THE CULTIVATOR, 
251 
those we noticed, were two of Ruggles, Nourse & Ma¬ 
son’s Worcester, and two of Prouty & Co.’s Centre 
Draft Plows—the Worcester Subsoil plow—Bement’s 
Cultivator, Langdon’s Horse-hoe, and a new Cultivator, 
recently manufactured at Troy, with which he was much 
pleased. 
His stock consists of about forty head of Improved 
Du rhams, selected from the best herds, and bred with 
great care, several of which have taken the highest 
prizes at the exhibitions of our State Agricultural Society, 
and others which, we venture to predict, will be found 
among the successful competitors at its next show. Of 
Sheep, he has about 60 pure bred South Downs, whose 
fleeces averaged this year 3^ lbs., and about 100 Merinos, 
or grades of Saxons and Merinos, whose fleeces averaged 
3 lbs. 14 oz. One of his stock bucks, procured of Mr. 
Blaksley of Connecticut last autumn, sheared 8| lbs. of 
well washed and very superior wool, samples of which, 
and other fleeces from his flock, may be seen at our 
office. His Swine, with the exception of a pair of’ 
Leicesters, consists of Berkshires, and in his Poultry 
Yard, we found the Dorkings and Polands. 
The buildings are in keeping with the other improve¬ 
ments. The barns and sheds surround the yard, and are 
admirably arranged and substantially built, with small 
lots on the west side reserved for single animals, calves— 
or for any purpose for which they may be wanted. 
In building his residence, Col. S. adopted a plan admi¬ 
rably fitted for its purpose, both by its elegance and 
convenience of arrangement. It is a beautiful cottage in 
the pointed style, showing to great advantage from every 
point in which it is viewed. We shall not at present 
attempt a description of it, as we hope in some future num¬ 
ber to present our readers with an engraved view of it, to¬ 
gether with the plans of the floors, &c. This tasteful 
and commodious house, we venture to say cost less 
money than many of the less sightly but more pretend 
ing houses which are frequently seen in various parts of 
our country. Now that such works as Downing's Land¬ 
scape Gardening and Cottage Architecture, are becom¬ 
ing more generally known, we shall doubtless soon see 
a decided improvement in our rural architecture—a con¬ 
summation most devoutly to be desired. 
We have seldom seen a farm more favorably situated 
for improvement, and as seldom have we seen one, in 
all respects, so thoroughly and judiciously managed. 
Col. S. has not been sparing of his outlay, though his 
expenditures have been directed with judgment and a 
strict regard to profit. It is obvious that in effecting so 
great an improvement in so short a time, a proportionate 
immediate income is not to be expected; but we feel 
perfectly satisfied that he will have no occasion to com¬ 
plain of the unproductiveness of his investment. 
At Rochester, we saw a beautiful specimen of rural 
architecture in the Gothic cottage, just erected by T. H. 
Hyatt, Esq., on his farm at Elmwood, a view and plans 
of which we have now in the hands of the engraver. 
from this plantation of sixty feet square, thirty-five 
bushels before the strawberry season is over. From this 
and another smaller bed he has taken two bushels of the 
finest fruit daily, and he thinks he will continue to 
gather that amount daily till the first of August, when he 
proposes to remove his plants for the purpose of increas¬ 
ing them. He sells them at $4,00 per bushel, or twelve 
and a half cents a quart, about one half the usual price of 
fruit of that quality in our cities. He suffers the fruit to re¬ 
main on the stalk longer than usual, or until of a dark 
mahogany color. One person, with diligence, is able 
to pick two bushels in half a day. 
This plantation was set out in the early part of last 
August, and now the plants completely cover the surface 
of the ground, which is kept clean and well cultivated. 
Col. Stoddard showed us some young seedlings, ob¬ 
tained from seed planted last summer, ^nd transplanted 
this spring. They were very small, the leaves being 
scarcely more than the quarter of an inch in diameter; 
and young experimenters would probably be discouraged 
at the outset, were they not to know the small size to be 
expected in young seedlings. 
Crops in the Western part of the State. 
The wheat crop, although seriously affected by the 
cold weather of early spring, and the subsequent severe 
drouth, has lately improved to a remarkable degree, 
and a good crop is now promised. In the counties of 
Monroe, Wayne, and Ontario, the product will undoubt¬ 
edly equal the average; and in other adjoining coun¬ 
ties there is a very fair prospect. It not unfrequently 
happens that unfavorable weather in spring is followed 
by the reverse in early summer; and early predictions 
of the result have consequently often proved erroneous. 
A small portion of the present crop appears to be injured 
by the Hessian fly; and the worm in the grain has been 
discovered, but it is believed its ravages will not be ex¬ 
tensive. No appearance of rust has yet presented. 
The corn crop was kept back by the unusually cold 
weather late in spring and early in summer, and some 
early.plantings were destroyed by the frost. Most fields, 
however, are now assuming a fine appearance, and with 
the usual warm weather which is to succeed, little fear 
need be entertained for a good return. 
The exceptions to success in these two important crops 
are, as a matter of course, on such lands as have been 
hard run with tillage without manure. In such cases 
the corn presents a small and sickly appearance; and 
wheat is small and thin, and chess, grass, and other 
weeds have thus been permitted to have free growth and 
to obtain the ascendancy. 
The hay crop is light; probably not more than two- 
thirds of the ususal product will be afforded. Those far¬ 
mers who have made provision for crops of corn-stalk 
fodder by thick sowing, and for a full supply of roots, 
will probably escape the inconvenience, and in some ca 
ses the evident disaster which will result from a defi 
ciency of food for cattle. 
Fine Seedling Strawberry. 
While visiting our friend John J. Thomas, at Mace- 
don, he proposed a visit to Palmyra, for the purpose of 
examining a bed of seedling Alpine Strawberries in the 
garden of Col. J. S. Stoddard of that place. Col. S. 
has directed much of his attention for several years past 
to the cultivation of the strawberry. Some years ago, 
he raised about 2000 new seedlings from the Alpine va¬ 
riety ; one of which, a red variety, he selected and has 
since increased, which he regarded as the finest of the 
whole. The ground now occupied by this seedling is 
about 60 feet square, the plants standing in hills fourteen 
inches apart. We never witnessed so fine a display of 
fruit. The Alpine strawberries usually bear their fruit 
above the leaves; and in this case the masses of red ber¬ 
ries presented so brilliant a glow as to be conspicuous 
at several rods distance. We measured some of the fruit 
of this variety which was one inch and a fifth long, and 
more than three quarters of an inch thick. Many speci¬ 
mens were ahout this size. The ground on which they 
grow is good garden soil, not rendered unusually rich 
by manure. 
Col. Stoddard estimates that he will be able to pick 
The Fruit Crop. 
This year there is an extraordinary failure of fruit. 
The severe frosts of the latter part of spring, have cut 
off most of the crop in the central and western portions 
of the state. There will be a smal 1 crop of apples, per¬ 
haps not half the average, west of Cayuga; but from that 
county eastward, the crop appears to be nearly or en¬ 
tirely lost. The peach crop has been much thinned in 
the western counties ; near the south shore of Lake 
Ontario, and in other favorable positions, there is how¬ 
ever a fair promise. Cherries, strawberries, and even 
currants, have been also seriously injured, and the 
amount lessened. With the exception of a strip of land 
a few miles wide, bordering the south shore of Lake 
Erie, there appears to be a total loss throughout Ohio. 
IMPROVING COARSE HAY. 
It often happens that farmers have certain wet portions 
of their meadows occupied with coarse grass and weeds, 
which are cut after the rest of their hay is made and se¬ 
cured. It is of course only second or third rate in qual 
ity, and is intended for the hardiest class of cattle. I 
