1858 . 
T JI E C U L TI V A T 0 It 
| would no doubt be better on such soils if scattered over 
the surface after the wheat is up, and towards winter. 
The winter and spring rains would carry it into the 
soil. Clayey soils are always the most beneStted by 
top-dressing, as the manure serves to keep the sur¬ 
face soft and moist, to prevent crusting, and the clay 
more readily absorbs the volatile parts. 
Columbia Cultivator’s Club —Under this head 
some friends of Agricultural progress have recently 
united themselves in Hudson, for the purpose of hold¬ 
ing weekly meetings, forming a library, and in other 
ways contributing to their mutual enlightenment. We 
have before us brief reports of proceedings at the two 
meetings of Aug. 19 and 26, for which we are indebt¬ 
ed to our corresponeent, A. S. Rowley, Esq., Secreta¬ 
ry. The subjects of discussion were the Strawberry 
and the Grape, and at the second meeting, some mea¬ 
sures were taken for the protection of the gardens and 
grounds of members from the ravages of depredators. 
We wish the association all success. 
The U. S. Ag Society’s Silver Medal. —We have 
been shown the very solid and tastefully designed med¬ 
al awarded by the United States Ag. Society, of the 
die of which, when first cut, we presented an engraving 
and full description in the columns of the Co Gent 
The medal before us bears the following inscription : 
“ Awarded to Richard H. Pease, Albany , N. Y,for 
Threshing Machine and Horse Power. Louisville , 
1857.” It is a beautiful testimonial, and should be 
highly valued. 
Sjjgf'' We learn that Jos. R. Williams, Esq., the Pre¬ 
sident of the Ag. College of Michigan, has accepted 
the invitation of Chancellor McCoun, Prest. of the N. 
Y. State Ag. Society, to deliver the Annual Address at 
the coming Fair at Syracuse. 
New White Wheats. —A correspondent of the 0. 
Cultivator , reports on the trial of several varieties of 
wheat sown last year about the middle of September, 
“ on a fine piece of ground on one side of his wheat- 
field,” joining which the Red Mediterranean gave a 
product of 36 bushels per acre,—one kind, “ Gale's 
Early Flint” a very early white wheat of small 
growth, yielding nearly 35 bushels per acre. The 
writer, (Wm. N. Smith, of Huron Co.,) thinks this 
wheat will prove valuable when the midge is bad, on 
account of its earliness. The “ White Mediterra¬ 
nean ,” a very productive white wheat, of excellent 
quality, not so early as the Red Mediterranean, but 
stands up better, yielded over 35 bushels per acre. 
This was on poorer ground than any other kind, but 
gave an equal product to others on the best soils. 
Winegar’s Gate. —We invite attention to the ad¬ 
vertisement of Winegar’s Capstan Gate, and desire to 
say that we have recently examined his latest im¬ 
provement, and find it to operate admirably. It is 
not the original “ Automaton Gate,” but one of sim¬ 
pler and cheaper construction, the force for opening 
and shutting being applied to a lever without alight¬ 
ing from the carriage or horseback. 
Early Fruit. —We are indebted to our friends Ell- 
wanger & Barry of Rochester,for a fine basket of early 
pears and plums, consisting of a large number of the val¬ 
uable new as well as standard sorts. Among the pears 
were fine specimens of the Ott, Pulsifer, Ives’ August, 
l Canandaigua, Limon, Madam Ducar, &c., besides 
\ many of the more common varieties. The Bartletts 
being placed in the dark, have ripened into golden- 
yellow specimens, with broad, rich shades of red on 
the sunny side, and are some of the finest specimens 
we have met with. Among the rarer plums, are Roy¬ 
al Tours, Caledonia, Montfort, Prince Englebert, and 
others. The specimens of the Royal Tours were par¬ 
ticularly fine, and their flavor excellent. 
Time of Sowing Timothy. —A writer in the Rural 
Neiv- Yorker comes out strongly in favor of sowing this 
grass early in September, either as a crop by itself or 
on winter wheat or rye ; the latter, especially, being 
an excellent crop to seed down with. He says, “It is 
now pretty generally conceded that if we want to raise 
twice as much grain, especially wheat, we must sow 
only half as much ground.” The other half, of course, 
he would devote to the grass crop. 
Value of Ag. Papers. —A Western correspondent 
writes—“ I have been much gratified and instructed 
by your paper, and think I have already realized fifty 
times the value of a year’s subscription in the infor¬ 
mation you have furnished me.” 
New Strawberry. —Mr. J. P. Downer, of the For¬ 
est Nursery, near Elkton, Ky., has raised a new straw¬ 
berry which is said to promise well. A committee of 
gentlemen of the neighborhood, recently met at Mr. 
D.’s residence, and a copy of their report duly attested 
is now before us. After saying that they have made 
a careful examination of the plants and fruit, and a 
comparison of it with a number of the most popu¬ 
lar varieties of this fruit under the same state of 
cultivation, such for instance as McAvoy’s Superior, 
Hovey’s Seedling, Hooker’s Seediing, Burr’s New Pine, 
Myatt’s Deptford Pine, Longworth’s Prolific, etc., they 
submit the following report and description : 
11 Vines remarkably large and vigorous, of a pale green 
color, resembling Peabody’s New Hautbois ; fruit-stalks 
long and erect, fruit of the largest size, roundish oval, of 
a bright scarlet color. Flesh moderately firm, rich, juicy, 
highly flavored and excellent. Ripens early, and contin¬ 
ues in bearing for a long time. Flowers hermaphrodite.” 
Mr. Downer informs us that plants of his seedling 
have now borne three crops of fruit, proving very pro¬ 
ductive and promising ; he has determined, however, 
not to offer them for sale until after fruiting them an¬ 
other season, and subjecting the results to the scruti¬ 
ny of the best judges. It is proposed to call it “ Dow¬ 
ner’s Prolific Seedling,” and we trust it may in the 
future realize all that is now hoped by its enterprising 
grower. 
Keeping Cows vs. Fattening Cattle. —A Putnam 
county farmer, who for many years kept a milk dairy 
for the New-York market, but finally turned his at¬ 
tention to fattening cattle, says: “My experience is 
that I can fat a bullock upon less feed than will keep 
a milch cow up to full measure of milk.” He prefers 
the Hereford, for the shambles, to any other breed he 
has tried, and the Ayrshires for milking purposes. 
Selling milk compared to selling beef, wears much 
harder on a farm. In the latter case, rich food pro¬ 
duces rich manure, which applied to the soil increases 
its fertility; in the former, it goes to the production 
of milk, which after a time it is said so deprives pas¬ 
tures of the bone material that cows must be fed bone 
dust to supply its place, or the grass dressed with bone 
manure. 
Importance of Good Milkers. —An eastern dairy- 
man, keeping twelve cows, from an accident to him- N) 
self, had to get other hands to milk them. As a result, Vj. 
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