the mule-producing marcs generally standing 
from 15 to ltJ hands, and sometimes higher. 
Perhaps the most extraordinary part of the 
Poitou ass is the coat, with which he is 
blessed or cursed, as the case may be. From 
the day he is bom to the day' of his death no 
brush or comb is ever allowed to be used on 
him ; and us, from the unnatural condition 
in which lie is kept, he is prevented in a great 
measure from shedding his coat, the func¬ 
tions of the skin become suspend'd, and the 
animal assumes year alter year an accumula¬ 
tion of coats all matted together with stable 
filth, till at length the united coats almost 
trail on the ground ! When be has assumed 
this extraordinary and bear dike appearance, 
he is pointed to with no little pride by his 
owner, and is termed BmiraiVornc, or some¬ 
times G-ueniltov*. Such is ignorance and 
prejudice ! Suffice it to say that this state 
of things almost, invariably produces cutane¬ 
ous affections of the worst description. 
The point in the Poitou ass to which your 
readers will in the main take exception is the 
great size of the head and the length of the 
ears. The Poitou jackass is kept mainly for 
breeding heavy draught mules: and it has 
long been an axiom among the breedei s that 
these mules cannot be produced with the 
necessary size and weight without corres- 
pondingfy large heads and ears, and that 
these large heads and ears can only be com¬ 
municated through the medium of jackasses 
already blessed with a plethora of these 
appendages. 
the center of the building extended a fine 
display of carriages aud sleighs. The center 
of the building under the dome was occupied 
by Mr. V. P. Douw of Albany, N. Y., who 
exhibited some fine specimens of Garden 
Vases, Statuary, etc., with a handsome foun¬ 
tain in operation. The southeast, portion was 
occupied by the Dairy and Vegetable Depart¬ 
ment.. The show of Dairy Products was 
probably the largest ever made at a New 
York State Fair. The number of cheeses 
from both factory and private dairies was 
very large and of fine quality, while the 
entries of butter, especially pound rolls, wus 
never equaled either in quantity or quality. 
THE POITOU ASS. 
Poitou is iu France, and at the winter 
Fairs, is overrun by dealers of all nations, 
who buy strings of mules to take home for 
use or sale The Poitou ass is supposed to 
have been originally of Spanish extraction. 
He differs, however, very considerably in 
outward appearance from his Spanish pro¬ 
genitor—a difference brought about chiefly 
by selection and careful breeding. His head 
and ears arc enormous, and the larger they 
NEW YORK STATE FAIE 
This Fair—held at Albany, Kept. 24 to Oct. 
1—opened under very favorable auspices aud 
was remarkably successful up to the time 
our last accounts of it closed (Saturday.) We 
have not space for many details this week, 
but give below a portion of the notes sent the 
Rural New-Yorker by one of its special 
reporters attending the Fair. 
LIVE STOCK DEPARTMENT. 
The general show of Bl ock was very good. 
The pens erected by the Society arc situated 
on the west side of the grounds, the accom¬ 
modation for exhibitors being better than 
usual. 
Cattle - The show of Short Homs was very 
light, there being only rl entries in alL Mr. 
CnAf>. F. Wadkwort of Geiuseo, exhibited 
a number of fine animuls, and carried off 
most of the premiums. There was the finest 
display of Devons that was ever made at a 
New York State Fair, there being 48 entries. 
The principal exhibitors were Messrs. Joseph 
Hilton, New Scotland, N. ¥., and Mr. 
Mattoon Springfield, Mass. Of Herefords 
and Holstein? there was a line show. Of the 
former there were 13 entries, and of the 
latter 29. The Ayreshires were well repre¬ 
sented, the entries numbering 97. The promi¬ 
nent, exhibitors were Messrs. Brouik, Son & 
Converse. Rural Hill, N. Y.; S. D. Hunger- 
ford, Adams N, Y.; Sturtevavi Bros., 
Soutli Framingham, Mass. ; and JoilN L. 
Gum, Compton, Quebec. The Jerseys were 
plentiful, and the animals, as a rule, very 
good. Number of eutries 117. The principal 
herd exhibitors were Messrs. E. F. Bowdrich, 
Framingham, Massachusetts; Frank D. Cur¬ 
tis, Chariton, N. Y. ; J. Carter Brown, 
E. Greenwich, R. 1.; Edward Barnett, 
Southborough, Mass.; W. B. Dinsmore, 
Btaatsburgh, New York, aud F. J. Hand, 
Sing Sing, Now York. Of Milch Cows and 
Grades, there were 2(1 entries, aud 49 entries 
of Working Cattle and Steers. We notice 
that the show of New England Cattle at this 
Fair was larger thau at the New England 
Fair at Mcdl'ord, Mass,, last month. 
Hornes.— The display of Horses was very 
fine, there being 194 entries. The stalls were 
on the east side of the grounds, easy of ac¬ 
cess, and offering line accommodation to ex¬ 
hibitors. 
Sheep .—The pens for Sheep were next, to 
the Cattle pens, on the west side. The num¬ 
ber of entries was very large, although there 
did not seem to be as much interest as usual 
in this department. There were of Merinoes 
79 eutries ; Fat Sheep, 20; Leicester, 32 ; 
Cotswolds, 30; Lincolns, 10; Middle Wools, 37. 
St vine. —The show of Swine was large and 
excellent. Their pens adjoined the Sheep. 
Tfiere were of the large, White Breed 25 
entries ; small White Breed, 36; small Black 
Breed, 4 ; Berkshire, 58. Frank D. Curtis 
exhibited some fine specimens of the Vic¬ 
toria (small white) breed. 
Poult ry .—This department has a fine build¬ 
ing on the northwest position of the grounds, 
fitted up with substantial stationary coops, 
presenting a neat and uniform appearance. 
There were 194 coops filled. The quality of 
the ent ries was good. Among the entries we 
not ic ed some fiue Scotch Collie Dogs, exhibit¬ 
ed by F. D. Curtis. 
MACHINERY HALL. 
This building is located on the northern 
portion of the grounds. Its dimensions are 
G2 by 182 feet, and it is rectangular in shape. 
The exterior is quite ornamental, being 
adorned by center pavilion, supported by 
heavy pilasters with carved caps. The 
upper part is surmounted with a large flag¬ 
staff, There was a large number of eu¬ 
tries in this department, tilling the building 
with heavy machinery, such as Cotton Gins, 
Steam Fire Engines, Power Corn Huskors, 
Steam Lathes, Wood Working Machinery, 
etc., etc., with power supplied by a seventy- 
five Horse-Power Engine exhibited by Town¬ 
send & J ackSGN, Albany, N. Y. 
MANUFACTURERS' HALL. 
This building, occupying the central posi¬ 
tion of the group, and being intended for the 
general exhibition of Home Manufactures of 
all kinds, is tlie most imposing of the series. 
Like Machinery Hall, it is rectangular in 
shape, with floor demonsions 12li by 2511 feet, 
the long sides facing east and west. It is 
designed in the modern Swiss style, and con¬ 
structed of timber, supported on substantial 
brick piers. The display iu this department 
was very imposing, the building being wall 
filled throughout, with home manufactures 
of all descriptions—including Statuary, Paint¬ 
ings, Pianos, Sewing Machines, etc. Through 
NOTES FEOM TOWARDS SUNSET 
The Evergreens, Sept. 22,1873. 
At last I am fairly out of the editorial har¬ 
ness, and like Noah of old, after that long, 
wet spell, have begun to be an husbandman. 
And now, while the pruning knife and the 
hoe are resting I shall read the agricultural 
papers, which I had helped in some sort to 
make; and my long hoarded library will be 
read, which it has not been all these years, 
while I have been going up and down in the 
■world, in the business ot my late profession. 
After a quarter of a century occupied in this 
way, I have come to anchor on a most lovely 
spot of ground, which a cunning cultivator 
had spent twenty yearn in planting aud tend¬ 
ing, until it is a wiiderni-? - of most excellent 
growths of all manner of evergreen and fruit 
trees, shrubs, plants, vines, &e. The breezes 
which always play upon this hii), go whis¬ 
pering through the pint's, firs and tali Nor¬ 
wegians, and the abundance of fruits ripen 
healthily in their season. Such is a flttrng 
place for an old man to be out of the way 
upon, as lie goes toward the sunset of life, 
from which he now sends greeting to his 
former associates aud readei’s ol the Agri¬ 
cultural press. 
Every week 1 open the Rural New-York¬ 
er, with more than ordinary interest, to 
keep track of its Editors and Contributors ; 
for I know them ali, and love them all so 
well. 1 can sec the tall and splendid old 
chief, with his eager eyes, bending over his 
table, on which is the accumulating corre¬ 
spondence of years—a wilderness of letters 
and papers which would discourage any 
muu of less Napoleonic will aud perseverance 
than that same old chief. In Ids cosy den, 
up stairs, is the wheel-horse editor, earnestly 
and steadily at his work; his brow is fair, 
and about it cluster the curls that once were 
only bright chestnut, but now threaded with 
silver ; his lips half parted and his manner is 
gentle as a woman’s. But when he is pro¬ 
voked I have seen those eyes flash like the 
gleam of a dagger, and tlnvse lips as hard as 
fate ! But whether a Editor in r. aujcss, or 
Editor out of Harness, he is always true to 
his sense of right, even if the devil should 
stand across Ins path! And here comes the 
Horticultural Editor, an easy-going and rol¬ 
licking fellow, who loves to hunt bugs, smoke 
his cigar, look at new fruits and puncture 
swindling bubbles. In like manner 1 have in 
memory the pictures of all of them, and 
send to all a hearty God bless you ! 
You have heard of a pigeon-roust, but did 
you ever hear of a robin-roost ? About my 
orchard and garden is a heavy Osage Orange 
hedge, some twenty feet in bight aud very 
dense, At a particular spot, nearest the 
house, the robins have made their roosting 
place, and every evening, as if by a concert 
of action among ali the robins within miles 
of the place, they gather from all quarters 
aud pitch into the thickest of the foliage for 
their night’s repose. They nearly all arrive 
within the space of ten minutes, aud there 
is a thousand of them. I have named my 
place The Evergreens. It is at the old col¬ 
lege town of Hudson, county of Summit, 
State of Ohio, twenty-four miles south of 
Cleveland, on the Cleveland and Pittsburgh 
railroad, where my correspondents will please 
address mein future, and if they have any¬ 
thing nice which they wish to have tested or 
tasted, in the way of seeds, plants, vines 
wines, patent chums, washing machines, 
cats, roosters, mowing machines, trotting 
horses, &o,, &c., I will take them in and do 
justice to their merits if all express charges 
are paid on them. Ever Truly. s. d, h. 
