our society depends upon some means to be devised to remove the indebtedness of the society, and provide adequate means for meeting the current expenses by a change in terms of admission, etc.

There was but one application for premium on field crops, viz., on corn, which showed a yield of one hundred bushels per acre.

Considerable attention is given in Delaware county to the rearing of thoroughbred stock, including mainly Norman and Clydesdale horses, Shorthorn cattle, and Merino sheep.

Probably in few counties in the State has greater attention been given to improvement in tillage by means of draining.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY.

The following table contains a statement of the principal crops raised in this county, an estimate of the amount of each, and of the average yield per acre:

Corn,

65,000 acres; am't, 3,000,000 bushels; average per acre, 46 bushels.

It is also estimated that 600 acres of clover was plowed under for manure. I have no statements concerning premium crops, as no entries were made for the premiums offered on crops. Our farmers seem to dread the trouble of procuring the necessary affidavits. During the last season considerable damage was done to the corn crop in the northern part of the county, by a very severe hail storm. In the month of August the corn and late potatoes suffered from drouth. This county has been comparatively free from destructive insects, the potato bug and chinch bug doing but little damage to crops. The wheat crop was excellent, some fields yielding thirty bushels per acre; harvest dry and early, and crop well cured. Taking it as a whole, the season of 1878 was more favorable to the farmer than any summer during the last ten years.

The Fairfield County Agricultural Society has 350 members. Its directors are energetic and harmonious in their efforts for the success of the fair, and are earnestly supported by the citizens of Fairfield and adjoining counties. The best indication of our present condition and future prosperity is the cash surplus of $2,800.

FRANKLIN COUNTY.

The hay crop of 1878, both in quantity and quality, was extra. The wheat, corn, and oat crops have been more than an average in quantity and quality. Fruit was abundant, but not of a very good quality. Our potato crop falls short of that of last year, owing to the unfavorable season and the Colorado bug. Our farmers are paying a great deal of attention to the raising of fine stock of all kinds, but have suffered considerably from hog cholera.

Underdraining has received a great deal of attention from our farmers throughout the whole county during the past year, with the most favorable results, in many cases changing third rate to first rate land. Great attention has been paid to gardening in this county; all kinds of vegetables have been abundant except cabbage, which was greatly damaged by worms.

FULTON COUNTY.

The principal crops raised in our county are wheat, corn, oats, and grass, or hay. The wheat crop of 1878 was above an average. The fly injured some pieces badly, especially the early, sowed on sand land. The greatest yield per acre reported was 41 bushels; from 30 to 36 bushels was not an uncommon yield last harvest. The corn crop of 1878 was injured by the wet weather about hoeing or planting time; however, there were some extra good yields of corn. One man reports 100 bushels shelled corn per acre. Oa's was a full crop. Hay, a good crop this year, and well harvested. Potato crop

far below an average, owing to wet and drouth. The potato beetle did but little damage. The apple crop was simply immense, and of superior quality.

The Tri-State Fair being held so close to our county, detracts greatly from the interest usually taken in our county society or fair, especially in the revenue. Our society owns the ground, and have very good buildings, now, except horse stabling. The buildings erected are durable and convenient. One item not usually found at county fairs, is the convenient arrangement for loading and unloading hogs and sheep. There is a hall between the hog and sheep pens. They are unloaded at the end of the hall; the door of the pen to be occupied when opened closes the hall, so they are easily driven to their places, and can be driven into the wagon again without inconvenience. Our board are making every effort to keep up an interest in the welfare of our society. We can soon greatly increase the premiums, as our buildings will be all that is necessary. The show of horses, cattle, hogs, and sheep was good-some extra good animals exhibited at our last fair.

GREENE COUNTY.

There were no crops entered for premiums at the last fair, consequently no awards. The acreage of wheat in the county was, 30,011, number of bushels produced, 501,482; number of acres, rye, 860, number bushels, 10,565; number of acres, oats, 4,338, number bushels, 133,688; number of acres, barley, 859, number bushels, 28,081; number of acres, corn, 58,368, number bushels, 2,210,998; number of acres, meadow, 11,178, number tons, bay, 14,903; number of acres, flax, 1,697, number bushels, 23, 157; number of acres, potatoes, 1,081, number bushels, 82,564; number of bushels, apples, 56,606; number of pounds, butter, 444,178.

The above are some of the principal crops; the season was fairly good, and crops not damaged by insects to any extent. The general condition of our society is good.

GUERNSEY COUNTY.

The general feeling among our farmers was, that what was worth doing was worth doing well; that what a man sows, that shall he also reap; that good seed was the first important thing; that the ground should be put in good condition, and that it should be harrowed well, particularly for wheat, also that wheat ought to be put in the ground a

good depth; and some of our farmers say they would not put wheat in any other way but with the drill.

Some of our competitors say, in regard to potatoes, that if you want to raise small potatoes, use seed of the same kind; say they have experimented on the subject—that if you have any kind of good ground, and plant large potatoes, you will seldom find any small ones to dig. This, I think rather a novel idea, and for the benefit of mankind in general, I think it deserves more than a passing notice in this report-only wishing that this may be one of the means of ridding our markets of small potatoes. I believe this is about all the statements made by competitors.

Our society was organized August the 7th, 1878, by electing the following officers and board of directors: J. W. Moore, President, A. P. Frame, Vice President, V. D. Craig, Secretary, and Wm. McVey, Treasurer. The Board of Directors are, S. S. Linn, Dr. F. Rea, Wm. Hamilton, Miller McCollum, W. M. Cunningham, E. M. Creighton, Seth Michener, John Kester, John B. Laughlin, M. N. Umstot, W. N. Cowden, and S. B. Lawrence. We have adopted a constitution and by laws agreeable to your rules and regulations, and we have now one hundred and eighty-one members, being residents of all parts of the county. A good feeling seems to prevail, and all are very much encouraged over the success of our first fair, as we have paid all our premiums in full, and have some funds still in our treasury.

The Board of Directors, from their past experience, think they can make quite an improvement, and have no doubt that by the time they hold their next fair that there will be a larger and better show of all kinds of products.

The principal crops raised in the county are corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes.

The corn crop is a little below the average, as there was quite a difference in the rainfall in different parts of the county.

The wheat crop was above the average, and from all accounts I suppose there was more wheat raised in Guernsey this year than there has been for the past three years, although in the north-east part of the county hail destroyed quite a number of acres. The fly also injured some wheat; but from what I can learn did not do much damage. The general varieties of wheat sown are the Clawson, German Amber, and the Indiana Swamp. A great many of our farmers think that the German Amber is the wheat. They claim for it, the straw is strong, that it yields more to the acre, and that it makes better flour.

The cats crop was above the average, although I hear some complain of light oats. The potato crop was below the average. The early potatoes were good; but on account of having but very little rain, the late potatoes were almost a failure.

The show of stock was good. The horse department was well filled, except in the speed ring. This can be accounted for in this manner. Our board determined on the start that we would have a county fair, and not a horse fair; and, consequently did not offer large premiums for speed, but made our premiums larger in other departments, which brought out quite a large competition, and most of our patrons seemed to be well pleased with the change, as well as the Board of Directors, and are still of the same opinion, and we can see no good reason to depart from our first attempt. In the cattle department the Durhams seemed to be the choice; while in the swine department the Berkshires took the lead.

HAMILTON COUNTY.

The principal crops are corn and potatoes, although oats and wheat are raised in considerable quantities. Within a radius of ten miles of Cincinnati a large portion of the farming is de voted to gardening, fruit-raising, and to the dairy.

I have no means of finding out the number of acres of the different crops and the average per acre. The Auditor of our county says he has made but one copy of the total amounts, and that has been sent to the Auditor of the State. I think from my own observation, corn will average forty-five bushels to the acre; oats, thirty-five bushels; potatoes, eighty bushels; wheat, twenty bushels. We had a very favorable season for the growth of all kinds of crops. Rust injured the wheat to some extent. The only destructive insect we have in this county is the Colorado potato bug, and it does very little injury, owing to the fact that it is easily destroyed by the use of Paris green.

The agricultural society is in a good condition-better than for some years past, and is doing a great good by awakening more interest in the raising of better crops and finer stock. No field crops by the acre were entered for premiums at our last fair.

HANCOCK COUNTY.

Our twenty-seventh exhibition was held the first week in October, 1878, commencing on Wednesday and closing the following Saturday, during which time the weather was all that could be desired, except on Saturday, which was cold and wet; and although the attendance was not what we expected, yet it was very fair.

As usual the exhibition was well attended, and the articles exhibited were of a superior quality. The stock exhibition was very fine, but the exhibition of swine and sheep did not, in numbers, come up to that of last year. The grain and seed department was full, and of good quality. Fruits were abundant. The show of vegetables was not quite so good as that of some former years. Agricultural implements were in abundance. In fact the entire exhibition was one of which any county may well feel proud.

When we remember that but little more than one-half the acreage of the county (135,939 acres) is under cultivation, and much of that only newly cleared, and, of course, much less productive than older lands, we may well be astonished at our immense crops, and the value of our live stock. In 1877 there were produced in the county wheat, oats, and corn (the three principal crops); grain of the value of $2,268,786; and the crop of 1878 will far exceed that. The value of horses, cattle, mules, sheep, and swine, as returned by the assessors, $936,963.

But the increase in numbers of bushels of grain and heads of live stock is not the only advancement we have made. The quality has more than kept pace with the quantity, and now we can boast of some as fine stock as any county in the north-west, if not in the whole State.

The number of entries at our last fair was about fifteen hundred. Altogether we congratulate ourselves on the success of the exhibition, the receipts of which enabled us to pay all expenses, and make a reduction in our indebtedness.

HARDIN COUNTY.

The receipts of our society for the present year were slightly in excess of expenditures, thus proving that by careful management the society may be assured of permanent success financially. From rather imperfect information, but reliable as it goes, I am informed that the wheat crop of 1878 will amount to over 175,000 bushels, with an average of at least twenty-nine bushels to the acre; corn, 1,400,000 bushels, with an average of fifty five bushels to the acre; oats, at least 200,000 bushels, with an average

of twenty-six bushels to the acre; grass, 15,000 tons. Our crop of potatoes not so good in quality, but equal in yield of former years. The farmers have experienced but little trouble, if any, from destructive insects, and, on the whole, may congratulate themselves on having one of the premium counties of the State.

HARRISON COUNTY.

The Harrison County Agricultural Society held its thirty-first annual fair at Cadiz, Ohio, September 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th, A.D. 1878. Our fair continued four days, the first of which was devoted to making entries of articles and stock, to be put on exhibition, arranging them in their proper places, etc. The weather was all that could be desired. The attendance on the third and fourth days very good, a full average of former years. Good order prevailed throughout the whole fair, and the general character of the exhibition was highly creditable to the people who attended on that occasion. The different departments were very fairly represented. Some departments probably not so good as could be desired. Cattle a full average with former years. Horses good; all classes represented from the sucking colt to the mature horse. Sheep very good, as it always is. Those on exhibition were principally from flocks in Harrison and counties immediately joining. Farm implements very fairly represented, though not so good as in counties having facilities for the manufacture of those implements. Floral hall was very creditable to our exhibition, and demonstrates one fact very clearly, that the ladies of our town and surrounding country have skill, industry, and a willingness to add to the attractions and usefulness of our county fair. In this department were to be found almost every variety of both plain and fancy needle work, paintings, drawings, photographs, engravings, etc. Then comes the numerous articles of home manufacture, such as bread, cakes, butter, preserves, fruits, sealed fruits, jellies, pickles, etc. Another item that added largely to the attractions of floral hall was the flowers and plants on exhibition. This item we regard as being worthy of special mention; the flowers and plants were of a very superior quality, almost every variety being represented.

In consequence of having held our fair so early in the season, the show of frait was not so good as usual, nor as good as it would have been later in the season, as the fruit crop was abundant.

The principal crops of our county are wheat, corn, oats, hay, and potatoes.

Our wheat crop, harvested in the year 1878, was above an average in quality and yield; say about twenty-five bushels per acre.

Our corn crop was a full average, even after it was damaged in some sections of the county by wind and hail; average, about forty-five bushels per acre.

Oat crop, excellent, yielding an average of forty-five bushels per acre.

Hay, a full average crop.

Potatoes raised in the early part of the season pretty good. Late potatoes almost a failure; not above one third of a crop.

Fruit very abundant and very good; above an average crop.

After paying premiums and expenses in the year 1877, we found ourselves in debt twenty-four hundred dollars. We sold bonds to that amount, the denominations of which were 5's, 10's, 15's, 20's, 25's, 30's, and 50's. These bonds were made to draw four per cent. interest; interest payable annually. It was provided in the bond that ten per cent. of the principal should be paid annually. There was a further provision, however, that no part of the principal nor interest should be paid unless there was a surplus in