rates, the surplus products of its agriculture, and its population and wealth are slowly increasing; but its valuations will not require a revision oftener than every other year, if as often.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Montgomery county is bounded on the east and southeast by the counties of Saratoga and Schenectady, south by the counties of Schoharie and Schenectady, west by the county of Herkimer, and north by the county of Fulton.

It lays mostly in the Mohawk valley, and its surface is generally level or rolling, and portions hilly. The soil upon the river flats is exceedingly valuable, and the whole county in its agricultural capacity is equal to the best of the second class counties. The Central railroad and the Erie canal traverse it from west to east, and furnish ample facilities for developing its

resources.

It has considerable hydraulic power now in use, but nothing that will ever make it a manufacturing center of importance.

Its situation is such, however, that it must increase annually in population and wealth, and its valuations should have an annual revision.

ORANGE COUNTY.

Orange county is bounded on the cast by the Hudson river, southeast by the county of Rockland, southerly by the New Jersey State line, west by Sullivan, and north by Ulster.

The surface is more or less mountainous, hilly and broken, and embraces a great variety of soil, generally well adapted to the spring grains, to grazing and fruits, and its proximity to New York city and facilities for reaching that great market by railroads and the Hudson river, has brought nearly all its desirable land into profitable cultivation. It is one of the best of the second class counties. It has an important commercial and manufacturing center at Newburgh. The population and wealth of the county is steadily increasing, not as rapidly, perhaps, as in the counties on the opposite side of the river, but still its assessments should be annually revised.

OTSEGO COUNTY.

The county of Otsego is bounded on the north by the county of Herkimer, on the east by the county of Schoharie, on the south by the county of Delaware, on the west by the county of Chenango and part of the county of Madison.

In its general topography it is hilly and broken. The soil is adapted to the spring grains and to grazing, and the dairy, and its natural fertility ranks it among the best of the second class, or grazing and spring grain counties.

It has much valuable hydraulic power, portions whereof in various parts. of the county are now, and have been for a long period of years, in use, but the complete isolation of the county from all facilities of a rapid and cheap transit to market, prevents the profitable use of its power, and com

pels a valuation much below that of other counties, which do not possess the same resources in soil and motive power.

Whenever a railroad shall be constructed through the county, connecting it with the other lines of public works of the State, the valuation of its real estate should be increased at least ten dollars per acre on the aggregate valuation of its farm lands. Such a public work will also develop its other resources, and rapidly increase its population and wealth, and require a revision of its valuation annually. At present, and until some such work is constructed, the valuation will not require a new adjustment oftener than other inland counties of the second and third class. It is an important county in its agricultural capacity, and properly opened to market, must become a manufacturing center equally as important.

ROCKLAND COUNTY.

Rockland county is bounded on the east by the Hudson river, northwesterly by the county of Orange, and southwesterly by the New Jersey State line. Its surface is hilly and broken along most of its river front, and rolling over the other portions. Its drainage is mainly to the south, into New Jersey. The soil is naturally fertile, and, under a better system of agriculture, it would, from its position, become a first class county. It is gradually improving in its population and wealth, and has now, in its railroad and river facilities, abundant means for developing its resources, mineral and agricultural.

It will increase in population and wealth, but at a less rapid rate than counties on the opposite side of the river. Its valuations will require revision only once in two years.

SCHENECTADY County.

Schenectady county is bounded on the northeast by Saratoga county, on the south by Albany county and part of Schoharfe, and on the northwest by Montgomery county.

The surface is mostly level, though a portion of it is rolling and hilly. The soil is generally alluvial, and makes the celebrated "Mohawk flats." The Mohawk valley comprises nearly all the county.

As an agricultural county it is not exceeded in the fertility of its soil by any other in the State. The Erie canal and Central railroad traverse the entire length of its territory, and furnish ample facilities for the developing of its resources. It has already a large manufacturing establishment at the city of Schenectady, and is gradually increasing in population and wealth; and its valuations should be revised at least once in two years.

SCHOHARIE COUNTY.

Schoharie county is bounded on the east by Albany county and parts of Schenectady and Greene, south by Delaware county, west by Otsego county, and north by Montgomery county.

Much of the surface is broken and hilly. Portions of it, however, are level, and embrace the intervals along the Schoharie creek. The soil is generally well adapted to the spring grains, and to grazing, and winter

wheat has been grown to a considerable extent. It is, however, in its agricultural capacity, only a second class county. The construction of the railroad from Albany to Binghamton, will materially enhance the value of the real estate of the county, and contribute much to its prosperity, for it only lacks good and cheap transit for its products to become much more populous and wealthy. It has some hydraulic power, but not sufficient to warrant its ever becoming a manufacturing centre of any great importance. After the railroad is completed, its present valuations will require revision. But after that they will not require altering oftener than once in two or three years.

SULLIVAN COUNTY.

Sullivan county is bounded on the east by Orange county, on the south by the New Jersey State line, northwesterly by the county of Delaware, and northeasterly by the county of Ulster.

The surface is mountainous, hilly and broken, and its general elevation is such that its agriculture is modified thereby. Its soil is best adapted to grazing, and it is a third class or dairy county. It has mineral resources, but to what extent is not yet definitely determined, but supposed to be important. The New York and Erie Railroad, and the Canal to the Hudson river, furnish all necessary facilities for developing its agricultural resources. From the nature of its soil, and its position with regard to markets, its population and wealth will slowly increase, though it possesses much hydraulic power, that might be used for extensive manufacturing purposes. Its valuations will require a revision only once in three or four years.

ULSTER COUNTY.

Ulster county is bounded on the east by the Hudson river, on the south by Orange county, on the southwest by Sullivan, on the northwest by Delaware, and on the north by Greene county. Its surface is mouutainous, broken and rocky. As an agricultural county it is only third rate, and adapted principally to grazing and the dairy.

It has large mineral resources, and they are being rapidly developed by the facilities of transportation furnished by the Hudson river. The Delaware and Hudson canal, which has its terminus at Rondout, in this county, and connects the navigable waters of the Hudson river with the great coal fields of Pennsylvania, is building up villages that are increasing annually in wealth and population. Taken as a whole, in all its interests, the general increase of population and wealth will be such as to require a revision of its valuations at least once in two years.

AREA, POPULATION, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND THEIR VALUATION, ROUTES OF TRAFFIC, BANKING CAPITAL.

AREA.

This group is seventeen per cent. of the area of the State, and embraces an area of 7,284 square miles, whereof there are :

Reduced to acres, at 640 per square mile, and there are:

46 per ct.
54 do

2,485,309

2,163,339

4,648,648

The improved is 46 per cent. of the lands of the whole group, or the improved to the unimproved is as 46 to 54.

The proportion of the improved land to the aggregate improved land of the State, is 18 per cent., and the unimproved is 12 per cent. of the aggre gate unimproved land of the State.

Of the unimproved land, there will be cleared up and added to the improved, principally for pasturage, about 500,000 acres. The largest portion will be in Delaware and Ulster counties, but small additions will be made in the counties of Sullivan, Schoharie and Greene. Beyond that number of acres, the balance must ever remain waste and unimproved, owing to the mountainous nature of the land.

The aggregate population is 13 per cent of the State.

The incorporated cities are Albany and Schenectady. Among the large towns are Newburgh, Kingston, Rondout, Nyack and Catskill.

Each have advantages in their position that will insure increasing population and wealth.

There is a tendency in this group to concentrate population, for already the city and village population is 64 per cent.

The rural population has reached its maximum, and hereafter will decrease rather than increase.

THE DENSITY OF POPULATION.

Total population to total area is 70 inhabitants to the square mile.

But to the improved it is 134 to the square mile. While the rural population to the whole area is only 25.5 to the square mile. There are however 48 rural inhabitants to the square mile of improved land.

The average size of farms is 80 acres of improved land, or 13.5 acres to each rural inhabitant.

VALUATIONS.

The cash value of farms, stock and implements by the State census of

The average value of farms, stock, and tools and implements, per acre is:

The whole average capital invested in the farm is :

The aggregate value of all the real estate in the group is :

The proportion `square miles of area to 1 mile of traffic routes is as 12 to 1, or 12 square miles to one mile of route.

The valuations of real estate by the State Assessors, and of personal estate by the town assessors, whereon the report of the board of equalization for the years 1862 and 1863, was based are as follows:

The details of the above are tabulated in table B of the appendix to this group.

The banking capital employed in 1861, was $8,655,917.

The details of the above valuations are tabulated and shown in table C of the appendix to this group.

DISTRIBUTION OF FARM LANDS.

Pasture, acres......
Meadow, acres......

Total in grass, acres.......

$1,028,643
693,603

$1,721,246

The proportion of acres in grass to the whole cultivated or improved