1852 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
399 
of the Erie railroad, which extends along the south¬ 
western part of the county, that section is now being 
settled rapidly, and the land cleared up; but the county 
is yet so new that little is known of its capacity. The tan¬ 
ners use the bark, and the lumbermen prepare the tim¬ 
ber and send it down the Delaware river in rafts to Phila¬ 
delphia, or on the Erie railroad to New-York. Of late 
years the timber is becoming scarce, and farmers have 
turned their attention successfully to agriculture. The 
land proves equal, if not superior, to any in the State 
for dairying purposes, as well as for raising stock. It 
is peculiarly adapted to the raising of sheep. The butter 
produced here ranks equal to any in market. The 
county is not. a wheat growing district, but nearly all 
other grains are grown in perfection. The potato flou¬ 
rishes remarkably well; whether owing to the peculiar 
composition of the soil, I will not now pretend to 
say. 
I will, however, call attention to one fact in connec¬ 
tion with the crop. I find by referring to the late cen¬ 
sus, that the potato crop has increased in this county , 
from 1845 to 1850, 43,194 bushels, while the same crop 
in the State has decreased 7,255,056 bushels. Also, 
that in 1845,. we had 68,525 acres of cleared land, and 
in 1850, 94,425 acres; an increase in five years of 25,900 
acres. Also the following increase of grain and other 
products; rye, 27,976 bush.; corn, 32,167 bush.; buck¬ 
wheat. 26,487 bush.; butter,60,533 lbs.; cheese,50,670 
lbs. The population in 1845, was 18,727, in 1850, 25,- 
090; an increase of 6,363. In 1850, the county pro¬ 
duced 10,225 pounds of honey and bees-wax. From 
these items may be gathered something of the capacity 
of the county, for productions, and its present rate of 
increase. 
The facilities of getting to market, are recently much 
improved by the construction of several plank roads, 
which bring uswithina day’s journey of the city of New- 
York. The Shawangunk mountains are now crossed 
with ease, and the county, with all its natural disadvan¬ 
tages, ranks high in internal improvements. Those who 
formerly crossed the high hills, would be surprised to 
find us now accessible by roads running along our val¬ 
leys and streams. 
Most kinds of fruit do well in the northern and central 
portions of the county. Apples aud plums would equal 
any of those grown in the river counties, if equal care 
was bestowed on their cultivation. 
There are thriving villages springing up all over the 
county, with beautiful churches, vrhere the different 
evangelical denominations weekly meet to give praise and 
thanksgiving to the most High. There are two institu¬ 
tions oi learning of high order; one at Monticello, the 
other at Liberty. The district school houses are mostly 
new, of large dimensions, beautiful in construction, and 
convenient. The schools are generally of a superior char¬ 
acter. The climate is remarkably healthy; there is no 
county where the per centage of deaths is lower than 
in this. Land is at present from 25 to 30 per cent cheaper 
than in most counties, possessing the Mime fertility’, and 
equal facilities for marketing produce. Good improved 
farms may be bought at pncee ranging from $20 to $40 
per acre, according to improvement and location. 
The county offers great inducements to agriculturists 
at the present time. Our home market is better than 
that of New-York, and our premium crops prove that 
the soil is not inferior to that of other sections of the 
State. There is now going on an agricultural and geo¬ 
logical survey of the county, which will probably be 
completed during the coming winter. This will show 
our agricultural and other resources, and give analyses 
of the soil, so that farmers may know with more cer¬ 
tainty, what manures to apply to their soil, and howto 
save labor in the use of those already abundant on their 
farms. There is to - be a history written of the county, 
and a map published locating all the roads, villages, 
lakes, ponds, rivers, and each man’s farm. Yours t.iuly, 
Lotan Smith. Liberty , Sullivan co., Nov. 1852. 
Condition and Resources of Canada West. 
The Cultivator, since its first establishment, has re¬ 
ceived a liberal patronage from all the British American 
Colonies, and the Upper Canadians, especially 7 , have been 
liberal supporters of the agricultural press. But com¬ 
paratively little is known of the agriculture of our Bri¬ 
tish neighbors, as but few American travellers of distinc¬ 
tion sojourn north of the lakes; and therefore, beymnd a 
mere commercial intercourse, little is known of the poli¬ 
tical and social institutions, and the literature, tastes, and 
habits of some two millions of people, ivho inhabit our 
northern frontier. We have taken some pains to become 
acquainted with the actual condition of the agriculture 
of Canada West, hoping that some new and important 
features might be brought under notice, wdiich would 
contribute to the further development and improvement 
of American agriculture, and at the same time be a 
source of edification and profit to the readers of our pa¬ 
per. The facts thus elicited, will be laid before the pub¬ 
lic, in a series .of short articles, which will embrace all 
the practical details that would be thought interesting 
and valuable to those interested in the acquisition of 
sound agricultural knowledge. 
The differences that exist between American and Ca¬ 
nadian agriculture, is greater than possibly could have 
been supposed. Contrary to expectation, much of the 
prevailing practice, if incorporated upon American ag¬ 
riculture, would be an improvement, and on the other 
hand our Canadian neighbors could find much in our ag¬ 
riculture that would impart an additional lustre to theirs. 
What these differences are, in the main , will be critically 
examined, so that the most striking improvements prac¬ 
ticed by our neighbors may be engrafted upon the agri- 
culture of this country, so far as applicable to our pecu¬ 
liar requirements. The early inhabitants of Canada were 
those who attached themselves to the British standard 
during the struggle for American Independence. One 
of the earliest governors of Upper Canada, in the early 
part of the present century, issued a proclamation, and 
caused it to be largely circulated among the northern, 
eastern and middle States, in ■which the climate and soil 
for agriculture was highly extolled, at the same time of¬ 
fering free grants of land to any of the American citizens 
who would prefer being under monarchial institutions 
to republican. A very large emigration of Quakers, 
Dunkards, and other religious denominations, who 
