582 Agricultural Manual 



TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS 

 Two ranges of hills, connecting the Green Mountains on the 

 north with the Catskills on the south, traverse Rensselaer County. 

 The Taconic Mountains on the extreme east are divided from the 

 Petersburg Mountains in the center and west by Kinderhook 

 ( 'reck and the Hoosick and Little Hoosick rivers. In some places 

 the summits of the Petersburg Mountains form plateaus, the land 

 of which is unfit for cultivation. The highest peaks are from 

 2,000 to 2,800 feet in height. The principal peak in the northern 

 part is Bald Mountain, located partly in Schaghticokc and partly 

 in Lansingburg. The highest point in the county is Berlin Moun- 

 tain in the town of Berlin. 



Along the banks of the Hudson River, the western boundary of 

 the county, is a stretch of low, flat land, varying from a few rods to 

 one-half mile in width and bounded by a series of bluffs from 100 

 to 200 feet in height. Numerous small lakes and ponds are inter- 

 spersed in the wild and rocky region of the Petersburg Mountains. 

 There are an abundance of mill sites, and the numerous streams 

 irrigate every portion of the county. 



The narrow flats along the streams and a large portion of the 

 uplands are adapted to the cultivation of grain and produce excel- 

 lent crops, but the soil is better adapted to grazing and dairying, 

 especially in the eastern towns of the county. 



DESCRIPTION BY TOWNSHIPS 



Berlin : The surface is broken by two ranges of mountains 

 separated by a narrow valley extending north and south, the 

 Taconic Mountains lying on the east. Several peaks are more 

 than 2,000 feet high, Berlin Mountain rising to a height of 2,804 

 fe^t. The principal streams are Kinderhook Creek and Little 

 Hoosick River. The western part of the town is covered with 

 forests in whieh are a number of lakes. The soil in the valley is a 

 gravelly loam, but among the mountains it is a hard, sterile clay. 

 At Berlin in this town is located the well-known gladiolus farm 

 owned by Arthur Cowee. 



Products: Dairy products, potatoes, corn, oats, hay, buck- 

 wheat and rye. 



Average values of farm land range from $10 to $50 an acre. 



