1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



39 



of caseine, 1.4 of albumen, 3.1 of dextrine, 8.3 of 

 sugar, 0.3 of malic acid, 82.6G of water. Beside 

 the above mentioned bodies, the apple contains 

 a small quantity of tannic and gallic acid, most 

 in the russets. To these acids apples owe their 

 astringency of taste, and the blackening iron or 

 steel instruments used to cut them. The percent- 

 age of ash in apple is small, yet it is rich in 

 phosphoric and sulphuric acids, potash and soda. 

 The ury matter of melons contains quite a large 

 percentage of albumen, caseine, sugar and dex- 

 trine, with a small quantity of acid. 



PATEISTT OFFICB EEPOB.TS — 1859. 



AGRICULTURE. 

 In his introductory note to this volume, Com- 

 missioner Bishop compliments the national gov- 

 ernment on the results of its patronage of agri- 

 culture, and offers his recommendation for its fu- 

 ture action in the following terms : 



It is nov/ about twelve years since Congress 

 adopted the system of malung annual appropria- 

 tions for agricultural purposes. Previous to this 

 time, there seemed to be but little progress made 

 by the people in this branch of our national in- 

 dustry- Agricultural newspapers were then in 

 their infancy, while agricultural societies were 

 scarcely known or heard of. The attention paid 

 by Congress to this subject seems to have awak- 

 ened the people to its importance. It has stimu- 

 lated inquiry, encouraged nev/ experiments, and 

 to such an extent has the public mind been excit- 

 ed, that agricultural societies have been formed 

 and are now in successful operation in nearly 

 every county and State throughout the Union. 

 Newspapers entirely devoted to agriculture are 

 published in nearly every State, and at prices 

 which place them v.'ithin the reach of all. Enter- 

 prising men in all the principal cities have estab- 

 lished agricultural warehouses, where varieties of 

 seeds, plants and cuttings, from foreign lands, as 

 well as from different sections of our ov/n coun- 

 try, can be purchased upon reasonaljle terms. 



More recently, a national agricultural society 

 has been established, which will undoubtedly 

 prove valuable as a medium of communication 

 between the various county and State societies. 

 Indeed, so thoroughly have the public become im- 

 pressed with the importance and necessity of pay- 

 ing more strict attention to improvements in ag- 

 riculture, that it may well be doubted Avhether 

 anythmg Congress may do can give an additional 

 impetus to the movement. 



If, therefore, It is the desire of Congress to 

 continue the appropriation for agricultural pur- 

 poses, I would recommend that it be limited sole- 

 ly to the collection of valuable information for 

 the agricultural report and the collection and dis- 

 tribution of such varieties of foreign seeds, plants 

 and cuttings, as have not heretofore been intro- 

 duced into this country. 



We believe, with the Commissioner, that the 

 people are pretty well awakened to the impor- 

 tance of agriculture ; but we do not agree with 

 him In the opinion that such awakening is, in any 

 considerable degree, the result of Congressional 

 "appropriations" or "attentions." 



In our opinion it is doing full justice to Con- 

 gress to say that our government has followed, 

 not led, in this movement. While we admit that 

 agricultural newspapers and agricultural societies 

 have greatly increased, we should not be willing 

 to affirm that the first was in its infancy, or the 

 last "scarcely known or heard of" only twelve 

 years ago ! But we do net intend at this time to 

 discuss the subject. We are disposed to give 

 Congress credit for all it has done, and for its 

 good intentions for the future, which we hope will 

 prove to be more liberal than the recommenda- 

 tions of the Commissioner seem to indicate. 

 That the government which claims to have given 

 such an "impetus" to this great leading branch of 

 our national industry, should now limit its efforts 

 '^solely to the collection of valuable information 

 for the Agricultural Report, and the collection 

 and distribution of such varieties of foreign seeds, 

 plants and cuttings, as have not heretofore been 

 introduced into this country," appears to us not 

 to be in character with the progressive spirit of 

 the age and country in which we live. Especial- 

 ly would It seem that something more ought to 

 be done, when It Is remembered that our govern- 

 ment Is even now obliged to communicate with 

 the agricultural world through a "Patent Of- 

 fice Report." The agricultural interests of 

 this nation tucked into a corner of the Patent 

 Office ! 



But we are sadly digressing. We commenced 

 with the purpose of writing a simple "book no- 

 tice" of the volume whose title heads this article. 



About one-fourth of the Report for 1859 is oc- 

 cnpled by an account of the Government Experi- 

 mental and Propagating Garden at Washington ; 

 a Historical Sketch of the U. S. Agricultural So- 

 ciety ; several articles on American Grapes and 

 their wine-producing qualities ; and a minute ac- 

 count of the productions of the Ionian Islands 

 and Italy. 



In the latter paper, some rather curious mat- 

 ters are mentioned. Sumac is cultivated near Pa- 

 lermo. The same soil will not bear this plant a 

 second time, unless cropped by something else 

 for twenty years, nor is it then so good as land 

 on which it has never been grown. Workmen 

 employed in a mill for grinding sumac, and who 

 breathe an air filled with particles of Its dust, are 

 remarkably healthy, and were particularly ex- 

 empt from cholera. In Sicily, good cows give 

 only from four to six quarts of milk per day. The 

 native sheep are small and scraggy. The ewes, 

 which are milked regularly, give about half a pint 

 per day. A one year old hog weighs, if fed on 

 acorns, one hundred and tw'enty pounds ; a two- 

 year old, one hundred and eighty pounds. The 

 usual rent of land for corn, Szc, averages about 

 one dollar and seventy-five cents per acre. The 



