STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 251 



Gr.iin — Wheat, barley, and oats, are grown with success when the 

 seasons are not too dry. 



Potatoes — The mountain potatoe is considered the best in market, 

 thoug-h not uniformly to be relied on for a good crop in this district in 

 dr_v seasons. 



Items not enumerated in the tabular sheet furnished are, bees, barn- 

 yard fowls, marble quarries, forest trees, and geological cabinets. 



BEES. 



There are in this district about three hundred swarms of bees. Each 

 swarm and hive are estimated to be worth at least ten dollars; making a 

 total of three thousand dollars. The bee flourishes in this district, and 

 is a most profitable investment to a certain- extent. Among the most 

 successful in this branch of business is J. W. Stewart, who has fifty-eight 

 swarms of bees, and they are all of them the produce of one swarm pur- 

 chased five j-ears ago. Mr. Stewart has made a handsome income, as 

 well as increase from the bees, each succeeding year. 



E. M. Chenoweth has forty-two hives of bees, the produce of one swarm 

 in five j-ears, and has made sale of a considerable amount of honey. 



J. W. Marshall, of Columbia, has twenty-five swarms. He commenced 

 the bee business five j^ears ago, with one or two swarms. He has sold 

 several hundred dollars worth of honey, beside what he has used. 



Mr. Norton, of Knapp's Ranch, has about one hundred swarms, and 

 has made large profits from his bees. 



The patent hives have proved a complete success to protect the bees 

 from moths and worms, when care is taken to drive them from the hives, 

 which can be easily done in the patent hives. 



BARNYARD FOWLS. 



The number and value of this item is difficult to be estimated, though 

 it is very considerable, amounting to many thousand dollars each year 

 in the gross amount of poultry and eggs. There are consumed not less 

 than five or six thousand in tiiis district. 



MARBLE QUARRIES. 



Marble quarries are numerous and of good quality in this district. 

 There are in and near Columbia, four. In Vine Springs is an extensive 

 quarry on an immense ledge, of fine and good quality for almost any of 

 the purposes to which marble is applied. The second is in Vine Springs 

 District; a pure white marble, susceptible of high polish, suitable for statu- 

 ary, and is an extensive ledge. The third is in Matelot Gulch, Colum- 

 bia; is pink and black Egyptian, mixed — will take a high polish, and may 

 be wrought to ornamental iiscs, for lamp stands, mantelpieces for fire- 

 places, and other ornamental uses, and is an extensive quarry. The fourth 

 is on Knapp's Ranch, Columbia; white marble, with blue veins, and valu- 

 able for general purposes to which marble is ap^^lied. 



FOREST TREES. 



In this district, and the mountain range above, are inexhaustible quan- 

 tities of pine, of several varieties, principally of sugar and pitch pine, 



