AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
158 
the busy throng, that are pushing along and 
going a-heacl with rail-road speed. It grieved 
me to perceive that the farmers, as a class, 
seemed regardless of the position, however low 
or obscure, assigned to them; appearing ever 
content to labor unrequited and unhonored; 
oomplaining not, nor attempting to reverse the 
decree that fashion, folly, and pretension had 
recorded to their prejudice. Such should, I 
thought, be the condition of the farmer; his 
calling or profession is in itself so intrinsic and 
independent, that it seems strange (unless there 
is something in the soil with which he deals 
that deadens, or in the air he breathes, that be¬ 
wilders his faculties,) that he should not have 
the sense and spirit to stand more erect, and 
battle manfully for that lofty position, which is 
his rightful heritage! 
To the husbandman, under Pro-ridenots, i» 
committed the bounties of the field and seasons, 
and upon his management depends, not only the 
wealth of the nation, but the daily sustenance 
of every man whether rich or poor, high or low. 
Plenty and scarcity, fulness and famine, in a 
great measure depends upon the foresight, skill, 
and energy of the farmer; he holds the veritable 
cornucopia, and so long as it is found in condi¬ 
tion of teeming fulness, pouring out the in¬ 
vigorating comforts of sustenance, so long does 
the human family wax strong, rejoicing in the 
enjoyment of health and vigor! Let it give 
but a partial supply, or none, feebleness and 
languor, famine and pestilence, brood over all 
and enshroud every living creature ! Is there 
a man so obtuse or insensible, whether mechanic 
or manufacturer, merchant or professional man, 
as not to perceive how indispensable are the 
functions of the farmer ? Why should he not 
be held as ordinarily intelligent, with perceptions 
capable of penetrating the hidden operations of 
nature, so far as they lie within his sphere of 
action ; profiting by all that is deducible from, 
or observable in her teachings ? And is it not 
a reproach to us, farmers, if we do not establish 
our claim to this high consideration, and prove 
that we are not the dull, unenlightened drudges 
we are supposed to be—good but so far as ma¬ 
terial strength may serve, to toil, with other 
wording aniincci.-> uf mm: 
Agricultural Exhibitions are the precursors 
of improvement—they are eminently calculated 
to arrest the attention of the apathetic—to break 
in upon the dull monotony that pervades the 
locality where the fair is held. They are as in¬ 
teresting as they are instructive, and never fail, 
if properly conducted, of impressing a salutary 
and abiding influence upon the minds of all who 
have participated in their interesting display 
and innocent recreation. Within their en¬ 
closures are to be found the best specimens of 
farm stock, the choicest varieties of seeds, 
samples of the best crops, improved implements 
of husbandry, specimens of household manu¬ 
facture, butter, cheese, and poultry; all ar¬ 
ranged for the inspection of the curious, and 
challenging competition, Who can look upon 
such a scene and not be struck with a deep 
sense of its utility, and what farmer, however 
enlightened, but may add something to his 
stock of knowledge, or have his doubts re¬ 
moved as to the excellence of some breed of 
farm stock, or the capability of some implement, 
which he had never used for the work it was 
designed to execute ? And who can be in¬ 
sensible to the advantages of such an opportu¬ 
nity for an interchange of opinion upon the 
theory and practice of culture and husbandry; 
upon soils, and the adaptation of crops and 
manures to each variety respectively ? These, 
with the friendly greetings, the revival of old 
acquaintanceship, and the formation of new 
friendships, give to the scene a holiday fresh¬ 
ness—a dash of rural felicity, that compensates 
for many a long and solitary day of toil upon the 
farm. 
Mr. Go wan’s remarks on pseudo professors 
and agricultural quacks are witty and pungent, 
lie has drawn a few portraits which are easily 
recognizable. We like his ideas on stock gen¬ 
erally very much, and we shall endeavor to find 
room hereafter to copy them entire. 
We have at our office a beautiful specimen of 
Orinoco Tobacco, raised by Mr. W. G. Clark, 
of Fluvanna County, Va. This arrived at the 
Virginia State Fair too late for competition, but 
we think it excels any specimens there exhibited. 
The leaves are very large and thick, and present 
that peculiar rich, oily, and leather-like appear¬ 
ance, so highly prized by manufacturers. Many 
of the plants yielded “ four to the pound,” and 
the whole field averaged five plants to the pound. 
The land was new, unmanured, and produced 
about 1000 lbs. to the acre, worth at present 
prices nearly 50 cents per lb. Mr. Clark gave 
us the items in the cost of cultivation and curing, 
which amounted to only about $30 per acre. 
Allowing it to be $50 per aero, null IT16 tObaCCO 
to be worth only 85 cents per lb., there is still 
a nett profit of $300 to the acre, a very fine 
business surely, if the noxious weed must be 
raised. 
-- 
AGRICULTURAL PATENT CLAIMS. 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCT. 23, 1858. 
Devices of a Convertible Dung Fork —By 
Ezra H. Dawes, of Litchfields, Me.: I claim 
making the tines of ordinary dung or hay forks, 
to revolve upon the handle, as set forth. 
Bee Hives-— By Wooster A. Flanders, of Sha¬ 
ron, Vt.: I do not confine myself to the peculiar 
construction described, but I claim the adjustable 
passage by which the entrance to the hive may 
be enlarged or diminished in the manner set 
forth. 
Attaching Horses to Plows —By John D. 
Filkins & W. II. De Puy, of Lima, Ind.: We 
claim the combination of the limber and stiff 
tongues with the running gear, to adapt it to 
being drawn by two teams abreast, as described. 
Cutting and Planting Potatoes —By Samuel 
Hutchinson, of Rockport, Ind.: I claim the con¬ 
struction and combination described, of the cam, 
sliding platform, cutting blade and trap doors, 
with the turrowing snare ana tuvaiug maae, 
for cutting, dropping, distancing, and covering 
potatoes. 
Winnowers —By David S. Mackey & J. R. 
Smith, of Batavia, N. Y. : We claim, first, the 
peculiar manner of operating the screen, viz., 
by means of the eccentrics placed in a reverse 
manner upon the shaft, said eccentrics working 
between the blocks attached to the under side 
of the screen, as described. 
Second, we claim producing two blasts from 
a single fan, and having the two blasts cross or 
intersect each other, by which a blast passes 
horizontally over the top of the screen, and a 
blast also passes upward through the screen, 
preventing the screen from being clogged or 
choked by the chaff. 
Making Shovels, Spades, &c. —By Wm. W. 
Richards, of Philadelphia, Pa.: I claim as a new 
manufacture, shovels, spades, and other imple¬ 
ments, made of a composite sheet of metal, 
whose constituents are parallel laminae of un¬ 
equal hardness, as set forth. 
But I make no claim to such implements made 
of the hard laminae extending for a short dis¬ 
tance only above the edge, but only where it 
extends up beneath the strap to support the 
back. 
Expanding Horse Snous—By B. P. Sargent, 
of Sutton, N. H.: I claim the combination of the 
bearers or ears, with the jointed quarters or 
bars, jointed together or to a common toe piece 
or cork, and operated by an expansion screw or 
contrivance, as specified. 
Garden and other Hoes —By J. T. Sargent, 
of Sutton, N. II.: I do not claim the employ¬ 
ment of a screw and nut for confining two things 
together; nor do I claim the attachment of the 
shank and blade of a hoe by means of the bear¬ 
ing plates welded to and forming part of the 
shank, and rivetted to the blade. 
But I claim my attachment of the blade and 
shank, whereby the blade not only can be readily 
removed from or as readily confined to the 
shank, but when affixed to it is prevented from 
breakage where the greatest leverage or strain is 
brought upon it, meaning to claim the bearing 
head, fixed firmly to and making part of the 
shank the moveable plate or stiffener, or its 
equivalents, (applied to the back of the blade 
and made separate from the shank,) the screw- 
on the shank, the screw nut, and the recess in 
the hoe blade as combined together and with the 
shank of the handle and made to operate, as 
specified. 
Spring Claps for Clothes-lines —By D. M. 
Smith, of Springfield, Vt.: I do not claim a mere 
clasp composed of two levers hinged together 
between their respective ends, and having a 
spring placed between their two adjacent arms. 
But I claim the described improved clothes 
pm, iIiaA is to say, I claim the arrangement of 
the line opening, and the spring on opposite 
sides of the hinge of the two levers, all as speci¬ 
fied, whereby, by pressure of the longer legs of 
the levers between the thumb and fingers of the 
hand of a person, the instrument is rendered 
very convenient of application without danger, 
during the same, of tearing the clothes secured 
by it on a line. 
Ox Yokes —By Albert Vose, of Pittsfield, Vt. 
Antedated August 10, 1853 : I claim, first, the 
construction of the semi-revolving neck blocks, 
each having a curved groove and pin fitting into 
it for enabling the neck block to alw-ays adjust 
itself at right angles to the direction of the neck 
of the animal. 
Second, I claim, in combination with the groove 
in the neck block the use of the pin subserving 
the double purpose of controlling the movement 
of the neck block, and adjusting the length of 
the yoke, as described. 
Gutting the Bars and Teeth in Curry Combs 
—By Wm. Wheeler, of West Poultney, Vt. (as¬ 
signor to Chas. II. Kellog, of Troy, N. Y.): I 
claim the method of forming the bars of curry 
combs, by punching them out of plates, so that 
at a single operation a strip of the proper width 
for the bar is severed from the plate, and one 
row- of teeth cut thereon, and another row upon 
the end of the nln.te fbr the next bar, as. set 
forth. 
Seed Planters —By N. C. Davis, of West 
Jefferson, O. : I claim the piston provided with 
a notch or hollow, in its upper end, and so ar¬ 
ranged in combination with the partition, and 
depression, that it will bring up and discharge 
through the aperture, the desired . number of 
grains of corn every time it is raised by the 
operator, as set forth. 
-- 0 - 0-0 - 
SALE OF HORSES AT SPRINGFIELD SHOW. 
On Saturday, at Springfield, after the closing 
of the National Horse Show-, a number of the 
animals were sold. We compile the following 
list from the Republican. 
George Washington, a large 3 yr. old colt, 
by Cassius M. Clay, and very fast—sold 
to P. Crispell, of New-York for - - $550 
White Mary, the dam of Cassius M. Clay, 
Mr. Britton.. -100 
White Mary’s colt, G months old—P. Cris¬ 
pell .. IS® 
American Eagle, stallion, a large and splen¬ 
did horse, raised at Flushing, L. I.—D. 
E. Bolton, of Coburg, Canada - - 1450 
Sable Sisters, pair black mares—A. B. 
Atherton.S50 
Champion, a large iron-grey English stal¬ 
lion from Canada—Col. J. M. Thomp¬ 
son, of Springfield - - - - 300 
Dante, a. b. g. from New-Haven—A. L. 
Devans, of Ware - - - - - 130 
Young Quebec, gelding—Adams & Co. 200 
Topsy, thoroughbred stallion—C. S. West 775 
Hambletonian Morgan, stallion—J. M. 
Thompson & Co., Springfield - - 255 
Black Lion, stallion—David M. King - 195 
Black Ranger, gelding—D. E. Bolton - 250 
Grey gelding—Harvey Foster, Springfield 200 
Jenny Lind, a thoroughbred mare from 
Cornwall, Vt.—Capt. Newman, Vt. 300 
Bay gelding—Mr. Johnson - - - 175 
