126 
REVIEW OF THE OCTOBER NO. OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 
to all that own one single foot of ground, set out a 
tree, a shrub, or vine. 
Tendency of Lime to Sink Below the Surface .— 
It appears to me, that all who are so far advanced 
in geological science, as to know how lime-stone is 
formed, must be aware that such will be the natural 
tendency of limeing land, to form itself again into 
stone, below the surface. It will, therefore, be 
found necessary to keep such lands constantly 
stirred. 
Prices of Produce. —You say you hear much com¬ 
plaint among farmers, of the low price of produce. 
And do they not have reason to complain ? I will 
take the article of -wheat; the average yield in this 
state [New York], is about thirteen bushels per 
acre. What is the average price ? I think seventy- 
five cents above the mark. This is grown upon 
land averaging $25 in value, per acre, at least; a 
fair interest, including repairs of fences, &c., is ten 
per cent. This leaves $7.25 per acre, to pay for 
seed and labor. Who will say that the price is not 
too low ? At the West, the boasted wheat region of 
the West, the case is still worse. Having this mat¬ 
ter in my mind, I wrote to a gentleman near Chicago, 
who is well known by name and good reputation 
to agricultural readers, for some facts in regard to 
wheat culture in that vicinity. He gives it as his 
opinion, that for six years, the average price of 
W’heat in Chicago has not exceeded 50 cents a bush¬ 
el ; and that the average distance, that it has been 
hauled over very bad new country roads, is forty 
miles, in loads'not exceeding an average of thirty 
bushels to the pair of horses ; and that the average 
yield of all the broad acres sowp, for six years, has 
certainly been less than ten bushels to the acre. 
Such being the fact, there is no wonder that the 
farmer complains that the price of his produce is 
toololv. The price does not pay him twenty-five 
cents a day for his labor. It is “ too low\” 
Economical Hay-press. —Although you think that 
the description “ will be sufficiently intelligible to 
enable any ingenious carpenter to build one,” I ven¬ 
ture to assert, that not one in ten possesss ingenuity 
enough to discover how to build one like this, who 
never saw one, without further and more intelligi¬ 
ble description. It is the principle upon which the 
press works, that should have been described, and 
not the size of the timbers—a very unimportant 
matter. 
Show of the N. Y. State Ag. Soc. at Auburn .—I 
was sorry to find that the same charges against Au¬ 
burn tavern keepers, were made at this show, as 
were made last year against those at Utica. Some¬ 
thing is wrong, you may depend upon it, and a re¬ 
formation upon this, and several other things con¬ 
nected w r ith this society, must be had, or I predict 
a general “ blow up.” Let the managers look to it. 
In regard to the trial of plows, I beg leave to suggest 
the propriety of appointing a standing committee, to 
make a full and perfect trial of all the plows that 
may be offered, and upon all the various kinds of 
soil that their owners contend they are best 
adapted to; the expense of which should be paid 
out of the funds of the society, and the report of 
such committee, published, would be of undoubted 
value, while those annually made at the shows, are 
of no value whatever. 
The Ploughing-Match, as a matter of show, does 
very well, being a little exciting and of interest in 
the exhibition. 
European Agriculture —Letter of Mr. Coleman.— 
No man in this country entertains higher respect 
for this distinguished writer upon agriculture, than 
does your reviewer. And in the article which he 
characterises as severe upon him, no personal seve¬ 
rity toward Mr. C. was felt. I only meant to tell 
Mr. Coleman, what very many persons in this coun¬ 
try think, but dare not say, (or rather dislike to say) i 
of his work, i. e., that it is a most decided failure, 
or, at least, a falling off from what was expected, 
judging from his former publications. For one, I 
am candidly of the opinion, that Mr. Coleman’s tour 
will not greatly “ advance the agricultural improve¬ 
ment of my own country, and her substantial wel¬ 
fare and glory.” And I fully believe, that a tour in 
this country might be made far more interesting to 
readers in the United States. 
Destruction of Weeds in Paved Yards. —This arti¬ 
cle is another of the family of indejjnites, which are 
so numerous, and so much complained of in other 
parts of my review. What can be knowm by “ di¬ 
luting the liquid, more or less, according to circum¬ 
stances,” before using. But it is of no consequence, 
for I don’t believe it will kill a weed, unless put on 
boiling hot, without diluting at all, and in plentiful 
quantities; and then the weeds of this country 
won’t stay kilt, whatever they may do at the “ Mint 
of Paris.” 
Illustrations of the Sexes in the Strawberry .— I 
These illustrations are first rate, and would enable 
“ any ingenious carpenter” to distinguish one from ; 
the other. 
“ Facts are things that dinna lie,” 
But often are disputed, 
would be an improvement of the distich quoted by 
Mr. Lewis. And as improved, it will be found ap¬ 
plicable to the subject of Butter making , for Mr. A. 
H., of Setauket, says, “ sour milk, we find, will not 
produce so much, nor so good butter, as fresh 
milk which he has found “ by three years care¬ 
ful experimentswhile we have found, by fifteen 
years experience, that to let the cream remain un¬ 
churned until it becomes slightly sour, will make 
such butter as has long borne the reputation of being 
“ the best butter in the whole country.” Besides, 
it is also thoroughly “ spoiled ” in warm weather, by 
washing it in cold water. 
Development of Buds in Corn. —This article of 
Mr. Darrach, hints that the want of light prevents 
the lower buds from becoming perfected. Then 
what would be the.effect of topping the corn, soon 
after the formation of the buds, so as to let in the 
light more freely. Of course a portion of the tops 
must be left to produce pollen. Will Mr. D. try the 
experiment, and give us the result. Besides, let us 
have some of the “ practical reasoning ” of that 
“ other lecture.” “ Light ” is what we want, and 
if it exists at “ Walden,” it should not be “ hid un¬ 
der a bushel ” of corn. 
The Atmosphere near the Sea, “ it seems, con- ; 
tains less carbonic acid than that over the land!” 
Has it also ever been ascertained, that the cause of 
so much bilious sickness upon the rich lands of the 
reat Mississippi valley, is the great excess of car- 
onic acid that abounds there ? That fact is worthy 
