Columbia

TABLE B.-Digest of Facts by State Assessors for Board of Equalization.

CHAPTER VII.

GROUP III: Counties-Boundaries-Topography-Description of Counties-Albany, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Orange, Otsego, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster, Area-Population-Density-Valuations-Farms-Aggregate Value of Real Estate-Traffic Routes Aggregate Personal and Real-Distribution of Land-Grass-Tillage Crops-Vegetable Products and Value-Animals-Products and Value-Wheat Surplus Sold-Aggregate Value of Surplus-Agriculture-Grass should be Leading Feature-Hops not ProfitableEnglish Opinion-Appendix-Agricultural Statistics-Assessed Valuation-Finance. Counties: Albany, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Orange, Otsego, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster-11.

BOUNDARIES, TOPOGRAPHY, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COUNTIES AND THEIR MATERIAL RESOURCES.

This group is bounded on the east by the Hudson river, north by the south line of the counties of Saratoga, Fulton and Herkimer, west by the east line of the counties of Oneida, Madison, Chenango and Broome, and south by the State lines of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In its topography it is mountainous. It embraces the whole of the Catskill mountain group south of the Mohawk valley. It therefore partakes of the features incident to an Alpine region. High table land broken into hills and valleys, mountain peaks, deep narrow valleys, and a broken, rocky and uneven surface generally. The highest elevation reached by any of the mountain peaks is about 3,000 feet above the tide level of the Hudson river; very much of its improved land will be found at a level of from 1,000 to 1,500 and 2,000 feet above tide. This elevation affects its agriculture and prevents a large tract of land which has unrivalled market advantages from becoming highly cultivated, or its resources of soil available. Both the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers have their heads in this group. The Delaware, in the county of Delaware, near the Schoharie county line, and the Susquehanna, in the county of Otsego, near the Herkimer county line. The western and northern portion of Otsego county are properly within the fifth group, but yet its general position and topography make its position in this group proper.

In the county of Greene, where the mountains recede from the river, there is a narrow strip of level land, also along the Mohawk river, in the counties of Schenectady and Montgomery, and along the Schoharie creek, in the county of Schoharie, there are narrow strips of level interval lands, but generally, there are few tracts of level land throughout the group. Below Greene county, the boundary upon the river is high and mountainous; in some places, as in Rockland, the mountain range is narrow, and slopes to the interior, giving some valleys of desirable land, but generally the whole group may be classed as Alpine in its appearance and resources. The views from some of the highest accessable peaks of the Catskill mountains, are among the grandest in this region of country, embracing as they do, the Hudson river, and the eastern counties, and extending into the adjoining States.

A brief description of the several counties composing this group, with some of its material statistics which properly belong to this subject, is given below.

THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

Albany county is bounded on the east by the Hudson river, north by a part of Saratoga and by the county of Schenectady, west by Schoharie, and south by Greene.

The surface is broken, much of it approaching to hilly or mountainous. As a farming county, Albany is ranked in the second class, its soil not being suitable for the successful cultivation of winter wheat as a staple crop. But it is well adapted to spring grains and to grazing, whether for the shambles or for the dairy. The general elevation of the land materially modifies both the productiveness of the soil, and the modes of farming it.

The city of Albany is both a commercial and manufacturing center of increasing importance, and the hydraulic power furnished by the Mohawk river, has already caused the rapid growth of an important manufacturing town.

The advantages thus possessed of good markets easy of access, and the importance of commercial and manufacturing facilities, furnished by the Hudson river and the railroads converging to its central town, will annually increase its population and wealth, and its assessments should receive an annual revision.

DELAWARE COUNTY.

The county of Delaware is bounded northerly by the county of Schoharie, easterly by the county of Greene, southeasterly by parts of the counties of Sullivan and Ulster, southerly by the State of Pennsylvania, west by part of the county of Broome, and northwesterly by the county of Otsego.

Its general aspect is mountainous, being within the range of the Catskill mountains. It is a purely grazing or dairy county. It is entirely inland and isolated from all public works, except on its southern border, where the New York and Erie railroad intersects it for a short distance. It has yet large tracts of forests, and such is the uninviting nature of the climate and soil that it will be many years before the land will be cleared.

Its valuations, therefore, will require revision only at intervals of three or four years, for it can increase in population and wealth but at a very slow rate. The contemplated railroad from Binghamton to Albany, will, however, improve the condition of that portion of the territory bordering upon Otsego, and materially enhance the valuations of the real estate in those towns.

GREENE COUNTY.

The county of Greene is bounded on the north by Albany county, on the east by the Hudson river, on the south by Ulster county, and on the west by parts of Delaware and Schoharie counties.

That portion of the county which lies in the valley of the Hudson river, is comparatively level, with a generally fertile and first class soil. The remainder of the county is included in the Catskill mountains, and is therefore broken and mountainous, and to be rated as third class lands, which can only be used for grazing or dairy purposes.

There is some valuable hydraulic power in the valley, but it is not extensively used. The river furnishes good facilities for marketing, at cheap