No. 3. 



Trip to Rochester — Neio York Cattle Show. 



95 



spreading a layer of muck eight inches 

 thick; on the muck four inches of ashes; 

 then anotiier layer of muck, and so on for 

 five layers, making a pile five feet high, in 

 the form of a ridge. This lies through the 

 winter, is opened and mixed in the spring, 

 and the next fall is spread on the land. The 

 compost for ploughed lands is made of two- 

 thirds muck and one-third manure. Fresh 

 manure, or that which has not fermented, is 

 always used, and care is taken not to put in 

 so much muck as to prevent the compost's 

 heating. The fermentation of the manure 

 decomposes the muck rapidly, and when this 

 is done, the compost is fit for the land. Horse 

 manure or unslacked lime, accelerates the 

 fermentation — colder manure retards it. It 

 is t'le opinion of Mr. Gushing and his gar- 

 dener, tliat muck tor mixing with cow dung, 

 or for putting in hog styes, should be dug 

 from the swamp six months before using, as 

 the action of the atmosphere facilitates the 

 change necessary. Muck, without this pre- 

 paratory fermentation, they consider of little 

 importance as a manure. 



[to be continued.] 



For tlie Farmers' Cabinet. 



Trip to Rochester—New York Cattle 

 Show. 



To THE Editor, — Having made a rapid 

 tour through a portion of New York and 

 our own State, I have thrown together a 

 few hasty notes, which are at your service. 



In company with two of my brother farm- 

 ers, we passed over the usual route to the 

 city of New York by the night line, and of 

 course could observe but little on our way. 

 We, however, enjoyed a scene that no pen 

 can describe, nor artist's pencil adorn. In 

 one of the expansive curves of the beautifi.d 

 Delaware, we had a view of the setting sun, 

 that could not be surpassed by an Italian 

 landscape in brilliancy and variety of colour- 

 ing, softness of tints, and richness of shading, 

 as displayed on the limpid stream, — tlie bold 

 outline of trees and shrubbery, and the golden 

 brilliancy of the Western sky. 



New York city has many things to boast 

 of, and her steamboats amongst the number, 

 — the mightiest of which, is the " Empire," 

 about one-sixteenth of a mile in length. In 

 this majestic boat, we scudded rapidly over the 

 surface of the noble Hudson, reaching Troy, 

 156 miles by night-fall, and a cost of only 

 two dollars and a half, including two meals. 

 Here we were transferred to cars, prepara- 

 tory to a 300 miles ride, to their Western 

 commercial, and manufacturing emporium, 

 Rochester. The morning dawned on us 



soon after leaving Utica, and gave us for 

 some 200 miles, an opportunity of seeing 

 the country through which we rode. From 

 Utica, west, the settlements are compara- 

 tively new, and the rail-road does not inter- 

 sect the most improved portions, yet the 

 population is tolerably dense, and increasing 

 with rapidity. Nearly the whole line of 

 this road across the State, is through a 

 highly fertile soil, that has only begun to 

 unfold its rich treasures to man. 



When we reached Rochester, the great 

 gathering had commenced. The farmers 

 with their fine animals and rich productions, 

 were pouring into the Fair, from every point 

 of the compass, and not less than 20,000 

 people visited the show; and a show it 

 really was, for a country, which thirty years 

 ago, was a wilderness — the home of the In- 

 dian. Tlie man was present, who sowed 

 the first bushel of wheat in the county 

 tlmt has made one of the largest, and best 

 agricultural displays yet witnessed by Ame- 

 rican farmers ! There was a large collec- 

 tion of Durham cattle, of pure, and three- 

 quarter blood — the cross, in most cases, being 

 with the Devon, and without any apparent 

 deterioration, wliile it increases tlie fineness 

 of the animal. The quality of the Durhams, 

 though not quite equal to that of our older 

 settlements, was by no means discreditable. 

 There was a goodly number of the Red 

 Devons, native and imported blood, which 

 showed to advantage, and are in many re- 

 spects, a valuable race of animals ; but the 

 Society has done them injustice, by bring- 

 ing the Short-horns into comparison with 

 them. The qualities and character of the 

 two breeds, are quite distinct and different. 

 There was a good collection of fat cattle — 

 large and handsome bullocks, and also a 

 great many 3'oke of beautiful oxen. In a 

 word, the horned cattle were numerous, and 

 showed well, the average, we think, being 

 fiilly equal to the Albany display, last year. 

 The sheep were of fine quality, but not so 

 many of them on the ground as we had an- 

 ticipated. Of the swinish family, the col- 

 lection was not large, but the company re- 

 markably select. In fact, the light they 

 now shed on man, is reflected hack on the 

 corn-loving race, to their great edification 

 and improvement. 



This district being celebrated for horses, 

 we had anticipated a fine display, and were 

 not disappointed. Many of them were noble 

 animals, but chiefly of the road and field 

 horse, and not the high blooded racer. They 

 were such as the farmer requires, whether 

 for service or pleasure; but an occasional 

 cross with the full blooded horse, we would 

 suggest, as requisite to prevent deteriora- 



