1846.] Mineral and Agricultural Resources of JVew York. 181 



compared with the average of the state, are found to yield a 

 much larger quantity than is given in the returns. Thus West- 

 chester gives an average yield of 139 lbs., Washington 174, 

 Rensselaer 157, Columbia 187, Dutchess 237, and Livingston 

 only 67 lbs., which if this wheat county is a representative of 

 the state, shows that the middle and western counties are poorly 

 adapted to this crop, while the coarser soils of the river counties 

 are well adapted to it. 



The greatest crop of flax raised in the state, and which received 

 the Society's premium, amounted to 567 lbs. per acre. The next 

 best was one yielding 437 lbs. per acre. The above was reward- 

 ed to a gentleman residing in Chautauque county. 



The dairy business is one of considerable interest in the state. 

 It is however difficult to determine from returns which have yet 

 been given, what part of the state is best adapted to this business, 

 that is, the production of butter and cheese. In order, however, 

 to make an approximate determination of this matter it was ne- 

 cessary to convert the butter and cheese into one item. Or in 

 other words to estimate both products as cheese. For this pur- 

 pose the butter which was returned was estimated as equal to two 

 pounds of cheese, which product was added to the amount of 

 cheese returned. It was then determined from the number of 

 cows which w^ere milked, how much cheese each cow produced. 

 We have given below the results obtained by this method. 



The average quantity of cheese in pounds made per cow, in 

 Delaware county, was 207 lbs.; in Washington, 184; Herkimer, 

 307; Rensselaer, 187; Dutchess, 184; Onondaga, 203; Sarato- 

 ga, 182. According to observation we believe these counties 

 are considered the best grazing sections in the state, and it will 

 be seen that Herkimer produces the greatest number of pounds per 

 cow of any section. The average for the state, estimated as 

 above, is only 95 lbs. 



A large quantity of milk, however, must be consumed in New 

 York, Albany, Troy, and the numerous cities and villages, which 

 can not be estimated, and which must serve to reduce the ave- 

 rage of the state to a low amount. The number of cows milked 



