Taking the average of crops of the whole county the yield is found to be about two-fifths less than that of forty years ago -- before this immigration. The following table will present to the eye the steady decrease which has taken place in this direction since the opening out of this region as a place of residence for business men :

1839. 1»54. 1874. 1879.

Wheat . . . 35,267 3.'j,248 24,426 22,698

Kye 99,574 51,404 57.0J9 55,130

Oats 449,090 204,759 173,894 238,509

Corn 318,028 402,2381^ 323,076 377,357

Potatoes .... 620,920 286,249 334,966 326,092

Hay 77,873 90,496% 73,113 69,221

Buckwheat. . . 57,226 20,89t^ 13,364

Wool 52,085 6,069

From this exhibit of decline we turn to mark the increase in the value of the real and personal estate of the county. In the year 1840 the aggregate value was $10,650,064; in the year 1860, $41,527,907, and in 1884 $73,860,487.

These values, if viewed by their proportions to the entire estate values of the State of New York in the three years named, show how much the County has kept up its relative financial consequence, notwithstanding the immense growths of the great cities and the subtractions from 1874 of the values of the three towns of Kingsbridge, Morrisania and West Farms. The total equalized estate value of the State in 1840 was $639,171,000, in 1860 $1419,- 297,520 and in 1884 $3,014,591,372, the proportion being to that of the county in 1840 as 60 to 1, in 1860 as 34 to 1 and in 1884 as 41 to 1. This it is believed could be even more strongly presented. But while thus noticing the great increase in wealth, it is more of a satisfaction to observe the accompanying advantages moral and intellectual. The schools of the county have been brought up to a standard which will compare favorably with the most approved.