proving rapidly, like Circleville, while from the depression of business, other towns improve slowly, or are not improving at the present time.

XENIA, in Green county, is among our older towns. Its location is on elevated ground, and the country around it is well watered, high, dry and healthful. Xenia is the seat of justice for the county. It contains some fifteen hundred inhabitants, who live well, work hard, and are healthy, moral, prosperous and happy. Located on no large river, nor near any canal, this town, almost as old as the state, is not as large as it otherwise would be. But a rail road will pass through it, and a turnpike road likewise, when Xenia will become a larger town. The county of Greene is one of the best watered ones for farmers, in the state. Its soil is excellent. Fruit trees do well, and cattle, sheep and horses, are easily raised by the farmers, in great numbers. The wheat is excellent, which this county produces, so of the grass and corn. On the whole, we know of no portion of this state, more desirable to live in, than this. For pure springs, clear pellucid streams, and healthfulness of climate, this county vies with our very best ones in the state. The people who live in it, are a friendly, industrious and intelligent population. Major James Galloway, whose name is honorably mentioned in our history of the late war, belonged to Xenia, and his troops went from here, and in this county. For love of country, and devotion to our institutions, the people of this region have none more ardent to contend with in the race of patriotism. The exertions now making to improve their condition will effect their object. When the rail road is made, the owner of produce can take it to Cincinnati, sell it, get his pay for it and be at home again to supper. Now it takes him six days, at no small expense for carriage in wagons.

But we are aware that this article is devoted rather more to topography than is consistent with our work, and that this subject is better treated in the Ohio Gazetteer, just published by Warren Jenkins, Esquire. To that volume we respectfully refer all our readers. Our principal reason for touching

this subject is the connection which exists between these towns, their citizens and the events, described in our history.. From in and about these towns went our soldiers to war with England. And the people of these towns have governed the state, and still have a great influence on its destiny.

In our older towns where there are not so many new buildings erecting in them, and so many improvements making, a stranger might believe them to be much older than they are. In each city or town, there are a court house and jail, and buildings for the county offices-for the clerk of the courts, for the auditor, sheriff, treasurer, recorder and sometimes for the county commissioners and state's attorney. All these are commodious and handsome structures. The streets are paved and there is a handsome market house in many, and indeed, all the cites and towns mentioned by us. The churches are numerous, and sometimes spacious and even handsome buildings. The side walks are well paved and there are many other marks of older towns than they are. The stores are ornamented with goods, tastefully displayed, to attract attention.

These towns have two or more market days in the week, when the crowd of citizens and market people, present a busy, bustling aspect. The long row of wagons, carts and drays, reminds one of an eastern city, on a market morning. This is Ohio now, happily contrasting with the past, only a few years since. Our towns have grown up rather too rapidly for the country around them, and marketing of all sorts is rather dear, for so new a country, whose soil is so fertile. Our farmers, obtain such high prices for all they produce, that their wives and daughters, neither spin nor weave much cloth, so they go to the store for their clothes. Cows are not kept in very large numbers, and but little cheese is made in most of the counties. Butter, too, is rather scarce and dear. Fowls are becoming dear-one dollar a dozen! Eggs once but four cents a dozen, are now six and even eight cents a dozen. Other articles are equally dear. In one particular our towns are doing well in cultivating our own native trees, shrubs, plants and flowers. The soil and climate suit them,

and they are handsomer, more thrifty and in all respects preferable to any exotics. Our three species of sumac are handsome shrubs which never grow too large for a shade near the house.

Among the flowers, natives of this state, the Phlox family of many species, of every color almost, coming one after another, in the season, from spring to autumn, are becoming favorites. Among the most singular ones, the black flower claims attention. But, the time would fail us, as well as the reader's patience, to tell of all the trees and plants now being naturalized and transplanted into our gardens, court yards, side walks and pleasure grounds. Under the head of Botany, the reader can see what Cincinnati has done in this way. Since this taste for cultivating our own native plants has begun to prevail among us, our towns have assumed a better appearance. Our prairie flowers will soon be gone, and lost to the world, unless they are domesticated. Many of them are among the most beautiful and curious in the world. Let us hope that they may be saved from destruction.

Most of the towns have reading rooms, where a traveler can read all the principal newspapers and periodicals. Libraries are increasing in number as well as in size, every where in the state, and useful knowledge is spreading. "The school master is" not "abroad" in this state, but at home, at his daily task, teaching the youth of our towns, at their homes, or in our schools.

THE NUMBER OF OUR POPULATION AT DIFFERENT PERIODS AND REMARKS ON ITS PROBABLE INCREASE IN FUTURE.

By the same ratio of increase, we shall have 2,000,000 in

1840.

At the conclusion of Wayne's War, many of his soldiers scttled in the country. Before that time, from 1787 to 1791, the increase in numbers was almost nothing; but that war ending in 1795, the population increased rapidly, as will be seen. So, immediately after the conclusion of the war with England, the increase was rapid; but from 1817 up to the time of commencing our works of internal improvement, in 1825, the increase was comparatively at a stand. The demand for labor, its high price, the low prices of food, with the prospect of being enabled to purchase good farms for what could, by each, be earned in a year or two, by laboring on our canals, induced thousands to immigrate from the East to this country, where there was so little winter to provide for in the summer, by the farmer. These were inducements sufficient to draw into our State vast numbers of young laboring men, who wished to see more of the world, and find a home for themselves and for their posterity. Our population at present, we have reason for believing, increases at the rate of one hundred thousand, a year. In November 1836, we gave two hundred and five thousand votes for President, showing an increase in four years of forty thousand votes. The excitement was not great, as it was clearly foreseen what the result must be, between voting for WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON and MARTIN VAN BUREN, so far as this state was concerned.

It may be supposed, that when our wild lands are all sold, our population will not increase in the same ratio as it has done hitherto. It may be supposed, too, that emigration to the West, from Ohio, will be great; but we think that such is the fertility of our soil, such the mineral treasures found in our hilly region, and the call for labor on our Roads and Canals, for which we shall continue, for ages to come, to pay out millions of dollars annually, that vast numbers will be drawn from all the eastern states, into this. In a country where industry of all sorts is better rewarded than in any other; where provisions must always be cheaper and more abundant than in states which purchase their provisions of us, and then transport them a distance, and there sell them, making a profit on their

business. There are other considerations, not to be overlook. ed in this estimate-we have no slaves in this State; and instead of being disgraceful, labor is honored by all, here. To laboring men, this will always continue to be an inducement to come here, from all the eastern states. Although our institutions, of all sorts, are not yet what we wish them to be, nor what they will be, yet they are decidedly better than they are in any of our western states. Our country, as it respects health, is no longer new-it is as healthful as New England, perhaps even more so, at present.

As to emigration from this state, it has all along been one of the most emigrating states in the Union. A majority of the people in Indiana, went there from Ohio. So of Illinois. On no route through the settled parts of those states, could we now travel, without meeting, every where, old friends and acquaintances from Ohio. We saw them there every where, when in their settlements in 1829. Men, with small farms here, emigrate, and soon own large ones where they go; but, when the farm is sold here, it is transferred to some man immediately from some eastern state, who comes here to better his condition. Eastern men can get along here, very well; but our Ohio people do best in Indiana and Illinois. Their previous training has fitted them to endure and overcome all the hardships incident to a new country-such as a want of mills, roads, schools, good physicians, and the thousand advantages of an older settlement: but suffering, as they must, from the sickness, want of good society, without a school for their children, without a physician to heal them when sick, and without a minister of religion to console them amidst their multitude of afflictions of all sorts, we envy not our old friends, in newer countries than this. We wish them well, and pray for their success, in their new abodes. May God bless them! Many are the tears which they have shed, when they remembered Ohio, and our thousand comforts, compared with their present condition. We have seen them here, and we have seen them where they are; and our tears flowed for them and their children.

To speculate upon our future increase in population, may