editors’ table. 
163 
(gfrttovg &able. 
Importation of Potatoes. —We understand several 
arrivals from France have brought large quantities of 
French potatoes to this country, reported to be of an 
excellent quality. Think of this, farmers, and pause ! 
Sale of Shorthorn Cattle. —We understand that 
Mr. J. G. Kinnaird, of Lexington, Kentucky, has recent¬ 
ly sold two cows and three calves for $315 ; also a 
heifer calf, ten months old, for $100, and three bull 
calves for $250. Although these prices are not what 
they ought to be, still, they are so much better than 
those ruling in the west for the past ten years, that it 
is quite encouraging. We understand that shorthorns 
are quite in demand now, which breeders are selling 
much more readily than formerly. 
Treatise on the History and Management of Or¬ 
namental and Domestic Poultry, by Rev. E. S. Dixon, 
with large additions by J. J. Kerr, M. D. Dixon is one 
of the best and most agreeable writers on this subject 
that England has yet produced; and the republication 
of the second London edition of his work, by Messrs. E. 
H. Butler & Co., of Philadelphia, with the additions by Dr. 
Kerr, will be well received in this country; though we 
cannot wholly agree with the writers in all their state¬ 
ments in regard to the value of some of the different 
varieties of fowls. There are 26 beautiful engravings 
of various fowls in this work, and those which are 
accurately drawn add greatly to its value. We have 
looked upon these engravings, upon the whole, with 
much pleasure, though we think the Shanghaes and 
other eastern breeds rather flattered in the shortness 
of their legs, while the Malays figured here, as belong¬ 
ing to Mr. Cope, are far inferior to such as are bred in 
this vicinity. Dr. Kerr, we understand, is about to es¬ 
tablish himself in this city, where he will keep for sale 
choice varieties of fowls. 
History of the United States of America, from 
the adoption of the Federal Constitution to the end of 
the Sixteenth Congress. By Richard Hildreth, in three 
volumes. Hew York: Harpers, pp. 705, octavo. Se¬ 
cond series. The first series of this sterling work, it 
will be recollected, received our warmest approbation. 
It comprised in three volumes the story of the colonial 
and revolutionary times; the second series, of three 
volumes more, embrace the period subsequent to the 
adoption of the Federal Constitution, the present one 
being an impartial account of the administration of 
Washington, a period of the greatest importance, as 
having fixed upon the Federal Government that charac¬ 
ter and those methods of administration which it has 
ever since retained; important, also, for the origin and 
array of the party divisions which form a chief subject 
of the entire history. The work is well written, neatly 
got up, and should be placed on the shelves of every 
library. 
Agricultural Survey of North Carolina. —The 
legislature of this state passed an act for this, as well 
as a geological and mineralogical survey of the 
whole state. They will find that they never made a 
more profitable investment than the liberal appropri¬ 
ation for the above survey. If properly conducted, it 
will reveal untold millions of treasure in the soil of 
this good old state. 
Potatoes—New Crop. —James W. Gordon, of this 
county, presented us on Tuesday last, the 11th inst.. 
with a fine mess of potatoes, many of them fully as 
large as hen’s eggs, of this year’s growth. He states 
that they were raised in this way : He had left some 
of the potatoes undug in the ground where they grew 
last year. About Christmas last, he covered the ground 
over with straw about 18 inches thick. During the 
warm days in January, he discovered the potato vines 
coming up through the straw, and concluded to let 
them grow, and see what they would do. The last 
spell of cold weather killed the vines, and on examina¬ 
tion, he found them dead and rotting some two or three 
inches below the surface of the straw, and supposing 
them to be entirely dead, commenced removing the 
straw, and found to his surprise, a fine crop of young 
potatoes, neatly embedded under the straw, and to all 
appearance in a very flourishing condition. Pie also 
states that many of the old potatoes had taken a se¬ 
cond growth, and attained a very large size .—Georgia 
Paper. 
Death of John S. Skinner. —While on a visit to 
Baltimore last month, Mr. Skinner accidentally fell and 
fractured his skull, which caused his death. He was 
the oldest agricultural editor in the United States, 
having commenced the American Farmer, in 1819. lie 
carried on this for about twelve years, and was then 
made postmaster of Baltimore. From that period, till 
the year 1845, he continued most of the time in govern¬ 
ment employ, when he came to New York to edit the 
Farmer’s Library. This ceased in 1849, when he 
removed to Philadelphia and commenced the Plow, 
Loom, and Anvil, of which he was editor at the time 
of his death. Though somewhat too diffuse in his 
style, and rather overgiven to flattery, Mr. Skinner was 
a vigorous writer, and his whole heart seemed engaged 
in the cause of agriculture and manufactures. He has 
done much in his writings for the improvement of these 
great industrial branches, and deserves the gratitude 
of his country for his labors. Me was a large, fine- 
looking man, open and frank in his manners, persever¬ 
ing and energetic. His loss will be deeply felt by the 
community. His age at his death could not have been 
far from 70. 
Death of Hon. Isaac Hill. —Mr. Hill was a prin¬ 
ter by profession, and long edited a democratic paper 
at Concord, N. H. During this time he was thoroughly 
devoted to politics and his party, and rose to be a senator 
of the United States, and governor of New Plampshire. 
For the last twelve or fifteen years of his life, he gave 
up politics, and became the editor of an agricultural 
paper, called the Family Visitor. This he edited with 
much ability, and it proved a highly useful publication 
to the farmers of New England. He was about 65 
years old when he died. He was a man of strong pas¬ 
sions, and of a very energetic character. 
