Q06 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
the starch, gum, and sugar, are mainly changed 
into hard indigestible woody fibre when grass 
fully matures. If the ripening process be arrest¬ 
ed eight or ten days before its completion, and 
the plant be dried rapidly, double or treble the 
amount of starch, gum, and sugar will be secured. 
The same reasoning holds true of all kinds of 
grain. Every one is familiar with the sweet taste 
of green corn, wheat in the milk, etc. When the 
growth is completed, cut these crops and you 
save a considerable amount of rich nutriment 
which would otherwise be changed to the woody 
fibre of the outer shell. The only point to be 
looked to, is, to wait until the accumulation of 
juices is completed, and then begin the harvest¬ 
ing at once. The only exception to this rule is 
with crops designed solely for seed ; these may 
well be left to the natural full ripening upon the 
stalk, especially when the seed is to be kept long. 
The proper time for cutting grasses is at the 
moment the seed is set, or immediately after the 
flowering is over. Clover should be cut as soon 
as in full bloom. 
A large number of experiments on wheat and 
other grains indicates that the proper time for 
harvesting is when the kernel is fully formed, but 
still soft enough to yield to a moderate pressure 
between the thumb nails. This is usually about 
ten days before full maturity. We have had re¬ 
ports of a number of definite experiments on this 
subject, since our former article, one of which is 
given below. Several years ago Mr. Hannam, of 
Yorkshire, England, made five successive cuttings 
from the same field of wheat, and carefully noted 
the results which are given condensed in the fol¬ 
lowing table : 
Cuttings. 
Days before 
maturity. 
Products of 100 lbs. 
of Grain. 
Fine Flour. Seconds 
Bran. 
1 
3U days. 
75 ibs. 
7 tbs. 
17 lbs. 
2 
21 days. 
76 tbs. 
7 ibs. 
16 lbs. 
3 
14 davs. 
80 tbs. 
5 lbs. 
13 lbs. 
4 
2 days. 
77 lbs. 
7 lbs. 
14 ibs. 
5 
0 days. 
72 lbs. 
11 lbs. 
15 lbs. 
The largest yield, and the finest flour was ob¬ 
tained from cutting No. 3. A subscriber of the 
Agriculturist in Ottawa, Ill., writes that after re¬ 
reading our article above alluded to, he last Sum¬ 
mer resolved to put it to the test on his wheat 
crop of fifty acres, although against the protest of 
his well-meaning neighbors. For comparison he 
left a small portion standing in the field until 
fully ripe. The result he states as follows': 
“ The bulk of the crop cut first, weighed 624- 
pounds to the measured bushel! The remainder 
of the crop, cut when fully ripe, weighed but 58 
lbs. per bushel—a difference of 44 lbs. per bushel. 
The amount harvested was 1,200 bushels; thus 
a gain of 5,400 lbs. weight, equivalent to about 
90 bushels in bulk, was realized. The flour made 
from the early cut wheat was superior, being 
white and lively.” 
Let others who have not full faith in this rea¬ 
soning, try a small portion of wheat or other 
grain by cutting it when just out of the milk, and 
carefully note the results; we feel quite sure they 
will be satisfactory. The reaping machines, now 
so common, put it in the power of farmers to 
gather their grain crops at the most appropriate 
season. 
■-■*»-«——- . 
To Prevent the Feet from Slipping in Hay- 
ins Time, etc. —C. T., Queens Co., N. Y., re¬ 
commends tacking the soles of old rubber shoes 
on the bottoms of boots or shoes during the hay¬ 
ing season, to prevent the feet slipping. Leath¬ 
er becomes very smooth by walking over stubble, 
and the mower sometimes finds it difficult to “get 
a good hold ” as he advances forward to swing 
his scythe. It is also a good precaution to put 
on rubber shoes with corrugated bottoms when 
going on to a sloping roof, as there is less danger 
of slipping—unless the roof is very wet, when one 
should not go at all. 
Agricultural “Fairs” and Exhibitions. 
The Exhibitions held under the direction of 
State, County or other Agricultural associations, 
though often called “ fairs,” are improperly desig¬ 
nated by that term. A fair, Webster well de¬ 
fines as “a stated meeting of buyers and sellers 
for trade.” Although business transactions are 
often effected at our annual agricultural gather¬ 
ings, this is only incidental, and not. the primary 
object for which they were established. Fairs are 
of very ancient date in European countries. They 
originated in sparsely settled districts where on 
account of distance from any emporium it was 
difficult to obtain necessary annual supplies, or to 
find a market for the various products of industry. 
Becoming established, they have been kept up ev¬ 
en after the settlement of commercial towns with¬ 
in easy reach, partly because of “custom,” but 
particularly, no doubt, because such gatherings 
are usually made the occasion of merry making 
and sight seeing, where the rustics find much 
pleasure, and the entertainers much profit. 
These fairs differ in their character ; some being 
general, for the sale of articles of every descrip¬ 
tion, others confined principally to some one spe¬ 
cies of articles, as farm stock, horses, dairy pro¬ 
ducts, etc. In France a hair fair is held annual¬ 
ly, to which the young maidens flock by hundreds 
to dispose of the crop of tresses they have culti¬ 
vated for the year. 
In this country few institutions of the kind have 
existed, except the fancy fairs usually connected 
with ladies sewing societies, of which we, and no 
doubt many of our readers have lively jwrse-onal 
recollections. Recently, however, there has been 
considerable discussion as to the feasibility of 
holding agricultural fairs, or of adding a depart¬ 
ment to our exhibitions, to be devoted especially 
to this purpose. We think the latter proposition 
decidedly objectionable. There is already too 
great a departure from the objects for which such 
exhibitions should be held. Instead of being the 
means of bringing into notice the results of im¬ 
proved culture, thereby leading others to adopt 
the methods by which the fine specimens of pro¬ 
duce and stock exhibited, have been obtained, too 
many of our annual gatherings have degener¬ 
ated into mere shows for amusement and to grat¬ 
ify sight-seeing curiosity. In some instances 
circus-managers have shared profits with county 
associations, and in numerous cases the race¬ 
track with its men and women performers has 
been the chief attraction. In the selection of 
speakers also, we have known greater regard paid 
to affording some political aspirant an opportunity 
to display his parts and make capital by much 
fair speech, than to imparting new ideas in the 
science of cultivation, by men competent to in¬ 
struct and interest. The addition of a “ fair ” de¬ 
partment to exhibitions would still further de¬ 
tract from their usefulness. A man with a flock 
of sheep to sell, or who should wish to purchase a 
horse, would naturally have his whole thoughts 
upon this, and trafficking and bargain hunting 
would be the great business of the day. 
Of the institution of agricultural fairs distinct 
from exhibitions, where the avowed object is to 
buy and sell, we think favorably. The time con¬ 
sumed in looking for stock needed on the farm, 
or for arranging the sales of the home produce is 
no small item, when a day is often worth many 
dollars in farming operations. Many fields aro 
unplowed because the owner, driven with busi¬ 
ness, had not time to look up cattle in the Spring 
many acres of grass go to waste for want of 
readily accessible stock to feed them off. Often 
too, men sell at a sacrifice rather than wait for the 
next chance customer to call for their produce. 
Again, in the rapid fluctuations of prices which 
often occur, it is impracticable for the man dis¬ 
tant from sources of information to know what 
valuation to put upon his stock. Merchants and 
speculators have their telegraphic “ feelers ” out 
all over the country, and are speedily apprised of 
the slightest change. But the newspaper reports 
by which many farmers are guided, are often 
several days old when they are read, and are by 
no means reliable. Many of these difficulties 
could, we think, be obviated by properly conduct¬ 
ed fairs. Purchasers would be attracted by find¬ 
ing an assortment from which to select, and own¬ 
ers having arranged the home business with ref¬ 
erence to the time appointed, could more easily 
attend to disposing of their stock. In such a 
gathering there would soon be a well understood 
scale of prices, and much unnecessary higgling 
and chaffering be saved. 
As an affair of so much importance should be 
under some responsible management, it might be 
well to initiate the enterprise under the superin¬ 
tendence of the County Agricultural Associations 
already formed ; the regulations would vary with 
localities. The experiment has already been tried 
in a few places, and so far as we have heard, par¬ 
ticipants generally are well pleased with the re¬ 
sults. We shall be gratified to hear of the fur¬ 
ther succes of the movement, as whatever sim¬ 
plifies the exchange of products is a gain to both 
producer and consumer: there are under the 
present system too many “ middle men,” whose 
profits add nothing to the general value. 
Officers of N. Y. State Agr. Society.— In 
response to several enquiries for the officers of 
this Society for 1859, we give the following list. 
President —Hon. A. B. Conger, of Rockland. 
Vice-Presidents — 1st Dist.. Edward G. Faile, of N. Y. 
2d, C. S. Wainright, Dutchess ; 3d, Dr H. Wendell 
Albany; 4th, Henry M. Beckwith, Washineton ; 5th 
Benj. N. Huntington, Oneida ; 6th, S. A. Law, Delaware; 
7th, Jas. O. Sheldon, Ontario; 8th. T. C. Peters, Genesee 
Corresponding Secretary— Benj. P. Johnson. 
Recording Secretary —Erastus Corning, Jr. 
Treasurer— Luther A. Tucker. 
The Executive Committee, consist of the above togethei 
with the following: Edward A. Lawrence, Queens; 
T. B. Carroll, Rensselaer; H. W. Dwight, Cayuga; 
Chauncy Boughton, Saratoga; Aliich Hubbeil, Oneida. 
All communications and enquiries should be 
addressed to the corresponding Secretary, Col» 
B. P. Johnson, at Albany. The next annual ex¬ 
hibition will be held at Albany. 
Hog Cholera. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
Much has been said in the Agriculturist at dif¬ 
ferent times with regard to the disease called 
Hog Cholera, which should be called, stoppage of 
the issues. There is on the inside of the fore-leg 
of every hog, opposite the knee joint, three small 
ducts or pipes which connect directly with the 
lungs of the animal. In every healthy hog, there 
is a continual discharge from them, of a thick 
offensive matter, causing the hair to look greasy 
around them. Now if those issues get stopped as 
they often do, the hog will die in a short time 
unless they are opened, which is done by insert¬ 
ing a wire about the size of a knitting-needle 
into the issues from ten to twelve inches, being 
careful not to punch through the membranous 
lining. After the opening process, anoint the in¬ 
side of the leg with salt grease, and rub with a cob 
until the skin looks very red, and in nine cases 
out of ten, if done in season the cure is effected. 
The first symptoms of this disease are loss of 
