300 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
P.’s farm at a small expense. They are painted with 
coal tar , an article which Mr. Pell has used extensively 
on his out-buildings, fences, &c. It is a cheap article, 
but seems to answer well for this purpose. We have 
seen it highly recommended in the English papers. Its 
cost is only $2,50 per barrel. 
Mr. Pell is making numerous fish-ponds, which not on¬ 
ly add much to the beauty of the extensive grounds, but 
may become actually sources of convenience and even 
profit, for Mr. P. is of the opinion that fish may be rear¬ 
ed as cheaply per pound as flesh. There are some half 
dozen of these ponds, and more are being constructed. In 
one of these ponds we noticed a variety of fish—the gold¬ 
fish, pearl-fish, carp, &c., and were surprised at the evi¬ 
dence they exhibited of domestication. On throwing in¬ 
to the water some bran, they came at once so near that 
they could be readily examined; and Mr. Pell informed 
us that the ringing of a bell would instantly call them to 
the edge of the water. Such an instance of the suscepti¬ 
bility of education in the finny tribe we never before heard 
of. In other ponds, there are shad, (put in by way of 
experiment, to ascertain whether they can be naturalized 
to fresh wafer all the year,) sturgeon, trout, pickerel, 
perch, carp, &c. We shall look with interest to the re¬ 
sults of Mr. P.’s experiments in rearing fish. 
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. 
The Weather, Crops, &c., in England. —The 
weather up to the 20th August, was quite showery, but 
since that date, the atmosphere has been uniformly fine, 
and the corn has been got in admirable order. The Mark 
Lane Express says— 
“As to wheat, no complaint whatever exists; every¬ 
where it is admitted that the acreable supply will 
be very abundant, with quality seldom or never surpassed. 
The straw of all grain, on the other hand—owing to the 
dry weather in the early part of the season-—is very short. 
Oats are not likely to prove more than an average pro¬ 
duce; but that of beans and peas will be quite equal to 
that of last year.” 
The importations of foreign live stock during the month 
of August, were 1,277 head of oxen and cows, in addi¬ 
tion to which there were imported 100 sheep and 200 
pigs. Some anxiety continues to be felt among the 
British farmers in regard to this importation, and it is 
said that in France, Germany, Holland, &c., great efforts 
are being made, by importations of the best breeds of 
cattle and sheep from England, as well as by the adoption 
of an improved system of husbandry, to enter into com¬ 
petition with the English farmer in his own markets. 
No success had attended the attempt to fatten foreign 
stock in England. In every instance where i has been 
attempted, the stock has been immediately se.zed with 
the epidemic, and speedily wasted away. Immense quan¬ 
tities of American beef, pork, cheese, &c., have been en¬ 
tered for consumption in London, Liverpool, &c., in, 
generally speaking, capital condition. 
The hay crop is light—and owing to the drouth of the 
season, the cattle are generally not in as good order as 
might be wished. 
In Scotland and Ireland, the harvest was being secured 
in good order. 
Great preparations are being made for an extensive 
seeding of wheat for the next year’s crop. 
Show of the Highland Agricultural Society.— 
The annual show of this celebrated society, took place 
at Glasgow on the 8th of August. The weather was un¬ 
favorable from rain, but the number of people in attend¬ 
ance was, notwithstanding, great. The receipts for the 
sale of tickets for admission to the show-yard, amounted 
to no less than $7,389. The total number of lots was 
1,404, among which were 222 Ayrshire cattle, 55 West 
Highland cattle, 160 horses, 118 sheep, 187 lots of butter, 
83 lots of cheese, and 176 implements. The largest 
number ever entered before, was 1014, at Edinburgh, in 
i842. 
In the Ayrshire breed, there were shown 61 bulls and 
99 cows, said to be a very good and even lot. The West 
Highlanders produced some remarkable specimens of their 
excellent breed; the short legs of the animals seemed 
scarcely able to carry their thick, round and heavy bodies. 
Some oxen of this breed, belonging to the Duke of Suth¬ 
erland, travelled 350 miles to the show. The first pre¬ 
mium for the best two oxen of any breed or cross, was 
awarded to Archibald Sterling, for a pair of West High¬ 
landers. 
Mr. Colman. —We have been furnished with the fol¬ 
lowing extract of a private letter from a gentleman now 
in Europe, to a friend in this country:—“I saw Mr. Col¬ 
man in Southampton—thence he goes to the Glasgow 
meeting, and afterwards to Dublin. He is really in his 
element; and the very man perhaps of all others to col¬ 
lect the information you want; though really to a less 
searching character like myself, the great differences ex¬ 
isting between the two countries would create much em¬ 
barrassment in selecting a great deal that was applicable 
to American husbandry, when the difference in labor, the 
value of land, the climate, the prices of produce, and the 
capital is considered. He has been very well received; 
and the attentions of the great have been showered upon 
him. The halls and mansions and banquetings of the 
lords of the land are every day affairs with him, and 
must be a source of great satisfaction and gratification, 
both to him and to those friends who gave him letters 
of introduction. If Mr. Colman cannot glean from this 
rich harvest field, who can ?” 
Defect in Potatoes. —The subject of the defect in 
potatoes, was discussed at a late meeting of agriculturists 
in Scotland. There was a very great diversity of opinion 
in relation to the cause—scarcely any of the speakers 
agreeing. The age of varieties, the nature of the soil,, 
the state of the weather, cutting and not cutting the seed, 
were all mentioned as tending to produce the defect. 
Professor Johnston summed up the testimony, and as to a 
remedy, remarked that all appeared agreed that sound 
healthy seed, and a well pulverized and well drained soil,- 
were the best preventives of the disease, and best 
guaranty for a good crop. 
Dynamometers. —At a late meeting of the Council of 
the Royal Agricultural Society, several hnproveu dyna¬ 
mometers, calculated to obviate the defects of those here¬ 
tofore used, were presented and referred to a select com¬ 
mittee for trial. One of them sent by Mr. Clyburn, it is 
said, would record a strain of draught up to twelve hun¬ 
dred. Its principle of action being self-recording, was 
different from that of other dynamometers, the box con¬ 
taining the instrument being supported on wheels, which 
communicated by their axle, a progressive revolution to 
the recording cylinder within it as the draught proceed¬ 
ed, and its registration was made continuously by the 
pencil moving over its ruled surface; the average amount 
of draught being obtained by inspection of the indication 
thus obtained by the momentary variations during any 
given time and space. The committee will report on the 
results of the trial of these implements at a future day. 
Improvement of the laboring classes in Eng¬ 
land. —His Royal Highness Prince Albert, has accepted 
the office of President of the Society for the Improve¬ 
ment of the condition of the Laboring Classes, which has 
been liberally patronized by the Queen and several of the 
nobility. 
TENNESSEE AND ALABAMA. 
We make the following extracts from a letter from our 
friend Col. Alex. McDonald, of Eufalla, Alabama, da¬ 
ted Bedford county, Tennessee, Aug. 25. 
u I set out in company with my family, on the 24th of 
June, from the town of Eufalla, Barbour county, Alaba¬ 
ma, in latitude 314, being what may be termed the cot¬ 
ton growing region. I have traveled over ten counties 
and parts of counties in Alabama, and six counties and 
parts of counties in Tennessee. That portion of our route 
through Alabama, was mostly confined to the new sec¬ 
tion of the State; we however saw many fine crops of 
cotton and corn, which are the principal crops in south¬ 
ern Alabama. These crops are reported as good the pre¬ 
sent year. It was however, too early to determine as to 
the extent of the cotton crop. We were struck with the 
large body of land lying in a state of nature in Alabama, 
