120 
THE CULTIVATOR 
March, 
NOTES FOR THE MONTH. 
Acknowledgments. —Communications have come to 
hand, since our last, from A Subscriber in Orange Co., 
Verb. Sat, V. V., John Johnston, H, C. W., A. Balev, 
Egbert Cowles, A. D. H., Charles Schinz, Lyman Hall, 
Alfred Bay lies, Woodford, C. II. Cleveland, F. M. R., 
C. R. Smith, C. D. B., J. W. Colburn, S. F., W. R. 
Manley, Morgan Butler, A. H. Avery, D. D. T. More, 
J. R. P., H. W. Bulkley, S. E. Todd. 
Books, Pamphlets, &c., have been received as fol¬ 
lows: Horsemanship, including the breaking and training 
of Horses, by F. Baucher, from the publisher, A. Hart, 
Philadelphia.-An Address before the Lancaster Co. 
(Pa.) A g. Society, by James Go wen, Esq., from the 
Author.-Transactions of the Agricultural Societies 
of Massachusetts, for 1850, from Wm. Bacon, Esq.- 
Transactions of the Essex (Mass.) Ag. Society for 1851, 
from J. W. Proctor, Esq.-Address of Hon. M. P. 
Wilder, before the Berkshire Ag. Society, from the 
Author.-Transactions of Hampden Co. (Mass.) Ag. 
Society for 1851, from J. Brewer, Esq., Treasurer of 
the Society. - 
KT* Our correspondents, to whom we tender our grate¬ 
ful thanks, for their liberal favors, must have patience 
with with us. In due time they will all have a place. 
An Agricultural Bureau. —Senator Doty of Wis¬ 
consin, has introduced into the U. S. Senate, “ a bill to 
establish an Agricultural Bureau in the Department of 
the Interior”—which provides for the appointment of a 
Commissioner of Agriculture, whose duty it shall be “ to 
collect agricultural statistics; to procure and distribute 
valuable seeds, cuttings, buds and tubers; to cause to be 
made all desirable analyses of minerals and mineral wa¬ 
ters, and such as relate to the composition and improve¬ 
ment of soils; the feeding of domestic animals; the pre¬ 
paration and preservation of provisions and breadstuffs ; 
the cotton and manufacture of flax, hemp, and sugar, 
and such other manufactures as may be connected with 
agriculture, and arise immediately out of agricultural 
products; and to prepare and make annually a full report 
to Congress containing an account of such experiments 
as may have been made, and such useful information as 
he may have obtained on all the subjects connected with 
the duties of his office.” The bill also provides for the 
establishment of a chemical laboratory, the appointment 
of a chemist, clerks, 8cc. The plan appears to us to be 
a good one, and we would suggest to our state and coun¬ 
ty Agricultural Societies, the propriety of immediately 
sending in petitions in favor of its passage. We cannot 
believe that Congress would refuse the comparatively 
small appropriation necessary to carry it into effect, if a 
vigorous effort in its favor, was made by the friends of 
agricultural improvement throughout the country. 
Large Fleece. —A correspondent at North Montpe¬ 
lier, (Vt.) says u we sheared a merino buck of the At¬ 
wood stock, last July—the wool, one year’s growth, lack¬ 
ing one day. The weight of sheep before shearing was 
121 lbs.—after shearing, 101 lbs. of carcass. 20 lbs. and 
four ounces washed wool—who can beat it?” 
National Agricultural Convention. —Previous to 
our late State Fair at Rochester, the President, Hon. 
John Delafield, invited the attendance at that Fair, 
of the several Presidents of the different State Ag. As¬ 
sociations, for the purpose of consulting on the expe¬ 
diency of calling a National Convention, to consider the 
interests of agriculture, and to organize a National 
Agricultural Society, if deemed expedient. The call, 
however, was not responded to. Since then, the Mas¬ 
sachusetts Board of Agriculture, and the Pennsylvania 
State Ag. Society, have both taken up the subject, and 
recommended the holding of a National Convention. At 
the last meeting of the Ex. Com. of the N. Y. State 
Ag. Society, the project was approved; and we hope 
those having the matter in charge, will issue their call 
with as little delay as possible. The influence of such a 
convention at this time, might secure the passage of the 
bill now before Congress, for organizing an Agricultural 
Bureau at Washington,—an object, we believe, very 
generally desired. 
Massachusetts Board of Agriculture. —This Board 
organised the past year, by a convention of delegates from 
the several county Agricultural Societies in the State, is 
becoming, under the ever active labors of its President, 
the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, a very efficient means 
of good to the state. Delegates were selected the last 
year, to attend all the County Fairs in the State; and at 
a recent meeting of the Board in Boston, the reports of 
the several Delegates were received. The efforts of the 
Board are also awakening a deep interest on the subject 
of agricultural education. At the late meeting, Mr. 
Wilder, from the Committee on Agricultural Educa¬ 
tion, submitted a series of resolutions, taking high 
ground on this subject, which were adopted; and a com¬ 
mittee was appointed to present the same to the Legisla¬ 
ture, and to urge the passage of such laws as may be ne¬ 
cessary to carry out the principles and views contained 
in them. They ask for the establishment of a State De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, with officers commensurate 
with the importance of the duty to be performed; sug¬ 
gest the propriety and expediency of reserving a portion 
of the proceeds of the sales of the jrablic lands, and de¬ 
voting such sum to the promotion of Agricultural Sci¬ 
ence ; and in short claim for Agriculture the same foster¬ 
ing care which is bestowed upon other interests. 
Virginia State Agricultural Society. —An im¬ 
portant movement has been made in the Legislature of 
Virginia, which, if its object be consummated, will be one 
of the most important “ Acts” of that great common¬ 
wealth. A bill has been introduced into the House of 
Delegates to incorporate a State Agricultural Society, 
and providing for the establishment of district societies 
throughout the State. ' The bill proposes to endow each 
district society with an annuity from the public treasury, 
on condition that an equal sum shall be annually e.ontri 
buted by individuals. There is no state in the Union in 
which such a movement will be more beneficial, none af¬ 
fording so large a field for its beneficent action; there is 
not a state in the whole confederacy that has so much 
land in an unimproved, and almost unproductive state, 
and not one that has the means of improvement in so 
