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AN ACT

In relation to statistics of agricultural and mineral products.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That it shall be the duty of the several township assessors in all the counties in the State, at the time of making the annual assessment of personal property for taxation, to collect the following items of statistics in addition to those already authorized by law, viz:

First-The number of acres grown in clover, the number of tons of hay made from it, the number of bushels of seed obtained, and the number of acres of clover plowed under for manure.

Second-The number of acres planted in tobacco, and the number of pounds obtained. Third-The number of (old and young) dogs, both male and female.

Fourth-The number of tons of pig-iron manufactured, and the bushels of stone-coal

dug.

Fifth-The number of acres sown in flax, number of pounds of fibre gathered, and the number of bushels of seed obtained.

Sixth-The number of acres planted in sorgo, the number of gallons of syrup manufactured, and the number of pounds of sugar obtained.

Seventh-The number of pounds of maple sugar made, and the number of gallons of syrup manufactured.

Eighth-The number of pounds each of butter and cheese manufactured.

Ninth-The number of acres planted in potatoes, and the number of bushels obtained; and make a correct return thereof to the county auditors of their respective counties at the same time that a return of the enlisted property is made.

SEC. 2. That it shall be the duty of the county auditors to forward annually, on or before the first day of June, to the office of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture, the aggregate of each of the items of statistics enumerated in the first section of this act, together with the aggregate of each and every item of statistics of acreage and product, where acreage is enumerated, and the aggregate product where no acreage is enumerated, of all the agricultural statistics by law authorized to be returned to the auditor of state; together with the aggregate number and value of the horses, cattle, sheep and swine in the county, as sent to the office of state auditor.

SEC. 3. This act to take effect from and after its passage.
Passed February 20, 1864.

AN ACT

Supplementary to an act entitled “an act for the encouragement of agriculture," passed

February 28, 1846.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That all county agricultural societies which have been or may hereafter be organized under the act to which this is supplemental, be and the same are hereby declared bodies corporate and politic; and as such shall be capable of suing and being sued, and capable of holding in fee simple such real estate as they may have heretofore or shall hereafter purchase as sites whereon to hold their fairs.

SEC. 2. That all deeds, conveyances, and other agreements in writing, made to and by such county agricultural societies, for the purchase of real estate as sites whereon to hold their fairs, shall be good and valid in law and equity, and shall vest a title in fee simple in such societies to said real estate without words of inheritance.

SEC. 3. In all cases where such county agricultural societies shall have heretofore purchased or shall hereafter purchase real estate as sites whereon to hold their fairs, the county commissioners of such counties may, if they think it for the interest of the counties and societies, pay out of the county treasuries of such counties the same amount of money, for the purpose of the purchase and improvement of such sites, as shall have been or shall hereafter be paid by said agricultural societies or individuals for such purpose.

SEC. 4. In all cases where agricultural societies shall be dissolved or cease to exist, in any county where payments have been made for real estate or improvements upon such real estate, for the use of any agricultural society, then all such real estate and improvements shall vest in fee simple to the county making such payments.

Passed February 15, 18.3.

RULES FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COUNTY AND DIS

TRICT SOCIETIES.

I. The Board of Directors for the management of County or District Societies shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and not less than eight managers; to be elected at such time in each year as the Societies shall determine in their constitution or by-laws. The President and Vice President shall hold their offices for one year, and the managers for two years, and until their successors shall be duly elected.

The managers, at their first meeting after the first election held in pursuance of this rule, shall be divided by lot, as near as may be, into two classes; the terms of office shall expire, of the first class, in one year, and of the second class in two years, so that one-half of the managers may be annually chosen thereafter.

II. The Board of Directors shall elect a Treasurer and Secretary, who shall hold their offices for one year, and until their successors are elected.

III. Members of the Society must be residents of the county or district, must be over twenty-one years old, and must annually pay the sum of one dollar to the Treasurer. IV. The Treasurer shall keep a list of the members of the Society, so that he may be able to report to the State Board the number of members each year, and so that it may be ascertained who are entitled to vote for officers.

V County or District Societies may open their premium lists to all persons, without restriction, except on field crops, which shall be confined to the county or district.

VI. Competitors for premiums, residents of the county, must be members of the Society.

VII. All articles offered for premiums must be owned by the person offering the same, or by some member of his or her family.

VIII. Awarding committees must comply with the provisions of the law requiring competitors for premiums on crops and other improvements to furnish full and accurate statements of the process, expense of culture, production, &c.

IX. Competitors for premiums on crops shall be required to have the ground and its products accurately measured, and satisfactory proof, under oath, must be furnished by each competitor.

X. Each Society shall have duly prepared an an ual report, and shall present the saine to the State Board of Agriculture, on or before the annual meeting of said Board, as prescribed to be held by the sixth section of the "act for the encouragement of Agriculture," passed February 20, 1861.

XI. Said report shall contain the following:

1. A list of the premiums awarded at the previous annual fair.

2. A copy of the published abstract of the Treasurer's account, as the same was published, in conformity with the third section of the above named law.

3. All statements of competitors for premiums on crops or other improvements in agriculture, detailing mode of tillage, &c., &c.

4. A g neral account of the proceedings of the Society, the number of its members, and the prospects of its progress and usefulness.

5. A statement of the principal crops raised in the county or district; an estimate of the amount of each raised; the average yield per acre; the striking characteristics of the previous season; the names of the destructive insects which may have injured crops; and such other facts as will tend to give a full view of the state of agriculture in each county or district, so that the same may be embodied in the succeeding annual report, made by the State Board to the Legislature.

XII The Secretary of every County Agricultural Society which receives money from the county treasury, shall cause the official proceedings of the Society to be published in some newspaper of general circulation in the county.

The Treasurer of every County Agricultural Society which receives money from the connty treasury, shall aanually file with the Auditor of his county, a detailed statement showing the receipts and disbursements of the Society for the preceding year; and until such report is so filed, no money shall be paid out of any county treasury to any Society which may neglect or refuse to file such report.

APPENDIX1

FOURTEENTH REPORT

OF THE

OHIO POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

REPORT OF THE AD INTERIM COMMITTEE.

Though some of the members of this body, whom you annually set up as watchmen upon the towers of pomology, have not been able to travel as heretofore to distant points, in and out of the State, to gather information for your benefit, your agents have not been, during the past year, idle. We have endeavored to keep a sharp look out around us for items that would be worth reporting to you, and some of us have performed journeys to see what others are doing, and we bring to you here our annual report thereupon:

A portion of the committee visited the famous strawberry grounds of Mr. J. Knox, at Pittsburg, where we met with a sister association, The Fruit Growers' Society of Pennsylvania. Owing to an adverse season the strawberry beds at that place were not in so fine condition as we have heretofore found them there in more favorable years, but we had a fine opportunity for studying and comparing varieties, and we saw a beautiful display of berries upon the exhibition tables.

The extensive vineyards at this place presented a beautiful promise of abundant harvests, which have since been realized at the vintage. At another garden we examined a new strawberry, which will be noticed in its appropriate place.

A portion of your committee was prevented, by the existence of cholera, from examining the condition of the Lake Shore vineyards; but other members united in the annual excursion of the society that has taken that happy region under its special care.

GRAPE CULTURE ALONG THE LAKE SHORE.

In our last year's report some account was given of the progress and extent of grape cultivation around Sandusky and on the adjacent Islands. Our observations this year embrace the same localities, and also the entire range of the south shore of Lake Erie from Sandusky to Dunkirk. This long belt of territory, say two hundred miles in length, and from three to five miles in breadth, is believed to possess advantages of climate peculiarly favorable for the growth and ripening of grapes, owing to the influence of the Lake upon the atmosphere, so that with reasonable care in the selection of soils and in culture, very satisfactory results have been obtained from vineyards, some of which have borne fruit for the past fifteen or twenty years.

It is estimated by good authority that not less than 7,000 acres of vineyards are now growing in the lake shore counties of Ohio. About 1,000 acres per year have been planted for five or six years past, and although the grape crop was not more than half an average one the past season, it is expected that 1,000 acres more will be planted the coming spring.

"The Lake Shore Grape Growers' Association" has over one hundred members, residing in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, all actively interested in this department of agriculture, and devoting much intelligence, capital and labor to its promotion. Besides annual exhibitions of grapes and wines, and meetings for discussion, the Association has arranged for very pleasant and instructive Summer Excursions for the inspection of vineyards, where the results of the different modes of culture, pruning, training, &c., can be witnessed.*

EXCURSIONS TO THE ISLANDS.

The excursion of the Association to the Islands and Sandusky took place August 15th and 17th, and was participated in by several of our committee. A party of nearly one hundred members left Cleveland on the fine steamer Lac La Belle, Capt. J. Spalding, on the evening of the 14th.. Among this party were a number of distinguished horticulturists from other States, including Hon. M. P. Wilder, of Massachusetts, President of the American Pomological Society, P. Barry and Dr. W. H. Dake of Rochester, Chas. Downing, of Newburgh, Wm. Griffith, J. C. Mottier, J. Knox, of Pennsylvania, and others. A very pleasant evening, with brief speeches, &c., was spent on the steamer, and a vote of thanks was awarded to her noble Captain, (himself a member of the Association,) for his generosity in giving the party the freedom of his boat to Kelley's Island, where they landed early next morning. Here they were joined by

*Dr. J. P. Dake, of Salem, Ohio, is President of the Association, and M. B. Bateham, of Painesville, Secretary.

another party of about thirty, coming by steamer from Sandusky, making the whole company over one hundred. Among the latter party were our associates, Messrs. Heaver, of Cincinnati, Campbell, of Delaware, and Powers, of Perrysburg. (Dr. Warder was unfortunately kept at home by the prevalence of the cholera among his neighbors.)

The grape crop on Kelley's Island was not over one-third an average in quantity, and in consequence of the light yield, the amount of care and labor bestowed on the vines was less than usual, so that the vineyards, generally, did not present as creditable an appearance to visitors as the owners desired. There was not much evidence of rot or mildew on the fruit or vines, and the causes of the partial failure of the crop were not such as tended to discourage the vineyardists in regard to the future. In a few instances of young vineyards, and where a full crop was not borne the previous year, quite a fair yield was presented, especially of the Delaware and Concord varieties, which, this year, generally produced better crops than the Catawba.

Vineyard planting is still going on at the rate of about one hundred acres per year, on this island, and there are unmistakable signs of prosperity visible in their improvements, in the number and style of dwelling houses, &c. A company has been organized, within the past year, for the manufacture of wines, with a large wine house and cellar on the premises of Chas. Carpenter, Esq., and a steamboat has been secured to ply directly between Cleveland and the Islands.

From Kelley's to Put-in-Bay Island, the excursion party were taken by a small steamer, in the afternoon. After an early tea and a ramble about the beautiful bay and into several vineyards and (wine) caves, escorted by the hospitable Islanders, a meeting was held in the spacious parlors of the hotel, where the condition and prospects of grape growing on the islands and elsewhere were discussed, and the intervals between the speeches were enlivened by a band of resident musicians, playing patriotic airs on the balcony.

Next morning about half the company were taken in carriages and wagons to visit the vineyards on this Island, and the other half went by steamer to North Bass and Middle Bass Islands, where there are also good vineyards, especially of Delawares, and showing good crops of fruit and good culture, as well as fine soil and climate for the purpose. As remarked in our report last year, the committee regard the soil of these Islands as peculiarly fitted by nature for vineyards, owing to the broken and porous nature of the rocks and soil, whereby complete drainage is generally afforded. The crops here the present year were quite fair in many cases, especially where the vines were not suffered to over-bear, and had not been layered severely the previous season; but here, as elsewhere, it was evident that many mistakes of this kind had been made, and the vineyardists have much to learn. But with the intelligence and

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