VOLUME II. NO. 15. } 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-TIIURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1851 
■{ WHOLE NO. 67 
In concluding this notice of poudrette, I 
wish to say that no good reason exists why 
the materials which constitute so valuable 
a compound, should not be made use of in 
the vicinity of all our American cities. The 
various crops might thus be greatly in¬ 
creased, and an immense amount of offen¬ 
sive matter disposed of, which now remains 
in the midst of crowded streets, and greatly 
augments the prevalence of various diseases. 
But the great mass of men always have, 
and always will, prefer empiricism to science, 
in all branches of business; reform there¬ 
fore must always be, as in times past, slow 
and partial. 
HORSE AND DOG MARKET OF PARIS. 
Near the barrier on the south-east side of 
Paris, is an enclosure of about two acres, 
with fountains, stalls, <fcc., where horses and 
dogs are exhibited once a week for sale.— 
On Saturday of each week several hundred 
horses, mules, and asses are brought here 
to be sold. The horses sold, are mostly the 
large gray cart horse, and the black, stout 
French, with a few elegantly built carriage 
and saddle horses. Most of these animals 
are well trained, and are valued at fifty to 
three hundred dollars each; mules and 
donkeys bring five to twenty dollars each. 
Generally the horses here are far inferior 
to those in England —the French having 
neither the taste nor ability for breeding 
and educating them in the same perfection 
as the English. 
At this market is held also, a sale of dogs 
on Sunday of each week. Here a great 
variety of the canine family are exposed for 
exhibition and sale, by a rabble whose in¬ 
tellect hardly exceeds, and whose moral 
character is far inferior to that of their 
dogs. The affection and fancy of the 
French for dogs, is both disgusting and 
foolish. Near the market is a dog pound, 
where stray and suspicious dogs are con¬ 
fined, for one week, when they are hung 
if not claimed by their owners. Perhaps 
this severity of police regulation has given 
origin to the silly and very common prac¬ 
tice in Paris, of the “ladies” leading “pup¬ 
pies” in a string. Here, as well as in most 
other cities, a surplus of dogs exists; and 
they are usually kept by those who receive 
their own bread from the hand of charity. 
AGRICULTUE, THE BASIS OF IMPROVEMENT- 
BY I. R. PECK. 
[ Read before the East Bloomfield Fanners’ Club.] 
The human family are dependants for 
subsistence upon the vegetable productions 
of the earth. By an irrevocable decree of 
of the Almighty, “ thorns and thistles” it 
spontaneously produces unto man, and by 
the “ sweat of his brow” he is compelled 
to procure his bread, and he is also required 
to “ cultivate and replenish the earth.” 
Without a compliance with these requisi¬ 
tions of Nature, man ceases to be prosper¬ 
ous; without an observance of these great 
mandates of Jehovah, man ceases to be in¬ 
tellectual; he retrogrades from his high 
sphere of “ lord of creation,” to a level with 
the beasts of the field, and his aspirations 
cease to be rational or immortal. 
Nor can the cultivated intellect, or the 
inventive ingenuity of man, or his advance¬ 
ments in science and philosophy, enable him 
to supersede these great laws of Nature, or 
so to change or modify the natural properties 
of the soil as to cause it to produce sponta¬ 
neously, without cultivation or toil, that va¬ 
riety of vegetable productions, which con¬ 
tribute so largely to the comfort and hap¬ 
piness of the human race. 
It is true that a portion of the human 
family do subsist upon the earth with little 
! or no knowledge of agriculture, and who 
can hardly be said to cultivate the earth. 
But it is also equally true, that they have 
little or no mental cultivation; and can hard¬ 
ly be said to be intellectual beings. They 
live in the most degraded state, without 
laws, without religion, (except of the grossest 
absurdity and superstition,) without clothing 
wdthout habitation, without even the com¬ 
mon decencies and proprieties of life. On 
the other hand it is also true, that that por¬ 
tion of our race who are most advanced in 
agricultural knowledge, are also compara¬ 
tively prosperous in their political and moral 
relations—necessarily producing in concert 
with the accumulation of the vegetable pro¬ 
ductions of the earth, that system of politi¬ 
cal and moral economy which protects the 
property thus accumulated, secures the 
rights of the accumulator, and inspires ad¬ 
oration to Him who profusely lavishes upon 
those who comply with his requisitions, the 
bounties of his Providence. 
When we cast our eyes over the surface 
of the earth, we perceive that in proportion 
as the soil is cultivated and improved, so 
also is the mind of its inhabitants enlight- 
tened and refined—thus demonstrating the 
truthfulness of the position that agriculture 
is the basis of improvement in the political 
and moral condition of man. 
If a country is to be redeemed from bar¬ 
barism to take rank among the enlightened 
nations of the earth, the very first step in 
advancement, is to introduce among its in¬ 
habitants the art of agriculture. Upon 
this basis is reared the superstructure of 
commerce, of manufactures, and of the me¬ 
chanic arts; and also of that system of politi¬ 
cal and moral economy which converts man 
from a demon of darkness, into an angel of 
light. If, on the other hand, a nation de¬ 
clines from a high state of civilization and 
refinement to an inferior condition, the very 
first symptoms of her decline are percepti¬ 
ble in her neglect of agriculture. 
The dignity of labor is denied; the cul¬ 
tivation of the soil is neglected; wealth and 
distinction are sought from some other 
source, than the true and legitimate one of 
cultivating the soil. Idlenesss and inertness 
prevail among its inhabitants, dissipation and 
voluptuousness succeed, and are followed 
by a train of vices which check all advance¬ 
ment and turn the course of that people in 
A WEEKLY JOURNAL, DEVOTED TO 
Agriculture, Horticulture, Mechanic Arts and Sci¬ 
ence, Education, Rural and Domestic Economy, 
General Intelligence, the Markets, &c., &c. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED by 
J. H. BIXBY, L. WETHER ELL, and H. C. WHITE. 
Contributors and Correspondents: 
L. B. Lanoworthy, Chester Dewey, ll. d., 
William Garbutt, .1. Clement, 
S. 1’. Chapman, W. Wallace Shaw, 
David Ely, R. G. Pardee, a 
Myron Adams, Samuel Moui.son, 
II. P. Norton, Jas. H. Watts, 
F. W. Lay, j W. K. Wyckoff, 
T. E. Wetmore, [j W. II. Bristol, 
R. B. Warren, j W. D. Allis, 
Archibald Stone, I] L. D. Whiting. 
And numerous others—practical, scientific, and literary 
writers—whose names are necessarily omitted. 
pr(m;hess and improvement. 
LETTERS ON 
EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE, ETC. 
BY M. M. RODGERS, M. D. 
iron, and garden mould. Between three 
and four thousand horses, together with 
numerous other animals from the entire de¬ 
partment of the Seine, are annually brought 
here and converted into poudrette. Some 
are killed on the ground, and others brought 
after having died of accident, &c. 
Horses are purchased for about the price 
of the skin, which, together with the bones, 
are sold again. The first step in the pro¬ 
cess is to remove the skin and cut the ani¬ 
mal into pieces; these are piled up, together 
with garden mould, and the whole wet with 
a solution of sulphate of iron, (copperas,) 
and left to undergo putrefactive fermenta¬ 
tion. This continues for several weeks, 
with the evolution of heat sufficient to cook 
an egg in the time of two or three minutes. 
Gaseous matters are also evolved, such as 
nitrogen, carbonic acid and ammonia, which 
are absorbed by the mould and retained, 
or chemically united wih the sulphate of 
iron and fixed,—being no longer volatile. 
In about two months, the fermentation is 
completed and the flesh separated from the 
bones, forming a homogeneous brown mass, 
destitute of odor: the bones are separated, 
and the mass mingled with human ordure 
from Paris, and allowed to ferment for some 
weeks in large vats, being in the mean time 
wet with human urine and a solution of sul¬ 
phate of iron. When this second ferment¬ 
ation has ceased, the whole is removed to 
an inclined floor on the side of the vat, and 
allowed to drain until dry—the fluid part 
flowing into the vat, to be mixed with an¬ 
other portion of solid matter. During fer¬ 
mentation and filtering, part of the water of 
the urine evaporates, while the valuable ni¬ 
trogenous and other salts are left and 
retained by the absorbent powers of the 
mould, or the chemical action of the sul¬ 
phate of iron. 
The poudrette is now a fine brown pow¬ 
der, destitute of offensive odor, and ready 
for market. It is kept in heaps under a 
Paris, March, 1851. 
VETERINARY COLLEGE AND HORSE HOSPITAL 
AT ALFORT, 
D. D. T. Moore —Dear Sir: Havingvisit- 
ed this institution and found it one of great 
interest and utility, I send you a brief de¬ 
scription of it. It is located in the pleasant 
little town of Alfort, seven miles from Paris. 
The College and Hospital comprise several 
fine, three story stone buildings, which en¬ 
close a large and convenient court, orna¬ 
mented with trees and walks for the exer¬ 
cise of horses and other animals while un¬ 
der treatment for disease. The institution 
is under the direction .of Prof. Bouley, 
whom I consider both a gentleman and a 
man of science. The average number of 
students attending the College with the 
view of practicing veterinary t surgery, is 
about two hundred and fifty; most of whom 
are intelligent looking men—mostly natives 
of France, but many also from other coun¬ 
tries. Many of them are preparing for 
practice in the army; and all are obliged 
by law to spend three years in the study 
before being admitted to practice. 
They have here a fine library, comprising 
books on all branches of natural history 
medicine, and the collateral sciences: a 
museum containing anatomical preparations 
of diseased and healthy parts —drawings 
and wax preparations—skeletons — shoes 
of horses and oxen from almost all coun¬ 
tries, together with the various instruments 
and apparatus used in veterinary surgery: a 
chemical laboratory, where the students 
witness a regular course of experimental 
sowing corn for fodder. 
This method, which is much practiced in 
some parts, is, I think, a very good plan for 
those who wish to secure a large quantity 
of excellent fodder. But, as far as I am 
informed, no attention is paid to the kind of 
corn sown. I would recommend sweet 
corn, as I have noticed that cattle eat the 
stalks more greedily than any other species. 
I have often wondered, when there was so 
much talk of making sugar from corn stalks, 
if this variety was ever tried. I believe 
there is double the quality of saccharine mat¬ 
ter in sweet corn there is in any other. It 
is worthy of a trial. Wmj Lavericic, Jr. 
Ilulberton, Orleans Co., N. Y. 
Luxn, auu enormous pus ielt in their places. 
From the quarries are taken, conglomerate 
sandstone, limestone and freestone, all of a 
very light color and fine for building pur¬ 
poses. 
HALL OF WINES. 
This is situated on the south bank of the 
Seine, and in the south-east part of Paris. 
It is composed of 8 extensive wine collars 
built of stone and enclosed by a stone wall 
nearly half a mile square. This is the 
largest wine market in France. Each of 
the cellars is named after the different va¬ 
rieties of wine, viz., Champagne, Bordeaux, 
&c. There are also extensive vaults for 
the alcoholic liquors, olive oils, &c. The 
whole market contains on an average, at all 
times, five hundred and forty-five thousand 
puncheons, or one million and a half barrels 
of wines, besides the oils, and liquors of 
other kinds. As many as fifteen thousand 
barrels are sometimes received in one day. 
Here are all the varieties of wines and 
liquors, and some of great age and high 
prices. There is also an office containing 
the guages of all the liquid measures in 
France, where the casks are guaged on en¬ 
tering and leaving the markets. Wines 
l various animais, wun as mucli care and m- 
| terest as is done in the “ Ecole de Medi¬ 
cine” in Paris. 
I here is also attached an extensive 
Botanic Garden, consisting mainly of medi- 
■ cal plants, together with a farm, on which 
> is a flock of sheep and goats for experi- 
\ ments in the propagation of species, &c.— 
In the stables of the hospital, are diseased 
and refactory animals, such as horses, cattle, 
, sheep, hogs, goats, dogs, cats, poultry, and 
even cage birds, which are brought here 
1 to be healed of disease, cured of vicious 
habits, or educated to their business. About 
| 50 horses and 30 dogs are generally under 
> treatment; several dogs were confined in 
> cages on suspicion of “ hydrophobia,” or 
. madness. The stables are very neat, and 
» even elegant, having glass windows, stone 
> floors, and red marble mangers. The feed 
j of the horses and cattle consists of hay, 
Great Products of Wool. —The Ver¬ 
mont Journal says that, Mr. Nathan 
Cushing, of Woodstock, Vermont, recently 
deposited in the White River wool depot, 
490 fleeces of well washed wool, which 
weighed 1,754 pounds, and sold for $764,- 
34. The extra sold for 46 cents, the fine 
43^ cents, and No. 1, 41^- cents. No. 2, at 
40 cents. Average sale by the fleece, $1,- 
91. Mr. Bridge, of Pomfret, deposited 332 
fleeces, which weighed 1,447 pounds, which 
sold for $616,32, the different qualities 
bringing prices of the first mentioned lot 
Feeding Cattle. — Cattle standing in 
cold muddy yards, exposed to the weathej* 
consume about twice as much as those m 
sheltered stables. 
equal to guano for top dressing and other 
purposes,.—and much as the soils about 
Paris need this kind of fertilizer, it is never¬ 
theless, nearly all sent to England and sold 
for about $15 per ton. How an English 
farmer should know its value so well, while 
the French farmer thinks it an unprofitable 
substance to purchase, one can hardly un¬ 
derstand, except he allow to the former, 
superior knowledge and skill in agriculture. 
The bones left after this manufacture, are 
sold to the chemists for the manufacture of 
ivory black, and prussian blue. 
