mounted by an iron lantern painted red; the entire height being 66 feet. The latitude and longitude and magnetic variation of the light, as give by the Coast Survey, are latitude, 48° 23' 15" N.; longitude, 124° 43′ 50′′ W.; magnetic variation, 20° 45′ E., July, 1851. By order of the Lighthouse Board, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., November 20, 1857. HARTMAN BACHE, Maj. Topog'l Eng's, Br. Maj. LIGHTHOUSE AT VALPARAISO, (CHILI,) SOUTH AMERICA. FIXED LIGHT VARIED BY FLASHES ON PLAYA ANCHA. Official information has been received at this office through the Department of State, that the Department of Marine of the Republic of Chili has given notice, under date of October 27th, 1857, that a fixed white light, varied by flashes every minute, was exhibited on the evening of the 18th September, 1857, from the lighthouse tower erected on the point called Playa Ancha, at the entrance to the port of Valparaiso, and about 40 feet to the southward of the old lighthouse on that point. The illuminating apparatus is catadioptric of the fourth order of Fresnel. The tower is 50 feet high, round, built of brick, and painted white. The top of the lantern and ventilator are painted green. The light is exhibited from an elevation of about 200 feet above the sea, and should be seen in ordinary states of the atmosphere, at a distance of about 16 miles from the deck of a vessel 15 feet above the water:-Latitude 33° 01′ 07′′ south, longitude 71° 41′ 39" west of Greenwich. By order of the lighthouse board, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Office Lighthouse Board, THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. FLASHING LIGHT ON HOGSTEN, BRED SOUND. Official information has been received at this office, that the Royal Norwegian Marine Department, at Christiana, has given notice, that on and after the 25th day of November, 1857. a light would be established on Hogsten Point, Godo Island. Bred Sound. The light is fixed with a flash once every three minutes, and visible from all points of the compass towards the fairway. It is placed at an elevation of 39 feet above the mean level of the sea, and should be seen in clear weather, at a distance of 13 miles. It will be exhibited from the 1st of August, through the winter. until the 16th of May. The lighthouse is a circular tower, built of stone, and colored white. It stands in latitude 62° 28′ 00′′ north, longitude 6° 1' 30" east of Greenwich. By order of the Lighthouse Board, THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Office Lighthouse Board, Washington, Jan. 4, 185e. REVOLVING LIGHT ON CONEJERA ISLAND, MEDITERRANEAN, IVIZA. Official information has been received at this office that the Minister of Marine at Madrid has given notice, that on and after the 19th of November, 1857. a light would be exhibited from a lighthouse recently erected on Cape Blanco, the northeast extremity of Conejera Island, on the west coast of Iviza, an island of the Baleares group. The light is a white revolving light, eclipsed once a minute, but the eclipses are not total within a distance of three or four miles. It is visible from S. S. W. W. round westerly to N. E. by E. E.; and, being at an elevation of 292 English feet, should be seen from the deck of a vessel in clear weather at a distance of about 20 miles. The illuminating apparatus is catadioptric, of the second order. The light-tower is circular, crowned by a small turret supporting the lantern, and of a yellowish color; it stands at nine yards from the edge of the cliff, in latitude 38° 59′ 47′′ N.; longitude 1° 16′ 32" east of Greenwich. By order of the Lighthouse Board, WASHINGTON, February 1, 1858, THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. ALTERATION OF LIGHT AT SERAGLIO POINT, SEA OF MARMORA, CONSTANTINOPLE. Official information has been received at this office that the Director of Lights for the Turkish government has given notice that after the 25th of December, 1857, a light, described as follows, would be substituted for the fixed light hitherto shown at Seraglio Point, at the entrance of the Bosphorus, or Channel of Constantinople. The new light is a fixed light, varied once a minute by green flashes, preceded and followed by a short eclipse, and visible at the distance of 15 miles from N. E., round easterly to W. S. W. The illuminating apparatus is catadioptric of the fourth order. The light-tower is 147 English feet in height, and stands at 547 yards to the eastward of the old one. FIXED RED LIGHTS AT LEANDER TOWER, BOSPHORUS, COAST OF ASIA. Also, that after the same date two harbor lights would be exhibited from Leander Tower, on the western or outer edge of Leander Bank, Skutari. The lights are fixed red lights, and placed at an elevation of 36 feet above the water; they should be visible in clear weather at a distance of four miles. All bearings are magnetic. Variation, 7° west in 1857. By order of the Lighthouse Board, THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. WASHINGTON, January 26, 1858. LIGHTS ON SYLT ISLAND, NORTH SEA, COAST OF SLESWIG. Official information has been received at this office that the Danish Royal Navy Department has given notice, that on and after the 1st of January, 1858, two lights would be exhibited from lighthouses erected on the north end of the Island of Sylt, off the coast of Sleswig, when the temporary beacon lights hitherto shown would be discontinued, and in the course of the summer the beacons will be removed. The lights are distinguished from each other by the outer or westernmost being of a redish color, and placed at an elevation of 63 English feet above the level of the sea at high water. The inner light is 72 feet above the same level, and both are visible all round the horizon in clear weather, at the respective distances of 10 and 13 miles; but in approaching from the southward, along the western shore of Sylt Island, the inner light will occasionally be intercepted by the cliffs until the lights are nearly in line. The illuminating apparatus is a Fresnel lens of the fourth order. The lighthouses are of iron, painted white, with red tops; the westernmost is 28 feet, and the easternmost 38 feet, in height; they are 2,910 yards apart, in an E. S. E., S., and W. N. W. N. direction, and when in line lead over the bar in a depth of sixteen English feet at low water, in accordance with the instructions for Lister Deep, given in the English translation of Zahrtmann's Danish Pilot, published by the Admiralty, pages 435-441. All bearings are magnetic. Variation, 17° west in 1857. By order of the Lighthouse Board, WASHINGTON, February 1, 1858. THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. LIGHTHOUSE OFF THE SCILLY ISLANDS. Official information has been received at this office, that the Trinity House, London, has given notice that the lighthouse which has been for some time past in course of erection upon the Bishop Rock-the southwesternmost of the Scilly Group, bearing W. 4 Ñ. by compass, 4 miles distant from St. Agnes-being now far advanced towards completion, notice is given that the light will be exhibited therefrom on or about the first of September next, (1858.) "Mariners are to observe that the Bishop Rock Light will be a fixed bright dioptric light of the first order, and will burn at an elevation of 110 feet above the level of high water, and illuminate the entire circle, and will be visible in clear weather at a distance of about fourteen miles." By order of the Lighthouse Board, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Office Lighthouse Board, Washington, Jan. 13, 1855. VJL. XXXVIII. —NO. III. 24 THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. FIXED LIGHT WITH FLASHES ON CAY PIEDRAS, WEST INDIES, CUBA. Official information has been received at this office that the Minister of Marine at Madrid has given notice that, since the 1st of September, 1857, a permanent light has been established in a lighthouse (erected in the position formerly occupied by the lighthouse which was blown down on the 28th of August, 1856,) on Cay Piedras, at the entrance of Cardenas Bay, on the north side of the Island of Cuba. The light is a fixed white light, varied by a red flash every half minute; it is placed at an elevation of 68 English feet above the level of the sea, and should be visible in clear weather at a distance of fifteen miles. The illuminating apparatus is a Fresnel lens of the fourth order. The lighthouse stands in latitude 23° 14' N.; longitude 81° 9' west of Greenwich, nearly. Its form, height, and color are not stated. By order of the Lighthouse Board, WASHINGTON, February 1, 1858. THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. LIGHT-VESSEL ON THE ENGLISH BANK SHOAL, IN THE RIO DE LA PLATA, S. A. Official information has been received at this office from the United States consul at Montevideo, through the Department of State, that a light-vessel has been placed on the English Bank Shoal, in the Rio de la Plata. A steady fixed light of the natural color is exhibited from this vessel, which is anchored in seven fathoms water. The following is the position of the light-vessel :-Latitude, 35° 06′ 10′′ S.; longitude, 35° 55′ 10′′ W. of Greenwich. Compass bearings from the light-vessel-Montevideo, N. 63° W.; Flores Island, N. 20° W.; Sugar Loaf, N. 50° E. This light should be seen, in ordinary states of the atmosphere, from ten to twelve miles. The light on the Island of Flores, which is revolving, cannot be mistaken for the fixed light on the English Bank Shoal. By order of the Lighthouse Board, WASHINGTON, January 26, 1858. THORNTON A. JENKINS, Secretary. STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE, &c. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. We have already published in the Merchants' Magazine the greater portion of the general returns of the census of the State of New York for 1855. A list of the principal articles on this subject was given in our number of November, 1857, (volume xxxvii., page 639.) The introduction to the official publication of the census, (prepared by Dr. F. B. Hough, Superintendent,) is a summary of all of the industrial and other interests of the State. From the statements which it contains, we have compiled the following exhibit of the agricultural condition of the State :- The earliest attempt to collect the agricultural statistics of New York was made in 1821. The number of acres of improved land, and the number of neat cattle, horses, and sheep, were then returned-together with a few branches of manufactures. In 1825 and 1835, the same inquiries, with the addition of swine to the list of domestic animals, were required. In 1840, the number of horses, mules, cattle, sheep, and swine, and the value of poultry, were ascertained, together with the statistics of the production of the cereal grains and root crops. In 1845, there was added to the inquiries of 1840, that relating to the amount of land devoted to each separate crop. The censuses of 1850 and 1855, adopted similar inquiries; in addition to which, the latter provided for the return of unenumerated articles of farm produce, and the amount, kind, and value of special manures employed. The area of the State, according to Burr's Atlas, is 28,297,142 acres. In 1855, 28,059,994 acres were assessed; and in the same year, the aggregate assessed value of real estate was $1,107,272,715. The number of acres of agricultural land improved, was reported in 1821 as 5,717,494; in 1825, 7,160,967; in 1835, 9,655,426; in 1845, 11,757,276; in 1850, 12,408,964; and in 1855, 13,657,4904; which statements show a steady progress, and appear to be entirely correct. In regard to unimproved land, we see that the State census of 1855 has returned the number of acres at 13,100,692ğ, while the national census of 1850, returned the number at 6,710,120, indicating a wide difference in their respective schedules or in the mode pursued by the assistant marshals. The total number of acres, therefore, reported in 1855, under the agricultual statistics, was 26,758,1831, or about nineteen-twentieths of all the land in the State. In the year 1854, the number of acres plowed was 3,377,471; of acres in fallow, 506,0301; of acres in pasture, 4,984,114; and of acres in meadow, 3,384,440%. In the following short table, we have a comparison of certain principal items, in 1850 and 1855, and in each year reference is made to the 1st of June :— From the data furnished by the census, we have carefully prepared (having entirely rearranged the order of the statements) the following table, which exhibits the returns in regard to the principal cereal and root crops of the State : The statements of wheat, in the above table, are the sums of both kinds, spring wheat and winter wheat. The amounts of each were returned separately, (for the first time,) in 1855, and thus Spring wheat, acres sown..... 194,346 Bushels harvested..... Winter wheat, 66 ..... 601,1411 2,033,353 7,059,0491 The returns of crops given in 1850, were those produced during the year ending June 1st, 1850, or in fact, the year 1849. The returns for 1855, were the products of the year preceding June 1st, 1855—or, in fact, the year 1854, which was characterized by an unusual drought; and thus the amounts reported, fell short of the average of common years, and present an incorrect view of the agricultural capabilities of the soil. In regard to other crops, we compile these returns :— HAY.-Tons, 1840, 3,127,047; 1850, 3,728,797; 1855, 3,256,9481. CLOVER-SEED.— .-Bushels, 1850, 88,222; 1855, 16,662, of value of $77,788. FLAX AND HEMP.-In 1840, the products of both articles was reported at 1,130 tons. FLAX.-Acres Sown, 1845, 46,089; 1855. 11,764; pounds of lint, 1845, 2,896.000; 1850, 940,577; 1855, 4,907,5563; bushels of seed, 1850, 57,963; 1855, 87,0931. HEMP.-Acres sown, 1855, 3; tons of hemp, 1850, 4; (dew rotted, 1; water rotted, 3;) 1855, . HOPS.--Acres planted, 1855, 9,4814; pounds harvested, 1840, 447,250; 1850, 2,536,299; 1855, 7,192,254. TOBACCO.-Acres planted, 1855, 7864; pounds harvested, 1840, 744; 1850, 83,189; 1855, 946,5024. APPLE ORCHARDS.-Bushels of apples, 1855, 13,668,8301; barrels of cider, 1855, 273,639. ORCHARDS.-Value of products, 1840, $1,701,935; 1850, $1,761,950. NURSERIES.--Number of men employed, 1840, 525; value of products, 1840, $75,980. MARKET GARDENS.-Acres cultivated, 1855, 12,5903; value of products, 1840, $499,126; 1850, $912,047; 1855, $1,138,682. MAPLE SUGAR.-Pounds made, 1840, 10,048,109; 1850, 10,357,484; 1855, 4,935,815; maple molasses, gallons made, 1850, 56,539; 1855, 85,0914. WINE.-Gallons made, 1840, 6,799; 1850, 9,172; 1855, 18,181. HONEY.-Pounds collected, 1840, 52,795; 1855, 2,557,876. WAX.-Pounds collected, 1840, 1,7354; 1855, 138,033. HONEY AND WAX.--In 1850, pounds collected, 1,755,830. SILK.-Pounds of cocoons raised, 1850, 1,774; 1855, 2671; pounds of raw silk manufactured from cocoons, 1845, 1,439. MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS.-Total value, 1855, $1,421,750. STATISTICS OF CATTLE, ETC. We have aggregated the statistics of cattle, as ascertained by each census, as follows: The neat cattle in 1845 and 1855 were thus classified as to age : Under one year old, in 1845.. 334,456 In 1855... 311,474 1,793,991 Working oxen-in 1850, 178,909; in 1855, 144,597. Milch cows-in 1845, 999,490; in 1850, 931,324; total cows in 1855, 1,068,427. Number of cattle killed for beef in 1855, 225,338. Value of animals slaughtered, 1850, $13,573,884. * Including the number of mules. |