﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  35 
  

  

  80,446 
  acres. 
  The 
  total 
  tons 
  of 
  hay 
  in 
  1850 
  were 
  75,076; 
  in 
  1890, 
  

   105,134 
  tons. 
  Probably 
  the 
  statistics 
  as 
  pertinent 
  as 
  any 
  to 
  the 
  

   case 
  in 
  hand 
  are 
  those 
  relating 
  to 
  changes 
  in 
  live 
  stock. 
  For 
  

   instance, 
  in 
  1850 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  milch 
  cows 
  was 
  10,022, 
  

   while 
  in 
  1890 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  was 
  22,919. 
  The 
  total 
  number 
  

   of 
  horses, 
  mules, 
  milch 
  cows, 
  oxen 
  and 
  other 
  cattle 
  in 
  1850 
  was 
  

   40,812, 
  while 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  all 
  these 
  classes 
  of 
  stock 
  in 
  

   1890 
  was 
  44,810. 
  Considering 
  the 
  total 
  of 
  hoof 
  cattle, 
  we 
  might 
  

   say 
  that 
  the 
  increase 
  had 
  not 
  been 
  so 
  great, 
  but 
  when 
  we 
  con- 
  

   sider 
  the 
  total 
  of 
  improved 
  area 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  unim- 
  

   proved 
  area 
  in 
  1850, 
  and 
  also 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  

   stock 
  then 
  and 
  in 
  1890, 
  we 
  see 
  at 
  once 
  that 
  in 
  1850 
  the 
  principal 
  

   pasture 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  forest, 
  whereas 
  

   the 
  pasture 
  in 
  1890 
  must 
  have 
  been, 
  as 
  in 
  fact 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  was 
  

   the 
  case, 
  largely 
  in 
  permanent 
  meadows. 
  Referring 
  to 
  Risler's 
  

   results 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  required 
  for 
  crops, 
  we 
  learn 
  

   at 
  once 
  the 
  great 
  increase 
  in 
  water 
  demand 
  for 
  supporting 
  

   crops 
  from 
  1850 
  to 
  1890. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  paper, 
  Recherches 
  sur 
  V 
  Evaporation 
  du 
  Sol 
  et 
  des 
  Plantes, 
  

   Risler 
  has 
  given 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  experiments 
  at 
  his 
  estate 
  in 
  

   Switzerland, 
  carried 
  out 
  specially 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  ascertaining 
  

   the 
  mean 
  daily 
  consumption 
  of 
  water 
  by 
  growing 
  agricultural 
  

   plants, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  by 
  vineyards 
  and 
  two 
  kinds 
  of 
  forests. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  matter 
  relating 
  to 
  Risler's 
  experiments 
  is 
  con- 
  

   densed 
  from 
  Ronna's 
  Les 
  Irrigations: 
  

  

  By 
  way 
  of 
  confirming 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  investigations 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   water 
  consumed 
  hy 
  growing 
  plants, 
  etc. 
  carried 
  out 
  at 
  the 
  Agri- 
  

   cultural 
  Experiment 
  Station 
  of 
  Rothamsted, 
  England, 
  Risler 
  has 
  

   shown 
  the 
  different 
  methods 
  employed 
  by 
  him 
  in 
  1867 
  and 
  1868. 
  

   By 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  these 
  experiments 
  in 
  1869-72, 
  he 
  has 
  shown 
  

   the 
  mean 
  daily 
  consumption 
  of 
  water 
  by 
  lucerne, 
  wheat, 
  oats, 
  

   clover, 
  meadow 
  grass, 
  etc. 
  One 
  of 
  his 
  interesting 
  conclusions 
  is 
  

   that 
  winter 
  wheat 
  would 
  have 
  consumed 
  daily 
  from 
  April 
  to 
  

   July, 
  1869, 
  0.10 
  inch 
  of 
  water 
  per 
  day 
  for 
  101 
  days, 
  or 
  over 
  10 
  

   inches 
  for 
  the 
  growing 
  season. 
  The 
  experiments 
  on 
  water 
  con- 
  

   tent 
  of 
  soil 
  show 
  that 
  for 
  the 
  year 
  1869 
  the 
  crops 
  must 
  have 
  

   taken 
  a 
  small 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  ground 
  which, 
  with 
  the 
  

   rainfall 
  was 
  sufficient 
  to 
  produce 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  crop 
  for 
  the 
  

   meteorological 
  conditions 
  prevailing 
  that 
  year. 
  

  

  