Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 6.djvu/316

Rh 286 CONNECTICUT is chiefly Eozoic, excepting the Triassic Sandstone and post- Tertiary terraces of the Connecticut River valley. There are several well-defined ranges of hills. Of these the Housatonic Hills are the most westerly, and extend along that river to the coast. The Green Mountain range, run ning S. from Vermont, terminates near New Haven. The Blue Hills of Southington the highest in the State are a part of the Mount Tom range of Massachusetts, and lie be tween the Green Mountain range and the Connecticut River. On the E. side of the river is a fourth range which the river crosses at Chatham. While the hills run N. and S., it is noticeable that the three main rivers bend (and on about the same parallel) to the S.E. The ridges and dikes of trap are exceedingly numerous through the centre of t he State, having been forced up through the red sandstone which is found underlying and on the borders of the trap. These ridges have abrupt columnar W. fronts and gentle E. slopes. The mineral wealth of the State is considerable. Copper is found in the Simsbury mines at Granby, and at Bristol ; but these mines have lost their former importance since the working of the abundant and purer ores of Lake Superior. Iron ore is found in great quantities in Salis bury, Kent, Sharon, Cornwall, and Canaan, and has been worked for 125 years. Limestone and marble of the very best quality are found at Canaan, Washington, and Milford. At Portland and Cromwell, on both sides of the Connecticut River, are the well-known immense quarries of freestone largely in demand for building. The excellent slate flagging from Bolton and Haddam is abundant in supply, and in great demand. Granite, gneiss, hydraulic lime, tiling slate, clay (fire, potters, and porcelain), and sulphate of bary tes are found in great quantities. There were twenty extensive quarries and mines in the State in 1870. There are over 100 miles of deeply indented coast on the Sound (which measures 140 miles by 24 miles), affording excellent harbours. The chief of these are Stonington, New London, Saybrook, New Haven, Bridgeport, and Fairfield. The harbour at New London is one of the best in the country, capacious, and never frozen over. The climate of the State, whila very changeable, is very health ful, the mortality being below the average of the other States. There is scarcely any spring season, but summer opens abruptly about May 3, and the cold weather begins in November. The winters, with their keen N.W. winds, are severe, but the serenity of the sky and dryness of the air make some compensation. The mean temperature for the year is 48 Fahr. Consumption is tho most fatal disease, causing 1 6 per cent, of all the deaths. The vege tation is rich and varied. The most abundant trees are chestnut, walnut, birch, oak, elm, maple, beech, and ash. The forests have been recklessly cut away, and only patches of woodland remain ; but the people are waking up to the importance of tree-planting. As for zoology, songbirds of all sorts are plentiful, and the grouse and woodcock are increasing under the game laws, after having been nearly killed out. The Sound abounds in the best qualities of fish and shell-fish, while the freshwater varieties of the former are found in great quantities in the rivers and ponds, Aside from these there are few animals of importance save tho domestio ones. Population. Divisions. The State is divided into 8 counties : Hartford, New Haven, New London, Fairfield (all incorporated in 1666), Windham (1726), Litchfield, (1751), Middlesex, and Tolland (1785). New London, Middlesex, New Haven, and Fairfield occupy the lower half of the State, bordering on the Sound; the others occupy the other half, adjoining Massachusetts. The number of towns in 1876 was 167; and there were ten cities : Hart ford, the capital (population in 1870, 37,180), New Haven (50,840), Bridgeport (18,969), Norwich (16,653), Water- bury (10,826), Middletown (6923), Meriden (10,521), New London (9576), New Britain (9480), and South Norwalk. There were also 17 boroughs largely engaged in industry, of which the chief are Birmingham, Danbury, Danielsonville, Fairfield, Stamford, Stonington, Willimantic, and Winsted. The population of the State in 1679 was 12,535; in 1774 it had risen to 197,856 ; and from 1790 it was as follows (the last column showing its ulace among the other States as regards population) : White. Free Coloured. Slave. Total. Rank 1790 232,374 2808 2764 237,946 8 1800 244,721 5330 951 251,002 8 1810 255,179 6453 310 261,942 9 1820 267,181 7870 97 275,148 14 1830 289,603 8047 25 297,675 16 1840 301,856 8105 17 309,978 20 1850 363,099 7693 none 370,792 21 1860 451,504 8627 ?&amp;gt; 460,147 24 1870 527,549 9668 537,454 25 In 1870 there vere about 7000 more females than males. About one-fifth of the population were foreign born, chiefly Irish, German, English, French, Canadian, and Scotch. It is the third State in the density of its population (11 3*15 to the square mile), Massachusetts (186) and Rhode Island (208) exceeding it, while New York follows next (87). In 1875 the births were 14,328 (141 illegitimate); marriages, 4385 (below the average for the last 1 1 years) ; deaths, 9833 (25 per cent, from diseases of the respiratory organs) ; divorces, 476 (one for every 9 21 marriages solemnized; the average for 12 years is 455). The laws regarding divorce are very lax. Industry and Finances. Of the total population over ten years of age in 1870 (425,896), there were engaged in all occupations, 193,421; chiefly classed as in agrisulture, 43,653; in professional and personal service, 38,704; in trade, 24,720 ; and in manufactures, 86,344. There isj very little soil that can be called good, except in the river valleys, and agriculture is as backward as in other parts of New England. The hills through the State furnish excellent pasturage and cheap fuel. The chief cultivated fruits are apples, pears, grapes, and the numerous kinds of berries. The principal crops are hay, oats, rye, corn, potatoes, and tobacco ; and in the Connecticut River valley (extending, in this State, 30 miles N. of Middletown, and 20 miles wide) farming is very productive. The tobacco raised in the valley is said to be superior to any other. In the up lands dairy products and cattle raising are the chief re sources of the farmer. There were in 1870, 25,508 farms, having 1,646,752 acres of improved land, and 717,664 acres unimproved, of which 577,333 were woodland. The value of these farms was 124,241,382. Though the number of farms has increased since 1850 and 1860, yet the acreage devoted to them has decreased, as has also the cultivated farm land in proportion to the uncultivated. The farms are passing into the hands of the Irish and Germans, who do their own work and live with few comforts. Piscicul ture is receiving much attention, commissioners having been appointed in 1866, who have well stocked the ponds and rivers. Black-bass, trout, and shad have been very success fully cultivated, and it is hoped as much can be done with salmon. Notwithstanding the extensive sea coast and fine harbours, the foreign commerce is not heavy, the coast trade and fisheries being more important. There are in the State five custom districts, of which the ports of entry are Fairfield, Middletown, New Haven, New London, and Stonington. The imports from foreign countries and domestic exports for the year ending June 30, 1875, were as fallows :