Valley Spirit

--It is unaccountable to us why so little interest is manifested in this praise- worthy undertaking. It seems utterly impossible to procure the attendance of members at business meetings of the Association. It is intended soon to open the Library for the benefit of the public, and it is important that a meeting of the subscribers, who are the members of the Association, should take place prepartory to the opening. A meeting for this purpose has been called on several occasions, and we believe no one took sufficient interest to be present except the President of the Association.--This is positively disgraceful, and should it happen again, we would say, let the project be abandoned and we will do our part to fix the blame of a failure where it justly belongs.

A meeting of subscribers to the Library is called for next Saturday evening, at 6 1/2 o'clock, at the Reading Room in the Mansion House, and a general attendance is earnestly desired. Let there be a full meeting and not have it to say that a movement so creditable to a community, and of such vast importance to the rising generation, was suffered to die out through indifference and neglect of our citizens.

This county according to the census of 1850 contained 2, 247 farms, on which 248, 557 acres of land were improved. The population was then 39, 904. At that time the wheat crop was 837, 062 bushels. The crop of Indian corn was 539, 976 bushels. It is difficult to ascertain what the population now is, but as in agricultural regions, the increase is not at a great ration, it would be fair to infer that it is now about 4, 000. This year there is more than an average crop of wheat. The crop of the county will be on a reasonable estimate to be of one million of bushels. It will take about 250, 000 bushels to bread the inhabitants and at 70 bushels on the average to a farm for seed wheat, it will require about 175, 000 bushels for seed. This will leave a surplus to be sent to market of 576, 000 bushels. In 1850 there was not near as much corn raised as has been since. The exportation of corn was only generally commenced at the time of the Irish famine in 1847. The number of acres of corn planted is now more than double what it was in 1850. This year there is a very large crop planted. If it proves good there cannot be less than one million two hundred thousand bushels of corn produced. The surplus sent to market will be large. These facts go to show what an excellent county, for agricultural purposes, Franklin is, and there is no one at all well acquainted with its quality of good lands that does not believe but that by improvement in cultivation, the agricultural products can be increased 50 per cent.