No. 63.J 187 



The soil is generally fertile, and on the north and middle is loamy, 

 and on the south more sandy. 



The principal products are wheat, Indian corn, oats, potatoes and 

 hay; and there is a considerable surplus of beef, pork, poultry, &c. 

 to send to market. 



The products are marketed at Brooklyn and New-York city. 



The common mode of cultivation is to plow the sward in spring 

 for corn, manuring well; the next spring sow oats without manure, 

 and in the fall prepared to be lain down, well manured, sown with 

 wheat or rye, and grass seed. The grass is then cut for a few years; 

 then pastured a year or two, and again goes through the same culti- 

 vation. Of course it depends much upon the character of the man, 

 and the size of his farm. 



The horses are generally good ones, of the English race breed; and 

 as the very stout, heavy kind are not as necessary as in a more rough 

 and hilly country, they are found to be the most handy and profitable 

 on the farm, (at least where but a few are kept,) and as roadsters, are 

 ready to carry the products to the market. A ready sale is always 

 found for such horses in the New- York market. 



But few cattle are raised in this county, as the demand in the 

 New-York market is such as to make a good calf a month or six 

 weeks old, worth as much as it would be at two years of age. 



Our cattle are generally from Suffolk county, and the interior of 

 the State. The large part of our cattle are natives, while the favor- 

 ite breeds are Durhams, and Durhams crossed with natives. 



Considerable attention has of late been paid to the rearing of sheep, 

 and many of our farmers have fine flocks of the most improved breeds. 

 The Merinos and Saxonys were long the favorites, and perhaps are 

 yet the most numerous; but as sheep are raised by our farmers for 

 the mutton rather than the wool, it is found that the heavy breeds are 

 the most profitable. 



Of swine there are all varieties — from the stately Berkshire, who by 

 general consent is placed at the head of that honored and honorable 

 family, and the delicate Chinese whose unrivaled flavor has brought 

 them in high favor with the palates of epicures — to those who require, 

 when full grown, a yoke to prevent them from passing between the 

 pickets of the garden fence. The favorite breed appears to be a 

 cross of the Berkshire and the best native breeds. 



Large numbers of swine are fatted for the New-York market, and 

 the plan most generally adopted is to let them run in pasture through 

 the summer, and feed them the slops of the kitchen and dairy, and 

 about the first of September to put them in pens and feed with ap- 

 ples, potatoes, pumpkins, unsound corn, &c. Some who have the 

 conveniences, boil the apples, &c. which is most generally approved. 

 They are slaughtered in November and December. 



The cattle and sheep are generally fattened upon grass, although dur- 

 ino- the winter many are fed in stalls. But little attention has as yet 

 been paid to the cultivation of roots as food for stock. Those who 

 have used them deem them more profitable than grain. 



There are many plows in use, among which may be named Free- 



