1846. THE CULTIVATOR. 37 
the reverse of that imputed to me, it seems but just that 
the Society should vindicate my character from the 
charge of ; using its trusts. 
I therefore respectfully ask that a committee may be 
ap jointed at your meeting on the 11th inst. to investi- 
°a e my official conduct as Secretary, and particularly 
'n relation to the charges thus publicly brought against 
me. I ask that the Committee may be appointed at this 
time, in order that they may have an opportunity to 
make.their investigations, and be prepared to report at 
the annual meeting of the Society in January. 
Respectfully yours, Luther Tucker, 
Rec. Sec’y N. F. S . Ag. Society. 
In compliance with the request contained in the 
above, the following gentlemen .were appointed a 
Committee to Investigate the charges against 
the Rec. Secretary —-Hon. Robert Denniston, Hon. 
John Savage and Maj. E. Kirby. 
NOTICES OF PUBLICATIONS. 
Essay on Guano, by I. E. Teschemacher. Boston,. 
A. D. Phelps, publisher. 
In this pamphlet Mr. T. has given the results of anal¬ 
yses of the various kinds of guano, with accounts of its 
application to Indian corn, grass land, grape-vines, trees, 
peas, beans, melons, potatoes, turneps, strawberries, 
celery, cabbages, flowers,. &c., &c., on all which plants 
it operated beneficially. Mr. T. is of the opinion that 
the introduction of guano into this country would be an 
advantage. He has been led to this opinion from the 
investigations he has made in regard to its composition, 
as well as from actual trials with it. 
History of Wyoming, in a Series of Letters, 
from Charles Miner, to his son, William Penn 
Miner. Published by J. Crissy, Philadelphia. 
This is a work of 4S8 pages, with an appendix of 104 
pages. Perhaps a more attractive subject than the His¬ 
tory of Wyoming, could not have been chosen. The 
tragic fate of that settlement is well known, and a eharm 
has been thrown around the event by story and song, 
which gives to every thing connected therewith, a pe¬ 
culiar interest. The author has been indefatigable in 
collecting matters relating to his work, and has embo¬ 
died many interesting and valuable facts not heretofore 
made public. We think the book will prove exceed¬ 
ingly popular and find an extensive sale. 
Report of the Exploring Expedition to the 
Rocky Mountains in the year 1842, and to Oeegon 
and North California in the years 1843—>’44, by 
Capt. J. C. Fremont. 
We are indebted to D. Gold, Esq., Washington, for 
a copy of this document. We have not as yet had time 
to give it a full examination, though we have seen 
enough to know that its contents are interesting and 
valuable. . 
New-Orleans Commercial Times. —This is an in¬ 
teresting and ably managed paper lately established in 
the Crescent city. It has an agricultural department, 
of which, we are pleased to see, our friend THos. Af¬ 
fleck, Esq., of Washington, Miss., has the editorial 
charge. Mr. A. is a sensible and ready writer on all 
branches of agriculture and horticulture, and is not un¬ 
acquainted with the position he has assumed, having 
for some time edited in an able manner the Western 
Farmer and Gardener. We trust his connection with 
the Times will be pleasant to himself, as we have no 
doubt it will be beneficial to the public. 
. 
Prairie Farmer.— This monthly agricultural peri¬ 
odical, published at Chicago, Illinois, by John S. 
Wright, and edited by him in connexion with J. Am¬ 
brose Wight, is one of the most valuable among 
our agricultural exchanges, and deserves, as we are 
happy to learn it receives, the liberal patronage of the 
farmers of the thriving section for which it is designed. 1 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
CULTURE OF POTATOES 
We give the following from a letter from Willi am 
M ; Cgy, Esq., of Franklin, Pendleton county, Ya. We 
agree with him, in what he says as to the value of the 
patatoe as food for stock. Most farmers Would think 
that he had little reason to complain of the product of 
his potato crop this season; and we shall be greatly 
obliged if Mr. M’Coy will gives us a particular account 
of the process of culture by which he has raised the 
unusually large crops he speaks of. For the last three 
years preceding this,” says Mr. M-Coy, “I have had 
great success in the cultivation of potatoes, which I 
have raised to some extent, for the purpose of w.ntering 
cows and calves; this year I only got at the average 
rate of 350 bushels to the acre. Formerly I never raised 
less than 800 bushel to the acre. It seems to me that 
this is by far the most profitable crop that we can raise, 
for the purpose of feeding stock, either cattle, hogs or 
sheep. We wash the potatoes, and then mash them with 
a maul, and with the addition of a little corn meal, they 
are decidedly the best food that I have ever found for 
milk cows and calves. In feet I believe that with pota¬ 
toes and corn meal, I can fatten beef cattle as rapidly, 
and more economically than on any thing else, the 
authority of Boussingault to the contrary not withstand*- 
ing. Unfortunately the rot has this year made its ap¬ 
pearance among our potatoes. At least 10 per cent of 
mine were rotten when taken from the ground, and my 
neighbors complain of the same loss.” 
Mr. M’Coy informs us that the past season has been 
one of great discouragement to the farmers in his 
vicinity. There was an almost total failure of the grass 
crop on account of the drouth—corn and oats, not more 
than half a crop, and every thing else in proportion, 
except wheat, which was a tolerably fair crop as to 
quantity and first rate inequality. 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND PAPERS. 
We make the following extract from a private letter 
of a secretary of one of our County Ag, Societies:— 
“ The society this year as heretofore, threw upon me 
the burden of making out a list of premiums to be 
awarded at our annual fair, and I tacked on, whenever 
I could, a copy of the Cultivator or Genesee Farmer, 
so that a copy of the Cultivator or Genesee Farmer ac¬ 
companies every premium. This I did, believing that 
our Ag. Society cannot be sustained unless there is a more 
general diffusion of knowledge gathered from agricul¬ 
tural papers. I believe apolitical party might just as 
well undertake to keep its existence without political 
papers as an Ag. Society without the circulation of ag¬ 
ricultural papers. I intend during the coming winter 
to visit every town in the county, (if my professional 
employment will permit,) and represent to the farmers 
the necessity of sustaining the county society which has 
run pretty low, and in so doing, I shall take the liberty 
to urge upon them the great benefits to be derived in 
taking the Cultivator.” 
SUCCESSFUL DRAINING. 
Mr. Milo Ingalsbee, of So. Hartford, N. Y., after 
detailing many improvements in the system of husband* 
ry, whicli have been introduced in consequence of read¬ 
ing the Cultivator, in his vicinity, says—“Ibelieve eve¬ 
ry one of your regular subscribers here, have done 
something at underdraining, with complete success. 
I will mention one piece of successful draining. A 
lot of five acres, had been mowed from time imme¬ 
morial, producing yearly from 1| to 2 tons of inferior 
hay, and hard work at that, as the ground had never 
been plowed; 35 rods of underdrain were made in the 
spring of 1842, at a cost of from eight to ten dollars. 
The field manured with twenty five loads per acre, and 
planted with potatoes; the crop proved about middling. 
In 1843, it was planted with the common twelve rowed 
corn, and produced the greatest growth I ever saw, 
some of it growing to the heightof ten feet. In 1844, it 
