1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
26.! 
Postponement of the Ohio State Fair. —We 
.'earn that the Ohio Board of Agriculture have concluded 
not to hold a State Fair this year, on account of the 
prevalence of the Cholera in Cincinnati and other sec¬ 
tions of the State. 
Syrian Cattle. —We have seen it stated that Lieut. 
Lynch, U. S. N., brought to this country on his return 
from the Dead Sea expedition, a pair of calves, purchas¬ 
ed at Damascus. It is said they have been placed in 
possession of Col. James Castleman, of Clarke coun¬ 
ty, Va. We have as yet seen no authentic account or 
description of these cattle. Will Col. Castleman, or 
some person acquainted with the animals, be good 
enough to give us their history and characteristics. 
Fattening Cattle on Hay —Grass which is cut 
while it is in blossom, and carefully made, will fatten 
stock nearly as well in a dry, as in a green state. 
Some of the best farmers in the western part of Ver¬ 
mont, are particular in making their hay for this pur¬ 
pose. Mr. Bowdish, of Weybridge, whose stock is 
well known for its good qualities, and fine condition, 
informed us that he found no difficulty in making his 
cattle thrive on hay. His oxen and steers are fed 
liberally on the best of hay through the winter. With 
careful driving, they perform the farm labor in spring 
without loss of flesh, and being turned on sweet pas¬ 
tures, at the proper time, they get in high order for 
early beef for the Boston market, and always command 
a good price. 
Keeping Hens. —Mr. J. M. Mason, of Orwel, Vt., 
usually winters two hundred hens. His practice is,, to 
buy pullets in the month of November. He buys those 
which were hatched early, as such are the best to lay 
in the winter. They cost about twelve and a half cents 
each. They are fed in a great degree on mutton. Mr-. 
M. buys sheep in the fall at low prices—about what 
their pelts and tallow are worth. The carcasses are 
boiled, the tallow saved, and the flesh and bones, after 
being allowed to freeze, are kept till spring,—a suita¬ 
ble portion being fed to the hens, daily. They are 
allowed, in addition to the meat, a little corn, oats, or 
buckwheat. They lay well through the winter—com¬ 
fortable quarters being provided for them—and continue 
to produce eggs in abundance till June. It is found 
most profitable to sell the whole stock at this period, as 
they are generally fat, and will bring from twenty to 
twenty-five cents a-piece. If kept through the sum¬ 
mer, they lay but little in the warm months, the eggs 
will keep but a short time, the fowls grow poor in 
moulting, and if kept another year will not lay as well 
as young ones. Mr. M. keeps liens only, (no cocks,) 
and is inclined to think he obtains as many eggs, and 
that they keep better when not impregnated. As to 
varieties, he has tried several, and thinks the top-knots 
will generally lay rather more eggs the first season • 
but their carcasses are of less value than most other 
kinds. 
Maple Sugar. —The last spring was a favorable 
one for the manufacture of maple sugar. Vermont, as 
usual, produced a large quantity—we have no means of 
knowing how much, but is an article of great value to 
the state. We are informed that the process of making 
has been much improved within a few years. Instead 
of boiling the sap in cast-iron kettles, it is boiled in 
shallow pans and cooled in wooden or tin vessels. The 
sugar is thus freed from the dark color and irony taste 
which it almost always had when made in the old mode. 
In our late trip to Vermont, we saw some very hand¬ 
some samples of maple sugar, particularly at Mr. 
Hines’, in Brandon, and Mr. Dean’s, in Manchester. 
Mr. H.’s was a sample of about five hundred pounds, 
which was of such a quality that it would have sold by 
the quantity for 12^ cents per pound. Maple trees 
yiebl from two to four pound® of sugar each, m a sea¬ 
son, and a good “grove” affords a handsome edition to 
the income of a farm. 
Mowing Pastures. —We have before spoken of the 
necessity of keeping the grass of pastures from running 
up to seed and dying on the ground. As grass grows 
with more rapidity in the early part of the season than 
at a later period, it is difficult to keep it properly fed 
down, without putting on more stock than can be kept 
on the land after the flush of feed is over; and yet, if 
the grass goes to seed and lies on the ground, the after¬ 
feed will be less in quantity and of poorer quality. The 
difficulty may be overcome by mowing the grass at the 
right time—before it has run to seed, at all events. 
This may be done on many pastures to good advantage; 
the hay obtained being of good quality for any kind of 
stock; and the pastures are left clean, start equally, 
and afford a good growth of fresh after-feed. We have 
lately met with several farmers who have followed this 
practice for many years, and they agree with us in re¬ 
gard to its utility. 
Usefulness of Swallows. —While visiting a friend 
in the country, a few weeks since, we noticed, under 
the eaves of a barn, near the dwelling, about fifty 
swallows’ nests. The bird was the Hirundo fulva, or 
Cliff-swallow, of ornithologists. In most of the nests 
there were young, and the old birds were very assidu¬ 
ous in providing them with food. We observed them 
at different times in the day, and not a minute elapsed 
in which one or more birds did not return to the nests 
with something for the young. Their food consisted of 
winged insects taken in the air; and the numbers which 
were thus destroyed by this colony of swallows, must 
have amounted to thousands,'each day. We were in¬ 
formed that no flies, or very .few, were to be seen 
around the house or barn—-the family and the domestic- 
animals of the farm, being thus freed from a disagree¬ 
able annoyance. 
Large Corn Crop. —The Ohio Cultivator states 
that John Longhry of Adams Co. raised 1500 bushels 
of shelled corn on eleven acres, or 136g bushels per 
acre for the whole field. 
Prices of Agricultural Products. 
New-York, July 24, 1849. 
FLOUR—Genesee, per bbb, S5.06a$518^—Western, $4 75a 
$4.81.—Fancy flrands, $5.50a$5.62£. 
GRAIN—-Wheat, per bush., $1.16a$1.25'—Corn, 56a60c.—Rye, 
57^c Oats. 34a35c. 
BUTTER—best, per lb., 13a20c.~western aairy, 12jal4c. 
CHEESE—per lb., 5n6c. : 
BEEF—Mess, per bbl., $13' i $13.50. 
PORK—Mess, per bbl., $11—Prime, $9a9.12|. 
LARD—per lb., 6fa7je. 
HAMS—Smoked, per lb., (best) 12|al4c.—Western 7c 
HOPS—per 1R., first sort, 6a8c. 
COTTON—Upland and Florida, per lb., 9fal0c.—New Orleans 
and Alabama, 7|a9|c. 
WOOL—(Boston prices.) 
Prime or Saxon fleeces, per lb.......... 40o43c 
American full blood Merino,. 36a3Sc. 
“ half blood do.,. . 31a33c. 
u one-fourth blood and common,.29r/30c. 
Remarks. —There is a general buoyancy in the market Cot¬ 
ton brisk and in demand. Flour and meal in good demand for the 
east. Provisions are firm, and prices for meats generally upward. 
There is a fair business in wool,—prices tending upward. 
To Nurserymen, Gardeners and Horticulturists* 
TTAVING completed my arrangement« with nurserymen in Eng- 
-LL land. France and Belgium, I am prepared to import from any 
of the above places, any thing required in the business, on the most 
favorable terms, and special attention given to the forwarding w.th- 
out delay, all goods imported by me or consigned to my care by 
I wlil also give personal attention to the purchase or sale of any 
thing in this market, or neighboring nurseries, for distant nursery¬ 
men. Being advised of the various stock in the different nurseries, 
I can always do this to advantage. 
FOR SALE —Russia Mats, Osage Orange Seed, Patm ana 
Cherry pits. Propagating glasses of all sizes, Flower pots, &c., at 
* P ’ GEO G. SHEPPARD’S 
Horticultural Agency, 145 Maiden Lane, New-York. 
August 1.—It 
