CASS COUNTY.

The report for 1854, exhibits the Agricultural Society of Cass county in a flourishing condition. No returns for 1855.

CLINTON COUNTY.

[EXTRACT FROM REPORT OF 1854. ]

The Clinton County Agricultural Society held its annual meeting, for 1854, at Frankfort, on the second Monday in February, as provided in the constitution of the Society, at which meeting the following named gentlemen were elected officers of the Society, to serve for the ensuing year, viz:

Wm. H. Reed, President; Wilson Seawright, Vice President; James Gaster, Treasurer, and C. J. Miller, Secretary.

Meetings of the Board of Directors were held from time to time, to transact such business connected with the interests of the Society as was deemed necessary and proper. An executive committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Gaster, Holcraft and Frazer, and who were directed by the board, among other duties, to procure a suitable and convenient site for a fair ground, and to obtain a lease for the same for the term of five years. The committee succeeded in obtaining a delightful spot of ground adjacent to the town of Frankfort. The same has been inclosed with a permanent and substantial tight-board fence, and, inside of the inclosure, all the necessary sheds, stalls and fixtures, for holding county fairs, have been erected; thus enabling the Society hereafter to apply the funds for several years to the encouragement of the various branches of agriculture and manufactures among our industrious and enterprising citizens.

Our County Fair was held on the 12th and 13th days of October, and although the weather was quite unfavorable, being rainy, the Fair was a decided improvement on the one of the year before.

Indeed it was thought by many who had opportunities to judge, that it was unsurpassed by any county fair in the State of equal advantages, taking all the circumstances into consideration. Great numbers of people from all parts of the county were in attendance, both days, and a most lively interest was manifested for the prosperity of the Society.

Notwithstanding the premiums offered were unavoidably small, owing chiefly to the expenses of fitting up the ground for the Fair, the number of entries was unexpectedly large, especially in the stock line. In fact it did honor to our intelligent farmers, and showed great perseverance and energy, on their part, in their efforts to emulate each other in the improvement of their breeds of stock. The various kinds of articles on exhibition by the ladies was a source of no little praise and gratification. In short, the whole affair more than filled the expectations of the most sanguine of the members.

It affords great pleasure to see such a lively interest taken in the improvement of farms, both for taste and usefulness. It can be safely affirmed that old Clinton bids fair to be one of the first agricultural counties in the State. Her soil is not excelled in natural fertility by any country on earth. Our facilities for transportation are not as good as they might be, but we have a prospect of shortly emerging from difficulties of that nature in the construction of the C., F. K. and Ft. W. Railroad, which passes through the center of the county. It is now in a rapid stage of progression, with some thirty miles of it nearly ready for the iron.

The principal agricultural products of the county are wheat, corn, oats and barley. Owing to the drouth of the last season crops of all kinds were far below the general average. The average of wheat per acre, in a good season, may be safely set down at from 20 to 25 bushels; of corn, from 50 to 60 bushels; of oats, from 25 to 30, and barley 20 to 25 bushels. Some farmers, however, have raised as high as 35 bushels of wheat and 112 of corn per acre.

The old methods of culture are fast giving way to the progressing spirit of the age, and farmers are beginning to heed more what used to be termed, by way of derision, "book farming." And here let me say, that an incalculable amount of good has been done by the

distribution of "Patent Office Reports," among our farmers. I think our members in Congress would accomplish as much for themselves, and more for the country, by distributing more of those valuable "reports" among the intelligent farming classes, by whom they would be read and appreciated, and fewer of them among doctors, lawyers, and court-house incumbents, who generally pay little or no attention to them, but stow them away to mould on their book shelves. It is my opinion that the Patent Office Reports have awakened more interest in proper methods of ditching and manureing lands than all suggestions on farming put together. Hundreds of acres of land are now yearly drained by sinking good, substantial blind ditches; and the result shows that the husbandman is richly remunerated for his labor by the increase of his crops. Increased attention is also being paid to fruit culture. We anticipate a large accession of members to the Society for the present year, and therefore hope to be able to furnish a fuller and more systematic report next year.

Respectfully submitted,

January 2, 1855.

W. H. REED, President.

DAVIESS COUNTY.

[EXTRACT FROM REPORT OF 1854.]

On the 9th day of September, 1854, a general election was held, which resulted in the election of the following officers, viz:

David M. Hixson, President; William S. Turner, Vice President; John T. Veal, Treasurer; R. A. Clement, jr., Secretary; with a board of directors consisting of one from each civil township in the county.

On

There are about ninety members belonging to the Society. the 29th and 30th of September, a second annual Fair of the Society was held, and about one hundred and twenty-five dollars paid out on premiums awarded, besides a number of books, consisting of reports of the State Board of Agriculture.

The Treasurer of the Society not yet having made his report, the undersigned is unable to state the amount of assets in hands belonging to the Society, but from the best information believes the same, before the late fair, would amount to about $150.

The right kind of feeling on the subject of agricultural and mechanical improvement has been awakened in our county, and we anticipate good results.

DAVID M. HIXSON, President.

DEARBORN COUNTY.

[REPORT OF 1854. ]

The third annual Fair of the Dearborn County Agricultural Society was held at the Six-Mile House, in Manchester, on the 20th, 21st, and 22d days of September, 1854. It was not as numerously attended as it was the previous year-owing, it is thought, to the drouth and dust, which rendered traveling extremely disagreeable.

The number of horses, cattle, and sheep on exhibition were fully equal to that of any previous year, and the marked improvement of those entered proves that a portion of our farmers feel a laudable emulation to excel in propagating superior animals of the above classes.

The number of jacks, jennys, mules, and swine, were quite limited in numbers, and were not superior in quality.

The exhibition of poultry was large, and consisted of almost every variety, from the giant Shanghai to the little golden pheasant.

The carriages and buggies were of superior finish, which manifested a skill and efficiency in the manufacturers not surpassed by those of any other county in the State.

The entries of field crops were but few, and no premiums were awarded.

The display of farm implements was meager as usual. We are so near the great manufacturing city of Cincinnati that our farmers

purchase the principal portion of their farming implements there, which is calculated to prevent the mechanics of our own county from engaging in the manufacture of them.

There were some beautiful specimens of the different varieties of fruit, which fully demonstrates that the soil and climate of our county is well adapted to the successful cultivation of all the varieties commonly raised in the middle and western States.

The ladies' department of domestic articles was well furnished, evincing much skill, industry, and taste.

The different varieties of grain raised in this county are wheat, corn, oats, rye, and barley; the two latter are cultivated but to a limited extent. Wheat, rye, barley, and oats, the present year, yielded a full average crop; the three former about 15 bushels and the latter about 35 bushels to the acre.

The corn crop came very near being an entire failure, in consequence of the severe drouth which pervaded this region of country to a most alarming extent. By the most reliable information we have been able to obtain on this subject, the yield on the bottom farms averaged about 25 and the uplands about 12 bushels to the acre; making an average per acre in the county of 18 or 20 bushels-about one-third of an ordinary crop.

The surplus products of our county are sold at Lawrenceburg and Aurora. Wheat is selling for $1.40; corn, 55 cents; rye, 90 cents; barley, $1.12, and oats 40 cents. The hay crop was heavy and was well saved, and it is believed that for quality and quantity it exceeds that of any previous year. It is worth $10 or $12 a tun, in bales, delivered at either of the above named towns.