No. 11. 



AND GARDliNER'S JOURNAL. 



lUD 



seen when an Englishman or Scotchman, trained to il 

 from his childhood, gets between the stilts ot' the plougli, 

 and, after setting the noses of his horses in a right di- 

 rection, and putting tlie lirain of his plough to the same 

 point, follows on, turning Op the soil ever^'wherc at an 

 equal depth, with an cqu;U width of lurrow, and laying 

 it always at the same angle of inclination an<l niarkijij; 

 it out as exactly as a chalk-line would mark it, and 

 finishing it as perfectly as if it had been done by an ex- 

 perienced hand with a spade. He leaves no baulks, 

 no unturned, no half turned, no broken sods, and ex- 

 hibiting a piece of work as neat and as liandsome as a 

 newly ironed and plaited shirt ruflle or muslin cajje, 

 when it comes from the ironing board of a skilful 

 housewife, ambitious to show oiT her spouse to as much 

 advantage as he appeared on his wedding night. This 

 we call ploughing, and to this perfection there is no rea- 

 son why, with proper encouragement and elfort,we Yan- 

 kees should not come at last, and all in due season. 



We were told by those, who were perfectly co npe- 

 tent to judgo, that the show of animals the day previ- 

 ous was numerous and excellent ; and so likewise ol 

 agricultural products. When next it happens, as was 

 said of Gilpin's ride, " may we be there to see." A 

 numerous and highly respectable audience crowded the 

 Court House alter the ploughing match to hear words of 

 encouragement as to the improvement of this great art ; 

 and the whole occasion was such as to infuse new zeal 

 and courage into those, w-ho have at heart the advance- 

 ment of this unquestioned and unquestionable object 

 of human comfort, civilization and improvement. 



Cayuga Co. Aricutulral Society. 



The Cayuga C>. Agricultural Show and Fair were 

 held at Auburn on the 12ih and 13ih Oct. We had 

 the pleasure of being there on the first day and regret 

 ted the necessity of denying ourselves the gratiticaiion 

 of witnessing the exhibition of agricultural products 

 and the fruits of the garden and the ploughing nialcb 

 on the second day. The show of animals was small 

 but there were precious epecimens of tlio most Im- 

 proved Stock presented by Mr. Sherwood, Jlr. Dill 

 and others. Mr. Sherwood's Stock is splendid and 

 some of his animals are perhaps not surpassed in the 

 country. Hiecelebrated bull showed himself in our 

 sheet some mouths since, and he baa about him a 

 stock quite worthy of him. Mr. Dill's heifer exhibited 

 her fair form and figure at the State Fair and received 

 the deserved compliments on the occasion. 



It is impossible to pstticulorize in this case ; and 

 we shall wait for the otficial reports. There is a great 

 omission in almost all these cases of exhibition, and 

 that is the want of proper labels on the pens. When 

 an animal is presented for show, his name, age, stock 

 &c. and his sire's name and his owner's name should 

 be placed on a label on hia stake or pen ; ond if a 

 cow, her product and qualities as well as the other 

 circumstances mentioned above should be stated. At 

 present, there is nothing of thia and in most coaes no 

 one present to give any information. A considsrable 

 number of fat cows were shown and to much ad- 

 vantage. 



We had the pleasure, if indeed pleasure it can be 

 called, a sad pleaeure in truth, of visiting the State's 

 Prison the ensuing day. The condition of its inmates 

 is probably at good as such wretchedness can bo made, 

 though dreadful at best. They are well fed, well 

 clothed, and treated with kindness ; but the misery 

 and anguish of being thus "buried alive," we moy 

 imagine, can be very little understood by those of us, 

 whom God in bis mercy has saved from so wretched 

 a lot. The manufacture of silk is carried on to a 

 considerable extent in the prison and with much suc- 

 cess, TbeartieliB tnannfaclurcd are cbieliy sewings 

 of an excellent and constantly improving quality ; 

 the wwving of silk bas been commenced under 



I'avorable nuspieea. Wc arc promised from the intel- 

 ligent Superintendant, Mcnry Polbemiis, a detailed 

 account of their operations. The greater portion of 

 the material manufactured haa been of domestic pro- 

 duction, and $;?,50 to $-1,00 are paid for cocoons. 

 Here is a good home market for all that may be pro 

 duccd. 



We were led to reflect with nnmingled pain upon 

 the suicidal policy which the Stnie haa seen fit to 

 odopt in lespect to these unhappy victims: not so 

 much on account of the pecmiiary loss which the 

 Slate must suffer by the actual wont of employment 

 To- a large portion of them, which they must emu ex- 

 perience under the nejv sys'em ; but lar more lor the 

 inhumanity which prohibits in nil cases the tcoching 

 of these miserable beings some useful trade, by wbic'i 

 in the event of their being relumed into society they 

 may have the means of getting an honest livelihood. 

 In our humble opinion the Stale could not have pas- 

 sed a more cruel act than to deny this small boon to 

 these mieerable men, who, if any upon earth, are in- 

 deed objecia of true pity. The clamor about State 

 Prison monopoly is about as worthy of noti( e as if the 

 tailors and washerwomen in Auburn should complain, 

 that the State provides for mnking and cleaning the 

 clothes of the Convicts instead of giving the job to 

 them. If any thing should have been done it should 

 have been not to prevent these people from laboring 

 and not lo reiuse to teach them a trode, buttochorge 

 their labor and the products of their labor at the same 

 rales as are charged out of doors. For ourselves how- 

 ever, we cannot see that the State was bound to do 

 even thia. Open competiiion is the life of all busi- 

 ness and the very clement of improvement. This 

 legislating for pnrticular trades or parties is unjust to 

 the community ; and the manufacturers of silk have 

 as good a right to demand that the Slate shall aban 

 don ihis important branch of business as any other 

 body of tradesmen that any branch of manufacture 

 whatever should be given up in the Stale I'rison. 

 Many of these poor fellows, among whom we nioy 

 admit there may be some of the most profligate and 

 abandoned, are more objects o I compassion than of 

 condemnation; and how can we under the pretence 

 of administeiing a reformatory discipline be willing to 

 turn them adrift nponancieiy without character, with 

 out money and without any honest means of livelihood, 

 that they may be secured against those temptations to 

 crime, which may otherwise, soon bring them back to 

 their solitary dungeons. The cry of such inhumani- 

 ty must go up to Heaven. The Slate, wethink, can- 

 not loo soon retrace its steps. These men, wretched, 

 criminal, ana abandoned as they are, have in that 

 very condition the airongest claims upon public com- 

 passion and care. 



Auburn as a town or village has few superiors. Its 

 wide and well-built streets, its spacious and spleni'id 

 blocksof stores filled too vcr Ho wing with good?, its hand- 

 some public buildings and hotels, and iis ninny (xtraor- 

 dinanly lasteful and beautiful private residences, ren- 

 der it peculiarly attractive as a place of visit or habita- 

 tion. This is our only visit since 1825 excepting the 

 pigeon-flighl through us suburbs by the rail road cars. 

 Its progress and improvements are most remarkable. 



Wayne County Agricultural Society 



Held its annual Fair on the 5th and 6th days of the 

 eighth month, at Palmyra. The increase of general 

 interest was shown by the many hundreds of our most 

 intelligent farmers and othercitizens who were present, 

 from all parts ofthecounty. 



The first day was devoted to the exhibition of do- 

 mestic animals. Not less, probably, than a hundred 

 head of cattle were upon the ground, including several 

 full-blood Durhams, many half blood, and some very 

 fine specimens of native breed. It is to be regretted 

 that the reports of the Committees did not specify the 

 breeds; among those however, who exhibited the best 

 Durham cattle noticed, were Wm. R. Smith, John 



Haker, and Thomas Wright of Maccdon, Win. Swails 

 ofSodus, Dr. Button of Newark, James Dunn of 

 L.yons, and others. Several very fine horses were also 

 exhibited ; the premiums were given to C. D. Culver 

 of Macedon, for the horse " Youni| Turk," and to Dr. 

 May of Palmyra, for the Morgan horse " Tiger." 

 Other fine horses were exhibited, among which were 

 the celebrated imported horses Alfred and Samson, iho 

 former belonging to Thomas Weddlc of Rochester, and 

 the latter to .lolin Robinson of Palmyra. There was 

 a marked difTerence in the collection of sheep and 

 swine, although some beautit'ul Uerkshires were notic- 

 ed, and some fine specimens of sheep of Leicester, and 

 Saxony breeds. 



The second day was occupied with the exhibition of 

 Fruit and articles of llomestic Manufacture. These 

 were exceedingly creditable, though the collection was 

 moderate. Several very fine fruits were noticed — the 

 peaches were far better than any at the State Fair at 

 Albany ; and some of the apples were very excellent. 

 Pears and grapes were quite deficient. Among miscel- 

 laneous articles, were noticed very fine specimens of 

 carpeting, flannel, and hearth rugs ; excellent cocoons 

 from K. B. Blakesly, Newark ; some very fine vegeta- 

 bles; and a highly finished two-horse lumber wagon, 

 varnished, but unpaintcd, showing the surpassing 

 strength and excellent quality of the timber employed 

 in its manufacture, from Sherman & Crandall of Pal- 

 ii.yra. 



The ploughing match was on the morningof file sec- 

 ond day, and alTirded great interest and gratification to 

 the many hundreds of spectators who were present. 

 The ground was a sward, the soil a sandy loam, the 

 quantity of land for each team a quarter of an acre, to 

 be ploughed full six inches in depth, in one hour. The 

 excellence of the ploughing, or at least a part of it, excit- 

 ed the admiration of all ; work of equal quality, it is 

 believed, is rarely witnessed on similar occasions. The 

 first prize was awarded to John Robinson of Palmyra, 

 (13. Brown, ploughman,) and the adujitation of the 

 Samson breed of horses, at least for ploughing, was most 

 satisfactorily shown by the ease with which a pair of 

 half-blood, mily three years old, plowed their quarter of 

 an acre, in about fifty minutes, and took the first prize. 

 It was observed with satisfaction, that no inducement 

 was given to hard driving, by offering a reward on 

 speed, a specified time merely being required. 



The report of the several Committees, being in most 

 cases unaccompanied with any statements of tlie pecu- 

 liar management, or of the breeds, which drew the pre- 

 miums, but merely of the names of the successful com- 

 petitors, and only of local interest, and are conscqumt- 

 ly omitted. 



On the whole, a greatly increased zeal is awakened 

 in support of the Society, and of the Agriculture of Iha 

 county, and there is every reason for it. Wayno 

 county possesses great advantages, and remarkable 

 susceptibilities of improvement. With a rich sandy- 

 loam soil, not so heavy as to bake nor so linht as to 

 lack strength, and a marly, fertile sub-soil ; with occa- 

 sional beds of feat and marsh-muck, scattered over its 

 surface, and sometimes shell marl, affording immense 

 resources in the manufacture of manure, — there is 

 every inducement for skill, enterprize, industry, and 

 thorough farming. And in a horticultural point tf 

 view, the advantages are not inferior, for in addition to 

 the excellentadaptation of the soil, the climate is great- 

 ly softened, and severe frosts, destructive elsewhere, 

 are prevented by the proximity of Lake Ontario. 

 Then let her " GO AHEAD i" 

 A'ote. — It is proper to say, that in noticing merito- 

 rious animals and articles above, others may have been 

 equally so, which the imperfect observation of a single 

 individual may have overlooked. Those matters only 

 mostinteresting to the writer are noticed, and very few 

 have no partialities. J. J. T, 



