New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-05-21
,,,s,ct;ons Of the state Agricultural so

o;o,, a mass Of valuable Documents anu '''''''
Gcs not the !eas; interesting OF which are Inc
,ddr,sses Of various distinguished individuals
,,nonq them Mr.. vAx BrRrN, FFANcls GRAN
GER. Ex.Govcr,or srw,Rp. and DANIEL ED-
srsr. o. course one does not expect d .J Wy
deep degree of Agricultural lore IN me" -. ~,,
have al their lives been involved in the '"' ',o'
Of oo!,t;c. aff,rs vat thcv arc Interesting -,
cause they show either tina; The mos 49,,
minds take pleasure in this pursuit or a. 'g.
for the purpose Of keeping pace with the SOM,
tudc Of the public on TINS matter, profess ~ g.,
Agriculture is no longer ircre cinfeF'ca, -,
We are no. satisfied with sowing ''ie S''' >,
rcapnc the crop in d particular manner am
this or that phsse OF the moon because cur '''''5
did So before rs. We wish TO look deeper anu
.,-,bo- INTO the reasons. and thanks to LiEH''
and tho other powerful minds who have aevo''T
themselves 10 Agriculture, and Agr''U''',',
Chemistry. wo are able to DO so ana Uso,''
truths Of which not varro only. but the most US
tinauishcd Agricuturis;s ten years s'H'' W..
;,no,ant the smallest farmer, and even the FoueS.
Iaborer. is familiar with. Yet let the a"a'!s''
the theory OF Agriculture progress ever 50 ''''
,cvcr can dispsnsc with absolute facts VIII"
arc after al. worth thousands OF theories, pre-
c,.ely for the same reason that Corporal F''''
,bouaht one thrust OF the bayonct worth volu''''s
of Dr.. SIops dispositions upon the Ar o' ~ d.
Therefore the State Agricultural Society nave
done the wfols people no small service IN Puv-
fishing the mass of Reports contained III Tue 'oi'
urpe before US, which presents. ma compact IL"
statement of the condition oil Agficu''"''
if not in every County, in every section oil '''o
State II seems to us, however, that most u
these County Societies proceed incorrectly w
do not b!an. The distribution oil Pre!niu'iS-'''
(rn,n il bu, we think il, lnstcad OF cNPeh"'iiS -
mucb time in a history of lIicir exhibitions e'c'
nc,nber ,r farmer would give short sAetch OF
ms particular crop. of the t,lc vanati'n> ''cri-
dental or otherwise which he has made nom ''''
ordinary routine in MS culture, the report %
every Society would be valuable lFea''sc' u .''
.crcst not onlv in the ncighbofhood oi inc oo'',
~, but to the People OF the whole Country VI
snch Reports in the volume before us t'iefc
are abou, fitty extending from the CITY anu
County of NewYork to the foot OF Lake U"",,.-
pla;n and to Lake Ere, and the mass I'll l'''c'i''
gepcc in The land is too great for the" not 10
contain a vast portion Of the information TO w"ic"
40 have referred. and which is So valuable
Attached 10 the various Reports of Societies are
sometimes essays on particular affairs o the
one Of the Rensselaer, Countyis dissertation on
rho Cultivation of silk, and statement OF rca-
sons why public attention should be directed 10
this article. With the Report of th9 Chcmung
Society was transmitted Il paper upon agricu'-
,ural Libraries. with which We entirely agree
next to the plough holding, good book upon his
ar, 10 be most Indispensable TO the farmer. we
do not feel justified in commenting critically on
the proceedings of the various County Socleties'
drawn up, as they have been, by practical men
who have devstcd all their energies to the I'M
oroycmcnt of their particular and i'vorltc pursuit
The plan upon winch the State Society pro-
ceeds is a wise one it is able TO give UNITY OF
purpose to wha; would otherwise be the Indirect
cd efforts of the smaller circles, and to place IN
proper and commanding position before the peo-
nIc statistics which would otherwise, from their
nature, be lost
But ono part Of the volume before us is Of IN
terest to every onc-that which treats ofthc Geo
Iooical Survey of the State and its influence on
the productive pursuits of the community.
In this Report are collected anlasS of facts rcla
tive 70 the Mineral strata which exists in the
State. and what in our oplnlons more important
vet. of such as DO not exist, and the full reasons
whv il is vain to look for them. For instance,
the Report establishes the fact that none OF the
strata in which Coal is usually found approach
nearer than SIX miles 10 the State line; therefore
the search Of Missionaries after these sources Of
wealth is finally terminated, and the mind left at
liberty to follow more sure pursuits. As an IN
stance of the utility Of this Report in this respect,
searches for Coal along the valley Of the Hudson
River have within the memory Of the present
generation been made and upon them more than
half million has been expended ana nothing
prevents Z. similar expenditure in other parts Of
the State, but the information diuscd by
the Report OF the Geological Survey. After cs-
tablishno that Coal does not exist, the Report
treats of the Saline orInatinn and the limits in
which Brine Springs may be found are precisely
defined According to the Report, the strength
Of the water is greatest in the deep alluvia lorma-
ton, and is not increased by pefiorallons through
the solid rock.
But to quote the words of the Report ITSELF
. 1t brings before one at glance all the avaa-
bic resources Of the Sta,c.....it points The Miner
the Artisan, aud the Farmer to those parts where
each will find what he is seeking"
Accompanying the Report are more than one
engraving and description Of pgecipices and gorges
where the formation has been laid bare which
would as deeply interest the searcher for the pic
| turesque as for the useful and scientific. These
grand features Of the country are unknown even
10 those familiar with scenes not near so rcmarka