290 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



The poultry show was quite extensive and beautiful ; who it all 

 belonged to, I cannot now say. 



I was pleased that so many strangers were present from distant 

 parts of the Union. Among them were several gentlemen from the 

 South. The assemblage of men from different parts of the State, 

 and of the Union, I consider as the great thing. It is necessary that 

 some show should be got up, in order to get men together ; and is 

 it not strange that some men will go farther to see a Durham bull, 

 than to see a clever likely man, a being endowed v^rith reason and 

 intelligence ? So it is : but anything to induce our farmers to assem- 

 ble together ; to form an acquaintance, and make themselves known 

 to their fellow-men. 



In my next, I propose to give you some account of Onondaga 

 county, and of the farm management of a few of our friends there. 

 I subscribe myself yours. 



Letter III. 



Camillus, September 20, 1845. 

 My Dear Friend — I proposed, in my last letter, to give some 

 account of my travels and acquaintances in Onondaga county ; and 

 now having set myself down to fulfil this promise, I feel at some 

 loss what to say, and what subjects will interest you most. But it 

 appears to me that the first thing which is inquired after, on going 

 into a county, is, what is its soil and productions ? So I shall, in the 

 first place, take up these subjects for consideration. Now Onondaga 

 county is in the heart of the State, and I have sometimes heard her 

 called the empire county, but on this point I have not made up my 

 mind. I do know, however, that there are many productive and pro- 

 fitable farms there ; and the county is especially favored with some 

 geological formations and deposits, which the eastern, northern and 

 southern counties are destitute of, and which certainly confer many 

 and great advantages. The limestone ranges formed of the Onon- 

 daga and Manlius waterlimes, are of great importance : they are 

 in contact here, and form a distinct belt through the county from 

 east to west. This belt borders the Erie canal, and rises in many 

 places directly from it in the form of a terrace or table. But the 

 most important formation is the limestone shale, below these water- 



