from certain fines and licenses paid to either county or township treasurers for the use of schools; from the sale of swamp lands ($25,720.07 allotted to the State in 1850), and from personal property escheated to the State.

Aside from the funds, a State school tax is fixed by statute. Local taxes vary with the needs of localities, are limited by law, and are contingent on the liberality and public spirit of different communities.

The State contains more than twenty colleges and universities, more than the same number of female seminaries, and about thirty normal schools and academies. The amount of property invested in these is more than $6,000,000. The Miami University is the oldest college in the State.

In addition to the regular colleges, the State controls the Ohio State University, formerly the Agricultural and Mechanical College, established from the proceeds of the land scrip voted by Congress to Ohio for such purposes. The amount realized from the sale was nearly $500,000. This is to constitute a permanent fund, the interest only to be used. In addition, the sum of $300,000 was voted by the citizens of Franklin County, in consideration of the location of the college in that county. Of this sum $111,000 was paid for three hundred and fifteen acres of land near the city of Columbus, and $112,000 for a college building,

the balance being expended as circumstances required, for additional buildings, laboratory, apparatus, etc. Thorough instruction is given in all branches relating to agriculture and the mechanical arts. Already excellent results are attained.

By the provisions of the act of March 14, 1853, township boards are made bodies politic and corporate in law, and are invested with the title, care and custody of all school property belonging to the school district or township. They have control of the central or high schools of their townships; prescribe rules for the district schools; may appoint one of their number manager of the schools of the township, and allow him reasonable pay for his services; determine the text-books to be used; fix the boundaries of districts and locate schoolhouse sites; make estimates of the amount of money required; apportion the money among the districts, and are required to make an annual report to the County Auditor, who incorporates the same in his report to the State Commissioner, by whom it reaches the Legislature.

Local directors control the subdistricts. They enumerate the children of school age, employ and dismiss teachers, make contracts for building and furnishing schoolhouses, and make all necessary provision for the convenience of the district schools. Practically, the entire management rests with them.

"Oft did the harvest to their sickles yield,
Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
How jocund did they drive their teams afield!
How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke."

THE

HE majority of the readers of these pages are farmers, hence a resume of agriculture in the State, would not only be appropriate, but valuable as a matter of history. It is the true basis of national prosperity, and, therefore, justly occupies a foremost place.

In the year 1800, the Territory of Ohio contained a population of 45,365 inhabitants, or a little more than one person to the square mile.

ernment amounted to 9,933,150 acres, of which amount, however, 3,569,314 acres, or more than one-third, was held by non-residents. Of the lands occupied by resident land-owners, there appear to have been 100,968 acres of first-rate, 1,929,600 of second, and 1,538,745 acres of third rate lands. At this period there were very few exports from the farm, loom or shop. The people still needed all they produced to sustain themselves, and were yet in that pioneer period where they were obliged to produce all they wanted, and yet were opening new farms, and bringing the old ones to a productive

state.

Kentucky, and the country on the Monongahela, lying along the western slopes of the Alleghany Mountains, having been much longer settled, had begun, as early as 1795, to send considerable quantities of flour, whisky, bacon and tobacco to the lower towns on the Mississippi, at that time in the possession of the Spaniards. At the French settlements on the Illinois, and at Detroit, were being raised much more than could be used, and these were exporting also large quantities of these materials, as well as peltries and such commodities as their nomadic lives furnished. As the Mississippi was the natural outlet of the West, any attempt to impede its free navigation by the various powers at times controlling its outlet, would lead at once to violent outbreaks among the Western settlers, some of whom were aided by unscrupulous persons, who thought to form an independent Western country. Providence seems to have had a watchful eye over all these events, and to have so guided them that the attempts with such objects in view, invariably ended in disgrace to their perpetrators. This outlet to the West was thought to be the only one that could carry their produce to market, for none of the Westerners then dreamed of the immense system of railways now covering that part of the Union. As soon as ship-building commenced at Marietta, in the year 1800, the farmers along the borders of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers turned their attention to the culti vation of hemp, in addition to their other crops. Ina few years sufficient was raised, not only to furnish cordage to the ships in the West, but large quantities were worked up in the various rope-walks and sent to the Atlantic cities. Iron had been discovered, and forges on the Juniata were busy converting that necessary and valued material into implements of industry.

By the year 1805, two ships, seven brigs and three schooners had been built and rigged by the

citizens of Marietta. Their construction gave a fresh impetus to agriculture, as by means of them the surplus products could be carried away to.a foreign market, where, if it did not bring money, it could be exchanged for merchandise equally valuable. Captain David Devoll was one of the earliest of Ohio's shipwrights. He settled on the fertile Muskingum bottom, about five miles above Marietta, soon after the Indian war. Here he built a "floating mill," for making flour, and, in 1801, a ship of two hundred and fifty tons, called the Muskingum, and the brig Eliza Greene, of one hundred and fifty tons. In 1804, he built a schooner on his own account, and in the spring of the next year, it was finished and loaded for a voyage down the Mississippi. It was small, only of seventy tons burden, of a light draft, and intended to run on the lakes east of New Orleans. In shape and model, it fully sustained its name, Nonpareil. Its complement of sails, small at first, was completed when it arrived in New Orleans. It had a large cabin to accommodate passengers, was well and finely painted, and sat gracefully on the water. Its load was of assorted articles, and shows very well the nature of exports of the day. It consisted of two hundred barrels of flour, fifty barrels of kiln-dried corn meal, four thousand pounds of cheese, six thousand of bacon, one hundred sets of rum puncheon shooks, and a few grindstones. The flour and meal were made at Captain Devoll's floating mill, and the cheese made in Belpre, at that date one of Ohio's most flourishing agricultural districts. The Captain and others carried on boating as well as the circumstances of the days permitted, fearing only the hostility of the Indians, and the duty the Spaniards were liable to levy on boats going down to New Orleans, even if they did not take it into their erratic heads to stop the entire navigation of the great river by vessels other than their own. By such means, merchandise was carried on almost entirely until the construction of canals, and even then, until modern times, the flat-boat was the main-stay of the shipper inhabiting the country adjoining the upper Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Commonly, very little stock was kept beyond what was necessary for the use of the family and to perform the labor on the farm. The Scioto Valley was perhaps the only exception in Ohio to this general condition. Horses were brought by the emigrants from the East and were characteristic of that region. In the French settlements in Illinois and about Detroit, French ponies, marvels of

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endurance, were chiefly used. They were impracticable in hauling the immense emigrant wagons over the mountains, and hence were comparatively unknown in Ohio. Until 1828, draft horses were chiefly used here, the best strains being brought by the "Tunkers," "Mennonites," and "Ormish,”—three religious sects, whose members were invariably agriculturists. In Stark, Wayne, Holmes, and Richland Counties, as a general thing, they congregated in communities, where the neatness of their farms, the excellent condition of their stock, and the primitive simplicity of their manners, made them conspicuous.

In 1828, the French began to settle in Stark County, where they introduced the stock of horses known as "Selim," "Florizel," "Post Boy" and "Timolen." These, crossed upon the descents of the Norman and Conestoga, produced an excellent stock of farm horses, now largely used.

In the Western Reserve, blooded horses were introduced as early as 1825. John I. Van Meter brought fine horses into the Scioto Valley in 1815, or thereabouts. Soon after, fine horses were brought to Steubenville from Virginia and Pennsylvania. In Northern Ohio the stock was more miscellaneous, until the introduction of improved breeds from 1815 to 1835. By the latter date the strains of horses had greatly improved. The same could be said of other parts of the State. Until after 1825, only farm and road' horses were required. That year a race-course-the first in the State-was established in Cincinnati, shortly followed by others at Chillicothe, Dayton and Hamilton. From that date the race-horse steadily improved. Until 1838, however, all race-courses were rather irregular, and, of those named, it is difficult to determine which one has priority of date over the others. To Cincinnati, the precedence is, however, generally given. In 1838, the Buckeye Course was established in Cincinnati, and before a year had elapsed, it is stated, there were fifteen regular race-courses in Ohio. The effect of these courses was to greatly stimulate the stock of racers, and rather detract from draft and road horses. The organization of companies to import blooded horses has again revived the interest in this class, and now, at annual stock sales, these strains of horses are eagerly sought after by those having occasion to use them.

Cattle were brought over the mountains, and, for several years, were kept entirely for domestic uses. By 1805, the country had so far settled that the surplus stock was fattened on corn and

fodder, and a drove was driven to Baltimore. The drove was owned by George Renick, of Chillicothe, and the feat was looked upon as one of great importance. The drove arrived in Baltimore in excellent condition. The impetus given by this movement of Mr. Renick stimulated greatly the feeding of cattle, and led to the improvement of the breed, heretofore only of an ordinary kind.

Until the advent of railroads and the shipment of cattle thereon, the number of cattle driven to eastern markets from Ohio alone, was estimated at over fifteen thousand annually, whose value was placed at $600,000. Besides this, large numbers were driven from Indiana and Illinois, whose boundless prairies gave free scope to the herding of cattle. Improved breeds, "Short Horns," "Long Horns" and others, were introduced into Ohio as early as 1810 and 1815. Since then the stock has been gradually improved and acclimated, until now Ohio produces as fine cattle as any State in the Union. In some localities, especially in the Western Reserve, cheesemaking and dairy interests are the chief occupations of whole neighborhoods, where may be found men who have grown wealthy in this business.

Sheep were kept by almost every family, in pioneer times, in order to be supplied with wool for clothing. The wool was carded by hand, spun in the cabin, and frequently dyed and woven as well as shaped into garments there, too. All emigrants brought the best household and farming implements their limited means would allow, so also did they bring the best strains of horses, cattle and sheep they could obtain. sheep they could obtain. About the year 1809, Mr. Thomas Rotch, a Quaker, emigrated to Stark County, and brought with him a small flock of Merino sheep. They were good, and a part of them were from the original flock brought over from Spain, in 1801, by Col. Humphrey, United States Minister to that country. He had brought 200 of these sheep, and hoped, in time, to see every part of the United States stocked with Merinos. In this he partially succeeded only, owing to the prejudice against them. In 1816, Messrs. Wells & Dickenson, who were, for the day, extensive woolen manufacturers in Steubenville, drove their fine flocks out on the Stark County Plains for the summer, and brought them back for the winter. This course was pursued for several years, until farms were prepared, when they were permanently kept in Stark County. This flock was originally derived from the Humphrey importation. The failure of Wells & Dickenson, in 1824, placed

Appleseed." His real name was John Chapman. He received his name from his habit of planting, along all the streams in that part of the State, apple-seeds from which sprang many of the old orchards. He did this as a religious duty, thinking it to be his especial mission. He had, it is said, been disappointed in his youth in a love affair, and came West about 1800, and ever after followed his singular life. He was extensively He was extensively known, was quite harmless, very patient, and did, without doubt, much good. He died in 1847, at the house of a Mr. Worth, near Fort Wayne, Indiana, who had long known him, and often befriended him. He was a minister in the Swedenborgian Church, and, in his own way, a zealous worker.

The settlers of the Western Reserve, coming from New England, chiefly from Connecticut, brought all varieties of fruit known in their old homes. These, whether seeds or grafts, were planted in gardens, and as soon as an orchard could be cleared on some favorable hillside, the young trees were transplanted there, and in time an orchard was the result. Much confusion regarding the kinds of fruits thus produced arose, partly from the fact that the trees grown from seeds did not always prove to be of the same quality as the seeds. Climate, soil and surroundings often change the character of such fruits. Many new varieties, unknown to the growers, were the result. The fruit thus produced was often of an inferior growth, and when grafts were brought from the old New England home and grafted into the Ohio trees, an improvement as well as the old home fruit was the result. After the orchards in the Reserve began to bear, the fruit was very often taken to the Ohio River for shipment, and thence found its way to the Southern and Eastern seaboard cities.

Among the individuals prominent in introducing fruits into the State, were Mr. Dille, of Euclid, Judge Fuller, Judge Whittlesey, and Mr. Lindley. George Hoadly was also very prominent and energetic in the matter, and was, perhaps, the first to introduce the pear to any extent. He was one of the most persistent and enthusiastic amateurs in horticulture and pomology in the West. About the year 1810, Dr. Jared Kirtland, father of Prof. J. P. Kirtland, so well known among horticulturists and pomologists, came from Connecticut and settled in Portland, Mahoning County, with his family. This family has done more than any other in the State, perhaps, to

advance fruit culture. About the year 1824, Prof. J. P. Kirtland, in connection with his brother, established a nursery at Poland, then in Trumbull County, and brought on from New England above a hundred of their best varieties of apples, cherries, peaches, pears, and smaller fruits, and a year or two after brought from New Jersey a hundred of the best varieties of that State; others were obtained in New York, so that they possessed the largest and most varied stock in the Western country. These two men gave a great impetus to fruit culture in the West, and did more than any others of that day to introduce improved kinds of all fruits in that part of the United States.

Another prominent man in this branch of industry was Mr. Andrew H. Ernst, of Cincinnati. Although not so early a settler as the Kirtlands, he was, like them, an ardent student and propagator of fine fruits. He introduced more than six hundred varieties of apples and seven hundred of pears, both native and foreign. His object was to test by actual experience the most valuable sorts for the diversified soil and climate of the Western country.

The name of Nicholas Longworth, also of Cincinnati, is one of the most extensively known of any in the science of horticulture and pomology. For more than fifty years he made these his especial delight. Having a large tract of land in the lower part of Cincinnati, he established nurseries, and planted and disseminated every variety of fruits that could be found in the United StatesEast or West-making occasional importations from European countries of such varieties as were thought to be adapted to the Western climate. His success has been variable, governed by the season, and in a measure by his numerous experiments. His vineyards, cultivated by tenants, generally Germans, on the European plan, during the latter years of his experience paid him a handsome revenue. He introduced the famous Catawba grape, the standard grape of the West. It is stated that Mr. Longworth bears the same relation to vineyard culture that Fulton did to steam navigation. Others made earlier effort, but he was the first to establish it on a permanent basis. He has also been eminently successful in the cultivation of the strawberry, and was the first to firmly establish it on Western soil. He also brought the Ohio Everbearing Raspberry into notice in the State, and widely disseminated it throughout the country.

Other smaller fruits were brought out to the West like those mentioned. In some cases fruits