97 
1846. THE CULTIVATOR 
ALBANY, MARCH, 1846. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Communications have been received, since our last, 
from Lea, Geo. Nesbit, Highlander, Rambler, B. 
Hodge, H. L. Sheldon, H. A. P., Wm. Todd, S. S. 
Gregory, N. C. Day, T. D., T. B., W. R. Prince, G. 
N., S. W., L. Durand, Pyrus, C. Ingalls, K. Haven, Th. 
Close, C. H. Parshall, J. S. Yeomans, B. W. R., Noyes 
Darling, S. T. M., A Subscriber, W. B. Hamilton, S. 
G. Cone, G. W. B., C. Babcock, A. Coffin, D., Wm. 
Bacon, Uncas, E. Holmes, John Brown, N., Little Del¬ 
aware, P., Highlander, R. Burritt, S. B., Geo. Hussey, 
Samuel Waring, J. Storrs, F. L. E. 
$(|pWe hope “P.” will continue his notes on “ Gar¬ 
dening Operations,” through the season—should be glad 
to receive them as early as the middle of each month. 
POSTAGE OF THE CULTIVATOR 
Having been informed that several Postmasters, in 
different parts of the country, charged pamphlet postage 
on £t The Cultivator,” we enclosed our Feb. No. to the 
Postmaster-General, with the request that he would de¬ 
cide as to the postage to be charged on it. It will be 
seen by his reply, which we annex, that he considers 
it subject to newspaper postage only:— 
Appointment Office, 1 
Post Office Department, Feb. 14, 1845. J 
Sir —In reply to your letter of the 10th inst., I have 
to say that “ The Cultivator” published at Albany, 
New-York, in the form in which it is transmitted for 
the decision of the Department, is regarded as being 
subject to newspaper postage, only. 
I am, sir, respectfully yours, 
W. J. BROWN, 
Sec’d Ass’t. P. M. Gen’l. 
Luther Tucker, Esq. 
MONTHLY NOTICES 
Weekly Agricultural Meetings. —These meet¬ 
ings were commenced for the season in this city 
on the evening of the annual meeting of the State 
Agricultural Society, and have been continued week¬ 
ly since. At the first meeting a geological map of 
the state was exhibited by Professor Hall, and some 
remarks were made by him and others on the geologi¬ 
cal character of the soils of the various districts, and 
the influence of the composition of the soil on its pro¬ 
ductions. Connected in some degree with this subject, 
some interesting remarks were made at a subsequent 
meeting, by Dr. Beekman, in reference to the report 
ot tne committee, (of which Dr. B. was chairman,) ap¬ 
pointed by the State Society to examine the claims for 
premiums for the best cultivated farms, and in reference 
also to the statistical returns of agricultural products 
from the different counties. At the second meeting the 
subject of manures and their application was taken up 
for discussion, and so fertile has been the subject, and 
so prolife of words has it proved, that for three eve¬ 
nings it has occupied the time. As it is, however, an 
important, perhaps the most important subject to the 
farmer, we can hardly doubt that the time has been 
profitably spent in its discussion. 
Crowded as our columns are, it is impossible for us 
to furnish any reports of these meetings, l)ut shall give 
such brief notices of them as we can find room for. 
Correction. —Our printer made a sad blunder in 
placing the illustrations to the article on Transplanting 
Trees, p. 65 of our last number. Fig. 18 should have 
been fig. 19, and fig. 19, (which should have been 18,) 
was given with the roots upward, and the top on tive 
ground. 
Large Geese. —E. Cheesbro, of Guiklerland, 
brought to this market, in January last, seventeen geese, 
goslings of 1845, the average dressed weight of which 
was fourteen pounds. They were a cross of the Bremen 
and African, sometimes called Poland. He finds this a 
good stock to rear—hardy and prolific. 
Durability of Pine Shingles. —We have been 
told by Maj. Timothy Cowles, of Farmington, Conn., 
that the roof of the congregational church in that town 
was covered with pine shingles in the year 1771, and 
that they are still perfectly sound, and have never yet 
let through a drop of water. 
G. M. Kassen, of Bethlehem, Ct., counted the ker 
nels produced from two kernels planted, and he found 
the produce of one 1900, and the other 1960, making 
all together 3860. 
Monthly Strawberries. —Those desiring plants 
of the new variety of the Strawberry, known as u Stod¬ 
dard’s Seedling,” may learn from an advertisement in- 
this number, where they can be obtained. The pro¬ 
duction of this superior variety is the result of a series 
of experiments made by Col. J. S. Stoddard, of Pal¬ 
myra, N. Y. It will be found described in the Cultiva¬ 
tor of August last, p. 251, as it developed its extraordi¬ 
nary qualities in the season of bearing. 
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES. 
Aylesbury Ducks. —R., (New-Brunswick, N. J.) 
We do not know of any of this breed of ducks for sale. 
The largest breed of ducks we know of in this vicinity, 
are called Spanish ducks. They are of a bluish gray 
color, and very large. 
Horse-Mill.—A. P., (Washington, Ga.) Sinclair’s 
mill, described in the Cultivator for last year, (page 17,) 
we should think would answer your purpose. If you 
wish a machine for working up corn and cob, Pitt’s, 
described in our last vol. p. 324, is a first rate article for 
the purpose. 
Malay Fowls. —O. B. (Castleton, Vt.) The Malay 
fowls are of all colors, from dull yellow to black. They 
vary in size; but the largest of them are entitled to 
the first rank in this respect, and will weigh when 
' dressed from four to six pounds. Occasionally some 
will weigh more, and capons of this breed have been 
fattened to the weight of a dozen to fourteen pounds 
each, dressed. Some of them are coarse and bony, but 
others, which have been well bred, are not so. The 
Malay and Java are nearly allied in their character¬ 
istics. 
Pheasant, or Golden top-Knot. —I. D., (Zanes¬ 
ville, O.) We see no particular objections to a cross of 
these with the spangled Dorkings. Mr. Cox, of Z., 
crossed the Pheasant Top-Knot with a large fowl of the 
Malay character, and the produce were the finest fleshed 
and best flavored of any chickens we ever saw. 
Teeswater Buck. —D., (Kinderhook.) We pre¬ 
sume there are no sheep of this breed in this country, 
and we are not aware that they possess any properties 
that entitle them to preference over the Leicester or the 
Cotswold. 
Castor Oil. —J. R. D., (Paperville, Tenn.,) wishes 
to see a full description of the manner of extracting and 
rectifying this oil. Will not some of our correspond¬ 
ents who are acquainted with the process, furnish this 
information? 
Ascertaining the properties of Cows.—I. D., 
(Zanesville, O.) The account you allude to, we pre 
sume is that of a Frenchman, M. Francis Guenon. A 
translation of his treatise is published in the Farmers’ 
Library, edited by J. S. Skinner, and published by 
Greely & McElrath, New-York. 
