COUNTY AND DISTRICT REPORTS. 267 



HENRY COUNTY. 



Henry county may not be the best, but it is certainly one among the best coun- 

 ties in the State. It is about 20 miles square, and contains over 250,000 acres, most 

 of which is a very fertile soil. There is but little land in^the county not suscepti- 

 ble of tillage. From this fact, perhaps, as much as because of its value in the 

 markets, has the disappearance of ths once heavy growth of ^timber been so rapidly 

 brought about, until the present timber area is less than one-fifth of the county. 

 Black rich loam susceptible of a high cultivation largely predominates. 



There are no large streams, but several of medium size and numerous smaller 

 ones, and, with perhaps two exceptions, the land along these streams is tillable 

 almost to the water's edge. Some of these streams aflbrd excellent water power, 

 especially in the southern part of the county. Many of these sites could be prof- 

 itably used for manufacturing. 



There are over 100 miles of railway so traversing the county that no town or 

 village', community or neighborhood is to exceed four or six miles from a railway 

 station or a grain market. 



No county in the State, perhaps, can boast of better roads, the principal ones 

 being toll roads. Gravel is plenty in most parts of the county. Our people like 

 the present road law The improved machinery for grading highways so much 

 facilitates road working that almost miles of pike ai-e now made with the same 

 labor, time and expense formerly required and expended in filling a few " mud 

 holes." 



New Caatle, the county seat, is beautifully located on the east bank of Blue 

 river, at the crossing of the Indiana, Bloomington & Western, the Panhandle, and 

 the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville railroads, 44 miles east of Indianapolis. 

 It has a population of 3,000 or moi-e, and is furnished with excellent public build- 

 ings, and good churches and schools. Its location is high, and iis drainage excel- 

 lent. In the ( haracter of its mercantile buildings it is not excelled and is seldom 

 equaled by any of the towns of its class, while many of its private residences 

 would do honor to any. In its superior railroad facilities it offers special induce- 

 ments to manufacturers and to shippers, and is destined to become a considerable 

 manufacturing center. As a distributing point it is not excelled. 



The products of the county consist of corn, wheat and oats principally, with 

 suflScient of the oihsr staples to supply the local demand. 



This part of the State sufiered, this year, in many respects, because of the ex- 

 tremely dry summer and fall. Wheat Wiis not an average yield, yet the quality 

 was excellent. The drouth reduced the corn yield fully 50 per cent.; and for the 

 same cause the summer and fall pastures were cut short. The oldest inhabitants 

 do not recall a much dryer season. 



Grazing in this county is limited, yet there are good sales of cattle. 



There are some half dozen tile manufacturers in the county, and all report an 

 increased demand for tile. Farmers are now draining lands which, a few years 

 ago, they did not class or consider as wet, or as needing draining, and farmers are 

 learning the value of putting tile deep in the ground. 



