AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
169 
Death of James E. Teschemachek, Esq. —This 
distinguished agricultural chemist died very 
suddenly on the 8th inst., while in the cars on 
the way from his residence in Medford, Mass., to 
his place of business in Boston. He was, for a 
long time previous to his death, the chief com¬ 
mercial agent of the East Boston Sugar Refinery; 
but although efficiently engaged in commercial 
pursuits, by a well-ordered arrangement of his 
time, he was able to devote much attention to 
agriculture, horticulture, and chemistry, as well 
as to mineralogy, geology, and investigations 
with the microscope. He was also an accom¬ 
plished linguist, musician, and draughtsman, and 
rendered efficient aid, as a member and officer, 
to the Horticultural and Natural History So¬ 
cieties of Boston. He was one of the first in 
this country to suggest the value of clay as an 
absorber and retainer of the .ammonia of ma¬ 
nures. He was one of our most reliable writers 
on agricultural chemistry. To his editorial 
care we are indebted for the valuable English 
edition of Stockhart’s Chemical Field Lectures. 
Although fifty years of age, his intellectual 
energies seemed to be in their prime, and in his 
sudden death—attributed to a disease of the 
heart—the community has lost one of its most 
efficient aiders in agricultural improvement. 
His. example is worthy of imitation by other 
commercial men, who, by bringing their business 
experience and facilities, and more extended ob¬ 
servation to bear in the social, scientific, agricul¬ 
tural, and horticultural circles, might add much 
to the improvement and enjoyment of society 
around them. 
-• - 
Murder of a Noble Horse. —We heartily 
endorse the following remarks of the Tribune 
upon the recent murder of a noble horse. A 
good horse, a fast horse, we value more highly 
than any other animal; but the gambling con¬ 
nected with horse-racing is being carried to a 
dangerous and greatly demoralizing extent, and 
we hope the strong arm of the law will speed¬ 
ily be interposed, and an end of this cruel and 
brutal species of gambling be quickly made. 
“ If no other cause existed than this one fact, 
that the noblest horse in the world, one which 
had performed the greatest feat of speed and 
endurance, has been brutally murdered by 
horse-racing gamblers, there would be cause 
enough for us 
1 To put in every honest hand a whip 
To lash the rascal naked through the world.’ 
For who but a rascal could be guilty of driving 
a horse one hundred miles in less than nine 
hours, for no other object on earth than to 
make the noble animal the tool of gamblers to 
win money from their dupes; and then, not 
content with that cruelty, to force him on an¬ 
other mile to win a few more dollars, till the 
poor exhausted creature only found relief from 
his worse than brute driver in the sleep of 
death ? Such is the fate of the horse that trot¬ 
ted 101 miles on the Long Island Centerville 
Course on Saturday. Such will probably be 
the fate of the splendid gray horse that we re¬ 
ported as pacing against a trotter on Friday. 
It seems a pity that if brutes must be raced to 
death, a lower order of animals had not been 
chosen. The proprietors and drivers of these 
defunct horses should have been put through 
the process in their stead.” 
The Society of Industry in France has offered 
a reward of 1,000 francs for thfc best treatise 
on the potato. 
To Importers of Stock from Europe.—M r. 
S. W. Jewett, of Middlebury, Vermont, sails 
for Europe in the steamer America of this week, 
His travels will be in Great Britain, France, 
Germany, and perhaps some other countries of 
Europe. His object is to look for improved 
stock, and to those desirous of importing, he 
offers his services, and will make the best se¬ 
lections in his power for them. Mr. Jewett is 
an experienced stock breeder, and we have 
much confidence in his judgment, especially in 
sheep. Gentlemen can address him to our care 
with funds which we will forward to him while 
absent in Europe. 
-»-»'•- 
Pennsylvania Farm Journal. —This valu¬ 
able journal is now published by Messrs. J. M. 
Meredith & Co. at Westchester, Pa., and con¬ 
tinues under the editorial care of Mr. J. L. Dar¬ 
lington, assisted by Mr. A. M. Spangler. The 
typographical execution is neat, and it is edited 
with ability. 
-• O «- 
We have received the first number of the 
People's Journal , a new paper started in this 
city by Mr. Alfred E. Beach, one of the pub¬ 
lishers of the late Illustrated News , which is 
now merged into Gleason's Pictorial newspaper. 
The new paper is to be published monthly, and 
to be devoted to Agriculture, Mechanics, Science, 
and Useful Knowledge. Price $1 a year. 
Mr. F. G. Ruffin of Albemarle, editor of the 
Southern Planter , has received the appointment 
from the Executive Committee, of Secretary of 
the Virginia State Agricultural Society. 
-• * •- 
A Grand Poultry Show is to take place at 
Albany on the 20th and 21st of January. Fowl- 
fanciers every where are desired to send speci¬ 
mens. 
-• t •- 
The sugar crop on the Louisiana plantations 
is remarkably good this season. One-third of 
the planters have already commenced rolling, 
and a hogshead and a half of sugar is made from 
an acre of cane. This, says the Courier , is ex¬ 
cellent for a beginning. 
-- 
Great Yield.— A correspondent at Roxbury, 
Litchfield county, informs us that Dr. A. W. 
Fenn, of that town, has raised this season from 
one kernal of corn, sixteen ears, the product 
from which was 4209_kernals.— N. Haven Pall. 
-#•*-- 
Great Yield of Potatoes.—P liny Moody, of 
South Hadley, raised in his garden the past 
season, from one potato, three bushels, which 
weighed, when washed, 140 pounds. If any 
one can tell a bigger potato story, we shall be 
glad to hear of it.— Northampton Courier. 
-- 
Great Potato. —We had on our table a sweet 
potato which weighed eleven and half pounds, 
the largest we ever saw. It was raised on the 
plantation of Mr. D. M. Bryant, at Wrights- 
ville, on the Sound. We have sent it to the 
Carolina Hotel, for “general inspection and re¬ 
view.”— Wilmington (N. C.) Commercial. 
The Erie Railroad with its equipments cost 
twenty-five millions of dollars, and employs 
two hundred locomotives. 
-- 
At Lowell there is a capital employed of 
$13,900,000 ; number of mills, 51; number of 
females, employed, 8,570 ; males 4,163 ; total 
12,733. Two savings banks, with deposits of 
the savings of the operatives to the amount of 
nearly $1,300,000. 
Potatoes. —Such is the enormous quantity of 
potatoes being sent up to London, that there 
are at present about three miles of trucks loaded 
with this esculent, waiting to be discharged on 
one of the railways. Potatoes are bought up 
hereabouts at about £5 a ton; and after paying 
about £2 for carriage there is a profit to the 
Scotch dealer of about £3 a ton. —Perth Courier. 
-—— 
Manufacture of Flax. —There is now a pros¬ 
pect of the valuable water power at Indian Or¬ 
chard being brought into use, though as the 
subscription is not yet full, we cannot speak with 
entire certainty. A company has been formed 
with a capital of $400,000, who propose to pur¬ 
chase the entire property of the existing Indian 
Orchard Canal Company, and unite with it cer¬ 
tain important patents for the manufacture of 
flax and other vegetable fibre. Among the per¬ 
sons engaged in this enterprise we notice the 
names of George Bliss, George Ashmun, David 
A. Wells, and many others in this city; of Sam¬ 
uel Frothingham, Jr., Dr. A. A. Hayes and others 
of Boston ; and of Warren Delano, Coleman & 
Stetson and others of New-York. All who have 
an eye to the progress of our city must join with 
us in wishing success to the undertaking in its 
widest and most promising expectations and 
prospects. A cotton mill, with machinery ready 
manufactured, is nearly prepared for active 
operation now, at Indian Orchard, and the first 
movement of the new company will be to set it 
a going. This will call an immediate population 
of four hundred to five hundred.— Spring. Rep. 
-• 9 «- 
The Cheapest Sell on Record. —In Ports¬ 
mouth, Va., a few days since, a complete set of 
household furniture, of a good quality, sold at 
auction for eighty-six cents. The Globe explains: 
“ An ungallant lord fell out with his better- 
half, and determined to dispose of ‘bed and 
board,’ pocket the money, and let her hunt for 
a living. Some gentlemen met at the sale, and 
soon convinced the crowd of their obligation to 
see justice done to .the lady. The result was, 
not one but those interested bid on the furniture, 
and the whole was finally knocked down for the 
above handsome sum —eighty-six cents. The 
furniture was then presented to the lady—and 
eighty-six cents to the lord.” 
-• ©-•- 
Personal.— A gentleman, claiming to be a 
“ friend of the human race,” and who keeps the 
rim of facts, figures, and babies, has just laid 
before “ an inquiring world” the following sta¬ 
tistics — “ The whole number of languages 
spoken in the world amounts to 3063 ; 587 in 
Europe; 936 in Asia; 276 in Africa; 1264 in 
America. The inhabitants of our globe profess 
more than 1000 different religions. The num¬ 
ber of men is about equal to the number of 
women. The average of human life is about 33 
years. One quarter part die previous to the 
age of 7 years, and one-half before reaching 17 
years of age, and those who pass this enjoy a 
felicity refused to one half the human species. 
To every 1000 persons only one reaches 100 
years in life; to every 100 only 7 reach the age 
of 66; and not more than one in 500 lives to 
80 years of age.” 
-•-* •- 
Taking Care of the Baby.— Last week a fire 
occurred at Homer, Cortland county, in a build¬ 
ing occupied by eight or ten Irish families. 
During the excitement, one of those crazy busy- 
bodies who always attend fires, and do more 
harm than good, caught up an infant and threw 
it out of the window of the second story. Luckily, 
a gentleman below, saw it coming, and succeeded 
in catching it in his arms, thus barely saving it 
from certain death. We have seen mammoth 
mirrors and delicate china-ware thrown from 
high windows during large fires, but the “ sav¬ 
ing” of a baby in that fashion is a stretch of 
“ economy” and “ humanity” unprecedented in 
our reading or observation.— A lb. Reg. 
We once saw a man throw a large looking- 
glass from the third story window of a burning 
hotel. He then took up a heavy pair of and¬ 
irons and carried them carefully down and set 
them upon the opposite sidewalk. 
