64 ANNUAI^ REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



latest and best lut'tliods of road inainCeiiaiue and toustructiou. It 

 can insist thai tlu- rural schools shall be suited to the needs of the 

 coufitiy children, and it can use its influence to retain good teachers, 

 and to secure the dismissal ot the incompetent or bad. It can 

 stimulate the improvement of country homes and their surroundings, 

 liy holding meetings and inviting citizens to attend and discuss 

 methods for beautifying the home, and means for the production of 

 better crops. 



Another and very important service that these societies can render 

 to the citizen of every county, is in the giving of assistance to those 

 who are interested in, and are engaged in rearing better stock. The 

 diflicuUy that confronts farmers, in many counties, who wish to 

 improve their stock, is the impossibility of securing the service of 

 well bred sires. The country is full of cheap scrub horses, cattle, 

 sheep and swine. They are scrub, because they sprung from cheap 

 scrub sires. There can be no improvement in our stock until well 

 bred sires are introduced, and their services be had at rates low 

 enough to be within the reach of the farmer of ordinary means. The 

 county fair associations could do no better service to their county 

 than to purchase, or hire the use of, one or two well bred sires of 

 each of the leading breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and swine, and 

 have them kept for service at moderate rates, and offer this service 

 at these reduced rates to those only who are members of the fair as- 

 sociation, thus inducing the more progressive farmers to join the so- 

 ciety, and aid in its support. There is no reason why this cannot be 

 done, and at the same time be a source of revenue to the association. 

 As an inducement to undertake this, a portion of the money to be 

 given by the State could be offered to such association as will main- 

 tain a breeding barn of well bred sires. 



LIVE STOCK IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



The live stock of Pennsylvania represents in value about $126,- 

 000,000. A slight improvement upon each animal would add enor- 

 mously to the wealth of the State. The following table gives the 

 number, and average value of each class of live stock, taken from 

 the last census report, and shows the amount of increased value, 

 which could be secured, if the animals were so improved, as to bring 

 the small additional sums set down in the fifth column of the table. 

 The additions aggregate almost |17,()00,000. 



Viewed as a purely business proposition, the State cannot do 

 better than to supply the slight aid, that is necessary to bring about 

 this result. 



