58 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
Seeds for Free Distribution to all Subscri- 
bers for 1863 (Vol. 22.) 
See Descriptive Notes last month, page 4. 
Boery subscriber to the Agriculturist for 18G3, is invited to 
select t\\rce or four parcels of seeds from the list below, 
if he can not get them conveniently othenoise. 
These seeds are all valuable. Of the 63 kinds offered, 
many are comparatively new varieties, but we include some 
common, useful sorts for the convenience of those without ac- 
BB8B even to common good seeds. 
Most of them are annuals (reproducing seed the first sea- 
son), and in all cases there will be enongh to yield a supply 
of seed for future use. Our aim is, to furnish the germs of fu- 
ture abundance in each locality where these seeds go. 
Many of these seeds were grown by ourselves, the past 
year; the others are obtained of the best growers. The 
distribution wlllbesin in February. 
Mode of Distribution.— The seeds may be called 
for at the office, after March 1., or be applied for by mail at 
any time now, to be forwarded as soon as ready. The post- 
age is only 1 cent per ounce under 1500 miles ; 
and 3 cents per ounce when over 1500 miles. 
Those sending for seeds to be forwarded by mail, will 
please carefuHy observe the following 
DIRECTIONS— (1) Select from the list below, any three 
or four parcels desired, and write plainly on a slip of paper the 
numbers (only) of the kinds of seeds wanted. (These num- 
bers are used on our seed drawers, seed bags, etc.) 
(3) Enclose the slip in a prepared envelope— directed in full 
to your own address (not John Smith's), and put on it post- 
age stamps to the amount of one cent for each ounce 
Of seeds to be enclosed, if t» go 
under 1500 miles, or two 
cents if to go over 1500 miles. 
(Most places West of the Mississippi 
river are over lfiOO miles.) N .B.— The 
total amount of stamps required can 
be reckoned from the table of seeds 
below. Any fraction over even 
ounces will need an extra 1-c. or two 1-cent stamps accord- 
ing to distance. Forward the above prepared envelopes to 
this office, in a letter, and the seeds will lie enclosed accord- 
ing to the numbers on the slip. To save postage, let there 
"be no marks on the envelopes except the address andstamps. 
About 2 ounces will go in a common sized envelope. 
Field, and Vegetable Garden Seeds. 
No. Weight of package. 
191— Mammoth M llet About one-half ounce. 
141— Darling's Rarly.Sweet Corn , . . About one ounce. 
lSi.— Stowelra Evergreen S weet jgpjn.. . About one ounce. 
1H7— Conn. Broad Leaf Tol>: ■SSWLfss Mian one-eighth ounce. 
188— Genuine Havana Tobacco. Less than one-eighth ounce. 
8— Daniel O'Bourke Pea.... .About one ounce. 
9— Champion of England Pea About one ounce. 
12-<iivi."i Kohl llabi ... ... . About one-fourth ounce. 
145— Flat Dutch (Winter) Cabbage.Abont one-fourth ounce. 
819— Early Sugar Loaf Cabbage ; ...About one-fourth ounce. 
199— lied Dutch Cabbage .About one-fourth ounce. 
04 — Extra early iiouud Turnip Radish ; one-fourth ounce. 
19— Round Spinach About one-half ounce. 
147— Neapolitan Cabbage Lettuce, ..About one-fourth ounce. 
101— Improved Long Orange Carrot ..About one-half ounce. 
149— Extra early Baesa.no Beet About one-half ounce. 
9S— Hubbard Squash, pure ....About one-fourth ounce. 
193— Fejee & Italian lied Tomato.. .About one-eighth ounce. 
15-4 — Ice Cream Water Melon About one-eighth ounce. 
317— Fine Nutmeg Melon .About one-eighth ounce. 
194 — Hollow Crown Parsnip . ....About one-fourth ounce. 
152— Fine Large Cheese Pumpkin. About one-fourth ounce. 
17— Red Strap-Leaf Turnip — About one-fourth ounce. 
195— Early Short Horn Carrot About one-fourth ounce. 
190— Green Curled Kale About one-fourth ounce. 
198— Improved Purple Egg Plant.. .About one-eighth ounce. 
197— Linnteus Rhubarb About one-ball" ounce. 
Flower and Ornamental Seeds* . 
89— Cotton Plant (2 kinds, mixed) . . One-half ounce. 
Ill— Castor Oil Bean One-half ounce. 
On an average any five of the following varieties will go 
under o/ie 1-cent stamp, (or two stamps if over 1500 miles.) 
John Smith, 
Albia. " 
Monroe CountuA 
Iowa,. ■ 
300— Fancy Gourds, (mixed 
varieties) (/w)* 
23— Mignonette, {ha} 
30— Tassel Flower, i/m) 
31— Chinese Pink, (ha) 
37— Beautiful Zinnias, (Mix- 
ed) </'"» 
49— Candytuft, (ha) 
51— Drummond'e Phlox(Aa) 
133— Cilia nivalis, (ha) 
134— Wnlttavla, {ha) 
120— Long tubed Centran- 
thus, (ha) 
164— Sweet-scented Agera- 
iiim, {.Ian 
109— Clarkia pulchella, (An) 
173— Mixed Larkspur, (ha) 
177— Graceful Quakin g 
Or ass, (ha) 
183— Sweet Al/Bsura, (ha) 
183— Fine Mixed German 
Asters, (ha) 
* (ha,) hardy annual ; (hha,) half hardv annual ■ (to-,) tender 
annual : (hhb.,) half hardy biennial; (tb.) tender biennial; 
(ftp,) hardy perennial; (hhp,) half hardy perennial ; 
C;V tender perennial. 
ITF~ Special to Canada Subscribers.— Owing to 
the fact that some Postmasters in the British Provinces insist 
upon collecting 20 cents an ounce on Seeds ana Plants, pre- 
paid here at the U. S. rates, It is hardly safe to send for seeds 
not worth that cost. Those living near the lines can usually 
have them mailed to some TJ. S. Post Office, where they can 
get them by private hands. Where clubs of considerable size 
are formed, it will pay to have seeds for all come together in 
a parcel by express. 
.03— Mixed G'n Poppy, (ha) 
204— Mixed Fr'h Poppy {ha) 
205— Double French Mari- 
gold, (hft) 
20G— Golden Straw Flower, 
(everlasting) (ha) 
210— Con vol vulus m i nor. (ha) 
212— Fine Sweet Peas, (ha) 
219— Marty nia in mav. ih<n 
220— Pei-iliaNankinensis(Aa) 
331— Striped Mirahilis (tut). 
27— Cockscomb, (ta) 
222— Convolvulus variega- 
tus, (ta) 
216— Aci'oelinium roseum, 
(hha) 
122— Mixed Canterbury 
Bells, (hb) 
170 — Evening Primrose, (hb) 
42— Foxglove, (hp) 
209— DwYBlueLarkspur.fftp) 
223— Mourning Bride, (hp) 
New York Live Stock Trade for 1862. 
The Live Stock Markets of New York city are by far 
the largest in this country. The importance of these 
markets is indicated by the fact that during last year, 
nearly two millions of live animals were brought here 
for slaughter. At the Forty-fourth street or Washington 
Yards alone, more than two hundred thousand (200,000) 
beef cattle were received and sold. The principal transac- 
tions are confined to a few points. Beef cattle are sold 
mainly at the Washington yards, kept by A. M. Allerton. 
These occupy the squares bounded east by Fourth 
avenue ; west by Fifth avenue ; south by Forty-third 
street ; and north by Forty-sixth street. Lesser numbers 
are sold at Browning's and O'Brien's, on Sixth street, 
near Third avenue ; at Chamberlin's on Robinson street, 
(nearly west of our office) ; and over the Hudson river at 
the Bergen yards, near the old terminus of the Erie Rail- 
road Milch cows, sheep, and veal calves are sold 
at all the four city markets. Hogs are mainly sold at 
West Fortieth street near the Hudson River. 
At present the principal weekly market day for beef 
cattle is on Monday ; the sales, however, are continued 
into Tuesday, the yards being generally cleaned out 
at about the middle of the afternoon of that day. 
Veal calves are mainly sold on Wednesdays. Cows, sheep, 
and live hogs are sold on all days, the largest transac- 
tions being on the first two days of the week, especially 
for sheep. A careful reporter, of long experience, from 
the office of the American Agriculturist, is always pres- 
ent at these sales, and with proper assistants, gathers up 
all items of interest, the number and derivation of the 
cattle, the number of other animals in, the prices real- 
ized, notes upon sales, etc., etc. These are furnished to 
some of the journals regularly, including the Daily, 
Semi-weekly, and Weekly Times, and the Methodist, and 
we also publish a condensed report for this Journal. 
Below is a summary for the past year, which will be found 
interesting, and useful for reference. Many of these 
figures we have already furnished to other journals. 
■WEEKLY AND TOTAL RECEIPTS FOB 1862. 
Week. Beef Net Milch Yeal Sheep, Live Total 
ending Cattle. price. Cows. Calves Lambs. Iloqs. all Juts. 
Jan. 7.... 4041 S 133 312 7,fi-,3 42,8S8 55,055 
Jan 14....366S 1% 123 314 8,593 46,713 59,411 
Jan. 81.. ..4388 1'A 94 362 9,023 30,037 44,508 
Jan. 28.... 2384 8 46 228 7,106 24.590 84.354 
Feb. 4.... 4733 8 90 S46 5,717 27,820 3s, 706 
Feb. 11.... 3190 S# 117 314 9,383 12,319 2:>,323 
Feb. 1S....3S94 8 119 313 8,270 16,080 28,676 
Feb. 83... .3329 8K 116 301 4,760 9,188 17,694 
Mar. 4. . . .3965 8 135 335 6.695 17.395 28,525 
Mar. 11.... 4414 7K 331 592 6,262 14,011 85,900 
Mar. IS. . . .3537 "t % 156 553 4,695 15,172 21,103 
Mar. 25.... 3299 8,'< 155 551 2,978 13,498 20.475 
April 1....3477 8 367 604 5,363 11,031 20,642 
April 8. . . .4001 8 100 855 4,717 12,333 22.U06 
April 15. ...3517 S% 127 991 6,170 9,623 20,428 
April 22.... 5059 "r£ 98 916 6,597 13,291 25,9(11 
April 29. ...3923 8 129 1070 5.124 13,567 23,813 
May 6.... 4116 W\ 115 968 5,074 9,98-1 20,^.7 
May 13.... 4778 7* 104 769 5.S74 11,117 32j672 
May 20.... 3393 S}£ 98 1025 7,006 7,713 19,235 
May 87... 5363 8 119 957 fi.712 8.244 21.391 
June 3. . . .3561 8^ 106 537 8,347 10,873 23,427 
June 10.... 4426 8^ 101 533 7,906 11,660 24,596 
June 17.... 4485 8 115 757 8,639 11,263 25,259 
Juue 24.... 4427 8^ 88 489 8,376 6,403 19.792 
July 1. .. .5187 1% 140 753 11,778 13,918 31,781 
July 8 ...4249 7H 113 503 9,796 9,562 24,228 
July 15. . . .3552 7& 97 600 9,592 5.S71 19.712 
July 22.... 5582 7H 104 577 11,302 11.112 28,707 
July 29. . . .3887 7^ 90 593 12,725 10.280 27,485 
All" 5. . . .4629 7> 4 ' 62 547 9,472 11,294 26,004 
Aug. 12. . . .4148 7 94 576 11,124 14,814 31.1)56 
Aug. 19. . . .4130 "i% 70 350 112,54 12,663 28, 167 
Aug. 26 ...5022 1% 87 487 12,379 15,197 83.172 
Sept. 8... 4698 7^ 78 441 13,546 14,210 32,973 
Sept. 9.... 5269 7*2 80 525 13,752 14,204 33,830 
Sept. 16.... 6410 V.i 50 503 15,734 16,479 39,176 
Sept. 23 .. .4890 7K 83 473 14,030 21,316 40.792 
Sept. 30 ..5245 7'i 94 660 12,191 21.252 37,442 
Oct. 7... 5133 7K 96 499 12,546 23,906 42,1*0 
Oct. 14.... 5316 7^ 100 746 13,931 29,534 49,657 
Oct. 21... .5417 7^ 88 750 14,528 23.825 44,636 
Oct. 28.... 5360 ~i% 82 717 13,215 29,599 48,973 
Nov. 4.. 5567 1% 105 767 "8,973 31.672 47,084 
NOV. 11.... 5330 7i^ 107 794 18,466 40,662 59,359 
Nov. IS.... 5723 V4 93 855 10,085 34,488 51.211 
Nov. 25. ...5461 7 62 576 10.116 32,671 43,886 
Dec. 2. . 4266 7^ 86 420 10,421 62,636 67.S2SI 
Pec. 9.. ..5865 8 64 S18 10,749 49,580 66,076 
Dec. 16.... 6276 7>£ 69 406 8,871 53,778 69,100 
Dec. 23.. ..5012 7H 63 433 7,924 85,154 48,586 
Dec. 30. . . .4809 7^ 120 392 4,957 62,165 71,443 
Total 9.235,660 5,253 30,258 475.722 1,098,712 1,815,605 
Weely av. 4532 1% 101 532 9,149 221,129 35,492 
TOTAL RECEIPTS OF LIVE ANIMALS FOR 3 YEARS. 
Veal All 
Beef Cattle. Cows, Calves. Sheep. Hogs. Kinds, 
1862 235,660 5258 80.258 475,722 1 098,712 1,845,605 
1851 226,023 5816 33.: K8 527.358 598,509 1,387.327 
I860 226,747 7154 40,162 514,191 319,628 1,107 882 
AVERAGE WEEKLY RECEIPTS FOB 3 YEARS. 
Veal All 
Beef Cattle. Cows. Calves. Sheep. Hogs. Kinds 
1362 4538 101 583 9149 21,129 35,492 
1801 4265 110 680 9950 11,392 86,176 
1860 4360 138 772 9883 6,147 21,305 
AVERAGE PRICE PER. LB. FOR THE NET OR ESTIMATED 
DRESSED WEIGHT OF ALL THE BEEF CATTLE SOLD. 
|868 7KJ1861 71-5C.118G0 8 l-5c. 
Tlie Supply and Prices. 
Beef Cattle have run remarkably uniform during three 
years past, The receipts averaged 4360; then 42C5, and 
last year, 4532 per week. The total receipts, however, 
were about 10.000 head more last year than in any pre- 
vious year. The details in the table above, indicate the 
variation? from week to week, and at different seasons, 
as well as tlie effect upon prices, of a larger or smaller 
supply. — The Prices have varied from 7c. to 6V cents per 
pound, for the estimated weight of dressed carcasses. 
This is the average of all sales in every week. Tlie range 
has been from 4%c. to lie. for the different grades. It 
will be noticed that for exactly the first half of the year. 
the average weekly rates were nearly always at 8c. ot 
above: while for the second half they were always below 
8c, except one week. The average of the weekly aver- 
ages is 1% cents. As larger numbers were sold at the low- 
er rales, the average of all the cattle sold has been al 
about 7 cents and 6 mills. Owing to the short, dry pas- 
tures last Summer, In many localities, and to the general 
advance in other commodities, it is believed that higher 
prices will prevail during 1S63. 
Milch Cows. — The receipts for 1862 were considerably 
less than during the previous two years, and until just at 
the close, the prices rated very low. The stringent laws 
against swill milk from distilleries, and the increased fa- 
cilities for bringing milk from the country, have lessened 
the demand for cows at the city markets. 
Veal Calves.— The number received in 1862, was 
smaller than for the two previous years. The prices 
ranged fully as high as in 1861. 
Sheep.— The receipts of sheep and lambs for 1862 were 
51,636 head less than in lS61,and the markets have gener- 
ally been unsupplied. This has resulted from the high 
price of wool, and the consequent increased attention to 
wool growing. Both mutton and pelts have been much 
higher than previously. Sheep for slaughter, and for 
farm purposes, are probably higher now than ever before. 
Live Hoas.— These have come to this market for a 
year past, in numbers beyond all precedent. The closing 
of the Mississippi, the trouble in the southwestern borders 
of the great corn producing regions, and the scarcity ot 
barrel makers at the West, have caused a large shipment 
of live hogs to this market. The receipts for 1S62 reached 
1,098,712. Prices ruled very low during most of 
1862, and until the cool packing weather came on. 
All Kinds.— The total number of animals of all kinds 
received in this city at the regular yards during 1802, 
reached the enormous figures of 1 9 815 9 605 9 or an av- 
erage for each week of 35,10*5. 
Derivation of tlie Beef Cattle. 
Of the 235,660 Beef Cattle brought here last year, 211,- 
060 were yarded at the great. 44th-street markets, and of 
these our reporters have gathered the origin so far as 
could be learned from personal inquiry among the drovers, 
and from the yard books. The following table shows 
where the cattle came from. 
From No. of Head. 
Missouri... 1,71 1 
Pennsylvania 1,585 
Connecticut 589 
Canada 505 
New-Jersey 427 
Virginia 117 
From No. of. Head. 
Illinois 103,7*29 
New-York 35,640 
Ohio 19,"05 
Indiana 15,840 
Kentucky 9,571 
Michigan 7,346 
Iowa 3,698 
It is noteworthy that of the 21 1 ,060 cattle at Forty- fou rth 
street, 103,729, or nearly one half, are credited directly to 
the single State of Illinois ! But more than this: of the 
35,640 credited to New-York State, for example, a large 
proportion were raised and fed at the West, very many 
of them in Illinois, and brought on to be pastured awhile 
at the East. We may safely estimate, therefore, that lo 
the single gracing and corn-growing Stale of Illinois, wc 
are indebted for much more than half of the oris hundred 
and sixty JivemiUion pounds of beef brought to New-York 
during the year 1862 ! 
Railroads and Live Stock, — The following table 
shows the routes by which the cattle yarded at Forty- 
fourth street have arrived here: 
Hudson River R. ft... 78,2S3|Camden & Amboy R.R.I, 844 
Erie Railroad. 68,782'HudBOn River Boats. ..6,829 
Harlem Railroad 43,9y6|On Foot... 6.201 
N. J. Central R. R. ..Il,72S|New-Haven R. R 148 
The importance of our great railroads is illustrated by 
the receipts of Western stock, which form but a small item 
in their freight business. To say nothing of the million 
hogs and the half million sheep brought in mainly by rail- 
road, at least 200,000 cattle have come in by cars. The 
curious in figures may estimate how long a line of cattle 
would be formed, were these cattle to be all driven here 
from the West, in one continuous drove : how many- 
drovers would be required , how much feed on the w-ay ; 
how much the cattle would depreciate, etc., clc 
