334 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
^Foreign (Eomsponbeme. 
MR. NORTON’S LETTERS—No. IV. 
[The following letter did not reach us till after our 
last number had gone to press.— Ed.] 
Lab. of Ag. Chemistry Association, ) 
Edinburgh, Aug. 22, 1844. \ 
Mr. L. Tucker —You have probably received papers 
containing accounts of the great annual show of the High¬ 
land Society, held this year in Glasgow; I will therefore 
not attempt any description of the exhibition itself, but 
will merely say that the show of animals and implements, 
was on a magnificent and immense scale, and the number 
was perfectly bewildering. A week at least would have 
been necessary in order deliberately to view every thing. 
There were, however, some meetings incidental to the 
occasion, which were specially interesting to me, and of 
which I will endeavor to give a brief report. 
First, I would notice an Education meeting. Arrange¬ 
ments had been made by which five boys, from the Lanne 
Agricultural School near Belfast, in Ireland, were pre¬ 
sent, with their teacher, Dr. Fitzpatrick, from Lanne, 
Mr. Skilling, from Dublin, Sir Robert Bateson from 
Templemoyle, and other gentlemen interested in the 
cause of Agricultural instruction, were also present. The 
boys were from 14 to 16 years old, and had been in the 
agricultural class two yt*irs. Prof. Johnston stated that 
by this meeting it was hoped that light might be thrown 
upon two points. 1. Is it possible to give boys instruct¬ 
ion in agriculture, practical and scientific, that will be 
of use to them in after life. 2. Can this be done with¬ 
out interfering with other studies. These questions were 
both most distinctly answered in the affirmative by nu¬ 
merous gentlemen present, connected with agricultural 
schools in Ireland and England. The boys before men¬ 
tioned were finally placed upon the platform, and with a 
view to answering the second inquiry were questioned 
in geography, grammar and arithmetic, by Mr. Gibson, 
inspector of schools. The examination was a somewhat 
severe one, especially upon grammar and geography, yet 
notwithstanding the embarrassments and novelty of their 
situation they appeared admirably. I think that some 
one of them answered every question. They were then 
examined upon various points in chemistry connected 
with agriculture, by Prof. Johnston, anil lastly, upon 
practical farming, by various other gentlemen. Their 
answers showed not only that they had learned by mem¬ 
ory, but that they had also reflected. Frequent and irre¬ 
pressible bursts of applause interrupted the examination, 
and the most sceptical were convinced. These boys de¬ 
vote one hour each day to scientific and practical agri¬ 
culture, and once in the week they are questioned upon 
the studies of the preceding five days. An enthusiasm 
was aroused by this exhibition which will hardly expend 
itself in mere words. A resolution was passed “ that it 
was the opinion of the meeting that agricultural instruc¬ 
tion should be introduced into the schools of Scotland.” 
A large committee of influential and distinguished gen¬ 
tlemen was appointed to deliberately consider the sub¬ 
ject. I may here mention that Mr. Skilling, superinten- 
tendent and teacher in the Normal farm school near Dub¬ 
lin, gave most ample testimony in favor of Prof. John¬ 
ston's works. They are introduced into all the Irish 
schools, and their importance impressed upon every 
teacher. The Catechism was written expressly for 
schools, and has been found of signal benefit. 
A most excellent feature of this Show r was the intro¬ 
duction of public breakfasts, at which certain questions 
of interest to the farmer were discussed. The. subjects 
were fixed and made public before the meeting, so that 
gentlemen came prepared with facts and arguments. 1 
was exceedingly interested at the last one. The subject 
was “the disease of potatoes.” The discussion w r as 
most animated, and lasted more than two hours after the 
active business of the meal was over. A large number 
of gentlemen spoke, and almost every one brought out 
new facts and new views. Ail agreed that the evil was 
wide spread and increasing. Each person supposed to 
Know any thing of the subject, was in turn called upon to 
give particular statements both as to his own experience 
and that of his district, his views of the cause and the re¬ 
medy. Mr. Alexander of Southbar, a very distinguished 
farmer, attributed much of the disease to improper stow¬ 
age of the potatoes during the winter; to placing them 
in large masses so that they heated and lost much of their 
vitality. He had never known a failure except from im¬ 
proper treatment. Mr. Fleming of Barochan, an equally 
eminent authority, said that the less ripe the potatoe when 
dug, the less likely to fail. After raising several thou¬ 
sand varieties from seed, he has never produced a healthy 
kind. For several years he has dressed his potatoes with 
certain saline substances, such as sulphate of magnesia, 
nitrate of soda, &c. &c.; all those so treated, have suc¬ 
ceeded aumirably. Mr. Anderson, a manager of large 
estates in Ireland, laid much stress upon the thorough 
draining, subsoiling and pulverization of the soil. He 
digs his potatoes before they are ripe, selects the most 
perfect tubers and buries them in shallow, narrow pits, 
from two feet to thirty inches wide, heaping the earth as 
high as possible. There they remain until the planting 
season arrives; the drills are then opened, the manure 
placed, the potatoes taken out, planted and covered with¬ 
in half an hour; by following this course, he has no dis¬ 
ease. Several speakers mentioned the fact that potatoes 
which had lain exposed to the sun until they became 
green, make the best seed. This sketch will give an 
idea of the way in which these breakfasts are conducted. 
They ought to be accompaniments of every agricultural 
meeting. In the present instance, practical men from all 
parts of the country came prepared to give their views 
upon a certain subject, and the result was such an amount 
of information and of facts as could have been in no oth¬ 
er way so easily collected. Each farmer went home 
with a large stock of suggestions and increase of know¬ 
ledge, whereby to conduct new and more intelligent ex¬ 
periments. After a few such conversations, they will 
undoubtedly be able to devise certain means for the ar¬ 
rest of this formidable disease. As with this subject, so 
with every other, much light would be accumulated, 
were practical men freely to exchange their facts and 
theories. If those interested in agriculture could be in¬ 
duced to enlist with spirit in one such conversation, they 
would be most amply repaid; and judging from my own 
experience, look forward with pleasure to future oppor¬ 
tunities of a like nature. I am, very truly yours, 
John P. Norton. 
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. 
By the last steamer at Boston, we have received our 
regular files of foreign periodicals, including the new 
Part of the Journal of the Royal Ag. Society—the Jour- 
Inal of the Highland Society for Oct.—the Farmer’s Mag¬ 
azine, New Farmer’s Journal, Mark Lane Express, Gar¬ 
dener’s Chronicle and Ag, Gazette, &c. &c. 
The Crops.— The English papers inform us that favor¬ 
able weather has enabled the farmers to secure their 
grain-crops in good order. The yield of wheat is pro¬ 
nounced a good one. The Mark Lane Express says,— 
“ Taking this year’s produce of the grain crops, from 
one end of the country to the other, we maintain, and 
we think upon the best authority, that it has never been 
exceeded, though it might have been equalled in quality 
in any previous year.” * * * “ It is admitted on all 
hands, though of course partial deficiencies are to be 
met with, that the yield of wheat this year, for England, 
is a very large one; considerably above an average of 
years.” Oats and barley are not so abundant, ana some 
importations will be required to supply the deficiency 
From Quebec and Montreal 370,000 barrels of flour have 
been sent to England this season. Last year there were 
sent 180,000. With American provisions the markets 
are well supplied. The quality being good, a fair de¬ 
mand has syrung up, and prices have slightly improved. 
A cargo of American hay has been received at Liver¬ 
pool. It was not very well liked—being pro’nounced 
coarse, and not well cured. 
Hops. Owing to the generally light crop in mostdis- 
tric s the present year, and the small quantity of old hops 
on hand, the prices of hops are expected to be higher 
I this year than for some time past. Prices are given as 
