BRIEF MENTION OF SHEEP AND WOOL GROWING.

The breeds of sheep most esteemed in Massachusetts, according to Mr. Flint, the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture in that State, are those which have more or less of merino blood in them. The merinos of Spain, so celebrated for their beauty and the fineness of their wool, have been known and valued for ages. Bucks of this breed were sometimes purchased in Spain at the rate of a talent ($1.200) a piece, by the ancient Greeks, nearly twenty-five centuries ago. They were first imported into the United States in 1802, three or four having been obtained by Chancellor Livingston, then Minister to France. These had belonged to the celebrated Rambouillet flock, which Louis XVI. had obtained as a favor of Charles IV. in 1786. A short time before, Gen Humphreys, Minister to Spain from 1797 to 1801, had purchased two hundred merinos, had them sent through Portugal, and shipped to this country. At that time but little interest was felt in the improvement of our stock, and these animals attracted no notice for some years. In 1808, however, the embargo led many to turn their attention to wool-growing, and fine wool soon rose to the high price of $150 and $2 a pound. In 1809-10 no less than 3,650 merinos were imported, and these were distributed throughout the United States. The importance of these early importations can hardly be over estimated. They furnished our woolen manufactories with the raw material at times when it would have been expensive and almost impossible to obtain it abroad.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS OF CALIFORNIA.

The progress exhibited in the cities and towns of California, whilst the most wonderful, is certainly not the only evidence of development to be found in the State calculated to excite astonishment. The progress made in the departments of agriculture and domestic manufactures, is far beyond the knowledge or belief of those in the Eastern States, and many here, who spend all their time in the city, are far from realizing it fully.

But a year or two ago all the provisions consumed by the entire population were imported from abroad. Our people were dependent upon foreign fields for their bread; upon distant pastures for their meat; and the dairies and farms of the Eastern States supplied them with all the cheese, butter, eggs, etc., that they ate. As for the luxuries of vegetables, they were forced to content themselves without them, or use the miserable substitutes sent round the Horn in tins.

Now, we need not say that every thing is different. Our own granaries groan beneath the rich harvests of our native wheat fields; home-raised beef and pork, of the best possible quality, are found upon every man's table; fresh butter, of the most fragrant and delectable description, is now daily brought to market from our own dairies; fresh cheese from our own presses, can be obtained in any quantity, and as or vegetables, no country in the world can compare with ours.--S. F. Daily News.

PRODUCT OF EGGS IN IRELAND.

Eggs of hens, ducks, and other poultry, are produced in Ireland to an extent almost incredible. The supplies sent to Liverpool, and thence into the manufacturing districts, are enormous, frequently 1,000,000 in one day. They are packed between layers of straw, in strongly made boxes, hampers, and crates, containing 1,000 to 8,000 eggs, each package varying in weight from two to ten cwt. The aggregate quantity imported into Liverpool from Ireland last year, amounted to 33,350 packages, containing 148,134,000 eggs, weighing 9.260 tons, value £300,000. Besides small supplies from the neighboring districts, the Isle of Man, and Scotland.

Account of eggs imported into Liverpool from Ireland in the year 1852:

CANADIAN WHEAT CROP FOR 1854.

The wheat crop of Upper Canada will far exceed that of any other year in its amount. It is estimated that a third more was sown last year than the year before, and it all looks flourishing. The surplus last year is estimated at 7,000,000 bushels. This year it is calculated the surplus will reach 12,000,000 bushels. Estimating the price at only $1 50 per bushel, it gives the farmers $18,000,000 for wheat alone, for a foreign market.

DISCOVERY OF COFFEE.

About the year 1285 a dervish, named Hadji Omer, was driven out of the commu nity of Mocca. Hunger induced him to roast the Kahhva berries which grew near his hiding place. He roasted and ate them as the only means of sustaining life. Steeping them in water, which quenched his thirst, he discovered very agreeable qualities, and also that the infusion was nearly equal to solid food. His persecutors, who had intended him to die of starvation, regarded his preservation as a miracle. He was transmuted into a saint. Such are the facts relating to the discovery of coffee. There are now supposed to be 3,000 coffee rooms in Constantinople.

RAILROAD, CANAL, AND STEAMBOAT STATISTICS.

THE CANALS AND OTHER PUBLIC WORKS OF NEW YORK.

NUMBER 111.*

THE EXTENSION OF THE CHANNELS OF TRADE AND TRAVEL BEYOND THE STATE OF

NEW YORK.

Immediately west of the State of New York lies the great basin of the lakes, and contiguous to it on the south and west, lie the Ohio and Upper Mississippi basins, of equal magnitude. These basins are enclosed from the Atlantic by the Allegany mountains, except where they fall off to the level plains extending through the centre of New York.

An inspection of the map, embracing these basins, shows on the one side the chain of great lakes from the further extremity of Superior, tending southeasterly to the lower end of Lake Erie; and on the other side the Ohio river, from its junction with the Mississippi, tending northeasterly to its source in western New York, and all of the intermediate natural water lines tending towards the same point.

This general direction of the natural water lines of these basins, has given the same course to the artificial water and railroad lines constructed through them, and concentrates in the narrow gorge lying between the northern slope of the Allegany mountains and the eastern end of Lake Erie, a drift of trade and travel which is not to be found elsewhere on this continent.

This concentrated traffic, collected by these fan spreading lines, must be conveyed between the lakes and the Atlantic through the Erie canal and the central and southern lines of railroads of this State to its commercial emporium, from whence it can be distributed by the ocean lines of steamers and sail vessels to every port on the globe. From the western terminus of the Erie canal and the Central and Southern railroads, extends the chain of western lakes, commencing with Lake Erie, which extends southwesterly between the peninsula of Canada on the north, and the States of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio on the south, to Michigan, a distance of two hundred and seventy miles. Thence north through the Detroit river, lake and river St. Clair to Lake Huron, between Canada and Michigan, a distance of forty-five miles. Lake Huron extends in the same direction for a distance of two hundred and seventy miles, and connects with Lake Michigan, which runs south for three hundred and forty miles between the States of Michigan and Wisconsin, to Illinois and Indiana.

From Lake Huron, the river St. Mary, extending northwest for forty-six miles, con

For the first number of this series of papers, exhibiting a comprehensive history of The Progress of Internal Improvements in the State," see Merchants' Magazine for July, 1854, pages 123126-and for Number 11. see Merchants' Magazine for August, 1854, vol. xxxi., pages 247-249,

nects with Lake Superior, which extends westward for four hundred and twenty miles, with Michigan and Wisconsin on the south, Canada on the north, and Minnesota on the west.

There are no rivers emptying into any of these lakes, which are navigable for any considerable distance.

From the southwestern part of New York, the Allegany river, running south through Pennsylvania, and uniting with the Monongahela near the western line of that State, forms the Ohio river, which extends thence nearly south between Fennsylvania and Virginia on the one side, and Ohio on the other. The Ohio extends thence nearly west between Kentucky and Ohio, and thence southwest between Indiana and Illinois on the north, and Kentucky on the south, to its confluence with the Mississippi, hav. ing an extent of navigation of nearly one thousand miles.

The Allegany and Monongahela rivers enter the Ohio in Pennsylvania, the Kanawha from Virginia, the Muskingum, Hocking, Sciota and Miami from Ohio; the Licking. Kentucky, Cumberland and Tennessee from Kentucky, and the White and Wabash from Indiana.

The navigation of the Upper Mississippi commences at St. Paul's, in Minnesota, where the St. Croix and St. Peters enter it, and thence runs south to its confluence with the Ohio for one thousand miles, between Wisconsin and Illinois on the east, and Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri on the west.

The Chippewa, Black and Wisconsin rivers enter the Mississippi from Wisconsin, the Rock and Illinois rivers from Illinois, the Iowa and Des Moines from Iowa, and the Missouri river from Missouri.

The annexed table shows the length of the steamboat navigation on the Ohio and Mississippi above their confluence, and of the tributaries before mentioned. Those of the Ohio, with its tributaries, make an aggregate length of more than three thousand miles, and those of the Mississippi of more than four thousand miles.

The lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi rivers are connected by four great lines of canals. The first extends from Erie, on Lake Erie, south to Beaver, on the Ohio river, a distance of one hundred and thirty-six miles.

The second line extends from Cleveland, on Lake Erie, southwest to Portsmouth on the Ohio, a distance of three hundred and twenty-four miles, with two branches connecting with the first line above mentioned, another branch connecting with the Ohio through the Muskingum river, and another through the Hocking.

The third line extends from Toledo, on Lake Erie, to Cincinnati, and also to Evansville on the Ohio. The distance from Toledo to Cincinnati is two hundred and fiftyene miles, and to Evansville is four hundred and sixty-seven miles.

The fourth line extends from Chicago, on the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, to the head of navigation on the Illinois river, a distance of one hundred miles.

Another canal is in progress, connecting the northern extremity of Lake Michigan with the Mississippi, through the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.

The New York Central and the New York and Erie railroad, through its branches, extend to the falls of Niagara, and there connect with a road across the peninsula of Canada to Detroit, and thence across Michigan to Chicago, and also by a line in progress to Grand Haven on Lake Michigan, opposite Milwaukie in Wisconsin.

From the western termini of the Central and New York and Erie railroads, a line of road extends along the south shore of Lake Erie, through Cleveland and Sandusky to Toledo, and thence across Michigan and Indiana to Chicago,

From both Cleveland and Sandusky roads extend to Cincinnati on the Ohio. From Cleveland a line of roads is in operation through Indianapolis to Terre Haute, on the western line of Indiana.

From Toledo, Terre Haute and Cincinnati, lines of roads are in rapid progress to St. Louis, Alton and Quincy, on the Mississippi, and from Quincy and St. Louis other lines are in progress to the Missouri.

From Chicago, roads are completed to Rock Island and Alton, on the Mississippi, and in progress to Milwaukie and Madison, in Wisconsin, and Galena, Fulton, Quincy and Cairo, on the Mississippi.

From Fulton and Rock Island, roads are in progress, west of the Mississippi to Iowa city.

From Milwaukie a road is completed to Janesville, and in progress to the Mississippi.

The following table furnishes a list of all the roads in operation in this territory, and includes a number of roads, not embraced in the general lines above mentioned:

LENGTH OF STEAMBOAT NAVIGATION ON THE WESTERN RIVERS, AFTER SLIGHT IMPROVE

WESTERN LAKES.

The whole length of the lake coast is 5,000 miles, of which 3,000 is in the United States.

Area sq. Miles Miles

miles.

wide.

long.

....

.......

The extension of the water and ra lroad lines beyond the State of New York, form connected lines of navigation of sixteen hundred miles by Lake, seven thousand miles by Rivers, and sixteen hundred miles by Canals, besides upward of three thousand five hundred miles of connected Railroad lines completed, and as much more in progress.

RAILWAY INVESTMENTS IN NEW ENGLAND.

The following tables, prepared by J. G. Martin, Esq., of Boston, show the transaction during 1853 in the stocks of the principal roads controlled in Boston: