382 Convention of Breeders. — West India corn and oranges. Vol. VII. 



Convention of Breeders. 



(circular.) 



Albany, June, 1843. 



The State Agricultural Society of New- 

 York, desirous that some fixed principles 

 should be established as the basis of excel- 

 lence in the various descriptions of farm- 

 stock, without reference to their relative 

 merits as breeds, have appointed the under- 

 signed a committee, with instructions to call 

 the particular attention of breeders through- 

 out the States, to the importance of the sub- 

 ject, and to make the necessary arrange- 

 ments for a Convention to be held at the 

 Library room of the American Institute, in 

 the city of ( New York, during its sixteenth 

 annual Fair, in the month of October next, 

 the day to be hereafter noticed ; at which 

 breeders of stock and those interested in 

 agriculture, are most respectfully urged to 

 give their attendance, with a view to a full 

 and free discussion of those forms, qualities 

 and properties, which most conduce to in- 

 trinsic value; and also that the distinctive 

 characteristics of each separate breed, may 

 be as closely defined as possible. 



The Society believe that the decision of 

 such a meeting will offer to the agricultu- 

 rist the best information that can, at present, 

 be elicited ; and which, they trust, may be 

 so satisfactory to the mind of every intelli- 

 gent breeder, as to lead to greater uniform- 

 ity of action and opinion, and possibly be- 

 come a standard with them, by which to 

 judge and be judged, in all cases of compe- 

 tition. 



With these views of the subject, the com- 

 mittee hope you may deem it of sufficient 

 importance to be present at the proposed 

 Convention, and lend to its discussion the 

 aid of your experience and talents. 



The committee will be obliged by any 

 suggestions, in the interim, you may consi- 

 der of sufficient importance to be communi- 

 cated to them in relation to this subject. 

 Francis Rotcii, 

 E. P. Prentice, 

 C. N. Bement, 

 Georce Vail, 

 Lewis F. Allen. 



O^P Editors of the several Agricultural 

 papers in the United States, are requested 

 to publish or notice the above. 



Mr Botts, of Newburg, obtained a pre- 

 mium for corn, the yield being 205£ bushels 

 of ears per acre. The land was ploughed 

 in February, and the second week in May, 

 it received 15 wagon loads of manure and 

 two bushels of salt per acre. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 West India Corn and Oranges. 



To the Editors, — I notice in your num- 

 ber for the present month, an extract from 

 the Farmer's Encyclopedia, in which the 

 writer, in speaking of Indian corn, states 

 that " in the West Indies, it rises 30 feet in 

 height; but with all that gigantic size, it 

 produces only a few grains on the bottom of 

 a spongy cob, and is counted on only as 

 rough provender." I am surprised to see 

 such a statement in a work of so much re- 

 spectability, for it is at variance with the 

 truth, and calculated to mislead many of 

 your numerous readers. I resided in the 

 British West Indies for upwards of 30 years, 

 and state, without the fear of contradiction, 

 that in those islands they generally raise 

 good crops of corn. Its height is rather 

 under that grown here, and the grain some- 

 thing smaller than our best 8 and 10 round 

 yellow — but weighs heavy. The returns 

 per acre, certainly fall short of what they 

 are in the States, on good soil well manured 

 and carefully cultivated, but I have raised 

 25 bushels per acre, from land which had 

 never been manured, and that with less care 

 than is usually bestowed on it here. The 

 same writer also states, that in the West 

 Indies, "the pulp of the orange is spongy, 

 badly filled with juice, and has too much of 

 a forced flavour to be pleasant." lam free 

 to admit, that there are in that section of 

 the world, oranges which correspond with 

 this description; but at the same time I 

 must remark, that there is also abundance 

 of oranges equal to the best produced in 

 any part of the world. J. T. 



Hamilton Township, N. J.. 

 June 20th, 1843. 



THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



AND 



AMERICAN HERD-BOOK. 



Philadelphia, Seventh Month, 1843. 



"Gardening for Ladies; and Companion for the 

 Flower Garden, by Mrs. Loudon. First American, from 

 the third London edition. Edited by A. J. Downing," 

 well known as the author of a Treaties on Landscape 

 Gardening, Cottage Residences, &c. 



We owe thanks to J. W. Moore, Bookseller, 23 Mi- 

 nor street, who has placed the above work upon our 

 table. It is one, which lias been long wanted. The 

 simplicity and clearness, with which the author ex- 

 plains every branch of her subject, from the rough 

 handling of the spade, to the more delicate operations 

 of the budding knife, attract at once, and deli; lit the 

 novice and the amateur, who have had but little prac- 

 tical experience. Clear and explicit, and withal very 



