160 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



north-westward of it, there is great prohability 

 of its having been trans-ported from that spot to 

 its present situation by the impulse of water, aid- 

 ed by the nplifting power of ice. The removal 

 of such an enormous mass of granite, even to 

 this distance, is n mutter of astonishment. 



I have a drawing of tlie Vessel Rock which 

 will appear with the illustrations hereafter. The 

 present wood cut diagram will give a good idea 

 of its present situation, and of its original bed. 



o. The erratic block of granite. 



b. The original bed from whence it was probably bro- 

 ken off. 



The dark lines represent the strata of mica slate on 

 which the erratic block rests. 



Surry Mountain contains small beds of plum- 

 bago which have been wrought for the manufac- 

 ture of melting pots for copper founders. The 

 mine exists on the estate of Mr. Livermore, and 

 is owned by some person resident in Boston. 

 We were unable at the time of our visit to exam- 

 ine the locality in order to ascertain the extent of 

 the plumbago. 



Having belore described the outlines of the 

 geology of Chesterfield, and of Westmoreland, 

 it will only be necessary to refer to our longitudi- 

 nal section for the description of the remainder 

 of this outline of a transverse section from the 

 Merrimack to the Connecticut river. 



On attentively examining the map of the State, 

 while reading the remarks which have been thus 

 far made respecting the outlines of our sections, 

 it will be perceived that they are so arranged as 

 to give a very comprehensive view of the prin- 

 cipal rocks of the State. All that now remains 

 to be done is to fill up this lough sketch by more 

 ininute explorations in order to represent the 

 ground plan of our work. 



We have next to consider the Economical Ge- 

 ology, or the application of the science to objects 

 of practical utility. 



I shall therefore select a few of tlie most 

 prominent subjects to which the attention of the 

 citizens of the State ought to be called, leaving 

 other yet imperfectly ascertained points for fu- 

 ture discussion, when I hope to be able to give a 

 more detailed account respecting their value. 



The New York State Cattle Show and Fair. 



Correspondence o( the Commercial Advertiser. 



Syracuse, Jfednesday Evening, \ 



Sept. 29, 1841. I 



The day passed off admirably, and the im- 

 mense assembly, amounting to several thousand 

 — some said as many as 10,000 — seemed highly 

 gratified with the exhibition. Number of com- 

 petitors on horses 24 ; on sheep 5 ; on cattle 45 ; 

 on swine 19. 



In the evening the large Presbyterian meeting 

 house was filled to overflowing, to listen to one ot 

 the most eloquent addresses delivered on an oc- 

 casion of this nature, by Dr. Nott of Union Col- 

 lege. 



Although the Dr. from engagements pressing 

 upon him had not had time, as he said, to pre- 

 pare suitably for the occasion, from the plaudils, 

 loud and long, which followed, I imagine the 



dience felt that the\ had seldom listened to an ad- 

 dress of such deep interest. The Dr. sliowe<l the 

 necessity of industry to our happiness. That it 

 was an established law of our nature — and no 

 man ever could, from the very constitution which 

 God had given him, enjoy himself in idleness or 

 effeminacy. 



He drew a picture most vivid indeed of the dif- 

 ference between the free laborer of the North, 

 and the lash driving system of the South. And 

 while he would, he said, to the very letter liiltil 

 the constitutional compact with the South, even to 

 the pound of flesh it demanded, never would 

 he surrender the right of free discussion at the 

 North. This portion of his address was most 

 admirable, and elicited loud applause. 



He srave a rapid and graphic sketch of the 

 country from Schenectady to this place ; its early 

 history, the change from the council fire to tite 

 thriving cities and villages — from the Indian trail 

 to the migljty inland channel, and to the rail road 

 engines, which with mammoth strength and eagle 

 swiftness now course over the country, where the 

 savage in all his native dignity once roamed. — 

 He adverted to the dark clouds around the hori- 

 zon, which sprung from the oppression of the 

 red man as well as the colored maUr-and fervent- 

 ly implored the divine guidance to our rulers, that 

 the calamities might be averted and our land be 

 purified and blessed to all future time. 



The closing periods of the doctor's address were 

 in his happiest manner — and when he depicted 

 the idler, the loafer, the dandy, the bowie knife 

 man of the Soinh, and contrasted them with the 

 hardy sons of the pilgrim fatliers, every one 

 seemed to say. let me and mine be forever the 

 sons of toil and industry. 



A copy of the address was solicited for publica- 

 tion by a unanimous vote of the convention, and 

 Harvey Baldwin, Esq. of Syracuse, Hon. Micah 

 Sterling of Watertown, and Maj. Israel Smith, 

 of Albany, were appointed a committee to wait 

 upon the Doctor and present to him the request 

 of the convention. 



In the P. M. at 3, the seciety sat down to a 

 splendid banquet prepared by Mr. Rust. His 

 large room was filled ; as many as .500, I shoidd 

 siqipose, at the table. At the close of the dinner, 

 J. B. Nott, Esq. the president, after a few happy 

 and appropriate remarks, introduce.d to the gen- 

 tlemen present, Solon Robinson, of Indiana, a 

 celebrated agriculturist of that state, and exten- 

 sively known to the agricultural community for his 

 frequent communications in the agricultural [la- 

 pers. He answered the call promptly and ad- 

 dressed those present very happily tor some 15 or 

 20 minutes. 



He was followed by the Hon. Micah Sterling, 

 of Jefferson, who gave us a very glowing descrip- 

 tion of tlie agricultural state of matters in Jeffer- 

 son. 



Mr. Sterling was followed by Lewis F. Allen, 

 of Erie, who is a rough son of the West, and who 

 discoursed in an onward strain, rough and tum- 

 bling as Niagara's flood. 



When he had closed, tea time being at hand, 

 the company so[)arated to meet to-morrow and lis- 

 ten to others who are prepared to speak. One 

 thing was peculiarly gratitying to day at dinner. 

 No wine was provided, and the occasion showed 

 that none was necessary to enable the farmers to 

 talk or to hea;. Farmers are learning that tem- 

 perance and industry must go together if they ex- 

 pect fully to succeed. 



A few individuals, on their own responsibility, 

 called in some wine; but the attempt to get aid 

 in disposing of it was not so successful as antic- 

 ipated. The season, ujion the whole, was one of 

 deep interest, and passed off admirably. 



Yours, J. 



Syracuse, Thursday, September 30. 



This morning was ushered iu with a copious 

 supply of fresh water fi-om above, which min- 

 gling with the clay ol Syracuse, makes it any 

 thing but pleasant getting about to-day. The 

 ploughing- match came off at 8o'elock this morn- 

 ing, amid the rain ; hut the ploughmen heeded it 

 not, and right merrily turned up the soil for the 

 owner. 



At the Court House there is a fine exhibition 

 of the implements of agriculture, &c ; thresh- 

 ing machines, fanning mills, straw cutters, horse 

 jjowers, ploughs, cultivators, harrows, drills, Ixir- 



rows, cradles, pitcli-li'rks, scythes, &,e., of all 

 kinds and shapes, both ne.it and durable. 



I noticed a very coiiveuient and ingenious 

 frame for silk worms to'feed and wind upon, 

 exhibited by Dr. Thomas Goodsell, of Utica, 

 who has devoted much time and attention to 

 the silk business, and with very gratifying suc- 

 cess. 



A great variety of stoves and iron ware were 

 exhjbiled. The ladies, too, contributed hand- 

 somely to the exhibition. Some footstools and 

 rug-cloths were exhibited, whiclr seem to have 

 Massed through fiiiry hands indeed. But I can- 

 not particularize ; the display, for the first ex- 

 hibition, is very commendable indeed. Some 

 beautiful bouquets of flowers must not be for- 

 gotten. 



1 was much astonished yesterday at the mea- 

 gre exhibition of sheep. Only seven fine wool- 

 ed sheep were exhibited out of the immense 

 number owned in this state, and those very in- 

 ferior. There were on the ground several sheep 

 men who desired to buy for their own flocks, 

 but they found, as regarded to sheep — " it was 

 great cry and little wool." It will not be so 

 again. Many of the first wool growers in the 

 state were here, who, for various reasons not ne- 



cessary to be named, did not bring their sheep. — 

 Among others our respected friend. Dr. J. P. 

 Beekman, of Columbia. One of these gentle- 

 men said — "If alive next year, and my flock is 

 spared, there shall be an opportunity for 10,000 

 people to look upon more than seven sheep, as 

 a sample what the empire state can do in fine 

 wool." 



At 2 o'clock the reports of the various com- 

 mittees were made, the premiums ileclared and 

 paid in Benton mint-drops. This is as it should 

 be ; for all our farmers, after all, like once in a 

 while to finger a few of the yellow-boys, and 

 on such an occasion as this there is no danger 

 of an explosion before they get borne — which 

 sometimes occurs in other establishments. Af- 

 ter dinner to-day several animating and cheer- 

 ing speeches or addresses were made — and all 

 in partmg were evidently much gratified at the 

 result of this first meeting, expecting at the next 

 to behold a still greater display in every depart- 

 ment May their best wishes be realized. J. 



Kennebeck County Agricultural Society. 



Hallowell, October 7th, 1841. 

 To THE Hon. Isaac Hill: 



The undersigners. Trustees of the Kennebeck 

 County Agricultural Society, in accordance with 

 a vote of said Society, hereby tender you the 

 thanks of the Society for your "able, interesting 

 and instructive Address" this day delivered be- 

 fore the Society, a copy of which they request 

 for publication ; and as a further, though slight 

 testimony of their sense of obligation to you beg 

 you to accept at their hands the amount of your 

 travelling expenses to this town and back again 

 to your own residence. 



With great respect, yours, 

 H. G. COLE, 

 GEO. WILLIAMSON, 

 JAMES PAGE, 

 JOHN A. PETTINGILL, 

 The Address was the hasty production of a 

 day written on the eve of an unexpected visit to 

 the State of Maine: nevertheless without further 

 apology Mr. Hill presents it through the columns 

 of the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 

 ADDRESS. 

 About one year since, in the first visit made to 

 the political capital of the youngest State of New 

 England whose destiny is to be the most impor- 

 tant, as it is the largest in territory of the six 

 States of the North, I marked the prosperity and 

 the beauty of your fine villages — the activity of 

 commercial enterprise upon your bays and rivers 

 — ^the ships and barks upon your waters and ly- 

 ing along side of your wharves, bearing to you 

 the varied rich products of other states and 

 countries purchased with the surplus taken from 

 your forests and fields, or drawn from the bosom 

 of the great deep by the hardy enterprise of your 

 mariners. I saw here evidences of enterprise 

 and wealth in a country which had been settled 

 to no considerable extent filty years ago, a sub- 

 stantial prosperity which other parts of the world 

 have gained only after the lapse of centuries. 

 Much WH« 1 deli^hi<Hl with the almost continued 



