AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
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AGRICULTURE IS THE MOST HEALTHY , 7IS2? .a/ftSZ 7 USEFUL , aA r Z> THE MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN.-Vtmmmtolt. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ALLEN & CO., 189 WATER ST. 
vol. xirr.— no. 7.] 
8®*FOR PROSPECTUS, TERMS, Ifc., 
8 KB LAST PAGE. 
THE RHODE-ISLAND FAIR. 
[The following report, forwarded by mail, 
did not reach the office till recently.J 
The Agricultural Society of this State is 
one of the best managed and most efficient 
in the country, though this is but- the fifth 
of its annual exhibitions. Under the present 
organization, it has already accumulated sev¬ 
eral thousand dollars, for the future use of 
the Society. Providence is the seat of its 
operations, and as this city is the center 
where four Railroads and several steamboat 
routes terminate, it greatly facilitates the 
attendance upon the fairs. 
This year the Horticultural Society united 
with the Agricultural, in the exhibition. 
They occupied the large halls over the Rail¬ 
road depot, which could not have been bet¬ 
ter adapted to their purposes had they been 
constructed exclusively for their use. The 
fair was held from the 12th to the 15th 
of September, and was well attended through¬ 
out. 
THE PLOWING MATCH 
Game off at the Plain farm, OIneyville, and 
drew together a large concourse. The work 
was beautifully done, and Benoni Matthew- 
son, of Johnston, took the first premium. 
We were glad to notice the Michigan, and 
other improved plows, upon the ground. 
Mr. Halliday also made trial of a subsoil 
plow, to illustrate the benefit of deep plow¬ 
ing in a season of drouth. This and the 
Michigan are every year coming into more 
extensive use. 
THE CATTLE SHOW 
Was thought to be superior, in numbers and 
quality, to any thing ever witnessed in the 
city. The working oxen, from Cumberland, 
Smithfield, Cranston, and other towns, as 
well as the bulls, cows, heifers, and calves, 
afforded gratifying proof that the farmers of 
this State appreciate the value of, and are 
giving increased attentio to, improved breeds. 
There were several pens of fine South- 
down and Bakewell sheep. There is no good 
reason why Rhode-Island should not be, to 
a considerable extent, a wool-growing State. 
Every one, at all conversant with the soil, 
has observed extensive tracts of land that, in 
their present condition, are fit for nothing 
else but sheep pastures. The reason com¬ 
monly assigned for not appropriating these 
fields to this use is, the ferocity of the dogs. 
We hope, for the credit of poor Tray, that 
his is a slander; but, if it be true, the case 
NEW-YORK, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1854, 
admits of a remedy. Rhode-Island has a 
reputation for enforcing “ law and order ” 
upon a race more prone to be rabid than the 
canine, and undoubtedly the dogs’ unright¬ 
eous proclivity to mutton could be arrested, 
by legal suasion or otherwise, if “ the game 
was thought to be worth the candle.” Little 
Rhody should have her own wool for her 
winter garments, and her own mutton for 
her tables. 
THE SHOW OF SWINE 
Was not large, but there were some fine 
specimens of Suffolk, and other breeds, that 
one, on beholding, could not suppress an in¬ 
voluntary thanksgiving that he was not bom 
a Jew, and not likely to be converted to that 
faith. 
THE POULTRY DEPARTMENT 
Sustained the reputation of the State for 
fine fowls. This is one of the most profita¬ 
ble products of the State, and we were glad 
to see the varieties so well represented. 
Chapman should have been there to hear the 
crowing, and own beat. There were splen¬ 
did specimens of geese, wild and mongrel 
ducks, California, and Poland, that did credit 
to the exhibitors. 
THE MANUFACTURERS’ SHOW, 
In a State that makes so much cotton and 
woollen cloth as this, was not at all credita¬ 
ble. It looks very much as if they were al¬ 
ready independent, and did not care to ad¬ 
vertise their goods. Some measures should 
be taken, with these gentlemen of cloth, to 
get a better show out of them next year. 
THE HORTICULTURAL SHOW 
Was better than any body had a right to ex¬ 
pect, after such a season of drouth as we 
have had. The number and variety of ap¬ 
ples and pears were equal to any former ex¬ 
hibition that we have visited. They were 
not very much dwarfed, though not quite so 
fair as we have sometimes witnessed on the 
same tables. Peaches, we have rarely seen 
finer any where. The grapes were magnifi¬ 
cent, particularly those grown under glass. 
This mode of culture is making rapid pro¬ 
gress, we learn, in the gardens about the 
city. 
THE VEGETABLES 
Were thought to excel all former displays in 
this hall. A gentleman who is conversant 
with fairs, says that “ nothing superior to 
these could be produced any where.” We 
have certainly seen nothing to surpass them 
in any of our visits this Fall. Larger heads 
of cabbage, longer and smoother beets, finer 
marrow squashes, we do not expect to see 
anywhere. Mr. Allen’s egg-plartts were 
magnificent, and the watermelons needed no 
[NEW SERIES.—NO. 59. 
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label to say “ come and eat me.” Mr. Halli¬ 
day had the largest collection. Nearly all 
his vegetables are raised on the very light 
lands at Elmwood, and tell a good story for 
the system of subsoiling he has adopted. 
Indeed, after taking a trip through this State, 
and seeing so much poor land, and then look¬ 
ing at these splendid products, we have pret¬ 
ty much come to the grave conclusion of 
Samuel Patch, “ that some things can be 
done, as well as others.” No one ought to 
despair of any soil, after visiting this show. 
The annual address before the Societies 
was delivered, at the First Baptist meeting¬ 
house, by Rev. William Clift, of Stonington. 
His theme was, “ the Agricultural wealth of 
Rhode-Island, and the duties it imposes upon 
her citizens.” As this gentleman happens 
to be the husband of our wife, we forbear 
comments. 
We are much indebted to the excellent 
President, and Secretary, of the Agricultu¬ 
ral Society, to William Vial, Esq., Rev. Mr. 
Leavitt, and others, for hospitalities and kind 
attentions during our visit. Our hearty 
thanks are herewith tendered. 
THE WHEAT TRADE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
We recommend a careful perusal of the 
following well written article on this subject, 
which we take from the ‘last Mark Lane 
Express at hand. It seems from this that 
Great Britain and Ireland, have grown the 
past year within a small fraction of the es¬ 
timated consumption in the United Kingdom 
for the ensuing year, and consequently that 
it will want to import only to keep for a 
stock on hand, which he estimates as desirable 
to hold to the amount of about 5,000,000 
quarters. He calculates that only about 
1,200,000 quarters ol this will come from the 
United States and Canada ; but it would be 
easy, we think, to double this amount of ex¬ 
portation, and perhaps more, without enhanc¬ 
ing present prices here. However, we shall 
leave all this to the consideration of the 
growers of wheat in America; and with this 
information before them, and all else we have 
furnished, they must judge for themselves, 
whether best to sell now or hold on for high 
prices. 
When wheat was worth 20 to 30 per cent 
more than it now is, we advised threshing it 
out and selling as fast as possible ; and we 
will only add, that this is our opinion still, 
even at the present reduced rates. Wheat 
at ruling prices is a very profitable crop ; and 
could it average these a few years, every 
