578 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



LA.GRANGE COUNTY. 



The Lagrange County Agricultural Society held its thirty-second annual exhi- 

 bition on the fair grounds at Lagrange, on September 24 to 27, 1 884, inclusive. 

 The number of entries were larger than usual, and the exhibition of stock and 

 article? competing for premiums was unusually good, e.specially of horses, cattle, 

 sheei) and hogs. 



Wool growing is one of the specialties of the farmers of this county. Quite a 

 number make a business of raising, buying and feeding sheep for the eastern mar- 

 Jcets, and some of our best farmers are now feeding flocks of five hundred each. 

 Thousands of sheep are annually shipped from this county to the eastern market?. 



The exhibition of poultry at our last fair deserves special mention. The entries 

 in this department were large, and the fowls presented were of the finest and best 

 breeds. 



Owing to the drought during the summer the exhibition of agricultural prod- 

 ucts was not large, but the specimens were very good. Wheat, corn, oats and grass 

 are the leading products of the soil in this county. The wheat crop of 1884 was a 

 fair average crop, the yield being about eighteen bushels per acre, as estimated by 

 our best farmers. The corn crop, in consequence of the drought during the months 

 of July, August and September, was below the average. The yield of oats was 

 good. There was also a very good yield of grass, and, the weather being very fair, 

 an unu.sual amount of good hay was made, undoudtedly, the greatest number of 

 tons ever produced in one year by the county. 



The exhibition in Floral Hall, con^'isting of textile fabrics, fine arts, ttc, was 

 very good. In the Horticultural Department the exhibition was small — the fruit 

 crop being a partial failure. The usual amount of agricultural implements was 

 on exhibition. 



Financially, the exhibition of the vSociety wa^ a partial failure, as it was not 

 attended by many people aside from tlie exhibitors. It seems that the people had 

 spent their surplus change attending the grand rallies during the political cam- 

 paign, and had none to spare for the fair. The weather was very unfavorable 

 during the exhibition. 



Isaiah Piatt, 



Secretary. 



LAKE COUNTY. 



The twenty-sixth annual fair was held at the fair grounds in Crown Point' 

 on the 7th, 8th, 9th, lOth and 11th days of October, 1884. The fir.st day was so 

 wet and unfavorable that few entries were made, but the days following were fine, 

 and our people, from all parts of the county, patronized the fair so liberally that 

 the attendance exceeded any previous fair. The total receipts were $1,887.54. 

 Premiums paid, $I,2()1.00. Total expenses, $396.74, leaving a balance on hand of 

 over $300. Financially it has been a success, but we think that it is a great risk 



