country, four and a half miles broad from north to south, and extending eastwardly from the Scioto river forty-eight miles. It has the United States XX ranges of military or army lands north, XXII ranges of Congress lands south. In the western borders of this tract is situated the town of Columbus.

French Grant, a tract of 24,000 acres of land, bordering upon the Ohio river, in the south-eastern quarter of Scioto county. It was granted by Congress in March, 1795, to a number of French families, who lost their lands at Gallipolis by invalid titles. Twelve hundred acres, additional, were afterwards granted, adjoining the above mentioned tract at its lower end, toward the mouth of the Little Scioto river.

Dohrman's Grant is one six mile square township of 23,040 acres, granted to Arnold Henry Dohrman, formerly a wealthy Portugese merchant in Lisbon, for and in consideration of his having, during the Revolutionary war, given shelter and aid to the American cruisers and vessels of war. It is located in the south-eastern part of Tuscarawas county. Moravian Lands are three several tracts of 4,000 acres each, originally granted by the old continental Congress in July, 1787, and confirmed by act of Congress of 1st June, 1796, to the Moravian brethren, at Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania, in trust and for the use of the Christianized Indians living thereon. They are laid out in nearly square farms, on the Muskingum river, in what is now Tuscarawas county. They are called by the names of the Shoenbrun, Gnadenhutten and Salem tracts.

Zane's Tracts are three several tracts of one mile square each-one on the Muskingum, which includes the town of Zanesville--one at the cross of the Hocking river, on which the town of Lancaster is laid out, and the third on the left bank of the Scioto river, opposite Chillicothe. They were granted by Congress to one Ebenzer Zane, in May, 1786, on condition that he should open a road through them, from Wheeling, Virginia, to Maysville, in Kentucky.

There are also three other tracts, of one mile square each, granted to Isaac Zane, in the year 1802, in consideration of his having been taken prisoner by the Indians, when a boy, during the Revolutionary war, and living with them most of his life; and having, during that time, performed many acts of kindness and beneficence toward the American people. These tracts are situated in Champaign county, on King's Creek, from three to five miles north-west from Urbana.

The Maumee Land Roads are a body of lands averaging two miles wide, lying along one mile on each side of the road, from the Maumee river, at Perrysburg, to the western limits of the Western Reserve, a distance of about 46 miles, and comprising nearly 60,000 acres. They were originally granted by the Indian owners, at the treaty of Brownstown in 1808, to enable the United States to make a road on the line just mentioned. The General Government never moved into the business until

February, 1823, when Congress passed an act making over the aforesaid lands to the State of Ohio, provided she should, within four years thereafter, make and keep in repair a good road throughout the aforesaid route of 46 miles. This road the State Government has already made, obtained possession and sold most of the land.

Turnpike Lands are forty-nine sections, amounting to 31,360 acres, situated along the western side of the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, in the eastern parts of Seneca, Crawford and Marion counties. They were originally granted by an act of Congress on the 3d of March, 1827, and more specifically by a supplementary act the year following. The considerations for which these lands were granted were that the mail stages and all troops and property of the United States, which should ever be moved and transported along this road, shall pass free from toll.

The Qhio Canal Lands are granted by Congress to the State of Ohio, to aid in constructing her extensive canals. These lands comprise over one million of acres.

School Lands. By compact between the United States and the State of Ohio, when the latter was admitted into the Union, it was stipulated, for and in consideration that the State of Ohio should never tax the Congress lands until after they should have been sold five years, and in consideration that the public lands would thereby more readily sell, that the one thirty-sixth part of all the territory, included within the limits of the State, should be set apart for the support of common schools therein. And for the purpose of getting at lands which should, in point of quality of soil, be on an average with the whole land in the country, they decreed that it should be selected by lots, in small tracts each, to-wit: That it should consist of section number 16, let that section be good or bad, in every township of Congress land, also in the Ohio Company and in Symmes' Purchases, all of which townships are composed of thirty-six sections each; and for the United States military lands and Connecticut Reserve, a number of quarter townships, two and a half miles square each (being the smallest public surveys therein, then made), should be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury in different townships throughout the United States military tract, equivalent in quantity to the one thirtysixth part of those two tracts respectively; and for the Virginia Military tract, Congress enacted that a quantity of land equal to the one thirtysixth part of the estimated quantity of land contained therein should be selected by lot, in what was then called the "New Purchase," in quarter township tracts of three miles square each. Most of these selections were accordingly made, but in some instances, by the carelessness of the officers conducting the sales or from some other cause, a few sections 16 have been sold, in which case, Congress, when applied to, having generally granted other lands in lieu thereof, as for instance, no section 16 vas reserved in Montgomery township, in which Columbus is situated,

and Congress afterwards granted therefor section 21, in the township cornering thereon to the south-west.

College Townships are three six mile square townships, granted by Congress; two of them to the Ohio Company, for the use of a college to be established within their purchase, and one for the use of the inhabitants of Symmes' Purchase.

Ministerial Lands. In both the Ohio Company and the Symmes' Purchase every section 29 (equal to every one thirty-sixth part of every township), is reserved as a permanent fund for the support of a settled minister. As the purchasers of these two tracts came from parts of the Union where it was customary and deemed necessary to have a regular settled clergyman in every town, they therefore stipulated in this original purchase that a permanet fund in lands should thus be set apart for this purchase. In no other part of the State, other than these two purchases, are any lands set apart for this object.

Salt Sections. Near the center of what is now Jackson county, Congress originally reserved from sale thirty-six sections, or one six mile square township, around and including what was called the Scioto Salt Licks, also one quarter of a five mile square township in what is now Delaware county, in all 42 sections or 27,040 acres. By an act of Congress of the 28th of December, 1824, the Legislature of Ohio was authorized to sell these lands, and to apply the proceeds thereof to such literary purposes as said Legislature may think proper, but to no other purpose whatever.

THE AGRICULTURE OF BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO.

PRIZE ESSAY.

BY JOHN M. MILLIKIN.

In giving a statement of the agricultural condition and capabilities of Butler county, it is deemed appropriate to make reference to the most important elements and qualities which determine and give prominence to her true position.

Butler county contains four hundred and fifty-seven square miles. This area, as returned and assessed for taxation, contains 293,605 acres. The county, therefore, is of medium size. There being three counties in the State which contain less than 200,000 acres, and four counties which contain over 400,000 acres, all averaging 288,346 acres.

The lands of the county, from the latest data available, and from the

known changes which have since taken place, are subdivided about as follows:

The value of the lands, exclusive of the real estate in towns and cities, exceeds in value per acre the value of the lands in all the other counties in the State, excepting the counties of Hamilton and Montgomery.

There is no data of recent date which exhibits the present subdivision of lands, but from the reports furnished in 1859 it is believed that the lands are now divided into about 4,000 farms of the following dimensions :

The geological formation of Butler county is identical with that which exists in the Miami Valley, known as the Lower Silurian. Throughout the county blue limestone rocks, of good quality, are found in great abundance.

Geographically considered, our location is not liable to serious or wellgrounded objections. We enjoy superior business advantages from our proximity to the city of Cincinnati. There the farmer can, at all times, find a fair and ready market for all his productions. The facilities of access to the city by canal, by railroad, and by two turnpikes, relieve the farmers from the unpleasant necessity of submitting to either exorbitant charges for transportation, or to the unreasonable and more odious exactions of those who have control of grain elevators. If farmers are not satisfied with the margin of profit claimed by grain dealers, they can transact their own business in conformity with their own views. They enjoy like opportunities in the purchase of staple goods for their family use. Hence, the position of Butler county, in reference to business affairs, is unusually favorable.

THE SOIL

of this county is properly designated as limestone soil. It is exceedingly variable in character, but highly productive. Much of it is unsurpassed in fertility, while there is only a small portion which is not susceptible of being made of good quality by judicious husbandry. We have neither barren plains, nor sterile hills, nor marshes, nor swamps, which mar

The lands known as "bottom lands" on the Miami river are generally composed of a sandy alluvial deposit. The predominant timber upon these lands is hackberry, buckeye, box alder, sycamore, honey-locust, walnut,

the beauty of the landscape, or generate noxious and unhealthy atmospheres.

As the characteristics and productive qualities of the soil in a county can be more correctly estimated and determined by the number, size and character of the streams which flow through it, a skeleton map of the county is herewith presented, exhibiting the course of the Miami river, and the many large creeks, small creeks, runs and streamlets, which so abound and which so thoroughly ramify the entire county. This map will not only be valuable as indicating the quality of the soil, but will exhibit the abundance of water, which the streams afford, and which is used for propelling machinery, as well as supplying water for farm and other purpose.