Flowers, both natural and artificial; paintings the most gay and elegant; shellwork, bead-work, and embroidery, that puzzled the brain of the sterner sex to imagine how it was ever wrought by human hands; quilts, counterpanes, and table spreads a countless variety.

But it was found upon examination of the dairy products that female hands were good for something besides embroidery and painting; for that the preserves, marmalades, and jellies were appreciated, was fully demonstrated by the liberal way in which the committees and others tested their good qualities.

The show of fruit was not as good as some previous years. The trees have been badly injured by the span-worm for the last two years. Paches were almost an entire failure-winter killed. The grape crop is becoming quite an item in our county; the show was very respectable, and the quality good.

The vegetable department could not be surpassed by any county in the State. We have just the soil for vegetable culture. A deep, sandy soil, naturally rich, and which can be stimulated with manures without any danger of injury to the crop, and very easy of cultivation, more so than any clay soil can be, makes it one of the best in the State.

The sugar cane or sorghum crop has been quite an item this season, and has amply repaid the cultivation. Some have realized at the rate of 300 gallons of good syrup per acre.

The wheat crop the present year was more than an average crop, and the quality never better; but the wheat now sown is injured by the fly, especially early sown white wheat.

The corn crop was first-rate, and so abundant that it is worth almost nothing, selling at from ten to fifteen cents per bushel in baskets.

It would be very difficult to give any thing like a correct statement of the amount of the several crops raised in our county, or the average yield per acre; in fact, it would not be much better than a guess, and therefore we refrain from any statement on the subject.

But we had almost forgotten to say any thing concerning the riding and driving, which, in fact, was one of the chief attractions of the fair. The list of competitors was quite large, and the scene animated. The ring was filled with pretty women on fine horses, each eagerly contending for the prize, which elicited loud and prolonged cheers from the crowd of spectators.

We had one scene, at the suggestion of our President, that was entirely new, at least so far as we are acquainted. After the riding and driving was over, all the stock on exhibition was taken into the ring (the poultry excepted), and driven round two or three times, and it formed a fine spectacle-indeed, quite a caravan-and could all be seen at one view.

The number of members of our Society the present year is 169, and the number of entry tickets sold during the last two days of the fair was 1,301. We would further say that our Society is considered one of the permanent institutions of the county, and its effects are visible on all kinds of stock and every branch of industrial labor.

GALLIA COUNTY.

Our Society has neither Secretary nor Treasurer (both gone to the army), and the Treasurer's account had to be gathered from his books.

The Treasurer's books show the amount of funds on hand to be $105.50.

The Society thought it expedient not to hold any Fair for 1861, on account of the unsettled state of the country, and our peculiar situation; being on the border, and so much excitement, the Board thought it best to pass over this year, and be better prepared for the next year.

GEAUGA COUNTY.

The Geauga County Agricultural Society is one of the earliest formed in the State, and continues to maintain a good degree of efficiency, and to accomplish, with reasonable success, the objects for which it was instituted. Three years since, a large indebtedness was incurred by the Society in enlarging and fitting. up the grounds, which, in the present condi ion of the country, and consequent financial embarra-sment, makes a burden difficult to remove.

The Annual Fair of the Society for the year 1861, although in many departments the exhibition was fully sustained, was not as largely attended as has been usual for a few years past; consequently the receipts were not as large, realizing very little more than to pay the current expenses for the year. Nor does the Society show as large a number of members as usual. This may be better understood by stating that from the time of the organization of the Society the annual tax upon members had been fixed at fifty cents. Under instructions from the Secretary of the State Board, this tax was raised to one dollar per member. This change, coming at a time when the pressure of the want of money was most seriously fe't by the people of the county, undoubtedly made a difference in our receipts from members, while none are recognized as such except those who regularly pay their tax.

On the whole, the condition of the Society is such as to warrant the remark, that when rebellion shall be crushed out, and peace, quiet, and prosperity restored to the country, the old pioneer society will be pursuing the even tenor of its way, and accomplishing the objects of its organization.

GREENE COUNTY.

The Annual Fair of the Greene County Agricultural Society was held on the Society's grounds at Xenia, October 9th, 10th, and 11th, 1861, and, notwithstanding the universal gloom which prevails throughout our country, our Fair was at

least as successful as any previous one held in the county. Horses, as usual, formed a prominent feature; and, as an appreciation of the standard of our county in this particular, eight counties were represented to contest for the premiums in the various classes. This department of our Fair, although good in the past, has this year eclipsed all former exhibitions held in the county. Cattle, the number of entries not large, but the exhibition was of a first-class character. Mules and asses very good, and show considerable increase in numbers. Sheep not largely represented, but generally good. Hogs were out en masse, showing a marked improvement over former years; a better exhibition is rarely to be seen anywhere. The other departments of our Fair were not so fully represented as they should have been, although the articles exhibited were in a high degree creditable, and displayed fine taste and skill in their production.

The season has been a favorable one for the farmer. Meadows and pastures very fine, and the yield much above an average. Corn crop very good, but the extremely low price realized has made the crop a tax rather than a source of revenue to the county. Wheat much below an average, generally caused by the ravages of the fly, although there have been many fields injured by the weevil. Oats good, but not extensively cultivated. Barley about an average crop. Potatoes are becoming more generally cultivated, and for four or five years past have been much more profitable than wheat or corn. The cultivation of sorghum is beginning to attract the attention of our farmers, and will no doubt in future be much more extensively cultivated, the experiments so far made going to show that the net proceeds are quite remunerative, and will enable us in the future to be less dependent upon that portion of our country which has heretofore furnished us with the productions of the sugar-cane.

We have no important improvemen's to report either in agriculture or mechanism. The good results of our Agricultural Society have been too long and well tested to admit of a doubt as to the propriety of its existence in the future.

GUERNSEY COUNTY.

The Fourteenth Annual Fair of the Guernsey County Agricultural Society was held on the Fair grounds, at Cambridge, on the 10th and 11th of October, 1861. The first day was tolerably fair weather, but the second was very rainy. The display of stock was small, but e braced some very good animals. The exhibition of fruits, vegetables, and farm products did not compare with former years. Altogether the Fair was a failure. The causes that produced this result are as follows: The engrossment of the pub e mind with the country's troubles, nothing being thought of but the Rebellion and the war; the drought of the summer, cutting short the grain and vegetable crops; the frosts of spring, destroying apples, peaches, pluns, &c.; the scarcity of money, or rather a disposition to economise

in expenditures; and last, the miserable weather we had at the Fair, rendered the attendance quite limited, and the receipts correspondingly small.

There are no "statements of competitors for premiums on crops and other improvements in agriculture" to report.

For causes already alluded to, the officers of the society did not hold as many meetings, or manifest as much interest in its affairs the past season as in other years. The number of members was about 150. The society has been of benefit to the agricultural interests of this county, and there is no doubt that, after the war is over, an increased zeal and enterprise will be exhibited by our farmers in the promotion of its usefulness.

This county, as you are aware, is mostly a "hill country," intersected by numerous creeks, along which are found strips of bottom land ranging from a few hundred yards to a mile or two in width. These bottom lands produce fine corn and grass. Much of our hill land is finely adapted to wheat, corn and oats, our principal grain crops. What amount of each of these grains was raised the past season we cannot give. They were all short crops. Of wheat and corn, the following averages per acre are large: Wheat 10 bushels, corn 20 bushels-the weevil damaging the former, and dry weather and the grub-worm injuring the latter. Our grass crop was light, caused by the dry season, and, in some localities, the grub-worm. Potatoes produced pretty well, and of good quality. Apples and peaches were almost an entire failure. There was a very small crop of cherries and plums. The small fruits-grapes, currants, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries and blackberries-did well. Grapes were especially good. The production of Sorghum was not large, but the canes grew well.

HANCOCK COUNTY.

The Tenth Annual Exhibition of the Hancock County Agricultural Society was held on their grounds, at Findlay, on the 26th, 27th and 28th days of September, and had the Board been gifted with "foreknowledge," they could not have selected a more unfavorable time for their Fair. A combination of unfavorable circumstances rendered the Fair almost a complete failure, both pecuniarily and in point of interest. The weather was very unfavorable, being cold, with rain on the first and second days.

The society were fortunate enough, however, to receive just about funds enough to pay off their indebtedness. There were 512 entries, in all classes. We have now 300 members. There were premiums to the amount of $316.00. The number of entries, and amounts paid on premiums, is very much less than last year.

The Secretary has received from the Agricultural Department of the PatentOffice, at Washington, 15 cc pies of the Agricultural Report for 1860, 13 sacks of wheat, and 2 packages of garden and flower seeds; all of which have been distributed.

HARDIN COUNTY.

The Eleventh Annual Fair of the Hardin County Agricultural Society was held at Kenton, on the 2d, 3d and 4th days of October. Although farmers. were not entirely done cutting up corn, there was a large attendance, and rather more than the usual interest taken, notwithstanding the minds of our people were largely occupied in the unhappy condition of our country, which taxes all its energy and resources to put down the Southern rebellion and enforce the laws. Nearly every department that premiums were offered, were pretty well represented, so that a fair competition prevailed. The exhibition of horses, cattle and sheep, were good; though the latter ought, and perhaps will ere long, be much improved. The hogs excelled anything of the animal kind on exhibition, and gave evidence that great care and attention had been taken to their improvement. The Poland and big China, lately imported from Butler county, attracted most attention, and took first premiums; though there were others that showed a decided improvement on former years. There was a good exhibition of farm products, which showed that no little pains had been taken in their improvement. There were no competitors for premiums on best tilled crops of any kind; but the samples of wheat, corn and potatoes were very good, which, together with hay, are the principal crops produced in the county. There is no county in the State susceptible of producing more grass or wheat per acre than ours. There has been as high as 45 bushels of wheat produced to the acre, and three tons of hay; though it would not perhaps be proper to put the average yield of wheat, the county over, at more than 17 to 20 bushels, owing to imperfect tillage.

There has been no injury dene to crops in the county the past season, in consequence of any destructive insects. The summer being a dry one, the corn crop was hardly an average cne, and will not exceed 35 bushels per acre, though farmers perhaps might have realized a larger yield if they had paid more attention to their seed, which is of too small a kind to produce a heavy yield per acre. Many are afraid that the seasons are not long enough to mature a larger kind, which we think is not so, if care is taken in the selection of varieties. Owing to the fact that our county is comparatively a new one, less interest is taken by its inhabitants in fairs than is manifested in the older ones; but it is being gradually filled up with a more enterprising and scientific class of farmers, the result of which will be manifested at our subsequent fairs. The Society being out of debt, the future looks more encouraging. With an addition to the grounds and buildings, it may be put down as one of the permanent institutions of the county.

HARRISON COUNTY.

The Fourteenth Annual Fair of the Harrison County Agricultural Society was