COUNTY AND DISTRICT REPORTS. 273 



JAY COUNTY. 



The thirteenth annual fair of the Jay County Agricultural, Horticultural and 

 Industrial Joint Stock Company was held on the company's grounds near 

 Portland, September 30 and October 1, 2 and 3, 1884; and while the exhibits and 

 attendance were n0t quite as large as last year, yet the fair was a decided success 

 financially and in interest. It has always been the custom of our society to 

 hold its fairs late in the season, and our experience is that we do not have as large 

 an attendance in presidential campaign years as in other years. The peo- 

 ple get worn out attending rallies before fair time. In addition to this, the 

 two opening days of the fair this year wei*e very rainy and disagreeable, which 

 was the worst drawback of all. The company has a beautiful fair grounds of 40 

 acres located just outside the corporation limits of the city of Portland. Twenty 

 acres are cleai-ed, and the race track is located thereon ; twenty acres are covered 

 with a beautiful grove, in which are located the halls, stalls, pens, etc. We are 

 justly proud of our grounds, and think there are none finer in the State. We 

 have some good buildings, and some that are old. We have a surplus in cash of 

 $1,290.64, and expect to spend about $1,000 of it in building new stalls and pens 

 before our next fair. In the thirteen years of the company's existence it has never 

 paid a dividend to the stockholders, although its fairs have been uniformly success- 

 ful, and, with one exception, have left a surplus over expenses. It has been the 

 policy of the company to expend all the earnings above expenses in additional 

 improvements on the grounds. The only return that the stockholders have on 

 their investment Ls a pass for themselves and their families to the fair. 



The exhibits this year were all good in their respective classes. Many of our 

 people exhibit regularly every year, and they are gradually improving the quality 

 of their exhibits^ Animals and articles that would have ranked well some years 

 ago, would hardly pass now. In this way our people are being educated up to a 

 higher standard of excellence. The show of horses this year was good, several 

 imported ones being among the number. The feeling here seems to be in favor of the 

 Clydesdales for draft, as no other imported draft hort-es are yet owned in the county. 

 Of horses for light harness and general uses there was a very creditable number. 

 In the Cattle Department there was a fine exhibition. Wm. Sharp, of Kichmond, 

 Ind., and Wm. T. Bartlett, of Albany, Ind., each had an excellent herd of Short- 

 horns on exhibition, but the sweepstakes on Shorthorn bull was carried by C. C. 

 Watson, a local exhibitor. There was a fair show of Jerseys. The fancy with 

 our people seems to be for Shorthorns and Jerseys, but within the past year the 

 Holsteins have begun to appear among us, and promise to divide the honors. Of 

 sheep there was a fair number of entries and a very good display. Our society 

 requires a pen of three ewes to show for each premium offered on ewes, in all the 

 ages and classes, and this brings out a l;u-ge number of sheep. 



The f-how of hogs was good, being confined to the Poland China, Berkt^hire, and 

 Suffolk breeds. 



The display of poultry was very fair, and was divided among a large number 

 of exhibitors. The Mechanical Department was well filled. 



18 — AORICULTtTRE. 



