70 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
tional influences to correct this tendency, we 
believe that good and only good would come 
of the love for trees and flowers, and the 
cultivation of both. It may be blessed in 
leading the heart up to the love of the Rose 
of Sharon and the garden of God.—Ameri¬ 
can Messenger. 
THE CLOVER SEED CROP. 
We have, on a previous occasion, stated 
that great anxiety existed in reference to 
the fate of the growing crop of clover-seed 
in this State and Indiana. We have made 
every exertion to ascertain what has been 
the fate of the crop, and are sorry to an¬ 
nounce that it has proven almost an entire 
failure. 
We have letters from various points in 
this State and Indiana ; some of them say 
there will be a little, but fully two-thirds of 
our correspondents say the crop in each of 
their localities is an entire failure. The 
after-growth was very luxuriant, too much 
so to yield well, but the wet weather cast it 
down, and it partially rotted on the ground 
before it was cut, as a general thing, and 
after it was cut, the weather so injured the 
remaining seed, that it could not be saved, 
except in comparatively few instances. We 
feel perfectly satisfied in saying that the en¬ 
tire amount secured in this State can not be 
more than one-fourth the average crop ; and 
the same may be said of Indiana. 
The stock of old seed in this market is 
exceedingly light, and is in a few hands. 
By the last steamer from England we are 
advised that the crop in that island is a total 
failure; and in London, Baring says, an 
active demand has arisen for old. We have 
no authentic intelligence as regards the crop 
in the eastern States, but we are disposed to 
believe, from what little information we 
have, that it. is betterthan it is in the west¬ 
ern States. 
The stock of old seed in New-York is said 
to be a moderate one.—Price Current, Cin¬ 
cinnati. 
Litchfield (Conn.) Stock. —The Messrs. 
Hurlbut, of Winchester, the pioneers in the 
raising of Devon cattle in that part of 
the country, were represented at the Boston 
cattle show. The Mountain County Her¬ 
ald says : 
In answer to an inquiry of ours, Mr. Rob¬ 
bins Battell, of Norfolk, writes us that he 
has received one hundred and seventy-eight 
dollars in premiums upon stock exhibited at 
different agricultural shows the present fall. 
Mr. Battell further informs us that a circum¬ 
stance which gave him peculiar pleasure at 
the recent. National Show at Boston, was the 
fact that “ The Bull (3 years old and upwards) 
that took the first, prize and was acknowl¬ 
edged far superior to any other upon the 
ground, although it had several imported 
bulls to compete with, was bred by the 
Messrs. Hurlbut, and called 1 Winchester .’” 
It was exhibited by Mr. Do Forest, of Dutch¬ 
ess Co., N. Y. 
Heavy carrot crops for cattle will soon 
return carats of gold. 
All Books received—if not unworthy of notice—will he an¬ 
nounced in this column ly title, as soon as received. 
Further notices or reviews of Agricultural and Horticul¬ 
tural Books will h ' given—when their striking merits 
or demerits require it—after we have had time to thor¬ 
oughly examine them. 
TRANSACTIONS OF TIIE NEW-YORK STATE 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY for 1854, with an 
abstract of the proceedings of the County Agricultural 
Societies. 
We are under'obligations to the Secretary, 
Mr. B. P. Johnson, for an early copy of this 
work. It strikes us as being one of the best 
of the series yet published for the Society. 
The articles appear to be better selected, and 
more condensed and practical, than they have 
been for several years past. Among so many 
things presented for publication, it, is a deli¬ 
cate matter on the part of the Secretary to 
so choose and select, as not to give offense to 
the County Societies and individual contrib¬ 
utors, and yet do justice to the State Socie¬ 
ty, and those among whom the work is par¬ 
ticularly designed to be distributed. It 
would undoubtedly be a greater benefit to the 
public if this volume were condensed more 
than it now is ; but it would perhaps not an¬ 
swer the purposes of the Society as well, nor 
be as popular generally with members ? 
There are certain forms, reports, and speech¬ 
es which must annually appear in this doc¬ 
ument, whether inetresting to the majority 
of readers or not; as it is a work of stand¬ 
ing reference for dry details and statistics, 
as well as popular information on agricul¬ 
ture. 
After our criticisms upon former volumes 
it gives us great pleasure to be able to say 
that the paper and typhography of this vol¬ 
ume of the Transactions, is more uniform 
and agreeable to the eye than any we have 
received for several years past. There is 
no reason why the State Printer should fall 
behind private publishers—with the govern¬ 
mental facilities, public printing, like public 
steam engines, public fire-arms. Sic.., should 
be models (or imitation. 
The Year Book of Agriculture, or the 
Annual of Agricultural Progress and Dis¬ 
covery for 1855 and 1856; by David Wells, 
A. M. Published by Childs and Peterson, 
Philadelphia. For sale in New-York by 
C. M. Saxton & Co. This work, announced 
in our advertising columns and referred to 
by us some weeks since, is just published. 
We received a copy at the moment of clos¬ 
ing this column—too late to allow of an ex¬ 
amination sufficient to decide how well the 
editor has carried out the design of such a 
work, which we approved in our announce¬ 
ment in advance. We notice a manifest er¬ 
ror in the title page, which the publishers 
should correct at once ; we refer to the book 
being called the “Annual of Agricultural 
Progress and Discovery for 1855 & 1856 
which should be for “ 1854 & ’55,” as the 
report closes with September of 1855. This 
is a matter of some importance, if the work 
is to be continued as a serial. 
Patent Office Report for 1854.— Agri¬ 
cultural Division .—Why should we be com¬ 
pelled from year to year to announce the 
report as above. We think it would read 
better thus: “ Report of the United States 
Agricultural Bureau.’' To such a Depart¬ 
ment, if necessary, the Patent Office might 
be attached, as the largest class of patents 
is that including agricultural implements. 
But this by the way. The Report before us 
is in the usual form and style ; contains 520 
pages ; is well printed, on excellent paper 
for a “ public document, 1 ' and from a cursory 
examination, we think the matter in the 
pages of this volume is an improvement 
upon its predecessors. One hundred thou¬ 
sand extra copies were printed for the mem¬ 
bers of Congress (about 250 each), so that 
those specially interested will probably be 
able to obtain a few copies, by applying to 
the Representatives in Congress from their 
district. 
The Time and the End ; A Prophetic Pe¬ 
riod, developing, as predicted, an increase of 
knowledge respecting the Prophecies and 
Periods that foretell the end. Illustrated by 
the history of prophetic interpretation, the 
expectation of the Church; together with 
various interpretations of Scripture prophetic 
periods by a great number of commentators 
and theological writers. By a Congrega- 
tionalist. New-York, Sheldon, Lamport & 
Blackman ; pp. 408. A pretty full discus¬ 
sion of the subject for those interested in 
such matters. 
The Refugee, or the Narratives of Fugi¬ 
tive Slaves in Canada, as related by them¬ 
selves, with an account of the history and 
condition of the Colored Population in Up¬ 
per Canada. By Benj. Drew, Boston. J. P. 
Jewett & Co. ; pp. 387. 
The Eventful Nights of August 20th and 
21st, 1854, and how Judge Edmonds w r as 
hocussed, or the fallibility of “ Spiritualism ” 
exposed. By F. C. Ewer. New-York : S. 
Hueston. Pamphlet, pp. 106 ; price 25c. 
American Female Education; What? and 
by Whom ? A Lecture by R. W. Cushman, 
A. M.,PrincipalofMt.VernonLadies’ School, 
Boston. A neat pamphlet, published by Jew¬ 
ett & Co. 
REVIEW OF PRICES, WEATHER, &C. 
American Agriculturist Office ) 
New-York, Nov. 24, 1855. j 
Since our last monthly summary the prices of 
Breadstuff's have slowly and almost constantly ad¬ 
vanced, especially in the lower grades. The most 
rapid advance in Flour and Wheat has taken 
place within the last day or two, resulting from 
the near approach of the close of canal navigation, 
and the favorable news from Europe received by 
the Canada at Halifax, on Thursday (22nd inst). 
The canals are advertised to close on the 5th of 
December. The great demand to make up an 
unforeseen and unexpected deficiency in Europe, 
has exhausted a greater portion of the surplus 
flour and wheat arriving at jjthe seaboard, so that 
we have now comparatively limited stocks for the 
winter’s exports and consumption. We can not 
now look for any material decline in prices along 
the Atlantic coast during the winter; while the 
additional expense of bringing forward produce by 
railroad, will perhaps lower prices in the more 
distant interior towns. The following figures 
