AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
281 
Taking climate, soil, (though much is worn 
out, it can be bought low and readily and quickly 
improved by judicious culture,) society, and ac¬ 
cess to market, into consideration, I am candid 
in saying that those seeking a new location would 
do well to look at these lands, many of which 
are for sale. 
I write anonymously, Mr. Editor. I am a 
plain farmer with no name or reputation, and 
therefore can see no necessity for my real name. 
I am sure any of the following gentlemen, iden¬ 
tified with farming interests, and men of intelli¬ 
gence, would answer inquiries: viz., Dr. A. A. 
Campbell, Nottaway Court House; B. J. Wor¬ 
sham, clerk of the courts, Prince Edward C. H.; 
Col. W. C. Knight or Chas. Smith, Esq., Jeffries 
Store P. 0., Lunenburg; G. W. Read, Esq., 
Charlotte C. H.; J. E. Venable, Petersburg; J. 
R. Watkins, Richmond; J. R. Edmonds, Halifax 
C. H. A Farmer of Virginia, 
Who is neither a land-seller or land-buyer. 
AGRICULTURE AND THE CROWNS. 
While all our political characters, frem the 
President down to the lowest tide-waiter, i gncre 
agriculture and all connected with it, we have 
only to turn our eyes over the water, to find 
Kings and Queens who place this subject among 
the first and most important interests of their 
realms, not only by alluding to it in their annual 
messages, and recommending liberal measures 
for its advancement, but also by an active 
participation in the various enterprises set on 
foot for its improvement. We were sensibly 
impressed with this fact, by reading the report 
of the recent Smithfield Club Show, at whloh 
Prince Albert was one of the most active and 
successful exhibitors, and by his presence and 
participation assisted in giving an impulse to 
improvement in breeding various animals. He 
even carried away the highest prize for breed¬ 
ing the best swine, as the following extracts 
show: 
Among Hereford Oxen above three years old, 
his Royal Highness Prince Albert exhibited an 
ox of great merit. The girth was 9ft. 4in., and 
the length feet—dimensions equal to many of 
the Short-horn beasts, and exceeding the prize 
animals. The carcase was very primely fattened, 
but lumpy rather than even in the covering of 
flesh, and tending to secretions on particular 
places. The body wanted length to form a 
handsome carcase, for however desirable and 
essential a deep girth may be, a very conside¬ 
rable degree of c> lindrical length is required to 
constitute a handsome ox; and this requisite 
holds in every animal life—in horses, cattle, 
sheep, pigs, and even in poultry. The now men¬ 
tioned beast was high in the shoulder, but a 
most respectable animal. 
Pigs had a large exhibition in every class, 
except in the large breeds, which are declining. 
Only one very large animal was exhibited, which 
had no recommendation except “ monstrosity.” 
The small breeds and middle bulks were very 
superior. 
His Royal Highness Prince Albert was the 
chief winner of prizes in young and aged pigs, 
and also of the gold medal. The younger pigs 
are unexceptionable; the older animals are very 
low and heavy, unwieldy, with a head that is 
very disproportionately small and unseemly. 
The pigs belonging to Mr. Marjoribanks are more 
active; and our opinion gives the preference to 
the stock of Mr. Crockford’s, Stanmore, possess¬ 
ing more length of body, higher on the legs, a 
better sized head, and a better coat of hair. The 
pig is naturally a drowsy, sluggish, and stupid 
animal, and the fattening organization should 
not be reduced beneath some degree of sprightly 
vigor, in order to promote the action of the di¬ 
gestive and functional organs. Lateral extension 
is a great essential in a pig, but it must not 
overbalance the length, and produce an un- 
wieldly sideling bulk. A breed of swine is pre¬ 
ferable, which in the young condition affords 
small fresh pork, and in the advanced state 
yields hams and bacon of sufficient size. This 
breed would dispense w r ith small varieties, 
which suit only one purpose, and also the large 
breeds that vield bacon only. 
The success of his Royal Highness Prince 
Albert in the breeding of pigs, and his complete 
failure this year of the four oxen exhibited in 
Devons and Herefords, suggest the expediency 
or necessity of breeding, as well as feeding the 
cattle, when the same success might attend the 
performance. There is much more merit in 
breeding cattle than in feeding them, the latter 
being altogether mechanical, and the former a 
very high exertion of intellectual judgment and 
calculation. There is little merit, comparatively, 
in refining the organization of swine, as the hog 
is very susceptible of variations, and an almost 
universal cosmopolite. The frequent bearing 
of young, shows the effects of sexual intercourse 
much sooner than the yearly productions of 
cattle and sheep. Prizes for any animals might 
be confined to the breeders “ only.” 
-- 
McGLASHAN’S TREE TRANSPLANTER, 
The inventor of the machine for transplanting 
trees, which has excited a good deal of interest 
both in Europe and America, replies to some 
objections which have been urged against it in 
the London Gardener's Chronicle. The most 
important exception taken in the article re¬ 
ferred to, was the destruction of the fibres or 
rootlets by cutting. While Mr. McGlashan ad¬ 
mits the necessity of nregare gnp; thp. root.1® to r 
he maintains that his method preserves the 
whole mass of rootlets contained in the ball 
from exposure, which is very injurious to them, 
and that the cutting of the roots does not injure 
them so much as the bruising they are subject 
to by the ordinary methods of transplanting, 
when the ball is much reduced; and that the 
wound soon heals, and new rootlets are formed. 
As a practical proof of the success of his ma 
chine he states, that of 1200 trees and shrubs 
of different sorts, transplanted within a circle of 
fifty miles, w T ith-balls of earth varying from 10 
feet square to 1 foot 10 inches, only three have 
failed, and the remainder are apparently doing 
as well as if they had never been removed, and 
this, too, after the most trying part of the sea¬ 
son. Mr. McGlashan seems to be satisfied of 
the eventual success of this novel machine. 
A Word to Bovs. —Boys, did you think that 
this great world, all its wealth and woe, with all 
its mines and mountains, its oceans, seas and 
rivers, steamboats and ships, railroads and steam 
printing presses, magnetic telegraphs, will soon 
be given over to the hands of the boys of the 
present age! Believe it, and look abroad upon 
the inheritance, and get ready to enter upon you 
duties. 
A Good Cow. —The Albany Argus tells of a 
cow owned by Mr. James Brice, of New Scotland, 
Albany county, and bearing the name “ Cherry,” 
which yielded 46 lbs. and 14 oz. butter in the 
month ending Dec. 19th. The cow was four 
years old 14th June last. 
- »C« - r 
The year 1854 will begin and end on the 
Sabbath; five months will contain five Sabbaths 
each, and there will be fifty-three Sabbaths in 
the year. 
Getting is a chance, but keeping is a virtue. 
WASHINGTON’S EARLY DAYS. 
Putnam’s Magazine for January is a rare 
treat for all lovers of good, original Ameri¬ 
can literature. Among its long list of valuable 
articles, we may name Washington’s Early Days, 
by Mrs. Kirkland, the Public Buildings of New- 
York, The National Inventory, Hayti and the 
Haitians, Stage Coach Stories, Puns and Pun¬ 
sters, &c., &c. The publisher announces that he 
1 will send the Magazine one year, post-paid , to 
those remitting $3 promptly in advance.” (By 
reference to our last page, it will be seen that 
our publishers furnish this paper and the Maga¬ 
zine for $4.) We give the following short ex¬ 
tract from the first of a series of articles on the 
early life of Washington. This first article is 
throughout very interesting, and goes far to 
prove that “the child is father to the man.” 
Referring to a written book kept by young 
George in his early days, the writer says: 
Still more valuable is another portion of this 
precious volume, thirty pages in which are max¬ 
ims, regularly numbered, to the extent of a hun¬ 
dred and ten, under the title of “ Rules of Be¬ 
havior in Company and Conversation.” The 
import and value of these rules are various, 
ranging from a caution against drumming on the 
table, to a recommendation of reverence when 
the Highest Name is mentioned. It is evident 
from his after history that these very rules, 
copied and conned at thirteen, were inwoven into 
Washington’s habits of thought and action; and 
that having once secured the assent of his taste, 
reason, and conscience, they continued effective 
throughout his life, and seemed to guard him 
against instinctive selfishness and the assaults of 
his own passions, as well as against any encroach¬ 
ment on the riadits or feeliners nf nt.heva Whan 
we reflect how striking was ever the courtesy and 
appropriateness of his behavior under the most 
difficult circumstances, it becomes most inte¬ 
resting to read, in the stiff, boyish hand of that 
early time, such rules as these : 
“ Let your discourse with men of business be 
short and comprehensive. It is good manners to 
prefer them to whom we speak before ourselves, 
especially if they be above us, with whom in no 
sort we ought to begin. Let your countenance 
be pleasant, but in serious matters somew’na t 
grave. In writing or speaking, give to every 
person his due title, according to his degree and 
the custom of the place. Being to advise or 
reprehend any one, consider whether it ought 
to be in public or in private, presently or at some 
other time, in what terms to do it; and in re¬ 
proving show no signs of choler, but do it with 
sweetness and mildness. Take all admonitions 
thankfully, in what time or place soever given ; 
but afterwards, not being culpable, take a time 
and place convenient to let him know it that 
gave them. Mock not nor jest at any thing of 
importance; break no jests that are sharp-biting, 
and if you deliver any thing witty and pleasant, 
abstain from laughing thereat yourself. Where¬ 
in you reprove another, be unblamable yourself, 
for example is more prevalent than precepts. 
Letyour conversation be without malace or envy, 
for it is a sign of a tractable and commendable 
nature; and in all cases of passion, admit reason 
to govern. Be not angry at table, whatever 
happens, and if you have reason to be so, show 
it not; put on a cheerful countenance, especially 
if there be strangers, for good humor maketh 
one dish of meat at a feast. When you speak of 
God or his attributes, let it be seriously, in re¬ 
verence. Honor and obey your natural parents 
though they be poor. Let your recreations be 
manful, not sinful. Labor to keep alive in your 
breast that little spark of celestial fire, called 
Conscience.” 
From what repertory these and all the other 
maxims in the collection were drawn, we know 
not; they wear the air of having been culled 
from various sources. Their having been copied 
