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The Farming Interest

Agriculturally, the township stands high. The farmers, as a rule, are men of intelligence, and of advanced and liberal ideas, who readily adopt the most approved methods of cultivation, and arm themselves in their calling with the best modern implements of husbandry. With those influences acting on a soil which the hand of nature left exceedingly fertile, it is not strange that Farmington has attained the high agricultural rank which she holds among her sister townships.

A marked characteristic is the great number of fine springs in nearly every part of the town, which are invaluable for stock and dairy purposes. Perhaps the most remarkable of these is at the house of Mr. Francis, on the gravel road, about a quarter of a mile east of the Novi line. Here, in excavating his cellar, there was struck, at the depth of a few feet from the surface, a spring of cold, clear water, with a rapid flow, and the sufficient volume to fill a pipe four inches in diameter, forming a rivulet which ripples along by the roadside, till it falls into the larger stream at the foot of the hill. Such a location as this could not be surpassed in its capabilities for the extensive manufacture of butter or cheese. A factory of either kind, and of the largest class, could here be more than supplied with the requisite cooling facilities.

Of butter, there is no manufacture in Farmington, except by hand-process, at the farm dairies; but of cheese-factories there are several in the township, namely:

The Spring Brook cheese-factory, owned by a company of ten stockholders, is located a mile west of North Farmington post- office, and a quarter of a mile south of the line of West Bloomfield.

The South Farmington cheese-factory is one mile south and half a mile west from Farmington village, its site being on land now or formerly owned by J. Walton. This is the oldest factory in the township.

The Silver Creek cheese-factory is located two miles east and one mile north of Farmington village, nearly opposite the farm- house of Mr. David Smith.

The cheese-factory of A. D. Power is located near the southwest corner of the township, and is doing a large business. The manufacturing season at these establishments is from April to the last of November.