OF THE New York State Agricultural Society, WITH AN ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. VOLUME XXI.-1861. ALBANY: 1862. NOTICE. The Twenty-first Volume of the Transactions of the Society is submitted to the farmers of New York, in the hope that it will be found of equal value to those which have preceded it. The year 1861 has been an eventful one in the history of our country. A rebellion unexampled in the history of any country, for its malignity, has called from our population at least an hundred thousand men to defend the liberties of our country from the attack of rebels, nurtured and brought up under our free institutions, to which they were indebted for all the blessings they enjoyed, and which they have endeavored to destroy. A large portion of these defenders of our country's honor are from our rural population. Notwithstanding this large draft from our working men, the farmers have been enabled to cultivate and secure the harvest crops, and the reports in this volume will show the success which has attended their efforts. Some very valuable papers will be found in this volume worthy the attention of every farmer. The address of the President of the Society, Mr. Geddes, gives a very interesting account of what the Society has done since its organization, and we are confident no one will doubt, in perusing this address, of the vast good which has been accomplished, and the permanent benefits which have been conferred upon the farming interest of our State. The survey of the county of Steuben, by the Hon. Goldsmith Denniston, of that county, is a very valuable document. This is the first of the Southern tier of counties which has been given in our reports. Its early history as one of the reserve counties, is full of interest, and is given with great fidelity. Its progress, from 1790 up to the present time, shows the rapid progress which has been made by the steadfast pioneers of Steuben, and they have now before them a fair prospect of increasing prosperity in every department. A complete statistical history of each town is given, and Mr. Denniston is entitled to the thanks of the Society for the admirable report which he has given. |