102 



French Agriculture, 6fC. — Editorial Notices. 



Vol. X. 



over a recent book of Travels in Ireland, I 

 found the author's impressions correspond 

 with my ovvii. Tradition says that a colony of 

 Milesians formerly settled in this part of the 

 country, and that the remains of this race, 

 or the offspring of the intermixture of them 

 with the native tribes, present these results. 

 This is a remarkable fact, and not without 

 its bearing upon one great branch of agri- 

 cultural improvement. — Coleman's Agricul- 

 tural Tour, No. 4. 



French Agriculture. — The French com- 

 mission on irrigation states the following facts 

 as to the present condition of several branches 

 of agriculture in France. 1st. The supply of 

 cattle is so deficient that animals and animal 

 food of the value of ninety-four millions of 

 francs are imported yearly. 2nd. Fifteen 

 thousand foreign horses are required every 

 year to supply the demand for horses for war 

 and industry. 3rd. The ploughed land in 

 France is to the grass land as six and a half 

 to one, whilst in most of the neighbouring 

 countries it is only as three to one, and in 

 England and Holland two to one; and 4th, 

 there are means of forming not less than 

 two millions of hectares of artificial irri 

 gated meadows in France, which would 

 produce a revenue of about eight millions 

 sterling. — New Farmers' Journal. 



THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



AND 



Philadelphia, Tenth Month, 1845. 



The continued abstract on Manures from Von Thaer, 

 furnished by Dr. Elwyn, and which we give tliis month, 

 will be found to contain a number ofvery valuable hints 

 to our practical farmers. " It is too much to ask from 

 nature, that she should be kind to the improvident." 

 Why not preserve what we have at our hand? — why 

 submit to the necessity and inconvenience of going 

 many miles to our cities to purchase so much of for- 

 eign manures, when from the cow-yards of many 

 farmers, hogsheads and hogsheads of the very essence 

 of those yards, are suffered to run into ditches and ra- 

 vines, where they are totally lost! It is strange that 

 we should so willingly, and yet so inconveniently, go 

 many miles to buy that, of which we suffer so much 

 to run to waste at our elbow. 



The Potatoe Rot, which for two or three 

 years has been so destructive in the middle 

 States, and last year in Massachusetts, and 

 to some extent in New Hampshire and Maine 

 appears to spread this year over all New 

 England, Nova Scotia and New Bnmswick. 

 Some few locations may escape with little 

 damage, but the destruction is very widely 

 spread. In Somerset and Franklin, thou- 

 sands of acres have been planted in potatoes 

 for the starch factories. — Kennebec Journal 



Boiled Corn. — A writer in the Indiana 

 Farmer says, the way to prepare corn for 

 the table, is not to put it into a pot and boil 

 it for an hour, or rather until it is good for 

 nothing, but simply to put on your water, 

 and when it boils, put in your corn with a 

 little salt — cover it up tight, and let it boil 

 five minutes, or until the cob is heated 

 through; then the corn is done, and you 

 have all the sweet and nutritious qualities 

 without any of its injurious effects. 



The British government has appointed 

 Professors Farrady and Playfair, says the 

 Rail-way Express, to ascertain hovv far it is 

 possible to consume the smoke from steam 

 engine chimneys. 



The leading article from J. G., on the great Cattle 

 Show, &c., at Utica, will, we are aware, speak for 

 itself, as it will be read with lively interest by every 

 one who takes up the Cabinet; yet we cannot refrain 

 from saying, that the energy and enthusiasm which 

 run through it, deserve to be more broadly diffused 

 among us. They are delightful, and should help to 

 rouse us up to the more complete developement of our 

 own great resources. 



THE AMERICAN SHEPHERD : being a IRstory of 

 the Sheep, with their Breeds, Management and Diseases, 

 illustrated with portraits of different breeds, sheep-barns, 

 sheds, ifC. With an Jlpnendiz embracing upwards of 

 twenty letters from eminent woolgrowers and sheep-fat- 

 teners of different States, detailing their respective modes 

 of management : by L. A. Morrell, of Lake Ridge, JVeio 

 York. 



This work has been recently published by Harper & 

 Brothers, New York, and placed on our table by Grigg 

 & Elliott of this city. Its title conveys a just idea of 

 its contents, and from the hasty glance we have given 

 it, and the knowledge we have of the writer, we have 

 no doubt it will prove a valuable auxiliary to those 

 engaged in the business of sheep husbandry. The au- 

 thor states he has been a practical manager of sheep 

 for many years, and is enthusiastically attached to the 

 vocation. His affection for this domestic animal is 

 greater than for any other, and he has studied its in- 

 stincts and habits at all seasons, and under all circum- 

 stances, as well as shared with his labourers in every 

 department of its managetnent. What is offered there- 

 fore, is the result of the experience of a practical man. 



The late Annual Exhibition of our Horticultural 

 Society was as usual made attractive by the great va- 

 riety of plants, vegetables and fJowers of every de- 

 scription, that could please the eye of the common ob- 

 server, or gratify the taste of the thoroughly instructed 

 amateur. The arrangement of the articles throughout 

 the magnificent rooms of the Museum building, were 

 judiciously made, and during the three days, upwards 

 of 15,000 persons witnessed the grand display. 



