THE CULTIVATOR. 
93 
NEW-YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
At the regular monthly meeting of the Executive 
Committee of the New-York State Agricultural Society 
for May—Judge Van Bergen in the chair—the follow¬ 
ing letter, addressed to Vice President Leland, was 
read; 
Dear Sir —I have the pleasure to inform you that at 
a meeting of the Albany Institute, held April 14, 1843, 
that society voted to the State Agricultural Society the 
following number of copies of the Transactions of the 
Society for the Promotion of Arts, Agriculture, &c. 
Vol. 1st,.in boards, 150 copies. 
Vol. 2d,... ‘‘ 13 “ 
Vol. 3d,. “ 80 “ 
Vol. 4th, Part 2, in sheets, 100 “ 
I have not yet been able to ascertain whether there 
are perfect copies of Vol. 4, Part 1. They are at all 
events in sheets. 
I remain, very respectfully, j’-ours, 
Albany, April 17, 1843. T. Romeyn Beck. 
The thanks of the Society were voted to the Albany In¬ 
stitute, for the donation of books mentioned in Dr. Beck’s 
letter. These volumes embrace the Transactions of the 
first Agricultural Society formed in this State. It was or¬ 
ganized in 1791. Chancellor Livingston was appointed 
its first president, and continued in that station till the 
time of his death in 1813. Among the contributors to 
the volumes, are Chancellor Livingston, Dr. Mitchell, 
Gen. De Witt, Chancellor Kent, Noah Webster, Dr. T. 
R. Beck, E. C. Genet, H. G. Spafford, and a great num¬ 
ber of others. 
The thanks of the Society were also voted to A. Walsh, 
Esq., for a copy of the 3d vol. of the Memoirs of the 
Board of Agriculture of this State—to John Hannam, 
Esq., North Deighton, England, for a copy' of his Prizq 
Essay on the “ Application of Rape Dust and other hand 
tillages”^—to Carey & Hart, Philadelphia, for the first 
part of their reprint of the Farmer’s Encyclopedia. 
Messrs. Prentice, Tucker and M’Intj're were appointed 
a committee to see to the,furnishing and care of the room 
appropriated to the Society by the Legislature. 
On motion, it was resolved that the regular meeting 
of the Executive Committee for July be held at the Eagle 
Tavern, Rochester, on Wednesday, the 12th, at 9 o’clock, 
A. M., for the purpose of appointing the Judges for the 
next Fair, and transacting any other business in relation 
to the Fair which may be found necessary. 
LETTER FROM MISSISSIPPI. 
W E make the folio wing extract from a letter from John 
J. M’Catjghan, Esq., to the editors of the Cultivator. 
We hope some of our correspondents will be able to fur¬ 
nish him with the information he desires, on the improve¬ 
ment and value of reclaimed salt marshes. The Tussuck 
grass, about which he inquires, has not probably been in¬ 
troduced into this country. The letter is dated Missis¬ 
sippi City, Hancock county, April 5, and the writer says: 
“ Our country is remarkably poor, all along the Mexi¬ 
can Gulf Coast, from Lake Pontchartrain to Mobile Bay— 
< Sandy pine woodland,’ which makes it the more neces¬ 
sary to collect all the experience of others similarly situa¬ 
ted mother regions, for we have none who preceded us 
here who have tried to combine the various advantages of 
our country in an agricultural point of view. So far as any 
effort has been made with the manures (which we have 
at hand and in great abundance,) on our poor land, such 
as mud fi-om salt marshes, also mud or decomposed 
vegetable matter in the bottoms of slow running branches, 
we have all been surprised at the increased products of our 
lands. Our convenience to the Nevv-Orleans and Mobile 
markets, causes a small crop here to be of as much value 
ordinarily, as a large crop in a country' not possessing 
these advantages, and I think in a few' years W'e shall sup¬ 
ply these markets with most of the fruits, (such as peaches, 
figs, grapes, quinces, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, 
plums, mulberrys, apricots, nectarines, jujubes, wal¬ 
nuts, pecans, &e. &e.,) vegetables, melons, sw'eet pota¬ 
toes, pindars—lambs, kids, pigs, fowls, &c. &c., all of 
which grow finely in this poor country, and we require 
nothing but a little increased industry', intelligence and 
economy to enable us to work all these sources of im¬ 
mense wealth to our long neglected country. But the 
spirit now manifesting itself in this country, will soon 
bring about these desirable results. 
We have a good deal of salt marsh on our bays and 
tide water bayous entirely neglected, because none of us 
know what would be the result of an experiment on them. 
I have lately surveyed one of 500 acres, which can be 
enclosed with 700 rods of levy, six feet high, which will 
protect it in the severest gales ever known in these wa¬ 
ters. It appears to be mostly formed of decomposed 
vegetable matter. The ordinary high tide covers it 
about three inches. It is thickly set with a long broad 
leaf grass, and a kind of wire grass. The embankin»- 
and ditching of this 600 acres would not cost as much as 
the clearing as much heavy' timbered land. Any infor¬ 
mation which would enable us to calculate with certain¬ 
ty the result of an improvement of this kind, would be 
of great advantage to the country. 
I see in y'our January no. an account of the ‘ Tussuck 
grass,’ discovered by Capt. Ross on the Falkland Islands. 
Can you tell us where the seed or roots can be procured? 
1 think it would be of the greatest importance to us here. 
We have the ‘Maratime district’ and the ‘rank wet peat 
bog with the sea spray' over it.’ We want grasses for 
hay. We have a good grass for grazing pastures, which 
is green here about nine months in the year. It is simi¬ 
The above is a figure of Wood’s Patent Plow Cultivator, which we are assured “has been thoroughly' tried, ana 
been found to give better satisfaction than any Corn Cultivator” previously used. It is manufactured by R. B. Dox- 
TATER, Adams, Jeff, co., N. Y., and may be obtained in this city at the seedstoi'e of Wm. Thorburn'—of Starbuck 
& Sons, Troy, E. Gifford, Hudson—Freeborn & Co., Ag. Warerooms, 183 Front si., New-York, and also at Utica, 
Little Falls, &c. &c.—Price $6.00. 
lar to the Bermuda. I got it from the south side of Cuba, 
where it was spread over the whole country; it grows 
here on the poorest sand ridges into a perfect mat, and 
bears a great deal of grazing. 
Our poor lands will grow from 1000 to 1500 lbs. rice 
per acre, and I think will double that quantity with pro¬ 
per manuring and cultivation. But the great advantage 
of our country is its universal health. On that subject I 
fancy we have the advantage of any other place on earth. 
Our country is filled with the purest free stone water, 
which, with our pure sea breeze, abundance of fine fish 
and oysters, malce, to my mind, ample atonement for 
our poor soil.” 
STATE AGRICULTURAL FAIR AT ROCHESTER. 
In our last number we gave place to the decision of 
the Executive Committee of the State Society, fixing the 
next annual Cattle Show and Fair at Rochester, and to 
the list of premiums which will be there awarded. The 
number, variety, and amount of the premiums offered, in 
almost every department of agriculture and domestsc in¬ 
dustry, as well as mechanic arts, will arrest the attention 
of all interested in the progress of these great interests, 
and excite, we doubt not, a spirited competition. We are 
pleased to perceive that the selection of Rochester as the 
place of meeting, appears to have met with the general 
approbation of our friends at the west, and that spirited 
efforts have been already commenced, and the initiative 
arrangements entered into, to render the meeting worthy 
of New-York, and particularly of the west. The mate¬ 
rials for a superior show are certainly most abundant; 
and with the advantages of the experience gained in the 
two preceding years, there can be nothing, save supine¬ 
ness and lack of energy, to prevent the show at Roches¬ 
ter equaling any that have yet taken place in this country. 
Western New-York has many pure blooded animals 
that would do honor to any collection, and multitudes of 
grades of the Short Horns and Devons, as well as of na¬ 
tive stock, that can with difficulty be equaled any where. 
We hope to see great numbers of all these on the ground, 
and not have the contest and comparisons so wholly con¬ 
fined to the imported or pure bloods. There are great 
advantages for the concentration of animals, agricultural 
products, &c. at Rochester, and we doubt not that we 
shall have the pleasure of witnessing a collection worthy 
of the public spirited farmers of western New-York. As 
that spirited association, the Mechanic’s Institute of Ro¬ 
chester, as well as the Monroe Co. Ag. Society, will 
unite with the State Society in the Fair, we may reasona¬ 
bly expect a grand display of the products of the various 
mechanic arts, for which Rochester has become so cele¬ 
brated, as well as of the more common products of the 
field and the orchard. The journals of the west will 
doubtless place this matter before their readers in such a 
way as to call out, in their full strength, the active and 
enterprising population of farmers, who have in so short 
a time converted such a region of wilderness into one of 
the most fruitful portions of the globe. 
FRANCE BEFORE THE REVOLUTION. 
We have been much impressed in reading Alison’s 
History of Europe, which the Harpers are now issuing, 
with the deplorable condition of the French Agricultur¬ 
ists previous to the Rev'olution which overturned temple 
and throne in that country. The only wonder an Ame- 
ucan experiences is, not that such a terrible revulsion 
took place, but that human nature could have endured 
such oppression and indignities so long. Things are bad 
enough now in some of the continental countries, but 
thank Heaven such oppression would now be met by 
prompt and overwhelming resistance. We condense 
from the first volume of the History some facts to sub- 
slantiate our remarks. 
The taxes, exclusively affecting agricultural labor, 
amounted to about 30 millions of dollars. So excessive 
was their burden, that Sir Arthur Young calculated that 
supposing the produce of an acre worth £3 2s. 7d., the 
proportion which went to the King was £1 18s. 4d.; to 
the landlord 18s, and to the farmer 5s. In other words, 
if the produce of the acre was divided into 12 parts, 
nearly 7^ went to the King, 3-|to the proprietor, and one 
to the farmer. But this, though deplorably bad, was 
made still more intolerable by the game laws, which fet¬ 
tered the most important operations of agriculture. Game 
of the most destructive kind to the crops were permitted 
to go at large. Large herds of deer, and numbers of 
wild boars, to be hunted for the amusement of the great, 
ravaged the unenclosed fields. The damage done to four 
parishes in Montceau, amounted from this cause to about 
40,000 dollars. Numerous edicts existed which prohibited 
the cultivator from hoeing and weeding, lest the young 
partridges should be destroyed; from mowing hay lest the 
eggs should be destroyed; taking away the stubble lest 
the birds should be deprived of shelter; manuring with 
night soil lest the flavor of this game should be injured. 
The people were bound to grind their corn at the land¬ 
lord’s mill; press their grapes at his press; and bake their 
bread at his oven. The use of hand-mills was not free, 
and the proprietors had the power of selling to the la¬ 
borers the right or privilege of pounding buckwheat or 
barley between two stones. 
We repeat, it cannot be wondered at, that a spring so 
enormously loaded, should, when the pressure was sud¬ 
denly removed, react far beyond any safe or manageable 
bounds. The enslaved, oppressed, trodden down peasant 
of France, had a long arrear of vengeance and bitter 
wrong to settle with the oppressor, and every line of the 
long account was summed up in blood. 
CONVENTION OF BREEDERS. 
(CIRCULAR.) 
Albany, June, 1843. 
T(ie State Agricultural Society of New-Y'ork, desirous 
that some fixed principles should be established as the ba¬ 
sis of excellence in the various descriptions of farm-stock, 
(without reference to their relative merits as breeds,) 
have appointed the undersigned a committee with in¬ 
structions to call the particular attention of breeders 
throughout the States, to the importance of the subject, 
and to make the necessary arrangements for a Convention 
to be held at the Library Room of the American Institute, 
in the city of New-York, during its 16th annual Fair, in 
the month of Oct. next, the day to be hereafter noticed; 
at which breeders of stock and those interested in Agri¬ 
culture, are most respectfully urged to give their attend¬ 
ance, with a view to a full and free discussion of those 
forms, qualities and properties which most conduce to in¬ 
trinsic value; and also that the distinctive eharaeter.istics 
of each separate breed may be as closely defined as pos¬ 
sible. 
The Society believe that the decision of such a meet¬ 
ing will offer to the agriculturist the best information 
that can, at present, be elicited; and which, they trust, 
may be so satisfactory to the mind of every intelligent 
breeder, as to lead to greater uniformity of action and 
opinion, and possibly become a standard with them, ’by 
which to judge and be judged, in all cases of competition. 
With these views of the subject, the committee hope 
you may deem it of sufficient importance to be present at 
the proposed Convention, and lend to its discussion the 
aid of your experience and talents. 
The committee will be obliged b}' any suggestions, in 
the interim, you may consider of sufficient importance to 
be communicated to them in relation to this subject. 
Francis Rotch, C. N. Bement, 
E. P. Prentice, George Vail, 
Lewis F. Allen. 
Editors of the several Agricultural papers in the 
United States, are requested to publish or notice the 
above. 
