300 



AaRIOULTUBAL PAIRS AND CATTLE SHOWS. 



If this opinion is well-founded, tlien forests sliould 

 he cut off, if kept for firewood, once in thirty 

 years, to give the maximum of timber to the acre. 

 The quantity in cords, or tons of seasoned wood, 

 depends mainly on the degree of fertility of the 

 soil — some land producing three or four times 

 more than an equal area of other land. 



It is injnrious to the growth of timber to remove 

 the leaves from woods, as bedding for hogs, cattle, 

 and horses, as is often done to increase the manure 

 heap, and sustain fruilfulness in cultivated fields. 

 It is true that leaves may be worth more to aid in 

 forming annual crops of grain and hay than a crop 

 of wood to be cut only once in twenty or thirty 

 years ; but to grow a -crop of forest leaves every 

 year, and remove them from the soil, is a certain 

 process, ultimately to impoverish it. In Europe, 

 great care is taken to prevent such an injury to the 

 land. 



Whera trees are scattering, some advantage may 

 be realized by cultivating woods grass, or blue grass, 

 among them. This, however, is to make forest- 

 culture secondary to grazing ; and where one has 

 a good deal of laud in woods, the two interests 

 may be to some extent advantageously combined. 

 ■When the growth of wood or timber is a primary 

 object, no stock of any kind ought to run at large 

 among the trees, to eat and kill the young growth. 



According to our experience chestnut and locust 

 ^ give the earliest return from planting, of rail-timber 

 and fence-posts. On our farm in the District of 

 Columbia, these trees grow with great rapidity. 

 Where fencing is dear and scarce, we recommend 

 the black and yellow locust, and chestnut, as quick- 

 ly-growing and lasting wood for the purpose named. 

 In open fields, insects attack and destroy locust 

 trees ; but they seldom do so when surrounded by 

 woods. 



Chestnuts should be planted as soon as ripe, and 

 before the nuts become dry, in rich loam well cul- 

 tivated. All kinds of trees do best on good land, 

 and generally pay for any extra pains one may take 

 to promote their welfare. ♦ 



AGEICULTUBAL FAIKS AKD CATTLE SHOWS. 



From appearances, we should judge that the 

 Agrintltural Fain the present year are more gen- 

 eral, and undertaken with more spirit than ever 

 before. A few have been held at the time of wri- 

 ting this, and more will be held before this number 

 reaches our readers. What remarks we may make, 

 therefore, will have little effect the present year ; 

 yet a word or two may produce the desired effect 

 in the future. Of late, oar Agricultural Fairs are 

 partaking too much of the nature of shows. There 

 is getting to be too much clap-trap — too much 

 humbug in most of our fairs. One would think, to 

 read the notices of the wonderful performances, 

 that Barncm had been abroad, instead of the 

 schoolmaster, or that his life and the history of his 

 humbugs was exerting a powerful influence for evil. 

 Connected with some of the State Fairs, are to be 

 exhibitions of Lady Equestrianism, — all right, per- 

 hajis, and certainly less objectionable than many 

 other things we notice. In addition to this, they 

 are to have in Ohio an exhibition of Youthful 

 Equestrianism — a brigade of boys on ponies. S. 

 D. Harris, of the Ohio Culticator, is to be the 

 Major of this brigade. We vifould suggest that after 

 the regular appointed speaker concludes his address, 

 that they have a little Youthful Elocution. 



" Tall oaks from little s 



9 grow," 



Jmportant fact in Agriculture — Whatever may 

 be the nature of the soil, or of the crop cultivated, it 

 should always be the aim of the farmer to grow full 

 crops. Partial and sometimes extensive failures will 

 even then but too often occur; but to neglect making 

 the best known preparations, or only to prepare for 

 half a crop, has a direct tendency to unprofitable 

 farming. 



wouldn't be bad. Worst of all, we have had in 

 some instances, connected with shows of sheep and 

 sows, and pigs and bulls, haby shows. If this is 

 riglit, let us have the points to be aimed at in 

 breeding the genus homo. And why not offer pre- 

 miums for the mothers. This whole thing is too 

 disgusting for serious remark. It is degrading to 

 human nature, this classing together man and the 

 brute. 



Our shows of horses we fear are partaking too 

 much of the character of races, a practice we never 

 much admired, although we always did admire that 

 most noble of all animals over whom man has 

 control. 



The Third National ExhiMtion of the United 

 States Agricultural Society, to be held in Boston 

 on the 2.3d, 24:th, 25th, and 2Gth of October, we 

 have no doubt will be the best exhibition ever held 

 in the country. The managers have well matured 

 their plans, and under the direction of the efficient 

 President, Marshall P. Wilder, are working with 

 untiring energy. Tlie city authorities are extend- 

 ing every necessary aid, and a few weeks since, 



