1872 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
4 = 37 
The Newburgh Bay Horticultural Society 
Held its annual exhibition at Newburgh, on September 
25-29. A taste for horticulture is widely diffused and 
firmly implanted in the vicinity of Newburgh—the home 
of the Downings—and though we had heard much of 
their annual shows we have not until this season been 
able to visit them. We are informed that the recent ex¬ 
hibition was not equal to that of former years—apples 
and pears especially being so abundant that less interest 
was taken in presenting them than iu years of smaller 
crops. Whatever may have been the previous displays, 
that presented this year was one of which a much 
larger city might have been proud. Indeed, outside of 
Boston and Philadelphia, we doubt if it can be equaled. 
Every fruit in season was represented by fine and abun¬ 
dant specimens, excepting grapes, which, in a neighbor¬ 
hood usually producing largely, were so poor as to almost 
amount to a failure. We can not give the names of ex¬ 
hibitors, save to mention that a most extensive collec¬ 
tion of pears was from the orchard established by Charles 
Downing, and now in the possession of Mr. A. Bridge- 
man. We must not omit to mention the hybrid grapes 
of Mr. J. A. Ricketts, of Newburgh, whose efforts at 
hybridizing the foreign and native grapes have been at¬ 
tended with marked success. When these vines are put 
in the market, cultivators will experience a new revela¬ 
tion in tile way of native grapes. 
The exhibition of vegetables was very fair, and that of 
flowers—mainly of bouquets and designs—while not 
large was creditable. We were surprised at the lack 
of specimen pot-plants in a locality where we should 
look for them in perfection. The executive man¬ 
agement at this exhibition is worthy of commendation. 
To judge of fruits is usually a laborious task, but so well 
were the specimens arranged, and so competent the at¬ 
tendance upon the committees, that the work was easy. 
-—--- - 
Fodder - Cutters. — Numerous inquiries 
come constantly for fodder-cutters, and a dozen at least 
are now before us, to all of which we say: That there is 
but little difference, if any, in the value of any of the 
many cutters advertised in our columns, and parties de¬ 
siring them can hardly go wrong whichever one they 
may happen to procure. Every man who owns one 
horse or one cow would find the use of one a great 
convenience and a great economy. 
Blasting; Stumps.— The Greenfield farmer 
who endeavored to get rid of his stumps by blasting 
them, was so successful that he threw several summer- 
sets, got outside of most of his clothes, and burned his 
hair out by the roots. It was his first and is his last blast. 
Another Patent Fence. — A corre¬ 
spondent from Richfield, Pa., who omitted to affix his 
name to his letter, asks if certain men who are trying to 
dispose of rights to use a “ patent fence,” which consists 
of a sill in which are fixed two upright posts, to hold the 
rails, and of two braces, which cross the fence and sus¬ 
tain a top rail or rider, are worthy of notice, or if they 
are frauds.—The claim to a patent on such a fence is 
certainly a fraud, as the arrangement is about as old as 
rail fences themselves, and it is in use in hundreds of 
places. Whether the men themselves are honest or not, 
we can not say; they may be. 
Teetla fur Sharcs’s Marrow.—“K. 
F. C.,” Rhea County, Tenn., can procure teeth for 
Shares’s harrow from R. II. Allen & Co., Water st., 
Now York, or any of their agents. 
Ytiluc of Larg'c siaaat SitataM Pic- 
tares. —Persons of uncultivated eye and taste are apt. to 
value a picture by the square feet it covers,while real artists 
and persons of refined taste judge of the skillful arrange¬ 
ment of colors, and the genius displayed in grouping, 
position, light and shade, etc. Wo have stood at a sale, 
and seen oil-paintings covering several square yards, al¬ 
lowed to go off at $10 to $50 each, while there would be 
intense excitement and spirited bidding on another pic¬ 
ture only 7 by 10 inches, and its price run up to $500, 
$1000, /Or even $1500—and it was the cheapest picture 
•sold even at the last-named price. When salesmen in 
New York have a stock of these large unartistic pictures, 
they advertise them among the uncultivated masses, who 
buy by the yard, as they would purchase wall paper. 
- Isu|»rove«l Sorts oi‘ Wlaei&l.—“ C.,” 
Sulphur Springs, East Tenn., wants light thrown on the 
subject of the Fultz and other improved varieties of 
wheat and the special manures most suitable for that crop. 
The Fultz wheat is said to have originated in Mifflin 
•County, Pa., in 1S02. It is a red wheat, and after several 
years of experiment has become somewhat popular in 
jts native locality. It is said to stand the winter exceed¬ 
ingly well, to be free from damage by the weevil, to have 
good straw, and to yield well. We have had no oppor¬ 
tunity of testing its merits, and should advise caution in 
trying this or any other new variety. The Touzelle is a 
French wheat lately introduced, and also highly spoken 
of by some who have tried it. Guano and superphos¬ 
phate of lime arc the best special manures for this crop. 
CoBicci'niaig- Milk. —“ George A. K.,” 
Leavenworth, Kansas, asks how soon after calving the 
cow’s milk is fit for use, and if it is customary to milk the 
cow immediately after the birth of the calf.—After four 
days the milk regains its ordinary quality, and during 
that time it should be fed to the calf as drawn from the 
cow. If left to itself the calf will often suck within a 
few minutes after its birth, and if it is taken from the 
cow the milk should be drawn as soon as possible and 
given to it. This is generally, if not always practiced. 
Starch Factories. —“ Wm. D.,” Morgan¬ 
town, W. Va., asks if it would pay to buy potatoes at 50 
cents per bushel, to manufacture them into starch, and 
how much it would cost to start a starch factory.—Fifty 
cents a bushel could not be paid for potatoes in this busi¬ 
ness. Twenty-five cents would be about the most. A 
starch factory costs from three thousand dollars upwards. 
Doubtless a saving in this cost could be made if the party 
is a mechanic and builds his own factory. 
Agricultural Uahor.— A student at the 
Agricultural College of Pa. states as an illustration of the 
amount of labor performed by the students, that they 
hauled one thousand cart-loads of stone this season. 
Catarrh, in SSieep. —F. Koch, Missis¬ 
sippi, wants a remedy for a running at the nose or catarrh 
in sheep.—Tarring the nose is often ol use; the sheep 
lick some of the tar and swallow it, which seems to act 
as a cure. Close penning of sheep or keeping them in a 
warm place often produces catarrh, and turning them into 
a roomy, airy, or out-door pen, where they have plenty of 
fresh air, and are kept quite dry, will often cause an 
immediate cure 
Farming - on Ten Acres. —A “Sub¬ 
scriber,” who gives neither name nor address, proposes 
to farm ten acres of land, two acres of which will be in 
market vegetables, and a portion, after appropriating hay 
and pasture for two cows and two horses, in tobacco. He 
asks for “ some idea ” as to the probable result. This 
depends very much on the management given, and the 
amount of manure which can be purchased, as four or 
more acres in such crops as vegetables and tobacco will 
use up a hundred tons of manure annually, and all that 
can be made from the stock mentioned, with a few hogs 
and fowls in addition, will be absorbed by the meadow 
and pasture. Unless the manure can be purchased and 
judiciously used, we should apprehend a failure. 
Clydesdale Morses.— F. P. Clark, of Min¬ 
neapolis, Minn., recently purchased two thorough-bred 
Clydesdale mares, three and five years old, for $1000gold. 
Their weights were 1000 and 1700 pounds, respectively. 
Jlicw York State Fair. —This fair, held 
at Elmira, October 1st to 4th, was a marked improve¬ 
ment on that previously held at the same place. The 
State Agricultural Society have secured extensive 
grounds, on which permanent and convenient buildings 
have been erected, and the course of improvement un¬ 
dertaken on the property, when completed, will add 
very much to the future convenience and pleasure of 
both exhibitors and visitors. The exhibition was very 
successful in showing that several thousand persons 
could be induced on one day to attend an agricultural 
fair for its own special attractions, without the usual 
additional ones of the trotting course. Consequently it 
was an agreeable thing to exhibitors, and to those who, 
like ourselves, take pleasure in observing this, to see 
crowds of farmers and their wives around the stock- 
pons, closely examining and discussing the merits of the 
stock, questioning the owners and attendants, and criti¬ 
cising the awards of the judges. This is just as it 
should be, and is gratifying to notice. There was a 
good selection of stock, although not by any means so 
large a one as could be gathered together in this State if 
all the choice flocks and herds had been represented. 
Comparatively the best show of cattle was of Jerseys. 
The Shorthorns were only fair ; there are better ones in 
the State than were on exhibition. A few good Ayr- 
shires were also there, and those exhibitors who brought 
out their stock well deserve the premiums they earned 
by their enterprise. The poultry was far from first-rate 
in appearance, and did not show well in the low coops, 
which had a tendency to apparently dwarf their size, al¬ 
though the comfort of the poultry was increased by 
being on the ground. Strangely, in this great dairy 
State, where cheese and butter factories exist by hun¬ 
dreds, there was no cheese found worthy of a premium, 
and the butter has been often surpassed in quantity by 
many a county fair where dairying was not a specialty. 
Another very remarkable want was apparent, viz., the 
absence of the least thing which could specially inter¬ 
est the young folks, who are certainly worthy of more 
consideration than to be left to be amused by the misera¬ 
bly poor “ merry-go-rounds ” and side-shows, fit only for 
babes or idiots. If we must “ keep the boys on the 
farm,” it seems only reasonable that they should have a 
department appropriated to them in the recreations as 
well as the labors of the farm, in which they could be 
exhibitors and compete for premiums in the things in 
which they take an interest. Why could there not be a 
department for colts, calves, steers, pigs, and poultry 
owned and cared for by the young folks, both boys and 
girls? It is to be regretted that the receipts of the ex¬ 
hibition did not pay expenses, but there are several 
substantial reasons for this other than any fault on the 
part of the managers, whose efforts deserved success. 
Apple or Quiucc. — M. Butler. The 
specimen sent is undoubtedly apple 
University of Mississippi. —We have 
received a prospectus of this institution which has a de¬ 
partment devoted to agriculture and the mechanic arts. 
Dr. E. W. Hilgard is the professor of agricultural chem¬ 
istry, and Dr. M. W. Philips of practical agriculture. The 
University has secured a farm for the practical instruc¬ 
tion of the students, on which if they desire they may 
work for the customary compensation. It is to be hoped 
that the efforts promised by this institution forthe spread 
of agricultural information in this State may be crowned 
with the success that all such efforts deserve. Thomas 
E. B. Pegues, Oxford, Miss., Secretary of the University, 
will furnish all desired information. 
Wanted, ait Agricultural Paper. 
—“E. M. W.,” Georgetown, Va., is about to take charge 
of his father’s farm, and writes to know what agricultural 
paper would be of most use to him in learning when to 
plant seeds, and how to prepare the ground and take care 
of the crops. He thinks with this help he can succeed. 
—To give a simple, unprejudiced reply to this question 
would be to say that the American Agriculturist exactly 
meets the case of “E. M. W.,” orany other man, whether 
he knows little or much of farming, for though he may 
know much, there are new views of things, new methods, 
and new appliances continually coming up, which are 
discussed or made known in its columns, while if he 
knows little, there is no branch of his business in which 
he may not be instructed by it. 
Suit as a Fertilizer. — “ Subscriber,” 
Putnam, Ohio, asks the best method of using salt for 
grass or grain.—It should be spread early in spring, either 
on grass or grain, at the rate of one to three bushels per 
acre. As it has no direct effect on vegetation, but only 
indirectly by its supposed action on the mineral consti¬ 
tuents of the soil, it is not always that its application i 3 
productive of any marked results. The writer has used 
it regularly on grass and wheat with" the effect of con¬ 
siderably increasing- the hay crop, and of preventing the 
wheat crop from lodging, and these are mainly the results 
anywhere obtained by its use. As a destroyer of grubs 
and insects we have no confidence in it, unless used in 
such quantities as would destroy vegetation. 
What is the Matter?—“A. N. G.,” 
Greenwood Co., Kansas, has something the matter with 
his cow and his corn. The cow ” mumbles ” with her 
mouth and slobbers as though she were choked; and 
the corn, which was planted on buckwheat ground, looks 
badly, as though the buckwheat had injured the ground. 
He asks, Is this crop injurious to tbe soil ?—The cow 
probably suffers from toothache, which causes exactly 
such symptoms as these; if so, she will gradually get 
over it. Buckwheat does not injure the soil, notwith¬ 
standing there is a popular opinion in some places that it 
does. It only affects the soil by exhaustion, which is 
counteracted in some degree by the mellow condition in 
which it leaves the ground. 
Wheat or ©sit ChatT.—“ G. H. B.,” Ash¬ 
tabula County, Ohio, asks if wheat or oat chaff will dry 
up cows, and if chaff is equal to straw for fodder.—We 
have never fed wheat chaft', but having found accidentally 
that oat chaft' increased the flow of milk, have always 
saved and fed it, and believe it to be better feed than oat 
straw. Chaff has no direct effect in drying up the milk, 
or otherwise than as not furnishing the nourishment re¬ 
quired, and acts just as straw would do when fed. No 
man expects milk from straw alone, nor without a quai»- 
tity of bran or other grain feed larger than when hay is fed. 
