82 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
over an editorial article in our May number, as liable 
to a construction which we did not intend to give it.— 
We are not agrarian in our opinions. We consider all 
professions open to free competition, and as useful, 
when limited in their sphere and numbers. If there is 
a privileged class in our community, it is the intelligent, 
independent tillers of the soil; not that they are privi¬ 
leged by law, or by popular favor—but that they are 
privileged by their Creator, in the enjoyment of a great¬ 
er share of temporal blessings, the natural result of 
sober, industrious and contented habits—than perhaps 
any other class in the community. Our wish is to see 
them intelligent and independent, that they may enjoy 
the reward, and the state the benefit. We ask for them 
no exclusive public encouragement or bounty; but mere¬ 
ly some of the crumbs which fall from the public table, 
and which have heretofore, at least in some instances, 
been lavishly, if not wickedly, squandered upon far less 
worthy objects. We wish to see agriculture brought 
forward from the shade, from the back ground, where 
it has been too long obscured and degraded by ignorance 
and servile apathy—and to see the public bounty, like 
the sun and the rains, which fructify the earth and cause 
it to bring forth food for man, dispensed alike to all 
lasses of the community. 
Geological Report. 
We resume our notice of this report, and of Dr. Beck’s 
communication. 
Iron —The northern and southern sections of the state 
abound in this metal. 
“While at the north we have the immense beds of the 
magnetic oxide, at Newcomb, in Essex county, one of which 
is described by Mr. Hall, as being more than a mile in length, 
and more than five hundred feet in breadth, besides others of 
less magnitude in various parts of the same county, and in 
those of Clinton and Franklin, and the beds of specular iron 
ore in St. Lawrence; we have at the south the vast deposites 
of magnetic oxide in Orange county, and of hematite in the 
county of Dutchess.” 
Iron ores also occur in Columbia, Rockland, Rich¬ 
mond and Washington. 
Manganese is found in Lewis, Essex, Westchester, 
Columbia and Dutchess, and especially in the two latter 
counties, the quantities that could be obtained, at very 
little expense, are estimated by Prof. Mather, at 50,000 
tons, worth, if carefully prepared, $20 per ton, or 
$1,000,000. The oxide of manganese is extensively 
used in the preparation of chlorine for bleaching, and 
in the manufacture of glass. 
Lead is found in Columbia, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Ul¬ 
ster and Sullivan. 
The next communication in the report, is from T. A. 
Conrad, on the Palaeontological Department of the sur¬ 
vey. As this would interest but few of our readers, we 
pass to 
prof, mather’s. - report, 
On the economical geology of New-York, Westches¬ 
ter, Putnam, Rockland and Orange, comprising the first 
district, with two supplemental reports, from Drs. Hor¬ 
ton and Gale, on the descriptive geology of Orange and 
New-York. The counties lying east of the Hudson, and 
those on the west border, are considered separately. 
The sources of mineral riches in this district are very 
great, and are being made subservient to profit, and 
their advantages are susceptible of very great exten¬ 
sion. 
The counties of Rockland and Orange are classed 
under four divisions, in regard to aspect and agricultu¬ 
ral features, and mineral products. “They are the 
mountainous region called the Highlands, and composed 
of primitive rocks; the slate and graywacke regions of 
Orange county, the red sandstone and the trap of Rock¬ 
land county.” On the eastern shore of the Hudson, the 
soil is more similar, being “derived from the disinte¬ 
gration of the contiguous rocks, and of the pebbles and 
boulders of materials transported from a greater or less 
distance from the N. N. W. by some natural causes.” 
They contain all the mineral elements of fertility; while 
the extensive salt marshes and mud flats, on the coast, 
and the bog meadows of the interior, furnish abundance 
of the vegetable elements—so that it would seem, that 
if those elements were duly mixed and managed, the 
soil might be rendered highly productive. The same 
remark will apply to many districts of our country.— 
The admixture of earthy matters, which, where wanted, 
are generally found in contiguity with each other; the 
vegetable matters which abound in our swamps and 
marshes; the marl, lime and gypsum which are scat¬ 
tered over our state, for the transporting of which we 
have every facility; and the animal manures of our farm 
stock, afford abundant materials for increasing and per¬ 
petuating the fertility and productiveness of the soil, 
and of multiplying the comforts and enjoyments of our 
population. We lack only the knowledge and the in¬ 
dustry necessary properly to combine and to develop 
the elements of wealth and happiness which are scat¬ 
tered around us, designed for our use. 
Independent of the great means which these counties 
afford, of increasing and perpetuating the fertility of 
the soil, their other mineral sources of wealth are far 
greater, we believe, than our readers are aware of.— 
We will briefly notice some of the most prominent. 
And first, 
Peat —Great tracts of this are found in the eastern 
counties, which are coming into use, and may be mostly 
employed as fuel—that on the borders of the river be¬ 
ing more fibrous and inferior to that which occurs in the 
interior. The Professor estimates the quantity in the 
{three eastern counties, New-York, Westchester and 
Putnam, at 2,000,000 of cords on the border of the river, 
and 1,160,000 cords in the interior. Considered in re¬ 
ference to its fertilizing properties in the soil, the value 
of this vegetable material will be immense. The drown¬ 
ed land tract, in Orange, which comprises some thou- 
sand acres, is a bed of peat from three feet to several 
yards in depth, the number of cords not estimated.— 
This has proved, on trial, a good fuel. The total cords 
of peat, however, in Orange and Rockland, is put down 
at 26,140,000 cords, or 72,000,000 chaldrons. It costs, for 
digging, curing and marketing, $1.25 per chaldron, and 
sells in New-York, at $3, leaving $1.75 profit to the pro¬ 
prietor. 
Clay is extensively employed as a means of creating 
wealth, in the manufacture of brick. The extent of 
this business will appear from the following estimate 
of the number annually made in each county. 
In Westchester,... 38,700,000 
In Putnam,. 3,200,000 
In Rockland,. 12,000,000 
In Orange,. 9,760,000 
63,660,000 
There is employed in this business a vast capital, 
and a great number of laborers, both in the manufac¬ 
ture and transportation. At $5 per thousand, the in¬ 
come from this manufacture would amount to $318,300 
per annum. And if we add to this estimate, the bricks 
manufactured in Dutchess, Columbia, Rensselaer, Al¬ 
bany, Greene and Ulster, the amount earned in this 
branch of industry will exceed a million of dollars per 
annum. 
The clays of these counties are also used in coarse 
pottery. They are used, too, to a limited extent, to 
improve the texture and quality of light lands; a use 
to which they are admirably adapted as we have found 
by experience, when they contain, as the blue and gray 
kinds generally do, a portion of carbonate of lime. 
Marl has not yet been found in any considerable 
quantities, either in the counties of New-York, West¬ 
chester or Putnam; but it is found in almost every town 
in the county of Orange, where it either lies naked, or 
is covered by water, or bog earth or peat. In the few 
experiments which have been made of this material, as 
a fertilizer of the soil, we are sorry to see the professor 
remark, its effects have generally been unfavorable.— 
His impression is, that too much has been applied, 
whereby vegetation has been as much prejudiced as if 
too much quick lime had been applied. A case is cited 
where marl was applied twenty-nine years ago. No¬ 
thing would grow on the field for many years; but lat¬ 
terly corn and wheat have grown well, and yielded 
bountifully. Too much calcareous matter is as preju¬ 
dicial to vegetation, as too much sand or too much 
clay. There are entire districts rendered infertile in 
the south, by the too great portion of carbonate of lime 
with which the soil abounds. Two per cent of the til¬ 
lable stratum, of calcareous earth, suffices for all the 
useful purposes of vegetation, though twelve per cent, 
we believe, has not proved hurtful. Soils may natural¬ 
ly contain enough of this earth. Marls differ in the 
quantity of calcareous matter which they contain, and 
there is often blended in their composition matters that 
are prejudicial to healthful vegetation. It is prudent, 
therefore, to experiment with them on a small scale, 
till their properties, and those of the soil, are well as¬ 
certained, and then to apply them on a larger scale, in 
the proportions, and in the manner, found to be most 
serviceable. It would be well to experiment with them 
as a top dressing upon meadows or pastures, by which 
they would be deprived of their deleterious properties, 
and thereby become fitted to improve the soil, after the 
lapse of a year or years, when they are ploughed under. 
There is not a doubt but marls are calculated to impart 
fertility to all soils which are naturally deficient in cal¬ 
careous matters. We want their analysis, and that of 
the soils, to know where and how, and in what quanti¬ 
ties, to apply them to advantage. 
Gypsum .—xVlthough none has been found in this dis¬ 
trict, the annual amount paid for it in Orange alone, is 
estimated to cost more than $41,000. 
Limestone abounds in all the counties of this district, 
and is extensively wrought as an article of commerce. 
The Professor is in the habit of estimating the profit of 
the lime and other stone quarries, provided the material 
was all marketed. In this way he states the nett value 
of a limestone quarry in Westchester, estimating it at 
$1.50 per barrel, at about $34,000. This is something 
in the manner of the milk-maid who counted her chick¬ 
ens before they were hatched, or of the speculator in 
western lands, who foots his profits before he has sold 
out, or got his pay. The lime of these counties, howe¬ 
ver, without looking to their ultimate value, affords the 
material for a profitable commerce, as a building mate¬ 
rial, and which will no doubt come into use extensively 
as a fertilizer of the soil, for which purpose it is already 
partially employed. 
The new mode of burning limestone, with the aid of 
anthracite coal, and in perpetual kilns, as already no¬ 
ticed, from Dr. Beck’s report, is one of great economy, 
and which promises ultimately to reduce the price of 
this necessary article, especially upon navigable waters. 
The expense of quarrying the stone, at one of the loca¬ 
lities, is estimated at nine cents per barrel, that of the 
coal at 25 cents per barrel, and the price of the lime in 
market at $1.50; thus giving, alter deducting every ex 
pense, including teams, attendance, freight, casks and 
cooperage, a nett profit of 53 cents per barrel. The 
amount of lime burnt in Orange county last year, is es¬ 
timated by Dr. Horton, at 182,650 bushels. 
Granite, and much of good quality as a building ma¬ 
terial, and convenient for water transportation, is found 
in all the counties of this geological district. Several 
quarries are already opened and profitably wrought, 
and many localities of great extent, are pointed out, and 
estimated upon, by the geologist. 
“ It is estimated,” says the report, “ that several millions 
of dollars are annually paid out of the city of New-York, and 
the towns on the Hudson river, for building stone, brought 
from beyond the limits of the slate, while we have within our 
own boundaries, and near our markets, inexhaustible sup¬ 
plies, of equally good quality, which can be quarried, shipped 
and hauled, at less expense than the stone we now import 
from Maine, New-Hampshjre, Massachusetts and Connecti¬ 
cut. The granites of the Hudson river must, then, soon bp 
wrought and sent to market, and the quarries will become 
very valuable.” 
Gneis abounds in most parts of this district. Several 
quarries are noticed, lying on the banks of and contiguous 
to the Hudson river, and many other localities are indi¬ 
cated. This stone is extensively employed in the Cro¬ 
ton aqueduct, in the construction of bridges, aqueducts, 
&c. 
We omit a notice of other rocks, and of the metallic 
ores, which are found in this district, which are nume¬ 
rous, and the quantity, particularly of iron, very ex¬ 
tensive—one locality, or vein, being computed to con¬ 
tain 5,600,000 tons of iron. The red sand stone is 
worked to a great extent in Rockland, where there are 
thirty-one quarries wrought, and which yielded last 
year 62,000 feet of slabs, valued, with the rubble, at 
$18,987. 
Silk Companies. 
We have lately had sent to us, a prospectus of the 
New-York and Long-Island Silk Growing and Manu¬ 
facturing Company, capital $60,000. We are in the 
main opposed to all joint stock companies, for any ob¬ 
ject that comes within the reach of individual means and 
enterprise, and particularly such as are likely to conflict 
with household industry, like those which associate for 
the culture of the mulberry and the tending of silk worms. 
This we consider legitimately a family business, and 
one which ought to be encouraged as such. The orga-- 
nization of joint stock companies for the carrying on of 
a business which the most humble farmer has the means 
of profitably conducting, leads to the impression, that 
great capital or great skill is required in the business, 
and that individuals cannot compete with companies; 
and thereby deters hundreds and thousands from enter¬ 
ing into a business which could be managed by them 
with great pecuniary advantage. We do not think that 
corporate bodies should be created merely for the in¬ 
dividual profit of the stockholders—but that the public 
interest—the interest of the many, is the only justifia¬ 
ble ground for granting corporate privileges. 
But the New-York and Long-Island company, if we 
are rightly apprised of their plan, forms an exception 
to our remarks. The company, we understand, have 
purchased a farm on Long Island, three miles from N. 
Eork, which they have planted, and intend to plant, 
with mulberry trees, for the purpose of manufacturing 
silk; and they design to have the business of picking 
the leaves, tending the worms, &c. managed by poor 
widows and fatherless children from the great city.— 
Plain cheap cottages are to be erected for these widows, 
with small gardens attached, to occupy their leisure 
time, and furnish subsistence. In this way, capital will 
be usefully employed, to promote industry in the young, 
afford profitable employment to the indigent, profit to 
the stockholders, and benefit to the public at large.— 
Under this view of the subject, we commend this stock 
to the notice of capitalists, as affording a safe, merito¬ 
rious, and we think profitable investment. 
Mr. Colman’s Second Report. 
The second report of Mr. Colman, on the agriculture 
of Massachusetts, is principally devoted to a survey of 
the county of Berkshire, which lies upon the eastern 
border of our state, though it embraces much other in¬ 
cidental and interesting matter. As the report com¬ 
prises 200 8vo. pages, we are necessarily restricted to 
an outline of its most important matter. 
Berkshire county is more than 50 miles long, and has 
an average breadth of about 20 miles, and a population 
of nearly 40,000. About one-half of the county is improv¬ 
ed, say 207,000 acres, of which 117,000 acres are pastur¬ 
age, 27,000 tillage, and the residue in meadow or mow¬ 
ing. It is of course a grazing district; its dairies are 
extensive, and its flocks of sheep numerous. 
The surface of the county is broken and mountain¬ 
ous; but it is everywhere intersected by rich valleys, 
and fine streams of water, which afford numerous mill 
sites, which are extensively improved for hydraulic pur¬ 
poses. The soil in the valleys is generally rich and 
productive, and the hills and mountains yield excellent 
grass and pasture. The inhabitants are intelligent, 
enterprising and prosperous. The crops are those usu. 
ally cultivated in our latitude; and the produce of the 
soil is generally consumed by its population—the pro¬ 
ducts of the dairy, cattle, and manufactured goods form¬ 
ing its principal articles of export. 
The return of crops does not generally indicate a high 
state of tillage husbandry, though in some cases the 
yield is bountiful. Oats, potatoes and ruta baga seem 
to make the best returns, though corn has, in many ca¬ 
ses, given a great crop, and in one case as high as 110 
bushels. Some crops of potatoes have gone to 500 and 
560 bushels, and the ruta baga as high as 1,200 or 1,300 
bushels. But the average returns are less than half of 
