168 [Senate 



We have many varieties of soil, some admirably adapted to grain, 

 others to grazing, but all very productive. We have in this county 

 much more extensive public works than any county in the State. 

 The Erie canal passes through the county from east to west, and on 

 its borders have arisen flourishing villages. The forest has been 

 felled, and the rich products of the agriculturist are now reward- 

 ing the labors of the farmer, where, when I first located in this 

 county, almost impenetrable forests existed. The Chenango canal 

 extends from Utica south to Madison; and the Black River canal 

 commencing at Rome, passes through the northern section of the 

 county to the Black River in Lewis county. The Syracuse and 

 Utica and Schenectady rail-roads also traverse this county, affording 

 to our inhabitants every facility which can be desired, and numerous 

 valuable streams afford mill sites, which are occupied by splendid 

 manufacturing establishments exceeding any county in the State. 

 The condition of agriculture, though not what it should be, is evi- 

 dently improving; and in many respects the farmers of Oneida de- 

 serve great praise for their economy, the neatness of their farms, their 

 judicious use of manures, a correct system of cropping and bounti- 

 ful products. In this county the former efforts, under the auspices 

 of the Agricultural Society of 1820, resulted in much good,, although 

 in many respects their proceedings did not entirely secure the confi- 

 dence of the farming interest. But no unprejudiced mind will doubt, 

 I think, that the good effects of that association still remain among 

 us, and is evident in the improvment of our animals, in more judi- 

 cious cultivation of farms, and in an increased desire to become pos- 

 sessed of information in relation to improved systems of husbandry. 

 The soil of the central and southern portion of the county is well 

 adapted to all kinds of grain and roots, corn, barley, rye, oats, po- 

 tatoes; wheat, both spring and winter, are raised in great abundance. 

 The wheat crop is not as sure with us as in some of the western 

 counties. The ravages of the fly often disappoint the hopes of the 

 farmer, and the severity of the wintei's at times being equally disas- 

 trous. For the last four or five years, however, wheat has been 

 raised in many of our towns of fair quality, and the yield very good; 

 and I am of opinion, after considerable reflection and examination, 

 that if proper care is used in the selection of seed from the west, 

 and a suitable preparation of the land for the crop, we may raise 

 winter wheat without difficulty, and realize a very liberal reward. 

 The Italian wheat, which has become so celebrated as a spring wheat, 

 was first brought into notice by a merchant of this place, who pro- 

 cured the seed from a gentleman lately from Florence, Italy, who 

 without ever having seen the place, purchased a farm in the town of 

 Florence in this county, doubtless supposing that he was about to 

 witness the sunny clime of his own dear native city; sad indeed w^as 

 his disappointment, when he found himself in the midst of a Sibe- 

 rian winter, v/ith piles of snow deeper than ever his imagination had 

 supposed to exist. Having had at the time the agency of the farm 

 on which he lived, I remember the keenness of his disappointment. 



