382 



TRANSACTIONS N. Y. S. AG. SOCIETY- 



this volume, is the able address of the i highly manured, and well cultivated— that 



President J. A. King, Esq., before the So- 

 ciety of Queens county, Long Island, where 

 Mr. King resides. It is valuable on ac- 

 count of the statistics of agricultural value 

 and production employed in that part of 

 Long Island, which conclusively prove that 

 farming may be carried on under circum- 

 stances absolutely requiring the employ- 

 ment of capital, and that capital may be 

 well employed in developing the resources 

 of the soil In Queens County, according 

 to Mr. King, with a population of 32,- 

 000, there are 125,636 acres of improved 

 land, (in grain 46,906, in meadow and pas- 

 ture 73,710 acres) and the total value of the 

 agricultural products is $1,764,604. The 

 nett receipt gives a profit of 10 per cent on 

 $S,000,000 of agricultural capital, or $7, 

 nett per acre, on 125,000 acres of improved 

 land, and $17 per acre on the 50,000 acres 

 of arable land. This is worthy of the con- 

 sideration of those who in the less fertile 

 parts of the State (for Long Island is by no 

 means naturally fertile) consider agriculture 

 a " poor business." The answer to the 

 inquiry regarding the success of Queens 

 county farmers, we more than suspect lies 

 in the fact disclosed by Mr. King, that they 

 are mostly " small farmers" — that is to say, 

 they are not made poor by owning large 

 farms, as " the average size of the farms 

 will scarcely reach SO acres." And the ma- 

 nure that is so liberally applied — what do 

 our readers think these " small farmers" of 

 Queens county pay for manure in a year ? 

 No less a sum than $227,000,to say nothing 

 of that made upon the land. Small farms, 



is the policy of all farmers near large 

 cities. 



It is impossible for us to notice in any 

 extended manner the contents of this vol- 

 ume of Transactions. We cannot however 

 wholly pass over the admirable and very 

 complete prize essay* on Indian corn byMR, 

 Salisbury, giving an accurate analysis of 

 the composition of every part of the plant, 

 during all stages of its growth, and furnish- 

 ing data for carrying its culture to per- 

 fection in all soils. Another article by Dr. 

 Lee, on the Philosophy of Tillage has alrea- 

 dy been copied into various agricultural pa- 

 pers, and is full of plain suggestions on the 

 science of farming, to those who wish to 

 learn ; and a third on Draining, by John 

 Delafield, Esq., the successful farmer of 

 Oaklands, is full of clear and sensible di- 

 rections for performing this important step 

 in the amelioration of wet lands. 



We must not forget an excellent report 

 on Fruits, by Dr. Wendell of Albany, ac- 

 companied with outlines of select varieties 

 recommendedfor general cultivation; among 

 which we notice the Autumn Strawberry 

 and Mother apples, two very excellent and 

 comparatively new sorts. 



This volume is printed by the State, and 

 forty copies are sent to every County Soci- 

 ety, for distribution. A vast and rich field 

 is still before the New York State Society, 

 and we are glad to believe from annual tes- 

 timony like this volume, that the executive 

 committee busy themselves about the work 

 in good earnest. 



* For which the Society's premium of $300 was awarded. 



