A CONSOLIDATJON OF BUEL’S CULTIVATOR AND THE GENESEE FARMER. 
Cult. Vol. X.—No. 8. 
ALBANY, N. Y., AUGUST, 1843. 
MONTHLY NOTICES. 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY. 
GAYLORD “TUCKER, EDITORS. 
LUTHER TUCKER, PROPRIETOR. 
Office, No. 20 Market-street, Albany. 
OFFICE IN NEW-YOEK CITY, AT 
M. H. NEWMAN’S BOOKSTORE, No. 199 BROADWAY, 
where single numbers, or complete setts of the back volumes, 
can always be obtained. 
One Dollar per annum—Six Copies for $5. 
(PAYABLE ALWAYS IN ADVANCE.) 
20 per cent commission on 25 or more subscribers, and 
25 per cent commission on 100 or more. 
Subscriptions to commence with a volume ; and the money 
to be sent free of postage. 
THE BACK VOLUMES OF THE CULTIVATOR, 
Handsomely stitched in printed covers, 
Can be furnished to new subscribers—Vols. 1. 11. III. IV. at 50 
cents each, and Vols. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. at $1. each. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
‘‘TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THE MIND.” 
Convention of Breeders. —The convention of breed¬ 
ers heretofore called, by notice in the several Agricultu¬ 
ral papers, to be held in Nevv-York during the ensuing 
Fair of the American Institute, will commence its ses¬ 
sion at the Library of the Institute, on Tuesday evening, 
Oct. 17, at half past 7 o’clock, when it is hoped that all 
those who feel an interest in the objects for which it is 
called, will be present. 
STATE CATTLE SHOW AND FAIR, 
At Rochester, Sept. 20 and 21, 1843. 
It will be seen by a notice in this paper, that a meet¬ 
ing of the Executive Committee of the N. Y. S. Ag. So¬ 
ciety was held at Rochester, on the 12th uU., at which 
all the preparatory arrangements were made for the ensu¬ 
ing State Fair. The ground s'llected as the place of ex¬ 
hibition, is admirably fitted for the purpose, being ele¬ 
vated and dry, with a thick substantial turf, and situate 
on one of the principal streets, less than a mile fi om the 
center of the city, with a good M’Adain road and side¬ 
walks leading to it. Eight or ten acres are to be enclosed 
W'ith a high fence, in the center of which a building, 40 
by 150 feet, is to be erected for the exhibition of Horti¬ 
cultural and Domestic products, in which, if we do not 
misjudge, the exhibition ivill far exceed any thing that 
has gone before it. We also anticipate an exhibition of 
farm stock in many respects superior even to that held 
in this city last autumn. There may not, and probably 
will not be as great a number of pure bred cattle as at 
Albany, but in mixed and native breeds—in horses, work¬ 
ing oxen and steers. Western New-York can, if she will 
but come up to the w'ork, far excel the show here; and 
in sheep and swine they can at least equal us. The 
farmers of western New-York, and of the Genesee Valley 
particularly, should remember that their reputation is at 
stake, and bring up the finest of their flocks and herds to 
the Show; if they do not, their beautiful and fertile Val¬ 
ley will lose, in a great measure, the high esteem in 
which it is now held by the multitude who will visit the 
Fail-, not only from other sections of their own state, but 
from all the other states and from the Canadas. But we 
do not apprehend any failure on their part; and we say 
say then to our readers and friends in all sections, prepare 
yourselves to meet with us on this great holiday of our 
farmers, for here you shall see and hear that which will 
raise your idea of the dignity of your profession, and ex¬ 
cite an increased desire for the attainment of that “ im¬ 
provement of the mind anti the soil,” by which alone 
you can acquire your just rank in our civil and social re¬ 
lations, and secure the just reward which is ever return¬ 
ed by an all-bountiful Providence to him who tills the 
earth with industry and intelligence. 
During the Fair there will be an Address delivered by 
one of our most eminent statesmen, and a public dinner, 
the arrangements for which will be such, we trust, as to 
draw together around the festive hoard, a large number 
of the elite of our husbandmen and citizens. 
The Executive Committee were very much gratified 
by the warm interest manifested by such of the citizens 
of Rochester as were present at their late meeting, and 
the determination expressed by them to do every^thing 
necessary on their part to give interest to the Fair, and 
to crown with success the labors of the Society, 
Communications have been received since our last, 
from Lyttleton Physick, Seth Whalen, S. Peck, T. M. 
Niven, John R. Blair, S. Fouche, Richmond, H. W. S. 
O., A Subscriber, Wm. Jennison, A. E. Cowles, Alex. 
M’Donald, D., D. C. Goodale, R. Harmon, jr., J. R. A., 
A Lover of Science, S. F. Vinton, A Saratoga Co. Farm¬ 
er, D. K. Minor, A Subscriber at Liberty Mills., A. B. N., 
S. W. Jewett. 
Acknowledgments. —The pair of Capons sent us by 
Dr. J. N. Keeler, Pemberton, N. J., and for which he 
has our thanks, came safe to hand. We shall endeavor 
to give a good account of them after Christmas—We are 
nnder renewed obligations to the Editors of the New 
Farmers Journal, London, for the continued files of that 
excellent paper, which are regularly received by the 
steamers at Boston. 11 will give us pleasure to return 
the favor in any way in our power.—To some unknown 
friend in London, we are indebted for the nos. of the 
Mark Lane Express of June 26, and July 3.—To J. H. 
King, Esq. Georgetown, D. C., for the Georgetown Ad¬ 
vocate, containing a notice of the seventeen year locusts. 
— To D. K. Minor, New-York, for copies of Part III. 
of Prof. Johnston’s “ Lectures on the applications of Che¬ 
mistry and Geology to Agriculture.”—To the Author, 
for a copy of “Thirty Years from Home, or a Voice 
from the Main Deck, by Samuel Leech.”—To the Edi¬ 
tors, for Silliman’s Journal for July. — To J. R. Speed, 
Esq. for the Prize List of the Tompkins Ag. Society.— 
To J. J. Thomas, for the Prize List of tlie Wayne Co. 
Ag. Society.—To. J. Buel, Esq. for early Potatoes,—To 
the Publishers, for Parts lO and 11, of the Farmer’s En¬ 
cyclopedia. 
J. W., La/aijette. —Your suggestion is under conside¬ 
ration, and we think it not unlikely the course recom¬ 
mended may be adopted another year. 
A Subscriber, Marietta, Pa. —We will publish the 
plans and information asked for, as soon as they can be 
procured. 
A Saratoga Co. Farmer will find his inquiry an¬ 
swered on page ]23 of this paper. 
A. M’D., Barhor co., Ala. —Good milch cows, of the 
common breed of the country, can be had at $25 to $50, 
according to quality. As any considerable number would 
have to be selected from different lots, there would be no 
i-eduction on account of the number being increaseil. 
“ A Subscriber,” at Liberty Mills, Va., shall be attend¬ 
ed to in due lime. 
An answer to the inquiry of our friend Z. D., we 
find is accidentally omitted. It will appear next month. 
Cornstalk Sugar. —The letter of our correspondent 
on the subject of the premium offered by the State Soci- 
ty for the best experiment in making sugar from the 
Cornstalk, and expressing the wish that the requirement 
of imn, rollers might be omitted, was submitted to the 
Board at its last meeting; but the object of the Society 
being to ascertain the maximum quantity to be obtained 
from an acre, which it was thought could not be obtained 
by wooden rollers, they declined making the change 
asked for. The same correspondent suggests that owing 
to the backwardness of the corn crop, it may not be pos¬ 
sible to complete the experiment in season to report at 
the State Fair in Septemher. Should this be the case, 
the question will undoubtedly be left for decision at the 
annual meeting in January next. We should be glad to 
hear whether any, and how many, are preparing to com¬ 
pete for the $100 premium offered by the Society. 
Fruit Trees —The letter of Mr. Charles Hamil¬ 
ton, together with a Catalogue of his Nursery at Canter¬ 
bury, Orange co., N. Y., has been received. Mr. H. 
says he has added to his collection an Apple called the 
Summer Spitzenburgh, valuable for its early maturity— 
a Plum called the Winter Bolmar, very late and good, 
and a Pear, which he has named Rip Van Winkle. The 
scions from which this pear is grown, are taken from a 
seedling tree, which he says has borne fruit every year 
but one since 1816, when it first commenced bearing. 
If we understand his letter aright, the fruit commences 
ripening the latter part of August, and continues to ripen 
for two months, so that ripe fruit can be i)icked from it 
from the last of August to the last of October. We shall 
be glad to receive a more particular description of the 
tree, with the fruit he proposes to send us. It may be 
sent by any of the steamboats coming to this city from 
New-York. A part of the fruit promised us, shall be 
sent to the Mass. Hort. Society. 
Moore co., JV. C., July 1, 1843_“With but litHe trou¬ 
ble, I have been enabled to procure you eight good sub¬ 
scribers, and enclosed you will find eight dollars to pay 
8 
Cult. & Far. Vol. IV.—No. 8. 
for them. This has only cost the ride of a few hours, 
and think in a short time I can send you a few more. 1 
would have been a subscriber long-ago to the Cultivator, 
had I known how very valuable it was, even to -l 
southern planter. We are near a hundred years behind 
your New-York farming; but I am happy to say that 
within a few years I have seen much improvement, for 
we are absolutely beginning to manure now, which was 
not the case a few years ago. We are gradually quit¬ 
ting cotton in this section, which I hail as an omen of 
belter times for the farmers, for it is difficult to impi'ove 
or even to keep up a cotton plantation.” 
The Wheat Crop. —We give, in another part of this 
paper, a letter from Gen. Harmon of Wheatland, in which 
he expresses the opinion that the wheat crop of Western 
New-York will not this year produce much over half 
the ordinary yield. This falling off, however, will not, 
in our opinion, materially affect the prices of this great 
staple, inasmuch as from what we hear from all sections 
of our country where wheat is grown, we are inclined 
to believe that the total amount produced will fully equal 
if not exceed any previous crop. In some sections the 
causes mentioned by Gen. H., and the severe winter, 
have nearly destroyed the crop, so much so indeed that 
in mfiny places the seed even will not be returned; but 
in other and much larger portions of the wheat growing 
districts, the yield will be a bountiful one. 
Seed Wheat _While at Rochester recently, we had 
the pleasure of examining various specimens of wheat oa 
the stalk, from the experiment field of Gen. Harmon, who 
is performing a most important service for our wheat 
growers, by the care with which he is testing by actual 
experiment, all the different varieties of wheat which 
promise to be an acquisition to our country. Among the 
specimens exhibited, were the Talivera, White Pro¬ 
vence, Mediterranean, Virginia May, Wheatland Red, 
Hutchinson, Soules, and While Flint. To the latter, so 
long cultivated in the Genesee Valley, Gen. 11. gives the 
preference over all others; but he thinks that some of 
the other kinds, when they become thoroughly acclima¬ 
ted, may prove of equal or greater value; and that their 
merits may be thoroughly tested, he will continue to cul¬ 
tivate all these and many other varieties in his “ expe¬ 
riment field,” from which he hopes ere long to pro¬ 
duce some kinds of very superior quality. We trust be 
will succeed, but in any event he will richly deserve the 
(hanks of our wheat growers for his presevering and well 
directed efforts. 
Davenport, Iowa, July 7, 1843_“ Our wheat crop in 
this vicinity, and south in this territory, is nearly all 
destroyed. In Scott county, we shall not harvest as 
many bushels as we sowed, and my own case is that of 
every l^ody else. From fifty acres of winter wheat, I 
shall not harvest as manj’ bushels. From the Maquo- 
queta river north, both in Iowa and Wiskonsan, the 
wheat crop never looked better. Onr own loss is at¬ 
tributable to the severe winter and the want of snow in 
.lanuary and February.” 
A list of Cattle Shows to he held this season, pre¬ 
pared for this number, is necessarily deferred till our 
next. 
EFFECT CF PLASTER IN PIASTENING THE 
MATURITY CF PLANTS. 
A correspondent in Louisiana, J. Pritchard, Esq., 
says he has seen it stated that manuring corn with gyp¬ 
sum hastens its maturity some ten or twelve days, and 
asks whether such is the fact; suggesting at the same 
time, that if that substance on trial should produce the 
same eflect on the cane, it would he invaluable, as the 
cane rarely is all matured previous to the approach of 
frost. 
There can be no doubt that all manures that are so ap¬ 
plied as to promote the early growth of a plant, will in 
the same degree hasten its maturity. Every farmer 
knows that the corn first fit to roast, and first ripe, is in 
those parts of his field where the eaily growth of the 
plants was the most vigorous and best sustained. Imma¬ 
ture corn is found where the growth has been slow from 
the first, or where, if rapid, it has been confined to the 
latter part of the season. The cause of this is obvious 
to all; arising as it does from the want of the elaborated 
juices necessary to the perfection of the seed. Any course 
of treatment that will hasten the growth of the sugar cane 
in the early part of its growth, will in the same degree 
hasten its maturity. Whether plaster will do (his, can 
be easily ascertained by experiment; although as they 
belong to the same family of plants, it is natural to sup¬ 
pose the effect on sugar cane would be the same as on 
corn. 
