No, 63.] 143 



ticularly so to white clover. A small patch cleared any where in 

 the woods, within the course of two or three years, will exhibit a 

 complete bed of white clover, without any culture or seed. I con- 

 sider Chautauque a first rate grazing county, well adapted to dairy- 

 ing and the raising of cattle, sheep, &c. It is not adapted to the cul- 

 ture of winter wheat, as winter grains are apt to be thrown out in the 

 spring by the frost, and there appears to be a lack of the necessary 

 proportion of lime in the soil. Spring wheat succeeds much better, 

 producing, say on an average, ten to twenty bushels per acre. Corn 

 generally succeeds well, particularly the earlier kinds. Potatoes, 

 oats, and barley do well. Flax is a very profitable crop with us. 

 You will seldom see a poor crop of flax, either in growth, seed or 

 coat. The seed itself,! consider equal in value to a fair crop of spring 

 wheat. Rye and buckwheat do not succeed well. Our soil on the 

 hio-h land, after going down from eight to sixteen inches, consists 

 mostly of a hard subsoil, though not impervious to the plow, and I 

 should judge contains a portion of lime. I have no doubt but the 

 use of the subsoil plow would make an important improvement in 

 our crops, although I have not known it tried. Sheep and cattle do 

 well and are very healthy. I have never known a distemper among 

 sheep except in one instance, where I bought a flock that had been 

 kept in a poor johnswort pasture. They were attacked with swell- 

 ed lips and sore mouth, and I lost near one hundred; but an applica- 

 tion of tar to the mouth and lips checked the disease and cured the 

 sick. Our produce consists chiefly of cattle, horses, butter, cheese, 

 pork, wool, &c. Our wool is generally of a middle grade. 



The finest Saxon sheep do not do as well as a coarser grade. A 

 cross of the South Down with the Merino, or our finest native sheep, 

 do best for our climate. They make a hardy race and are good 

 breeders. The South Down take fat so easily that I think they will 

 become valuable for the olein and stearine factories, especially while 

 our meat market is so poor. 



AGRICULTURE OF CHEMUNG COUNTY. 



BY E. C. FROST AND A. J. WYNKOOP. 



Henry S. Randall, Esq. — Having had the honor of receiving 

 your printed circular, and living in different towns, we unite in the 

 following answer in relation to Chemung county. 



There is much of interest connected with the early settlement of 

 the luxurious valley of the Chemung. While western N. Y. was yet 

 in possession of the barbarous sons of the forest. Gen Sullivan, and 

 those under his command, when on their expedition against the con- 

 centrated remnant of the Six Nations, in 1779, were highly pleased 

 with the picturesque and fertile valley of the Chemung, or " Big 

 Horn," the Indian name of this beautiful river; and on their return 



