No. 63.] 163 



third anniversary meeting this fall. There were more people in at- 

 tendance, more spirit and interest manifested than at any previous 

 meeting, although there is but about half the number of inhabitants. 

 The great changes which have taken place, are the clearing up of 

 the country; the log house and barn of the early settler has almost 

 entirely been displaced by good substantial dwellings, and convenient 

 barns and out buildings; and improving the land and facilitating in- 

 tercourse by means of roads, few of which are as good or permanent 

 as they should be. 



2d. Aspect of the tounty. — The aspect of the county is gently 

 undulating, with a gradual slope to the north. It is drained by two 

 principal streams. The Tonawanda on the west, and runs north and 

 northwest to the Niagara river, draining the western portion of the 

 county; and Allen's creek on the east, which empties its waters into 

 the Genesee river. The county is generally well watered by springs 

 and streams. The water is pure and wholesome, though uniformly 

 hard in springs and wells. There is but a very small portion which 

 is not susceptible of the highest state of cultivation. The northern 

 portion of the county abounds in limestone, and some very good beds 

 of cypsum have been discovered, and are extensively worked. 



The Tonawanda and the Attica and Buffalo Rail-Roads, run through 

 the county. 



3d. Soil. — The predominating character of the soil is calcareous, 

 of a gravelly, slaty and clayey loam — very fertile, and in general 

 easily cultivated; is well adapted to all kinds of grain and the roots. 

 The northern portion of the county has not been considered as good 

 grazing as the southern. The difficulty has arisen as much from a 

 defective mode of cultivation, as from a naturally warm and dry soil. 

 When clover is made to alternate with wheat, little difficulty need 

 be apprehended on the score of summer feed. A greater attention 

 to root husbandry will ei.able the farmers to carry through large 

 stocks of cattle or, sheep with their straw fodder, and thus materially 

 increase their profits. All good wheat land will produce good roots, 

 especially turneps. The more roots, the more stock; an increased 

 quantity of manure, and hence greater productiveness in land. 



4th. Productions. — Winter wheat is the staple product of the 

 county. It is eminently a grain county. Every kind of grain the 

 farmer finds it an object to raise, yields a remunerating crop. 



The soil is natural for grass, and the white clover springs up spon- 

 taneously where the land is laid down for meadow or pasture. There 

 is no difficulty in making the meadows yield from two to three tons 

 of good hay to the acre. 



The average of wheat is about twenty-five bushels per acre. Oats, 

 thirty-five; barley, thirty; corn, forty. There is also raised a large 

 quantity of potatoes and peas. 



The principal products of 1839, as appears by the United States 

 census of 1840, were 



629,646 bushels of wheat. 

 7,007 do barley. 



