2% ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 



It will be remembered that the return of crops, as given in the 

 present census, are those of 1854, which year was characterized 

 by an unusual drought.* Witli the expectation that these results 

 would fall short of the average of common years, and present an 

 incorrect view of the agricultural capabilities of our soil, unless 

 associated with data, showing the cause and extent of the defi- 

 ciency, a blank was furnished to each marshal for entering the 

 relative yield of the several field crops, as compared with favora- 



*The following table shows the total depth of rain in inches and hundredths, reported aa 

 falling at several stations within the State, during part of the year, by which it appears that 

 the amount was unusually great in April, and considerably less than the common average in 

 July and August. The greater amounts for June at Clinton, Mexico, and Rochester, and for 

 July at Oxford, appear to have been from local showers. The general mean for the \vh.>!e 



Pounds of lint. — Large crops, for the manufacture of cordage, were occasionally reported 

 ia tons. Care was taken in summing these returns to reduce them uniformly to pounds. 



Acres and quantity of hemp, hops and tobacco^ bushels of apples, and barrels of cider. 

 — These also referred to the yield of 1854. 



Acres of market gardens cultivated, and value of product. — No account wns taken in 

 this census of the products of small gardens for domestic use, but only those devoted to tho 

 raising of culinary vegetables for market. The aggregate value raised in 1851, without 

 specification of items, was required. 



Pounds of maple sugar, and gallons of molasses . — These quantities reft rred to the spring 

 of 1855. 



Gallons oficine made. — This related to wine made from grapes in 1854. Currant and 

 other wines were reported under the head of unenumerated articles of farm produce. 



Pounds of honey and xcax collected in 1854, both from wild and domeetic bees. The rela- 

 tive quantities of these products could not, in many instances, be ascertained, on account of 

 the honey being sold in the comb. 



Silk, pounds of cocoons. — The quantity referred to 1854, and wo s much less than that 

 indicated by previous censuses. 



Unenumerated articles of farm produce. — Columns were provided for entering under 

 this head the kind, quantity and value of every crop made a special subject of cultivation, 

 and for which no other place was assigned. 



Domestic animals, as specified in the agricultural returns of this census, referred to June 

 1, 1855. An attempt was made to obtain the number of cows milked, the number milked for 

 butter, for cheese, and for the milk market, but it was found impracticable to derive u*efiil 

 results from this arrangement, on account of the uncertainty often arising as to which class 

 they were to be assigned. In the same dairy, butter and cheese are often made frojn the 

 milk of the same cows. The percentage of cows not milked is probably small. There is 

 reason to believe that the number of horses and cows kept by villagers, who own no land, is 

 reported too small. The number of sheip is reported, in mmy cases, differefit from the 

 number of fleeces and quantity of wool shorn. This apparent inconsistency arises from the 

 former referring to 1855, and the latter to 1854. 



Value of poultry and eggs sold. --These inquiries referred to the year preceding June 1 . 18,"'5, 



Special manures. — The kind, quantity and value of special manures, purchasid and us d 

 on farms, was directed to be entered in the agricultural schedule. The term ".-pedal ma- 

 nure,'' was defined to include guano, gypsum, poudrette, saline con pound*, and other sub- 

 stances prepared and sold as ferlilizing agents, aside from th' se ordinarily produced upon 

 farms. Of the latter no return was made. In many instances, two or more of these were eo 

 reported together that they could not be separated, and sometimes the value only was given. 

 These were classed under the general term ''miscellaneous,'- without further specification. 



