The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-11-10
Letter from Ohio.
Corresponds ce Of The journal. I


weather all the first part of the season was
cold, rainy and disagreeable, but has re-
deemed itself this fall. The PEG lie in
Ohio have not been favored with such
months for many years. The ground is
dry and roads are very dusty. Whenever
! there is high wind, such as we were ia
vored with the past week, the dust is al
most binding.
Farmers are just beginning to husk their
corn. The crop will be unusually light.
owing to late planting on account of the
spring flood. Much of it was not planted
until past the middle of June Those for
tunate enough to have their farms well
tiled got their planting done early in the
spring and have harvested a good crop.
which will yield from fifty to sixty bushels
(shelled) per acre. ed
and will not be worth husking. Corn
husking here differs from the style in the
east 1t is all huslled in the field. The
shock is laid on bench and man works
at each side. The stalks are bound and
reshocked and left standing in the field
to be hauled for fodder as needed during
tine winter. The corn is loaded into a
two-holse wagon and taken to the crib.
Two men usually husk two loads per day,
OF about 20 bushels OF ears The grain
crop was very light. Not half the usual
crop was harvested and much of it was of
very poor quality. Notwithstanding the
light crop wheat is very low. The very
best brings the farmers but Is cents per
bushel. Many have not sown as much this
fall as they usually do. They think at the
present prices they can make money fast
er raising corn. Corn is selling for 80
cents per hundred The potato and apple
crop is a failure; not nearly enough for
home consumption.
The hay crop was good, but the price
paid Tor it is very low. They are offering
81 for the best. The farmers here say if
they could have the eastern markets they
could get rich in few years.
| often think if the farmers in the east
had what is wasted here they could save
considerable money. As a general thing
the poor people here have a much harder
time to support their families than those
in the east 1t is no uncommon thing to
see a little hut with but one ROOM filled
with a family of six OF eight, and with but
| Il ~.
of the wealthy people have very nice
houses, but it is seldom a cellar is put
under a house. Many think it is not
healthy. A small building is built, called
an up cellar" where milk and butter
are kept 10y the aid OF ice during the sum
mer The vegetables are buried ia the
fall and dug out as wanted in winter
There IS IA vast amount of ditchino be
ing done this fall. People are bound to
keep on top if again visited by food, as
they were last spring. Many of the roads
have a ditch running alongside, six or
eight feet deep and eight or ten feet
wide. They come almost to the wheel
track and are without ratings. If farm
ers in the east We're obliged to drain
their land in like manner, there would
/ be no end to the accidents resulting
/ theretrom: but no one here ever gets ia
/ ''the ditch unless they iinbibe a little
/ too freely. The manufacture OF tile seems
/ to be a paying business. The mills in this
section have been running all summer.
and the tile is hauled away as fast as it is
taken from the kilns. | often wonder
why more do not engage in the business.
Almost any farmer could start a mill who
wished TO do 50, as suitable clay can be
found almost anywhere by digging a foot
or two
Many of the farmers here are selling
and going west. Their stock, farm inn
pements furniture, etc, are usually sold
at public auction. The auctioneer usual
ly charges ten per cent. of the amount
sold On all sums of over y one wear 5
time is given, without interest, providing
good security is furnished. Eight pei
cent. is thrown off from the selling price
. Ibl cash Down. y frpt lunch Is GenerallV
furnished, which serves to entice Il certain
class to the sale.
had the privilege few weeks ago OF
attending the Henry county fair in Napo-
leon. The grounds are well fitted up and
present very neat appearance. All the
exhibition buildings are on the ground.
which makes it more convenient than to
be obliged to travel one or two miles from
the ground to the exhibition halls as one
has to do in some places. The fair was
ahead of the county fairs in the east in
many respects. The show Of stock was
good: but not a yoke of oxen was seen on
the ground. The exhibition of hogs and
poultry was large. The day was fine, con
sequcnty from ten to fifteen Thousand
were in attendance. The ground present
ed very pretty and homelike appearance
at noon. Most Of the people brought then
dinner, and groups were scattered in all
directions, with a cloth spread on the
ground covered with Injuries from the
lunch basket The usual number OF fax
IFS were in attendance, and succeeded il
making good hauls from all those whe
t,rI, t,,t ,ly