AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
329 
We would like to have hundreds of farmers 
tell us just how they are now preparing their 
ground for fall crops, and how they prepare 
their seed, and so of a multitude of other opera¬ 
tions all through the year. If farmers will 
cooperate with us in this, we shall be able to 
make the American Agriculturist j ust what we 
want it, and just what every farmer wants it, a 
plain, practical, common-sense paper, whose 
pages shall abound in useful knowledge. 
We will add one thought more while on this 
subject. The best articles are those which des¬ 
cribe all particulars; for example, a poor article 
on raising celery would state in general terms, 
“ Sow the seed early, in a box, at the end of six 
weeks transplant them in a trench partly filled 
with manure, cover them over with a board and 
gradually haul soil in around them.” A good 
article would give the particulars, as. just how 
large to make the box, and what kind of 
earth to put into it, when, and how thickly and 
deeply to sow the seed, and how to prepare it, 
and what kind is best, how and when to water, 
just when and how to transplant, how deep and 
wide to dig a trench, and in what direction it 
should run, what kind of manure to put into 
the bottom, and how much of it, and how much 
soil should be put in, how thickly and in what 
manner to set out the plants, how the boards 
should be put on to shut out the sun’s rays, and 
how long these should remain, how the plants 
are to be watered, and just how fast the earth 
should be drawn in around them, when the 
plants may be used, and how they should be 
taken up. Let us have these particulars stated 
in such articles, and thousands would read them 
with profit, and not feel as a man expressed 
himself a few days since. Said he, “ I have all the 
agricultural books and papers published in the 
country, and yet I cannot find a single full des¬ 
cription of the method of cultivating a vegetable 
which is common, but which I have never grown. 
All who have written on the subject know these 
particulars, and take it for granted that every 
one else knows them too, while these are just 
the things we most want to learn.” 
A GREAT BABY SHOW. 
WHAT CONSTITUTES THE PRETTIEST BABY? 
The Stark county (Ohio) Agricultural Society 
are offering premiums for the finest specimen of 
Young Americans. Here is the list: 
For prettiest baby, $5 and diploma to mother; 
for 2d prettiest baby, $3 and diploma to mother; 
for 3d prettiest baby, $2 and diploma to mother; 
for largest and heaviest child, under twelve 
months old—age to be considered, $5 and di¬ 
ploma to mother; for 2d largest and heaviest 
child, under twelve months old—age to be con¬ 
sidered, $3 and diploma to mother; for 3d 
largest and heaviest child, under twelve months 
old—age to be considered, $2 and diploma to 
mother. The above is not a fair list; all the re¬ 
wards go to the mother—no encouragement to 
fathers. 
Before this exhibition comes off, the above 
Society ought to define what constitutes the 
“prettiest baby,” otherwise exhibitors will be 
altogether in the dark as to what they are to 
show for; whether fat, or lean, or fair condi¬ 
tion ; black, blue, or grey eyes; black, brown, 
flaxen, red, or auburn hair; pale or rosy cheeks; 
small or large feet and hands; long or short in 
the neck and body; thick or thin through the 
chest; round or square shoulders, &c., &c. 
All the above matters should be laid down in 
a “ Scale of Points,” on the same principle as 
established by the New-York State Agricultural 
Society in judging of improved stock at their 
annual exhibitions. It would be well also to 
have this “Scale of Points” accompanied by a 
“ model baby,” chiseled in marble for the form, 
and with a painted ditto for color, &c.; then 
the committee would have some basis on which 
to found their judgments, and we might look 
forward to some improvement in the breed of 
the genus homo , quite as sanguinely as we do 
now for that of the lower grades of animals; 
and heaven knows that there is need enough of 
that in this wicked world, degenerate as it is 
morally and mentally as well as physically. 
If a satisfactory “Scale of Points” and 
“models” could be adopted by the Agricul¬ 
tural Societies in these matters, the conducting 
Editors of this journal might be tempted to make 
an entry for premiums, as each has been blessed 
the past month with what they consider a pair 
of “models” of the first order. 
[editorial correspondence.] 
FARMING AT ST. MARY’S FALLS. 
Sault St. Marie, Mich., July 11, 1854. 
The agricultural developments of this country 
are not very extensive. The various missions, 
long since established here, the United States 
grounds belonging to Fort Brady, and those of 
the American Fur Company on the south side of 
St. Mary’s, and the English Fur and Military 
establishments on the north, afford the principal 
specimens of farming here. The land lying on 
the river is generally low, wet, and cold; but a 
little distance from the banks, ridges of maple 
are to be found, which yield the finest crops. 
Sugar Island, lying a little distance below the 
Sault, on the American shore—so named from 
the abundance of hard maple that covers it— 
abounds in these fertile ridges. We met a very 
intelligent Canadian, who with his brothers, has 
taken up some 2000 acres on this island. Fie 
says the climate and soil are far preferable to 
that of the neighborhood of Montreal, whence 
he emigrated some years since. There is more 
snow falls here, but the weather is uniform and 
not as cold as in the corresponding latitudes 
nearer the Atlantic. This holds true with the 
entire region of Lake Superior; and the cold of 
winter gradually diminishes as we advance west¬ 
ward, till we reach the Pacific, where severe 
frost is seldom seen as far north as 46°. My 
Canadian informant assures me that he can 
always ripen the early yellow Indian corn, 
and that it yields an abundant crop, and now 
stands two feet high. We saw much in north¬ 
eastern Ohio ten days since, which cannot at 
this time exceed that. Potatoes are raised in 
great abundance and of the finest quality. Rot 
has never affected them. He raised 1200 bush¬ 
els last year on less than six acres, which 
brought 75 to 100 cents per bushel. His ear¬ 
liest planted are ready for digging by 25th July. 
He left an acre undug last fall, and this spring 
found them in the finest condition for the table. 
Spring wheat he has grown successfully, but 
owing to a want of mills for flouring, the culti¬ 
vation is not extended. He has no doubt of the 
entire success of winter wheat. Oats, beans, 
peas, and garden vegetables, afford sure and 
abundant crops. Wild fruits of various kinds 
abound. One of his neighbors made over 
40,000 lbs. of raspberry jam last season, the 
fruit of which abounds from last of July to mid¬ 
dle of September, and is brought in large quan¬ 
tities by the Indians for sale. We saw them a 
day or two previous, winnowing their wild 
gooseberries, on the ramparts of the old Eng- 
glish fort, which occupies the highest point of 
Mackinac, while the younglings of this itinerant 
flock had large baskets of the native strawber¬ 
ries. 
We looked over the little land under cultiva¬ 
tion about the Sault, and observed wherever 
the occupants were not too lazy to work the 
soil, the crops looked promising, although here 
it is not as good as at a farther distance from the 
river. All vegetation looked remarkable healthy, 
though backward; and a crop of grass belong¬ 
ing to the fort, already fit for the scythe, would 
yield not less than two tons per acre. This, 
however, we were informed was well manured. 
The foregoing is not a bad indication of what 
may be realized in latitude 4G° 44 ; , by a body 
of intelligent farmers, when the country be¬ 
comes settled as it must eventually be. 
The peculiar products of this region for the 
present, however, are to be found already grown 
above ground, or deeply buried beneath it, or 
floating through the waters. The pineries are 
abundant and valuable; the mines of iron and 
copper are no where exceeded in richness or 
extent; and the quantities of white fish and 
trout that may be harvested in the adjacent wa¬ 
ters for profitable export, is almost illimitable. 
We believe more wealth is destined to be re¬ 
alized from the rich mines of iron that lie near 
the eastern shore of Lake Superior, than from 
those of copper, however extensive and profita¬ 
ble these may eventually prove. It is said to 
be the most malleable hitherto wrought in this 
country. The ore lies in mounds or hills, and 
is easily excavated from their sides with picks. 
It yields some 70 per cent, of pure metal which 
is drawn into bars at the first heat, without ever 
assuming the form of pig. Large quantities of 
the ore are already taken eastward for render¬ 
ing into bars. The masses of copper are quite 
a wonder in their way. We saw a schooner 
discharging a load of it, in immense masses of 
'pure metal —each piece was registered and 
marked as distinctly as a penny. The beds are 
so massive that it is really an expensive matter 
to sever them. From $10 to $18 per superficial 
foot is given for cutting them out. We had the 
curiosity to look at some of the weights and 
found them reaching nearly two tons. 
The canal is going forward vigorously. It is 
but about three-fourths of a mile long, 200 feet 
wide, and the locks are to be 300 feet in length, 
sufficient to pass the largest craft ever likely to 
be set afloat on these western waters. It is ex¬ 
pected to be completed in the whole of next 
season, at a cost of about $750,000; for which 
the company who have undertaken it, receive 
the right to enter an equal number of acres of 
government lands. As the agents have already 
taken up large bodies of mineral land and val¬ 
uable pineries, it is thought they cannot but re¬ 
alize a very large profit from this enterprise. 
As to the climate of this region, people’s ideas 
vary according to their previous experiences. 
One of the out-door employees at the mines tells 
us, he always wore five flannel shirts during the 
