168 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
"Wm. F., of S. 0., will find an answer to his 
question in No. 9, and in the present number. 
Mr. A. D’s communication from Louisville, 
Ky., is received, and will receive early notice. 
-1«i- 
TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS. 
The Farm and Garden. —In answer to fre¬ 
quent inquiries we again say there will here¬ 
after be no monthly paper issued from this 
office. The design of a monthly, like the Farm 
and Garden , was to put the more important 
agricultural and horticultural matter of the 
weekly in a form suitable for binding. The 
present form of the Agriculturist obviates the 
necessity of this. The pages are made as small 
as they can be and allow all the numbers of 
one year to be bound in one volume. 
We have now reduced the number of adver¬ 
tisements, and leave out a large portion of un¬ 
important miscellaneous matter that filled up 
the columns of the Agricultor , and we are 
consequently able to furnish a much larger 
amount of solid and instructive matter. 
There is in each month nearly four times as 
much reading matter as could be given in the 
Farm and Garden. A volume of that paper 
contained 12 numbers of 32 pages, or 384 
pages; a volume of the Agriculturist contains 
52 numbers of 1C pages, or 832 pages of nearly 
double size, so that it will contain nearly four 
times as much matter, while the price is only 
double that of the Farm and Garden. Then 
again a weekly paper has several advantages. 
It comes oftener, bringing fresh news of mar¬ 
kets and other matters important to farmers. 
These market reports are obtained at consider¬ 
able expense, and we believe they are quite as 
reliable as those got from any other source. Our 
subscribers have saved many thousands of dol¬ 
lars the present autumn, by learning from our 
paper when was the best time for disposing of 
grain, stock, &c. We are centrally situated, 
and have peculiar facilities for obtaining early 
and reliable information from all parts of the 
world, as to the condition of crops, and the 
probable future value of farm produce. We 
think all our readers will be amply compen¬ 
sated for the trifling expense of four cents a 
week, for a large weekly paper of 1C pages. 
With a little exertion, clubs of three to twenty 
can be secured in every neighborhood, and the 
expense will then be considerably lessened. 
The Agriculturist will contain a summary of all 
matter really useful and instructive, which ap¬ 
pears in all the agricultural papers of this and 
foreign countries. 
The English and French farmers are making 
rapid improvements. Many of these are adapted 
to our own country. Our tables are supplied 
with all their leading publications, and we shall 
immediately translate for our columns any 
thing valuable or instructive to the agricultu¬ 
rists of this country, which may from time to 
time appear in French journals. 
We think, in the present rapid march of im¬ 
provement in agriculture, as well as in every 
thing else, farmers should supply themselves 
with a weekly periodical devoted to their in¬ 
terests. If a weekly paper is necessary in 
order to keep up with the news, politics, and 
mechanic arts, surely the agricultural art is not 
so unimportant as to require only a monthly or 
occasional issue of a small sheet. 
As we have before announced, we send 
twelve numbers without extra charge to all 
subscribers to the Farm and Garden. After 
the next paper we shall be obliged to cut off 
from our list all those subscribers who do not 
renew their subscriptions to this paper. We 
hope all will renew without delay. Please look 
over the Prospectus and see the terms, both to 
single subscribers, and to clubs. Those who 
have received 12 numbers will only be required 
to send three-fourths of the subscription price 
in order to complete the present volume. 
We ask all our readers to show the paper to 
their neighbors, and invite them to subscribe 
THE RAILROADS SOUTHWARD. 
On our recent visit to the Maryland and 
Virginia State Fairs, we passed over several 
railways, which we have not before had 
occasion to use in nearly two years, and we 
could not help observing the great improvement 
in the condition of the track, in greater regular¬ 
ity and increased speed of the trains, and in the 
certainty of connection between the different 
roads. We left Richmond, Va., at 9 o’clock Fri¬ 
day evening, and after travelling a distance of 
nearly 500 miles, over several different lines, 
with ample stopping-time for breakfast in Balti¬ 
more, and dinner in Philadelphia, we arrived in 
this city at 64 P. M. Saturday. We like the 
occasional changes that occur on this route, as 
for example, the ride on the Potomac, 55 miles 
beyond Washington. This serves admirably to 
break up the monotony of continuous railway 
travelling. 
On the Camden and Amboy Railroad there is 
a fine provision against dust, which we have 
not noticed elsewhere. We allude to the can¬ 
vass apron which hangs down nearly to the 
ground on the outside of the wheels. There is 
connected with this a gathered canvass platform 
upon each end of the car, which is kept extend¬ 
ed by a spring, when the cars are drawn a little 
apart, so as to keep the space between them 
entirely closed. This is made so strong, that it 
obviates all danger of accidentally stepping 
down between the cars; and the whole arrange¬ 
ment of the canvass around the wheels and be¬ 
tween the platforms is such, that a strong draft 
is produced under the whole train, and scarcely 
a particle of dust rises around it. Good arrange¬ 
ments are made for carrying through passengers 
and their baggage free between the depots in 
Philadelphia. 
The road from Philadelphia to Baltimore has 
been greatly improved during the past year or 
two. A large, commodious depot has been 
erected in Philadelphia, the bed of the road has 
been thoroughly overhauled and rendered al¬ 
most perfect, and the trains have greatly in¬ 
creased their speed, regularity, and safety. 
We believe that for six months at a time no 
failure to make their regular time and connect¬ 
ion has occurred upon this part of the route. 
This road now ranks among the first in the 
country. Only one thing is wanting to make it 
perfect, which is a bridge over the Susqehanna 
at Havre de Grace, and the directors are getting 
materials ready to commence the construction 
of this early the next season. Indeed, we see 
little need of this bridge even, excepting during 
a short season in the winter, for the present 
crossing of the river in the convenient boat of 
the company is rather pleasant than otherwise, 
especially as there is always a good opportunity 
for getting refreshments while on the boat. 
In Baltimore a connecting track has been laid 
between the roads north and south. The road 
from Baltimore to Washington has always been 
well managed, with the exception of the high 
passenger tariff; and this has been recently 
reduced to a reasonable charge.- South of 
Washington passengers have a pleasant ride 
down the Potomac on fine steamers, passing in 
full view of the sacred Mount Vernon. Leav¬ 
ing the steamer at Acquia Creek, an improving 
railway takes passengers to Richmond, and 
thence onward. Farther south, the last connect¬ 
ing links of railroad to Charleston will soon be 
completed. The arrangements are so far com¬ 
plete, that passengers are no longer compelled 
to take the ocean steamers. This great land 
route is destined to become one of the most im¬ 
portant in our country, serving not only to facil¬ 
itate commercial, but also social intercourse, 
and thus to strengthen the bonds of political 
union. 
GUANO. 
The monopoly of Peruvian guano by an 
English company, in connection with the Pe¬ 
ruvian Government, has been, and is still, the 
source of much discontent on the part of the 
agriculturists of this country, and there are, in 
certain parts of the country, indications of a 
strong effort to break down this monopoly by 
the aid of government influence. The Executive 
Committee of the Virginia Agricultural Society, 
previous to their recent state fair, appointed a 
committee to wait upon the agent of the Peru¬ 
vian Government at Washington, and upon 
President Pierce, and see what could be done 
in the premises. In the report of this commit¬ 
tee to a general meeting of the members of this 
Society, they recommend the passage of a se¬ 
ries of resolutions, strongly condemning the 
action of the Peruvian Government, and urging 
the administration to take prompt and energetic 
action. They reported that they found the 
President fully alive to the importance of this 
subject, and ready to do all in his power to 
bring about the desired end. This report was 
adopted and the resolutions passed. 
We hope there will be no filibustering move¬ 
ments in this enterprise, but that whatever is 
done will be guided by judgment and discretion, 
and with proper respect to the Peruvian Gov¬ 
ernment, and a just regard to the rights of the 
English company, who have assumed a large 
debt due from that govenment, upon the con¬ 
dition that they should have the proceeds of 
the sale of guano until the debt is liquidated. 
We have every reason to believe the guano 
business is inefficiently managed, and that it 
might be supplied to this country in abundance, 
and at a much lower price, with a greater profit 
to the holders than is now received, but we 
have no' right to dictate terms to them any 
more than to the owners of any other natural 
product or manufactured article. 
The State Agricultural Society of Pennsyl¬ 
vania is getting along swimmingly in financial 
matters. The receipts at their recent Fair 
amounted to $17,500. Out of this they paid 
$8000 in premiums; and after meeting all other 
expenses, had a balance of $4000 remaining. 
This and the former surplus, together with the 
State appropriation of $2000, amount to $15,- 
000. The officers of the Society contemplate 
using this sfBn in establishing an agricultural 
school. 
