editors’ table. 
325 
Qfbitors’ ®abk. 
Professor Johnston’s Address. —We listened with 
great pleasure and instruction to the very able address 
of Professor Johnston, who recently left England for 
the purpose of examining the agriculture of this coun¬ 
try and the provinces of British America. Though 
the address required a full hour and a half in the 
delivery, it was listened to with unflagging interest 
till its close. Its main features, after the introduction, 
consisted in a succinct history of the present state of 
European agriculture, as exhibited in the several coun¬ 
tries, most of which he has personally visited. The 
latter part of the address was on miscellaneous topics 
connected with the subject, in W’hich various important 
suggestions were made for the advancement of this 
great interest. We shall soon see this valuable address 
scattered broadcast over the Union, and hope it may 
reach every farmer’s fireside. 
We understand Professor Johnston will not return 
to Europe before the ensuing spring, and we earnestly 
recommend to every society or community, who can 
appreciate the benefits of agricultural science, that, 
for their own interest, they offer him such remunera¬ 
tion as will ensure a course of his invaluable lectures. 
More particularly do we, of New York, owe it to our¬ 
selves and our community, that we secure from him a 
full course. This will come with much better effect 
from the Agricultural Board of the American Insti¬ 
tute. The promotion of national objects and improve¬ 
ments should be one of its primary merits ; and as 
the advancement of agriculture is professedly one of 
its leading objects, there will scarcely occur a more 
favorable opportunity of carrying out their patriotic 
purposes. Millions of American gold have here been 
worse than thrown away on English comedians and 
their cognate professions. An opportunity is now af¬ 
forded where a few hundreds or thousands may be 
most worthily bestowed, and for our own lasting honor 
and advantage. We shall see if Americans have the 
enlightened self-interest—the wisdom to do it. 
Sale of Stock by Mr. Morris. —We desire to call 
attention to the advertisement of Mr. Lewis G. Morris, 
in this number of our paper. His cows are celebrated 
for their milking qualities, and now is an excellent 
opportunity for dairy farmers to supply themselves 
with good milkers. The produce of a good milker, 
sold in this market, will net fifty dollars a year; while 
that of a poor one scarcely ever pays for her keep. 
Two railroads now run from this city through West¬ 
chester and Putnam counties, and this enables the 
farmers to send their milk daily to the city, for sale, at 
a high price. They have, therefore, every motive to 
induce them to improve the milking qualities-of their 
cows. For a more particular notice of the breeding 
of Mr. Morris’ stock, see an article on his farm, at 
page 318 of the current volume. 
Death of Henry Colman. — We learn, with 
deep regret, that Mr. Colman died of fever, at Islington, 
London, on the 17th of August last. He had engaged 
his passage in the steamer Caledonia, and was to have 
sailed the day after his death. Mr. Colman was about 
65 years old. His health had not been very good 
for several years. We received a letter from him, 
dated a few weeks previous to his demise, at which 
time he seemed in excellent spirits, and was anticipat¬ 
ing a quick return to his native land. We had been 
personal friends for upwards of fifteen years. 
Mr. Colman was a native of Boston, Massachusetts, 
and was educated for the ministry. He devoted him¬ 
self assiduously to his profession, for several years, but 
having an unconquerable love for agriculture, after 
paying considerable attention to the cultivation of a 
beautiful farm, at Deerfield, in the fertile valley of the 
Connecticut, he accepted an appointment from the 
Massachusetts Legislature, as Agricultural Commis¬ 
sioner for that commonwealth. Several volumes of 
valuable reports attest his zeal and fidelity in discharg¬ 
ing the duties of that laborious office. 
In the month of April, 1843, Mr. Colman embarked 
for England, with the intention of making an agricul¬ 
tural survey of Europe. The valuable information 
which he gathered, while abroad, may be found in his 
report, in ten parts, issued from time to time, in the 
course of his absence abroad. 
Mr. Colman was a man of fine, commanding, per¬ 
sonal appearance, very intelligent, with superior con¬ 
versational powers, winning manners, and possessed 
one of the kindest and most benevolent hearts we ever 
knew. He made himself particularly agreeable abroad 
among all classes; and the death of few men is more 
regretted than his, by a large circle of friends and 
acquaintances. His last work published was a series 
of familiar letters to his friends while abroad. These 
abound with information, and are written in a singu¬ 
larly agreeable vein. We understand, while abroad, 
he gathered the materials for other works, which 
we trust his family will in due time give to the public. 
Native Bananas. —The New-Orleans Picayune 
states that Mr. Benjamin Florence, of Lafayette, La., 
has raised some bananas not at all inferior to the West- 
India specimens. He has from 40 to 50 plants, each 
bunch containing from 150 to 180 fruits. 
Comparative Growth of Peas. —Mr. Thomas 
Meeham, of Philadelphia, made an experiment with 
several kinds of peas and noted the periods of their 
harvesting. They were all sowed on the 3d of April, 
in the same soil and situation, and grew, in every 
respect, under equal circumstances. The time when 
each produced pods, fit for use, stands opposite their 
respective names. 
Prince Albert, . . June 10th. 
Bishop’s dwarf, . . “ 17th. 
Thompson’s dwarf, . ££ 17th. 
Early May, ... « 21st. 
Early June, ... ££ 21st. 
Early frame, ... “ 21st. 
Early Charlton, . , ££ 21st. 
Royal-dwarf marrow, . “ 25th. 
White marrow, . . “ 25th. 
Black-eyed marrow, . £e 28th. 
Blue Prussian, . . « 30th. 
Blue Imperial, . . ££ 30th. 
Banksian marrow, . . July 2d. 
New mammoth, . , ££ 2d. 
Dwarf sugar, ... ££ 2d. 
Interesting Agricultural Experiments. —The 
Philadelphia Ledger notices some recent experiments 
in wheat and flour which prove that both contain wa¬ 
ter, and that the quantity is more in cold countries 
than in warm. In Alsace, from 16 to 20 per cent. 
In England, from 14 to 17 per cent. In the United 
States, from 12 to 14 per cent. In Africa and Sicily, 
from 9 to 11 per cent. This accounts for the fact that 
the same weight of southern flour yields more bread 
than the northern. English wheat yields 13 pounds 
more to the quarter than the Scotch. Alabama flour 
yields 20 per cent, more than Cincinnati. And in 
general, American flour, according to the authority 
of one of the most extensive London bakers, absorbs 
8 to 10 per cent, more than its own weight of water in 
being made into bread than the English. The warmer 
the country, the more is the water dried out of the 
grain before it ripens, and hence, when made into 
bread, it absorbs more water again, rind is therefore 
moge valuable. 
