136 MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY

equipment. He has devoted his energies to general farming, in

which he has been able to secure excellent results through his
kno-wledge and experience and the enthusiasm with which he meets
his problems, and while heis comparatively a newcomer to his pres
ent locality, has already become known as a skilled and "well-in
formed agriculturist. This confidence in his ability was evidenced
recently in his election to thevice-presidency of the Lebanon Farm
ers' club. He is also a member of the local Grange, and in various
other ways keeps abreast of the advances being constantly made in
his vocation. In his political views, Mr. Leaf is liberal, and is not
inclined to allow any party dictate as to his choice of candidates.
He weighs questions carefully before making a decision, but when
any movement has proven itself worthy he gives it his support to
the limit of his ability and resources. In 1905 Mr. Leaf was united
in marriage at Milford, O., to Miss Anna Matlock Shearman, of
Philadelphia, Pa., a daughter of Joseph T. and Anna (Matlock)
Shearman. Two children have been born to this union: Joseph
and Sarah, both of whom reside with their parents, and are attend
ing school^
lustry in the Miami valley there'Ts no better known name than that
of Teaming. One of the most widely distributed of all corns, the
yellow variety bears the name of Learning, and there are a num
ber of authorities who state it as their belief that practically all the
yellow corn grown in the United States today has been developed
from that variety, although actually from 20 to 30 per cent is of
that variety, a fact developed by careful inquiry through the various
agricultural colleges and experiment stations. Three generations,
during a period covering more than ninety years, have followed
this business in Ohio, and it is at present being honorably and suc
cessfully represented in Warren county by Joseph S. Learning, of
Wayne township. Mr. Learning was born in Hamilton county,
O., January 9, 1851, a son of Jacob Spicer and Lydia Ann (Van
Middlesworth) Learning. The family is of English origin, and
was founded in the United States by one Christopher Learning, who
located at Boston in 1670. Later the family moved to Long Island
and subsequently to New Jersey, where its members became prom
inent in provincial history. Christopher Learning, son of the progen
itor, and great-grandfather of Jacob S. Learning, served for twenty
years as a member of the Provincial assembly. His son, also named
Christopher, with his wife, Margaret, migrated to" Hamilton county,
O., from Cape May county, N. J., about the year 1800, and as early
as 1826 Mr. Learning was much better than an average farmer,
and was busily and successfully engaged in the growing of seed
corn. His son, Jacob Spicer Teaming, the elder, was born near
Madisonville, now a suburb of Cincinnati, in Hamilton county,
April 2, 1815, and in his youth, when not attending district school,
was acquiring knowledge of the corn business through the wielding
of a hoe in the Langdonbottoms, alongthe Little Miami river. He
continued to work in association with his father and brothers, and
the family soon began to secure recognition and reputation by rea-
.son of the superior quality of their corn, brought about by pro-
WARREN COUNTYBIOGRAPHICAL I37
gressive methods and intelligent study of conditions. March 1
1839, Jacob S. Leaming was married to Lydia Ann Van Middles-
worth, and to this union there was born seven sons and two daugh
ters. In 1856 Mr. Leaming moved to Clinton county, where he
bought a farm about two miles from Wilmington, and during the'
nearly thirty years that he lived thereon became famed all over
tne countryside for his accomplishments in the way of corn develop
ment and culture. In 1884 he moved to Wilmington, where his
death occurred May 12, 1885. His ideas of corn culture were doubt
less to a considerable extent an inheritance from Christopher Leara-
ing, and the typedeveloped since 1856 very likely corresponds close
ly to the type desired by him. There is thus a continuity of ideas
reachingback to 1826, or perhaps earlier. About 1870,
Mr. Leaming began advertising his seed corn and soon developed
a nourishing seed business, which has been continued by his
Learning, at Wilmington, O., and J. S. Leaming, jr.,
at Wa.ynesville. Mr. Leaming was the father of drilled com, one
gram in a place, twelve to fourteen inches apart, in rows four feet
apart being his rule. To summarize some of the things that Mr.
Leaming did that agricultural investigators have at one time or
another since given the stamp of scientific approval: He had in
mmd a type and by continuous selection, he fixed it; he influenced
the maturity of his corn by field selection of the early maturing
ears; in selecting his seed corn he considered the whole plant and
Its surroundings; he avoided unfavorable heredity influences by
eliminating the undesirable parents; he gave good care to his seed
corn, he believed that corn that produced well under adverse con
ditions was likely to produce seed that would succeed best under
good conditions; he planted corn in shallow drills, cultivated it '
frequently and continued the cultivation late in the season; he
established a short rotation of corn, wheat and clover; he believed
inthe value ofred clover asa manure crop; he secured larger yields
cf gram fmm planting in drills than in hills. His methods in plant
ing, in cultivating, in seed selection and in harvestng his corn crop
leave httle to be desired. Expanded and developed, the practice of
the Llinton county farmer of sixtyyears ago would make an up-to-
date book on com cultiire. In 1878 his seed corn was awarded a
medal at the Pans exposition. Joseph Spicer Leaming, theyounger,
was reared on his father's farm in Clinton county. He was given a
public school education, and when still a lad began to learn the
science of corn cultivation under the wise and capable preceptor-
ship of his father. He continued his successful operations in Clin
ton county until 1903, in which year he came to Warren county and '
located m Wayne township, establishing himself as a grower of
h'S business headquarters for the sale of his product
at Waynesville In addition, he is a large feeder of Hampshire
hogs and a breeder of Belgian horses, and his eighty-one-acre farm
is a model of up-to-date improvement and twentieth century prog
ress. Mr. Learning s reputation in business circles of Warren county
^ an excellent one, and as a citizen he is also held in high esteem,
i ^ if ^^^P^blican, and he and the members of his family belong
to the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Leaming was married
1
138
MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY
Miss Mary Powers, daughter of Allen o
OV.ttenhouse) Powe| the fo^er f native of Clinton'couX
O., and the latter of West Virginia, and to this union there have
l^tTn^'iress'^thXitlalS/- ^
7 pj'o^oted the best interests of the community
This honored veteran of the Civil war has been a resident o^ Wa?-
ren county all of his hfe, with the exception of the period of his
7'^^' Franklin community near
Lefe^eT^T^eT.t'b 7^'/ Pavis)
fW ' 7 ' father was born in Maryland, and at an early date
while thrmo^th parents to Warren county.
W.iL mother was born mPennsylvania, and was a resident of
R Tpf^ from girlhood. The boyhood and youth of William
Hn an^H^T I "^ar Frank- hn, and his advantages were few. He was, however, determined
after h7hTd^l7r7'T'fb"^ 7^^ acquired in the country schools
DOssible hv h f 7 twenty-one years, and was made
found Mm Saturdays for his board. The Civil war
hp P him pos^ssed of patriotism and ardor, and August 31 1861 he enl.sted mCompany B, 2d re^ment, O. V. I., whic^h o^'aniza-
firTaTwe"t"V!be^ir^''^rir" ^^-^erwent his'bapt^^m of
enp-ag-emeni-t; wi>h 7' ^'' which he took part in many
engagement with his regiment, includ ng Pikestown Kv Bridtre
?o Ky ; Stone River, Tenn.; ChTckamauga cf
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, Tenn.,- and Ringgold'
?ree Cre'ef?a' Face^Ridge, R^saca and Ifach
IR^ , A received his honorable discharge October 10
ffit^^ecofdTs^""u-'' regiment at Camp Chase, O.
fa thM dLhaLe t'd' 1" one, both for bravery and
^ I he again took up civilian life it
abi it!;^" odLhat^ ^ppreciadon of resp^onsibilities'and / added
TVT,-c= Q iTt c t- married January 17, 1866 to
J^"^Schoby daughter of Charles and Matilda (Gil'les-
?en coS^O \nd?'7^War-
Tnh r77 to this union there were born seven children-
of F^aS^n'^WlHam Crl^'d^' 7^'' ^^tti
of Edward KnM if and Mary Anna, who is the wife
his ac^Mtie? Mffrm^ 5"^"- Lefever has always centered
well rnU' f 7 ^-Hd IS now the owner of a valuable and
tad'e bv hfa^ improvements on which have been
years gii^t ^'i" .active, in spite of his eighty
of clean an<f healthf'^f r" mind and active body of a life
in his younger yea/s wrs"a^;- RepubHcan, a^d
affairs, having served Z l meZh/ Z 'r'=^i g-overnment
and as township supervisor for several school directors
Sm^r O? hrd'for^heir'bjeT'^L^'bl-
line" and has ShlT"th? / educational, religious and civic lines, and has gamed the good will and respect of his fellow-