Schoharie County 643 



extend northward through the greater part of the county. Many 

 of the summits along the east and west borders are about 2,000 

 feet above tide. The high ridge along the east border and extend- 

 ing to Albany County, is known- as the Helderberg Mountains. 

 Limestone caverns are frequent, and the minerals which- they afford 

 are of particular interest to mineralogists. In the north the hills 

 are generally rounded and are arable to their summits, but in the 

 center and south the slopes are ,steep and often precipitous. The 

 extreme northern part of the county is terraced like the limestone 

 region farther west. In many places the hills bordering the streams 

 are 1,000 feet high and sometimes very steep. Schoharie Creek 

 and its tributaries are the principal streams. Charlotte River, a 

 branch of the Susquehanna, rises in the western, part, and Catskill 

 Creek in the southeast. The soil in the north is a productive silty 

 loam and in the center and south it is a silty and sandy loam, the 

 sand predominating on the southern hills. The alluvial flats along 

 Schoharie Creek are among the most fertile lands in the state. 



A belt of limestone crosses the northern part of the county, 

 extending through a large part of the towns of Schoharie, Cobles- 

 kill, Seward, Sharon, and" Carlisle. It is in this particular local- 

 ity where the alfalfa plant seems especially at home. 



Farm lands vary in value according to location and improve- 

 ments. The highest-priced land in the county is principally in 

 the Schoharie valley between Middleburg and Central Bridge, 

 where it is valued at from $150 to $225 an acre. In the Cobles- 

 kill valley, especially near the towns, farm land sells at from $75 

 to $150 an acre, while those in the vicinity of Seward and Sharon 

 Springs sell at from $35 to $60 an acre. In the southern part of 

 the county farm land can be bought for $8 to $20 an acre. 



DESCRIPTION BY TOWNSHIPS 

 Blenheim : The surface is a hilly upland broken by the deep 

 ravines of streams. The streams generally are bordered by steep 

 hills rising to a height of 1,400 to 1,900 feet. Schoharie Creek 

 flows north through the eastern part, receiving several tributaries 

 from the west. A wide alluvial flat extends along its course. The 

 soil is principally a silty loam. 



Products: Hay, corn, potatoes, oats, rye and buckwheat. 

 Average values of farm land range from $10 to $60 an acre. 



