This county presents a pleasing alternation of hills, valleys, and extensive flats, repaying the labours of the husbandman with a most ample re turn in the production of all the varieties of grain and fruit. The more hilly parts are frequently devoted to the dairy, and the raising of sheep and horned cattle. The town of Steuben, in the north eastern part of the county, sends annually large supplies of butter and cheese, the staple products of the \Velsh population, to the New York market. In other parts, as on the borders of Wood Creek, and in some portions of Boonville,where the labours of agriculture have not been so assiduous and con tinual, the low grounds are marshy, and as yet un fit for cultivation; but the influx of inhabitants, and the hand of industry, will soon render most of these valuable for the various purposes of hus bandry. In the parts south of the Mohawk, inter sected as they are by bountiful streams, agriculture and manufactures go hand in hand; and pleasant thriving villages and hamlets strike the eye of the traveller in constant succession.
The soil is various, but generally rich. The valley of the Mohawk is not more celebrated for its picturesque landscape, than for its extraordinary fertility. This character is also common to the low lands bordering upon the Oriskany and'Sau quoit creeks. The soil of the flats of the Mohawk is a moist alluvion, enriched yearly by the over flowings of the river, like the low countries of Egypt by the inundations of the Nile.
Oneida county is subdivided into twenty-five towns. Its area is 1101 square miles, equivalent to 704,740 acres of land. Of this about 2 i5,000 acres are in a state of cultivation, and the residue wild lands, which are yearly becoming more valuable on account of the forests of excellent timber with which they are clothed.
The inhabitants are well educated. There are in the county 343 common school districts in which teachers are employed on an average of eight months in the year. In 1830 the state ex pended ti7277 for the support of common schools here. The amount paid to the teachers of these schools, during the same year, was S11,000; and the number of children who received instruction was about 20,000. Besides these, there are nu merous institutions of a higher order, of which the principal are Hamilton College, at Clinton; the Oneida Institute, near \Vhitesborough; the Clinton, Whitesborough, Bridgewater, Steuben and Stock bridge Academies; and an academy and two high schools at Utica.
The early settlers were chiefly from the eastern states; but the character of the inhabitants is now quite as diversified as the aspect of the country.
Every part of the world has furnished its repre sentatives; and there are settlements of Swiss, Italians, Germans, Dutch, \Velsh, and Irish. The population in 1820 was about 57,000. In 1830 it was upwards of 71,000, exhibiting an increase in ten years of 14,000.
The chief boast of Oneida county is in its mills and manufactories, it being second, in this respect, only to the county of New York. It is remarkably well watered; in the western and northwestern parts by the tributary streams of the Oneida Lake, and in the northeastern, eastern and southern, by the Black River, the West Canada Creek, the Mohawk, and their respective tributaries. Most of these streams afford an abundant water power for the propulsion of machinery. On their borders there are now in active employment, 13 cotton fac tories, most of them on an extensive scale, 12 woollen factories, 67 grist mills, 165 saw mills, 6 oil mills, 60 fulling mills, 61 carding machines, 11 iron works, and 7 trip hammers. The cotton factories afford constant employment to 120 men and 890 boys and girls. They also employ about 640 looms, and 26,000 spindles. The Oriskany woollen factory employs 47 men and 69 girls and has 1500 spindles, 30 power looms, and 5 hand looms for broad-cloths and cassimeres, and manufactures annually .;130,000 worth of goods. Of the manufacturing companies twenty are incor porated. There are, besides those above enume rated, several glass factories and potteries.
The Sadaghqugheda Creek (Sarequoit) rises in the south part of Paris, and flowing through the towns of New Hartford and Whitestown, dis charges itself into the Mohawk, about three and a half miles above Utica. On this stream, 'twelve miles in length, are 16 cotton and woollen factories, 14 saw mills, 5 flour mills, 1 oil mill, 2 plaister mills, 3 fulling mills, and 3 carding machines. Of the cotton factories, the New York Mills may chal lenge a comparison with any in the state for the substantial beauty of the buildings, and the ex cellence and finish of the machinery. They em ploy 7032 spindles, 197 looms, and 250 boys and girls.
The Erie canal enters the western limits of the county about five miles southerly from Oneida Lake. It takes a semicircular course to Rome, and thence runs parallel with the Mohawk to Utica. Throughout this distance there are no locks, it i forming a part of the long level from Frankfort, in Herkimer county, to Syracuse, in Onondaga county. The canal is abundantly supplied with water by a feeder from the Mohawk at Rome.