14 



Relations of Geology to Agriculture 



manure, if any is applied ; 2. Oats ; 3. Barley or Pease ; 

 4. Winter Wheat with seeds in spring ; 5. Grass, cut twice for 

 hay ; 6. Grass pastured with sheep and milch cows. 



If the land be foul, it is now summer fallowed and so^vn with 

 wheat, followed by seeds as before, after which Indian corn comes 

 in again. If it is not foul, the rotation commences with Indian 

 corn immediately after the two years' grass. 



On soils derived from this extraordinary green shale, such 

 severe — what we should call scourging treatment — may be con- 

 tinued a great many years with apparent impunity ; although it 

 is seen even here to tell very soon on land of inferior quality. 

 But in this naturally rich land also its effects become visible 

 at last. Hence it is that this celebrated wheat region of eastern 

 New York as a whole is gradually approaching the exhausted 

 condition to which the more easternly wheat growing, naturally 

 poorer districts, had earlier arrived. Of course where the subsoil 

 or subjacent rock is so full of natural fertility as this green shale 

 is said to be, the exhaustion can only be superficial, and fertility 

 may again be restored to the surface soil. But to do this will 

 require both a more skilful and a more expensive system of 

 husbandry — conditions which manifestly imply that crops can 

 never again be raised so easily or so cheaply as during the early 

 and virgin freshness of this deservedly lauded district. 



Monroe county is in the centre of this district. The Genessee 

 river runs through it, the city of Rochester stands in it, it embraces 

 a large portion of the richest land in the Genessee valley and on 

 the Onondaga salt group, and the corn averages of this county, 

 as published by the New York State Society, are higher than 

 those of any other county in the State. It may be supposed 

 therefore at the present moment to be the most fertile. Now the 

 averages per acre of Monroe county are as follows : — 



Indian corn . 30 bushels. 

 Potatoes .110 



Wheat • . 19^ bushels 

 Barley . .19 „ 



Oats . . 32 „ 



For a highly and deservedly lauded, fertile, wheat-growing 

 district, the pride of the State of New York, the happy home to 

 which the longing eyes of British and Irish agriculturists have 

 long been directed, these are but low averages. Either the land 

 is not so good as it has been called, or it is, and has been, badly 

 treated. The general treatment has certainly been bad, but as 

 surely large portions of the land are naturally very good, and may 

 still be made very productive. But if they can, it must be, as 

 with us at home, by the application of more skill and by a more 

 prudent husbanding of the natural riches which the soil contains. 

 The trouble of preparing, collecting, and applying manures must 

 not henceforth be thought too great for a free and independent 



