518 



<,'!itfs, turned in at, Lars, ciusweil soft gullies, Avcrit up sliai)) hillocks, mossod at a t5bar[> 

 t'levatiou tho, railroad-track, aud down again oq tlie other side, aud, making a short 

 Turn, brought us back through a field of fifty acres, which had been plowed with it, to 

 the place of departure. This plowing was beautifully done, and we were informed at 

 an average depth of 9 inches, njuch of it being 12 inches. No more accJurate or level 

 furrows,,as it appeared to us, could be made by any plowman with a well-trained team 

 of horses. 



After being nuconpled from the wagons it was attached for a trial of plowing to tho 

 Williamson gang-plow, consisting of five secured to one frame. * . « * 



( >n the way to the field the plows followed the steamer as erected as a two-wheeled 

 cart. Not a moment was lost in getting to work. The field selected was an old tough 

 sod with a steep grade in the center. Tho tripping of a lever by the fireman, which 

 lie perfoiiiied from his station at tho boiler, let the jjIows into the ground, and av/ay 

 lolled the steamer cm straight as an arrow, with the tough sod-furrows rolling over 

 behind like so many wav^s. The woik seemed perfect, each furrow beiug mechani- 

 cally correct aud alike in width aud depth. At the ascent of the grade in the middle 

 of the field, no diminished speed was observable, the power seeming so arbitrary and 

 irresistible that no ordinary field obstructions could have resisted its continuous pro- 

 gress. Ariived at the end of the field, the fireman pulled another lope, and out shot 

 each one of the plows, the steamer spun around on one wheel, ran across the headland, 

 aud turning into a new land, was instantly at work on the " turn-bout." There was 

 no hitch, no slipping or b.'^cking, but a simple, silent triumph of good, sensible engi- 

 neering. We are thus j>articular in describing exactly Avhat we saw and was witnessed 

 with surprise and pleasure by the whole company, because it danonslrated that the expe- 

 riment of steam on the farm and on the road was successful in every point. 



Meteorology in agriculture. — The powers of tlie Sioual-Office 

 have been enlarged by tlie act of Congress of June 10, 1872, and extended 

 to the more immediate interests of agrictdture. Appropriation is made 

 by that act for the expenses of storm-signals, by'telegraph, announcing 

 tlie probable approach and force of storms throughout the United 

 States, for the benefit of agriculture as well as of commerce. To aid in 

 the accomplishment of the object, the Chief Signal-Officer has issued a 

 circular to agricultural and horticultural, societies, inviting any sugges- 

 tions or recommendations to perfect the system now established, and to 

 render it more directly useful to the agricultural interests, and suggesting 

 thatthebest mode in which such societies can co-operate with the Signal- 

 Oitice in the matter is by the appointment of permanent committees to 

 confer occasionally with the Chief Signal-Oftieer, and to take, in conjunc- 

 tion with him, such steps as may be deemed desirable. A large number 

 of societies have already responded to the request of the Signal Officer, 

 and appointed the committees as proposed. It is not to be understood 

 that these committees are to take meteorological observations or make 

 reports for the signal-service, the only object being to obtain their prac- 

 tical co-operation through correspondence and conference. 



Destruction of cotton ry flood. — Our correspondent in Mobile 

 County, Alabania, reports that a recent Hood has been very destructive 

 to cotton, the principal agricultural product of that county. Is is esti- 

 ]uated that it destroyed from ,jOO,000 to 000,000 bales, which would oth- 

 erwise have been shipped from Mobile. The falling off thus occasioned 

 is so great as to somewhat cripple tlie commerce of that port. 



Agriculture in Ala3ieda County, California. — This is a small 

 county lying east of San Francisco Bay, and having a popidation of about 

 ;>j,000, with 0,474 registered voters. The present assessed value of its 

 real estate is $27,480,940 ; of its improvements, $5,498,020 ; of its per- 

 sonal property, $0,748,005. In 1871 it had of land inclosed 94,790 

 acres ; cultivated, 124,540 acres ; upon which were produced, bushels of 

 wheat, 429,443 ; barley, 204,580 ; oats, 29,947 ; rye, 300 ; corn, 23,485 ; 

 buckwheat, 789 ; peas, 2,925 ; beans, 3,110; onions, 30,400; tons of po- 

 tatoes, 9,022 ; beets, 870 ; turnips, 115 ; pumpkins and squashes, 594 ; 

 hav, 8,875; pounds of iiax, 13,500; hops, 0,500; wool, 247,840 ; butter. 



