COUNTY AND DISTRICT REPORTS. 255 



falls lie at our door, affording market for all our products. Also the beet fruit lo- 

 cations in the State are found here, especially for peaches, strawberries and rasp- 

 berries. The climate is as mild as any in this latitude, and crops are as certain 

 as in any location in the State. From the varied quality of our soil, and the 

 range in prices, our near proximity to good markets, the healthful ness of location, 

 and »ur manufactories, there is no reason why Clark county should not be the be.st 

 for agriculture in Southern Indiana. So we say to any who wish to come among 

 OS that they need not fear; if they come with industrious hands and a good stock 

 of perseverence, they will be successful. 



Dennis F. Wille\, 



Secretary. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



Owing to the destruction of our buildings and fences, by a storm, we were un- 

 able to hold our annual fair last year. Our old ofDcefs were continued over. (See 

 table of ofBcei's following reports.) 



Our next fair will be held August 31 to September 5, 1885. Every efiort will 

 be made to have a successful exhibition. 



Our farmei-s have done well the past year compared with other industries. 

 Wheat averaged two-thirds of a crop, corn above an average, oats much above an 

 average, small fruits a full crop, large fruits almost an entire failure. A steady 

 improvement in the farms of thLs county is noticeable. New and better breeds of 

 hogs, sheep and cattle are being introduced 



An interest has at last been awakened among our people on the subject of good 

 roads — they are now most wretchedly bad — and we hope to be able in our next 

 report to chronicle the buildiug of one or more gravel roads. 



The bane of our agricultural interests in the past has been the fact of our 

 county being underlaid with valuable fields of coal. Nearly every other farmer 

 contented himself with eking out an existence in the expectation of realizing a 

 fortone from the royalty on his coal. These expectations were only realized by a 

 very small number, and the majority at least awakened to the fact that their real 

 interests lay in the development of the surface, and this has been made apparent 

 by the improvement of farms, land being cleared up, swamps drained, buildings 

 erected, and the hum of improved agricultural machinery has been heard in all 

 parts of the county. 



D. W. Brattin, 



Secretary. 



