CLINTON COUNTY.

SEC.'S OFFICE, CLINTON CO. AG'L SOCIETY,

Essex, May 30th, 1857.

J. C. HOLMES, Esq., Sec'y Mich. State Agricultural Society:

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Herewith I present the annual report of the Clinton County Agricultural and Horticultural Society. As it is the first full report ever sent from our Society since its organization, I ask leave to present it in the following order:

First-A general history of the county, as regards its agricultural capabilities, &c.

Second-The Constitution and an abstract of the proceedings of the Society from the first period of its organization, in the spring of 1853, to January, 1856.

Third-A full report for 1856.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

Yours, truly,

N. S. HAMMOND,

Recording Secretary, Clinton Co. Ag. Society.

Clinton county being located in that portion of our State that is drained by Grand River and its tributaries, can therefore claim a large share of the praise that is justly awarded to the Grand River Valley.

Clinton County is in the fourth tier of counties from the south lice of the State, and is joined on the south by Ingham and Eaton, on the west by Ionia, north by Gratiot, and east by Shiawassee county. Wo have sixteen townships of land, the most of which is probably unsurpassed in fertility by any portion of Michigan.

As I shall give a general outline, and describe only the principal features of the county, I commence by dividing the soil into two grand divisions, under the terms of Timbered Lands, and Oak Lands, or oak openings, as they are commonly called. These two divisions can again be subdivided, the timbered lands into four, and the oak lands into five classes.

The county is drained and watered by numerous streams and rills of excellent water that are tributary to the Looking Glass river in the southern part of the county, and the Maple in the north portion, while Stony Creek occupies the center, and joins the Maple in Ionia county, a short distance above the village of Lyons. In addition to this, water of the best quality can be obtained in any part of the county by sinking wells to the depth of from six to forty feet; it is, however, rare that we have to dig to the last mentioned depth; eighteen feet is about the average, and as a general rule, hard water. There are a few springs of soft water, also a number of ponds and small lakes, not impregnated with lime.

The general aspect of Clinton county is of a pleasing character, neither level nor hilly, but still rolling enough for all agricultural purposes. The soil is all of a calcareous nature, especially good for wheat.

But I am digressing. As before stated, I will divide the lands into two grand divisions, and describe the timbered lands as

DIVISION NO. I.

This division constitutes by far the major portion of the county. The soil is of every variety of character, from a rich black sandy mold, intermixed with gravel, to a heavy clay, and the timber consisting of a gigantic growth of oak, elm, maple, ash, basswood or linden, beech, &c., with an undergrowth of ironwood or hornbeam, witch-hazle, boxwood, and a great variety of small shrubs and trees.

I will now take the different classes composing this division and describe the general distinctive qualities of each, together with the varieties of timber commonly found on them.

CLASS 1-A rich, black, sandy mold, intermingled with gravel, often a slight proportion of clay in the subsoil. Timber-sugar maple, six varieties of oak, white ash, red and white beech, blue ash, black walnut, butternut, black cherry, rock and red elm, basswood or linden, with an undergrowth of ironwood, box-wood, and small trees of the same kind

as the large timber. On this division, rock or sugar maple, basswood, elm and oak predominate, and indicate the best of soils, good for anything that grows in this climate. Often we find ridges where a heavy growth of red beech and white oak are the prevailing varieties of wood met with; this generally indicates the absence of clay and is a quality of soil very desirable.

CLASS 2-Contains most of the above named kinds of timber, excepting the walnut and butternut. Here, rock maple and white beech predominate, showing a soil containing more clay than Class 1; often, and indeed it is usually the case, the clay does not appear on the surface, and it has the appearance of sandy land, but an examination of the subsoil will detect clay, in nine cases out of ten, within eighteen inches of the surface. This variety of soil will make good farms.

CLASS 3-Is more on the clay order than either of the others. This is shown by the timber being composed of large quantities of the laurelleaved oak, and the American water elm, (which does not always indicate a wet soil,) red maple, white beech and hickory, with a sprinkling of all the varieties enumerated excepting black walnut and butternut. On this soil the elm and laurel-leaved oak predominate, especially the latter, which is commonly called swamp burr oak, and the most valuable for rails of any of the oak genus.

This kind of soil makes excellent grazing farms, and, generally, good grain farms. Its capacity for enduring a protracted drouth is not as good as that of a more sandy nature.

CLASS 4-Consists of the rich tracts of alluvial formation, extending along the margins of the streams, called bottom lands, and will in time be among our most valuable lands, particularly for meadows, and often it is high enough for corn and wheat growing. The quality of the soil is generally as follows: A black, sandy mold, often slightly intermixed with red and white clay, on a subsoil of gravel. As for the timber, every variety I have mentioned, can be found on the bottom lands of Clinton county, besides many others not enumerated.

I have now given a general view of the principal points of character of the timbered lands of Clinton county, and will now proceed to

DIVISION NO. II.-OAK LANDS.

CLASS 1-Plains and Prairie.-There is but a small portion of land of this character in the county, and the principal part of this is in the