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- ROCK COUNTY.
- This is one of the oldest and best
agricultural counties in the state. The first
- settlements were made in it in 1835,
and now nearly the whole country is occupied and improved by
actual settlers. The surface is very regular and even. There
is very little rough or broken land in the county, or scarcely
an acre which cannot be used for farming purposes. Of the twenty
townships contained in the county, about 60 per cent. is prairie,
20 per cent. hard wood timber, and 20 per cent. openings. It
has quite a variety of soils, but all are remarkably productive.
The county seems to be better adapted to grain than grass, yet
raising stock is largely engaged in. The exhibits of blooded
stock at the fairs compare favorably with those of other sections
of the state. Wheat has been the great staple of production,
but of late years corn has taken the lead. All kinds of coarse
grains and vegetables are raised in large quantities. Considerable
attention has been given to the cultivation of fruit, and there
are many thrifty and productive orchards in nearly every part
of the county. Large quantities of butter are made and shipped
to market. The county ranks the fourth in the state in this productive
industry. The crops of 1875, as given by the census, were, wheat,
34,449 acres; oats, 52,239; corn, 71,991; barley, 18,821; rye,
8,158; hops, 57; tobacco, 2,211; total, 181,926 acres. The Rock
and Sugar rivers with their tributaries flow through the county,
furnishing an abundance of water for agricultural and manufactoring
purposes. Rock river is one of the best mill streams in the state,
and it furnishes motive power for a large manufacturing interest
at Janesville, Monterey and Beloit. In the value of manufactured
products the county stands the third in the state. At Janesville,
there is the most extensive cotton manufactory in the northwest,
where four hundred looms turn out thousands of yards of excellent
cloth weekly. The educational advantages of the county are superior;
good high schools are located in many of the towns; two colleges,
one at Beloit, another at Milton, rank high among institutions
of learning. There are also a number of good seminaries in flourishing
condition. Population, 39,039; 30,719 natives of this country
and 8,320 foreigners. Of these, 2,871 are Irish; 1,884 English,
Scotch and Welsh; 1,480 Swedes and Norwegians; 1,142 Germans;
755 Canadians; and 188 of other nationalities. Number of schools,
176; children of school age, 13,931.
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