New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-10-01
Written for the Review byo. P. champlfn.

In the Genesee Valley.
Written for the Review by O. P. Champlin.
We have been in this valley nearly a
month; and shall be here few days
longer. A few words descriptive Of
this section of the Empire State may
not be out of place. The Genesee val.
ley is formed by the Genesee River.
Rising in the northern part of Penn.
sylvania this stream flows in general.
ly northerly direction to Lake Ontario.
The upper part of the valley is narrow
and bordered by steep, rocky hills.
Farther along down in the region of
Rochester the valley is from one to
two miles wide, and is most beautiful
and fertile. The river banks are from
fifty to one hundred and fifty feet high.
Where the river forms the eastern
boundry of Wyoming county it breaks
through a mountain barrier in q deep
gorge and forms the Portage Falls,
one of the finest in the State. There
are three falls; and in forming them
the river descends to depth of more
than three hundred feet in a distance
OF two and half miles. The banks
at the lower falls are nearly perpen.
dicular and are three hundred eighty
feet high. The deep gorge, the rapids
and the falls form one of the widest
and most picturesque scenes in this
part of the State. Near the falls at
Portage, where the B. & N. Y. City
railroad crosses the river, there used
to be one of the largest wooden rail.
road bridges in the world. 1t was 800
feet long and 234 feet above the bed
OF the river. An immense amount of
lumber was worked into it. The cost
Of it was $4,000. It has been re.
placed by an iron structure. Some
years ago the State constructed the
GENEsEE VALLEY CANAL
which extended from Rochester up the
valley to Clean upon the Allegany.
The canal was built to carry lumber
from the mountains to Rochester; and
was several years in building. The
summit level is 978 #. above Roches
ter and 86 # above the Allegany River
at Clean; and it had 81 locks descend
ing towards the north and nine towards
the south. A year ago it was given
up; and will probably be replaced soon
by railroad. There is no question
but that a railroad would pay in this
valley. There are many villages it's
whole length, and some are of consid.
cradle size. There would be consider.
able freight to be carried, the product
of the farms, lumber from the noun.
tains and coal.
Here in Allegany county, at Oramel,
where am, it is rather mountainous.
The early settlers found a rough wild.
erness here. They cut the timber and
made clearings here and there. They
built their houses and farm buildings,
dug stumps and stones, planted their
crops and set out their orchards. They
have gone on improving, little by little
each year, until now there are many
valuable farms. The soil on the
nplands is generally heavy clay, but
in the valleys it is gravelly loan and
alluvium. Formerly the forests abound
ed in game-deer, bear and the small.
Ter kinds. The river has always
abounded in fish; and now bass are
caught in large numbers.
Farmers among whom the REVIEW
circulates think they have hard times;
and so they do have, but if it is any
consolation for them to know it we
tell them their brethren here have not
much better. They raise winter wheat;
but SOW but few acres, enough for
their bread. The yield this season
will not average more than fifteen bus.
to the acre, which is much less than
in former years. In this country the
average price of wheat is about q dol.
lar. The yield Of corn is good and also
of potatoes, but the former was in
jured in the forepart of the season aud
the latter are decaying. They are not
worth but twenty-five cents per bushe].
Much fruit is raised in this section;
but this year the crop is less than it is
some years. But what is the use of
two or three hundred bushel Of apples
if you can't get any thing for them,
The price for apples now is about a
dollar barrel you furnish barrel and
deliver to the railroad nine or twelve
miles. Probably winter apples will
not bring much more, the barrel may
be thrown in. Make them into cider.
| Well; yon take ten bushels ofapples to
| the mill and it will make you thirty
two gallons of cider. It will cost you
fifty cents to get it made; and now
/ you can sell it for one dollar a barrel.
How much will you make on your bar.
rel! At the same time l do think
these apple orchards are splendid.
| But the farmer here depends chiefly
on his Cheese. Cheese is to him what
/ wheat is to you. How is the cheese
]. market this year! Cheese has been
selling all along for four and five cents
] a pound and that is quite falling of
from eighteen and twenty what it used
to be. just now the market is better,
4 the price being between eight and nine
cents; but the yield of milk ID r. least