1858 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
65 
with some pride upon the volumes of our old Genesee 
Farmer, and confess that we do not like to have the 
honor attached to them, whatever it may be, so cooly 
appropriated by another. Age is a good thing, but it 
is not one of the strongest points in the merits of our 
Rochester cotemporary. 
An Example to the Young. —We received a club 
of thirteen subscribers last week from a friend in Greene 
Co., over eighty-three years of age. If younger far¬ 
mers would take something of his interest in the pro¬ 
gress of the Agricultural community, it would be well 
both for themselves and the country. 
Dioscorea Batatas. —We have received from Mr. 
Wm. Adair, nurseryman, Detroit, a Dioscorea batatas, 
or Chinese yam, measuring 20£ inches in length and 10J 
inches round, and weighing 2 lbs. 6 ounces. It is, 
taken altogether, the handsomest specimen of this root 
that we have seen. We have not followed the direction 
to “ cook and try it,” but will do so after keeping it a 
while on exhibition. 
§3^" We would invite attention, unsolicited, to the 
advertisement of J. M. Thorburn & Co., seedsmen, 
New-York. They have been from the days of Grant 
Thorburn, the most extensive importers of garden, 
field, and flower seeds, in lhis country, and to this 
house all who seek for things new and rare, have resort¬ 
ed for the last quarter of a century, and so far as we 
know, without disappointment. 
Fruit in California. —One of our subscribers at 
Auburn, Placer Co., under date of Nov. 5th, writes as 
follows: “I planted out in 1854, apples, peaches, 
pears, strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, 
&c. This year they bore a large quantity of the finest 
fruit. My apples I am selling for 25 cents each, and 
my peaches for 25 cents per pound, as fast as they get 
ripe—strawberries and raspberries one dollar per quart, 
and other fruit in proportion.” 
The Llamas have Arrived. — The vessel having 
on board the Llamas, heretofore noticed as on their 
passage, arrived at New-York on the 15th, with forty- 
two on board, in good condition. These animals were 
brought from Guayaquil in Ecuador, and are consigned 
to J. I. Fisher & Sons, Baltimore. 
Potato Culture. —We publish in this number a 
valuable artice from Mr. Howatt, giving a detailed 
account of his mode of cultivating the potato, which, 
it will be seen, is both economical and successful. We 
have similar statements from Mr. H. in relation to 
several other crops, which we shall give soon. The 
Prince Albert potato, grown by Mr. H., is not known 
in this vicinity. The first specimens we saw of it, were 
from Mr. Howatt ; and we think its superior quality 
for the table, its large and nearly uniform size, togeth¬ 
er with its productiveness and freedom from disease, as 
cultivated by Mr. IL, and also by Mr. McMahon, as 
described in our last no., (p. 410,) render it worthy of 
more extensive cultivation. 
The Royal Haavaiian Ag. Society —Held its an¬ 
nual meeting in October—an account of which is at 
hand by our latest mails from the Pacific coast. The 
President, J. F. B. Marshall, Esq., read the Report 
of the Managers for the preceding year. Many new 
plants and seeds had been introduced and distributed 
The subject of a public nursery was agitated. The 
resources of the Society were reported at about $3,800 
though the subscriptions of members were decreasing. 
Mr. M., in conclusion, delivered a very interesting ad¬ 
dress on the present condition and prospects of the 
Islands. His Excellency, R. C. Wyllie, was chosen 
President for the new year, and among the Tice Pres¬ 
idents we notice the name of His Royal Highness 
Prince Kamehameha. The new Managers were in¬ 
structed to petition the government for an act of in¬ 
corporation ; also that some efficient measures be taken 
for the destruction of the wild dogs, which are now so 
destructive to sheep and goats on some of the islands. 
We came away from a brief call the other day 
at the Green-house of Mr. Dingwall, of this city, with 
specimens of the Spircea Revesiana , a very pretty 
and graceful variety of this excellent plant, introduced 
within a few years into this country, and a decided ac¬ 
quisition. Also of a new Azalea , the Vittata, its petals 
white, faintly striped or varigated with pink. And a 
little sample of the Poinsetta pulcherima, the scarlet 
of which, as many of our readers are aware, is vivid 
and rich enough almost to dazzle the eye. Several 
other evidences of Mr. D.’s floricultural skill—among 
them some beautiful Camellias, are also before us,— 
and, with the neatness and thriftiness of his plants, 
and the economic ingenuity of his houses, which are 
mainly of his own construction, are worthy of much 
commendation. 
A Hint from the Dictionary. —The origin of a 
word often conveys a lesson of its own, and we are re¬ 
minded by a chance glimpse at N^ah Webster, that 
he derives the verb “ to manure ” from roots which 
signify simply “ to cultivate by manual labor,” “ to 
till.” Milton and other early writers use it in this 
sense. “Manurable,” meant “that maybe tilled or 
cultivated,” and “ manurance ” was Spenser’s word 
for cultivation. Does not this show that the fertiliza¬ 
tion of the soil which experience proved to be the re¬ 
sult of its thorough pulverization and tillage, preceded 
the application of other substances to secure the same 
object 1 and that, if we would farm well, we must re¬ 
member not only the manure of the farm-yard, but 
the manure of the implement which works up the 
ground and commingles its particles for the absorption 
of the plant? Jethro Tull had more common sense in 
his theory, than many of his successors have been will¬ 
ing to allow. 
Devons in California. —A subscriber at Mayfield, 
Cal., writes us that the Devon bull Narraganset, pur¬ 
chased of C. S. Wainwright, Esq., of Rhinebeck, and 
shipped at New-York Nov. 5th, by B. F. Reynolds, 
reached his destination at that place in fine order, and 
was much admired by all who saw him. 
Guano. —It appears from a table of imports into 
Baltimore the past year, that 22,082 tons of Peruvian, 
and 6,150 tons of Columbian and other phosphatic gu¬ 
anos, were imported in that city in 1857. The price 
of Peruvian Guano from the commencement of the 
year until the 10th of August, was $60 per ton, less 
one per cent, discount for cash for quantities of 1,100 
tons and upwards. On the 10th of August the Agent 
of the Peruvian Government advanced the price to 
$65, which is the price at the present time. 
Ohio State Board of Agriculture. —The regu¬ 
lar Annual Meeting of Delegates from the County Ag¬ 
ricultural Societies of Ohio, was held in Columbus on 
the 9th and 10th days of Dec., inst. The question 
which has so long and often ocupied the Annual Meet- 
