0. 5. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



71 



11 net in their form and clinracter, as sheep and oxen 



The general conclusion to be drawn from these re- 

 •113 would seem to be, that the practice of estimating 

 e dead weight at one half the live weight, is errone- 

 3. It would by nomeaus, however, be sale to draw 

 4i«iitic couclusion as to the actual proportion of live 

 dend weight from the tables now given, onaccoum 

 tlielimited nuinbcrof the returns made. It ison- 

 liv means of a great number of such experiments 

 ai we can hope to obtain a just medium, and found 

 ■n it a safe conclusion. Could farmers be induced 

 ^!vo more attention to this Buhject, by keeping ae- 

 rate records of stock slaughtered by them and their 

 icnda, much might speedily be done to settle the 

 lestion uf the live and the dead weight, while there 

 good reason to believe that many respectable butch- 

 8 would concur in preserving and communicating 

 milar details. A further purpose might be promo- 

 d by constructing such tables. We should, by means 

 ' them, be able to discover the breeds or varieties of 

 ir different species of stock icliich i/ield the greatest 

 ttuni 171 proportion to the of (it, and thus perhaps be 

 labled to draw conclusions as to the relative value of 

 fferent breeds. 



It has been before observed that the question of the 

 itio of live to dead weight serms to have been a good 

 eal overlooked of recent years. At one period, the 

 itention of individuals, admirably fitted fortheinves- 

 galiou, appears to have been awakened to the impor- 

 mce of the inquiry. In the able report of the coun- 

 f of Durham, some interesting details on the subject 

 re given; but these can scarcely be said to do more 

 inn open up the subject; and certainly a great blank 

 smains to be filled up before the farmer and the pro- 

 sasional butclier shall be placed on equal terms as re- 

 ards their information upon this point. 

 Should these cursory remarks tend to direct the at- 

 jntion of breeders. and graziers to this interesting 

 abject of inquiry, the object of the writer will have 

 eon fully accomplished. 



of the formation, and their position shed some light on 

 the manner in which ihey were deposited. 



About half a mile northeast of Phcenixville in Ches- 

 ter county, on the opposite aide of the river Schuyl- 

 kill, on a hish hill, we saw OYSTER SHELLS im- 

 bedded in the solid rock which had been laid bare by 

 a torrent. It was shown to us in the fall of the year 

 180(5; and as we had not found any fossil shells he- 

 low the Blue Mountainsbefore tual time, we viewed 

 it as a great curiosity. t 



Geology of PennsylTania. 



In the " Third Annual Report on the Geological 

 Survey" of that State, (1839,) Professor Rogers in 

 ■lescribing his "middle secondary red sandstone 

 roRMATioN," makes the following remarks : — 



" It seems to have originated in a long narrow 

 rough or bay which had its sourceat least as farsoiuh 

 19 the central latitudes of Virginia, and which proba- 

 aly opened into the ocean sjmewhere near the present 

 oositions of the Raritan and New York bays. Their 

 materials give evidence of having been swept into this 

 estuary or great river from the south and south east: 

 and hence the almost universal dip or inclination of 

 the beds towards the northwest, a feature clearly not 

 produced hu any uplifting agmaj, but assumed origi- 

 nally at the time of their deposition in consequence 

 of the direction or set of the currents, which laid them 

 down layer after layer. AVith the exception of one or 

 two fossil fishes lound in this firmation in New Jersey, 

 / am not aioare that any animal organic remains have 

 been hitherto met with in any part of the stratum; 

 and hence it becomej difficult to assign its precise 

 place in the general series of geological formations. 

 Relics of vegetation are however, occasionally found 

 under the form, especially of highly compact and bit- 

 uminous lignite,*' 



It is possible the strata wero formed in the manner 

 he has mentioned; and that no " uplifted agency" has 

 given them their present dip; but we think such a 

 conclusion ought to be founded on something more 

 than cursory observation. It seems to us very i'li- 

 probable. We have not learned however, whether 

 this able geologist has relinquished, or still retains that 

 singular opinion; for it has not been in our power to 

 procure either of his later Reports; but if he should 

 e.xamine the locality which we shall proceed to desig- 

 nate, it is probable those fossils would indicate the age 



For the Neto Genesee Farmer. 

 tetter from Wiscousiu. 



Messrs Editohs — Perceiving that you have no cor- 

 respondent from this territory, I take the liberty of fil- 

 ling that station, and v^'ill, whenever time shall per- 

 mit, give an account of matters and things as they 

 exist in this " Badger" territory of ours — premising, 

 however, that I leave it to your readers whether my 

 communications are interesting or not. Many of 

 them have friends and relatives in this territory, and 

 it may prove of interest to them to hear occasionally 

 froirt this quarter. 



Much has been written and said in respect to Wis- 

 consin, its fertility, its universal wealth, and its natu- 

 ral advantages; but much remains to be told in rela- 

 tion to the system of farming that has been adopted 

 in some parts of the territory; although there is much 

 to be urged in extenuation, as the country is new, and 

 most of the settlers are men of limited character; but 

 still therearemany among us, who, if they would take 

 the trouble to look a little into the future, and loose 

 their purse strings, could confer a benefit upon the 

 territory, and upon themselves and their posterity. 

 The introduction of improved farm implements and 

 machinery, such as the thrashing machine, the straw 

 cutter, the horse rake, the cultivator, and the hundred 

 other useful implements to be found in the agricultu- 

 ral repositories of the east, would be of immense util- 

 ity on our fine rolling prairies, where there are no 

 stumps nor stones to obstruct their operation. 



Many of the settlers are men who have not been 

 bred farmers, but who have left the workshop to try 

 their hands at the plough, and some of them are ra- 

 ther " green" at the business, among which 1 class 

 myself. But I find one trait among them which is 

 not found so generally among the old class of farmers. 

 They are more of a reading people. Deprived of the 

 advantage of experience, they are obliged to depend 

 upon the knowledge of others, and are therefore more 

 willing to lend their support to the agricidtural jour- 

 nals of the day, than are those who have imbibed their 

 knowledge and their prejudices from a daily expe- 

 rience in agricultural pursuits. 



Although at this time the natural fertility of the soil 

 of Wisconsin supersedes the use of manures, the time 

 will come, if the eastern skinning system is followed, 

 when it will require all the renovating powers of a 

 proper rotation and application of the various fertili- 

 zing substances, to render an equivalent to the farmer 

 for his labor. 



Wheat is destined to be the great staple of this ter- 

 ritory, and many are pursuing the same system that 

 was adopted in the Genesee country, that of growing 

 wheat to the exclusion of any other crop, on the same 

 land. 



Corn ripens well in this country, but it will never, 

 probably, be grown to the extent that it is in Indiana 

 and other states to the south of us; but enough, how- 

 ever, to supply the community, as the "badgers" are 

 not such "corn crackers" as their neighbors in the 

 hoosier slate and in Kentucky, whose national dish is 

 "corn dodgers and hoe cake." Every variety of 

 soil maybe found in this territory, and. any thing 

 may be grown here that will thrive in New York or 

 N?w England. 



With an extent of territory larger than any state 

 in the Union, and possessing, as she does, immense 

 treasures in her lead and copper and iron ores, AV is- 

 tonsin presents at the present time an object worthy 

 the attention of every well wisher of this countiy. 

 Still reposing in her minority as a territory, sheholda 

 out to the patriot and the moralist the hope that her 

 constitution and laws, will receive the benefits of the 

 experience and legislation of the older states of the 

 confederacy, and that by their misfortunes and mis- 

 calculations, she will steer clear of the rocks and 

 quicksands on which many of them have been nearly 

 wrecked. Taken as a whole, I do not believe there 

 can be found a more moral class of people in the 

 United Slates than in this territory. They are com- 

 posed, to be sure, of almost every nation; for here 

 you will find the Dutchman, the Norwegian, the Eng- 

 lishman, the Russian, the Prussian, the Frenchman, 

 the Scotchman, and the sons of " Gicen Erin," all 

 congregated in one community and amenable to the 

 same laws, although they retain their national habits. 

 It is amusing to see some of the Norwegians and 

 Dutch open a farm in the thick forest. They make 

 thorough work of it. In clearing, they commence at 

 the root of a tree and dig round it so that it falls, eith- 

 er by its own might or by the wind. They then 

 log it and bum it before they proceed further. By this 

 means they get a clear field, uticbstructed by stumps 

 and logs, as you will find is not usually the case with 

 the Yankee or English farmer. 



Wisconsin at this time holds out great inducements 

 to breeders of stock, especially as her beuatiful prairies 

 afford the best of pasture, and there are many thousand 

 acres yet unentered, that would far surpass in worth 

 many of the meadows of the eastern states, for the 

 pasturage of cattle. Nearly all the neat stock now in 

 the territory, is from Illinios and Indiana, and consist 

 uf all bloods, colors, shapes, and sizes; and you may 

 see here also the famous breed of hogs which friend 

 Robinson, of Lake C. H., took such a fancy to as to 

 think he could fat them. They are the real land pike 

 and alligator breed, snout and all. An improvement 

 is beginning to be made in this race of quadrupeds 

 and you may see the Chinese and Berkshire blood 

 running in the veins of many of our grunting inhab- 

 itants. There are a few full bloods in this neighbor- 

 hood, arid their progeny are being distributed through 

 the country, and will result much to the benefit of the 

 farmer. There have been a few importations of 

 blooded cattle into the territory. Jupiter, impcrted by 

 Mr. Geo. Reed of Milwaukee, is a fine full blooded 

 Short Horn Durham Bull, eight years old; and anoth- 

 er, belonging to Judge Dity of Green Bay, have been 

 productive of great benefit to this section of country; 

 and half bloods, and other grade aniiuals may be often 

 met with. 



But I have written more than I intended at first, 

 and shall conclude, and take another opportunity, 

 when 1 am "in the vein" of giving you a second 

 communication. Yours, &c. 



E. B. QUINER. 



Blilwau l.ee, W. T., March, 1^'41. 



Michigan Coal.— A load of coal passed through 



this village a few days since, on its way to Detroit, 



froiu the village of Corunna, in ShiawoEse county. 



The oeutleman who owned it, left a small fpecunen 



with us. It has the appearance of the coal fjund at 



Pittsburgh, Pa., and burns as freely, emitting the same 



ell. The gentleman informs ui 



that, from present 

 app^earanceT, the supply is inexhaustible, and is found 

 within three feel of ihe surface It it isos leprcfentcd 

 by our informant, which wc do not doubt, it «■'! be a 

 source of much wealth to the State at large, and add 

 Immensely to the business of the place at which it is 



found. — Pontiac Jucksonmn. 



Wilbeforce, who had a great taste for horticult.ire, 

 considered flowers to be the smilee ol the Divm» 

 goodness. 



