THE CULTIVATOR. Oct. 
terest him, was the cultivation of the soil, and that too 
by his own hands. He was a practical farmer, and 
horticulturist, laboring diligently not only on his own 
land, but in the field of science, wherever he could 
make it applicable to his favorite pursuit.” 
Rensselaer County Ag. Society. —The exhibi¬ 
tion of this society took place at Troy on the 23d and 
24th September. Want of room compels us to defer a 
particular notice till next month. 
Death of Col. McDonald. —We learn with much 
regret, that Col. Alexander McDonald, of Eufaula, 
Alabama, died on the 16th of August last. Our readers 
will recollect his name, as having frequently appeared 
in our columns. He was much devoted to the cause of 
improvement in agriculture, and by his zealous efforts 
conferred very important benefits on the section of 
country in which he resided. 
Agricultural College. —We see it announced 
that James Gowen, Esq., of Philadelphia, has pur¬ 
chased the Mount Airy College property, near his resi¬ 
dence, e< with a view to the establishment of an institu¬ 
tion for the instruction of youth in theoretical and prac¬ 
tical agriculture, including horticulture, upon the most 
approved principles of enlightened experience and ra¬ 
tional science.” Mr. Gowen has been long known as 
a most devoted friend to the agricultural interest, and one 
possessed of ample means for carrying out such an un¬ 
dertaking. We have not yet learned the details of the 
plan, but understand that Mr. G. intends to employ the 
ablest teachers, and will make the course of instruction 
as liberal as that of any of our colleges. When the 
scheme is more fully developed, we hope to be be able 
to give the particulars in full. 
Mr. Mitchell’s Return. —By a letter from D. G. 
Mitchell, Esq., dated ship Burgundy, off Sandy Hook, 
10th Sept, last, we are much pleased to learn of that 
gentleman’s safe arrival, afler an absence from this 
country of about two years. Our readers, by whom 
Mr. M.’s interesting letters from Europe were so well 
received, will be pleased to know that he will furnish 
us with occasional extracts from his unpublished notes. 
New and Useful Machine. —Mr. L. G. Hoffman, 
of this city, has invented an egg-hatching machine, 
which appears to possess many advantages over any 
other for that purpose that has been before known, 
particularly on the score of cheapness and simplicity. 
Mr. H. has had his machine for some time in operation, 
and he feels confident that it will bring out 98 chicks 
to every 100 eggs, provided the elements of life existed 
in the eggs at the commencement of the process. The 
machine is about two and a half by two feet square, and 
capable of hatching from 500 to 600 eggs at a time. It 
is made of tin, and surrounded by water warmed to a 
suitable degree of temperature, by two heaters, on ei¬ 
ther side, one heater adapted for charcoal, for day use, 
and the other for night, by a solar lamp, burning less 
than a pint of damaged lard. Connected with the oven 
proper, is a brooding chamber, so constructed that the 
same heat which imparts the necessary temperature to 
the oven above is reflected in the chamber below, throw¬ 
ing a gentle warmth, on the “ mother,” (a dressed sheep 
skin with the wool on, fitted to a frame, and capable of 
being raised or depressed to the size of the chicken,) 
which is intended to take the place of the natural parent. 
Mr. H. estimates the cost of a machine, capable of 
hatching 1000 eggs, between forty and fifty dollars, and 
the expense of producing the 1000 between $1 and $1.50 
for the cost of the heat. We noticed several young 
turkeys and chickens in Mr. H's aviary, which appear 
as healthy and active as any of their brethren of the 
barn-yard and farm. A patent has been applied for. 
Etrurian Wheat.—A correspondent in Onondaga 
county, is desirous of obtaining a few bushels, or a 
smaller quantity of this kind of wheat. It is said to 
have been introduced into the country by Com. Chas. 
Stewart, from Italy. The advantages are, that it is 
not liable to be injured by the Hessian fly, is hardy, and 
yields well. It is described as a white winter wheat, 
without beards. Will some one inform us where this 
wheat can be had pure, and at what price? 
Merino Sheep.- —E. W. Drury, Esq., formerly of 
Middlebury, Vt., lately passed through this city on his 
way to Wisconsin, with several Merino sheep, which 
had been selected chiefly from the flocks of R. V. R. 
Horton, of Hubbardton, and S. W. Jewett, of Wey- 
bridge, Vt. Both these flocks are well known. Mr. 
Drury handed us a memorandum of the weights of the 
fleeces of some of Mr. Horton’s sheep, for the present 
season, from which it appears that five bucks, (three 
yearlings and two 2 years old,) gave an average of 11 
lbs. 3 oz. of wool—the fleeces ranging from 8 lbs. 8 oz. 
to 14 lbs. 7 oz. The memorandum also states that ten 
ewes of this flock averaged 7 lbs. 1 oz.—ten others 6 
lbs. 6 oz.,—ten others 5 lbs. 9 oz.,—and one ewe, five 
years old, 11 lbs. 1 oz. A certificate is appended to 
the memorandum, signed by Ira A. Havens, Henry 
N. Skeels, Lowell C. Gregory, and E. L. Hart¬ 
well, stating that they were present while the sheep 
were sheared, that the fleeces were correctly weighed, 
and that it was well-washed, clean wool, of good 
quality. Mr. Horton’s flock is stated to have been 
bred wholly from that of Andrew Cock, formerly of 
Long-Island. 
Meeting of Wool-Growers .—We learn that a 
meeting of twenty-two representatives of the wool-grow¬ 
ing interest, from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio, 
was held at Springfield, Mass., August 18th last, at 
which Alexander Campbell, of Virginia, was ap¬ 
pointed chairman, and William H. Ladd, of Ohio, 
appointed Secretary. The object of the meeting was 
declared to be to devise measures for ascertaining from 
time to time, the value of wool both at home and abroad, 
in order to facilitate sales and secure fair prices. A 
committee, consisting of Samuel Patterson, of Penn¬ 
sylvania, Jesse Edgington, of Virginia, John Brown, 
now of Massachusetts, Wm. H. Ladd, of Ohio, and L. 
A. Morrell, of New-York, was chosen for the purpose 
of soliciting information upon the general subject of 
wool-growing and manufacturing in the United States; 
the said committee to report to a general meeting of 
wool-growers to be held at Steubenville, Ohio, on the 
4th of February next. In the mean time the secretary 
is to see that a suitable address is made to wool- 
growers, setting forth the advantages that will accrue 
from a combination of effort and action in advancing the. 
wool-growing interest. 
Disease among Horses. —It is staled that more than 
500 horses died on Long Island during the months of 
July and August—mostly in the latter month—from an 
epidemic, which seems to have been of a malignant 
character. No satisfactory cause has yet been ascer¬ 
tained for the disease, nor any successful mode of treat¬ 
ment discovered, so far as we have learned. It is stated 
in some papers that those horses only which have been 
at grass at some time during the season, have been at¬ 
tacked. 
Improved Shower Bath.— Among several improve, 
ments in the construction of shower baths, which have 
come under our notice, none appear to us to combine 
as many advantages as one invented by H. R. Prouse, 
of Troy, and for sale by J. S. Gould, of this city. By 
means of a pump, which is very easily worked by the 
hand of the bather, the water is raised from a reservoir 
at the base of the bath, and precipitated in a shower 
over the body. Any quantity of water, from six quarts 
to six pailsful, may be used, and the bath may be pro¬ 
longed any length of time, at the will of the operator. 
The water may also be thrown with greater or less 
force, as is desired. It is readily cleansed, the water 
being drawn off by the pump. 
A Good Cow.— A correspondent at Lyons, N. Y., in¬ 
forms us that he has a cow from which was made thir¬ 
teen pounds of butter in one week—(from 9th to 16th 
June.) Her milk was grass-feed only, and no extra 
pains were taken with the milk. He further states that 
on the 20th of June, the milk yielded by this cow 
weighed sixty-one and a half pounds. The cow ran in 
a red-clover pasture. She was got by a Durham bull, 
and her dam was a mixture of Holderness and Tees- 
water.blood. 
Curing Pork in Hot Weather.— Many have ex- 
