186 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
AGRICULTURAL REVIEW OF 1843. 
In looking' back on the state of the country, the crops, 
and the condition of agriculture for the past year, we 
find much cause for pleasurable gratulation, and for gra¬ 
titude. The season has been a favorable one on the 
whole; the crops have been abundant, and the condition 
of the farming and planting interests, and as a matter of 
course the countrj^, has been constantly improving. In 
a country like ours, embracing such a variety of climate, 
and so many objects of culture, it would be little short 
of a miracle, if in every part, and with every variety of 
product, there should be no failures; if every where the 
proper condition of temperature, of heat, moisture, and 
duration, should be precisely what is required. Such a 
state of things it is unreasonable to expect; but local fail¬ 
ures scarcely effect the general result. 
The temperature of that part of the year which has the 
most influence on the labors of the farm, has been 
favorable to the maturity of the crops. September, how¬ 
ever, was wax’mer by several degrees than it has been 
for some years past. There has been numerous and sud¬ 
den fluctuations of temperature the whole season, and 
these have not been without their influence on the crops 
as well as the general health. Thus on the first of June, 
more or less snovv fell over most of the northern states, 
and about the middle of Sept, frosts, sufficiently severe to 
injure corn, occurred in many places. From the 25th of 
Sept, to the present time, the weather’has been very un¬ 
favorable, and its effect on the securing and preservation 
of crops, has been very injurious and will be widely felt. 
Snow, to the depth of from 10 to 20 inches, fell over 
most of the north, previous to the middle of November; 
and the frosts at the south in October, were destructive to 
late cotton and tobacco. 
The Wheat Crop of the United States for the year 1843, 
is greater than has ever before been produced. Imme¬ 
diately before the harvest, prospects were discouraging. 
In some places the Hessian fly had appeared, in others 
the grain worm, and nearly every where the grain was 
standing thin upon the ground, having in some places 
been smothered with snow, and in others frozen out in 
the spring. To the surprise of all, the insects did com¬ 
paratively little damage, the heads of the grain came up 
large and long, and the berry was of the finest quality. 
The yield per sheaf, was unusually large, and more great 
crops of wheat have been grown the present year, than 
in any previous one. About two millions of barrels of 
flour passed down the Erie canal, and the quantities re¬ 
ceived at Baltimore and New Orleans, have been unusu¬ 
ally heavy. A great quantity of land has been seeded 
this fall with wheat, but those who were late in their la¬ 
bor, were obliged to put in their seed when the soil was 
not in the best condition. Wheat should always be sown 
before the I5th of September; later than that, the proba¬ 
bility of getting the seed in well, lessens daily. The 
practice of sowing on clover or grass le 3 ’’s without fal- 
lo wing, is gaining ground, and many of the best crops ta¬ 
ken off the past year, were grown in that way. With 
clean grounds and a proper rotation, this is doubtless the 
best method of raising wheat, and this condition of farm¬ 
ing is what all should aim at. 
Indian Corn is good; not better than in some previous 
years, but a fair crop. The cold of early summer re¬ 
tarded its growth, and in some places the extreme dry 
weather of the month of August and part of September, 
had a bad effect. Still the old adage, that so far as corn 
is concerned,dry weather scares folks to death, and 
wet weather starves them to death,” has as usual, in ge¬ 
neral held good. Where the corn felt its influence most, 
it was .not so much in hindering its growth, as in pre¬ 
venting the formation of grain, or retarding the advance 
of the ears to maturity. In some instances, on very dry 
warm soils, we knew some fields that seemed to remain 
stationary for nearly a month, the plants simply obtain¬ 
ing moisture enough to prevent their dying, but not' 
enough to form or aid the maturing of the ears. In such 
cases the corn was late, and in many, perhaps most in¬ 
stances, suffered from the frosts of September. The great 
snows of the forepart of November, found much of the 
corn still in the field, and it has required no little skill 
and exertion to save it in good condition. 
Rye, Oats and Barley, have been good crops, and large 
quantities, oats in particular, have been raised. Barley 
is not as extensively cultivated as formerly; as in the 
great barley producing districts of central New-York, it 
is probable not more, than half as much was sown in 
1S43, as in some previous years. Two causes may be 
assigned for this falling off. There was not as much de¬ 
mand for barley for brewing as formerly, the temperance 
reformation having reached the consumption of beer, 
and farmers found that the constant cultivation of spring 
crops, was getting their best lands so foul as seriously 
to injure their productiveness. As the price of barley 
rendered its cultivation as an article of profit, of little 
consequence, much barley land has been seeded down, 
put into hoed crops, or fallowed for wheat. The barley 
grown was of good quality, and very productive. 
The main root crop of the country is Potatoes; indeed, 
we question whether there is any one that in the middle 
or northern states contributes more to the food or the 
comfort of the inhabitants than thepotatoe. We are sor¬ 
ry to say that this crop has suffered much from several 
causes, and that while in some districts there is a general 
failure, in no one, as we can learn, has it reached an 
average crop. The potatoes are small and few in num¬ 
ber, were late in maturing, and many were gathered pre¬ 
maturely. At the time of writing, (Nov. 20th,) a con¬ 
siderable part of the potatoe crop is still in the ground, 
and the prospects for digging are not of the best kind. 
Still a few fine days would clear the potatoe fields, and 
doubtless every exertion will be made to secure a crop 
on which so much is depending. In those places where 
the drouth was most severe, the potatoes have suffered 
more than the corn, and their maturing more sensibly 
retarded. In many cases, indeed, the tops dried in the 
fields long before the roots had ripened, and thus all pos¬ 
sibility of improvement from the late rains was cut off. 
We saw many instances in which the first set of tubers 
had sprouted for the second crop, owing to the early 
stage in which they had ripened. It is doubtless to be 
attributed to this premature ripening, that decay or rot, 
is so extensive among the roots gathered, so much so as 
in many cases to threaten a total loss. In England and 
Scotland, the potatoe crop has for several years past been 
liable to great injury, and in some eases a total failure 
from a disease called the curl, in which the tops died im¬ 
mediately after the formation of the tubers commenced, 
leaving them wholly unfit for use. We have seen some 
cases of the same difficulty here, and it is not impossible 
that it may become as destructive here as abroad. No 
satisfactory solution of the cause of the evil has been gi¬ 
ven, though it has received much attention from the ablest 
men of these countries; and it would be well for the 
American farmer to be as far as possible on his guard, 
and as preventives never plant potatoes successively on 
the same soil, or use any but sound mature seed. It is 
probable raising new varieties from seed, will eventu¬ 
ally be found the best method of preventing diseases in 
this important vegetable; although the opinion that vari¬ 
eties degenerate and run out, has as yet received no posi¬ 
tive confirmation. 
The other crops, such as hay, roots in genera), garden 
vegetables, &c. have been very good, and the early ap¬ 
pearance of wintei', indicates that all will be required for 
the flocks and herds before the next spring. In this re¬ 
spect our friends at the south and west, have greatly the 
advantage of us northerners, as it demands no small part 
of our summer labor to provide food for our animals du¬ 
ring our winters. It is evident great improvements in 
the wintering of stock might be effected, by the adoption 
of the practice of stabling, or providing good warm shel¬ 
ters for animals, and by cutting or grinding the food fur¬ 
nished them. Grinding the cob with the corn, adds fully 
one-third to its value for feeding, and the converting 
straw or cornstalks into chaff before using, is attended 
with equal advantages. 
That there has been decided progress made the past 
year in the agriculture of the country; that the prospects 
of the planter and farmer are steadily but constantly im¬ 
proving; that the importance of agriculture'to the coun¬ 
try is becoming more apparent, and more forcibly im¬ 
pressing the minds of our statesmen and economists; and 
that nothing but the diffusion of intelligence, and a pro¬ 
per spirit of independence among the owners and tillers 
of the soil, is wanting to place this great interest on its 
true foundation, is apparent to all who are observant of 
the signs of the times. The numerous cattle.shows and 
fairs that have been held the past season in all parts of 
the Union, and the increased interest and spirit with 
which they have in general been conducted, affords a 
cheering proof not only of the advantages of such asso¬ 
ciations, but of the better feeling which the assurance of 
improvement and success always imparts. We conclude 
this brief retrospect, with the remark that in the past the 
agriculturist has abundant cause for gratitude, and in the 
future he may confidently anticipate a still further de¬ 
velopment of that improvement in his business and its 
profits, of which he already beholds the dawn. 
AGRICULTURAL ADDRESSES, REPORTS, &c. 
Few things have given us more satisfaction than the 
great improvement to be seen in the mass of Addresses, 
Reports, &c. delivered or made before the Agricultural 
Societies and associations of our country the present year. 
They are decidedly more pmctical and pointed in their 
character, and the writers seem to have been fully im¬ 
pressed with the truth that agriculture, and its kindred 
pursuits, was to be the theme of their discourses, and not 
any topic, hotvever relevant, that would admit of a dis¬ 
play of learning or eloquence. Men of the highest in¬ 
tellect and the most commanding positions, have lent 
their aid to give interest-to these festivals, and it is no 
disparagement to them to say that their efforts have at 
least been equaled by the farmer, who, called to address 
his friends, prepared his response at such intervals as he 
could spare from the toil of the field. We like this 
mingling of men engaged in different pursuits; it enlar¬ 
ges and liberalizes the mind, and lays the foundation of 
friendly intercourse and mutual respect, broad and deep 
in the best elements of our natures. 
We have before us the well written and practical ad¬ 
dress of Mr. Mather, before the Middletown (Conn.) 
Ag. Society, Oct. 1843. The following extract will 
show the manner in which he manages the important 
subject of manures: 
“Of the methods which I have tried, I consider the 
following as the most economical. The barnyard should 
be excavated in the form of a dish in the center, leaving 
a margin on all sides, sufficiently broad for the comfort 
of the stock, and convenience in feeding. In the fall, 
the yard may be covered to the depth of ten inches or a 
foot, with materials from the swamp, the bottoms of 
ditches, or with turf from the roadside. To this should 
be added all the weeds and refuse of the farm. And I 
am strongly of the opinion that here is the most profita¬ 
ble place to spread all the lime, ashes, plaster, and salt. 
which we design to apply to the land in the coming 
spring. The liquid from the stable, shouid be led into 
the middle of the yard, and the manure from the stable 
as fast as it is made, be equally spread over the whole,' 
that the quality may be uniform. No water should be 
permitted to come into the yard,, except what falls di¬ 
rectly upon it.* * * By the treading of the cattle during 
the wintfc,’’ and spring, the whole will be incorporated 
into a unite'm mass, and in a suitable condition to apply 
to the land. By pursuing substantially, this course, I 
have more than doubled the quantity and value of the 
manure on my form.* » * * A Dutch farmer, it is said, 
built his barn directly over a small creek, leading into 
the Hudson, that the stream might carry awaj’’ all the 
filth. We are not quite so improvident as the Dutch¬ 
man, but there are some farmers, who, in order to se¬ 
cure a dry yard for their stock, are very particular to 
leave a drain to carry off the wash. They might as well 
cut a hole in their pockets.” 
The Address of the Rev. Mr. Henkle of Lexington, 
Kentucky, delivered in the chapel of Transylvania Uni¬ 
versity, July, 1843, and having for its subject the “'flo¬ 
ral Dignity and General Claims of Agricultural Science,” 
is a production of high order. We have room for only 
a single extract, showing the beautiful manner in which 
a knowledge of agricultural science unfolds many of the 
mysterious changes that occur in the organization of 
plants, as performed by the laws of Nature: 
“ A seed, so minute as to be scarcely visible to the na¬ 
ked eye, will be found a thing most perfect, and wondei’- 
fully adapted to the ends of its creation. Within is de¬ 
posited the perfect germ of a future plant, surrounded 
with gluten and starch, substances which give value to 
grains as food—and the whole enclosed in a protecting 
shell of woody fibre. When the seed is cast into the 
earth, under favorable circumstances, the heat and mois¬ 
ture present in the soil, produce fermentation, and fer¬ 
mentation causes the seed to germinate or sprout. But 
as the embry o plant has neither roots by which to collect 
nourishment from the soil, nor leaves by which to ex¬ 
tract it from the atmosphere, instant death must happen 
to it, had not bounteous nature supplied it with provi¬ 
sion through this transmutation to new life, in the gluten 
and starch which surround it. Yet the tender organs of 
the infant germ are incapable of appropriating this food 
in an undissolved state, and have not the power, aided by 
the moisture to which it has access, to dissolve it; but 
from the gluten is formed, at the base of the germ, a sub¬ 
stance (called diastase,) which effectually dissolves the 
starch, and prepares it as food to nourish the germ until 
its functions acquire such maturity as to draw support 
from its destined sourbes, the soil and the atmosphere. 
As the sap thus prepared, ascends in the young shoot, the 
dissolved starch is changed into sugar; and when if, reach¬ 
es the light, this sugar is converted into woody fibre, and 
its color is changed to green. But in the ripening of 
the grain, the sugar of the sap is again changed to starch, 
which, if not used for food in that state, is destined to be 
converted back again into sugar, to nourish the young 
germ of a future generation.” 
The Henrico Agricultural Society at Richmond, (Va.) 
is one of the most active and flourishing associations in 
our country; a result to be expected from the numerous 
able and public spirited men combined in its direction. 
The Address of Mr. C. T. Botts, Editor of the Southern 
Planter, at their October anniversary, is an able and elo¬ 
quent exposition of the rights and the duties of the fai-m- 
er; but here, as in the preceding cases, we are limited 
to a single extract, and in it is conveyed a most weighty 
and important truth: 
“ That agriculture is the mother of all arts—that it was 
the primeval occupation of man—that it is the founda¬ 
tion and source of all industry, has been repeated by eve¬ 
ry writer and speaker on the subject for the last 5C0 
years, and these declarations are not less true than trite. 
But there is one view of the subject that I have never 
seen taken, at least never pressed with sufficient force 
upon the public consideration; I mean the importance, 
not to say necessity of agriculture to the support of our 
republican institutions. These in their nature depend 
upon the purity and virtue of the people, and they have 
ihost to dread fi'om that foul corruption, which seems to 
be engendered in man from contact with his fellow crea¬ 
tures. I know it has been claimed for cities, and not 
without reason, that history proves them to have been 
the ardent friends of liberty, and ever the pioneers in the 
great struggles of freedom which man has been forced to 
wage with his oppressors. They have been the first to 
resist oppression, not from a greaterflove of liberty, but 
because their local position gave them greater facilities 
of union; but if they are banded together for good, they 
are frequently united for evil, and it is in the corruptions 
engendered in a great city, that the demagogue loves to 
riot. With an almost boundless territoiy, and the most 
fertile soil in the world, we must remain for many cen¬ 
turies an agricultural people. Villages, such as Rich¬ 
mond, may, nay must spring up, and one or two, as 
New-York, may in time grow to be the cities of which 
I speak. But it will be long, very long, ere the leaven 
of purity and honesty derived from agricultural occupa¬ 
tions, will not more than counterbalance all the vice and 
corruption that seem inseparable from a congregation of 
great masses of mankind.” 
Ontario County Fair. —The amount of the show 
at this Fair on the I8th, was 95 cattle, 58 sheep, 65 
swine, 6 studs, 4 pairs matched horses, 4 single, before 
buggies, 20 mares and colts. The weather was most un- 
propitious throughout. 
