“ Transportation within the State is also much helped by the improvement of country roads, in which enterprise the State aids the communities.
The ports of entry are Hartford, Fairfield, New Haven, Stonington, and New London. There is a brisk coastwise trade, particularly with the port of New York, most of the foreign trade of the State passing through that city. Although there are no exports to foreign countries direct from Connecticut, there were foreign imports in 1900 amounting to about $1,800,000, two-thirds of which entered by the port of Hartford. ”

“ In this hill country, the streams flow in most cases in narrow valleys. East of this region is the broad valley of the Connecticut, with an altitude of less than 100 feet at the north boundary of the State, and less than 500 feet over a breadth of 25 miles. The river leaves this depression at Middletown, the depression continuing southwestward to the coast at New Haven, while the river flows southeastward through a hill country to its mouth at Saybrook. The eastern part of the State is hilly, with altitudes exceeding 1000 feet near the northern boundary, and diminishing in height southward. ”

“ The three main rivers receive the drainage of a comparatively small portion of this coast area. The small streams are in few cases more than 25 miles in length in a direct course, except the Quinnipiac, which enters New Haven Harbor, and which has its source well within the Connecticut depression. The Connecticut water-courses have in general deeply cut their path through the highlands, so that on the main streams the fall is less than might be expected from the neighboring elevations. The smaller streams, however, and the larger ones in their upper courses, furnish an enormous water-power. ”

“ Hartford is the capital. The State has five representatives in the Lower House of Congress.
Education. Connecticut has always been one of the leading States in educational matters. From the earliest colonial period primary education was provided for at the public expense, and the establishment of Yale University in 1701 afforded opportunities for higher instruction. For more than a decade before 1901 the school term exceeded 180 days, although the average for the whole country is only 134 days. Almost five-sixths of the school population attend the public schools, and in 1900, 94 per cent. ”

“ Legislature.—General elections for State officers and the General Assembly are biennial, in even years, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The General Assembly consists of 24 Senators, elected from districts of contiguous territory, no town being divided or part of a county attached to any other county, and 252 Representatives, elected from the towns, each town being permitted one or two members, according as its population is below or above 5000. ”

“ Vegetables rank next to tobacco in value of product. The influence of the large city population of the State on agriculture has been to increase the interest in dairying and vegetable and fruit raising, for which purposes the land is well adapted. The dairy cows number about 127,000, and the dairy product for 1899 exceeded in value $7,000,000. The production of milk increased over 30 per cent. during the decade, but this gain was somewhat offset by a decrease in the manufacture of butter and cheese. ”

“ With the exception of dairy cows, horses are the only kind of farm stock showing an actual increase during the last half-century; swine, sheep, and meat cattle have greatly decreased. Of the total land surface of the State, 74.6 per cent. is included in its farms, and of this but 40 per cent. is improved. While the farm area has remained about constant for a number of decades, the percentage of improved land has greatly decreased, particularly during the last decade. ”

“ For several decades the large emigration of the male population to the West resulted in an excess of females within the State; but the 1900 census shows that the sexes are almost equal in number.
Being of a manufacturing State, the population shows a strong tendency to congregate in the cities. In 1900, 53 per cent. of the population was in cities of over 8000 population. According to the census of 1900, New Haven had 108,027 inhabitants; Hartford, 79,850 ”

“ The sale of liquor is regulated by each town in accordance with local-option laws. The registration of voters is required in this State. Women may vote in an election for school officers. The legal rate of interest is 6 per cent. ”

“ Militia.—There is a total organized militia of 2774 men—infantry 2589, artillery 128—organized into one brigade and four regiments. There are 207,600 men of military age, of whom 106,500 are liable to military duty. ”