Hanover Township (part 6 of 29)

As the very choicest land of a. farm has to be used for growing tobacco - as if is an exacting crop (not only upon the land, but upon those who work it. and who worm the plants) - as the product lias u> lie hou.-cd and handled, stemmed, and prepared tor market in a most careful manner, by those who have pnuheal experience in it.- management - as the crop is precarious and me - r- tain, and the price which it commands is exceedingly j fluctuating - we are happy to know that many of the ; farmers of this county, who were beguiled by its tempt- 1 iug but false promise of gain, have entirely abandoned its cultivation. The losses which some of our farmers ! have sustained by reason of their devotion to the weed ! have sadly modified their admiration of its money- producing qualities. We have no commiseration for those who have sustained losses. On the contrary, v.e rather rejoice that something has occurred to induce them to j withdraw from the pursuit of a business which at no j time and in no manner has promoted the happiness or well-being of a single consumer, but which, on the con- | trary, has strongly tended to injure, mentally and physically, all who permitted themselves to he brought within its baneful and destructive influence.

In addition to the foregoing statements relating to the past and present condition of many important branches connected with the agriculture of Butler County, it will not be inappropriate briefly to make reference to other products which deserve attention, and which constitute a part of our productive wealth.

With us, as yet, fruit culture has not received merited attention. As a substantial element of food for many - as a valuable agent in preserving and promoting good health - and as a luxury which all classes may enjoy with a zest and a relish unknown to the non-producer, good fruit, upon the firm or in the garden, may be justly regarded as the best indication that the agriculturist or and himself, while he has been considerate in looking to the sure and liberal pecuniary reward which will follow the labors of the careful, industrious, and intelligent cultivator. The growing of fruits is not only an attractive pursuit iu which men become intensely enthusiastic, but it. is profitable employment. Hence, under favorable circumstances, every desirable point for raising fruit should be speedily and thoroughly improved.

The orchard culture of apples is improving regularly; while the orchard culture of peaches and pears is making mpid progress. Some exceedingly eligible localities in var cus parts of the comity have already been well improved by the establishment of large peach orchards.

hie of these localities, on the west side of the Miami Hirer, near Middletown, has attained a creditable uotoriety as a valuable fruit producing point, from which extensive crops of peaches have been profitably shipped. Jts location is exceedingly favorable as a shipping point. 1' ruit designed for the North may he taken in the morning "'"in 1 1 io trees, and properly boxed and delivered at the d> pot in time for the moruiug express train from Cin- ' imiati. Thus fresh fruit may be lauded iu Toledo, tr. .it, Chicago, Cleveland, or Buffalo, and intermediate p ants within from six to twelve hours of the time the Cnit was taken from the tree.

fruits is receiving increased attention. Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, currants, and gooseberries are being disseminated more thoroughly throughout the county. Amateurs, gardeners, and farmers tire vying with each other for prominence in their cultivation.

Grapes are receiving increased attention. All the more modern and all the esteemed varieties are receiving proper culture in the vineyard as well as in the garden of the amateur.

Vegetable gardening for the supply of the markets has increased with unusual rapidity. The same is true of the country. Farmers everywhere are giving more time and labor to the cultivation of their own fruit and vegetable gardens. They arc manifesting a becoming and an increasing regard for the comforts of their family, by supplying them with the fruits and garden products that constitute to so great an extent the substantial* and luxuries of life.

Superadded to these productions, our farmer* are giving more and more attention to the cultivation of sweet potatoes, and the field culture of pumpkins, turnips, beans, etc. All these things, concerning which we have no statistics, constitute in the aggregate a valuable item in making up a full statement of the entire agricultural products of this county.

The domestic animals of the county now claim special attention, that their qualities, their numbers, their value, and the state of improvement which they have undergone or are now undergoing, may be fully given and understood. And first of the horses. For their general good qualities they are not surpassed by thosotfof anv other county in the State. In size, symmetry, fine style,

| who take a prid'1 in having fine horses - they are deserv- : iug of high commendation. Good judgment and fine taste have secured to us our present stock of horses, which is the result of judicious and long-continued erossi ings with the best thoroughbred horses to bo found among ns. Horses, either thoroughbred or of esteemed high blood, have, been so long used for improvement as to justify one of the most experienced and best informed breeders of Ohio iu saying that " there is a large infusion of thoroughbred blood iu our stock of horses/' The history of our improvements iu horses will verify the truth of his statement.

As early as about 1816, a very superior horse, called " Shakespeare," was brought iuto the county, from New Jersey. Ho was a horse of fine size and appearance, and proved to be a horse of high quality as a breeder. He was extensively used as a breeding horse, and the improvement in the size and substantial character of his descendants was very marked. No higher eommeudacion f<>r a horse, thirty years ago, could be given, than t > say ho was a '"Shakespeare."

About the same time, a horse which acquired a great notoriety iu the county, called " Badger," was introduced to the attention of our farmers. This horse was also a colt of "Valerius," and consequently a half-brother of "Shakespeare." Both had more than one-half thoroughbred blood in their veins, and both were extensively used as breeders, and the. result was a marked and decided improvement in the size and general good qualities of our stock of horses. The "Badger" stock stood preeminent, as spirited, active, and fleet travelers, with surprising powers of endurance. The writer recollects most marvelous stories which were told fifty years ago of the facility with which this strain of horses could carry men eight and ten miles per hour, under the saddle, without exhibiting signs of distress. These horses, and the numerous " Young Shakespeures " and "Young Badgers," which did not discredit their illustrious sires, prepared the way for further improvements, which were made through the introduction of other horses of good quality and high blood. Among these we are enabled to name "Kirkland" and "Miami Chief," both thoroughbred horses, "Flag of Truce," "Defiance," and other horses of - other like good qualities.

About 1831, a fresh impetus was given to the improvement of our horse stock by the introduction into our county of the fine horse "Cadmus." He was a colt of "American Eclipse," out of " Di Vernon," by Ball's " Florizel," and consequently a horse of unsurpassed breeding qualities. He became the sire of a large number of popular stallions, and of many fine breeding mares. Among the number of his colts was a stallion called " Sheppard's Cadmus," the sire, of the unequaled " Pocahontas," who was described by Frank Forester as " one of the most superb, most sumptuous of animals, as well as the fastest of the day."

Subsequently, a horse called "American Boy" was t 'ought from Monmouth County, Yew Jersey. He had a large infusion of good blood iu his veins, from such noted horses as " Seagull," "Imported Expedition," and "Imported Royalist." This horse produced much valuable stock, among which may he mentioned " Belmont," "American Boy, Jr.," and these in turn had their descendants, also much esteemed.

The original stock of our improved horses, which were at an early day brought into this part of trie State, came from Yew Jersey, Long Island, Virginia, and Maryland. Tlicir get constituted the ba.-e upon which subsequent improvements have been made. And iu addition to the strains of horses, and particular horses above Avon, it is proper to state that many other horses of good qualities have been used by our breeders. Among these \vc can give the names of "Orphan Boy," "Comet," "Miami Chief," " Friendly Tiger," "Top Gallant," " Young Cadnuts" (by "Cadmus," and dam by "Sumpter"), "Bell

Founder," "Archie," " Lightfoot," " Mambriao," "Vic j tor," " Highlander." and " Perfection. ' Others of equal } merit, whose names are not readily called to mind, have ] had their part in the improvement of our stock. c

We have not relied alone upon our own stock. That ! which has been introduced into neighboring counties lias * been used, and its improving influence is manifest. One f rated our stock by using what Dr. Clemens styles the ] "Morgans of to-day," and what he describes as stock j "not suited for any thing, badly gotten up, and bogus."

Statement Of The Number And Value Of Horses Fop. The Yea Bs

It will be seen, by reference to the foregoing table, that the number of horses in this count)- for the last thirty five years has undergone but a ven slight change. Their average price, however, lias undergone very decided fluctuations. The average value of horses, as returned for taxation iu 1847 was 838.04. The average value in 18G6 was 883.39, an increase of about 109 per cent, a decided change iu twenty years The decrease in the value of horses as returned in 1802 was violent and excessive, resulting from the apprehensions of all classes that the effects of the rebellion would he to destroy the value of all of our property. The mistaken views of all were soon made apparent, and the result is that in 1886 the value of horses per head had increased in four r ears from 851.04 to 883.39, being an increase of 63 per cent The average value for 1865 and 1866 of the- horses of Butler County was 883.50 per head. That is a higher average than was attained in those years by any county in the State, save the county of Hamilton. Yot withstanding the many line single, horses, and fane) H atched i horses of great value, owned in the cities of Dayton, ( \>1- i umhiis, Toledo, ami Cleveland, the averages iu their re- ! spective counties did not equal the average value of the I horses in this county. T his fact conclusively susfuius the assertion that we very confidently made, that in the blood, [ size, fine style, symmetry of form, and enduring- qualities | cf the horses of this county, we are not excelled. With j this confident expression of our opinion we conclude what we have deemed it proper to say upon this division of our report.

Mules, by consanguinity, and the uses to which they are applied, rather than by numbers or value, next claim our attention. They have never been received with favor by our farmers. Their appearance was not prepossessing, and a strong repugnauce to permit any uncomely mongrel to supersede the noble horse has seriously interfered with their introduction into this county. They were, therefore, slow in gaining a foothold among us. Now they have some first friends who regard them as indispensable helpmates in the work of the farm - as reliable and enduring slaves, and as profitable stock to raise and feed for market. The slow progress of tlreir introduction, and their numbers and value, will be seen by the following table :

Cattle. - The quality of the cattle of this county d ,es not compare favorably with the quality of the horses, the sheep, or the hogs. The infusion of improved blood, by crosses of our common cattle with other breeds, has not made much progress. More attention to this important branch of good farming has been given \ itliin the last ten years than during the twenty preceding years. Although men can be impressed with the fact that the 'alue of our stock would l>e enhanced in four years fifty 1*t cent by judicious crossing with the finer breeds of tie, yet there seams to exist an inveterate repugnance "ii the part of some who are abundantly able to expend money for the accomplishment of so great au improvement. There are some who appreciate good stock, and "ho feel the importance of setting a good example before th"S(* who, from obstinate prejudices and selfish hut short- views, are unwilling even to promote their own interests. Progress has been made in the right direction, 'md sooner or later we shall have good cattle in alumdance. The breeds which have received attention from our farmers are Shorthorn Durhams, Devons, and Ayrshires. The former breed has been more extensively used for crossing than both the others. Devons have been purchased by some under the singular delusion that they stand pre-eminent as a breed of cattle for milk. Those who so highly commend the Devon for their milking properties would most likely disparage the Ayrshire cow as a good milker. Crosses, however, with Devons, even if made under mistaken views, will accomplish good results, and may induce our farmers to consider the propriety of making further experiments in crossing and im-- proving their stock, even at the cost of a few dollars, well invested.

As it will be seen, by examination of a table hereafter given, our stock of cattle has been fearfully reduced in numbers within the last score of years. In 1855 we had 20,914 head of cattle, while now our numbers have been very iin providently reduced to 16,519. This is an actual reduction of twenty per cent in twenty-six years. This great falling off has very unwisely been permitted to take place, notwithstanding the increase of our own immediate population and the exceedingly rapid increase of Cincinnati aud of all the principal cities in the country, which are constantly making greater demands upon farmers for beef. The numbers of our cattle should at least grow with the increase of our population. But it has not been, so with us.

The above reduction is not only injudicious and improvident, but, if correspondingly continued, will tend to the serious impoverishment of our soil, and must reduce our position from a fust-class producing county to one of the second class. The high prices which meats of every kind have commanded has unwittingly induced our farmers to sell not only their aged cattle, but their calves. They have not ouiy parted with the goldeu egg, but they have foolishly sold the hen that laid it. The places of the aged cattle made into beef have not been filled hv younger stock raised upou the farm. On the contrary, a shortsighted and avaricious policy has induced manv to destroy their capital by selling oil all their calves for veal, instead of bestowing upon them extra care to make them more than fill the places of those previously and prooerlv sold.

As a general rule, every good system of mixed husbandry, in order to he profitable and promotive of the permanent productiveness of the soil, should he based upon tire amount of manures that may !>e relied upon from the domestic animals maintained upou the farm. No arbitrary rule as to the number to be kept can he definitely fixed. All such rules would be liable to frequent modifications, depending upou the character of the soil, the climate, the grains grown, the grasses pivdur 1. and numerous other important considerations. Besides, temporary circumstances might, for a brief season, jiwdtV a d( parturc from any well-considered rule which mav have proved to Iv generally correct.

Id this climate, with our highly productive soil, alike suitable for grains and grasses, it can not be unsafe to proscribe, as a general rule, that the number of our domestic'auimals should bear that proportion to our population which is found to be wise and appropriate in foreign countries less productive than ours, which proportion to population may be modified by the extent of area upon which such populations, respectively, may be found to exist.

Let us see, therefore, what proportion the cattle of other countries bear to their population, and what proportion they bear to the aggregate number of acres in such countries, so far as we can find the necessary data for giving the proportion.

The number of marauding cattle found upon the public roads has sensibly decreased. The law upon that subject has had a salutary effect, not only in restraining the wayward footsteps of famished cattle, but in educating their owners to a higher sense of their obligations to their neighbors. Yet there are sore-liead.s who have not yet become reconciled to the necessity of caring for the property, the rights, or the comfort of others.

. As our population is much less dense In Ohio than in the above-named foreign countries, and our ability to feed stock is far superior to their ability, it is apparent that our cattle in Ohio are not so numerous as they should be. The proportion of cattle to population in Butler County, as it existed in 18&5, was no better, all things being considered, than that above given for Ohio. The present exhibit, therefore, for Butler County, is re. prehensihly low. Our number of cattle ought to be speedily increased, for our credit as well as our profit.

If we rightly estimate our productive ability to sustain a large amount of stock, the great and increasing demand at remunerative prices for cattle In every condition, and their value in providing the most reliable means for maintaining the fertility of our soil, we can not hesitate to come to the conclusion that Ohio, as well as Butler County, has been 'pursuing an unwise policy in not maintaining and increasing her stock, not only in number hut in quality. The population of Butler County was, in 1855, 33,301, and is now 42,580; and yet while this increase of population of 9,289 has taken place, our cattle have decreased from 20.914 to 16,519. We should resolve speedily to regain our former position, and then put forth new energies to make our county one of the best counties in the West for the production of beef and milk.

No carefully conducted experiments have been made to determine the must economical mode of raiding and fattening stock. The general custom of bestowing as little attention upon the stock of the farm a possible often prevails. We have, however, many exceptions, where intelligent and well-directed, efforts are given to

The breeding and fattening of hogs is an important branch of the business of farming as conducted in this county. No county in the United States of equal area has produced so many hogs of a superior quality as the county of Butler. The breed which is here so highly esteemed is the result of careful and judicious selection, conducted by the best breeders in this county and the adjoining county of Warren, lor the last fifty years.

The precise history of the method adopted to produce this popular breed of hogs can not he given as fully and as reliably as its present value and importance demand. The best information of a reliable character which can be obtained gives us to understand that as early as about 1820 some hogs of an improved breed were obtained and crossed upon the then prevailing stock of the county. Among the supposed improved breeds of hogs there were the Poland and Bycfield. They are represented as being exceedingly large hogs, of great length, coarse bone, and deficient in fattening properties. Subsequently more desirable qualities were sought for, and the stock produced by the crosses with Poland, Bycfield, and other breeds underwent very valuable modifications by being bred with an esteemed brood of hogs then becoming known, and which were called the Big China. I'liev possess* >1 imp (riant qualities in which the other breeds were sadlv deficient. At a later period Mr. William Netf, of Cilicia- uati, au extensive pork-packer, and fond of fine cattle and fiogs. made some importations of flue stock from England. Among them were some Irish Graziers. They were white in color, of fair size, fine in the hone, and possessing admirable fattening properties. Berkshires, about the same time, were attracting much attention, and both breeds were freely crossed with the then existing stock of the county. The result of these crosses was highly advantageous in the formation of a hog of the most desirable qualities. The Berkshires had obtained, with many breeders, great favor, while others objected to them because they thought them too short and too thick in the shoulder. Nevertheless the Berkshire blood was liberally infused into this stock of hogs, but in such a judicious manner as to obviate the objections urged against them, and to secure their conceded good qualities.

Since the formation period of this breed of hogs, as above stated, there have been no material or decided innovations upon the breed thus obtained. Breeders have carefully selected and judiciously bred from the best animals thus produced among us. Wherever defective points were apparent, they have been changed by careful breeding. There has been for many years no admixture of any other breed of hogs. This breed is now, and has for nearly fifty years been the stock predominant in this county. Breeders believe that they have a well-established breed of hogs, which is unsurpassed in the most desirable qualities of a good hog. This breed of hogs, although of comparatively recent origin, may be regarded as thoroughly and permanently established. They have been bred so long, and \yith such judgment and uniform success, that they may he confidently relied on as possessing such an identity and fixity of character as a distinct breed as to give assurance that they will certainly and unmistakably propagate and extend their good qualities.

For many years there was some diversity of opinion as to the proper name to be given to the popular and prevailing breed of swine. The subject was thoroughly < iscussed, and the name definitively and authoritatively determined by the action of the National Swine-breeders' Convention, held at Indianapolis in November, 187'2. That convention settled on the name Poland-China. The action of the convention has been almost univorsallv adopted by breeders throughout the country.

While we claim that Butler County has more good -mgs than any county in the State, yet we do not desire to do our neighbors any injustice by appropriating all the credit for this breed of hogs to ourselves.

Warren County assisted in the formation and establishment of this breed of hogs. They continue to raise diem in their purity and perfection, and take into the mar- C t as fine lots of hogs as have ever been raised and sold.

These hogs are usually kept over one Winter, and are sohl at aces ranging from eighteen to twenty -one months. Mr. David M. Ivlagie has made the following sales:

These are individual lots, among many which have been noticed a? remarkable for their high average. Although they have never been equaled, so tar as the public know, yet some may regard another kind of evidence as more conclusive. To such we submit the following facts, kindly furnished by .Mr, Chenowet-h, who, for many years, weighed the hogs packed by Jones & Co., at Middletown, in this county. The hogs there packed are mainly furnished by citizens of this county and A Warren County. The following table will explain itself:

The Season When Packed

These figures, which are obtained from unquestionable sources, must decide the superiority of our breed of hogs over all others. To produce such averages, the stock must be of the best quality, and then care and judgment in breeding must be practiced, and good attention given in raising and fattening.

The course -adopted in breeding, rearing, and fattening our h >gs, as practiced by our successful breeders, is very uniform indeed. Young sows are usually preferred for breeders. They and the Blur are carefully selected, so as to perpetuate {rood points and to avoid any that may be deemed either defective or unsatisfactory in their appearance. Breeders aim to have their pigs come between the 1st of March and the 15th of April. The sows, with their pigs, are carefully attended until weaning time, when they are duly separated, and the pigs are then abundantly supplied with slop and other feed, so as to prevent them from losing growth or flesh in consequence of their weaning. Whenever they attain sufficient age they are turned into clover, where they remain during the continuance of grass. .During the ensuing winter, they are kept in a thrifty growing condition. In May of the second year, they are turned into clover pasturage, where they remain until August or September. This Summer pasturing upon clover is deemed essential to the proper development and growth of the hog. They increase rapidly in size, 'and become in the best possible condition for receiving fat-producing food, which is given to them with care ami regularity until they are ready for market.

Some feeders deem it advisable to give the stock they propose to fatten a slop of meal or shorts during a part of August and September. Others rely upon nothing but corn, fed to them in the ear, or by " turning in " upon standing corn. This latter mode would seem to be a very slovenly and improvident manner of feeding' hogs. It is, however, not always so. When the weather is favorable there Ls economy of labor and no waste of grain in thus fattening Logs. If turned in early they consume a large portion of the stalks and all the corn. There is another reason in favor of feeding off corn by turning hogs early in the season upon the corn : The hogs take off but little from the laud, and it is, therefore, less exhausting to the soil than feeding the grain produced in any other way. To feed hogs thus in a wet season is very objectionable. Grain is lost, hogs do not thrive so well, and the land is very liable to become injured by compacting and baking.

As yet, no carefully conducted experiments have been made in this county to test, the advantages of cooking food for fattening hogs. Farmers estimate that it requires from eighteen to twenty-five bushels of dry corn to fatten each head of a fair lot of hogs. In two instances the experiment ot fattening hogs with corn boiled on the ear has been tried. One gentleman, some years ao'o, fattened some twenty-five head on boiled corn, and stated that he had done so by using about seven or eight bushels per head. Another gentleman claimed to have produced the same results by using half the usual quantity .of corn. There is but little question but what an immense saving would be effected by cookiug all our corn used for fattening purposes.

The prevalence of that fearful, and usually fatal disease, the hog cholera, has done its work with us as with others. It docs not prevail as extensively now as heretofore, nor is the disease as virulent. Farmers now watch the condition of their stock with more care than heretn- toiore. While there is uo reliable remedy known for j curing the disease, yet careful attention to the health and { growth of stock, and the use of some supposed prevent- I ives may be efficacious in staying the ravages of the dis- j ease, and saving us from great losses.

For the purpose of showing the capacity of Butler j County for raising hogs, and making pork for the market, ! the following statement is submitted, showing the number 1 and value of hogs assessed for taxation purposes :

This table shows the increase and decrease of numbers, i as well as their aggregate values, for the last thirty-six j years. It will be seen that the number of hogs reported j

27,886 in 1865. While our population was increasing at ! nearly the rate of 550 per annum, amounting in 11 years j to about 6,000, the number of hogs decreased in the j same time about 55 per cent. The variableness in price j has been remarkable. They were worth, in 1848, $1.52 I per head ; in 1855, $2.23; in 1863, $3; and in 1866, $$. j Sheep. - At a very early period in the agricultural j history of Butler County, John Roily, Daniel Millikin, J and possibly one or two others, strongly imbibed the I mania, which prevailed at that time, for raising Merino ] sheep. This variety of sheep was not generally introduced j among our farmers, owing to the high prices they then | commanded. They therefore constituted a vorv small j portion of the few sheep then in the county. "Common ! sheep," as they were called, were the predominant breed, j They possessed no very desirable quality, save that of a high capacity to endure excessive bad treatment. Their wool was coarse and hairy, and only suitable for the maun- i fueiure of such goods as wore denominated "home-spun." From the introduction of the Merinos, a few years j previous to 1820. some change in some localities was at'- : fee ted in the quality of the wool. A very tew appreciated the value of having a better grade of wool than that furnished by the common sheep, and hence the introduction of the Merino blood wa.- very limited indeed.

Subsequently new breeds of sheep .were sparingly in- | t roil need, and were received with greater favor. Some j Suithdowns were introduced as early as 1830, and sub- ; .mu i neatly Leicester.*, Cots wolds, and their crosses were ocrusionaliy seen. At this time we Lave creditable flocks of i " improved Spanish Merinos," of Southdowns, of Leicester*, and Cotswolds. Considering the little interest which had existed for many years in sheep husbandry, the present prospect for increased attention to that interesting and profitable branch of the farmer's business is very encouraging indeed. Our contiguity to the Cincinnati market, and the rapidly increasing consumption of choice mutton, which exceeds the increase of population, has induced many farmers to give more attention to raising sheep which are esteemed to be best for mutton, quality and - \uantity- considered. Here, as elsewhere, great difference of opinion exists as to the host breed of sheep for making mutton. Some prefer the Southdowns, while others prefer the larger breeds.

Those who prefer the Merino rely upon the superior quality and quantity of wool, claiming that for a given quantity of food they realize more money on their small sheep than can be made with the larger breeds. It is probably best that this diversity of opinion should prevail as to the relative value of the several breeds of j sheep. It excites more interest, and a rivalry' that is i neither unpleasant nor unprofitable, and thereby our manufacturers are furnished with a better variety of wool, and our markets are more abundantly supplied with muttou of au improved quality.

Iveceutly a new breed of sheep has been introduced, which attains a mammoth size, and which promises to be i a great addition to the stock of this county. It is known as the Oxfordshire Downs. /

The condition of sheep husbandry in this county can be seen by an examination of the following table, giving their number and value in the yrears named :

Yea Us

1861, and that their average values have fluctuated between 55 cents and 84,74 per bead. These extreme fluctuations, in numbers and in price, are not credible by those who have not bestowed immediate attention upon such questions. Precisely why such remarkable fluctuations have taken place, it would be difficult to determine to the satisfaction of many. Causes have existed which legitimately would tend to affect not only' the number but the price of sheep. Yet no adequate reason can be assigned for such extreme changes in numbers or price. The figures show that men have been influenced | in their movements as sheep are - the one follows the bell-wether, while the other regulates his business by' the movements of his neighbors. There has been nothing which should have produced these violent changes. Sheep husbandry, for the last fifteen years, has. upon an average, been as profitable as the ordinary business of the farm for the same period.

Present pecuniary profits should not be regarded as : the only motive which should influence the operations of | the careful and considerate farmer. The cleanliness of his farm, the preservation, if not the increased productive capacity, of his soil should not be lost sight of in deciding in what manner he should conduct his farming business. If experienced English farmers are content to fatten sheep for the butcher, only' asking the manure made as their clear profit, then surely our farmers ought to consider whether they will not be able to enrich their farms to so great an extent by feeding sheep that they will be content with a small profit for the grain and labor expended.

These comparisons show that we in Butler County are greatly behind in the number of sheep. Our population, our acreage, and our ability to raise and keep sheep, all suggest that we should give more attention to sheep husbandry, and should speedily' increase our flocks. If other countries, or other parts of )ur own State, less favorably situated, find it profitable to keep so large a number of sheep, surely tins county, in such proximity to Cincinnati, where good mutton always finds ready sale at a fair price, can find abundant warrant for increasing their flocks of sheep, and for improving tlicir quality.

Thus far no serious disease has prevailed among our sheep. They have been exempt from ailments of almost every kind. Their' only' enemy has neon found in the four thousand ravenous dogs which iulest the county, and which not only annoy and disturb the quietude of whole communities, but which do, annually, injuries exceeding in value all the dogs of the county one hundred fold.

Butter and cheese must n>»t be passed unnoticed. As to the latter article, neither the quantity made nor its quality give it any special clrdms upon our attention. We do not aim to make enough cheese for domestic use. The amount manufactured is consequently very inconsiderable,

Butter making, however, has grown to be an itnpor- | tant business. In no branch have we made greater im- | provements than in this domestic department. Formerly ,

| good butter was a rare commodity in our markets. Now \ they are pretty well supplied with a fair quality, in many cases a superior quality, of butter. Our housewives, in \ this department, as in most, others over which they have J special supervision, have made most commendable prog- | ress in improving the value of their products.

There are other topics connected with the agricultural interests of this county which most probably should have j received attention. In considering the multitude of rhe ; more important questions, they have been overlooked.

In conclusion, it affords us great pleasure in being able to bear favorable testimony to the general progress ! which has been made in the intellectual, moral, and social culture of our agricultural population. This improvement has been more general and more marked among females than among males. In substantial educational attainments, in moral culture, and in social ac- ] complishments, our young women of the county are far ; in advance of our young men. Even in the same fam- 1 ilies, the daughters have more refinement and more propriety of deportment than the sons. It is greatly to be

1 desired that there will be no abatement of effort .on the part of our young women to attain a high position, and that, by increased manly exertions, our young men may make more rapid progress, so that they may soon occupy a like honorable position in the good opinion of worthy men and women everywhere.

The Miami Canal

The navigation of the Miami River did not please our forefathers. They could go down the stream, but not i up, except with so much difficulty that it was practically never tried. Enlarging and digging out its bed was discussed for many years, as is related in a preceding chapter; but nothing ever came of the project. No canal of great size had been made in this country when the j idea was first entertained of uniting Lake Erie and the Ohio River bv digging a navigable channel from the cue to the other. But it was not long after the second war with Great Britain that New York began its surveys from the Hudson River, along the channel of the Mohawk, to the eastern extremity of Lake Erie, under the leadership of DeWitt Clinton. The result of the labors 1 of the surveyors of. this route was before the people of the world when, ou the 1 4 rh of Deeemher, 181'.), Governor Ethan Allen Brown, the chief magistrate of the State, incited bv the example set him by a long list of I worthies, from Christopher Colies and Eliakim W arson, down to the latest advocates of internal communication, sent a message to the Legislature of Ohio, in which he called their attention to the necessity of improving our highways of travel, and the importance of constructing canals.

His words did not fall ou unwilling ears. They were repeated year by year, and inquiries were made of those who had gained experience by the construction of these water-ways in New York, as well as of capitalists and money-lenders in the great commercial centers of the East. It was necessary not only to find out that canals were practicable, but that they would pay; and not only this, but that money enough could be borrowed bv the State in its corporate capacity to arrange for their construction.. All these questions were in the end answered satisfactorily.

Before making any recommendation on the subject, Mr. Brown had had an extended correspondence on the subject with DeWitt Clinton, then the head of the Board of Canal Commissioners of New York State. This was in 1816. In February, 1820, an act was passed by the Ohio Legislature appointing three commissioners to locate a route for a navigable canal between Lake Erie and the Ohio River, and providing for its location through the Congress lands, then lately purchased of the Indians. This act also proposed to ask of Congress a grant of one or two millions of acres of land. The enactment was not thoroughly carried into eflect by reason of seme failure to appoint commissioners or to have a suitable survey made.

In a communication sent by Governor Brown to the House of Representatives in the preceding month he treated at some length the idea of a canal through the two Miami valleys. In the valley of the A Lid River little more than excavation and a few locks would be required. Following down the route of the Great Miami no obstacle would be met with until the hills at Franklin were reached. Near Hamilton there was the choice of two routes - one bv the valiev of the Great Mi ami clown the stream, or the other following the line of Mill-creek, the valleys of both coming together in Fa i r field Township.

On the 3d of January, 1822, Micajuh T. "Williams, of Cincinnati, a representative from Hamilton County, and chairman of a committee to whom the report had been referred, made an elaborate report, discussing the question at length. He said :

"It is a well-established fact that man has not vet devised a mode of conveyance so safe, easy, and cheap as canal navigation; and although the advantage of cheap and expeditious transportation is not likelv to l»c perceived when prices are high and trade ino<t profitable, v» : the truth i- familiar to every person of obscrvaCa! that the enormous expense of land carriage has frequently consumed nearly, ami sometimes quite, the whole price of provisions at die place of embarkation for a distant mar- 1 kef. This is 'essentially tlie ease in relation to all conimod- iiics of a cheap and bulky nature, most of which will not Gar a Jand transportation many miles, and consequently are rendered of no value to the farmer, and are suffered to waste on his hands. The merchant who engages in t he exportation of the produce of the country, finding it a losing commerce, abandons it, or is ruined ; and crops in the finest and most productive parts of the State are left to waste on the fields that produce them, or he disliiled, to poison and brutalize society."

The valuable report of Mr. William's concluded with the introduction of a bill authorizing au examination into the practicability of connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River by a canal, which was read the first time, and finally passed January 31, 1822. The second section appointed Benjamin Tappan, Alfred Kelley, Thomas ! Worthington, Ethan Allen Brown, Jeremiah Morrow, ] Isaac Miner, and Ebenezer Buckingham, Jr., commis- j missioners, " whose duty it shall be to cause such exam- ! inations, surveys, and estimates to be made by the en- ; giueer as aforesaid as may he necessary to ascertain the j practicability of connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio j River, by a canal through the following routes viz. ; ! from Sandusky Bay to the Ohio River; from the Ohio ! River to the Maumee River: from the lake to the river aforesaid by the sources of the Cuyahoga- and Black Rivers and the Muskingum River; and from the lake i

In a letter addressed to Micajah T. Williams, one of .] the Ohio canal commissioners, by DaWitt Clinton, gov- I ernor of New York, on the 8th of November, 1823, in l response to inquiries from Mr. Williams, Governor Clin- |. ton thus refers to the pi eject of constructing a canal from j the lake to the Ohio River:

"The State of Ohio, from the fertility of its soil, the ! benignity of its climate, and its geographical position, i must always contain a dense population, and tl ° products | and consumptions of its inhabitants must forever form a I lucrative and extensive inland trade, exciting the powers !

<>t productive industry, and communicating aliment and j energy to external commerce. But when we consider j that this canal will open a way to the great rivers that ! fall into the Mississippi; that it will be felt, not only in the immense valley of that river, but as far west as the Rocky Mountains and the borders of Mexico; and that it "ill communicate with our great inland seas and their j tributary rivers, with the ocean in various routes, and j "ith the most productive regions of America, - there can ! be no question respecting the blessings that it will pro- : 'bice, the riches it will create, and the energies it will r;ill into activity. "

-bones Geddes, one of the most honored names in the --bite of New York, was employed as engineer, on the recommendation of the governor and canal commis- ' sioners of that State. He retired within the year, and was succeeded in September, 1824, by Mr. David S. Bates, also of New York, who remained here as principal engineer until March, 1829. The engineer in charge of the preliminary work upon the Miami Canal from the first, Samuel Forrer, was superintending engineer of the line from Cincinnati to Dayton. Air. Forrer is still alive, as are also three of the other engineers, Jesse L. Williams, Francis Cleveland, and Richard Howe.

"The unhealthiness of the season, and other causes which have operated to retard the prosecution of the surveys and examinations, have prevented the location of a line of canal on the Western or Miami route.

" The canal line south from the summit would probably cross Mad River near its mouth, thence pursuing the valley of the Great Miami to a point where it aiav be thrown into the valley of Mill Creek ; thence along that valley to Cincinnati. The waters of Mad River may be thrown into this line near Dayton, and those of the Great Miami below, and, being conducted in sufficient-quantities to the termination of the canal at Cincinnati, would afford power for extensive and valuable hydraulic works, which are there much needed.

" This hue of canal would pass through a section of country inferior to none in America i a the fertility of its soil or the quantify of surplus productions it is capable of sending to market. That part of the canal between Davton and Cincinnati may be with great ease supplied with water, could probably be constructed for a moderate expense, and would become a source of immediate and extensive profit."

"From Dayton to Cincinnati this line, sixtv-six miles seventy-one chains in length, assumes generally a very favorable aspect. To Middletown, a distance of about twenty-three mites, it is of the most favorable character, with the exception of two points. The first is situated about three miles below Dayton ; the second at and immediately below the mouth of Clear Creek, below Franklin. The first of these difficulties is occasioned bv the contact of the river (the Miami) ami the highlands Lithe distance of forty-eight chains. To pass this will require a wall of stone-work at low-water Hue, or an embankment of earth and loose fragments of stone, protected from the outside front abrasion by the floods, bv loose stones. This wall or embankment must ho raised of sufficient height to protect the canal from the floods of the river, which rises from twelve to fifteen feet. It is believed that such a work can be built and sustained without difficulty. The bottom of the river is composed of detached masses of- rock. and at this point tuo river vor\ shoal. Flic adjoining hills and bunk arc Comnosed of loose masses of stones, gravel, and ocher materials necessary for the construction of the embankment or wall.

The second of these difficulties is of a character very sim- j ilar to that of the first, though of an aspect somewhat | less formidable. The river does uot bear so hard upon j the hill as at the first point. A wall or embankment I will be required to pass this difficulty very similar to I that above described. This line, as far as Middletown, | can be supplied with water without any cost on account of feeders. The crossing of Mad River above Dayton with the line of canal by means of a dam will afford any supply of water from that stream which may be required i for the purposes of navigation, and an additional quan- j tity maybe drawn from it for the supply of hydraulic j works aloug the line below, without injury to the valua- i ble works already in operation at Dayton.

"From Middletown to the Ohio River at Cincinnati, a | distance of about forty-four miles by the line of location, J there are few serious obstructions. With the exception j of half a mile of side-hill near Irwin's mill on Mill Creek, | which has a tendency to slip, and three or four miles in i the same vicinity of side-lying ground, and a few points [ of inconsiderable difficulty on the Miami between Mid- : dletown and Hamilton, this line is of the most favorable character. It presents nothing but proper cutting of the | easiest character. The line follows the immediate valley of the Miami River to Hamilton, and then bears off' from the river on a level plain, with proper cutting, and passes into the valley of Mill Creek along the margin of some ponds and swamps, which in flood-time flow into that' stream. The excavation to get into the valley of Mill Creek from that of the Miami does not exceed five feet depth at any point. There is not in the whole a half- 'mile of the line which amounts to that depth. Down the valley of Mill Creek there are no obstructions until the line reaches the side-lying grounds near the Ohio. These, though presenting difficulties, are not oi' the most serious character.

" From a point on Mill Creek near White's mill, about nine miles from the Ohio, two lines were run, - one on the principle of keeping up the level so as to command the upper plain on which Cincinnati stands, entering the Ohio at the mouth of Deer Creek, above the town ; the other by locking down the valley of Mill Creek as it descends, and passing on the west of that plain to the lower plain of the town. The first of these lines, in consequence of keeping so high a level, will cost something more than the second or lower level. The difference, however, will not be great, as the lockage, which on the lower line is distributed along the valley of Mill Creek for a distance of seven miles, is on the plan of the upper line thrown into the valley of Deer Creek near the river, where suitable stone for their construction can be had from the bed of the Ohio, without the cost of hauling them from six to seven miles. Bur should the difference in the cost of these two lines be con-odcrable, the superior value for hydraulic purposes, which the surplus water which might he thrown to that point would have on the upper plain over its value on the lower plain will probably more than compensate for the difference in the cost of the two lines. The upper plain is elevated one hundred and eight feet above high water iu the Ohio. The surplus water that might be conveyed into a basin on the upper plain, with so great a power for its use, might be made a very considerable source of revenue to the canal without interfering with its usefulness for navigation, the primary object of its construction. This section, from Middletown to Cincinnati, may be supplied with water from the Miami with but very little expense. By a cut of twenty-four chains the mill-race of Abner Enoch, near Middletown, may be turned into the canal. Building a dam, and enlarging this race, will he all that is necessary to command from the river any quantity of water which may be required for the supply of the canal to the Ohio. As much water may be introduced at this point as can be thrown forward through, the canal without injury to the navigation, without sensibly affecting the mills on the river below. This surplus water may be very profitably used at several points in the valley of Mill Creek, by throwing it at the heads of locks, on to wheels, and taking .it again into the canal on lower levels, losing nothing except the extra evaporation and absorption occasioned thereby. The surplus water which may he passed through the canal and used for hydraulic purposes, both in the valley of Mill Creek and at Cincinnati, would unquestionably be a source cf considerable revenue to the canal and of general benefit to the surrounding country. It may be remarked, §lso, that at no points within the State would this hydraulic power be of so great a source of revenue as at these The surrounding country sustains a dense population, and is almost entirely destitute of water-power. The same remarks will apply, in some degree, to the line from Dayton to Middletown. Suitable stone for the construction of locks may be obtained near Dayton and in the bed of the Ohio River near Cincinnati. Through the intermediate parts of this line stone of the proper quality for that use lias not been discovered convenient to the line. Stone of a good quality may, however, be transported from Dayton and points above that by water, and deposited near the sites of the locks between Dayton and Hamilton."

In their next report the commissioners enter into a calculation of the revenue to be obtained from the lower section of the Miami Canal. They say:

" The following statement will exhibit the probable revenue which may he derived from the proposed canals during the progress of the work and after their completion. So soon as that part of the line extending from the Mij ami above Middletown to the Ohio shall have been comj pieted, which will be in three years from the eonimencej meat of the work, an extensive and valuable water-power : at the southern termination of the canal in Cincinnati,

The Miami Caul

Tiii? power may be estimated as follows : Any quantity uf water wliich can be permitted to pass in the canal without injury to its banks or to its navigation may be taken into the canal at Middletown.. From a close calculation, it is thought safe to introduce 8,000 cubic feet per minute. Admitting 4,400 cubic feet per minute of this quantity to be expended on the forty-four miies of canal between Middletown and Cincinnati, equal to 100 cubic feet per minute for each mile, and 600 cubic feet per minute to be used in locking boats from the Ohio 1'iver into the canal and from the canal into the river, which will be sufficient to pass eighty bouts per day, there will remain a surplus of 3,000 cubic feet per min- j ute applicable to hydraulic purposes at Cincinnati. The j descent from the proposed basin, on the upper plain at Cin- I ciunati, to high-water mark in the Ohio, is fifty feet, and to low-water mark1 one hundred and eight feet. This water may, therefore, be applied on three overshot water-wheels of fifteen feet diameter each, in succession, before it reaches the level of high-water mark. It has been ascertained by actual experiment that 300 cubic feet of water per minute, if applied to the best advantage on an overshot wheel of fifteen feet, will give power sufficient to keep in operation two pairs of four and a half feet mill-stones. Calculating from this datum, twenty pairs of mill-stones could be driven on the first descent of sixteen and a half feet of the surplus water from the basin, the same number on the second descent, and the like number on the j third descent of sixteen and a half feet, in all power | sufficient to keep iu operation sixty pairs of mill-stones in the descent of the surplus water from the basin to the ; level of high-water mark. Two hundred and fifty dollars would certainly be a moderate rent for water-power suffi- I Cent to drive a pair of mill-stones, or the same power applicable to any other machinery, in such a piece as Cincinnati, especially when it is considered that the power would be constant, not subject to interruption from high or low water. At this rate the water-power from the basin to high-water mark in the Ohio would reut for fifteen thousand dollars per annum. And this rate is much lower than that for which power is rented in other places. The power obtained by descent from high-water t" low-water mark would not be as valuable as that above estimated, as it would be subject to occasional interruptions from high water. These interruptions on the ffi'per half of the descent from extreme high-water mark would seldom occur; and it will he safe to estimate the r,,iit of water-power from high to low-water mark at five thousand dollars per annum; making the total amount "t water-rents twenty thousand dollars per annum. Much ".ttcr-power may also be obtained iu the descent between Middlotowu and Cincinnati, which is one hundred and - m u thet. The amount of tolls arising from transput*- j "'..oil on tlie canal extending from Dayton to Cincinnati 11 not si) easy to estimate. I he following, however, is most correct view we are able to give of rhr subject.

reliance can be placed, that thirty thousand barrels of flour have been exported from the county of Montgomery alone iu one year. It will undoubtedly be safe to estimate that the same quantity will he exported when additional facilities are offered by the canal for exportation ; and that at least an equal quantity will be exported from the counties of Clarke, Champaign, Miami, Darke, and other adjoining counties. The lowest price for which flour can now be transported from Dayton to Cincinnati is fifty cents per barrel. A toll of twelve and a half cents per barrel from Dayton to Cincinnati, will not be unreasonable, and this on sixty thousand barrels will give a revenue of 87,500. On all other articles exported from Dayton to Cincinnati on the canal it will he undoubtedly safe to calculate on receiving a. toll of 82,500 per annum, making on the descending navigation from Davton an aggregate of 810,000. From the business which will naturally fall into the canal from the intermediate counties of Warren, Butler, and those adjoining them, together with the whole ascending navigation, it will be I safe to calculate on receiving aa equal amount of toll, making a total product from tolls of 820,000 per annum, which, added to tlie estimated rents for water-power, will produce the annual sum of 840,000."

"Proposals in writing will be received by the undersigned at Hamilton, on the loth of July next, for the construction of about fifteen miles of the 'Miami Canal, extending from a point on the Great Miami liiver two miles above Middletown, to a point near Hamilton.

" Persons who are disposed to contract for tiro construction of any part of this work are invited to examine the ground before the day of sale. Any information as to the character of the line manner of constructing the work, or terms of contracting, may be had on application to Samuel Ferrer, Esq., engineer on the line.

" A profile of the line, wit . the estimates of the value of the work, will be exhibited on the day of letting, for the information of all who may be disposed to take contracts.

In that year (182-5) his excellency DeWitt Clinton, governor of the State of Few York, visited Ohio, on the invitation of the citizens of this State, in order to be present at the commencement of the internal improvements of the State by our canals. As soon as it was known that he would be present on that date, an invitation was extended to the most, prominent gentlemen of the vicinity t< * meet him, on the I lth of July, iu Hamilton. The invitation read as follows:

" Sru, - You are respectfully invited to attend, at Hamilton, on Tuesday, tlie 12th July instant, at an cum hour, for the purpose of partaking of a dinner to lie prepared for their excellencies DkWYit Clinton and

The dinner which was provided on the occasion, of which one hundred and fifty persons partook, was elegant and. abundant. It was prepared by T. Blair, and served up under the shade of the locust-trees in the court-house yard. The day was fine, and the pleasure which was universally felt at welcoming the "father of internal improvement" was heightened by the presence of Jeremiah Morrow, governor of the State of Ohio ; Ex-Governor Ethan Allen Brown, the Honorable Benjamin Tappan, and Micajah T. Williams, Esq., canal commissioners; | Judge David S. Bates; the chief engineer, Samuel For- | rer, Esq., and a number of other distinguished citizens 1 and strangers, who honored the occasion by their pres- ! ence. John Kelly presided at the table, assisted by John Woods, as vice-president. Governor Clinton was met at Middletown on the previous day by a deputation from Hamilton, with Captain Dunn at the head of his fine company of cavalry, together with a large concourse of citizens, who escorted him to Hamilton, where rooms had been prepared for his reception.

The enthusiasm which was excited by the presence of i Governor Clinton was, if possible, heightened by the | toasts and sentiments which followed the removal of the cloth. Thirteen regular toasts had been prepared, as follows :

1. " The President of the United States and heads of departments. - If talents, virtue, experience, and patriotism at the helm will afford security, the ship of state is in no danger of foundering."

3. " Internal Improvements.- - Whether their accomplishment legitimately belong to the States or the nation, a prophetic spirit may look forward- to the period when, in times of trouble and difficulty, the works of the present age may become the safeguard of our national independence anu the bond of national union."

4. " The State of New York. - She has given a noble specimen of what the genius and enterprise of one man may accomplish. Let Ohio profit by the example."

5. " The States of Ohio and. New York. - Connected by mutual interests, and not less united in police than in their ail miration of tin.' illustrious father of internal improvement."

0. " The Miami Canal. - When completed as far as j its location has been authorized, mav no sectional inter- i ests prevent its extension to Lake Erie !" j

9. " The Bunker Hill Monument. - When it shall have moldered into dust, the names and the deeds that it commemorates will not be forgotten."

11. " The Friends of the Manumission and Colonization of the Blacks. - They are the friends of man, and their exertions will promote the best interests of their country."

13. " The Literary Institutions of Ohio. - May they continue to be encouraged by an enlightened and liberal policy7 until the Western wilderness shall become an aca-_ demic shade !"

" I rise, gentlemen, to propose a toast in obedience to the ibstr actions of the committee of arrangements ; and, in thus becoming the organ of my fellow-citizens, I have the satisfaction of performing a duty highly gratifying to myself.

" It is only an act of justice to testify respect to men of distinguished worth and talents, whose lives have been devoted to the service of their country. But this is an occasion of more than common interest. Our State has just commenced a stupendous work of internal improvement' similar to that which Yew York has nearly completed, under the auspices of our distinguished guest - a work which is destined to elevate her to a proud rank among the States of the Union. Under such circumstances it is natural for her to look to Yew York for her model, and to DeWitt Clinton as her presiding spirit.

" Fellow-citizens, - I receive with grateful sensibility this expression of approbation, and I fullv appreciate its importance. Its communication through so respectable an organ in behalf of this respectable company renders it peculiarly interesting, and I ofie: to you my sincere thanks for your kindness to me on this occasion, and during my visit to this place.

" For fifteen years I have devoted mvsclr to the great cause of internal improvement, and it has been me good fortune, during my administration, to witness the commencement of the canals of Yew A ork, and in a very short time I hope to witness their completion. To the moral power and intelligence of the people we must ascribe the success of those stupendous undertakings. Ohio in her infant state, with inferior revenues and a less mi- j rnerous population, has followed the example set by her | elder sister, and has undertaken an enterprise without a parallel in the history of mankind, considering all the circumstances under which it has been commenced; and J the whole exhibits wisdom, patriotism, and magnanimity j that would reflect honor on any age or country. The success is as certain as the resulting advantages, unless some destroying spirit should be let loose among you aud darken the brightest days that ever opened upon the j AVest. I beg leave to present as a toast:

" The public-spirited State of Ohio and her excellent j chief magistrates who have pointed out her way to greatness and glory, and supported her in her illustrious career."

" Under his administration the State of Ohio has commenced the great work of forming by internal improvement the bonds of union between all the members of our government, and by whose wisdom and prudence were pointed out the only means by which we shall be enabled to march with firmness to the accomplishment of the magnificent- work."

" Gentlemen, it would manifest insensibility on my part were I not to acknowledge the gratitude 1 fee! for your kind expression of regard. That I have performed public services in which important interests were rendered, early in the settlement of our country, is certain. But it is equally true that these, which are overrated, have been more than compensated by the repeated expressions of your confidence.

" Permit me, then, to say that I express the feelings of my heart when I assure you that I entertain a sincere respect for the people of this town and its vicinity, aud tender my best wishes for their welfare. X propose -

Arrangements having been made at Cincinnati to entertain the distinguished gentlemen as guests in that city on the day succeeding, the company retired at an early hour, and Governor Clinton, accompanied by the gentlemen who had attended him hither, together with an escort of military and citizens, proceeded, that evening, to Martin's tavern, where he was met by a military escort | from Cincinnati.

After Governor Clinton had been entertained at Cincinnati, he visited the falls of the Ohio; then (('turning t" Hamilton, which lie readied mi the lMh of July.

that ever was, or perhaps ever will be, witnessed by them. It was the ceremony of commencing that great work of internal navigation which is destined to raise their character as an enterprising people, promote their happiness, both in a political and moral point of view, and increase their wealth as individuals and as a community. They saw the first sod raised by the great father and patron of internal improvement; and, notwithstanding it will be a matter of much exultation to see the completion of the work, yet it will not detract from, or even equal, the excitement produced by viewing the first, breaking of the ground - the first step to the daring and stupendous undertaking.

notice had been given but three days previous, thousands of freemen, drawn by the interest and novelty of the scene from different parts of the country, were on the ground ; and never, perhaps, was observed a greater degree of harmony in a like assemblage than what prevailed on this occasion. Unanimity in the object for which they had assembled to view the commencement seemed to be the prevailing sentiment, and was strikingly expressed in almost every countenance ; and all appeared to be animated by the importance of the matter, aud to take a deep interest in the ceremonies of the day.

" The appearance of several independent companies, attended by an excellent band of music, from Cincinnati, added greatly to the occasion. A fine troop of cavalry, commanded by Captain Morsel 1, escorted Governor Clinton front Cincinnati; the other companies, three in number, were the Cincinnati Guards, commanded by Captain Emerson, Captain Avery's company of light infantry, and the Lafayette Greys, commanded by Lieutenant Burley. They deserve the unbounded thanks of out citizens, and are most certainly entitled to the highest commendation for the patriotism displayed in marching so great a distance, and for the good discipline and soldier-like conduct evinced during their stay in this place and in Middletown ; and we sincerely hope that their reception and entertainment was fully equal to their expectations of the hospitality and patriotism of our citizens.

"Among the distinguished, guests, in addition to Governor Clinton aud Governor Morrow (the latter of whom arrived about 1 1 o'clock, A. M.), we observed our late governor, E. A. Brown, General Harrison, General Bcasly, Judge Bates; Dr. Drake, of Lexington, I\y. ; Mr. M. T. Williams, acting commissioner, and Air. Forror, principal engineer, together with many others, whom our memorv does not sulKeieutly serve us to particularize at this lime.

" The ceremony was commenced by an appropriate and impressive prater to the Throne of Grace by the Kev. Mr. Yiekars, chaplain of the day ; after which Judge Crane, of

Dayton, rose, and, in a commanding strain of eloquence, [ delivered an excellent address. Nothing we could say by way of commendation would add to its excellence ; for it amply* speaks its own superior merit, and attaches great credit to its intelligent and classical author. It is sufficient to say that it was received by the audience with loud and repeated acclamations.

"Governor Clinton and Governor Morrow then descended from the rostrum, which had been prepared for the occasion, followed by* the commissioners, contractors, and other persons of distinction who felt an interest or were to assist in the enterprise. The governors each raised a sod, as the commencement of the work ; after which the other gentlemen assisted. The latter part of | the ceremony was greatly enlivened by the continued volleys of musketry and by* the many appropriate airs performed by the band of music.

"After partaking of an excellent dinner, prepared by Mr. J. P. Reynolds, a number of toasts were drunk. The one given by Mr. Clinton was received with loud cheers. He responded with the following toast :

" 1 The Miami Canal. like the Nile, will enrich and ag- | grandize the region of its transit - not byr fertilizing a soil ; exuberantly rich, but by opening lucrative markets for its production.'

"The company* separated at an early hour. Governors Clinton and Morrow, with their respective suits, departed the same evening for Lebanon."

The place at which these ceremonies took place was in a field about a mile south of town, at the place where the first lock is now constructed. The land was then owned by* Daniel Doty*, and is in section 28.

As we have elsewhere said, the northern portion of the route, that part going from Dayton to Lake Lrie, had been partly located in 1824, and the next year it was regularly surveyed. This section of the work was not done till some time after the other, and, indeed, was for a period in danger of not being done at all. But the i g meral government, in response to a petition from some | of the best men in Ohio, made a grant of land equal to j one-half of five sections in width on each side of the | proposed route, between Dayton and the Maumee, so far \ as the same should be located through the government j lands. In return it was simply* provided that all persons I or property of the United States should forever pass through or over the canals free of tolls, fhe amount of this grant, as afterwards ascertained, was three hundred and eighty-four thousand acres. Its market value not have been very far from a million of dollars. The same act granted the State half a million dollars more, j in aid of its canals. This grant was conditioned upon , the completion within five years of the canals already begun at the time of the passage of the act, and the ' grant, for the Miami extension upon the commencement j of the work within five and its completion within twenty ; years, on penalty of payment by the Shite to the fedora! !

government of the value of the lands. The Legislature accepted the former, hut declined the latter grant, as it was feared that it might be impossible to fulfill the conditions. These were the initial grants by* the general government in aid of internal improvements, and were the forerunner of those to the Illinois Central, Northern Pacific, and Union Pacific railroads, as well as to a hundred others of less length. When Judge Jacob Burnet, of Ohio, was sent to the United States Senate in 1830, he succeeded in getting a bill through which repealed the forfeiture clauses and made the grant equivalent to five sections for every* mile of canal located on laud previously* sold, as well as that unsold, by the general government. The land so given was located by the governor, and by* it, undoubtedly, the extension was effected.

Work was speedily* begun above Middletown, taking the water from Enoch's dam, and running to the head of Mill Creek, a distance of twenty miles. The Advertiser of August 23d says :

"It* will be remembered that twenty miles of the Miami Canal was put under contract on the 20th of July last. It was divided into forty-three sections. On the 28th of July the sod was first broken on section No. 8, a part of a contract taken by Seymore Seovel, Esq., of the State of New York. On the 23d the whole of this section was taken by a sub-contractor, who commenced active operations on it on the 24th, and has now, August 23d, completed thirty rods ready for inspection. No less than thirty-nine parties, or near five hundred workmen, under original and sub-contractors, are now engaged on twenty-seven sections. Many of these sections are in a rapid state of forwardness, and present a scene, more like the effect of magic than reality, and can only he accounted for by the number of workmen so suddenly thrown upon them, aud the determined perseverance of the undertakers. A little more time will be necessary for farmers to remove their corn from the ground occupied by a part of the canal line, when all the sections will speedily he commenced ; and, from the number of persons continually flocking in for employment, and the character of the contractors, there can be no doubt that the whole twenty miles will be completed within the stipulated time. We understand that the resident engineer will set out in a few days to prepare the south end of the line for contract, which has been delayed in consequence of the great press of business occasioned by the immediate commencement of labor by so many of the. contractors on the part of the line already let, and that the acting commissioner intends to dispose of fifteen miles more on or about the loth of September next."

In their next report the canal commissioners give au account of what work l ad been done, aud of the actual beginning of labor. They state : the Miami' Canal for contract ; and on the 20ih of July, in pu rsuanee of public notice previously given, contracts were made for the construction of twenty miles of that canal, including sis locks, extending from a point of the Miami River near Middletown to the head of Mill Creek. These contracts were, as in the former cases, effected at prices in all cases as low, and in most lower, than the original estimates. On the day following, the work was commenced on this canal in the presence of the distinguished chief magistrates of Ohio and New York and an immense concourses of deeply interested citizens ; since which it has progressed with spirit and effect, and is now in a flattering state of progression.

" As early as the 27th cf September twenty-two miles in addition, including six locks, extending to a point near Cincinnati, were prepared and placed under contract upon terms still more favorable to the State ; making, in all, forty-two miles of this canal now under contract. Upon the whole of this line, with only two exceptions, the contractors have already commenced the work on their jobs, and are prosecuting it in a manner highly satisfactory. Thirty miles or more are now grubbed and cleared ; the excavation already performed exceeds two hundred thousand cubic yards ; three large culverts are built, and the other items of the work have progressed in the same proportion. The most serious difficulty which has been experienced or is anticipated in the prosecution of the work on this line arises from the scarcity of stone of a suitable character for the construction of the locks, and from the difficulty of procuring water-lime. It was, in the first instance, thought most advisable to construct the locks of timber, and contracts for the first eight locks were made accordingly. It was, however, soon ascertained that to obtain timber in sufficient quantities would be attended with difficulties, be more costly than was anticipated, and, in most cases, would inflict a serious and measurably irretrievable injury upon the adjacent country. It was determined, therefore, to suspend the construction with timber of most of the locks, and to make further efforts for the discovery of stone, which have so far been successful as to induce a belief that stone will be obtained within a reasonable distance for their construction. The cost of obtaining the stone will, however, he such as to forbid the hope of constructing the locks for a sum below the original estimates of their cost. If the saving in the cost of the looks could have been in the same proportion with that on the other items of the work under contract, this line would be constructed for a sum very considerably loss than that at which it was estimated. From the best estimate which can he made from the other items of the work at contract prices, making a liberal allowance for :'ll contingencies which will probably occur, and placiug the cost of the locks at 84 per perch, the hue under eoutract will he constructed for the sum of $358. 084. 14. Hus is less than the sum at which it was estimated in the last report of flic hoard by $25,000, and makes' an

"Abstract marked F will show the name of each contractor, the extent, of contract, the contract price of ! each item' of work, the average price of each kind of i work, the total estimated amount of each contract, and ! of the whole line under contract at contract prices. \ The value of work performed on this line up to the j 21st November is estimated at 831,004. The number I of laborers engaged upon this line in the month of November amounted to nearly nine hundred. The con- | tracts for the first thirty miles of this line require its eom- | pletion by the first day of October next, and for the last j ten miles by the 5th of May, 1827.

"In the last report of the hoard to the Legislature j ! two points of termination at the Ohio River, near Cin- ! cinnati, were named. The one, bv preserving wiih the ! line a high level from a. point about ten miles up the val- ] ley of Mill Creek, as it descends, and passing the west- I i ern margin of the city upon a low level, to unite with , j the river at a point immediately below it. Estimates of j the cost of each of these lines were made, which showed j a difference in favor. of the line upon the low level of ! about $45,000; and the cost of the Miami Canal, as j stated in the report, was estimated upon this line. Upon ' a full investigation of the question of the proper point j to terminate the canal, which was made in August last, j ! it was deemed advisable, with reference to all the inter- i

| ests connected with the canal, notwithstanding the esti- j i mated difference of cost, to adopt the line upon the high i ! level, and terminate the canal at the mouth of Deer j Creek. The superior value of the hydraulic privileges j afforded by the high level, the favorable position which 1 the mouth of Deer Creek affords, when compared with 1 the other point of termination, for a safe harbor for { steam and canal boats, both in low and high water, the ; great facility it affords over anv other for the construe- ; tion of dry and wet docks, which the increasing com- j ! merce of the Ohio River and the interests of the public i i will soon imperiously require, and the prominent and j j mutual advantage, both to the surrounding country and I the city, which die level, uninterrupted by locks for a \ distance of ten miles hack into the country will afford, - | all conspired to produce the conviction upon the minds of the commissioners that the adoption of that line was required by the general interests connected with the work.

"It will be recollected that, in the last report of the board, calculations were made upon the extent and value of the surplus water which it was believed could he j drawn from the Miami River to that point With a ; view to this object, the capacity of the upper end of this section of the canal is enlarged, for the purpose of receiving and passing forward a greater supply .4 water, j The first ten miles from the river are constructing with : au increase of one foot in depth and three and a half I -in the width of the top water-line; and the next fifteen miles with an increase of half a foot in depth, ami one foot and three-fourths in the width of the top water-line. The- increase of the capacity of the canal must proportionately enhance its cost, and is another reason for the apparent disparity between the savings on this line at contract prices, compared with original estimates, and the other lines under contract. It is, however, believed that i the cost of this increase of the capacity of a part of the line will be more than reimbursed to the State in the value of the surplus water which is anticipated from it. 1 Propositions have already been made by responsible iudi- : viduals to contract for the use of the whole amount of surplus water which can be delivered at Cincinnati, at the price placed upon it in the last report of the board. ,

"It will he recollected, when examining this comparative statement, that on the locks in this line there is no saving from the estimates owing to the scarcity of stone and that the first ten miles of the canal, below the feeder from the Miami, is constructing with an increased depth of one foot and an increased width of three and a half feet, and the next fifteen miles with an increase in depth of six inches and in width of one foot, nine inches. The estimates of last year were made for a canal of the usual dimensions."

SHOWING TCE SEVERAL KINDS' OF WORK UNDER -CONTRACT ON THE MIAMI CANAL FROM MIDDLETOWN TO CINCINNATI - FORTY-TWO MILES - AMOUNT OF EACH KIND, AND THE AVERAGE PRICE AS CONTRACTED.

Total

" The locks in the above abstract are placed at $4 per perch. They were mostly contracted for to be built of timber, hut have since been changed, and are to be built of stone, so far as it can be obtained at reasonable cost.

"A considerable portion of this iine running through dry and gravelly soil, the operations of the contractors wore continued through the Winter and Spring with considerable success, and during the Summer and Autumn the work has progressed in a vigorous and efficient manner. Of the forty-three miles of this canal now under contract, thirty-four are completed, and the remaining twelve miles, consisting mostly of heavy work at the lower end of the line, are in such a state of forwardness as to afford strong assurances that the whole line will be finished by the 1st of July next. "No apprehension of a failure of this desirable end is felt, except as to two or three heavy embankments on Mill Creek; and these, if the Winter should prove favorable for work, it is believed can be completed within that time. The finished work on this line, in addition to the excavations and embankments of the thirty-one miles, consists of nine locks, five aqueducts, twenty stone culverts, varying in size from three. to twenty feet chord, numerous paved wasteweirs, road-bridges, etc. The aqueducts and culverts on the whole line are completed, excepting the planking of the aqueduct trunks, which was directed to be omitted until Spring. Of the three locks remaining unfinished, one is very nearly completed, the walls of the second are raised to the upper meter-sill, and of the third to the height of four feet. They will be completed at an early day in the ensuing season.

"On the 2d of June last a contract was made for the construction of a dam across the Great Miami Fiver above Middletown, a guard-lock, and a feeder forty-three chains in length from the dam to the canal. The work under this contract has progressed so far as to afford an assurance that it can be accomplished in the next season as the stage of the river will admit. In the mean time the canal may he supplied with water through the millrace of Abner Euocli in sufficient quantity to answer all tl'.e purposes of navigation, It was found, by obaerva- Non during the last Spring, that the ponds at the head of Mill Creek, iu the county of Butler, through which the canal passes in leaving the valley of the Great Miami, would iu that season of the year entirely overflow tbe banks of the canal, and for some months remain in that situation. To prevent this evil - which would not only at times interfere with rhe use of the canal, but would in a measure destroy it - it was found to be necessary to drain the ponds by making a cut one mile ami seventy chains in length. A contract was, therefore, made for cutting this drain, the cost of which is estimated at one thousand dollars. It is probably by this time completed.

' Contracts have also been made since the date of ihc I'M report of the board for tlnr extension of the canal "'to and through the cky of Cincinnati, to a point near the head of the proposed locks, by which it is to be connected with the Ohio. These contracts, including those j for the dam-feeder and pond-drain, have been made upon | terms as favorable to the State as those heretofore made for the cousti notion of other parts of the work. So far

I the work is now completed, and the final accounts of it ] made out. It is found that iu plain line the original es- ! tiinates of the work in each section correspond very nearly with. the true result, and that the actual cost of such line will not exceed the estimated cost as stated in the last report of the board ; iu some cases it is found to j fall considerably short; but on rough, uneven, and sidej lying ground, where heavy embankments and steep bluffs | are encountered, a heavy portion of which is on this line,

I the engineers' final accounts, so far as they are now perj fected, show that the number of yards of excavation and I embankment in each section, as then estimated, will fall j considerably short of the true result. This deficiency in ! the estimates on the rough line is to be accounted for in the following manner: In making out an estimate of the amount of excavation and embankment for the accounts of last year, no other data could be had than a single line of levels divided into stations of three chains each, from which the average depth of cutting or height of the embankments was inferred. The result now shows that the number of yards then produced falls short, particuj larly on inclined grounds and steep bluffs. In addition to this, it has been found advisable on the heaviest parts of this line, with a view to greater security, to increase the base of the banks, and, where heavy bluffs are eri- 1 countered, to throw the center line of the canal farther I into the hill or bluff bank, which has necessarily added | much to the number of yards of earth to be removed.

I It has also been found necessary to relot some of the j heaviest of these embankments at higher prices. From the scarcity of stone on the line, it was found necessary,

| iu making the contracts for the locks and other stoue- | work, to stipulate a given distance within which it was I then supposed stone could be obtained, and to agree to ! pay where the acting commissioner or engineer should be ! convinced of the necessity of going farther for stone for i such extra hauling. It has been found impracticable to j procure the necessary quantity of stone of a suitable [ quality within the distance assigned, and an extra ailowi auce for hauling stone has been necessarih made to a i considerable amount. Some lock excavation has been i also unexpectedly encountered, ami several paved wastei weirs, culverts, and some pavement of the hanks, have been added to it. These items of increased cost ami the unforeseen variations in the amount of work to bo performed will add considerably to the final cost of this section of the Miami Canal when compared with the esti- | mates of last year. The exact amount of the increase,

; which C chargeable principally to fine stoue-work and the heavy embankments and hint's, oau not now be ascertained, its the heavy u.»rk on the line is not tot-e m j pitted; nor is it in such situation as to permit accurate ! estimates of the cost to be made. On that part of the line betweeu Middletown and the locks near Reading - thirty-one and a half miles - the excess of the actual cost over the estimates of the last year will he upwards of seventeen thousand dollars.

"There has been paid to contractors on this canal j and the works connected with it, during the year ending on the first of the present month, 6265,302.78, which, with 651,994, the amount of payments last year, makes the total sum of 6297,296.98 which has been paid on this line. The amount of the contracts which have been made on this canal from the final accounts of that part which is finished, and from the best estimate which can now be made of the unfinished parts, is as follows:

The thirty-one and a half- miles contracted to be completed b> the 1st of October, terminating at the head of the locks near Heading (twentyseven and a half, miles finished), $22S,S67 20 j

The line from the head of the locks near Reading to the junction oL the Hamilton and Indiana roads, contracted to be finished by the loth of

"Deducting the total amount of payment on this line from the estimated amount of contracts, as shown above, will leave the sum of $136,512.22, required to accomplish the works now under contract. The acting commissioner on this line, as provided by law, has ap- Tjoiuted Matthias Corwine, of Warren County, James McBride, of Butler County, and Arthur Henry, of Ham. ilton County, to be a board of appraisers for the assessment of the damages claimed by individuals in consequence of the construction of the canal through thenlands, and for the materials used in the construction of the works connected with it. The operation of the law in relation to the use of materials for the construction of the canals has produced considerable dissatisfaction on this line; but it is confidently believed there will he a disposition among the citizens of that part of the State to acquiesce cheerfully in the awards of a hoard of appraisers composed of men of unquestionably high standing for uprightness of character and good judgment."

In the mean time canal-boats had been running on the portion which was completed, and many of the citizens of Butler and Hamilton counties had availed themselves of the opportunity of a ride upon the canal. One of the Hamilton newspapers, ou November 30, 1827, says :

"The S. Foirer. of Middletown, returned to tins place on Wednesday evening last, on her way from Hartwell's basin, near Cincinnati, accompanied by the 1 Tadtinijton and Clinton, of the Farmer's and Mechanic's line, with a party from Cincinnati. Yesterday morning they ail left here in fine style for Middletown. The IB nlunr/ton and Clinton returned again in the evening of the same day, and left this place again early this morning for Cincinnati."

" The water was let into the lower section of this canal to the city of Cincinnati several days since (March, 1828). Boats are now running regularly from Middletown io Cincinnati, a distance of forty-four miles."

" It will certainly be pleasing to some of our readers to learn the result of the first week's experiment on this canal. The first entries that were made on the collector's hooks at this place were on the 19th of March. Between that and the 26th there was entered for Cincinnati 991 barrels of flour, 432 barrels of whisky, 138 barrels pork, 576 kegs lard, and 86 barrels oil, besides a great, variety of other produce, of the country for the Cincinnati market. The boats on their passage outward were also generally full-freighted with merchandise and passengers. The tolls entered upon the collector's books at this place during the first week, between the 19th and 26th, amounted to $229.36, Thus fair is the beginning." In its issue of April 25th it has the following notice: "Arrival Extra. - The Miami Rambler, a large pine canoe, arrived at the Hamilton Basin on Friday last, in eight days from Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, a distance of seven hundred miles. Mr. Samuel Scott, a citizen of this county, with his son, were the passengers of the canoe in her novel trip. They embarked on the head waters of the Alleghany River, proceeded down that river to its confluence with the Ohio River at Pittsburg, then down the Ohio River to Cincinnati ; from thence they proceeded on the Miami Canal, about thirty miles up the line ; their canoe was then hauled over the bank of the canal into the Miami River ; then down the Miami to the mouth of Four-mile Creek ; then up Fourmile to Mr. Scott's residence."