Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1900 — The Jasper County Elk Herd. [ARTICLE]

The Jasper County Elk Herd.

: The elk park established by ■ Nelson Morris, the great Chicago 1 packer on his Jasper county ranch, 1 some five years ago, with 13 elks has met with varying fortunes, but is still maintained. The drove flourished eagrtly for a while, and reacLed the number of 23; but some epidemic got among them some time ago, and carried off a large number, The survivors have flourished again however, and the number now in the herd is 20. Of these 7 are spring calves 3 are yearlings, 9 cows and 1 bull. There are 40 acres in the tract, and it is enclosed by an 8 ' wire barbed fence. Jhe elks are fed and cared for in winter, just like cattle The park is locuted about a quarter of a mile north of the Three I railroad, uud is just a mile east of the Newlon county line. It is about three miles west of DeMotte It occupies the site of the old Montgomery Ward club house. The Nelson Morris ranch was the scene of the pioneer sugar beet raising experiment in Indiana. The attempt was first made by Mr. Morris at the request of Uncle Jerry Rusk of Wisconsin, when he was secretary of the agricultural department, at Washington, in President Harrison’s time. The experiments have been carried on with great thoroughness and special pains taken to get the land in the highest possible state of cultivation. But in spite of all that could bo done the experiment is considered a failure on account of the small yield per acre. The beets were full of sugar, but the land was not full of beets. Last year 100 tous were raised, but none were attempted this year. The small yield is thought to be due t" the fact that theie is too much water in the soil there. Cattle raising and feeding is, ofcmrse, the principal business on the ranch, and at present there 1 are 2000 head there.