96 
March. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
An Ag. High School in Pennsylvania. —A cor¬ 
respondent at Pittsburgh calls our attention to the fact 
that an establishment of this kind is now in process of 
organization. The Trustees have purchased 200 acres 
adjoining a tract of similar extent donated for the pur¬ 
pose by Gen. James Irvine, in Center County,—the 
citizens of which have contributed $40,000, the State 
Agricultural Society $10,000, and the Legislature 
$45,000, for the erection of suitable buildings, laying 
out the grounds, and planting as extensively as practi¬ 
cable, preparatory to the commencement of a course 
of instruction. “ A convenient farm house, a large 
barn, corn-cribs, wagon sheds, and other necessary 
out-buildings have been completed; an edifice two 
hundred and thirty-three feet in front, and five stories 
high, with wings at either end, built of limestone, is 
in a state of forwardness, and will be completed during 
the ensuing summer, at a cost of fifty-five thousand 
dollars. The building is adapted to the accommoda¬ 
tion of at least two professors with their families, and 
three hundred students.” 
Letters of Inquiry. —No better evidence need be 
required of the interest awakened by the communica¬ 
tions of plain observing practical men, detailing their 
practice, than is found in the number of letters 
addressed to them asking for farther and more minute 
information on the matters treated of. Our correspond¬ 
ent, Mr. John Johnston, in a late letter says—“ I have 
no doubt but I have answered more than seven hundred 
letters in the last fourteen years, in relation to drain¬ 
ing, feeding cattle, sheep, &c.” And in sending us the 
following note, Mr. Howatt states that he has received, 
within the past few weeks, about fifty letters of inquiry 
about matters on which he had written in the Country 
Gentleman, all of which, so far as he could, have been 
answered: 
Those gentleman who have written to me, and have 
not received answers to their letters, on potatoes, cucum¬ 
bers, &c., will please write again, and write their names 
and address distinctly, as some of them have neither 
State nor post-town. All inquiries will be immediately 
answered, when the proper address is given and a 
stamp enclosed to pre-pay answer. Gerald Howatt. 
Newton , N. J. 
Wine Maktng near Home. —We learn that Mr- 
Geo. L. Rundle of Greeneville, Greene Co., who has 
been for some years engaged in the cider business— 
clarifying it, and converting it into what is called 
“ champagne cider,” for the New-York market—the 
last season added to his establishment a new branch, 
that of wine-making, and that he pressed over twenty 
tons of elderberries and about five tons of grapes and 
currants, the juice of which was converted into elder¬ 
berry, grape and currant wine. We presume this is 
the largest lot of elderberry wine ever made in this 
country. 
Plan of a Small House. —A correspondent at Lit¬ 
tle Eagle, Ky., sends us a plan of a small house that 
has some good points, but also some serious defects— 
among which are, the wardrobe and bed-room are at 
the opposite ends of the building, and nearly the same 
remark applies to the pantry and kitchen. The chim¬ 
neys being placed at the farthest extremities of the 
house, would not look well in a gothic elevation, which 
our correspondent desires us to furnish him. 
Chinese Pigs. — J. M. Foy, Esq., Scott’s Hill, N. C. 
wishes to procure a pair of Chinese pigs. We do not 
know who has them for sale. 
Chinese Sugar Cane Seed.— It will be seen by I. 
W. Briggs’ Advertisement in this paper, that he pro¬ 
poses to distribute any quantity of this seed, from half 
an ounce to a pound, on receipt of P. 0. stamps enough 
to prepay the postage ; and he is the man to do what 
he promises. 
The “Friends’ Review,” Philadelphia, a periodi¬ 
cal of high literary ability, gives lately a handsome 
notice of the Country Gentleman, and says, “As a 
weekly Agricultural Journal tor the Farm, the Gar¬ 
den, and the Fireside^uncontaminated by tales, the 
Country Gentleman, so far as we know, has no compe¬ 
titor.” 
Horse Pitch-Fork.—Robert Hatton of Waynes- 
ville, Ohio, says, “ I made a pitch-fork from the de¬ 
scription in the Register, p. 338, but found the tines too 
weak, as they broke immediately. Unless the smith 
was very well acquainted with working steel, I would 
say that three-fourths of an inch was none too large for 
them; and in common use they might be shorter than 
20 inches—I would prefer 18.” 
fylP The United States Ag. Society at the late 
Washington meeting, resolved to bestow on Col. Wil¬ 
der a service of plate to the value of $250, as a testi¬ 
monial of appreciation of his services as President for 
the period of six years. Our columns dui-ing this time 
bear constant witness to the untiring energy, the un¬ 
failing attention, and the almost uniform success with 
which he has conducted its movements; and we may 
add, that to few gentlemen at the head of similar as¬ 
sociations, are members of the Agricultural press, as a 
body, so much indebted for appreciative and appropri¬ 
ate courtesies. His kind and hearty greeting to the 
guests of the Society, and his thoughtfulness in meet¬ 
ing their wants, amidst all the confusion and bustle of 
a Show, have only seemed to grow surer and prompter, 
and for this reason if for no other, his presidency will 
live long and pleasantly in the memories of many 
friends of Agriculture in every state, whose delegates 
he has welcomed. 
Sales of Devons.—John R. Chapman of Oneida 
Lake, the last week purchased of Capt Joseph Hil¬ 
ton of New-Scotland, a yearling Devon bull, “Master 
Quartly,” out of Ruth by Frank Quartly, both im¬ 
ported by L. G. Morris, Esq.—a heifer calf, “ Flora,” 
also out of Ruth, by Empire, who took the first prize at 
the late State Fair at Buffalo, and the yoke of Devon 
oxen upon which Capt. H. received the first prize at 
the Albany Co. Fair in 1856, and the first prize at the 
State Fair in Buffalo. They are all very superior an- 
mals. 
American Fruit in England. —We are pleased to 
notice that Messrs. Hovey & Co., of Boston, have re¬ 
ceived a very satisfactory and pleasant acknowledg¬ 
ment of a contribution made by them to the last Fall 
Show of the London Horticultural Society—in the shape 
of a large silver medal taken for a collection of up¬ 
wards of 60 varieties of Pears, and prizes for specimens 
of Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening Apples. After 
the display was concluded, 70 or 80 of the finest fruits 
remaining in good order were presented by the Hort. 
Society to Her Majesty. The medal is described as 
“ a beautiful specimen of the work executed at the 
