The feeding and refreshment arrangements of Mr. W. R. Mould, are deserving of all praise. The immense crowd was promptly supplied, with an unlimited quanity of provisions and drinkables, and we did not hear a single complaint or murmur of dissatisfaction. The universal verdict seemed to be that W. R. Mould "can keep a hotel," whenever he choses to go into that line of business, which reminds us of the fact, that his supper and lunch rooms, at the old *corner of Euclid street and Public Square," are in full operation, with oysters, game, and all the other fixings to order.

ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS OF COUNTY SOCIETIES.

ASHLAND COUNTY.

This Society was organized on the 1st Saturday in June, A, D. 1863, at the Court House, in Ashland, under the provisions of a resolution, passed by the State Board of Agriculture, at a meeting held at Cleveland, April 28th, A. D. 1863. At the time of its organization it numbered one hundred and nineteen members, who had paid their membership fee of one dollar for the current year. Afterwards, and during the time of holding the annual Fair, the number of members was increased to one hundred and eighty-four. The first annual Fair was held on the 7th, 8th and 9th of October. The first day of the Fair was a day of continuous rain. The morning of the second day opened with favorable weather, and entries were made until the afternoon of that day. Notwithstanding the unfavorable weather at the opening, the entries were unusually large, amounting, in all the departments to six hundred and thirty. Of these entries 116 were horses; 62 cattle; 39 sheep; jacks and mules, 7; swine, 5; farm implements, 14; flour and grain, 17; fruit, 34; vegetables, 47; bread, butter and cheese, 32; harness, 5; boots and shoes, 9; cabinet ware, 40; domestic manufactures, 26; poultry, 10; ornamental work, 22; green house plants, 16; field crops, 4; and miscellaneous 125. The morning of the 9th again opened with rain, and although the afternoon was fine, yet the unfavorable morning materially lessened the receipts.

The principal crops of the county are wheat, corn, rye, barley and oats. Taking the assessor's return of the crop of 1862 as a basis, and estimating the number of acres cultivated in wheat at one-fifth less, for the season of 1863, owing to the scarcity of laborers, would give 22,287 acres ; estimating the average yield per acre at 12 bushels, would make the amount raised 267,444 bushels. Corn, 15,287 acres; average yield per acre, 20 bushels; total, 305,740 bushels. Oats, 323,340 acres ; average yield 30 bushels. Buckwheat crop about a total failure. The principal cause of injury to the wheat was "freezing out." Injury to the corn, frosts of August and September.

The prospects of the Society are more flattering than were those of the old society at any previous period.

ATHENS COUNTY.

The Annual Fair of the Society was held on the 24th and 25th of September, 1863, with an increased attendance and display of stock and articles in the various halls, over the former year.

In view of the state of the country, and the anxiety and excitement attendant thereon, as well as the fact that we have sent a large proportion of our able bodied men to the army, and thus weakened the department of agriculture at home, we may consider our last Fair a success, and an evidence of the prosperity and usefulness of the Society.

Our Society numbers three hundred and fifteen members.

There is a very large increase this year in the growing of the sorghum cane; perhaps nearly or quite 50 per cent. There is also an increase in flax growing and hay.

ASHTABULA COUNTY.

The Ashtabula County Agricultural Society held its Seventeenth Annual Fair at Jefferson, September 2d, 3d and 4th, 1863. The weather was fine, and the attendance good. The number of members for the year, 144. The number of the different articles entered for competition reached 769. Notwithstanding the time for holding the Fair was deemed by many too early in the season, the show was fine in nearly every department. The show of cattle was not as large as it has sometimes been in former years, as quite a large number of our farmers are devoting more attention to the breeding of sheep. However, there were some fine specimens of the improved breeds of cattle on exhibition.

The show of sheep was large, among which were to be found representatives of nearly every breed at present deemed worthy the attention of the farmer. The Spanish Merino, the Southdown, the Leicester and the Cotswold are becoming the favorite breeds among our farmers, and each has its advocates as possessing some one or more desirable qualities than can be found in the others. These several breeds were largely represented at our last Fair, and such was the high intrinsic quality of the animals shown in these several classes, that our farmers might feel a just pride in the rapid progress of the last few years in the efforts to add value to the sheep stock of the county.

A few samples of the Shropshire Downs were also on exhibition, from the farm of Hon. N. L. Chaffee, which were regarded with favor by the farmers, but they have not been tested here sufficiently long to determine how well they are adapted to our soil and climate, or how profitable they may be in comparison with the other breeds more common to our county.

In nearly every department of farm production there is an evident spirit of progress, as is evidenced by the improved quality of products exhibited at our annual Fairs. More of our farmers are interesting themselves in the objects of the Society, and labor more generally in unison with the Board of Officers to increase the interest in the Society, and extend its useful.

ness.

For several years the Society has been burdened with a heavy debt, incurred in the purchase of grounds and the erection of large halls for exhibition, but this debt is now nearly extin,guished, and the future looks hopeful.

BELMONT COUNTY.

The interest taken in our fairs for the past two or three years has not been so satisfactory as formerly, which fact is shown by a falling off of the amount of receipts and members as compared with some of our former exhibitions. This fact, however, is not attributable to any diminished interest in the rural districts, or any want of interest in our annual exhibitions, but mainly on account of the disturbed state of the country. Since the breaking out of the rebellion everything seems to have become so unsettled that many of our people "know not what to do." Indeed it has been a question of much discussion with many of our farmers and mechanics, as to whether it would not be better to suspend the holding of our Annual Fair till things connected with the state of the country become more settled.

The Society held its Fifteenth Annual Fair on their grounds, on the 22d, 23d and 24th days of September, 1863. The exhibition in the leading departments, especially in the wool-growing interest, was good; but in some other branches of the exhibition it did not meet the expecta, tions of the managers.

In the exhibition of animals, although not so numerous as at some of our former exhibitions, it was a goodly representation as to quality, consisting of some very good horses, Durhams, grade Devons and some excellent specimens of native breeds of cattle, an evidence that our farmers and stock men have profited by the deep interest heretofore taken in the improvement of the different breeds of our domestic animals.

The great interest taken in the wool-growing part of our community, has, for the past two or

three years, made it a leading business, and with some has become quite a mania for improvement in animals of the "ovine race." There has been purchased the past season some Spanish bucks, at prices ranging from one hundred to five hundred dollars per head; and it is believed that more attention is being paid to the sheep husbandry now than at any former period in our country.

The show of articles in the several halls of the exhibition was perhaps more fully represented, particularly that part under the immediate control of the ladies-proof that they are indefatigable in catering for the tastes of "epicures" in the luxuries of the table, as well as the other comforts of the inner man.

The number of members for the year 1863 is 210.

BROWN COUNTY.

Our annual fair for 1863 was held on the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th of September, at the Society's grounds (Georgetown). In consequence of the disturbed condition of our country, and especially on our border, and the consequent arrival of large bodies of troops to defend it, which from necessity had to be quartered on our grounds, our fair last year was a failure. It was not without many misgivings as to success this year that the friends of this enterprise commenced preparation. But silently and perseveringly they labored, and the result was a complete success. The first two days the attendance was small and appearances rather discouraging, but the last two days the attendance was unusually large, and the marked good order in so large an assembly gave unmistakable evidence of the deep interest felt by all present.

The number of horses on exhibition was large, and of a quality not easily surpassed. The number of cattle, sheep, &c., was not so large, but in quality gave conclusive evidence of an onward march in improvement; and in fact the same may be said of every department in farm products. The Hall, which is large, was well filled, but too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the ladies, for their skill, industry and fine taste, exhibited on the display in the domestic manufactures and floral departments, making the Hall, as it should be, a place of great attraction. In short, our fair of 1863 was a decided success, giving well grounded assurance of future prosperity.

This year will nearly relieve us from a heavy debt, incurred previously for large improvements, which will enable our Society, in a pecuniary point of view, to add additional induce ments in the future.

BUTLER COUNTY.

The thirteenth annual fair of the Butler county Agricultural Society, was held on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th days of October. On the two first days of the fair it rained almost incessantly, which operated very much against the Society, so far as pecuniary matters were at stake, and to some extent it was a draw-back in all the apartments of the exhibition. The amount of receipts from all sources was twenty-six hundred and fifty-nine dollars and sixty two cents. Fifteen hundred and ninety dollars of said amount was for membership cards at one dollar each. The whole amount of the expenditures was twenty-six hundred and five dollars and ninety-seven cents. Fifteen hundred and eighty-one dollars of said amount was paid for premiums, leaving a balance on the credit side of the account of fifty-three dollars and sixty-five cents, which added to the balance on hand last year, make a balance in the Treasury of over twenty-four hundred dollars, which amount, or at least a great portion

of it, will be expended the coming season in building a floral hall, which is much needed; and any balance, together with anticipated receipts next year, will enable the Board of Directors to offer still more liberal premiums than heretofore. The competition in all of the departments was good, and in some extra good. In the Sheep department particularly, the number was large and the quality extra. Our county has been advancing rapidly in the sheep business, and the Board offered premiums on three different grades, amounting to thirty-four dollars for each grade, dividing the premiums into first, second and third, which arrangement proved very satisfactory to exhibiters. The same grade of premiums was adopted on hogs; also on many articles in the other departments, and met with general approbation among the exhibiters. The display of green fruit was extra for our county. As a general thing our county is rather behind in the fruit business, but from the exhibition last fall feel in hopes that she will redeem her character in that particular branch. The great attraction of the fair was Floral Hall. The ladies were there and had their handiwork with them. There was scarcely anything you could think of in the shape of fancy, ornamental and useful work but what was on exhibition. The Jadies were the recipients of some four hundred dollars of premiums. The only department that was deficient was that of Cattle. Our county has always been behind in the rearing of cattle. Our premium list on cattle has been rather less than it should have been; at least small in comparison with some other things, all things considered, which I have no doubt will be attended to hereafter. Under all the circumstances I am happy in stating that our last fair was a decided success.

CARROLL COUNTY.

The Carroll county Agricultural Society held its thirteenth annual fair on the fair grounds at Carrollton, on the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th days of October, 1863.

Many of the most enterprising farmers and stock men of the county feared that the peculiar state of the country would render the holding of a successful fair impossible. The amount of interest taken in military matters, and the deeply exciting political canvass that was sweeping over the State, seemed to give very reasonable grounds for their fears. But as the time drew near for holding our fair the prospect seemed quite flattering, and had it not been for the inclemency of the weather, our fair this year would, from all indications, have been second to none ever held in the county. The attendance was not as large as common; neither was the number of entries as large.

The Floral Hall department, on account of the continued rain and the lateness of the season, was but poorly represented.

The horse department was quite lively, and there seems to be quite an interest taken in raising fine horses.

The wool growers of our county are making great efforts to improve both the quality of their wool and sheep. Spanish merinoes are deemed by most the most profitable, and the great increase in the amount of wool raised, show that sheep raising and wool growing are soon to be the principal occupation of the farmers of Carroll county.

Nothing new in agricultural implements to report. Crops are generally short this year on account of the drouth. Fruit rather scarce and not of a very good quality.

There were no statements of competitors for premiums on crops and other improvements in agriculture, &c.

The society has not been in a flourishing condition for several years. During the year 1862 no Fair was held by the society, and this year it rained every day of the Fair, thereby putting quite a "damper" on it.

The number of members at present is 159. The officers are still determined to make another effort to raise the condition of the Agricultural Society of this county to what it was some years ago. They may fail, but not without an effort.