142 



&l)e JTavmcr's Jttontljlj) btsttor. 



some antecedent periods a long time at various 

 levels. To the tops of our high mountains the 

 action of water upon the rocks appears. Grad- 

 ually at all times have these waters heen seeking 

 deeper channels. The breaking through rocks 

 at the various Falls of rivers presents phenomena 

 well worthy the attention of the philosopher; 

 there is yet nothing written by scientific men so 

 plain to be read on this subject as a view of the 

 artificial creations of the waters themselves along 

 and near the banks of rivers and lakes and even 

 high up our mountains. Niagara falls have, evi- 

 dently been once flowed out by a higher level 

 of the waters now far below them: can the phi- 

 losophers of our country explain this ?] 



South-Down Sheep. — At the late letting of 

 Mr. Jonas Webb's South Down rams, Cam- 

 bridgeshire, England, 67 were let an average 

 price of £23 10s. (SI 17.50) per head, for the sea- 

 son. One lot for £79 ($395) and three yearlings 

 ut an average of £60 ($300) each, for the season. 



Mr. Colman. — The occasion mentioned in the 

 above paragraph drew together an assemblage 

 of more than two hundred agriculturists and 

 gentlemen from various parts of Britain. Our 

 countryman, Mr. Column, who had just returned 

 from a long agricultural tour on the Continent, 

 was present, as was also another American gen- 

 tleman, Mr, Basselt. In reply to a complimen- 

 tary toast by the chairman of the meeting, Lord 

 Hardwicke, Mr. Col man made an eloquent 

 speech which was received with cheering ap- 

 plause. He alluded to his continental tour, and 

 said the best agricultural district he had passed 

 through was Flanders. The great success of the 

 t-ystem there pursued, he thought was attributa- 

 ble to the saving and application of urine. He 

 spoke of the beet culture which lie had seen ill 

 France; he thought it very profitable. The re- 

 fuse, after the root had passed through the pro- 

 cess of sugar- making, was very valuable for 

 feeding stock, lie saw in June last, a large lot 

 of cattle and sheep which were fattening from 

 the refuse of the crop that had been used for su- 

 gar the previous fall, and the animals were in 

 fine condition. As to improvement in live stock, 

 however, Mr. C. thought it was " cleat as the light 

 of day," that the farmers of England "were not 

 only a whole head, hut a whole length, before all 

 other countries!" He closed by some happy al- 

 lusions to the peaceful relations existing between 

 England and the United Slates. — Albany Cull. 



We find that all low lands which are continu- 1 On the Vermont shore, opposite Rouse's Point, 

 ally, or periodically submerged, produce some Capt. Jarratt and his corps of engineers have lo- 



aquatic plants, all of which are permitted to 

 j'l'ow and decay without being removed. The 

 humus thus produced, is consequently allowed to 

 accumulate, and when the water is drawn oft', 

 we find a deep, rich bed of muck, which is re- 

 plete with the most energetic vegetable princi- 

 ples, and cajiable of sustaining exhausting and 

 different crops of grain and grass, for a series of 

 many years without the assistance of any ma- 

 nure, or of any other ameliorating agent, except 

 the plough or spade. 



If fanners would only study their own interest 

 in this matter, we should see few bogs, and more 

 fields; there would be less complaint as to the 

 scacity and high price of land, and the general 

 appearance and condition of many rural districts, 

 would be immensely improved. Drainage, when 

 systematically conducted, is by no means a cost- 

 ly undertaking, and when one has a family of 

 boys, and can avail himself of leisure seasons, 

 it will be found to involve but small expense 

 even under the most inauspicious circumstances. 



Lands thus reclaimed, possess high value for 

 mowing and grazing purposes, and when once 

 well slocked with grasses, require to be plough- 

 ed hut seldom. An occasional top-dressing of 

 compost, with a liberal annual application of 

 gypsum, house-ashes or lime, is all that is requi- 

 site to sustain a high vegetative activity, and main- 

 lain them in a condition of the most perfect 

 health and heart. 



NORTH PENN. 



Augusta, 1318. 



Maine and her resources. — A correspon- 

 dent of the Argus thus sums up the superior ad- 

 vantages of Maine: — "We have better land 

 for farming purposes than either of the New 

 England Slates; we have the most available tin 

 improved water-power; building materials are 

 cheaper here than in most other places; in two 

 articles, lumher and grass scythes, we must beat 

 all the world ; we have the best opportunities 

 for ship-building; the greatest extent of sea- 

 coast and navigable rivers ; we have the best 

 working oxen ; the best yokes and the best 

 teamsters; the most codfish; the fattest horses; 

 the most correct guide-boards ; the most hospi- 

 tal anil intelligent population ; and, above all, 

 the prettiest women in all creation." 



From the Germantown Telegraph. 

 Wet Lands. 



Farmers, as a general thing, are too remiss in 

 the business of improving their wet lands. In 

 some sections, where the rapid increase of pop- 

 ulation has greatly enhanced the price of arable 

 soils, and their products, we find something like 

 a regular system of drainage adopted, and a very 

 decided and marked improvement in the man- 

 agement of most of the details of the farm, as 

 the inevitable result. 



There can be no question, that most of our 

 low bog lands possess high value, and are calcu- 

 lated to become extremely valuable lor most ag- 

 ricultural uses when properly managed ami 

 freed from the deteriorating effects of the su- 

 perabundant waters by which they have been so 

 long submerged. 



Railroads in Vermont. — The St. Albans, Vt. 

 Messenger has the following: — 



"Rouse's Point, Railroads.Sfc.-HavJng had occa- 

 sion to pay a flying visit to Rouse's Point, which 

 has heen talked about more or less for the last 

 two years by those who sought to render it the 

 termination of the Northern or Ogdensburg Rail- 

 way, we took especial notice of the advantages 

 of its location and the progress of the survey with 

 a view to constructing at that point a bridge 

 across Lake Champlain. 



Near the village of Champlain, which lies five 

 mile west of Lake Champlain, five hundred labor- 

 ers were at work on the Ogdensburg Railroad. 

 It is supposed that in a few mouths at least thirty 

 miles of the track will he laid and lie ready for 

 freight and gravel cars to aid in the construction 

 of the remainder of the line, which is all under 

 contract. The terminus of the road on the lake 

 shore is north ofihe village and a few rods south 

 of Rouse's Point proper. This point is not far 

 from M iudmill Point, being distant only 4271 feet 

 by actual measurement. The distance across the 

 lake where the projected bridge is certainly to be 

 built is 5221 feet, that being wider by almost one 

 thousand feet than at the narrowest place oppo- 

 site Rouse's Point proper. The depth of the wa- 

 ter at this place is twice as great as it is further 

 below — it being fifty-eight feet. Notwithstanding 

 this, the construction of a bridge which will re- 

 sist the action of all the contending elements is 

 perfectly easy. The site for the depot is very ex- 

 cellent and lies south of the government land. 

 It is conjectured that a part of the government 

 land will he required for the purpose of con- 

 structing a connecting line of railroads to the 

 city of Montreal. 



This connecting link of railway communica- 

 tion between Boston and Montreal will strike the 

 river St. Lawrence at a point deemed the most 

 favorable for the construction of a bridge across 

 that river. The distance from House's Point to 

 the river, under such an arrangement, will not 

 he greater than ii would be if the line were ex- 

 tended from St. John's to Rouse's Point. 



A charter has already been obtained from the 

 provincial government for a railway from Si. 

 John's to Rouse's Point, and whether a direct line 

 is built or the connection with the Si. Lawrence 

 and Champlain railroad is made, it is quite pro- 

 bable that Rouse's Point will be foot of steam 

 navigation. If that be so, the old obstructions 

 to navigation below Rouse's Point will he avoid- 

 ed, and the objections that a bridge will hinder 

 steam navigation will be entirely obviated. At 

 Rouse's Point, then, will be the point of diver- 

 gence for freight and passengers bound north, 

 west, east and south. 



cated the terminus of the Vermont and Canada 

 Railroad. The line of that road passes through 

 Alhurgh, slightly curving to the south, and stri- 

 king the eastern shore of Alburgh at or near 

 Niles's Ferry. From thence it takes a direct 

 course across Missisquoi Bay, Hog bland and 

 Charcoal Creek to the western village of Swan- 

 ton Falls, avoiding the bow of the Missisquoi 

 river, and keeping to the westward of the pres- 

 ent travelled highway till it reaches the village, of 

 St. Albans, when it passes directly through the 

 beautiful meadows west of the main street, on 

 its way to Georgia, Milton, and Chittenden coun- 

 ty generally. 



S T o one can pass over the country we have vis- 

 ited without being convinced that a railway can 

 be very easily built and at a very moderate cost. 

 That it will be of great advantage both to Grand 

 Isle and Franklin counties can, in our view, ad- 

 mit of no shadow of doubt, and the sooner the 

 Vermont and Canada Railroad and the bridge 

 across Lake Champlain are built, the better for 

 the developement of the resources of both coun- 

 ties." 



Reduction of Railroad Fares. — The supe- 

 rior policy of low fares is now recognised by the 

 managers of nearly every road in the country. 

 Except in extreme and sparsely settled portions 

 of the south and west, where no cheapness of 

 rates could at present induce a great travel and 

 traffic, there are found no exceptions to the uni- 

 versally received railroad maxim that the roads 

 charging the lowest fares pay the highest divi- 

 dends. At a meeting of the several companies 

 from Albany to Buffalo, held at Auburn, it was 

 resolved to reduce the fare from Albany to Buf- 

 falo to $9 75, to take effect on the 1st of Janua- 

 ry next, viz: — 



Albany and Schenectady, $0 50 



Utica and Schenectady, 2 25 



Syracuse and Utica, 1 50 



Auburn and Syracuse, 80 



Auburn and Rochester, 2 50 



Tonawanda, 1 30 



Attica and Buffalo, 90 



The average east of Syracuse is about 21 cents 

 per mile; west of Syracuse 3 l-5th cents; the 

 entire average about 3 cents. 



The following statement of the sugar crop of 

 Louisiana for the last twenty years presents some 

 extraordinary results : — 



Estimating fifty gallons of molasses to each 

 hogshead of sugar, the total product of 1847 is 

 12,000,000 of gallons, or exactly double the quan- 

 tity estimated for the year previous. Of 12,000- 

 000 gallons there have been shipped to the At- 

 lantic ports 3,200,000 against 1,700,000 the year 

 previous; leaving for the consumption of the 

 west and south 8,000,000, against 4,300,000 gal- 

 lons in 1840-7. 



Curious Facts in Natural History. — The 

 rattlesnake finds a superior foe in the deer and 

 black snake. Whenever a buck discovers a rat- 

 tlesnake in a situation which invites attack, he 

 loses no time in preparing for battle. He makes 

 up lo within ten or twelve feet of the snake, then 

 leaps forward and aims to sever the body of l he 

 snake with his sharp hi fe rated hoofs. The first 

 onset is commonly successful, but if otherwise, 

 the buck repeats the trial, until he cuts the snake 



