COUNTY AND DISTBICT REPORTS. 291 



with many, greater economy has been practiced — a little curtailing of expenses 

 from luxuries to mere necessities. Perhaps in the end this may be all for the best, 

 as it will teach us to estimate the true value of our money. 



E. S. Beach, 



Secretary. 



PUTNAM COUNTY. 



Formerly we had the heaviest timber of the State, and the marketable quality 

 of our oak and walnut places us at the head of the list in this respect. Stone of 

 first quality for building and lime is abundant, and quarried extensively at Oakalla, 

 Putnamville and Limedale. 



Wheat and corn are the leading crops, though timothy is profitably grown. 

 Clover is widely sown, but valued chiefly as a fertilizer. 



Attention is being turned to tiling, and the results are, increase in quantity 

 and quality of grains. 



Our blue grass is unsurpa-^sed, hence cattle raising is one of the leading indus- 

 tries, and success crowns the labor. 



Not so many hogs, as in former years, are found in this county, owing to cholera. 



Sheep, once so favorable. with our farmers, h»ve fallen into disrepute on account 

 of the dogs. If the law made each dog, when off his ownei-'s premises, an outlaw, 

 and justified any one in killing him, good would result therefrom. 



The south and east part of the county seems best adapted to fruit, but the 

 severe winters, together with the unrelenting borer, has sadly depleted our older 

 orchards. 



With the scarcity of gravel our roads have not kept pace with the times, but 

 under the free gravel road act the abundance of stone is being utilized in building 

 macadamized roads, and we have now some one hundred miles of free pike roads; 

 also, some sixty miles of toll roads. 



Our county is well provided with schools and churches. Farmers are taking 

 great interest in beautifying their homes; also, the large number of comfortable 

 and, in many instances, elegant residences which have been built within the last 

 two years speak louder than words the profitableness of our farming. Their intel- 

 ligence is witnessed by the use of the best improved machinery, thus acquiring 

 leisure for mental improvement, better fitting them for the higher plane on which 

 the agriculturalist stands to-day ; also, removing much of the drudgery which 

 burdened the life of the primitive farmer boy. 



Facilities for transportation are exceptionally good, having three railroads 

 crossing from east to west, and one from north to south. 



The rail or worm fence still predominates, hedge and wire generally meeting 

 with disapproval. 



There was harvested the past year about 42,000 acres of wheat, but the quality 

 was not up to the standard nor the yield so large as common. About the same 

 number of acres of corn planted, which made a very good yield. Oats was a 



