AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
361 
or more of potatoes, while a quarter of an 
acre near by them, on better land, were al¬ 
lowed to blossom and form balls. In th^ 
fall, there was an increased amount of 
starchy matter in the tubers of the larger 
piece, and they were so much better that 
they sold first at a higher price. Since that 
time we have not taken an opportunity to 
repeat the experiment. 
It is a significant fact, in reference to this 
practice, that Nature follows it in her treat¬ 
ment of the feeble plant, and does not task 
it to produce seed when it is in too low 
a state of vitality; and, in the absence 
of clear light, it is always best to follow 
where she appears to lead.. 
There is another matter to which we wish 
to direct attention now, while the potato 
vines are in their full luxuriance. It is the 
fact that the tuber is formed in the top; 
that the starchy matter, on which its value 
depends, originates in the leaf. The dis¬ 
tance of the hills from each other, then, 
should vary with the extent to which the 
top may be expected to reach. At this sea¬ 
son of the year, in order to secure the great¬ 
est yield per acre, they should meet together, 
completely covering the ground and absorb¬ 
ing all the light, so as to leave no portion of 
the earth visible. It is better that the plants 
should crowd each other a little, rather than 
that there should be any deficiency. A crop 
seen from a little distance, many times ap¬ 
pears completely to cover the ground, when, 
on close inspection, the stand will be found 
much too open for profit. If we were cer¬ 
tain that the tops must begin to perish when 
only half grown, we should endeavor to 
plant so thick that they would at that time 
meet each other. It will be seen, too, that 
such varieties as the Rohan, with coarse, 
branching vines, need a greater distance be¬ 
tween the rows, than such as the Pink-eye, 
with delicate tops. 
But, in conclusion, the fact that the potato 
is propagated by slips, when considered 
along with Liebig’s theory of the nature of 
the disease to which it is subject, may lead 
us to anticipate that the potato rot, like oth¬ 
er epidemics, will have a period assigned to 
it, as the duration of empidcmic diseases has 
in the bodies of individual animals. Yet we 
ask for these speculations no more consid¬ 
eration than we extend to the fermentation 
theory, which, however plausible, is yet hy¬ 
pothetical. 
VIEW OF NEW-YORIC and the adjacent waters and 
Country, as seen from the Latting Observatory. Pub 
lished by Smith, Fern & Co., 340 Broadway, New- 
York. 
This is a splendid conception, beautifully 
executed, in a style reflecting the highest 
credit on the enterprizing publishers. A 
great number of prominent buildings are 
given, inclusive of the Crystal Palace im¬ 
mediately in the foreground, with a bird’s-eye 
view of the surrounding country of New- 
Jersey and Long Island, Brooklyn, Jersey 
City, Hoboken, Staten Island, the adjoining 
bay, and rivers. 
Farm For Sale. —Any one wishing a 
cheap farm to devote to grazing, summer 
crops, &c., will do well to look at one ad¬ 
vertised in this number. 
TURNIPS. 
The Yellow Aberdeen grows nearly as large, 
is almost as good a keeper, and is about as 
nutricious as the ruta baga. It should be 
sown in drills 2 to 3 feet apart, and be well 
supplied with rotted barn-yard manure, gua¬ 
no, superphosphate, or bone dust. 
The Strap Leaf Red Top, is a flat turnip, 
solid, sweet, and good. It may be sown to 
the middle of August, broad cast, in well- 
prepared ground as above. 
The Purple Top is also a flat turnip, of 
good quality, and may be sown s'ill later. 
Prepare the ground well if you wash a quick 
growth, and good crops. 
Agricultural Books. —No better indica¬ 
tion could be had of the interest everywhere 
awakened upon the subject of agriculture, 
than in the great multiplication of agricul¬ 
tural periodicals and books. In this City we 
have a new agricultural book almost weekly 
from Saxton & Co., who aredhe most exten¬ 
sive publishers in this class of literature in 
the country. So numerous are the new 
facts, and developments in agriculture, that 
one needs an annual encyclopedia, or work 
of some kind, in which shall be collected 
he discoveries, statistics, &c., of the agri¬ 
culture of our country, and just such a book 
we find is announced by Messrs. Childs & 
Peterson, of Philadelphia. The full an¬ 
nouncement is given in our advertising col¬ 
umns, to which we particularly refer our 
readers. 
Correspondence of the American Agriculturist. 
LETTERS FROM MR. PAGE-No. VII. 
Kentucky, April, 1855. 
Four miles from Lexington I found the 
residence of Dr. Tarlton, who has but re¬ 
cently commenced farming and breeding im¬ 
proved stock. Feeding on his lawn were 
several fine Southdowns, bought a year or 
so since of Mr. Thorne, of Dutchess Co.,N. 
Y One or two were the get of the cele¬ 
brated buck 112; and I was glad to hear 
that this breed is likely to be appreciated in 
in this neighborhood. These were the only 
specimens of the improved breeds of sheep 
that I saw in the State. Another rarity was 
a pair of Suffolks, from the stock of Col. 
Sherwood, of Auburn. The longer-legged 
swine seem to be preferred, it being sup¬ 
posed that they can “ follow ” the cattle bet¬ 
ter. When cattle are fed corn in winter it 
is the practice to throw it out to them upon 
the ground in a field or fields, set apart for 
the purpose, and called the “ feed lot.” After 
the cattle have eaten all they can get, the 
fatting hogs follow to pick up the scattered 
remains. Whether a well bred Suffolk would 
have sufficient industry to dig up his living, 
is somewhat uncertain. 
Dr. Tarlton has made a good selection of 
cows ; three of them were particularly good, 
viz : Finish, white, of the late importations; 
Cherry, and Pixy, of the 1817 stock. The 
description of Mrs. Motte’s descendants, pre¬ 
viously given, applies well to the last named 
two cows. He is breeding to St. Lawrence, 
purchased of the importer, Mr. Thorne, and 
now owned in company with Dr. Elisha 
Warfield. From the get of this bull, which 
I had seen in New-York, I had formed 
a favorable opinion of his merits. He is a 
stylish animal, with the look of the Bates 
blood. In the crops he is not the equal of 
many of the Ohio and Kentucky bred ani¬ 
mals ; yet, in this particular point, his get 
are very superior. 
Dr. Warfield has been breeding Short 
Horns for many years; and, like most of 
the Kentucky herds, his is this spring in low 
condition. My attention was called to only 
three of his animals—St. Lawrence, a fine 
red heifer, six months old, and a bull calf, 
same age and color. 
Dr. W. also raises thoroughbred horses. 
He has recently accomplished one of the 
objects in view at the commencement of his 
stud, “to breed the fastest horse on record,” 
in Lexington. The day I was at the 
“ Meadows ” chanced to be the one on which 
his horse Lexington performed the extra¬ 
ordinary feat upon the Metarie race-course, 
near New-Orleans. I saw his dam, Alice 
Corneal, a dark bay, quite old, and is now 
breeding to Berthune, an imported horse, 
belonging to this stud. He is now seven¬ 
teen years old, yet is full of life, and from 
his splendid carriage and action, I should 
suppose he would prove a good getter of 
roadsters. 
The great race has been a topic of con¬ 
versation for many days. Upon returning 
to my hotel in the evening, I found the ex¬ 
citement at the highest point, and must con¬ 
fess to having caught a little of the spirit— 
enough to induce me to sit up with the crowd 
to hear the result. The colored porters in 
the hall, over their evening cigars, were hav¬ 
ing an animated talk upon the merits of the 
two horses. In the barroom, the office, the 
reading rooms, and about the street corners, 
crowds were gathered eagerly discussing 
the subject of blood horses and breeding. 
It appears that Lexington, in his eolthood, 
received a name that has been recently 
changed for the one which he now bears. 
One gentleman remarked, “ I don’t think 
they should have changed his name ;” to 
which there was a general demur ; and one 
exclaimed, “ Change his name ! I tell you 
ii should be changed to ‘ Lexington, Fayette 
County, State of Kentucky, and United 
States of America.’ ” 
I mention these incidents to show the in¬ 
terest taken in such matters in this State. 
The fact is, the Kentuckians are a little vain 
of their splendid country, their herds of fine 
cattle and fast horses, and in my humble 
judgment, with good reason. 
In the herdof Capt. Benj.Warfield, near Lex¬ 
ington, I saw many of the descendants of the 
Teeswater cow, imported at the same time 
with Mrs. Motte and others. Cherry 2d is 
of this strain ; is a large, grand cow; and, 
in good beef order, I should judge that she 
would weigh fully eighteen hundred pounds. 
She is in color red, with some white ; has a 
good head; bright, full eye ; horns short, 
fine, and “ turning gaily upwards at the 
point;” neck short and fine; deep, wide 
brisket, straight top; wide and level loin, 
hips and rump; handsomely shaped legs, of 
