30 
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL NEWS.—EDITOR’S TAELE. 
night-soil. Dry coal-ashes, and charred substances of 
any kind, are destroyers of the bad smell. Soot mixed 
with saw-dust answers both purposes. 
Johnston’s Lectures on Agricultural Chemis¬ 
try and Geology —28th and 29th Nos.—The princi¬ 
pal subject these numbers discuss, is the change of 
soil and grasses ; and practical experiments are given 
on different methods of cultivating roots, grain, and 
grass crops. 
Cure of the Glanders in the Human Being. —In the 
Veterinarian for March, we find an account of a 
French groom being cured of this disease in Paris. 
The case is pronounced unique; for, in all the instan¬ 
ces of glanders in the human subject hitherto reported, 
the disease has universally proved fatal. 
Nitrate of Soda. —The Gardener and Practical Flor¬ 
ist states, that two ewt. per acre is recommended for 
farm crops; 6 oz. in 4 gals, of water for celery; 1 lb. 
in 12 gals, for dahlias; 1 oz. to 1 gal. for strawber¬ 
ries ; and 1 lb. to 8 gals, for onions. 
Gas Liquor , such as was formerly turned into the 
Thames, used in the proportion of 3 parts to 20 of 
water, has been tried on grass, and found to quadruple 
its product. 
Grafting Wax. —Take 4 oz. pitch, 4 oz. resin, 2 
oz. beeswax, and 1 oz. lard, and melt them well to¬ 
gether. 
Paxton’s Magazine of Botany, for March, is em¬ 
bellished by the Echites splendens, splendid echites; Ma¬ 
ne th a bicolor, two-colored flowered manetha; Digitalis 
purpurea superba, purple foxglove, superb variety; 
and the Campanula grandis, large bell-flower—in the 
usual beautiful coloring and truthful drawings of this 
superb work. 
Stephens’s Book of the Farm. —Part XII. is re¬ 
ceived. The subjects of which it treats are, the corn 
markets, forming dunghills and liquid manure tanks, 
irrigation, cows calving, and of calves. 
Cultivation of Sugar-cane. —Among the new works 
lately issued upon agriculture, and which may interest 
our southern readers, is a volume called The Nature 
and Properties of the Sugar-cane, with Practical Di¬ 
rections for the Improvement of its Culture, and the 
Manufacture of its Products, by George Richardson 
Porter. It is a work of 240 pages, large octavo, illus¬ 
trated with engravings; and the price here is $3 25. 
Through the politeness of the Secretary of the 
American Institute, we are favored by the following 
letter from one of its officers, now travelling in Eu¬ 
rope, and hope to hear from him occasionally direct, 
during his stay there. This letter should have ap¬ 
peared two months since, but accidentally got mislaid. 
smithfield cattle-show. 
London, December 17,1842. 
T. B. Wake man, Esq. 
My Dear Sir : By this conveyance, I forward yon a parcel 
containing- a paper—the Illustrated London News—profuse in par¬ 
ticulars of the recent Great Cattle Show of the fat cattle of Eng¬ 
land, held in London. In the parcel are also a number of Bills 
which I collected among the various exhibitors of agricultural im¬ 
plements, most of them having wood-cut representations of the 
machines to which they refer. I deem this the best means of con¬ 
veying to you the form and construction of the most favorite arti¬ 
cles in this line in use here. Among the hardware articles was an 
axe, polished and blued in imitation of Collins’s, in Connecticut. 
The maker’s name is Fenn, and it was labelled “ The celebrated 
Ameiican Axe, with which they fell their great forests.” Although 
not as well shaped as the original in our own country, or as well 
finished, it was decidedly the prettiest and most showy thing, in 
the hardware line, in the exhibition. The variety of plows, straw- 
cutters, cultivators, seed-planters, &c., was very numerous and 
extensive. 
I also send a small parcel containing a sample of compost ma¬ 
nure, which has been used here with great effect. It contains 
blood, oil, charcoal, and, I believe, ammonia. The proprietor was 
on the ground, and took many orders. It is calculated particularly 
for a loose, porous soil, like Long Island. It is now black i id 
damp, like coarse French snuff, when fresh ; but I suppose it will 
be dry when you get it. A poudrette man was near by, but this 
person outsold him—see bill inside the parcel. The specimens of 
beets, carrots, turneps, and parsneps, exceeded anything in size and 
perfection of shape I have ever seen. Of the animals, it is need¬ 
less to say, that, for beauty of proportion, smallness of bone, and 
excess of fat, they exceeded all of which I had ever before any 
conception. It is said to have been the finest show of fat cattle 
ever seen in England. 
Inasmuch as the exhibition was in the extensive Horse-Mart and 
Carriage Repository, adjoining the great Baker-street Bazar, a 
passage was made to communicate therewith ; and as this place is 
occupied as a kind of market for the sale of all kinds of goods, 
wares, and merchandise, arranged on stalls attended by females, 
the toute ensemble made up, perhaps, the most perfect exhibition 
that an English Institute could make at this day. The place, du¬ 
ring the week, was the most fashionable resort in London for the 
nobility and gentry. The space was kept remarkably clean, and, 
for comfort and convenience, did great credit to the managers. 
The English farmers, in their frocks, in attendance on the beasts, 
added not a little effect to the general interest of the show. Were 
I to go into details, I fear I should be thought too prosy ; and I only 
wish you had been here to have attended. 
The surprising increase in the perfection of well-bred animals 
in this country, for the few past years, is only positive evidence 
of that success which awaits the mass of American cattle-breed¬ 
ers, instead of the few at the present time. The mutton here is 
decidedly superior to ours. In fowls, we surpass them altogether. 
In fruit, we are far before England, in variety and flavor, except 
in pears ; and this fruit is much superior, in taste and variety, to 
what we have produced. I speak of the fruit found, during the 
seasons of its perfection, in the great London vegetable mart, Co¬ 
vent Garden. 
Ehttw’s 2Tat)lv. 
EC7 3 Notices of the Press.— We have received several valu¬ 
able works to notice this month, all of which are in type, but una¬ 
voidably omitted till our next, for want of room. Among them are 
Downing’s Cottage Residences, one of the most tasteful and useful 
books of the day; Travels over the Rocky Mountains and in the 
Oregon Territory, by Rev. Thomas Farnham ; Hon. H. L. Ells¬ 
worth’s Report—the last two published at the Tribune office, and 
for sale at 25 cents eaeh ; Stephens’s Book of the Farm ; Paxton’s 
Magazine of Botany; The Zincali, by the Rev. George Borrow, 
author of Bible in Spain—two editions, one 25 cents, and the other 
38 cents ; Prof. Murray’s Encyclopedia of Geography; John¬ 
son’s Encyclopedia of Agriculture, by an American editor, at $4— 
one fourth the price of the English edition ; Liebig’s Animal Chem¬ 
istry, new edition, at 25 cents ; &c., &c. 
To Correspondents.—R. H. Hendrickson, Geo. W. Williams, 
J. Dinsmore, E. Cornell, Viator from Wiskonsan, Examiner, 
George W. Taylor, C. N. Bement, F. T. Vail, and T. M. C., will 
appear in our next. We beg pardon of the latter for not inserting 
his communication this month. It was put in type, but, in making 
up the paper, was accidentally omitted. 
E. C. is informed that Bellfounder will stand at Middletown the 
ensuing season. See advertisement. 
T. B. S. Your books and seeds are sent to Philadelphia, as di 
rected. 
A. B. The same. 
J. D. We are promised an article on the cultivation of Madder, 
&c., for May No., from the pen of a practical man. You will see 
part of your inquiries answered by back Nos. of American Agri¬ 
culturist just sent. All others will be replied to privately, in a 
day or two. 
G. W. W. The same. 
Z. A. P. Your plows were shipped on the 30th ult. They could 
not possibly be got ready before. Cultivators are promised in a 
fortnight. To suit you, we had to get new castings, and an article 
made under our own direction. 
B. A. F. You were sent the catalogues. 
F. T. V. The Orange bark and remittances are received. Your 
inquiries shall be answered in our next, if possible to get the in¬ 
formation. In the meanwhile, see if you find nothing under head 
of Foreign News, in our last three and this No., to your pur¬ 
pose. The ink of your favor is so faded as to make it almost 
illegible. 
T. A. & M. W. P. Plows, books, &c., shipped this day. 
A Friend to the Prosperity of American Independence is re¬ 
ceived. We have referred to the article in question, but, as it is 
eight years since it was published, we should suppose, if the grass 
were so valuable as there represented, it would have come into 
pretty general cultivation by this time. Will “ A Friend,” &c., 
grant us an interview, as we are disposed to make his offered pre 
mium public. We have seen hemp in Kentucky, dressed and 
bleached so as to appear like the finest flax ; and we are of opinio? 
that it may be manufactured into the best of paper. 
W. H. S. The four quires of paper shall be sent in a few days, 
with the printed figures on them. 
C. & F. Engravers in this city are easily obtained, but artists to 
take sketches and portraits are difficult to be found 
