106 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Puerto Cabello will render all the lands at pre¬ 
sent uncultivated in the Province of Aragua 
very valuable, as also a great part of those in the 
Province of Guarico. The railroad to San Felipe 
will produce the same effect on the uncultivated 
portions of the cantons of Finaco, Montalvan, 
Nirgua, Valencia, Puerto Cabello, and San Felipe. 
The Government of Venezuela, in consequence 
of its resolution to afford the most efficient pro¬ 
tection to agriculture, has exempted from all 
import duties every sort of agricultural im¬ 
plements or machines. In the year 1853, arti¬ 
cles of this class, and some other machines and 
instruments for the construction of roads, &c., 
also free of duties, were imported into Venezuela, 
to the amount of $841,0G8 98, of which the pro¬ 
portion furnished by the United States (one of 
the eleven nations holding commercial inter¬ 
course with Venezuela) amounted to $339,629 68. 
The commerce of Venezuela with the United 
States increases daily, as may he seen by the 
following data: In 1852, the value of $1,870,- 
971 96 was taken in coffee, cocoa, and hides, 
from Venezuela by the ports of New-York, Phil¬ 
adelphia, Baltimore, and Boston; in return, 
their exports in agricultural instruments, Ac., to 
Venezuela amounted to $197,233 70. In 1853, 
the same ports took from Venezuela to the value 
of $2,100,069 95, according to her market 
prices, and returned to her in agricultural and 
other instruments, free of duties, the sum of 
$339,629 68. 
•-• * •- 
THE WHEAT CROP. 
During a recent excursion through Canada, 
New-York, a part of Pennsylvania, New-Jersey, 
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Indi¬ 
ana, we obtained considerable information in 
reference to the growing crop of winter wheat, 
by personal obversation and careful inquiry of 
intelligent persons, which may be interesting to 
a large portion of our readers. 
Throughout Canada, the breadth of ground 
covered with wheat is considerably larger than 
last year, and very little has been winter kill¬ 
ed,—the earth having been covered with snow 
nearly all the winter months,—and the fields 
present a very thrifty appearance. In New- 
York, there is probably no increase of acres, 
and the fields have suffered some from frost, 
though favorable weather during May and June 
will cause a good yield in the aggregate. In 
New-Jersey, there is supposed to be less land 
covered, but the prospect is good—never much 
better. In Pennsylvania, there is a large in¬ 
crease in acres, and the fields look matted, and 
present a dark green color, indicating a luxuri¬ 
ant growth. Several persons from the Western 
Counties reported the condition of the crop in 
their locality equally favorable. In Maryland,— 
especially in the beautiful and rich section of 
country around Frederick City, where nearly 
half of the cleared lands are in wheat,—the 
crop promises equal to any that we ever saw. 
The number of acres is also one-half greater 
than last year. The same is true, we were told, 
of Washington County. Along the line of the 
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, as far west as 
Cumberland, there is also an increase of acres, 
though altogether not much, and the crop looks 
well,—remarkably so, considering the broken 
and mountainous character of the county. In 
Eastern Virginia, the prospect was said to be 
good, and in Shenandoah, Rockingham, Page 
and Augusta counties, which constitute the best 
wheat sections of the State, the number of acres 
sown is one-fourth larger, and never was a bet¬ 
ter crop expected. Along the Ohio river coun¬ 
ties in Virginia, there is not much sown, but the 
crop looks fair. In Ohio there has been consid¬ 
erable complaint, that the young sprouts were 
considerably injured, especially in the river 
lap’ Corner. 
counties, but so far as we could observe, the 
fields looked thrifty. In the interior counties 
also the condition of the crop was favorably re¬ 
ported. In Indiana, the crop looks thrifty, and 
the amount of acres covered is considerably 
larger. In the southern counties, we heard 
there was not a good prospect, but that is not 
a wheat growing section, and a partial failure 
there cannot sensibly affect the result of the 
crop of the whole State. 
On the whole, we are confident that there 
have been few springs, within a period of fif¬ 
teen years, when the wheat crop looked more 
promising in the States mentioned, than it does 
at this time. The high price which wheat has 
commanded since last harvest, has doubtless 
caused an increase in the number of acres 
sown of at least one-fifth over last year, and 
should this season prove generally favorable, 
the surplus will not fall far short of 50,000,000 
bushels. Nevertheless, slight causes, apparently, 
such as rust, may reduce the average yield so 
much as to leave but little surplus for export.— 
Chicago Tribune. 
-»» ♦ —- 
Moral Suasion on a Ram. —When a friend 
of ours, whom we call Agricola, was a boy, he 
lived on a farm in Berkshire county, the owner 
of which was troubled by his dog Wolf. The 
cur killed his sheep, knowing, perhaps, that he 
was conscientiously opposed to capital punish¬ 
ment, and he could devise no means to prevent 
it. “I can break him of it,” said Agricola, “if 
you will give me leave.” “ Thou art permitted,” 
said the honest farmer—and we will let Agri¬ 
cola tell the story in his own words. 
“ There was a ram on the farm,” says Agri¬ 
cola, “ as notorious for bunting as Wolf was for 
sheep-stealing, and who stood in as much need 
of moral suasion as the dog. I shut Wolf up in 
the barn with this old fellow, and the conse- 
sequence was, that the dog never looked a sheep 
in the face again. The ram broke every bone 
in his body literally. Wonderfully uplifted was 
the ram as aforesaid by his exploit; his inso¬ 
lence became intolerable; he was sure to pitch 
into whomsoever went nigh him. ‘ I’ll fix him,’ 
said I, and so I did. I rigged an iron crowbar 
out of a hole in the barn, point foremost, and 
hung an old hat on the end of it. You can’t al¬ 
ways tell when you see a hat, whether there is 
a head in it or not; how then should a ram? 
Aries made at it full butt, and being a good 
marksman from long practice, the bar broke in 
between his horns and came out under his tail. 
The little admonition effectually cured him of 
bunting.” 
Blood as a Manure.— As Mr. Way observes, 
“this manure is disregarded.” This is true in 
point of practice, but not so in the knowledge of 
the scientific farmer; the fact is, we cannot ob¬ 
tain it; it is a most invaluable manure, and we 
know by the application of blood absorbed by 
ashes, road scrapings, soot, &c., drilled with tur¬ 
nips and for wheat, the yield of the latter was 
40 bushels an acre, and the turnip crops magni¬ 
ficent. If slaughter-houses were provided with 
large tanks to receive the blood, and ashes, soot, 
&c., mixed with it, any farmer would be glad to 
give 10s a cart-load, if not more, for so valuable 
a manure, much of which finds its way into our 
rivers. All gardeners know the value of blood 
when applied to the roots of the vine.— Alexan¬ 
der Falconer, Rants. 
-9 © •- 
Shame ! Shame !—We saw in the Philadelphia 
market, last week, several large bunches of 
Robins, which had been shot and brought there 
for sale! We pity the poor creatures who 
could be guilty of destroying this favorite do¬ 
mestic bird, at a season of the year, when they 
are pairing and fixing upon their summer 
abodes; but as this is not likely to restrain 
these unfeeling persecutors of the Robin, we 
hope the penalties of the law for the killing of 
insectiverous birds, will be inflicted in every in¬ 
stance. An example or two would put a stop 
to the cruelty .—Germantown Telegraph. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
MARCH FOURTH. 
Mill Plain, Ct., April 19, 1854. 
I noticed in your paper of March 29th, an 
article stating the reason why the 4th of March 
was chosen for the inauguration of the President 
of the United States. The reason given was, 
that the 4th of March in every year, commenc¬ 
ing from the first inauguration, cannot come on 
Sunday for at least 300 years. This, I think, is 
a mistake, for it came on Sunday in 1849, when 
General Taylor was inaugurated, and will come 
on Sunday once in 28 years. I remember hear¬ 
ing it spoken of, and seeing it in some paper, 
that we were without a President one day, and 
yet we were governed just as well. It also 
came on Sunday in 1821, the second term of 
James Munroe. 
A Yankee Boy would like to know if he is 
correct. 
We have not examined the matter, but we 
think “Yankee Boy” is right, and we are glad 
he has been so wide awake as to notice and cor¬ 
rect the error. There are many of these items 
that go the rounds of the papers, because no¬ 
body stops them. We are very cautious about 
printing these, but sometimes make a mistake 
when in a hurry, just as in the above instance. 
Can any one now give us the true reason for : 
choosing March 4th ? 
■ - ♦•» - 
ARE YOU KIND TO YOUR MOTHER 1 ? 
Come, my little boy, and you, my little girl, 
what answer can you give me to this ques¬ 
tion ? Who was it that watched over you, when 
you was a helpless baby? Who nursed and 
fondled you and never grew weary in her love ? 
Who kept you from the cold by night, and the 
heat by day ? Who guarded you in health, and 
comforted you when ill? Who was it that 
wept when the fever made your skin feel hot, 
and your pulse beat quick and hard ? Who 
hung over your little bed when you were fretful, 
and put the cooling drink to your parched lips? 
Who sang the pretty hymn to please you as you 
lay, or knelt down by the side of bed in prayer? 
Who was glad when you began to get well, and 
who carried fyou in the fresh air, to help your 
recovery ? Who taught you how to pray, and 
gently helped you to learn to read? Who has 
borne with your faults, and been kind and pa¬ 
tient with your childish ways? Who loves 
you still, and contrives, and works, and prays 
for you everj- day you live ? Is it not your 
mother, your own dear mother ? Now then, 
let me ask you, “Are you kind to your mother ?” 
— Exchange. 
The Old Man. —Bow low the head, boy ; do 
reverence to the old man. Once like you, vicis¬ 
situdes of life have silvered the hair, and chang¬ 
ed the round merry face to the worn visage be¬ 
fore you. Once that heart beat with aspirations 
coequal to any that you have felt; aspirations 
crushed by disappointment, as yours are per¬ 
haps destined to be. Once that form stalked 
proudly through the gay scenes of pleasure, the 
beau ideal of grace; now the hand of Time, 
that withers the flower of yesterday, has 
warped that figure and destroyed the noble car¬ 
riage. Once, at your age, he possessed the 
thousand thoughts that pass through your 
brain, now wishing to accomplish deeds worthy 
of a nook in fame, anon imagining life a dream 
that the sooner he awoke from, the better. But 
he has lived the dream very near through. The 
time to awake is very near at hand; yet his 
eye evc-r kindles at old deeds of daring, and the 
hand takes a firmer’ grasp of the staff. Bow 
low the head boy, as you would in your old age 
be reverenced. 
