editors’ table. 
325 
(Suitors’ ^abk. 
Improvement of Long-Island Lands. —On the 28 th 
of May, on our journey to Ronkonkoma Lake, a beauti¬ 
ful sheet of water some 50 miles from New York, we 
stopped at Lake-Road Station, on the Long-Island 
Railroad, where a clearing of several acres had been 
made, and a commodious house erected for a hotel. 
The land had just been grubbed, (cleared of stumps 
and roots,) and was in process of being spaded with 
about twenty loads of barnyard manure applied to .the 
acre. We again visited the same place on the 22d of 
August, and found the land a perfect garden, contain¬ 
ing almost every description of culinary vegetable, of a 
heavy yield, and of the finest growth, and among them 
several acres of as good corn and potatoes as could be 
found on the island. No unusual pains, we are in¬ 
formed, were taken in the cultivation, which clearly 
shows that these lands are capable of yielding all that 
we have attributed to them. 
The Farmer’s Guide to Scientific and Practical 
Agriculture, No. 8, containing the first part of Pro¬ 
fessor Norton’s American Notes, has just been published 
by Leonard Scott & Co., 7 9 Fulton street, N. Y. Price 
25 cents. 
Executor’s Sale of Stock. —We desire to call par¬ 
ticular attention to the sale of Devon cattle, South- 
down sheep, and Suffolk swine, advertised at page 327. 
They were mostly imported or bred by the late Mr. 
William Sticknev. Judging from what we have seen 
of their produce, they must be fine specimens of their 
kind. We hope to see a large attendance at the sale, 
as it will afford such an opportunity to purchase as 
does not often occur. 
Penalty for Growing the Canada Thistle. —The 
legislature of Wisconsin has recently passed an act by 
which any owner or lessee of land, who shall knowingly 
permit the Canada thistle to go to seed on such land, 
is deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction 
thereof, to be punished by a fine not exceeding five, 
nor less than one dollar, with costs. 
A New Idea. —At one of the iron mines in Lehigh 
county, Pennsylvania, where the water is drawn out of 
the mine by mule power, one of the animals refuses 
to work, unless he is ridden. To save a hand, they have 
mounted upon him an artificial monkey, and he works 
steadily, perfectly satisfied. 
The Wheat Crop. —The wheat crop of four of the 
largest grain-growing states in the Union—Indiana, 
Michigan, Ohio, Iowa—is said to be equal in quantity 
and quality, to that of any preceding year. It is said 
that the surplus crop of Michigan will more than double 
the largest yield ever produced in that state. 
Wheat from Drill Culture.— We understand that 
Mr. Andrew Y. Moore, of Schoolcraft, Michigan, has 
harvested by a harvesting machine, which reaps, 
threshes, cleans, and bags the grain, 280 acres of wheat 
in seventeen and a half days. The wheat was sown in 
drills nine inches apart, and was unusually stout, 
although there was a great deal of wet weather the 
past season, which prolonged the time of harvest. 
An Extraordinary Cow.— Mr. Henry Smith, of 
Astoria, Long Island, has a Dutch cow, eighteen years 
old, that has not had a calf for two years, and yet she 
is giving sixteen quarts of milk per day. In her prime, 
she gave thirty-eight quarts per day. She has had four¬ 
teen calves, none of which were twins. If any one has a 
cow equal to this, we should be glad to hear from him. 
Great Peach Tra.de. —It is estimated by those en¬ 
gaged in selling peaches in this city, that 75,000 to 
80,000 baskets came to market on the 4th of Septem¬ 
ber. 
| The National Temperance Offering, and Sons and 
! Daughters of Temperance. Gift for 1851. Edited by 
S. F. Cary, M. W* P. of the Sons of Temperance of 
North America. New York: Richard Vandeen, 1850. 
Even in this book-making age, a good book is a jewel 
The design of this elegant volume, seems to be, to add 
to the stock of pure temperance literature, already be¬ 
fore the public, and to encourage those engaged in 
that great reform so full of blessings to the present, 
and promise to future generations. The book has been 
got up in elegant style, and finely illustrated with por¬ 
traits of some of the most prominent reformers of the 
age. We bespeak for it a great sale, as a reward to 
the enterprising publisher. 
Virginia Copper and Farming Lands. —A corres¬ 
pondent and friend has written us several times, rela¬ 
tive to what he deems very valuable copper mines and 
farming lands in and near Farquahar and Warren coun¬ 
ties and their neighborhood. The offers made for 
selling, in whole or part, or for loaning money on the 
property, seem to us highly favorable for men of en¬ 
terprise and capital, and any such, wishing further in¬ 
formation on this subject, can receive it by calling on 
us personally. 
Bark Lice on Orange Trees. —>A friend called 
upon us a short time since, witli the agreeable intelli¬ 
gence that we had saved the orange trees of the south. 
Not readily comprehending the occasion of our hitherto 
unheard of success, a closer investigation led us to be¬ 
lieve we may have been instrumental in effecting some 
benefit, on a few of the plantations in Louisiana. The 
orange louse, has for many years produced great havoc 
on the trees in most 6f our southern states, and one 
who was particularly afflicted in this way, called on us 
in New Orleans, some three or four years since, for a 
remedy. Not having any personal experience in the 
matter, we suggested that these parasites, like lice on 
starving or diseased cattle, were the result of scanty, 
or uncongenial food, (soil,) exhausted, perhaps, of some 
of the properties essential to giving vigorous and 
healthful growth to the tree. 
Upon this hint he acted; and by digging about the 
roots, and manuring plentifully with compost, barn¬ 
yard manure, ashes, and lime, he speedily secured a 
vigor that sent the whole of the marauders beyond the 
reach of further harm. 
The New Patent Mouse Trap. —The August num¬ 
ber of the Journal of the Franklin Institute contains the 
specification of a patented mouse trap. The improved 
mode of body snatching is as follows :—A savory piece 
of toasted cheese is suspended on a hook. Enter rat. 
A small mirror is so adjusted, that the rat sees his 
shadow in the glass, (just as Richard did,) and not re¬ 
cognising himself at first sight, thinks that some other 
rat is aiming for the cheese. He rushes in to head off 
his rival. The board he treads on is a deceiver. It is 
supported by a weak spring, (probably a patent truss,) 
which yields under his weight, and precipitates him 
into a lower story of the trap, when the floor flies up 
to resume its place. Another rat comes along, sees 
the reflection of his predecessor, as well as his own, 
and thinks two rats are fighting for the cheese. In he 
goes—down he goes, and so on, toties quoties. 
The advantages of this trap are obvious. It econo¬ 
mises cheese. It saves the animal alive, and affords to 
mankind and dog kind, the pleasure of subsequently 
killing him at their leisure. It teaches a useful lesson. 
Rats should study optics. They should learn to know 
themselves, and know their own face, when they see it 
in a glass. Hence our man rats are now beginning to 
crook their long hairs around their lips, and give them a 
characteristic curl, so that they may identify themselves 
' by using a hair lip for an earmark.— Pennsylvanian. 
