THE CULTIVATOR. 
fttte for tl)c itontli. 
Marl in Albany County. —Mr. Philip Myers 
of Bethlehem has recently discovered a rich bed of 
marl upon his farm about five miles south of this city. 
It covers an extent of five acres, and is overlaid with 
from three to five feet of peat or muck. The marl va¬ 
ries in depth from one to five feet, and is of a superior 
quality. He submitted a specimen to Prof. Dakin for 
analysis, who finds its composition to be as follows : 
Carbonate of Lime,.66.21 
Phosphate of Lime,.15 03 
Organic Matter,. 10.81 
Silica,...,. 7.95 
100 00 
Prof. Dakin thinks the marl might be used to ad¬ 
vantage in the manufacture of phosphoric aeid, or it 
might be burned at a profit for mercantile lime. The 
marl in its present state is valuable as a fertilizer on 
all soils which require lime, and the peat whieb covers 
It is also very valuable on light soils. 
State Poultry Show. —The New-York State So¬ 
ciety for the improvement of Domestic Poultry, are to 
hold their second annual exhibition at XJtica , on the 
28th, 29th and 30th days of November. Premium Lists 
and any information desired in respect to the exhibition, 
may be obtained by addressing D. S. Hevfron, 
Prest., or R. U. Sherman, Sec’y of the Society, Utica. 
The Pennsylvania State Fair, which was 
held at Powelton, near Philadelphia, last week, was 
one of the most successful in every respect, that has 
ever been held in this country. Though none but 
members, or those who paid $1., were admitted the first 
two days, yet the attendance was very large ; but on 
Thursday, when the charge was reduced to 25 cts, 
nearly Fifty thousand Single and Family tickets, 
were sold, and it was estimated that at least 100,000 
persons visited the grounds during the day 
New-Hampshire State Fair. —This Fair was 
held at the same time as the New-York Fair. The 
storm affected the first days, and kept many away. A 
correspondent of the Tribune, says the attendance was 
good on Thursday and Friday, and on the whole the 
result is favorable. The show of working-oxen was 
large, and animals splendid. The display in the fruit 
department was quite extensive. The fine specimens 
of the varieties exhibited gave strong indications that 
New-Hampshire is gaining ground, and begining to 
appreciate the worth and importance of practical im¬ 
provements in fruit-growing. The address was by Si¬ 
mon Brown, editor of The New England Farmer , 
a practical man, upon the “ Practical Features of Ag¬ 
riculture,” which he treated in a remarkably practical, 
utilitarian manner, suited to the taste and abilities of 
all classes. What rendered it the more palpable to the 
understanding was his method of making it entirely a 
matter of dollars and cents, proving satisfactorily that 
nvestments in improved stock, and superior tools, were 
sure to pay good dividends, while outside speculations 
in railroad and bank stocks, &c., were very liable to in¬ 
volve the parties in difficulty and embarrassment. 
His plan was for each person, whether farmer or me¬ 
chanic, to use his surplus of receipts in the enlarge¬ 
ment of his own business, with the workings of which 
he must be better acquainted than he could be with 
speculations of any other kind. 
Cure of Potato Hot—What Next? —We have 
lately received a very small pamphlet, containing five 
minutes reading, with the imposing title, “ A scientific 
exposition of the cause and cure of the potato rot, by 
J. N. Chandler Adrian, Michigan. Price 25 cents.” 
The author informs us in this work, that all other 
theories of the rot, have “ signally failed in ascertain¬ 
ing the hidden cause but that here the reasons are 
so clearly pointed out, that you will wonder with sur¬ 
prise that you had not seen it before.” 
We do not wish to infringe upon the author’s copy¬ 
right by copyiug the whole of its contents j but we 
would remind him, that some of the newest varieties 
of the potato, obtained from seed, which he thinks are 
so secure against the disease, have proved quite as lia¬ 
ble as older sorts, and much more than some. There 
are some varieties which are scarcely affected, and 
there are others that are often entirely ruined; but 
their age appears to have nothing to do with the mat¬ 
ter, for both the young and older classes of varieties, 
each contain those of all grades of liability to the 
disease. This theory is by no means new ; it was ad¬ 
vanced many years ago by others. 
As to the electric condition of the atmosphere being af¬ 
fected by iron in the soil, and thus saving the roofs, the 
sheer absurdity of this notion is evident when we state 
that the oxides and hydrate of iron, (nearly the only 
form in which iron exists as an ore or mineral,) are quite 
fair non-conductors of electricity"; and that moist 
earth, so well known to be injurious to the potato, is 
an incompaiably better conductor than the above 
named compounds of iron. So much for this “scien¬ 
tific” exposition. The truth is, there is a lamentable 
want of scientific knowledge among nearly all classes 
of writers and non-writers, so far as the principles of 
elictricity are concerned, which accounts for the many 
attempts made to explain every thing that appears 
inexplicable, by referring it to electricity, withont the 
slightest real knowledge of the true rationale. 
Shell Marl.— Allow me to invite attention to the 
advertisement of S. B. Raymond & Son. I have used 
their shell marl the past season on garden vegetables, 
and am so well satisfied of its richness as a manure, 
that I purpose to use it extensively. Its discovery will 
add materially to the stock of fertilizers in this section. 
I hope the lovers of good crops abroad, will avail them¬ 
selves of its cheapness to order and test it. An article 
in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, says “shell marl is 
composed of animal shells dissolved ; contains oil, af¬ 
fects the soil like animal manure, increases the food of 
plants, aids the soil in attracting food from the air and 
