226 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Notices of Ncto publications. 
“ the FRUITS and FRUIT TREES of AMERICA.” 
When we announced this work, in our May No., it 
was supposed that it would have been published on the 
5r.it of May; but circumstances, beyond the control of 
the author or publisher, have delayed its publication till 
the latter part of the last month. We had then only 
seen the proof-sheets—we have now the work complete, 
in a beautiful volume of 600 pages—a perfect treasure to 
the fruit-grower. It embraces the entire subject,—pro¬ 
duction of new varieties, propagation by grafting, bud¬ 
ding, &c—soil, transplanting, position anti culture, train¬ 
ing, pruning, diseases and enemies, with accurate de¬ 
scriptions of 186 varieties of apples—7 of almonds—16 
apricots—4 berberries—77 cherries-—10 currants—the 
cranberry—12 tigs—40 goosberries—47 grapes—the mul¬ 
berry, walnuts, chestnuts, and filberts—97 plums—223 
pears.—79 peaches—18 nectarines—5 quinces—14 rasp¬ 
berries—2 blackberries, and 36 strawberries, with tables 
of select lists from each kind. In addition, that nothing 
might be wanting to make the work complete, we have 
directions for the culture and management of oranges, 
lemons, limes, citrons, shaddocks, olives, pomegranates, 
and the different varieties of melons—the whole illus¬ 
trated, whenever necessary, with engravings, amounting 
in all to over 200. The book shows the thorough de¬ 
votion of the author to his subject, as well as his inde¬ 
fatigable research and untiring industry, and is an honor 
alike to its author and his country. That it will have a 
rapid and extensive sale, and tend immensely to increase 
the growing taste for the production and enjoyment of 
the finer varieties of fruits, is beyond a question. 
New-York: Wiley & Putnam—Price $1.50. 
WASHINGTON’S LETTERS ON AGRICULTURE. 
Fac similes of Letters from His Excellency George 
Washington, President of the United States of Ame¬ 
rica, to Sir John Sinclair, Bart., M. P., on Agri¬ 
culture and other interesting Topics’, engraved from the 
Original Letters, so as to be an exact fac simile of the 
Hand-Writing . Washington: Published by Frank¬ 
lin Knight. 
It is well known that General Washington was much 
devoted to the improvement of agriculture. A true 
statesman, he regarded the prosperity of this great in¬ 
terest, as the basis of national independence. It is, 
however, a matter of surprise, that amid the arduous 
cares and duties which devolved on him as Chief Magis¬ 
trate, and as commander-in-chief, he should have found 
time to direct so much attention to this object. In addi¬ 
tion to his official business—which was invariably trans¬ 
acted with the greatest promptness and precision—he not 
only continued the general direction of operations on his 
large estates, but by a regular correspondence with the 
most enlightened agriculturists of this country and Eu¬ 
rope, advised himself of every discovery and improve- 
ment in husbandry. The letters before us, furnish 
evMence of'his zeal, as well as sound practical sense 
and good management in relation to rural affairs. As an 
example in point, we give from the work an extract 
from his letter to Sir John Sinclair, dated at Philadelphia, 
July 20th, 1794: 
“After the peace of Paris in 1783, and my return to 
the occupations of a farmer, I paid particular attention to 
my breed of sheep, of which 1 usually kept about seven 
or eight hundred. By this attention, at the shearing of 
1789, (he fleeces yielded me the average of five and a 
quarter pounds of wool—a fleece of which, promiscu¬ 
ously taken, I sent to Mr. Arthur Young, who put if, for 
examination, into the hands of manufacturers. These, 
pronounced it to be equal in quality to the Kentish wool. 
In this same year, 1789, I was again called from home, 
and have not had it in my power since lo pay much at¬ 
tention to my farm—the consequence of which is, that 
my sheep, at the last shearing, yielded me not more than 
two anti a half pounds. Nor is the difference between 
good and bad management confined to this species of 
slock, for we find that good pastures and proper atten¬ 
tion, can and does fill our markets with beef of seven, 
eight and more hundred weight, the four quarters; 
whereas from 450 to 500, (especially in the States south 
of this, where less attention has been paid to grass,) may 
be found about the average weight. In this market 
[Philadelphia] some bullocks were killed in the months 
of March and April last, the weight of which, as taken 
from the accounts which were published at the time, you 
will find in a paper enclosed. These were pampered 
steers, but from 800 to 1000 the four quarters, is no un¬ 
common weight.” 
In relation to the facilities afforded by this country 
for keeping sheep, Gen. Washington adds:—“ The cli¬ 
mate of this country, particularly that of the middle 
States, is congenial to this species of animal; but want 
of attention to them in most farmers, added to the obsta¬ 
cles which prevent the importation of a better kind, by 
men who would be at the expense, contributes not a little 
to the present inferiority we experience.” 
The race of sheep once highly celebrated as “ the 
Arlington breed,” originated with Gen. Washington. 
This was probably the stock above mentioned, the wool 
of which is spoken of as resembling the “Kentish 
wool.” They were produced, according to the history 
given by Mr. Custis to Mr. Livingston, [see Livingston s 
“ Essay on Sheep,” pp. 57, 58,] from the progeny of a 
Persian ram, crossed with sheep which Gen. W. obtained 
from Bakewell—the latter afterwards known as the 
Dishly or Leicester breed. 
The letters are accompanied by some introductory and 
supplementary remarks from the compiler, to which is 
added a tribute to the character of Gen. Washington, 
“ by the late Hon. George Canning, Prime Minister of 
England;” all in the highest degree interesting, as show¬ 
ing the respect and esteem with which the character of 
our revered countryman has been regarded by distin¬ 
guished foreigners, whose only motive to praise must 
have been a heart-felt admiration of his virtues. 
We are informed in the introduction that the originals, 
from which these letters are exact copies, were to be 
deposited in the British Museum, “as the precious relics 
of a great man fit to be preserved in that valuable repo¬ 
sitory.” Sir John Sinclair was evidently an ardent friend 
of General Washington, whom he eulogises as one 
“ whose character must ever be revered, even by those 
with whom he contended either in war or politics, as 
containing as much good with as little alloy, as that of 
any individual whose memory is recorded in history-” 
Canning bestows even a still higher eulogium. He 
says:—“ The whole range of history does not present to 
our view a character upon which we can dwell with 
such entire and unmixed admiration. The long life of 
I Gen. Washington is not stained by a single blot.” * * * 
1“ He was a man in whom the elements seemed so blended 
that < Nature might have stood up to all the world,’ and 
owned him as her work. His fame, bound to no coun¬ 
try, will be confined to no age.” * * * “The cha¬ 
racter of Gen. Washington, which his contemporaries 
revere and admire, will be transmitted to posterity, and 
the memory of his virtues, while patriotism and virtue 
are held sacred among men, will remain undiminished!” 
AUSTRALIA. 
According to the account given by Capt. Wilkes of the 
United States Exploring Expedition, the inducements for 
emigration to Australia, are not great. Capt. W. spent 
considerab’e time at New South Wales, which is the prin¬ 
cipal settlement of the Island, and collected many facts 
in regard to the soil, climate, natural resources, &c. He 
states that a large portion of the country is naturally bar¬ 
ren—that much of the land devoted to pasturage, requires 
a hundred acres to keep five head of cattle. Nearly the 
whole island is subject lo great extremes of drouth, fol¬ 
lowed by torrents of rain. “ These drouths are sometimes 
of such long continuance, that we at one time read of the 
whole country having been burnt up for want of rain, a 
famine threatened, and the sheep and cattle perishing in 
immense numbers.”* An instance of this kind is men¬ 
tioned by Capt. W. as having occurred in 1790, when it 
