No. 7. Sagacity of an Ox. — PhiV a Ag. Society. — Pear Trees. 



!15 



is just enough here shown to prove what 

 the capabilities of America would be were 

 the market always open to her produce. — 

 BickncWs Reparter. 



' For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Sagacity of an Ox. 



Capt. Fremont, in the Report of his Ex- 

 pedition to the Rocky Mountains, gives the 

 following: 



"Ten or twelve buffalo bulls were seen 

 during the afternoon, and we were surprised 

 by the appearance of a large red ox. We 

 gathered around him as if he had been an 

 old acquaintance, with all our domestic feel- 

 ings as much awakened as if we had come 

 in sight of an old farm-house. He had pro- 

 bably made his escape from some party of 

 emigrants on Green river; and with a vivid 

 remembrance of some old green field, he was 

 pursuing the straightest course for the fron- 

 tier that the country admitted. We carried 

 him along with us as a prize; and when it 

 was found in the morning that he had wan- 

 dered oftj I would not let him be pursued; 

 for I would rather have gone through a 

 starving time of three entire days, than let 

 him be killed, after he had successfully run 

 the gauntlet so far among the Indians. I 

 have been told by Mr. Bent's people of an 

 ox born and raised at St. Vrain's fort, which 

 made his escape from them at Elm grove, 

 near the frontier, having come in that year 

 with the wagons. They were on their way 

 out, and saw occasionally places where he 

 had eaten and lain down to rest ; but did not 

 see him for about 700 miles, when they over- 

 took him on the road travelling along to the 

 fort, having unaccountably escaped Indians 

 and every other mischance." 



Both of these examples show how rapidly 

 instinct and natural sagacity make their ap- 

 pearance, when an animal is removed from 

 the dominion of man. Any one who has 

 seen much of animals, will have observed 

 this in dogs and horses. The above are the 

 two most remarkable examples of this im- 

 provement of the faculties in an ox that we 

 remember. The first ox must have been 

 two months' distance from the frontier, six 

 or seven hundred miles, probably. E. 



The Potato Disease. — At the meeting 

 of the Mansion-house Committee, in Dublin, 

 about 200 letters were read. In several it 

 was stated that the disease was checked, 

 while in far the greater number the writers 

 stated that they not only saw no reason to 

 change their former opinions, but also added 

 their further experience as to the progress 

 of the disease. 



Aleeting of the Philadelphia Agricultural 

 Society. 



A STATED meeting of the Philadelphia 

 Society for promoting Agriculture, was held 

 on the 4th inst.,— Dr. Mease, President, in 

 the chair. 



William I. Leiper and Bethel Moore, were 

 elected members. 



The President exhibited some small piece.s 

 of silk fabric, of various colours, manufac- 

 tured in Chester county, during the revolu- 

 tionary war. It was reeled on a common 

 reel, and wove on the common loom. Con- 

 sidering the time and mode of manufacture, 

 the samples were beautiful. 



Mr. James Gowen produced samples of 

 winter and spring wheat, grown by him ; the 

 quality of both were excellent. 



The following named gentlemen were ap- 

 pointed a committee on publications, viz. ; 

 A. L. Elwyn, M. D., Rev. A. Moore, and 

 Mr. Kennedy. 



A letter was received from T. J. Corbyn, 

 veterinary surgeon, which was read and or- 

 dered to be published. 



From the minutes. 



Aaron Clement, Rec. Sec. 



Feb. 5, 1846. 



To Improve Pear Trees. 



At a meeting of the Philadelphia Society 

 for promoting Agriculture, held on the 7th 

 ult., Samuel C. Ford made the following 

 statement as to his method of improving the 

 fruit of the pear tree. He said : From ex- 

 perience, I can state the advantage to be de- 

 rived from the application of iron to the roots 

 of pear trees. It is known to all naturalists 

 that iron enters largely as a component part 

 into the fruit of the pear tree ; and as many 

 of our choicest varieties have very much de- 

 teriorated, I feel it a duty to state that my 

 fruit has been much improved, and some that 

 were almost worthless, restored by the fol- 

 lowing application : — During the winter, 

 when the frost will admit, I have my trees 

 dug round to the distance of three feet, baring 

 the upper roots, and then have applied a bu- 

 shel or more of cinders from a blacksmith's 

 shop — old iron would be better. This oxy- 

 dizes by the rains of the season, and is taken 

 up in the sap as it ascends in the spring. 

 This is a simple experiment, and one that 

 will be highly prized by all the lovers of 

 fine fruits. 



Extract from the minutes. 



Aaron Clement, Rec. Sec. 



riiilad.. Feb. 2, 1846. 



Sciences are locks, and inquiry the key 

 to them. 



