FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
i no 
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
By the steamship Cambrii, we are in receipt of our 
foreign journals to February 4th. 
Markets. — Ashes in limited request. Cotton re¬ 
mains in price as per our last, and was quite firm. A 
small advance is anticipated as soon as money becomes 
easier. Flour no change, j Beef, Pork , and Cheese , slow 
of sale. Lard has fallen rapidly. Tallow , a slight 
improvement. Tobacco, without alteration. PFoo/has 
advanced and was purchased freely. 
Money was still scarce and in much demand. 
Important Alterations of Duties on American Produce. 
—The British Ministry propose to make important 
reductions on many of the articles exported from 
America to England. We hope to see a similar*spirit 
manifested by the cabinet at Washington. The alter- 
Previous duty. Reduced to 
Bacon, - - - - 14s per cwt. - - Free. 
Beef, fresh, - - - 8s per cwt. - - Free. 
“ salted, - - 8s per cwt. - - Free. 
Hay, - - - - 16s per load. - - Free. 
Hides, --- - 2d per lb. - - Free. 
Meat, --- - 8s per cwt. - - Free. 
Pork, ... - 8s per cwt. - - Free. 
Buckwheat, - - - - - - Is per quarter. 
Butter, ... 20s per cwt. - - 10s per cwt. 
Candles—Tallow, 10s per cwt. - - 5s per cwt. 
Cheese, - - - - 10s 6d per cwt. 5s per cwt. 
Clocks, .... 20 per cent. - - 10 per cent. 
Hams, - - - - 14s per cwt. - - 7s per cwt. 
Hops,.90s per cwt. - 45s per cwt. 
Indian Corn, - - heavy duty. - - Is per quarter. 
Rice, ----- - 6s per cwt. - -Is per quarter. 
Tallow, - - - - 3s Gd per cwt. Is per cwt. 
There are many other articles manufactured by the 
American artizan which may be exported to England 
with advantage, provided this new tariff is carried 
out. 
There seems great inconsistency in admitting Ame¬ 
rican bacon free, and charging hams (the other part of 
the pig) with a duty of 7s per cwt. We advise our 
friends to cure the whole side, including the ham, 
which in this country is called “ A gammon of bacon,” 
and is estimated a “ dainty dish,” but do not overdo it 
with salt. In a few packets hence we will forward 
to our New York agents recipes for curing bacon, 
adopted in three most celebrated counties in England, 
viz., Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Cumberland, which 
may be had on the application of a letter, post-paid. 
Mutton Hams, cured, are, in England, held in high 
estimation by the epicure. These could be imported 
free as salted meat; and our recollection of the prices 
on a late tour through the States, leads us to the expect¬ 
ation that the exporters would make money by the 
speculation.— European Times. 
Spanish Sheep. —We have recent advices from Messrs. 
Taintor and F. M. Rotch, who are now in Spain, 
busily engaged in looking over the Merino flocks of 
that country. They seem determined to bring away 
something valuable if to be found, no matter what 
may be the risk, trouble, and expense—to say nothing 
of their fatigue and danger in traversing so rude and 
disturbed a country. 
Mr. John P. Norton, our Edinburgh correspondent for 
the past year or more, has been on a tour in France 
and Germany, and being very much engaged, has been 
obliged to discontinue his letters for the Agriculturist. 
He will probably leave England for the United States 
this month. It rejoices us to announce, that he has 
won the £50 (nearly $250) prize of the Highland Ag¬ 
ricultural Society for the best analytical investigation 
of the organic and inorganic parts of various kinds of 
oats, grown ondifferent soils, and by different manures. 
The paper is to be published entire by the Society 
This is no small feather in Mr. Norton’s chemical cap , 
and does honor to the American name. 
To Prevent the Return of the Disease in Potatoes. — The 
board of Trade in Holland has published the follow¬ 
ing rules to be observed as a preventive of the potato 
disease :—1. To leave the potatoes in the ground until 
very dry weather occurs. Experiments having shown 
that their decay is accelerated by being taken up, it is 
advisable to leave them in the ground at first, in order 
to get dried, and afterwards to lay them out over the 
field. This would have the double advantage of ren¬ 
dering the vegetable more wholesome, and of preserv¬ 
ing it. 2. The following applies especially to those 
potatoes to be used as seed for next year : It is neces¬ 
sary to beware of planting those plants which have been 
attacked by the disease. They must be carefully chosen 
from those whose stalks have not been attacked, and 
placed in a situation free from the slightest damp. 
As the disease has been less severe in gravelly than in 
clayey soils, the tubers should be chosen from those 
gravelly soils where the disease has not penetrated. 
3. The withered leaves of diseased potatoes, which 
are of no value, should be immediately burnt; the same 
should be done with the rotten potatoes, which can¬ 
not be of any use. Nothing should remain of them. 
4. It is necessary to avoid as much as possible plant 
ing potatoes in the same spots where they have been 
planted this year, for it is most probable that seeds of 
the fungi have remained in these places, and there 
would be great risk of the ensuing crop being simi¬ 
larly attacked. 5. If, notwithstanding every effort, the 
disease should again break out next year, the mo¬ 
ment the first symptoms of it are perceived, the first 
leaves that turn yellow should be taken off and burnt, 
or the entire field should be watered towards evening 
with lime water, or still better, with diluted sulphuric 
acid so as to destroy the seeds of the cryptogamous 
fungi; sulphuric acid, moreover,prevents rotting, and 
when prepared as above direced, can do no injury to 
the plants themselves. 
Increase of Stock in New South Wales. —Our flocks 
and herds continue to increase. We had on the last 
day of 1844 nine thousand horses, one hundred and 
forty-two thousand head of cattle, and five hundred 
and fifty thousand sheep, more than we had on the last 
day of 1843.— ■Simmond’s Colonial Magazine. 
Steep for Seed Wheat. —Sulphate of soda (Glauber’s 
salts) is dissolved in water in the proportion of 25 lbs. 
to 31 gallons of water. With this solution the wheat 
laid upon a paved or slabbed floor is sprinkled, the 
whole being meanwhile well turned till the grain will 
absorb no more of the liquid. Twelve pounds and a 
half of sifted quicklime are then added to each 8 bush¬ 
els, taking care to mix the seed as carefully as possi¬ 
ble. The seed thus prepared should be sown imme¬ 
diately. The. sulphate of soda, which is composed ot 
sulphuric acid and soda, combines with the lime; the 
lime forms sulphate of lime or gypsum ; the caustic 
alkali acts on the diseased germs, and the calcareous 
salt stimulates the grain.— Ag. Gaz. 
Potatoes. —It has been the observation of myself and 
others that the pigs fed on the infected Potatoes have 
fattened faster than on those that were not damaged, 
and I think Liebig accounts for this in his theory oi 
the change that has taken place in the darkened parts 
of the potatoes. I had an acre of potatoes planted early, 
and though most of them were injured, yet I do not 
find them become worse. The great thing is to keep 
them dry. I find cows and sheep use them readily, 
and thrive upon them. I have planted potatoes this 
autumn, and some where the infected potatoes grew, 
and am inclined to think that I shall have as good a 
crop there, and as free from damage. as_ elsewhere.— 
lb. 
