FOREWORD 



A 1 Though it is admitted that .New York, the Empire State, ranks 

 among the foremost in the Union, it is entirely appropriate to 

 review some of the causes that have warranted her being accorded 

 so prominent a position. This bulletin is published, therefore, in 

 order to bring about a broader knowledge of the State of New 

 York — something of her growth and development, and something 

 of her wonderful resources and possibilities. It is hoped that 

 this book may also prove valuable as a work of reference. 



The general scheme of such a publication was conceived by 

 the late Edward van Alstyne, then director of farmers' institutes 

 in the Department of Agriculture, more than two years ago. 

 Under his direction a small beginning was made, and since his 

 death the work has been continued and developed in the Editorial 

 Bureau, although it has frequently been temporarily suspended 

 because of other more immediate demands on the time of those 

 engaged in its compilation. 



An inspection of the contents will at once suggest the great 

 ,Js number of sources from which the material was derived. Numer- 

 ous state and county histories and gazetteers have been made 

 ~ • available through the aid of the State Library, and to the writers 

 of those volumes we are indebted for no small part of the infor- 

 mation here recorded. It would still have been impossible, how- 

 ever, to assure ourselves of a multitude of facts without the 

 assistance that has been so willingly accorded by authorities on 

 the various phases from every section of the state. While it is 

 manifestly impracticable to make personal mention of these indi- 

 viduals, I wish here to record my sincere appreciation of their 

 assistance. 



Special acknowledgment is due several farm bureau managers, 

 also Assemblyman D. P. Witter and other members of the Legis- 

 lature, through whose cooperation much valuable material has 

 been obtained. 



Owing to the limited space available in this bulletin, climatologi- 



*— cal data are necessarily limited to that of one station in each 



I countv. Through the kindness of Professor TV. M. TVilson, in 



t ., charge of ihe Weather Bureau at Tthaea, such figures have been 



obtained from records on file in his office. In making a selection 



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