4 
NORTHERN HIGHLAND DISTRICT. 
DIVISION OF THE STATE INTO AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS. 
New-York may be divided into six agricultural districts, each of which has a few charac¬ 
teristics sufficiently well marked to establish a peculiarity, and distinguish it as a separate 
agricultural region. 
1. The Highland districts, comprising the Northern and the Southern highland districts; 
2. The Eastern district, which approaches the Hudson river, with its western boundary 
running parallel to the same; 
3. The Mohawk and Hudson vallies; 
4. The Western district; 
5 . The Southern district; and 
6. The Atlantic district. 
Without placing much stress upon the importance of this subdivision, I barely remark 
that there are geological features belonging to each, which can not be disregarded, and 
which will be given to the reader in the proper places. It is now my design to state the 
peculiarities which belong to surface only, or the facts relating to elevation and depression, 
or what would more immediately arrest the attention of a traveller passing over those 
particular districts. 
I. The Highland districts are widely separated from each other, but possess characters 
in common. 
1. The Northern highland district is bounded north by the parallel of 45° ; on the 
northeast, it extends to Rand’s hill in Clinton county; on the east, it is bounded by Lake 
Champlain from Trembleau point south to Fort-Ann; on the southeast and south, by a 
line running from the latter point southwest to Littlefalls, southwest and west by a line 
running from Littlefalls to Theresa falls on Indian river, and on the northwest by a line 
from the latter place to near Chateaugay corners. The space included within these 
boundary lines is an irregular polygon, and embraces formations belonging to the primary 
divisions or classes. The soil is generally derived from granite and gneiss; is thin upon 
the higher grounds, but of sufficient depth in the valleys, and is every where covered by 
a black vegetable mould. But what distinguishes this district from all others, is its height 
above tide, and the multitude of its sharp peaks and ridges. Its greatest height is near 
the sources of the Hudson, Ausable, Racket, Black and Mohawk rivers, all of which rise 
as it were upon the same table land, but are destined to distant portions of the State, and 
to be lost in waters in opposite points of the compass. This district therefore slopes in all 
directions from a culminating point, is steeper upon the east than upon the west, and is 
the great reservoir from whence a large portion of the State is watered. The highest point 
exceeds five thousand feet, which is gained at Mount Marcy in the Adirondack group, 
situated about forty miles west of Port Henry on Lake Champlain. 
