308 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



fair. Mechanical hall was well filled with a fair representation of the labor-sav* 

 ing machinerj' of the day. But the people could not come through the rain to see 

 our exhibits and we had gone to a great expense in fitting up our grounds, and be- 

 lieving that the future success of a fair is to pay all premiums in full, we came out 

 badly in debt; but we are going to make an effort to come out successful in 1885, 

 believing agricultural fairs are of great benefit to the farming community in the 

 way of improving agriculture, live stock, etc. 



The crops in our district are composed chiefly of corn, wheat, oats, potatoes 

 timothy and clover. On account of the dry season corn on the upland wa« short; 

 black ground up to an average; those that followed a clover crop with corn re- 

 ceived a good yield of number one corn. The farmers are turning their attention 

 more to clover as a fertilizer than they did some years ago; they find it pays a large 

 per cent. Wheat crop averaged about eighteen bushel per acre with the grain good. 

 Our principal varieties are the Fultz and Fledges' Prolific; our section is not both- 

 ered with the fly to a very great extent ; timothy good ; clover good and those that 

 cut their crop for feed harvested it in good shape. Potatoes an average. Oats 

 good. Stock raising consists mostly of hogs, farmers believing it pays better to 

 make pork out of their corn than to haul it to market. Very few beef cattle 

 raised in this section. Not many sheep ; our ground is too level for them to do well 

 OD. Stock running at large is almost abolished, which to my opinion is a great im- 

 provement over tjie way of every one's stock running on the common pasture. In 

 the way of fencing, the farmers are beginning to economize; in way of saving their 

 timber, some are using barbed wire and some are growing hedges. 



Our public roads are most all graveled, but a great many of our county roads 

 are in the springtime almost impassable. There is considerable underdraining in 

 our district, some have their farms thoroughly underdrained and find that it pays 

 a large per cent, on the capital invested. 



Improvements in the way of buildings are up to an average. We feel that the 

 time is not far distant when ours will be one of the finest farming districts in the 

 State. 



G. A. Stanton, 



Secretary. 



BRIDGETON UNION. 



The Bridgeton Union Agricultural Society held their twenty-third annual fair 

 at Bridgeton, Parke county, commencing August the 25th, and closing the 30th. 

 The show in all of the departments was good, with the exception of Shorthorn 

 cattle, which was not what it ought to have been. The show of Jerseys was good. 

 The weather the first of the week was very unfavorable. From that cause, and 

 there being a large circus show on each side of us on Thursday and Friday, the 

 main days of our fair, the receipts were not as laige as they would otherwise 

 have been. The society paid all expenses and 75 per cent on a liberal premium 

 list. The condition of the agricultural and live stock interest of the district is 



