1847. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
99 
air, and binding the shocks close to the top. If winds 
upset the shocks, they should be re-set, and they should 
remain out till the fodder is perfectly dried, when it 
may be put either in barns or stacks. 
Hornless Calf. —G. K. P., (Wadsworth 0.) We 
are inclined to think that the want of horns in your 
calf, is attributable to the blood of some hornless breed, 
which now “ crops out,” though it may not have ap¬ 
peared in the immediate progenitors. We have known 
this peculiarity to appear, after it had remained unde¬ 
veloped for several generations. It is possible, how¬ 
ever, that it may be as you suggest, an “ accidental 
circumstance;” if so, like other traits of similar origin, 
it may be to some extent transmissible to offspring. 
Hay Presses. —D. H., (New Albany, Ind.) There 
are hay presses in operation which are thought prefer¬ 
able to those worked by a screw. Of these, Van Ho- 
ben’s press, spoken of in the Cultivator vol. ix., p. 66, 
and Dedrick’s in vol. x., p. 172, are considered supe¬ 
rior. The price is from $100 to $120. L. Dedrick, 
Kinderhook, and W. S. Jacks, Catskill, are the manu¬ 
facturers. 
Heifer. —“ A Subscriber,” (Lewisburg, Penn.) 
Without a personal examination of your animal, or 
more definite knowledge in relation to her, it is impos¬ 
sible to say what is the cause of her failing to give as 
much milk with her second calf as she did with her 
first. As she is, from your description, a fine animal 
in appearance, we should advise keeping her another 
year, when she may do better. 
Drill-Barrows, Rollers, &c. —B. L., (Shirleys- 
burg, Pa.) Planting machines, or drill-barrows, to do 
what you require, will cost here from $12 to $15. 
Rollers should be made in two or more parts. The 
whole length may be from five to seven feet long. If 
of cast iron, the longest should be in four parts, and the 
shortest in two. If made of wood, six feet in two 
parts is the usual length. [See an article on the roller 
in last vol. p. 111.] 
NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
The Horse’s Foot, and How to Keep it Sound ; by William 
Wiles. Re-published from the third London edition, by D. Ap¬ 
pleton & Co., New-York. 12mo. pp. 70. Price, 25 cents. 
The importance of soundness in the horse’s foot is 
so well known to all who have had any experience 
with that animal, that the expression 11 no foot no 
horse,” has become a saying. The little work before 
ns, is evidently written by one who understands the sub¬ 
ject and is capable of imparting useful knowledge to 
others. It is very handsomely “ got up,” and is illus¬ 
trated with good cuts, showing the anatomy of the 
horse’s foot, modes of shoeing, &c. 
First and Second Annual Reports on the Geology of the State of 
Vermont. By Prof. C. B. Adams, State Geologist. Burlington, 
C. Goodrich. 8vo., pp. 360. Price 75 cents. 
The geological survey of this State was commenced 
we believe in 1844, by Prof. C. B. Adams, of Middle- 
bury College. We are indebted to the publisher, Mr. 
Goodrich, for copies of the first and second reports. 
A glance at the subject matter shows that the State 
has been found rich in internal resources, especially in 
iron, and rocks valuable in the arts. These, with the 
means which the people will soon enjoy in the facilities 
of railroad communication, will, without doubt, give 
increased wealth and prosperity to the State. A few 
copies of these Reports have been left at the Cultivator 
Office for sale. 
The Child’s First Book of Reading and Drawing. By Jerome B. 
Howard, Teacher of Drawing in the New York §tate Normal 
School. 
This book is a combination of the Verbal and Phonic 
methods which are adopted by many of the best teach¬ 
ers of our country. The design of the author is to 
teach the child to read at once, without spending his 
time with the uninteresting and unmeaning a b ab’s. 
The Verbal Combinations are designed and well calcu¬ 
lated to remedy the vile habit of reading with that mo¬ 
notonous, drawling tone, which every teacher knows is 
so hard to cure. The book is also intended to teach 
Drawing, there being connected with it a system of 
Drawing lessons, with directions enabling the teacher, 
though himself unable to draw, to successfully direct 
the child. We consider this a very useful and import¬ 
ant part of the work. Educationists are beginning to 
see the importance of having Drawing taught in our 
common schools. The plan of the book, though en¬ 
tirely new, appears to us very judicious, and it has 
been already introduced with success into many of our 
schools, and bids fair to become very popular. Its au¬ 
thor has bad considerable experience as a teacher, and 
we have repeatedly witnessed the rapid progress of 
schools under his direction. 
A Brief Compend of American Agriculture. By R- L. Allen- 
New-York, Saxton & Miles. 12mo., pp. 438. Price $1. 
An advertisement of this work will be found in this 
number, to which we would call attention. We gave a 
favorable notice of it in our November No. of last year. 
A further examination of the book has confirmed the 
opinion then expressed. A cotemporary in noticing it, 
observes — u We think, therefore, that Mr. Allen’s 
volume, the basis of which is good practical farming, 
as practiced by the best cultivators in the United States 
—with an intelligent reference to those principles of 
science which lie at the root of all successful practice, 
is likely to be of much more real service to us than any 
work on agriculture yet issued from the press, and we 
gladly commend it to the perusal of every one of our 
readers engaged in the cultivation of the land.” 
The American Poulterer’s Companion : a practical treatise ou 
the breeding, rearing, fattening, and general management of the 
various species of domestic poultry, with illustrations, and por¬ 
traits of fowls taken from life. By C. N. Bement. Fifth edition. 
New-York, Harper & Brothers, publishers, 82 Cliff st. pp. 380. 
12mo. 
The fifth edition of this work, from the press of the 
Messrs. Harters, New-York, is before us. As a work 
of practical value, it is beyond all question superior to 
any other of the kind before published in this country ; 
and the favor with which it has been received by the 
public is shown by the rapidity with which it has pass¬ 
ed through the four previous editions. We are happy 
to see that the present edition embraces some improve¬ 
ments over the previous ones—particularly in the quali¬ 
ty of paper, clearness of type, and the arrangement and 
appearance of the illustrations. We presume the work 
will continue to meet with a ready sale. 
The Prairie Farmer; devoted to Western Agriculture, Mechan¬ 
ics and Education. Chicago, J. S. Wright and J. A. Wight, 
editors. Monthly, 32 pp., 8vo. $1 a year. 
We can heartily recommend this paper to our west¬ 
ern friends especially, and to all who wish a well con¬ 
ducted paper of the kind. All those who contemplate 
a removal to the west, should take it, as it will afford 
them information which cannot fail to be of great ser¬ 
vice, both before and after their removal. 
The Farmer and Mechanic; devoted to Agriculture, Mechanics, 
Manufactures, Sciences and the Arts. New-York, published by 
Wm. H. Starr. Quarto, weekly, $2 a year. 
This publication, of which we have before made fa¬ 
vorable mention, commenced its present volume in Jan¬ 
uary last, in the quarto form, and with greatly improv¬ 
ed appearance. Much spirit and ability are displayed 
in its management, and it is certainly a valuable publi¬ 
cation. We are happy to learn that it is well patronized 
by the class for whom it is designed, and who are no 
