our mind the chances are that the Overseer will give the most work for the money paid, if he is hired by the day. Pay Overseer's wages liberal enough to make it an object for an honest, capable man to accept the offer, and then stand by him when he is trying to do his duty. Put the nominating of the County Road Overseer in the hands of the County Board of Agriculture, the Board of Chosen Freeholders, if they will, to ratify the nomination. This will check the low lived politician, who works hard at the spring election for the man that will promise to work and vote for him in the Board meeting when appointments are made. TEXT BOOK ON ROAD MAKING. Our road system will never be what it should be until a standard for road making is established. As there are doctrines in the church which the preacher is expected to set forth, rules in arithmetic and grammar, which the school teacher is expected to teach, so there are principles and rules in road making which need to be observed, and road overseers should have a knowledge of them before they are appointed. We suggest that our State Board take steps to provide a text book on road making, make some provisions for educating a class of men in this particular branch of work, and require of all applicants for the position a certificate showing that they have the necessary knowledge and experience. COUNTY BOARDS TO EXAMINE OVERSEERS. Make our County Boards of Agriculture the examining committee. The low grade certificate to be given when they show that they are thoroughly acquainted with the text book, and let it entitle the holder to be an assistant overseer. The high grade to be given two years later, after practical experience, and they have proved themselves fully competent. If the directors of the County Boards would hold quarterly meetings in different parts of the county and invite the overseers of the different townships to meet with them, inspect roads and discuss road making, we believe it would be a good thing. At the same time, the Directors could examine applicants for positions. The county should honor a bill for one day's work, both for the directors and overseers. HON. WILLIAM FRITTS, (two years), Washington, N. J. ANNUAL REPORT. BY THE SECRETARY. As our County Board was not organized until December 29th, 1888, we have not yet gotten in good working order, and have not the necessary information to make a full report. The soil of Warren county is varied, composed of sandy and and clay loam, limestone, cobbles and slate ledges; and produces good crops of corn, wheat, rye, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, apples, pears, peaches and a variety of small fruits. Corn was not quite an average crop, owing to the heavy fall of rain, though were some extra good yields on the slate knolls, but on the low lands there was a great deal of soft. It is selling at forty cents per bushel. Wheat was about an average crop, yielding from fifteen to twenty-five bushels per acre and selling for one dollar. The winter wheat looks fine at the present writing. Rye. The crop of rye straw was very heavy, perhaps twentyfive per cent. above the average. The yield of grain was about an average one. Straw is worth from $10 to $12 per ton; grain, fifty-five cents per bushel. Hastings' paper mill, at Delaware, and the Warren Foundry, at Phillipsburg, make good markets for rye straw. Oats.-About an average crop. Hay.-About ten per cent. above an average crop and of the best quality. There has been an abundance of pasture and the young grass (clover and timothy) looks well in the stubble. Buckwheat.-This was hardly half a crop and of poor quality, too much rain and cold wind when in blossom. Price, sixty-five to seventy-five cents. Fotatoes.-There was about two-thirds of a crop, they having rotted badly. Price, fifty to sixty cents per bushel. Apples.-The apple crop was about twenty-five per cent. above the average. There were eight or ten thousand bushels shipped from Delaware, at an average of about thirty-three cents per bushel. Hundreds of bushels were wasted. Pears.-Pears were an entire failure. Peaches.-There was about one-tenth of a crop of peaches. There was too much rain and cold east wind and slight frosts when in blossom. Several new orchards were planted last spring. The borer is the greatest enemy of the peach in this section. This will be a great peach producing county in a few years if we can have the shipping accommodations. As it is at present we are obliged to ship in small lots by express, and the trainmen handle them like cord wood-they throw and pile them in any way, consequently they are so badly bruised and damaged when they reach the consumer that we cannot get good prices. The raising of small fruits is increasing, and growers appear to be in good spirits, the principal hindrance being high rates of freight and scarcity of help. L Garden truck was generally good. There were about one hundred thousand bushels of onions raised on the Great Meadow (the drained Pequest Valley), the garden of Warren county. Nut Crop.-The crop of chestnuts was good and they sold for $3 bushel. Walnuts and butternuts were a very light crop; per they were worth about forty cents per bushel. Shellbarks were a failure; some years there are nearly three thousand bushels shipped from Delaware. The past season has been favorable for the production of milk and butter. Creamery price for milk, from one and a half to three and a half cents per quart. There are six or eight creameries in Warren county, but have not been able to ascertain the amount of their product, excepting one, the Vail, which states the average paid by New York dealers for the year ending January 1st, 1889, to be thirty-three and seven-eighths. Creamery year will possibly run 875,000 quarts. Of the above amount there has been shipped to the city, in cream, about two thousand cans, the balance milk. Very little cheese has been made. More milk is produced than formerly, but less butter. Holsteins are preferred for producing milk, and Jerseys for butter. Farmers depend mostly upon buying Western cattle, to replenish their dairies, which cost from $35 to $60 per head. Do not know of any diseases among cattle. They are selling from $40 to $60 per head. Horses.-The breeding of horses is increasing, and farmers are endeavoring to breed a larger class of horses than formerly. The demand for heavy draught horses is rapidly increasing. A large horse always sells for a fair price. A small one does not sell so well. Prices for horses range from $50 to $250. Sheep. The sheep industry has decreased fully one-half, owing chiefly to the damage done by dogs. Also, the low price of both mutton and wool. If it were not for the worthless dogs, there would be twenty-five per cent. more kept. Farmers demand the repeal of the law prohibiting the killing of dogs doing them (the farmers) damage, and think it would be wise for the State to offer a small premium to the person or persons for killing dogs caught or seen worrying sheep, cattle, swine or poultry; also, amending the law by giving appraisers of damage done by dog or dogs the authority to allow damage, when they believe that sheep or other stock are damaged by being worried or chased, and if any sheep are missing, when the dogs have bitten or killed any of the flock, and the owner of the flock proves that he had more sheep, the said appraisers are to allow damages for said missing ones. But the owner must make diligent search for them, and should he find them after the said damage be awarded, the amount of damage on sheep found to be returned. There have been several sheep lost in this county in this way— some chased into the river and not found, and other found when too late to be appraised, and the owners had to lose them. There are a few flocks of thoroughbred and improved sheep in this county, and there would be vast improvements, but for the damage done by dogs, as you can never get more than one-third or one-half of their value. Either the dogs or the sheep must go. Swine. Fewer have been raised during the past two years than formerly, owing to the hog plague and low prices, but think it has reached the turning point, as the plague seems to have about run its course, and if breeders will use some precaution, I think it will be a thing of the past. Farmers, try to keep your hogs in a good thrifty condition, by feeding a variety of grain, with some roots and grass. Give them sulphur, salt and wood ashes occasionally. A good plan is |