B 
AMERICAN AG-RICULTURIST, 
[Jakuaby, 
The following statement of facts, received from 
Mr. Harris, just as we are going to press, explains itself; 
A €AKB. 
To the Friends of the Cleiiesee Farmer i 
Rochester, N. Y., Dec. 16, 1865. 
As previously announced, I transferred the Genesee 
Farmer and Rural Anmial, to Messrs. ORANGE JUDD 
& CO., of the American Agriculturist, New-York, 
thinking that this arrangement would be advantageous 
to myself and the patrons of the Genesee Farmer, 
But it seems that a young man in my employ, whom I 
left to mail the December number of the Farmer, while 
I was absent, surreptitiously printed and put in copies 
of the paper, a cireiiiar, stating that a new Agricultural 
Journal would be started in Rochester, published I pre¬ 
sume, (for I have not seen the circul.ar,) by the young 
man himself. 
Now, while this is exceedingly annoying to me, and 
clearly a “ breach of trust,” on his part, yet I do not 
suppose that any one receiving the circular, will be 
misled by it. For fear, however, that possibly some may 
not at first detect the fraud, I have thought it best to 
make this statement of the facts in the case. Should it 
be necessary for the protection of the patrons of the 
Genesee Farmer, legal proceedings will be instituted, 
restraining this young man from availing himself of -the 
advantages (however small) of this dishonest conduct. 
As he has hitherto bonie a good character, I presume he 
was induced by other parties to put in the slip, and lend' 
his name to an enterprise which they must have known 
would -end in failure. I should let the affair quietly 
drop, only that I fear some of the old friends of the 
Genesee Farmer may be imposed upon. I trust that 
every one of them will take the American Agricultur¬ 
ist, and I am sure that they will not then regret that 
the change has been made. JOSEPH HARRIS. 
The Bepartment of Agriculture. 
One of our Washington correspondents informs us that 
the illustrious head of the Department of Agriculture 
does not like our strictures upon his management and 
that he "threatens vengeance.” It is only the rumble of 
the distant thunder, the lightning hasn’t struck ms yet, 
though our friendsof the Massachusetts Ploughman have 
caught it. In its issue of Dec. 9ih it says: “ We men¬ 
tioned a few facts last spring about the general manage¬ 
ment of the Department, upon which he sent us a 
threatening letter, virtually telling us to ‘ dryup.’ ” Now 
neighbor Ploughman let us have that letter, verbatim et 
spellatim,. Let tli® farmers see what kind of a servant 
they are paying for. Poor Ploughman, we pity you, but we 
mu.vt not forget that we too are threatened. What is to 
be our fate ? Will the commissioner write us a letter 
and compel us to read it ? Will he squeeze the life out of 
us in that “hydraulic press.” It would be only fair to 
put a press down on us, considering that the press is 
generally dovyn on him. [We must state in parenthesis 
that a hydraulic press was needed for some purpose, 
and after much flourish the Commissioner procured a 
Hickock’s cider'mill and press. He was right as to the Hi; 
but the <traK/ic was a liltle too.much for him.]' Will-lie 
put us down in the deep hole where the “ airth .sweats and 
makes all the petroleum?” Will he make an ana/ys (De- 
partmentcse for analysis) of us?or—worse than all—will 
he resign ? The agricultural community might be bene- 
fitted by the resignation, but what would the Wh'ite house 
do for garden truck ? Tiie Department might possibly 
be improved, but we should lose one great source of fun. 
Now -we only judge of the Commissioner by his official 
acts. He may be bolh lionest and kind, and strive to do tire 
best he knows liow—llie main trouble being that he don’t 
know'. As a public officer, whose salary we lielp pay, 
we have a right to criticise liis public doings. Some of 
them are purely ridiculous, others are blundering, and 
the whole management of affairs is about.as bad as it 
well can be. We liare only one regret concerning what 
■we have Said about tlie Department; our paper goes to 
nearly all parts of the world, ami it mortifies our nation¬ 
al pride that the official head of our agricultural interests 
must be spoken of as unfitted for his position. We are 
not alone in our desire to have tlie Department of Agri¬ 
culture under a head wliich sliould make it useful as well 
as creditable. Here are tliree opinions of the present 
Commissioner, from different seurces, wliioh came to our 
notice in one day. At a public meeting lield at tlic Coop¬ 
er Institute in New York City in December, Duct. Mac- 
gow.an made the following statement, as reported in the 
daily papers : “ Quite lately lie called upon" tlie head of 
the Agricultural Bureau in Washington, with a proposi¬ 
tion to .introduce some of (lie plants and animals from 
Eastern Asia, and .the illiterate Chief of that Bureau 
didn’t know where Eastern Asia was ! ” Tlie Country 
Gentleman, in its issue of Dec. 1-1, in noticing the Report 
forlS64, says: “Prepared, we presume mainly under ihe 
supervision of the late Cliief Clerk, Mr. Grinnell, who 
entered into the duties of his position witli a degree of 
energy and intelligence, which seem only to have pro¬ 
cured his abrupt decapitaiipn some montiis since ”—it 
closes a notice of tlie report thus: “the'volume con¬ 
cludes with reports from the different officials in the De¬ 
partment—which, witli a really competent and intelligent 
man at its head, might be made of much servic.e in the 
development of our agriculture.” At the annual meet¬ 
ing of tlie Ohio Pomological Society the following official 
action was had; . ’ ‘ 
Resolved, That we feel deeply interested in the great 
Department of Agriculture connected with our Federal 
Government; that we desire Its entire success, and be¬ 
lieve it destined tn contribute immensely to the advance¬ 
ment of Agriculture in the country; that we earnestly 
entreat the President of tlie United States to appoint a 
competent man to be the head of tlie Department of 
Agriculture ; the inoompetency of the present incumbent 
being a source of general remark and complaint from tlie 
intelligent agriculturists of all parts of our extended 
country. It is therefore 
Resolved, That in the opinion of this convention, a 
change in tlie liead of the Agricultural Department Is im¬ 
peratively needed for the best interests of the producing 
classes of the country, and the President of the 'United 
States is most respectfully petitioned to listen to tlie 
complaints embodied in the foregoing resolutions. 
(Signed.) John A. Warder, President. 
M. B. Bateham, Secretary. 
The whole agricultural community, through the agricul¬ 
tural press, calls for a change in the Department of Agri¬ 
culture. Mr. Newton and a few relatives wish matters 
to remain as they are. Whicli will the President heed ? 
- .mm»» -rt-i.- 
Some Busiaess Items. 
Premiums.—See particulars on page 4. 
Club Additions.—To Clubs of subscribers at club 
prices, additions can be made at any time at the same 
prices, if the additions begin at the same time as the otliers. 
Back 'VWumes Supplied.—The back volumes 
of tlie Agriculturist are very valuable. They contain 
information upon every topic connected with rural life, 
out-door and in-door, and tlie last nine volumes make up 
a very complete library. Each volume lias a full index 
for ready reference to any desired topic. We have on 
hand, and print from stereotype plates as wanted, all the 
numbers and volumes for nine years past, beginning with 
18.57—that is, Vol. 18 to Vol. 24, inclusive. Any of these 
volumes sent complete (in numbers) at $1.75 each, post¬ 
paid, (or $1.50 if taken at the office). Tlie volumes 
neatly bound, are supplied for $2 each, or $2.50 if to be 
sent by mail. Any single numbers of the past nine 
years will be supplied post-paid, for 15 cents each. 
Commercial Matters—Market Prices. 
The following condensed, comprehensive tables, care¬ 
fully prepared specially for tlie American Agriculturist, 
show at a glance the transactions for .a month, ending De¬ 
cember 20th, with other interesting comparative figures. 
1. transactions at the new-yobk markets. 
tlEOKiPTs. Flour. Wimt. Corn. Rue. Jlarley. Oats. 
27tlaysW(t?m’tli.553,0002,216.000 1,979.000 otOiOOO ^70,000 955,000 
27 (lays Last m’tli.414.000 017,000 3,163,000 137,000 1,329.000 1,175,000 
Salks. Flour. Wheat. Corn. Rye. Barley. 
27 days Go's month, 275.000 J.393.000 2,135.000 111,000 454,000 
27 days tast month, 317,000 1,616,000 2,6'20,000 111,000 838,000 
a. Comparison with same period at this time last year 
Receipts. Flour: Wlteat. Cor/i. Rye. Barley. Oats. 
27 days 1S63.553,000 2,216,000 1,979.000 310,000 570,000 909,000 
24 days 1864.....487,-500 1,782,000 317,000 63,000 688,000 2,643,000 
Sales. Flour. Wheat. Corn. Rye. Barley. 
27 days 1865. 275,000 1,393.000 2,185.000 111.000 4.54,000 
24 days 1864 . 416,000 1,061,000 655,000 104,000 43-1,000 
3» Exports from, New-York, January 1 to Dec. 16: 
Flour, 
■Wheat, 
Corn. 
Ilvo. 
O.ats. 
1865.... 
2,269,032 
S,99'2,6C3 
170,694 
71/200 
im . 
. 1,8^5,807 
12,10.5.884 
837,308 
588 
41,4.59 
1803 ...'. 
. 2.-43 4,7.36 
14,8.57,0.56 
7.536,149 
4in.3()9 
12.5,806 
lS6-.>. 
.2,989,610 
24,890,311 
11,531,819 
1,009,656 
171,922 
4. Receipts of Breadstuffs at Albany, by the New-York 
Canals from the opening of navigation to Dec. 1: 
Flour, IVlieat, Corn,- Rye, Barley, Oats, 
bills. bus. bus. bus. bus. bus. 
1865.. .. 931,300 9,99.8,400 18,116,700 1,2,89,900 4,269,700 10,486,9(1 
1861 ...1,186,300 15,465,600 10.a5'2.400 O'lO.-TiOn 3,145,970 12.177,5(.«- 
1863.. . .1,549,600 22,089,400 20,560.700 432,400 3,181,300 12,354,300 
Gold lias been as high as 148%, and as low as 144%, 
since our last, closing (Deo. 19) 146%. Receipts of pro¬ 
duce have been quite liberal, since our last. The arrivals 
of new grain and of flour made therefrom have been, 
generally unsound or of inferior quality. The receivers 
liave been eager sellers, and have forced their supplies 
on the market, thus seriously depressing prices, in the 
absence of an adequate demand to sustain former values, 
though there has been some revival in the export trade. 
At the close, yesterday, flour was very dull. Wlieat, 
firm, but not active. Com, Rye, and Barley, quite heavy. 
Outs steady. Slocks of Flour and Grain here are deem¬ 
ed large for tlie season, in view of the probable moder¬ 
ate wants of the home and foreign trade, through the 
winter months. The pressure on the stor.-ige accommoda¬ 
tion of the port has run up .storage rates enormously, 
vvhicli must add largely to the co.st of carrying supplies 
over to the spring season, -wlien inland navigation, now 
closed, will again be resumed, and bring heavy receipts of 
fresh produce in cornpelition with the stocks on hand 
liere awaiting a market.. .In tlie Provision line, the 
tendency of prices has been strongly ^lownward under 
the pressure of increasing supplie.s, and the efforts of 
speculative holders, especially of Hog products, as also 
of Butter and Cheese, to realize. The demand for the 
leading articles has been moderate. ..Colton has been 
in good supply and request at variable figures,—closing 
heavily ... There has been more doing in Wool, but at 
easier prices, some liolders having been eager to sell— 
Seeds have been in moderate request but cheaper_Hay, 
Hops, and Tobacco have been in fair demand and firm, 
closing buoyantly. 
C'UBEENT 'WHOLESALK PRICES. 
Nov. 17. Dec. 20. 
Flo-uk-S uper to Extra State 
$7 
70 
@ 8 40 
$7 
00 
@ 8 
1 50 
Super to Extra Southern.. .-.. 
9 
50 
@16 25 
8 
70 
@15 00 
Extra Western.... 
K 
20 
@16 00 
H 
10 
(ai5 25 
Extra Genesee. 
8 
no 
@13 25 
8 
50 
01! 
. 50 
Supeiiine Western.. 
7 
70 
@ S 00 
7 
00 
0 7 
r 50 
R-ve Flour. 
6 
25 
r 00 
5 
.50 
0 ( 
! 50 
Corn Meal. 
4 
40 
@ 4 
( 85 
4 
IS 
0 4 
i 50 
Whe.at—A ll kinds ofAVhite. 
2 
45 
@ 2 
; BO 
2 
35 
0 J 
! 75 • 
AU kinds of Red and Amber. 
1 
70 
(<t u 
i 45 
1 
60 
@5 
1 37X 
Corn—Y ellow. 
1 
(«) 
® : 
1 05 
90 
0 1 
1 00 
Mixed. .... . 
90 
@ 
97 
■88 
0 
97 
Oats—W estern. 
60 
® 
62 
59 
0 
6-2 
State... 
61 
0 
62 
62 
0 
— 
Kye.. 
1 
15 
01 
1 20 
95 
@ 1 15 . 
Barley... 
1 
10 
@ 1 
1 28 
90 
@ 1 15 
Cotton—M iddlinirs, ?) IS_ 
51 
@ 
53 
48 
0 
50 ■ 
Hops—C rop of 1864, ^ ib. 
10 
0 
45 
10 
0 
45 
Feathers—L ive Geese, ft. 
SIO 
@ 
95 
80 
0 
90 
Seed—C lover, 49 Ib . 
13 
14 
12 
0 
m 
Timothy, 49 bushel. 
8 
30 
@ 3 90 
8 
70 
® < 
1 00 
Flax. bushel. .— 
2 
85 
® 3 10 
2 
90 
@; 
5 05 
Sugar—B rown, ft. 
115f@ 
IGK 
lOV® 
15X 
Molasses. Cuba, 49gl _ ... 
45 
0 
70 
45 
65 
Coffee—R io, (Gold price)?! ft 
18 
0 
2t 
17K@ 
Tobacco. Kentucky, &c..?1B>. 
G 
0 
SO 
G 
0 
30 
Seed Leaf, lb . 
5 
0 
40 
5 
40 
Wool—D omestic Fleece,?) ft. 
55 
0 
8-2 
50 
78 
Domestic, pulled, ^ lb,,,..... 
45 
0 
73 
50 
65 
California, unwashed,-. 
25- 
0 
43 
25 
m 
45 
Ta'llow. ^ft . 
14V@ 
14V 
13%@ 
14 
Oil Cake—^ ton . . 
m 
00 
<^53 00 
52 
00 
@55 00 
Fork-M ess, 49 barrel. 
32 
'i5 
@33 00 
27 
50 
@28 00 
Prime, barrel ... 
_ 
@28 50 
22 
00 
@22 50 
Beef—P lain mess... 
11 
00 
@14 00 
11 
00 
@14 00 
Lard, in liarrels, ft. 
24 
0 
15 
® 
19 
Bt(TTEn—Western, ?! ft. 
‘State, ^ Ib. 
30 
(<» 
42 
25 
(,<« 
S8 
88 
0 
43 
83 
W 
45 
Cheese. 
u 
19 
14 
@ 
19 
Beans—?! bushel. 
1 
50 
@ 1 75 
2 
00 
@ 8-00 
Peas—C anada. ?! hushel. 
1 
20 
0 : 
1 22 
1 
23 
@ : 
L 33 
Eggs Fresli, ^ dozen. 
37 
41 
87 
@ 
4S 
Poultry-F o-wls, ?! ft... 
16 
@ 
18 
14 
@ 
16 
Turkeys, ?! ft . 
19 
@ 
20 
14 
@ 
16 
Potatoes—M ercers, ?! bbl... 
2 
50 
(<4 i 
! 00 
2 
50 
@ 1 
i 00 
Peach Blotvs, ?! barrel — .... 
2 
25 
(<4; 
2 50 
2 
00 
1 50 
Buckeyes—Neiv, ?! barrel.... 
2 
50 
(31 t 
> 00 
1 
50 
® 1 75 
Apple's—?! barrel. 
2 
50 
® 6 00 
2 
00 
\ 00 
Mew Yoi’k ILiive (Stock Markets.— 
Beef Cattle. —Average receipts for the past four weeks, 
5843 head per week ; average for the past year, 5047 ; for 
the previous month, 6386; for the same month last year, 
C409. Tlie general quality has been about medium, and 
until this week quite uniform. Selling prices average 
about as follo-ws: Extra qualities, 18c.(3l9c per lb., 
estimated dressed weiglit; medium to good, 15c(a)17c ; 
poor to common grades, 10o(S)13c-Milcli CoiYS.— 
Average -weekly supply, 127. The cows (iffered have 
generally been of good -quality, and mainly from N. Y. 
State. The best extra milkers have brougtit $100(S)$140 
eacli; medium to fair, $75i®$90 ; poor to ordinary, $40® 
$60... Veal Calves.—Average receipts for four weeks, 
712 per week ; for previous month, 1132 ; for same month 
last year, 1375 ; for tlie past year, 1750. The demand 
since our last issue has been uniformly active, and prices 
for good grass-fed calves have ranged $I5®$-25 each, or 
13o@14%c perlb.^live weight ...Slicep and laambs. 
—The market lias been rallier unsteady, and d.emand not 
uniform. The quality of the stock has been about me¬ 
dium, until the present week, when a large number of 
premium Christmas animals were offered. .Average 
weeklj; receipts for past month, 13,948; for the previous 
moiilh, 25,880 ; for past year, 15,6'38. Prices-average 7J^c 
(ffi8%c per lb. for sheep, and about Ic per lb. liiglierfor 
Iambs.liivc Hogs.—Average receipts, 19,143'; for 
previous month, 16,092. The second market weekoftlie 
month, excessive receipts cau.sed a sudden depression in 
tlie market, and prices liave therefore varied from 10c to 
13%c per lb., live weight; standing tlie present week 
Il%c®l!%c, for Western corn-fed, with indications of a 
further decline. 
