SOUTHDOWN SHEEP. Best buck, 2 years and over, Edward Mills, Cincinnati.... Best buck under 2 years, Samuel Toms, Elyria .... $20 20 Best pen of 5 ewes, 2 years and over, Joshua Dye, Abington, Ind...... 20 21 best 16 of 5 fat sheep, George Garlinghouse, Centre Village.... $15 10 In this class were 82 entries, comprising 173 animals. The following are the awards and report of the committee: Best boar, over 2 years, David Magie, Oxford..... Best boar, over 1 year, Wallace & Ferguson, Milton.... 2d best 66 J. & J. H. Perrine, Lebanon... J. G. Scobey, Mt. Carmel, Ind Best breeding sow, over 2 years, J. G. Scobey, Mt. Carmel, Ind...... 2d best L. Bartlett, Cardington M. Carroll, Painesville Best breeding sow, 1 year old, John Hackrader, Ridgeville Best lot of 5 pigs, same litter, J. G. Scobey, Mt. Carmel, Ind........... 2d best $20 10 15 10 10 5 20 10 15 5 10 5 The committee, in examining the hogs, found quite a competition, so many different classes and ages of hogs that it was very difficult to say where the premiums were to go; and after some six hours labor, decided as above. They desire to say that one aged sow, owned by Brodie & Campbell, Rural Hill, N. Y., of the Yorkshire breed, was a very fine animal, and would have taken the first premium if the committee had been satisfied that this breed would withstand the cold as well as some of the other breeds. It was the opinion of the committee that other breeds on show were superior in this case, and therefore refused to give the sow the premium. They have no doubt this breed of hogs would do for small feeders where they will be sheltered from cold and storms. JAMES ROOSA, ISAAC FOWLER, JOSEPH WALTER. Committee. SUFFOLK AND SMALL BREEDS. In this class there were but 18 entries, comprising 29 amimals. The following are the awards and report of the committee: Best boar, 1 year, E. & B. Bassett, Milan..... 66 under 1 year, Ferguson & Wallace, Milton, Ind........... Best breeding sow, over 2 years, Jackson Howard, Johnstown. 1 year old, E. & B. Bassett, Milan $15 10 20 15 10 10 Boar, 1 year old, T. P. Johnson ..commended. This animal (No. 4, E. & B. Bassett, Milan, aged boar) has drawn several first premiums in years past, and we consider him ruled out. Your committee have awarded the first premium to No. 5, (E. & B. Bassett, Milan, boar over 1 year,) and consider him a good specimen of his class. We also commend No. 12, (T. P. Johnson, Enon, boar, Chester, 1 year) as having bone, frame, and aptitude for feeding purposes. We, the committee, have examined No. 18, (Ferguson and Wallace, Milton, Ind., boar, 4 months,) and consider him a number one specimen of his class, with a good constitution, and the best of feeding qualities. We, the committee, have not considered No. 7, (E. & B. Bassett, aged sow,) a fine sow, which has drawn premiums before. The committee have examined No. 9, (E. & B. Bassett, sow, under 1 year,) and consider her a good specimen of the breed. H. T. WOLLARD, Largest exhibition of pigeons, six varieties, P. Hellrigle, Dayton.... $3 3 3 3 5 5 The committee on poultry report that after a very careful and minute examination of the department under their charge, they have been reluctantly, but irresistably driven to the conclusion that this most useful and interesting culture has, of late, been wofully neglected. Without attempting to account for this falling off of the interest in the most beautiful of the animal creation, your committee earnestly recommend that some efficient means be devised by the board of managers to prevent the public feeling on this subject from entirely dying out. It is certainly not desirable that the fever should run quite as high as it did some years since, but that high stage of excitement has demonstrated the fact that these feathered bipeds are fully as susceptible of improvement as the race of bipeds without feathers. In proof of the deplorable condition of this department, we will now call attention to the specimens on exhibition. The China breed of various grades, maintain their distinctive characteristics much better than any other variety. This is no doubt owing to the almost universal preference which is given to size, above every other quality. The Shanghais maintain their ascendency, with steady progressive improvement. Indeed we hope to see them, by careful breeding and high feed, to attain the size of the ostrich, if not larger. This desirable end would be the sooner attained if an implement could be found for cleaning chickens as they do the calves and pigs. He who shall invent such an implement, may, from the date of its patent, assure himself that his fortune is made. They possess the two prime qualities of all kinds of stock, viz: large size and early maturity. Their eggs are small and few, using their food for their own physical development, instead of expending it for the benefit of their posterity. It is a subject of regret to your committee that the beautiful variety, and prolific generator of eggs, the Poland, is not on exhibition.' The Dorking, another among the most valuable varieties, possessing as it does, the valuable qualities of the plump motherly hen, the fatherly cock, and numerous and hardy brood. Indeed, no collection of fowls is worthy of notice without the two last named varieties. The ducks, geese, and turkeys, as near as your committee are able to judge by the dim light of history, are about as they were when they were discharged from the Ark. The same remarks will apply to the pigeons. and other small birds. Your committee have not been able to ascertain, with any degree of certainty, from the genealogy of any of the birds on exhibition, whether any of them have decended in a direct line, from the bird that brought back that cheering sign of the subsidence of the flood, the Olive branch. Lest your committee may be censured for not awarding a premium for the best display of pigeons, "not less than six varieties," they beg leave to say that there were but five varieties, the ruffled and capped on exhibition being the same va riety, the only difference being in the size of the caps Your committee would have been better pleased with a wider field of observation in their department, but they have endeavored, in making up their opinions, to call attention to some of the principles by which we are to be governed, in order to bring about the greatest amount of physical development the animal is capable of attaining at the least amount of cost. They have also, in compliance with the rules of the Board, given the reasons upon which their preferences are based. WM. J. THOMAS, Ch'n. MACHINERY, ENGINES, ETC. In this class were 34 entries. The following are the awards. The committee made no report: Best portable steam engine, Owens, Lane & Dyer, Hamilton... Second best do Lane & Bodley, Cincinnati.... Best portable farm engine, Owens, Lane & Dyer........ "portable saw mill, Lane & Bodley.. 66 preventive of steam boiler explosions, L. M. Gilbert & Co., Cleveland.. self-setting saw mill head-blocks, Lane & Bodley, Cincinnati......... "stave machine, J. S. Parrott, Dayton.... "lath machine, Jacob Pefley, Bainbridge, Pa............ $50 25 20 20 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 AGRICULTURAL MACHINES. First Division. In this class were 74 entries. The following are the awards and report of the committee: Best threshing machine, Owens, Lane & Dyer, Hamilton............. sweep horse power, C. H. Hoover & Son, Miamisburg $15 10 Best endless chain horse power, Jas. F. Dane & Co, Springfield.... threshing machine by endless chain, Baldwin, Dewitt & Co., Cleveland "circular saw mill, horse power, Jas. F. Dane & Co., Springfield...... log cross-cut saw mill, do, Baldwin, Dewitt & Co..... "c'over seed hulling machine, D. Whiting, Ashland...... "hand corn sheller, Samuel Males, Cincinnati..... 66 66 sorgho evaporator, L Woodhull, Dayton.. sorgho mill, J. L. Gill & Son, Columbus.... "cider mill and press, Thomas Mast & Co., Springfield.... "hay press, L. Woodhull, Dayton.. "horse hay rake, G. W. Brant & Co., Carlisle, Pa...... 66 hay, straw and stalk cutter, Baldwin, Dewitt & Co.......... REPORT ON SORGHO MILLS AND EVAPORATORS. The committee are happy to see that the growing interest in the cultivation of the Sorgho has been so promptly seconded by inventors and mechanics, and that so good facilities are now offered for testing the value of this plant. Among the mills for grinding (with but one exception), we found no material difference in the principle of construction. Strength, durability, capacity for work, and cost, were, perhaps, the principal points that governed the committee in making the awards; and though we are not vain enough to suppose that our decision will satisfy all our spirited exhibiters, will give satisfaction to the purchaser. Among the evaporators we find a greater variety, showing that a new demand has been made upon the ingenuity and skill of our enterprising mechanics; and the large and meritorious number of entries in this class, gives the best assurance that all that is desirable for the convenient and economical manufacture of both syrup and sugar from the Sorgho plant will soon be reached. ABEL CRUM, A. G. SEARLES, Committee. AGRICULTURAL MACHINES. Second Division. In this class there were 98 entries. The committee made no report. The following are the awards: Best wheat drill, two horse, Smith, Barnes & Co., Tiffin..... Second best do do Baldwin, Dewitt & Co, Cleveland.. ... $10 5 |