1850. 
THE CXJLT1V A1 Oil 
253 
ting, with a southern aspect, having a descent of from twelve to 
twenty feet to the mile, from the ridge of hills about one mile north 
of the railroad, to the shores of the great South Bay, a distance of 
five or six miles- 
The summit level of the railroad, at Hicksville, is 142 feet above 
tide water, and at Lake-Road Station, 48 miles from the South Fer- 
ry of New York, it is 90 feet—it will therefore be seen that the sur¬ 
face is not a “dead level—a great dreary plain,” but sufficicienlly 
varied. 
In passing through on the railroad, the appearance, from the cars 
is altogether unfavorable, and the impression left on the mind, to an 
ordinary observer, is erroneous. The excavations for the road arc, 
in most cases, so deep as to go below the upper stratum of the earth, 
or the proper covering of the Island, and into the sand and gravel, 
of which it is everywhere composed below the surface. Hence the 
appearance of sand and coarse gravel, that is seen on the borders 
of the railroad. 
This fact can be easily ascertained by any one who doubts it, by 
digging through the surface stratum anywhere in the vicinity of the 
village of Jamaica, or in those finely cultivated fields along the rail¬ 
road, either east or west of that place, a very few feet, say from one 
and a half to two and a half feet deep, will turn up the same kind 
of sand and gravel as seen along the toad to the east of Hicksville 
and Farmingdale. 
The whole prospect from the road after leaving the last above- 
mentioned place, is barren and desolate, and without a careful exa¬ 
mination and knowledge of the facts herein stated, the conclusion 
would be that the land was in itself necessarily sterile and barren; 
for, in addition to the sandy and gravelly appearance, the absence 
of the trees, and in much of the distance, a stinted vegetation, or in 
some places none at all, on the immediate borders of the railroad, 
seem to confirm the opinion that it is as sandy and barren as it has 
ever been represented. 
The explanation of this may be found, first in the fact that the un¬ 
even and irregular growth of wood or trees being of different heights 
or sizes, some very small and scattered, whilst others ore larger, and 
which is in consequence of the time or period that has elapsed since 
the land was cut over. On some places the growth is one year old, 
on others two, five, seven, ten, &c. Besides having been cut over, 
it often happens that it is burnt over, which always has a tendency 
to kill the timber and wood, and destroy vegetation. Nearly all the 
great region of wood and wild land through which the railroad pass¬ 
es, has been burnt over two or three times in five years. The first 
fire after the opening of the road was tremendous—terrific. Atone 
time it lasted nearly two weeks, and seemed as though it would con¬ 
sume the whole Island. There was a great amount of combustible 
matter on the ground and in the woods, and the earth was exceed¬ 
ingly dry, and the effect of the fire was in the highest degree scath¬ 
ing—consuming almost every particle of vegetable matter on the 
surface of the eayh. For miles in extent, nothing could be seen but 
the smooth and blackened surface, and the charred bodies of such 
trees as had escaped destruction. The fire happened in the month 
of April, and the land over which it had passed looked like a furnace 
that had suddenly been extinguished, as black and desolate as fire 
could make it. 
Yet as soon as the sun and showers of spring and summer came, 
the whole was again clothed with verdure—vegetation could be seen 
there, literally “ bursting into life.” It was truly astonishing to see 
with what vigor, power, and rapidity the leaves and plants, and 
flowers sprung forth to deck the earth again in green. 
The writer of this well remembers with what interest he watched 
the returning signs of life in the vegetable kingdom there, and the 
great impression that its return so speedily, so luxuriantly and so 
powerfully" made on his mind—how soon the restoring energies of 
nature were brought into action to repair the injury that had been 
done to the earth’s surface. 
There is on each side of the railroad, distant about twenty rods, 
and running parallel with it, what is termed a fire road. It is a 
cleared path, about twenty feet wide, which has been cleared of all 
the bushes and roots, by grubbing. The object of this “ fire road,” 
or path, is to prevent the fire from crossing over it, and passing into 
the woods, in case of the combustible materials along the road ta¬ 
king fire from the sparks from the engine. The space between the 
railroad and these fire roads is burnt over every spring and fall, with 
a view to kill and destroy all vegetation, and all vegetable matter on 
it, in order to prevent the recurrence of fires; and this fully accounts 
for the extreme barren appearance along the borders of the road. 
The forest productions of this part of the Island are such as to con¬ 
vince the most skeptical th at the soil is capable of yielding, when 
cultivated like other parts of the Island, in the same abundance. 
Immediately on the plains along the borders of the railroad the trees 
are chiefly pine, with a thick and vigorous growth of underwood or 
bushes, such as scrub oak, whortleberry, vines and grasses. 
A little to the north, are found the chestnut, hickories, the varieties 
of the oak. as white, black, or yellow oak, black walnut and locusts 
—all of which exhibit the most vigorous and thrifty growth. Indeed, 
so rapidly do trees grow on this part of Long Island, that about 18 
years are considered sufficient to produce a crop of wood suitable to 
cut into cord wood for the New-York market, and there is no par* 
of this state, (New-York,) where timber will grow so fast as on 
Long Island. If the soil were barren and destitute of the support¬ 
ers of vegetation this certainly would not be the case. It may be 
here remarked that the locust, now so abundant in many parts of the 
Island, and so valuable as timber, is not a native, but was brought 
from Virginia, or from further south, by one of the Sands family, 
■who settled near Sands’ Point in about the year 1660. Mr. Sands 
was a seafaring man, and traded between the West Indies, the sou¬ 
thern colonies, and New-York. 
The whole region of the Island, now in waste and wild, might 
be very easily transformed into a beautiful forest of locust, hicko¬ 
ry or oak, to great advantage and profit compared with its present 
condition. This growth of forest trees is evidence tnat fruit trees 
can be successfully cultivated ; and this opinion is sustained by the 
facts of the case; for whenever any attempts have been made, 
and proper care and attention bestowed, the most complete success 
has followed. The nurseries of Flushing have long been celebra¬ 
ted for their extensive and choice varieties of fruits. Peaches 
have been successfully raised on almost every part of Long Island, 
notwithstanding opinions have been advanced to the contrary. 
There were peaches of the largest size and finest flavor raised at 
Huntington, and exhibited at the agricultural Fair at Commac, in 
the fall of 1846. 
The Rev. J. Pillsbury, (now of Illinois,) cultivated successfully, 
a fine variety of fruit, including peaches, at j mithtown, Long Is¬ 
land, a few years since. 
The peach orchard of Mr. John J. Stoothoff, at Jamaica, is such 
as to encourage others on the Island to cultivate this delicious 
fruit. For a particular account of this beautiful and flourishing 
peach orchard, and its productions, see the American Agricultur¬ 
ist, Feb. No., 1848. It will be sufficient to say, the year being the 
second of bearing, the orchard, containing about 2,500 trees, 
yielded abou’ 2,637 baskets, worth $2,600. The whole product 
from 27 acres of land was 3,646. Peas and potatoes were cultiva¬ 
ted between the rows of peach tress, and asparagus in some parts 
of the land. The soil upon which this orchard is planted is as 
much like the soil of these uncultivated lands, as it can be ; it is 
impossible to discover any d'fference in viewing it, and it is not 
probable, that a careful analysis would show any difference. 
A few remarks on some of the privileges which the surrounding 
bays and waters afford, may not be uninteresting. They are not 
more than three, four or five miles distant from almost any part of 
these lands; and in these waters are found various kinds of fish 
and wild fowl for the sportsman. In the^streams that flowf.om the 
Island, the waters are remarkable for their purity, and for being 
but little affected with drouth. These streams are full of trout of 
large size and fine flavor. 
The Long Island Railroad is to be the great means of changing 
this great wilderness from its present wild and waste condition to 
the habitation of man, to convert it into gardens and cultivated 
fields. The railroad now brings this part of the Island almost 
within the sound of the city bells, and affords constant and regular 
means of access at all seasons of the year, thereby enabling those 
who will now take up and settle these lands, lohave the benefits of 
the New-York and Brooklyn markets, with as much ease and eco¬ 
nomy as the inhabitants of the western part of Queens county 
have formerly had. It is to the interest and welfare of the whole 
Island to have these lands settled and cultivated—it will add great¬ 
ly to its wealth and population. To the railroad, it will be of es¬ 
sential service and benefit; it is a plain matter of fact, that every 
settlement made on the borders of the railroad must necessarily 
furnish a certain amount of business and travel for the road. 
Lake Road, or Irvington, is one of the most beautiful sites of 
the inland parts of the Island. The soil there is of superior depth 
and quality, well adapted to the cultivation of all kinds of fruit, 
such as pears, peaches, grapes, and apples; and grain, as wheat, 
corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, as well as for every variety of vege¬ 
tables raised on any part of the Island. 
The whole glebe, or tract of land to the south of Ronkonkoma 
Lake, and to the east of Connetquot River, is the very best of all 
the uncultivated land on Long Island, and when cultivated, will 
be equal in quality and value to any land, and the situation is ex¬ 
tremely desirable for settlement and -residence The wood or 
timber on this tract is oak, hickory, chestnut, locust and pine ; and 
it may be here stated that similar land a httle to the north or south 
of this tract is valued at and sold for $50 to $100 per acre, whilst 
this tract is offered at the very low price of $10 per acre—or 
from $10 to $20, according to location—a large part of the purchase 
money of which may remain at 6 per cent, interest for a term of 
years, if desired by the purchaser. The title is as good as can be 
to any land in the State of New-York. 
Lake-Road Station is the Half-Way House, between Brooklyn 
and Greenport, and the most central and important depot on the 
Long Island Railroad, for freight and passengers, being the termi¬ 
nus of a morning and evening train of cars, for the accommoda¬ 
tion of the morning and evening travel between Lake Road Depot 
and New-York. EDGAR F. PECK, 
July 1—It. 306 State st., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
The Norman Horse, 
'THIS Thoroughbred Stallion will stand for mares the present sea- 
I son, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at Union Springs, 
Cayuga County; on Fridays at Canoga, and Saturdays at Bearytown, 
in Seneca County. Pasture 3 shillings per week. Mares at the risk 
of the owner. ROBERT B. HOWLAND. 
Union Springs, June 1, 1850.—2t. 
Dunn’s Scythes. 
^.R A S S 
u Grain, & 
other scythes 
from the ce- 
1 e b r a t e d 
Nor. Wayne 
Scythe Co., 
late R. B. 
Dunn’s. 
Having sold 
these scythe? 
for several 
years with uniform good success—(not one in a hundred having 
failed and been returned)—he does not hesitate to recommend them 
as equal if not the best in use. For sale by H. L. EMERY, 
