1846.] Profits of Cultivation. 297 



with us in great luxuriance and perfection. Perhaps as success- 

 fully as in any other part of the United States, and by many peo- 

 ple in great abundance, and of the choicest varieties. 



Many excellent, and some extensive apple orchards now exist 

 in the county, and in the neighborhood of Buffalo, which is a 

 good fruit market. Very considerable plantations of the choicest 

 fruits are in progress. Two extensive nurseries are erected "with- 

 in a mile of the city, containing probably in the aggregate, half 

 a million trees of all kinds of fruit common to the climate, and 

 of their choicest varieties. 



On the whole, Erie may be called, when compared with the 

 counties generally of the state, a fruit county of the first class. 



GREAT PROFITS DERIVED FROM CULTIVATING 

 THE SOIL. 



The public mind not unfrequently becomes as much excited by 

 the large sums of money that have been, or may hereafter be de- 

 rived from " tilling the ground," as it frequently does in some 

 flour speculation. Not many years since, very scientific as well 

 as practical estimates were made in relation to the profits to be 

 derived from an acre of land in the culture of silk, and that cal- 

 culation determined the sum to be at least $1,300. Hence arose 

 the fever for mulberry trees, then followed a chill, and soon a to- 

 tal extinction of both. Not long since, the hemp fever raged in 

 many localities, and after throbbing for a few years the excite- 

 ment subsided. And now even at this day the many annual fairs 

 throughout the land, are bringing to light many interesting results 

 in the labors of the farm: interesting, because any pursuit becomes 

 interesting, when a great profit is derived from a little labor or a 

 small expenditure. We have reports from the committees ap- 

 pointed at the fairs, from which we learn that 100, 120, or 150 

 bushels of corn has been raised upon an acre of land, followed of 

 course by a premium. Then comes 10 or 1200 bushels ol beets, 



No. VIII. 10 



