^[)C jTarmcv's iHonttjli) bisitor. 



mS» 



167 



the iiii[)iovement is astonisliing. From tlie 

 growth of the ciicimiber to tlie production of the 

 most delicious of our fruits, the influence of 

 science is fell, and the encourngeinent for further 

 efl^ort, and the certainty of an atiif)le reward, is 

 every where visihle. 



Roots. — Turnip Townsend, as Lord Towns- 

 end, the introducer of the turnip culture ir.to 

 England was sneerinj;ly called hy the fools that 

 vegetated in the precincts of the court, has added 

 by that root alone, it is estimated, not less than 

 sixty millions annually to the value of English 

 agriculture. Tlie introduction of the potato into 

 general use as an article of food, has only equalled 

 the benefit conferred hy the establishment of the 

 field cultiu-e of the turnip. 



Draining Lands. — Thirty years since, occa- 

 sional attempts were made to open drains, but 

 they were without system or skill — were princi- 

 pally confined to the worse swamps, and fre- 

 quently failed to produce the desired effect. — The 

 light which geology lias thrown on the nature of 

 springs, and the effect which chemistry, applied 

 to agriculture, has shown must he the result of 

 stagnant water or wet soils on the cultivated 

 plants, has demonstrated the best method of 

 draining, and its necessity, and rendered fertile 

 millions of acres that were wholly worthless be- 

 fore. Draining is one of the most valuable of 

 modern agricultural improvements. 



Disappearance of the Curculio. — The New 

 England Farmer, encouraging the cultivation of 

 plums and other fruits, says, the curculio has this 

 year in a great measure disappeared, and asks, 

 " to what cause may we attribute its sudden exit ? 

 Was it the severe cold winter which gave them 

 the check ?" The exemption of fruits from the 

 attack of the curculio, has been noticed in this 

 vicinity, and an abundant crop of plums has been 

 obtained. 



To the remark that "cut-worms in corn may 

 be destroyed by continued tillage and a naked 

 and open soil," I beg to say, the cut-worm would 

 not be found in corn, were it not planted in 

 sward or sod land; they are the progeny of a 

 species of beetle or other insect, which could 

 never propagate its kind without the aid of dung, 

 which is found in grass fields that have been ted 

 by horses or cattle, and in this they enclose their 

 egg or eggs, and sink them a given distance be- 

 loiw the surface; hence, an autumnal or winter 

 plowing of such land destroys them, by ex|)Osure 

 to the rains and frosta of that inclement season ; 

 a doctrine which has at last met with the con- 

 currence of every practical man amongst -us; — 

 Boston Cullivator. 



N. Y. State AgricultnTal Societsy. 



Annual Meeting at Albany, in January, 1845. 



The Annual Conveiiiioii of the New York 

 Slate Agricultural' Society, which will continue 

 ill session for several days, about the middle of 

 January, proximo, will be occupied with the ex- 

 amination of many aohJECts highly important to 

 the agricultural community and to citizens gen- 

 erally, and all interested in Agriculture, of what- 

 ever Stale, are invited to attend. 



The niulliplicity of business and the immense 

 crowds at the State Fairs and Cattle Shows, ren- 

 der it jiiipracticable an those occasions, to con- 

 vene the friends of Agriculture as fully as desi- 

 rable for deliberation, discussion and sociability; 

 and it is hoped and believed that tiie January 

 Convention wiJI farnish op|)ortiinities for promo- 

 ling these objects, to the satisfaction of Agricul- 

 turists and friends who may honor the Conven- 

 tion with their presence from this and other 

 Slates. 



Among the business which will employ the 

 time of the State Society at the Annual Meeting, 

 will be an cxaniinarran and decision on the mer- 

 its of the Reports, and Essays, and Books on the 

 various subjects embodied in the following sched- 

 ule — several of the premimns, on iniporlant sub- 

 jects, (as staled when premiums were first offered 

 months ago,) being open to competition from 

 citizens of oilier States, as well as New York — 

 a fact which editors are particularly requested to 

 notice : — 



Premiums Offered, 



To be awarded at the Annual State Agricultural 



Convention, in January, 1845. 

 For the best series of Essays on the Impor- 



tance of Scientific Knowledge in prose- 

 cuting successfully the ordinary pursuits 

 of Agriculture and Horticulture, (copy- 

 right reserved to the author.) f 100 



For the best Text-book on Agriculture and 

 Horticulture, for the use of schools, (copy- 

 right reserved as before,) $100 



For the best Essay on Farm Management, 

 including details connected with the suc- 

 cessfiil management of a farm, a gold med- 

 al worth, $20 



For the best Essay on the Rotation of Crops, 

 adapted to the climate of this State, a gold 

 medal worth 20 



For the best Essay on Subsoil Ploughing, < 

 with results of actual Experiments in the 

 State of New York, a gold medal or 20 



For the best Essay on the Culture and Man- 

 ufacture of Silk, briefly stating results al- 

 ready attained in the U. States, a gold 

 medal worth 20 



For the best Essay on the Cultivation of the 

 apple, for exportation as well as domestic 

 use, a gold medal worth 20 



For the best Essay detailing observations 

 made on the culture and diseases of the 

 potato, with especial reference to the phe- 

 nomena of the extraordinary visitation 

 which has largely desolated the potato 

 crop in the United States, and embracing 

 suggestions for counteracting the ilifficul- 

 ty in the future cultivation of that crop, a 

 gold medal worth 20 



For the best Essay on the means of diffu- 

 sing Scientific Knowledge in connection 

 with Agricultural and Horticultural infor- 

 mation through the instrumentality of the 

 public libraries and schools, witli a cata- 

 logue of books suitable for the purpose, a 

 gold medal worth 20 



For the best managed Farm, considering 

 the land, stock and produce, with details 

 exemplifying accurately the management 

 of said farm, showing the expense and 

 profit of cultivation, a gold medal worth 20 



For the most satisfactory Report of Experi- 

 ments in turning under green crops as 

 manure on not lesss than one acre of land, 10 

 Second best, 2 vols, of the Transactions. 



For the best experiment in the preparation 

 and application of Manures, with details 

 of the expense, and all matters connected 

 therewith, M) 



For the most satisfactory experiment on a 

 stock of cattle, not less than four in num- 

 ber, in ascertaining the relative value of 

 the different kinds of food used, as com- 

 |)ared with hay — with a detailed account 

 of the fodder used, and the expense of 

 raising and fi^eding the same — the experi- 

 ments to be made in three winter months, 

 or whenever salisfiictory experiments can 

 be made, 20 



Second best, 2 vols. Transactions. 

 Third l)est, diploma. 



For the best experiment in flooding and ir- 

 rigating lands, 10 



For the best managed flock of Sheep, inclu- 

 ding particular statemenls of the breed, 

 expense of keeping, increase,, amount of 

 wool and value, a gold medal worth 12 



For a report of the best managed Dairy, with 

 a detailed slatenient of expense, and par- 

 ticulars concerning the management as 

 well as the profits of the said Dairy, a gold 

 medal worth 20 



For the greatest quantity and best quality of 

 Butter produced on any farm, from a giv- 

 en number of cows,iii thirty days the pres- 

 ent yea!', with aparticular statement of the 

 method of making and preserving the 

 same, including a satisfactory account of 

 the manner in which tiie cows have been 

 fed, and the general management of the 

 milk and butter — a silver medal. 



For the best report of experiments in the 

 cultivation of Indian corn, on not less 

 than one acre of ground, a gold medal 

 worth 25 



Second best, a medal worth 15 



Third best, a medal worth 10 



The reports to be made with a view of deter- 

 mining what are the peculiar laws relating to 



that crop, particularly how thick it should be 



planted, how the filants should be distributed on 



the ground, whether in hills, drills, or otherwise; 

 what kind of manure, and- how it should be ap- 

 plied ; the manner of cultivation and tlie kind of 

 corn planted to be particularly stated ; aha, the 

 cost of eacli process, the amount of corn raised 

 by each of the different modes of culture, and 

 the relative |)rofits. 



Forty-four other premiums will be awarded 

 at the Annual Convention in Jonuary, for the 

 most satisfactory reports of experiments on Field 

 Crops. 



Competitors for any of the numerous premi- 

 ums offered, are required to transmit their manu- 

 scripts to the Recording Secretary at Albany, 

 previous to the 1st of January — the awards on 

 which will be declared during the session of the 

 Annual Convention. 



Editors of newspapers are requested to proj 

 mote th« cause of Agricultural improvement by 

 inserting the foregoing list of premiums, with 

 the notice of the approaching Annual Conven- 

 tion. 



In behalf of the Executive Committee, 



HENRY O'REILLY, Rec. See. 



Messrs. Downing of Newburg, says the Al- 

 bany Cultivator, practice a new mode of pruning, 

 peach trees ; at least, it is new to us. It is cut- 

 ing off half to two-thirds of the new wood of the- 

 limbs, every autumn. The advantages are, that 

 the wood hardens better — the soft and tender 

 twigs, not sufficiently matured to stand the win- 

 ter, and which are besides most likely to be in- 

 ji>red by the aphis or other insects, are taken 

 away, by which the sap and woodi of the re- 

 mainder, are rendered more sound and healthy. 

 The number of fruit buds for the succeeding 

 year are increased, and there are plenty of leaves, 

 by which the sap is more perfectly elaborated 

 and the fruit much larger and higher flavored. 



Iraportations of American Cheese*- 



At the commercial dinner of the South Derby- 

 shire Agricultural Association, which took place 

 last Saturday, Mr. Colville, M. P., was at consid- 

 erable pains to convince the dairy farmers of that 

 county, that their fears of being ruined by the 

 large importations of American Cheese which' 

 have lately taken place, were altogether unfound- 

 ed. " With the view of relieving the minds of 

 the farmers-in the cheese districts, he had search- 

 ed, with great care and labor, through the parlia- 

 mentary returns for the last twelve years," and 

 had arrived at the conclusion, that "although the 

 importation of American cheese was greatly in- 

 creased, it had driven the Dutch cheese out of 

 the market, so that the aggregate importation was 

 less now than it had been several years ago." 

 The Morning Post, however, warns the farmers 

 of England not to place the slightest reliance on 

 any sueli statements as those of the honoratilc 

 member for South Derbyshire. "American 

 cheese," says the Post, " has already driven Dutch 

 cheese out of our markets! how, then, may the 

 cheese makers of England — the manufactureri 

 of a dearer article — hope to maintain a competi- 

 tion with rivals so formidable ?" As for the 

 statement, that the aggregate importation of for- 

 eign cheese has lessened of late years, no infer- 

 ence, w-e are to'd, can be drawn from it, with re- 

 gard' to our future importations of dairy produce ; 

 indeed,. the Post can see no reason why, in two 

 years from this time, the quantity of cheese im- 

 ported from America may not be increased one 

 hundred fold. 



The Standard endeavors to show that the com- 

 plaints of the Morning Post are exceeoingly un- 

 reasonable, seeing that " the inlro<Iuction of 

 American cheese into this country has benefitted 

 the poorer classes, without diminishing in the 

 slightest degree the [irofits of the British farmer." 

 "The farmer," we are told, "is not insensible to 

 the comforts of his laborers; and, if so, he caii- 

 not fail to have discovered how vastly superior is 

 the quality of American cheese to the trash it 

 has siipersecled." If the farmers were truly 

 '•sensible to the comforts of their laborers," we 

 think they would call upon Sir Robert Peel to 

 abolish the duty of 10s. 6d. per cwt. which is 

 charged upon all American cheese imported into 

 Great Britain, seeing that It is of " a vastly su- 

 perior quality to the trash it has superseded." — 

 Liverpool JVews Letter 



EnOLtSH AORICULTURAI, LiBORKRS. — Th« 



