THE SHORTHORN BULL METEOR. 
317 
Arabian parentage, which conclusion, the ori- 
gin of his sire confirms, he being selected in 
Italy, by one of the principal officers of Napo- 
leon's army. Many of his colts were also on 
the ground, one or more of which took the first 
prize in its class, and all reflected great credit 
on their breeding. 
There were many excellent specimens of the 
Morgan horse, both from this state, and Ver- 
mont, whose merits, as road horses, it would be 
difficult to surpass, for their size. There were 
numerous other good horses of all grades, from 
the thorough bred, to the most unwieldly cart 
horse, besides a goodly display of breeding 
mares and their colts. The number of match 
horses was not so great nor meritorious as we 
have before seen. Albany county, alone, could 
make a better display, we think, had there been 
a proper public spirit to have called them out. 
Cattle. — The show of cattle, as to numbers 
and excellence in some of the classes, has never 
been surpassed, if it has ever been equalled in this 
country. There were many shorthorns and De- 
vons, and of great merit. There were the 
shorthorn bulls Duke of Cambridge, Earl Sea- 
ham, and Vane Tempest, imported by Messrs. 
Sherwood and Stevens, and Waldeman, im- 
ported by Mr. L. Spencer. There were other 
choice animals, either imported or immediately 
descended from choice imported stock, but we 
cannot afford the space to enumerate them. 
A few excellent Herefords were shown, by 
Messrs. Keese & Corning. FineAyrshires were 
on the ground, from the herds of Mr. Prentice, 
the President, Mr. Mclntire, the Treasurer of 
the Society, Mr. R. L. Colt, and others. Two 
pretty specimens, both male and female, of 
the Alderney and Hungarian cattle, were shown 
by Mr. Colt. The latter had the dingj r muzzles 
and drab, mulish dress of the Alderneys. They 
are, however, hard handlers, and we much doubt, 
like the institutions of their patriotic country- 
men, they are not a full century behind the best 
type of modern civilisation and improvement. 
A good many natives and grade animals were 
there, and some of them decidedly meritorious. 
The working and fat cattle were much less nu- 
merous than are brought to the show grounds 
in the middle and eastern part of the state ; but 
there were some of each, it would be difficult 
to excel. We have never seen a more sym- 
metrical nor beautiful specimen of fat oxen, than 
the pair of shorthorns, so exquisitely flecked 
with red and white. When reclining on the 
ground, a hillock of tulips and hyacinths, car- 
nations and roses, could hardly have exhibited 
more brilliancy and attractive beauty. 
Sheep. — There was not a full show in this 
department, and especially, among the fine 
wools, so abundant in this part of the state. 
There were some noble specimens of the large 
French Merinos, originally imported by Mr. 
Taintor, and now owned by the Messrs. Bing- 
ham, which shear very large fleeces, and of a 
good quality. Saxons, as large as the Spanish 
Merino, also recently imported, were exhibited. 
Specimens from more than one large native 
flock were shown, the owners of which assured 
us, that, with ordinary keeping and attention, 
their fleeces had for several preceding seasons, 
averaged over $2 per head. Such cannot but 
be profitable stock to any farmer having soils 
and locality adapted to them. There was a 
pretty full representation of the South Downs, 
and many of them very choice animals. The 
prizes were divided among the old competit- 
ors, Col. Sherwood, Messrs. Rotch, Mclntire, and 
Wakeman. The long wools were also good, 
but not abundant. This family of sheep are 
extending rapidly throughout the country, and 
promise soon to afford us an ample supply for 
all our growing manufactures of combed wool. 
Swine were not very plenty, but such as were 
on the ground exhibited quite a passable merit. 
There were delegates from the leading breeds, 
Berkshires, Lincolnshires, Suffolks, &c. 
The Poultry was less numerous than last year, 
but there were many fine birds, both land and 
aquatics, that did great credit to their breeders. 
Rabbits of formidable proportions, and im- 
mense lopped ears, were shown from the war- 
ren of Mr. Rotch. Many of these will yield a 
hind quarter, equal in size, while they surpass 
in flavor, some of the lambs brought to our 
market. 
Farm Implements. — Of these, there was a large 
number of very meritorious character. Most 
of the manufacturers and dealers in plows and 
farming tools sent in choice specimens of each, 
and perhaps the show, in this department, has 
never, on the whole, been surpassed, certainly 
not in the merit of the articles, if it has been 
equalled in their numbers. 
The Dairy Products, Salt, Maple Sugar, Flow- 
ers, Honey, Vegetables, Grain, Seeds, Fruit, Do- 
mestic Manufactures, Miscellaneous Fabrics, Nee- 
dle Work, Embroidery, Paintings, Musical Instru- 
ments, &c, were all displayed in their usual 
profusion and excellence, and did great credit 
to the skill and enterprise of their exhibitors, 
and the intelligence and liberality of the great 
society which has been the means of calling 
them out. 
The Annual Speech, by Amos Dean, Esq., we 
had not the pleasure of hearing, but it is spoken 
of as doing great credit to its intelligent author, 
and well calculated to push forward the career 
of agricultural improvement throughout the 
Empire State. 
-*- 
The Shorthorn Bull Meteor. — Mr. Vail, of 
Troy, the owner of Meteor, requests us to say, 
that he was not entered as extra stock, for com- 
petition, at the late show at Albany ; but was 
there merely for exhibition, and was so entered 
on the State Agricultural Society's books. 
Trenching Old Orchards. — If you have any 
neglected old trees in your orchards, fork or 
trench up the earth all around their trunks for 
a distance of four or five feet, and give to each 
tree at least a bushel of compost, made of equal 
parts of stable manure and leaf mold or swamp 
muck. And at the top of this, spread half a 
peck, to each tree, of charcoal dust, wood ashes, 
and oyster-shell lime. 
