SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
95 
BLOODED STOCK. 
To what is the comparative failure of the American 
horse in England to be attributed 1 
Is it that the English horse is superior in some or all the 
requisites for the turfi Or is it to be accounted for by 
the effects of change of climate, or some unfavorable in- 
fluence of so long a sea voyage 1 
A writer in one of the English papers is certainly free 
in his comments on the specimens of our stock which 
have entered the lists in England ; this is a tough morsel 
for our sportsmen : 
“In America, great atention is being paid to the breed 
of horses, and hence some of our best animals have been 
of late exported. Jonathan however, entertained an over- 
weening estimation of his blooded stock, and although he 
acknowledged that the British racers could lick creation, 
he boasted that his could lick the British. Lecomte and 
Pryor died in this country, but before their death they did 
nothing to justify the reputation which preceded them to 
England. Prioress — not better than a second-rate English 
three-year-old— has been more fortunate than meritorious; 
whilst Babylon and Bonita — if we are to regard them as 
specimens of the American race horses — have brought the 
American blood-stock into contempt. The former came 
to this country with a reputation of having chased a flash 
of greased lightning round a field, and beaten it by a neck ; 
but it has been proved that he cannot go over a two mile 
course, unless carried in a van ; whilst Bonita, not big- 
ger than a donkey, would be a week galloping off a cab- 
bage leaf.” 
This is noticed by Porter's Spirit of the Tivies as fol- 
lows : 
“If any of our racing correspondents Vi^ishes to contest 
the above views, they are welcome to the battle. For 
our part, we will be a little patent, and wait till next year 
We feel at liberty to say at present, however, that we do 
not consider the relative measure of merit between the 
horse.s of the two countries as by any means established 
through the comparison of the last two seasons; and we 
shall not be finally satisfied in the premises until some first 
class English race horse is sent out here. We wish to 
ascertain whether there is not something in acclimation, 
and the effects of an Atlantic voyage on thorough-bred 
stock. 
Manuring Light Soils. — I like your paper first rate, 
and would like to see a few hints as to the best way of 
managing a farm composed of 30 acres of light sandy 
loam. As my farm is on high land, and composed of a 
light sandy loam, the advice about draining, using peat, 
muck, &c., does not reach my case, as these materials are 
not at my command ; would that they were. I cannot 
satisfy myself as to what is the best way to enrich my 
farm; yet it must be done somehow to make it pay. Am 
at present using the manure from one horse, six cows, 
three hogs, and fowls, mixed with half loam. 
0. P. W. 
The application of the compost, so far as it goes, is a 
good one — the greater the amount of clay in the loam 
used for the compost the better, both because it is the best 
absorbent of the enriching parts of the manure, and be- 
cause it tends to give strength to the soil. We would re- 
commend as an additional means of enriching the land, 
the practice of plowing in frequently green crops, and 
especially of clover. It often happens that this proves 
much the cheapest mode of manuring, obviating the cost 
ofheavy cartage. The addition of some lime, ashes or 
marl (shell or earthy) in connection with other fertilizers 
will probably be useful. — Counfrij Genlteman. 
NATIONAL AGKICULTUBAL COLLEGE. 
The following are the provisions of the bill, now pending 
in the Senate, for the establishment of a National Agricul- 
tural College in each State of the Union: 
Sec. 1. Enacts that 5,920,000 acres of land be appro- 
priated in each State, in quantity equal to 20,000 acres for 
each Senator and Representative in Congress to which 
the States are now respectively entitled. 
Sec. 2. That the said land, after being surveyed, shall 
be apportioned in sections, or subdivisions of sections not 
less than one-quarter of a section ; and wherever there are 
public lands in a State worth Si 25 per acre — (the Go- 
vernor to determine the value) — the apportionment shall 
be selected from such lands. Where there are no public 
lands of the Value of SI 25 per acre, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall issue land scrip to the amount of their dis- 
tributive shares in acres, such scrip to be sold by such 
State and the proceeds applied for the purpose of this act. 
Provided., That in no case shall any State locate its land 
scrip within the limits of any other State, but their as- 
signees may locate their scrip on any unappropriated 
lands, subject to private entry. 
Sec. 3. All expenses of management and disbursement 
shall be paid by the respective States, so that the entire 
proceeds of the land shall accrue to the College. 
Sec. 4. All money from lands and scrips shall be inves- 
ted in the United States, or other safe stocks yielding not 
less than 5 per cent. — which sums invested shall consti- 
tute a perpetual fund for ever undiminished, of which the 
interest shall be inviolably applied to the maintenance of 
at least one College in each State where the leading ob- 
ject shall be, without excluding other scientific or classical 
studies, to teach such branches of learning as relate to 
agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the 
legislature may prescribe, in order to promote the liberal 
and practical education of the industrial classes in the se- 
veral pursuits and professions in life. 
Sec. 5. Details various financial minutiae, and permits 
10 per cent, of the grant to be expended in purchase of 
site for experimental farms. An annual report shall be 
prepared by each College and be sent to every College 
constituted under this act, also the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion and the Agricultural Department of the Patent Office. 
This bill passed the House of Representatives, April 22, 
1858. 
A Pretty Conceit. — We yesterday saw, in the parlor 
of a friend, a very beautiful conceit. It is, of course, the 
fancy of a lady, and consists of a burr of a pine tree placed 
in a wine glass half-full of water, and from between the 
different layers of the burr are shooting forth green blades 
— bright, beautiful, refreshing. For a little thing, we 
have seen nothing that so pleased us by its beauty and 
novelty. And the secret is this : The burr was found 
dried and open ; the different circles were sprinkled with 
grass seed, and it was placed in a wine glass, with water 
in as above. In a few days the moisture and nourish- 
ment gave the burr life and health; the different circles 
closed and buried within themselves the grass seed, and a 
few days more gave to the seed also life, sprout and 
growth; and now a pyramid of living green, beuutifully 
relieved by the sombre hue of the burr, is the result— as 
pretty and novel a parlor ornament as we have for a long 
while seen. We do not know whether the idea w'as ori- 
ginal with the lady, but we do not know that its success 
is beautiful. — Troy Times. 
Love of Flowers. — it you find that your child loves 
flowers, cultivate that love — encourage it. It will be 
found refining and elevating, and the child will grow 
thoughtful, docile ard beautiful under such influence. 
Let him (or her) learn the history and character of one 
flower, before’another is added to the list. 
