townships returns but 250 acres, while some run as high as 1,100. The last season was unfavorable for agriculture March and April wet and cold, and but one rain from June 5th until late in September; the fall very pleasant and dry.

The Eleventh Annual Fair, for the year 1861, was held at Painesville, on the 19th, 20th, and 21st days of September, 1861. The weather was cool, but pleas ant. The attendance was about as large as usual, but the receipts were not quite equal to those of the last year, owing probably to the fact that the public mind was so much engrossed with matters pertaining to the war. It is perhaps also for that reason that the entries in many, if not all, of the departments were less in number than at previous Fairs, though there was no deterioration in their quality. Owing to the increase of expenses consequent upon a state of domestic rebellion, and to the derangement in business it produces, some of the members of the Board of Managers were in favor of postponing this "annual reunion" of the industrial classes of the county until another, and, as they hoped, a more favorable year; but, after consultation with members of the Society, it was deemed advisable to go on with our Fair as usual; and the large attendance and the general interest taken were a happy disappointment to the managers, and a cheerful assurance of the utility of our Society, and of the firm place it has in the hearts of all classes of our people.

In regard to the condition of our agricultural and industrial pursuits, we may say that marked progress is being made in all their departments.

HORSES.-There are a great many raised in this county. A good deal of attention has been given to breeding Morgans, but farmers generally think them too small, better adapted to the hills of New England than the level country of the

West. There have been some horses sold the past season for the United States service, and would have been many more, had they not been too small for the army standard. Our President, Selleck Warren, introduced two years since a Kentucky-bred Messenger horse, that is expected to make some improvement in our stock. He is large, of great action, and of fine appearance.

CATTLE.-There are no native cattle left among us. The enterprise of our farmers has filled our pastures with blood and grade stock, to the exclusion of the native breeds, to such an extent that it would be about as difficult to find in our county a specimen of a native animal as it would of the buffalo.

MULES-For the last two or three years increased attention has been given to this class of stock, and the number of fine animals is rapidly increasing.

SHEEP. If the quality of wool is an index of our stock of sheep, our county, in this branch of stock raising, will rank second to but few in the State. For several years importations from the best Vermont floc s have spread among us the fine grades of wool; and the increased weight of fleece, as well as an advanced price over common wools, have conspired to drive the common sheep almost entirely from our limits.

HOGS.-There is perhaps no kind of stock that has been more improved here than swine. We have several farmers who make hogs almost a specialty; and we think, without looking at statistics to verify our statement, that we have taken more than an average share of premiums on hogs at our State Fairs. However that may be, of one thing we are assured, that, while a few years ago hogs that would weigh 300 pounds were considered of good size, now if they do not weigh from 400 to 500 pounds they rank as common.

The price of pork is lower now than it has been for twenty years, selling for $3 per 100 pounds.

WHEAT-For the last two years the wheat crop has been fair, the berry plump, and yield satisfactory. Though not strictly a wheat district, yet, owing to past success, more wheat is being sown than formerly.

Price per bushel, for red winter, 95 cents; white, $1.

RYE-Is not much cultivated, though it grows well, and is a sure crop. OATS-Our Fair this year not as good as last. Yield from 30 to 60 bushels per acre. Average price, 22 cents per bushel.

CORN.- A fair crop, with a great breadth of ground planted. Price, shelled, from 35 to 37 cents per bushel.

BARLEY—Is an uncertain crop, and not a great quantity raised.
BUCKWHEAT.-But little grown, and that for home use.

bushel.

Price, 50 cents per

TIMOTHY.-Is principally grown of good quality, and an average crop. Price, $7 to $8 per ton.

SORGHUM.-Increased attention is being paid to the culture of this plant. The first attempts at raising it were discouraging, owing to the quality of the molasses made from it; but the experience of the last two years, especially the last, has demonstrated that, with ripe cane, molasses can be made of a quality equal to the

best New Orleans. So fully has this fact been established, that the coming season will witness a greater breadth of sorghum planted than ever before.

FRUITS.-If there is any one thing that our people have paid special attention to for the past twenty years and more, it is to the cultivation of fruits, particularly the apple. There are probably more good varieties of the apple to be found in this county than in any other in the State. During the period before mentioned, there have annually left here, for all portions of the United States and the Canadas, parties of grafters, who have extended their operations as far as Louisiana and Texas on the southwest, and Florida on the southeast, taking with them the choicest fruits of this section, and bringing back any superior variety they may have met with on the way. This practice has given us unusual facilities for improving our fruit. The past year was unfavorable to the apple crop, and our exhibition was poor compared with former years; but for the year 1860 it was unparalleled for variety, size, and flavor.

Pears do not succeed so well, the soil not favoring their growth. As a consequence, but little attention is paid to their cultivation.

Peaches do well, and all the fine varieties are found with us. was unfavorable, and the crop poor.

The last season

Grapes thrive finely, and considerable attention is being paid to vineyards. The Catawba is the favorite grape for wine.

Strawberries are raised in great abundance. Wilson's Albany Seedling, Early Scarlet, and Black Prince, are among the favorites.

Raspberries, currants, cherries, and other small fruits, are plentiful.

HONEY AND BEES.-Receive considerable attention. Price of honey, from 12 to 14 cents a pound.

BUTTER AND CHEESE.-In these departments our farmers think they have little left to learn.

POTATOES.-A crop that receives particular attention. Large quantities are exported to New York, Cincinnati, and Pittsburg, some farmers growing as many as fifty acres. The Peach Blow is the favorite just now.

LICKING COUNTY.

The Fourteenth Annual Fair of the Licking County Agricultural Society was held at the Fair Grounds near Newark, Ohio, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the 2d, 3d, and 4th days of October, A D. 1861. The weather was fine, the roads good, and, considering the extent to which the war had engrossed the minds of our people (this county, at the present writing, having furnished fourteen hundred and fifty volunteers), the attendance was large.

ENTRIES Horses, 123; cattle, 79; sheep, 136; hogs, 49; goats, 15; jacks, 3; all other entries, 405. Total, 810.

The people of the county fully appreciate the advantages of the County Fair. The number of entries would doubtless have been greater, but for a rule of the Board, requiring a per cent. on the premium to be advanced by the exhibiter; but the rule is approved by those of our citizens who have had the greatest observation and experience in the management of County Fairs.

The display in the several departments, especially in that of horses, cattle, and sheep, evidences a very decided improvement in the quality of the exhibitions. The culture of the Cashmere goat is an enterprise which our Board has to some extent encouraged. Two years ago there was in this class but one entry, last year eight, and this year fifteen. The Cashmere seems well adapted to this climate, and the cross with the common goat is successful. There are now in this county about two hundred thoroughbred and grade Cashmere goats.

The establishment, in some of the townships, of Township Fairs, and in others the formation of societies for the discussion of agricultural subjects and the mutual improvement of their members in agricultural science, indicate a proper appreciation of the relative importance of agricultural pursuits.

It is very desirable to have the attendance on each day of the Fair as equal as possible, and to furnish to exhibiters the means of knowing on what day, and time of day, each animal or article will be exhibited. This was satisfactorily effected by a printed programme, setting forth the order of exercises, on slips of convenient size, distributed throughout the county.

LOGAN COUNTY.

The Logan County Agricultural Society have the honor to make to you their report for the past year.

The society held its annual Fair on the 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th days of September, and, considering the difficulties in which our county is involved, and the war excitement, it was successful beyond expectation. The number of entries were as follows:

LORAIN COUNTY.

The sixteenth annual Fair of the Lorain County Agricultural Society came off at Elyria on the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th days of September. The Fair, taking all things into consideration, was a good one, and may be considered equal to any of its predecessors; but, at the same time, the Fair had many things to contend with; among them may be named the general one of the war spirit which pervades all classes, and particularly the agriculturists. Then again President Lincoln's fast came on the second and most important day of the Fair, and to cap the chapter of set-backs to which we were subjected, it rained on each and every day of the last three of our Fair. But, notwithstanding all this, there was a good show of stock of all kinds, a fair show of fruit, garden vegetables, domestic manufactures, ornamental work, and military, and a good turn-out of the people.

Whole number of entries, 903.

The Lorain County Agricultural Society may be considered in a generally flourishing condition, and a fixed and permanent institution. The directors had arranged a very liberal premium list, and had it not been for the fast day and the rain, our sixteenth annual Fair would have far exceeded any previous Fairs, and as it was, the number of entries and the receipts were greater than any other l'air ever held by the Society.

The past season has been, so far as the weather was concerned, one of the most delightful The crops have been about an average. Wheat was good; oats and barley fair; hay not quite up to an average; corn about an average crop; potatoes not up to the average; fruit, but little. But take the season, all in all, it has been a pleasant and prosperous one to all classes, and particularly to the husbandman; always setting aside the evils produced by the great rebellion, which is desolating many a fireside even in Lorain county.

The last day of the Fair was devoted mainly to the military. A flag was presented to the best military company on exhibition. There were seven military companies, all of them well uniformed and drilled. The banner was awarded to the "Chase Cadets," of Oberlin, Capt W. H. Rice. Number of members of the society, 422.

Butter made in the county 1861, 1,216,200; cheese, 1,325,181. Average bushels per acre 1861: wheat, 16; corn, 39; oats, 34; rye, 18; barley, 22; buckwheat, 18; potatoes, 119.

The striking characteristics for the season of 1861, were a cold, backward spring, with a "killing frost" on the morning of May 2d, and from that time to the end of the year the weather was delightful; so pleasant and fine was the season that if it had been made to order it could not have been beat. The grass-hoppers, in some portions of the county, and the army worm, so called, in other portions, were very destructive to potatoes and many other crops.

The general prospects of agriculture are good in Lorain county. Our farmers are beginning to comprehend the importance of more thorough agriculture, and among the most important that may be named in this respect is underdraining.