THE CULTIVATOR. 
369 
which mature at that season, but whose culture ap-[ 
pears not to have been attended to. The Floral deco¬ 
rations of the Horticultural Hall were on a very en¬ 
larged scale, and extremely magnificent. The pre¬ 
miums for these ran as high as $30, but it must have 
cost twice that sum to construct either the “ Chinese 
Temple,” the “ Floral Temple,” or the “Gothic Pyra¬ 
mid,” which were exhibited on that occasion. On the 
third day of the exhibition, (Sept. 19th,) the Society and 
its guests assembled in Faneuil Hall at one of the most 
imposing feasts, and perhaps the most so, of any our 
country has ever witnessed. The floral decorations of 
the tables, and those environing the rows of columns, 
seemed to impart an air of enchantment to the scene, and 
there was a hallov.ed gratification in thus assembling in 
that old cradle of Liberty, enhanced by the scintillations of 
intelligence and beauty, emanating from above 500 la¬ 
dies, most brilliantly attired, who honored that banquet by 
their presence. Sir, it was a glorious scene; and when 
the distinguished speakers were called forth one by 
one, by appropriate complimentary sentiments, it was 
most gratifying to the soul of an American to hear 
each one render homage to the consecrated spot on 
which we were assembled, and to the glorious em¬ 
blems, the eagle, stars and stripes of our country, 
which overhung that noble hall. The repast consisted of 
the choicest fruits of all kinds, with which were richly 
intermingled, the beauties of sentiment, of rhetoric, and 
of poesy. Truly this magnificent festival may be justly 
characterized as the highest “ feast of reason and flow 
of soul.” Yours, most respectfully, Wm. R. Prince. 
Prince's Lin. Garden and Nurseries , Flushing, Oct. 25. 
INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT AMONG FARMERS. 
We have received from “ H. T. C.” a well written 
essay, for which the above would be a not inappropriate 
head. We doubt not our readers would be gratified by a 
perusal of the paper entire, but the most we are able to 
do under the press of various other communications, is 
to present the following extracts: 
“ The advantages of intellectual improvement among 
farmers, are (some of them at least) as follow:— 
1st. The sounder the root, the more vigorous is the 
tree; the firmer the foundation, the more steady the build¬ 
ing; the purer the fountain, the clearer the stream. 
The improvement of the agricultural mind strengthens 
this root, consolidates this foundation, purifies this foun¬ 
tain. Hence the whole nation is benefited. 
2d. The improvement of taste in the fine arts, devel¬ 
oped in landscape gardening, architecture, &c., will 
beautify the country, draw closer the cords of patriotism 
around every heart, and exalt and purify the feelings 
connected with our native land. 
3d. It will greatly increase the respect with which the 
American character is regarded abroad. 
4th. It will have a moderating effect on political con¬ 
tentions, when the public mind is less liable to impo¬ 
sition; more determined on having men of integrity and 
worth to represent it in our national assemblies; and 
better capable to judge of that worth. 
5th. Prejudice, that mighty opponent of all reason, 
improvement and truth, will be in a great measure 
abated. 
6th. Sound literature will be circulated and read to a 
greater degree than has yet been attained, instead of the 
poisoning trash now so widely disseminated. 
7th. We shall have a national literature. 
I now proceed to show the perfect possibility of carry¬ 
ing out this improvement of the agricultural mind; and 
what I have to say will be applicable to every far¬ 
mer in the land, and involves the highest and most pre¬ 
cious interests of our beloved country. 
The soul of all success in any business is method. 
What would become of the merchant if his day-book 
and ledger were not kept with the most methodical ac¬ 
curacy? What would befal the banker, the tradesman, 
or the scholar, if all their operations were not conducted 
by the same regular processes? And what hint is so 
powerfully suggested to the farmer as this very method, 
by her with whom he holds constant communion—dame 
Nature herself? The seasons, spring and summer, autumn 
and winter, roll round in an eternally regular succession. 
The seed germinates, the blade appears, the ear, the 
blossom, and the grain—each in its turn, succeed the 
other by the same unvarying method. Animals are 
brought forth, nourished and matured by the same un¬ 
changing law. The rain and sunshine, the frost and the 
dew, the storm and the calm, are always punctual in 
their season. Why therefore should the farmer, in the 
midst of all this regularity, be the only thoughtless, ir¬ 
regular, confused being existent? Why, on the contrary, 
may not all his operations be conducted by a fixed plan 
from year to year; his farm be laid out in a regular 
number of fields, in which a regular rotation of crops 
may follow one another in a regular order; his time and 
that of his laborers disposed of according to a regular 
system; his family and household operations conducted 
by the same regular method from day to day? All this 
planning may be done with an immense saving of time 
and thought, compared with the usual rambling, sham¬ 
bling way of doing business; and when once it is settled 
! there is no more thought about it. All is as regular as 
clock-work.” 
HOGS WILL NOT LIVE ON AIR. 
If it be a fact, as contended by some, that the introduc¬ 
tion of the Berkshire breed of hogs has been of no bene¬ 
fit to the country, it cannot be denied but that it has 
been the means of drawing the attention of farmers to 
the subject of improvement in that branch of rural eco¬ 
nomy. Whether this improvement has been effected by 
crossing or selection, is of no consequence, so long as 
the improvement progresses. 
This improvement is apparent in all sections of the 
country which I have visited, and more particularly in 
the immense droves, which pass through this city, (Al¬ 
bany,) from the central and western counties of this state 
on their way east. In looking over a drove of 300 or 
400, you would hardly find one which would appear to 
have any affinity to the “Land-Pike” or “Alligator” 
breed, which formerly occupied the places of the full, 
plump, round-bodied, small boned grunter of the present 
day. They cannot, to be sure, travel quite as many 
miles in the day, as the long-legged racer of former 
years; but what they loose in travel they make up in 
thrift. 
It is a common remark of strangers that although hogs 
are suffered “by authority,” to run at large in the streets 
of our city, they award us the credit of having very 
decent looking ones at least; and it is a fact that a mean 
looking hog is a rare sight hereabouts. Although there 
are but very few of the pure Berkshire breed to be found 
in this section, traces of them may be seen in most of 
those we meet. 
It has always been my creed to stick to one breed of 
animals until I could find a better. That there is a great 
difference in the amount of food required or consumed 
by one breed over another, must be admitted by every 
person who has paid any attention to the subject. Show 
me a hog with a plump, round body, small head, short 
nose, small, upright ears, of a quiet, lazy disposition, and 
I will warrant him an easy keeper. 
It is said by some farmers, and I have no doubt but 
they believe it, “ that the superiority of a breed may 
be found in the feeding trough.” But a little attention 
to this subject, I think will convince them of their error. 
1 have no idea that there is any breed that will live on 
air; but the manner in which some of my breeding 
sows lived and improved in flesh last summer, stag¬ 
gered my credulity. After taking the pigs from the 
sows, rings were put in their noses, and they were 
turned into a small pasture to feed on grass, with an 
ear of corn each per day; the drouth soon dried up 
the grass, but the hogs continued to improve, and did not 
seem to care much for the corn, which was soon discontin¬ 
ued. They continued to improve, and we almost persuaded 
ourself that we had found the grand desideratum, long 
sought for, viz: a breed that would live on air; but lo 
and behold! what was my astonishment on going into 
the field not long after, when I discovered the great 
secret. In the spring and early part of the summer, my 
