STATE REPORTS OF AGRICULTURE. 497 
There are ninety-seven cheese factories reported in thirteen counties, 
chiefly on the Reserve. As an evidence of the prosperity of dairymen, 
it is mentioned that in one township on the Reserve nine-tenths of the 
income tax is paid by them, although they occupy less than half the 
land. Their profits are also more certain and uniform than in other 
branches of agricultuze. If a severe drought decreases the yield of milk, 
italsoenhanees the price; and the difference between the product of cheese 
in the best and in the poorest season is nowhere so>great as in the 
_ case of grain, where one sometimes fails to realize the cost of seed and 
labor. The profits of dairying may be largely increased also by improv- 
ing the stock, and breeding with special reference to milking “qualiniee 
The reports of the County societies are generally encouraging. Sev- 
eral new kinds of wheat and oats have been distributed by the ‘Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, of which the Tappaharnnock wheat ‘is considered 
earlier than any other variety. One quart sent to an intelligent farmer 
in Auglaize County, a few years since, had increased to about two bun- 
dred bushels the past season, and was all sold at a good price. From one 
quart of oats distributed by the Department, Mr. “Kinney, of the board 
of managers of the Wayne County Society, raised one hundred and 
seventy pounds. 
Horses of Canadian, English, French, and Norman breeds are raised 
in several Counties for the Eastern markets. Assessors’ returns show 
an aggregate of over 700,000 horses in the State, and but 22,057 mules. 
The apple crop in Lorain County was considered worth more than 
half a million of dollars last year, upwards of 80,000 barrels having 
been shipped. For thelast two years blight and insects have committed 
great ravages. It is estimated that this County alone loses $50,000 an- 
nually by insects, and it is proposed to introduce the English sparrow 
extensively to destroy the insects and their larve. There are about two 
hundred and fifty acres devoted to vineyards in this County, from*which 
were sold about two hundred and fifty tons of grapes, which brought 
the producer an average of 6 cents a poand; about 3,000 gallons of 
wine were also made. The rot and mildew are ‘becomin g ‘troublesome. 
Mr. J. M. Allen says that the annual production of flax-seed in this 
country in 1850, as shown by the census, was 562,000 bushels, and in 
1860 it was 611,000 bushels, an. increase of only about 50,000 bushels in 
that decadg—a period when the manufacture of tow from tangled flax- 
straw was almost entirely unknown; while, with the subsequent intro- 
duction of flax machinery, the yearly product is now believed to amount 
to not less than 2,500,000 bushels. The flax crop of last year was 
equivalent to 75,000,000 pounds of fiber. The average product of seed 
throughout the State is six and one-third bushels per acre, with five 
hundred to eight hundred pounds of straw. Compared with grain 
crops, flax in many localities is a much better crop for farmers. [f all 
the fiber were worked up into bagging it would cover a cotton crop of 
3,000,000 bales. Hence, Mr. Allen coneludes that flax husbandry, 
having become an important braneh of agricultural industry throughout 
the Northwest, with much capital directed to its development, should 
be sustained by the Government against the inferior foreign jute bagging 
now being urged upon the cotton raisers, and which will drive our ‘linen 
bagging from the market should tariff protection be withdrawn. It is 
stated that the tensile strength of flax is double that of Hast India jute. 
Not one-fifth of the American flax fiber has yet been utilized, although 
there are fourteen mills in the West engaged in making gunny bags and 
bagging for cotton, 
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