IS 
CONVERSATION ABOUT DELAWARE. 
they are much less likely to sheer off or fright¬ 
en at sight or sound of any object along the 
roadside, which a horse does, because he imag¬ 
ines he sees or hears something frightful, while 
the mule, with his clear eye and quick ear, de¬ 
tects the truth at once. For this reason, a mule is 
surer footed than a horse, and is therefore great¬ 
ly preferred by travellers over mountains and 
dangerous paths; and for the same reason, 
mules ought to be preferred for the use of la¬ 
dies and children ; and when well trained, are 
sufficiently spirited for all ordinary purposes. 
Mules are able to endure the heat while la¬ 
boring much better than horses. I have a very 
small pair which are nine years old, that I should 
not hesitate a moment to match against a pair 
of horses of the same age and double weight, to 
plow twice as much ground in one week of 
summer weather, to forfeit the team that first 
failed, the horses to be allowed just twice as 
much food as the mules. And this is no incon¬ 
siderable item in favor of mules upon a planta¬ 
tion, and still mere where food is to be purchas¬ 
ed ; for it is a well-known fact that a mule will 
live and work well upon rations that a horse 
would starve on in a month. The enormous 
quantity of human food consumed by horses in 
this country, and more particularly in Europe, 
is a matter of serious consideration, and should 
be a strong argument in favor of substituting 
animals that would perform the same labor 
while consuming less than one half the food. 
I could go on at great length with my argu¬ 
ment in behalf of my favorite animal of all 
work, but I think I have said enough for a com¬ 
mencement of the controversy. 
Please to continue to send the Agriculturist to 
all the subscribers on the enclosed list until or¬ 
dered discontinued, as we esteem it the best pa- 
paper of the kind in the United States. 
N. Williams. 
Nov. 9th , 1850. 
CONVERSATION ABOUT DELAWARE. 
Yellows in Peach Trees .—-Our friend Colonel 
Johnson has been paying a visit to the Messrs. 
Reybold, the great peach culturists of Dela¬ 
ware. In a recent conversation, he mentioned 
many interesting particulars of his visit, one 
of which was the flourishing condition of one 
peach orchard that had been liberally dressed 
with ashes, one of the best applications that 
can be made to old or long-cultivated land. 
Upon the farm of the Hon. John M. Clay¬ 
ton, who by the bye has a most beautiful 
one on the Newcastle Railroad, he saw some 
very thrifty peach trees that had been saved 
from the yellows by an application of fish 
oil, spread with a brush or swab, like paint, 
upon the stems of the trees. Our opinion, is, 
that any application which acts as a fertiliser, 
is beneficial in preventing diseases of trees, as 
it promotes a vigorous growth; and healthy 
trees are not so likely to be affected by the yel¬ 
lows nor any other complaint, as those which 
cannot find sufficient nutriment in the soil to 
sustain them in a healthy condition. 
A Delaware Wheat Crop .—John C. Clark, a 
Newcastle-county farmer, where Col. Johnson 
visited, was engaged while he was there clear¬ 
ing up his crop of wheat, which he grew the 
past season upon one hundred acres. He had 
already measured 3,000 bushels, and has some 
remaining. Upon one field of thirty-seven acres, 
he had 1,410 bushels, good measure, of fine 
wheat; that is, forty bushels to the acre. Upon 
another field of thirty acres, he averaged thirty- 
five bushels to the acre. Mr. Clark’s wheat is 
the Mediteranean variety, which is the favorite 
sort in Delaware and Maryland. There are but 
few wheat farmers in any part of the country 
who show a better result than this. 
Reclaimed Marsh .—The Messrs Reybold have 
most valuable crops now growing upon lands 
that were almost worthless before being re¬ 
claimed from the dominion of water. Major 
Reybold had one of these tracts in cultivation 
many years ago until it lost its original fertili¬ 
ty, and now suffered to be again flooded. Upon 
taking it in again, last year, it was found to have 
an accumulation of alluvium several inches thick 
all over the surface. 
■--- 
Ice Preservers.— Every family needs an ice 
preserver; for it is not only an excellent thing 
for this purpose, but to keep meat, fruits, milk, 
and butter. Articles of this kind are made in 
New York, at prices ranging from $10 to $100. 
Ice may be kept in them several weeks, with a 
great saving of time. It is quite a loss to be 
obliged to open the ice house every day; 
and if we depend upon the daily calls of the 
ice cart, it costs twice as much as if we laid in 
a week’s supply at a time. 
Price of Peaches in London.— A London let¬ 
ter, of the 21st June, says: Peaches for the 
past week are more abundant than they have 
been for the previous month, and consequently 
at more available rates—varying according to 
quality, from 26 shillings to 30 shillings sterl¬ 
ing, per dozen—equal to $6.50 to $7.50 United- 
States currency. They are of coursp ro&ad, 
(like grapes,) in hot houses. 
