106 



with every other article of food except breadstuffs, are in better request than 

 common, on account of the extra home consumption. Our surplus may be 

 safely estimated at 10,000 bushels, which, at an average price of 40 cents, has 

 produced $4,000. 



To recapitulate — 

 Wheat, 220,000 bushels at 50 cents per bushel, 

 Corn, 482,616 bushels at 32 cents per bushel, 

 Oats, 40,000 bushels at 25 cents per bushel, - 

 Barley, 5,000 bushels at 45 cents per bushel. 

 Cattle, 2,000 head at 15 dollars per head, 

 Sheep, wool 50,000 %s., at 37 cts. per lb., 

 Mutton, 1,000 head, at $2 per head, ... 



Hogs — ^2,000 barrels pork, at $10 per brl., - 

 Potatoes, 10,000 bushels, at 40 cents per bushel, 



In the aggregate amounting to ----- $351,187 

 These estimates are intended to show the net surplus of the county, in the 

 articles enumerated, after deducting all home consumption, except that used by 

 the transient population engaged on the public works; and had I any reliable 

 data whereby to estimate the fruit, vegetables, poultry, butter, cheese, and many 

 other articles of ordinary consumption used by the same transient population, or 

 sent elsewhere to market, the agricultural surplus of the county would exceed 

 $400,000 for the year 1851. 



Fruit Culture. 



To name the different varieties, methods of cultivation, keeping qualities, &c., 

 one must write a book. So much depends upon soil, climate, variety and after 

 culture, that the limits of an ordinary article will but admit of a few hints. 

 The same variety under widely different circumstances, will produce the extremes 

 of good or bad. The Swaar or Green Newtown Pippin in wet, cold, heavy 

 soils are not worth cultivating. But give them a good, dry and gravelly soil, 

 and they are the best of apples, both for keeping and for flavor. Even the little 

 American Golden Russet, which thrives in any soil, and for richness of flavor 

 and fineness of texture is the chief among ten thousand, now lies before me with 

 its beautiful face as spotted as though it had had the small pox in the natural 

 way. With us it is at the extreme northern verge of its appropriate clime. So 

 with the white Bellflower, white winter Pearmain, and some other excellent 

 varieties, which we are topping off with hardier heads. But the little Russett 

 we will stick to, through evil as well as good report. 



No domestic pursuit is so well calculated to repay the cultivator with health, 

 pleasure and profit, as a well assorted and well cultivated fruit garden and or- 

 chard; yet none are so much neglected or as little understood. Nurserymen 

 too, are often in fault in the impediments they throw in the way of judicious 

 selections, by contriving to cultivate poor varieties under imposing uaraes, and 



