaters, curd 
 knives, and other dairy utensils and fixtures 
 were invented and brought out, all of them 
 showing progress and improvement, but it 
 was during the years 1861, 1862, and 1863 
 that the most radical change was effected 
 182 
 
by the spread of the cheese factory system Dairying 
 first inaugurated by Jesse Williams ten 
 years before. Anson Bartlett 1 in 1862 
 showed the possibilities of a cooperative 
 system of cheese manufacture, which soon 
 made a notable change in the dairy system 
 of the state. The method was for dairy- 
 men to send their milk to factories to be 
 worked up on a cooperative system, at a 
 given price per pound for making, curing, 
 boxing, selling or forwarding to market 
 and making the necessary dividends. The 
 first factory of this kind in the state was 
 built at Munson by Anson Bartlett in 1862. 
 Bartlett had previously gone to Oneida 
 county, New York, to study the process, 
 and learn the management and progress, 
 which had brought the Oneida dairies into 
 such good repute in the best markets. 
 
 Dairying in Ohio to-day consists of a 
 variety of forms and processes. Some of 
 the operators make only cheese, this 
 being done either through the whole year 
 or only a part of it. Others make more or 
 less butter, but cheese is the main product. 
 This depends upon the season and the mar- 
 
 1 History of Geauga County, page 9. 
 I8 3 
 
Dairying ket. During the summer months when 
 butter is low in price cheese is made, while 
 in winter when butter commands a good 
 price the manufacture of cheese is dropped 
 and butter making taken up. Other facto- 
 ries make butter mainly, perhaps a little 
 cheese. When the factory is devoted prin- 
 cipally to cheese making it is termed a 
 cheese factory ; if for butter making a 
 butter factory, and if both they may be 
 be known as creameries. The latter term 
 is coming into use for butter factories as 
 well, and to-day is the common name ap- 
 plied to any factory where the article cream 
 is separated from milk or handled sepa- 
 rately. At first in Ohio little attention was 
 paid to the value of a cow. Cows were 
 preferred which were best adapted to labor, 
 then those which were specially fitted for 
 feed, and more recently those best suited 
 for the dairy. So to-day we have devel- 
 oped in this state a class of cattle bred in 
 the interest of dairy industry alone. The 
 factory system perhaps has contributed 
 more toward the advancement of the dairy 
 interests of the state than any other factor. 
 When the Southern trade was cut off by 
 184 
 
the war in 1861, the farm dairy began to Dairying 
 decline and the factory system to grow in 
 favor. At that time the English trade came 
 into prominence but the English shippers 
 would buy none but factory-made cheese. 
 This resulted in a decline of the home- 
 made product but acted as a permanent 
 stimulus to the factory-made. A large and 
 increasing trade soon grew up, so that in 
 ten years it had increased over flfteenfold. 
 The factory system enabled the Ohio 
 farmers to compete for the English trade 
 which resulted in considerably higher prices 
 which were permanent in effect. In view 
 of the large increase in prices for Ohio 
 cheese obtained through the influence of 
 factories, the fact that farmers' families by 
 this means saved a vast amount of hard 
 work, and in fact those farmers who patron- 
 ized factories received as much net cash as 
 they would to make their own cheese at 
 home, influenced the introduction of the 
 factory system over the state and the falling 
 into disuse of the old system of making 
 cheese at home. Butter has always been 
 chiefly a home-made product. We have 
 seen during the past decade the establish- 
 es 
 
Dairying me nt of a few butter factories, but the farm 
 
 in Onto , . t i -, r 
 
 dairy supplies the principal amount of 
 
 butter for consumption and commerce 
 to-day. 
 
 The cheese industry received the first 
 and earliest attention ; and even when the 
 factory system was put into operation the 
 product manufactured in largest quantity 
 was cheese. Milk and cream were not 
 sent to be made into butter. That idea has 
 but recently been put into operation. Dur- 
 ing the early sixties, when the factory 
 system was coming prominently into use, 
 butter making in the factories was a sec- 
 ondary consideration. On an average not 
 over one pound of butter was manufactured 
 to forty to fifty of cheese. The cream was 
 skimmed from the cheese vats and the par- 
 tially whole milk, but more properly butter- 
 milk was made into cheese. The butter 
 thus made was considered as so much 
 gained, while the cheese was the chief out- 
 put of the factory. From this time on, 
 cheese in this state became factory made to 
 such an extent that in 1886 the amount of 
 factory-made cheese in the state was 16,- 
 500,000 pounds ; while the farm-made 
 186 
 
cheese had decreased to but 3,000,000, and^ z >7'«£ 
 the ten years following had fallen to the 
 minimum amount. 
 
 Ohio has always been a dairy state, but 
 it has only been since the factory system 
 was established that any marvelous and 
 permanent development has been made. 
 The old home methods from their environ- 
 ments necessarily produced an article of 
 butter and cheese, variable in quantity and 
 quality. Besides, the number of skilful 
 cheese makers w r as so small, and their field 
 of labor so limited, that many of the farmers 
 were prevented from engaging in the busi- 
 ness, from their inability either to secure 
 help or obtain the information that would 
 be required for the proper and profitable 
 management of dairies. Then the other 
 house and farm duties were constantly in- 
 terfering with the painstaking and watchful 
 attention to the vat and curing room that is 
 absolutely necessary for the making of high 
 grade cheese. But the cooperative system 
 stands as the one remedy to all the evils of 
 the home system of cheese making. Since 
 1862 the factory system derived from neces- 
 sity has been in operation. That it has 
 
 187 
 
Dairying been the successful method, is attested by 
 the enormous manufacture of butter and 
 cheese of superior grade and quality. In 
 the future, we may look for something even 
 better, for the dairy school recently estab- 
 lished at the Ohio State University will give 
 the state trained and skilful talent to further 
 elevate and develop the dairy interest of 
 the state. The energy being now devoted 
 to this line of industry will in the next 
 decade be harvested with abundant yields — 
 worthy fruitage of the untiring and labo- 
 rious industry of the fathers of pioneer 
 days. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 
 
 Papers, Societies, Colleges, Experiment Sta- 
 tions, and Institutes 
 
 With the gradual progress of agriculture 
 in the state came the agricultural papers 
 and periodicals. They have been among 
 the most prominent agencies which have 
 contributed to the industrial development 
 of the state. Though their work has been 
 difficult it has been grandly done. Poor 
 patronage by the farmers, and for whose 
 welfare they have been struggling, has 
 handicapped them throughout their exist- 
 ence ; and even to-day the farmers of the 
 state do not realize their obligations for the 
 support of the agricultural press. The first 
 paper of its kind in the state was the West- 
 ern Tiller, which appeared in Cincinnati 
 in 1826. It was miscellaneously published 
 but contained many able articles on agri- 
 cultural subjects. This paper was followed 
 by the Farmers' Record in 1831 , which was 
 published in Cincinnati, and continued for 
 several years. The Ohio Farmer, pub- 
 lished at Batavia, Clermont county, in 1833, 
 
 189 
 
Agricul- 
 tural 
 Educa- 
 tion 
 
 by Hon. Samuel Medary, had a prominent 
 place among the early newspapers of the 
 state. The Ohio Cultivator was started in 
 1845 by M. B. Bateman, and for many 
 years it was not only successful but one of 
 the strongest advocates of improved condi- 
 tions for agriculture. Other early agricul- 
 tural papers published in this state were the 
 Western Fa?-mer and Gardener, Western 
 Horticultural Review, and the Ohio 
 Farmer, under a new management, pub- 
 lished at Cleveland. This last agricultural 
 paper connects the pioneer days with the 
 present, and during all its existence it has 
 stood a friend of the farmer, and foremost 
 in the advancement of the agriculture of 
 the state. Other agricultural papers pub- 
 lished in the state are the Farm and Fire- 
 side, Farmer's Home, Farm News, Ameri- 
 can Grange Bulletin, The Agricultural 
 Student Magazine, Land and Living, and 
 Breeder and Farmer. 
 
 FAIRS 
 
 While all of these have been strong fac- 
 tors in the improvement of the soil and the 
 crops and the livestock, they have been as 
 190 
 
valuable in bringing culture to the farm 4^*^- 
 
 tural 
 home. On February 22, 18 19, the first Educa _ 
 
 agricultural society in Ohio was organized, Hon 
 and called the Agricultural and Manufac- 
 turing Society of Washington County, Ohio, 
 and Wood County, Virginia. A county fair 
 was held in Marietta in 1826. In those 
 days the court-house served for floral hall, 
 and the street and vacant lots adjacent were 
 used to display the stock. The Cincinnati 
 society for the promotion of agriculture, 
 manufactures, and domestic science, was 
 organized in Cincinnati early in 1819, with 
 General William Henry Harrison as pres- 
 ident. A little later the society was reor- 
 ganized under the name of the Hamilton 
 County Agricultural Society, with General 
 Harrison as president. At the first fair 
 held by this society, early in the twenties, 
 no cash premiums exceeding five dollars 
 were offered, while diplomas and certifi- 
 cates were the general inducement for the 
 exhibition of stock. The Hamilton County 
 Agricultural Society was the first distinct 
 society of its kind in the state. Since its 
 reorganization in 1820 it has held fairs 
 more or less regularly ever since. During 
 
 191 
 
Agnail- the legislative session of 1832-33 an act 
 Educa- was P asse d for the encouragement of agri- 
 taw culture, through the organization of county 
 agricultural societies. Many societies were 
 organized in conformity with this act, but 
 we cannot find any record of the exact 
 number ; however, nearly all the societies 
 that had been organized held fairs for some 
 years, but the want of public spirit and 
 public sentiment failed to sustain them, and 
 they were gradually discontinued, until the 
 new act respecting their organization was 
 passed in 1846. This was an important 
 measure for the encouragement of agricul- 
 ture, which provided for a state board of 
 agriculture, and made it the duty of the 
 board "to report annually to the legislature 
 a detailed account of their proceedings, with 
 a statement of the condition and needs of the 
 agriculture of the state. It was also made 
 the duty of the board to hold an agricul- 
 tural convention annually in Columbus, at 
 which all the counties of the state were to 
 be represented. This act, and the one of 
 the next year, provided for a permanent 
 agricultural fund and gave a great stimulus 
 to the formation of agricultural societies. 
 192 
 
Since that time scarcely a county in the 4^*^- 
 state has been without such an organiza-^-^^ 
 tion." 1 tion 
 
 In 1846 the board met and organized by 
 electing Allen Trimble, president ; N. L. 
 Sullivant, treasurer ; and Samuel Medary, 
 secretary. By the organization of this 
 board the spirit of improvement revived in 
 a number of the counties where societies 
 had previously been formed, and much 
 benefit resulted at once to the farming inter- 
 ests. The Ohio state board of agriculture 
 held the first state fair in Cincinnati on the 
 nth, 1 2th, and 13th days of September, 
 1850. At this fair premiums were awarded 
 to Shorthorns, Herefords, Devons, and 
 Ayrshires ; to crosses between improved 
 and native cattle ; working oxen and steers ; 
 fat and grass fed cattle, and milch cows ; 
 also to sheep classed under wool and fat 
 sheep. No breed classifications were made 
 or premiums awarded to swine. The same 
 is true with horses. Besides the above 
 there were awards on poultry, plows, vari- 
 ous farm implements, and manufactured 
 wares. The second state fair was held 
 
 1 Howe's History of Ohio, Vol. I, page 107. 
 193 
 
Agricul- 
 tural 
 Educa- 
 tion 
 
 near Franklinton, one mile west of Colum- 
 bus, on the 24th, 25th, and 26th of Septem- 
 ber, 1851. At this fair were displayed 
 numerous varieties of stock, grain, imple- 
 ments, machines, raw materials, manufac- 
 tures, sculpture, paintings, and other fine 
 arts, as well as specimens in almost every 
 branch of human industry at that time, 
 illustrative alike of the skill, taste, and inge- 
 nuity of the people of Ohio. Until 1874 tne 
 Ohio state fair was a movable fair, having 
 been five years at Dayton, two years at 
 Cincinnati, Toledo, Springfield, and Mans- 
 field, one year each at Franklinton, New- 
 ark, Zanesville, and Sandusky. How 
 much good it, in common with the county 
 fairs, has clone in contributing to the vigor- 
 ous growth of the state and our material 
 prosperity, can never be estimated. But 
 the influence of the agricultural fair idea 
 has been quietly and silently made, and to- 
 day we are bequeathed the rich legacy in 
 the form of awakened thought of a better 
 husbandry. The impulse given us by the 
 fairs has resulted in better and more 
 thorough cultivation of the soil, superior 
 grades of all agricultural and horticultural 
 194 
 
products, the introduction of improved va\- Agricul- 
 plements and machinery, and the applica- ^ uca . 
 tion of scientific principles in all the opera- Hon 
 tions of the farm and garden. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 
 
 Scarcely any subject in Ohio has excited 
 more interest than that of agricultural edu- 
 cation to the leading agriculturists. When 
 the Board of Agriculture was established, 
 every one was aware that much might be 
 accomplished by improved implements and 
 machines, and better herds of livestock 
 and superior farm products, yet they be- 
 lieved that in order to obtain the best possible 
 results from the soil, by means of these, an 
 appropriate education was indispensable. 
 As early as 1848 many leading farmers 
 conceived that one of the most important 
 subjects before them and which should 
 receive their most earnest attention and 
 individual cooperation was the establish- 
 ment of an agricultural college. The two 
 strongest reasons, 1 perhaps, in their minds 
 were that the acquirement of such an educa- 
 tion would " enable the student to till the 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1870, page 233. 
 195 
 
Agricul- so ii i n sucn an intelligent manner as to 
 Educa- re ceive the greatest possible results with the 
 tion least expenditure of physical labor." This 
 
 idea was undoubtedly the leading as well 
 as the ostensible motive for the establish- 
 ment of the college ; but there was an 
 equally powerful one "derived from the 
 social status of the farmer as compared with 
 the professional or commercial man." And 
 while the prime objects were to obtain direct 
 benefits from the soil, the elevation of agri- 
 culture to an equal rank with the learned 
 professions, in the estimation of society was 
 always kept prominent in view. What 
 conceptions these pioneers in agricultural 
 education had we do not know, but the 
 spirit of such an institution was fully alive 
 at the time of organization of the first state 
 board of agriculture. President Trimble 
 in his address at the first annual meeting, 
 in December, 1846, without doubt had an 
 agricultural college in his mind when he 
 said "General intelligence is after all not 
 only the best security to our institutions, but 
 the great lever which must move our people 
 in their advancement in agricultural im- 
 provement. Ohio has all the elements of a 
 196 
 
great and successful agricultural commu-^^- 
 nity . Her resources have been pronounced JyjJL*- 
 to be, by intelligent men at home and taw 
 abroad, practically unlimited. As the 
 virgin soil yields its power before the ex- 
 hausting process and too often careless 
 tillage, these resources must be to some 
 extent diminished, unless an intelligent and 
 improved mode of cultivation gradually 
 supplies the place of that which suited well 
 and still answers when the soil possesses its 
 original fertility. To increase and develop 
 the physical resources of the country is 
 wisdom ; and not only the representatives 
 of the people in their legislative assemblies, 
 but all good people should unite in their 
 effort to accomplish a purpose upon which 
 depends in so high a degree the character 
 and credit of the state, and the prosperity 
 and happiness of the people." 1 In his 
 annual address two years later he said, " I 
 cannot close this report without calling the 
 attention of the General Assembly and our 
 farming population to the importance and 
 necessity, if we would succeed in our 
 undertaking to elevate agriculture among 
 
 1 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1846, page 571. 
 197 
 
Agricul- us to its true dignity and importance, of 
 Educa- P rov iding some efficient means for prepar- 
 tion ing our young men, at least, for adopting 
 
 a more improved and perfect system of 
 culture." Mr. Trimble's idea was to intro- 
 duce into the academies and colleges, 
 departments devoted exclusively to such 
 branches of study as were most intimately 
 connected with the cultivation of the soil, 
 and at the same time to the practical appli- 
 cation of the principles taught, by the 
 cultivation of a sufficient amount of ground 
 to impress those principles upon the minds 
 of the pupils. He closed his address with 
 the following words : " If it be objected to 
 the plan suggested that if adopted it would 
 injure the character and prospects of the 
 literary institutions, then without waiting 
 for the lead of New York, whose governor 
 has wisely recommended to the legislature 
 of that state the establishment of an agri- 
 cultural college, and also one for the 
 improvement of the mechanic arts, let us at 
 once, either with the aid of the state or by 
 individual efforts, establish and endow an 
 agricultural college in Ohio, at which our 
 young men may acquire not only a literary 
 198 
 
and scientific, but a thoroughly practical, Agricul- 
 education." This suggestion was partially E ^ Mca _ 
 realized in 1844, when the first American//^ 
 agricultural college was established at Ob- 
 erlin, by the arrangement of lectures in 
 winter courses upon branches of science 
 most intimately related to agriculture, as 
 geology, chemistry, botany, comparative 
 anatomy, physiology, and mechanics. 
 The instructors were Dr. N. S. Town- 
 shend, James H. Fairchild, James Das- 
 comb, and John S. Newberry, who 
 lectured for three winters in succession, 
 twice in Oberlin and once in Cleveland. 
 An attempt was made to interest the legisla- 
 ture in the matter, but this failed and the 
 department was closed. A second attempt 
 to establish the teaching of agriculture in 
 the state was effected in 1856, when an 
 agricultural department was established at 
 Farmer's College, College Hill, Ohio. 
 Previous to this time, a "fund was raised 
 by the sale of shares, a suitable farm was 
 purchased, commodious buildings were 
 erected and a large attendance of students 
 secured." 1 While it is true that something 
 
 1 Howe's History of Ohio,Vol. I, page 10S. Ohio Cultivator, 1856. 
 
 I99 
 
Agncul- was done by this college for a few years in 
 tural . , . J c . h . / . 
 
 Educa- teacnm g some of the sciences relating to 
 
 Hon agriculture, it was only very slight, and no 
 
 technical agriculture was ever taught. 
 
 In 1862 Congress passed an act provid- 
 ing a " grant of 50,000 acres of land, or 
 land scrip, to each state and territory for 
 each of its senators and representatives in 
 Congress and entitled it under the census of 
 i860, for the endowment and support of at 
 least one college, where the leading object 
 should be, without excluding other scien- 
 tific and classical studies and including 
 military tactics, to teach such branches of 
 learning as are related to agriculture and 
 the mechanic arts, in such manner as the 
 legislature of the state might respec- 
 tively prescribe, in order to promote the 
 liberal and practical education of the indus- 
 trial classes in the several pursuits and pro- 
 fessions of life." The state of Ohio became 
 entitled under this act to 629,920 acres. 
 The Ohio State Board of Agriculture and 
 many of the leading citizens of the state 
 promptly sought to secure for the state of 
 Ohio the benefits of the donation. In July, 
 1864, through the efforts of Columbus 
 200 
 
Delano the act providing for the acceptance Agricul- 
 of the land scrip passed. It was not until j?rf uca _ 
 1870, however, that a law was passed totion 
 establish such a college and 1873 before it 
 was ready for students. 
 
 In 1890 Senator Morrill introduced and 
 secured the passage of the act whereby an 
 annual appropriation out of the proceeds 
 of the public lands was made to each state 
 for the further endowment of the agricul- 
 tural colleges, made possible by the act of 
 1862. In 1870 the legislature passed a law 
 for the establishment of an agricultural 
 college, a board of trustees was appointed, 
 a farm purchased, buildings erected and a 
 faculty chosen. The new college was 
 located at Columbus, Ohio, and was named 
 the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical Col- 
 lege. In May, 1878, the General Assembly 
 changed the name to Ohio State Univer- 
 sity, "probably thinking that the new 
 name better expressed the character of the 
 institution having so many departments." 
 Since 1892 the tide has strongly turned in 
 favor of agricultural education and a won- 
 derful development has resulted. The 
 College of Agriculture and Domestic Sci- 
 
 201 
 
Agriatl- ence f the Ohio State University has 
 Educa- increased in enrollment from thirty-one to 
 turn one hundred and sixty-one students in the 
 
 last six years of its existence. Townshend 
 Hall, a memorial to the public services and 
 work of Dr. N. S. Townshend in advanc- 
 ing the cause of agricultural education, 
 was dedicated January 12, 1898, for the 
 use of agricultural education in the state. 
 It was completed at a cost of $115,000 and 
 is the finest building devoted to agricultural 
 instruction in the world. 
 
 Agricultural education is a new idea but 
 in full harmony with the fundamental prin- 
 ciples of civilization and the elevation of 
 the laboring class. The nations of antiquity 
 built their civilization upon the degradation 
 of labor, but we are building ours upon its 
 exaltation. The farmers of Ohio can con- 
 gratulate themselves upon the abundant 
 and generous opportunity for the education 
 of their children. In the training in agri- 
 culture at the Ohio State University the 
 student " studies the soil, is taught to ana- 
 lyze the soil ; studies its physical proper- 
 ties, finds the number and size of the grains 
 in the soil. He finds from this study that 
 202 
 
the exterior surfaces of the minute particles Agricul- 
 in a cubic foot of soil may equal three ^ uca . 
 acres, and that soils differ largely in this tion 
 particular, and the power of crop produc- 
 tion depends in a measure upon this fact. 
 He finds for himself that an important dif- 
 ference between the soil and the rock is the 
 fact that the rock is solid and that one half 
 the space in the soil may be unoccupied by 
 soil particles. The student is taught the 
 use of fertilizers and how to calculate their 
 value. Is taught the manner and methods 
 of drainage and irrigation, and of tillage, 
 and of the effect and use of various farm 
 implements upon such processes. The 
 history, use, and culture, climate and soil, 
 adaptation, harvesting and marketing vari- 
 ous varieties of farm crops, are carefully 
 studied. Kinds, care, and management of 
 livestock are taught. The student is taught 
 the characteristics that each class of ani- 
 mals should possess for special purposes ; 
 and by means of score cards the students 
 are taught to judge the various classes of 
 livestock. The student is taught the prin- 
 ciples of breeding and mating animals, and 
 is taught to understand and properly inter- 
 
 203 
 
Agricul- pret pedigrees. He is taught the principles 
 Ednca- °^ feeding and how to calculate feeding 
 Hon rations which will bring the best results 
 
 with the foods at hand and for the purpose 
 used. Butter and cheese making and test- 
 ing, and pasteurizing of milk are most 
 thoroughly taught with ample facilities and 
 expert instructors. Six thousand feet of 
 floor space are devoted to the machinery 
 and apparatus for this purpose in Towns- 
 hend Hall. No handsomer suite of rooms 
 can be found anywhere in America for this 
 purpose than are found in this building. 
 Fruit growing and vegetable raising and 
 greenhouse work are thoroughly taught. 
 In addition to the large gardens, lettuce, 
 radishes, and tomatoes, and other vegeta- 
 bles are raised by sub-irrigation, under 
 glass. Grafting, budding, cross-fertilizing, 
 trimming, and other technical work of the 
 horticulturist, the student is taught to do. 
 Both forestry and floriculture are given 
 special study. Diseases of animals, dis- 
 eases of plants, insect enemies and insect 
 friends receive proper attention ; and meth- 
 ods of treating diseases and combating in- 
 sect enemies by spraying and otherwise, 
 204 
 
are amply taught. The skill which stu-4£™^- 
 dents acquire in the forge shop and in the^^^_ 
 carpenter shop, working but six hours -portion 
 week for ten weeks, is truly remarkable." 
 
 The above gives a meagre idea of the 
 work now being done by this institution in 
 the way of educating the boys and girls for 
 life on the farm. 
 
 EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 In June, 1882, a bill was passed by the 
 general assembly of Ohio for the establish- 
 ment of an Ohio Agricultural Experiment 
 Station, " for the benefit of the interests of 
 practical and scientific agriculture, and for 
 the development of the vast agricultural 
 resources of the state," through the efforts 
 of Col. J. H. Brigham, then a member of 
 the general assembly, in response to the 
 demand made by the intelligent farmers of 
 the state for such enactment. A few days 
 after the bill was passed Governor Charles 
 Foster, in accordance with its provisions, 
 appointed W. I. Chamberlain, Nicholas 
 Ohmer, and Emmet Mix, the three mem- 
 bers of the board of control. These mem- 
 bers of the board of control were called 
 
 205. 
 
Agricul- 
 tural 
 Educa- 
 tion 
 
 together April 25th, and effected an organ- 
 ization by the election of the proper officers, 
 and the appointment of Professor Lazenby 
 as director. The trustees of the Ohio State 
 University having offered the free use of as 
 much land as might be needed for field ex- 
 periments, the ijse of laboratories, appara- 
 tus, collections, implements, etc., necessary 
 to carry on the appropriate work, the station 
 was located at the university. Afterward 
 the board selected the remaining members 
 for the station staff which, completed, was 
 as follows : Professor W. R. Lazenby, 
 director; Professor N. W. Lord, chemist; 
 Professor W. S. Devol, botanist; and Pro- 
 fessor W. B. Alwood, superintendent of 
 field experiments. 
 
 The first annual report was made in 1882, 
 which gave a full account of the work that 
 was begun and completed in that year. 
 The director also stated that the station was 
 " prepared to test varieties ; to analyze and 
 test fertilizers and manures, soils, water, 
 milks, and cattle food ; to examine seeds 
 that are suspected of being unsound or 
 adulterated ; to identify and name weeds 
 and other plants ; to investigate and de- 
 206 
 
scribe when known the habits of injurious Agricul- 
 and beneficial insects, and other work of & g^uca- 
 similar character that properly comes within taw 
 its province." 
 
 The appropriations made by the state in 
 the early history of the station were limited, 
 and the work of the station was for a time 
 miserably restricted. But the liberal ap- 
 propriations of Congress, which became 
 available in 1888, put new life in the work, 
 and a period of rapid progress resulted. 
 During the year 1892 the station was moved 
 to Wayne county, Ohio, where a large farm 
 was purchased, more of the typical type of 
 farm lands in Ohio than that afforded by 
 the lands of the Ohio State University. 
 Since its removal to Wooster, Ohio, the fol- 
 lowing buildings have been erected for the 
 use of the station : administration building, 
 three barns and a power house, tool house, 
 and a dairy house with equipments. The 
 station is now pleasantly located and equip- 
 ped, and though at first handicapped on 
 account of poor equipment and scarcity of 
 workers, it is now doing a grade of experi- 
 mental work of the highest and most skill- 
 ful type. It is demonstrating for Ohio that 
 
 207 
 
Agricul- a rational system of agriculture is possible, 
 Educa- anc ^ ^at ^ ^ as * ts foundation in science, 
 tion illustrating that "success in farming de- 
 
 pends more upon skill and intelligence than 
 upon muscle and ignorance." 
 
 farmers' institutes 
 
 Another factor that has contributed im- 
 mensely to the education of the farmers of 
 Ohio has been the development of the insti- 
 tute idea, as suggested and formulated by 
 Dr. W. I. Chamberlain, in 1880, while 
 secretary of the State Board of Agriculture. 
 Secretary Chamberlain's plan, published in 
 the annual agricultural report for 1880, gave 
 a detailed plan of this institute work. The 
 only difference between the plan first sug- 
 gested and our present system is "that at 
 the first Ohio institutes, all local expenses 
 were paid by the local organization which 
 invited the institute to be held in any given 
 county. The original plan was that the 
 board advertise its willingness to send two 
 competent, practical speakers, scientists or 
 specialists, for two days and one evening 
 to any county whose citizens would guar- 
 antee five things : first, a good, capacious 
 208 
 
hall, well lighted and warmed; second, Agricul- 
 good music; third, cordial help of local ^ uca . 
 talent in presenting papers and joining in tion 
 discussions ; fourth, local advertising and 
 booming enough to call out a good atten- 
 dance ; fifth, the payment of all local 
 expenses including the hotel bills of foreign 
 or state speakers." 
 
 This plan was put into operation after 
 the board had appropriated $1,000 of the 
 surplus state fair earnings, for the expenses 
 of the winter's institutes. Messrs. T. B. 
 Terry, of Hudson, Ohio, and John Gould, 
 of Aurora Station, were selected by the 
 secretary as the principal speakers. Besides 
 these two men several professors of the 
 Ohio State University assisted in the work. 
 Between forty and fifty institutes were held 
 that winter and so successful were these 
 county institutes (the first county institute 
 ever held in the United States), that the 
 legislature promptly added about $5,000 
 per year to the appropriation formerly 
 made to the board. In 1890 the legislature 
 made another appropriation, this time in 
 the form of a tax, per capita, for each 
 county, amounting to about $14,000 a year. 
 
 209 
 
Agricul- All the expenses, both local and state, are 
 
 Educa- P a ^ out °f tn * s sum - 
 
 Hon This plan of education has been quite 
 
 popular and successful. While the expense 
 is but a minimum the good that has resulted 
 is enormous. Not only agriculture but 
 every industry has been benefited, and not 
 only the farmers have received instruction, 
 entertainment, and culture but all peo- 
 ple, irrespective of class, trade, or pro- 
 fession. 
 
 All these elements and factors and con- 
 ditions have helped to ameliorate the 
 condition of the people of the state, in a 
 material way as well as having better taught 
 them for what and how to live. As we 
 look back over the century just closing we 
 see three characters that have stood out as 
 mighty exponents in the succession of time, 
 for the advancement of agriculture and the 
 amelioration of its people, — Trimble, Klip- 
 part, Townshend. The halo of their 
 greatness encircles their immortal brows 
 to-day, and our agricultural people raise 
 their voices in glorious praise. No plumes 
 were attached to their hats, no swords hung 
 from their belts, but with minds bent on 
 
 210 
 
material and individual progress and with Agricul- 
 souls kindled with the fire of love, that^^. 
 their people might be bettered, that their Hon 
 profession might be enlarged and advanced, 
 and that their sons and daughters might 
 enjoy education in the fullest extent, they 
 directed their efforts and their lives. The 
 first died without seeing an agricultural 
 college realized, the fond hope of his life ; 
 and the last, the star of its existence, tried 
 the experiment himself and saw it success- 
 ful ; and then laid down under the cares 
 of his years, and quietly went to sleep 
 knowing that a better day for agriculture 
 had come. 
 
 With the agricultural tastes of these men, 
 life was not like the frivolous mountain 
 stream dashing its dizzy head against rock 
 and root and leaving but a fleck of foam 
 to mark its track, but with them life was 
 something solemn — a deep, broad river, 
 bearing on its mighty bosom an argosy of 
 golden treasures, the hearts that their 
 efforts have lightened and the lives that 
 their good deeds have blessed. 
 
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PROFESSOR BURKETT'S OPINION 
 
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 New Hampshire Agricultural College, 
 
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 For further information in regard to securing or 
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 DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
 
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