274 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



While the agricultural and horticultural exhibits were good, they were hardlj 

 up to former years in some thing?, the long drought during the summer and fall, 

 having retarded the growth of many vegetables. Of fancy articles and culinary 

 preparations there was seemingly no end, the competition being very spirited. 

 Floral Hall was filled to overflowing. The trotting and pacing races were up to 

 the average, and seemed to he very attractive to a large portion of the crowd. The 

 best of order prevailed, and it was frequently remarked that we never had so civil 

 a crowd before. Not a single arrest was made. Games of chance were admitted, 

 but the feeling of our people generally is that they should be kept out, and we ex- 

 pect to honor that feeling next year. 



The year 1884 has been a prosperous one for the farmers of Jay county in so far 

 as the crops raised were concerned, but the depression in prices ha-s made it dis- 

 couraging to those* who depended upon the sale of their crops to raise money to 

 meet obligations and expenses. The wheat crop -was good, and of excellent qual- 

 ity. The corn was good, except on high ground, and was well ripened. Oats were 

 short on account of the extremely dry weather. Potatoes not over two- thirds of a 

 crop, for .'same reason, but what were raised were of good size and of excellent 

 quality. Hay was up to the average and was saved in tine condition, there being 

 but little rain during the haying season. 



Our lands in this county are specially adapted to grass, and hay and cattle are 

 among our ranking interests. Sheep would be largely raised, if the dogs were all 

 dead. The dog law does not bring enough revenue to pay for the sheep killed, and 

 in this township alone the fund is over fifteen hundred dollars behind the claims 

 for losses. 



Corn is our next best crop after grass, and consequently many hogs are raised. 

 Wheat comes next, and in addition to home consumption we export large quanti- 

 ties of it. But few oats are raised for shipment, about all being fed at home. 

 Barley and rye do well, but are not much raised. 



Potatoes generally do well, and some years many car loads are shipped out to 

 find a market. Flax has formerly been largely raised in this county, but for the 

 last two or three yeai-s it has not been profitable, and farmers are giving it up. 

 Apples and pears do well, but peaches and cherries are not profitable with us. The 

 cold winter, a few years ago, greatly injured our orchards, many being killed out- 

 right, and trees planted since have not yet come into bearing. Among the small 

 fruits, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries do well, but currants and goose- 

 berries have been a failure for some years, on account of the worms. Our farmers 

 are rapidly replacing their old buildings with new and stylish ones, and the old 

 log houses are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The lands are being speedily 

 drained under the present ditch law. A majority of the streams of the county 

 are being straightened out and opened up, making good outlets for the tile ditches, 

 and before many years all the streams will be so ditched. Tile ditches are boom- 

 ing. There are twenty-two tile factories in the county, and they are unable to 

 supply the demand for drain tiles. 



No attention is paid to timber culture, as nearly fifty per cent, of our lands are 

 yet covered with a heavy growth of forest timber. Nearly all of this timber land 

 is fenced and a great deal of it under-brushed and sown to grass. 



