322 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
Sept 
NOTES FOR THE MONTH. 
New-York State Fair— This great annual exhibition, 
which has become in some degree a national anniversary, 
is to come off at Utica, on the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th 
of this month. It will be remembered that the Premium 
List for this year, has been greatly enlarged over that 
of any previous year; and we have reason to believe that 
the exhibition will exceed in interest any one that has 
preceded it. Among the most attractive things on ex¬ 
hibition will be the Reaping and Mowing Machines re¬ 
cently tried at Geneva. The address will be delivered 
by Hon. Horatio Seymour of Utica. 
United States Ag. Society. —We have received the 
first number of the new Journal of this Society. It is a 
handsome octavo of 144 pages, and is to be issued quar¬ 
terly. In appearance it is all that need be desired j but 
its contents have disappointed us. We had supposed 
that it would be the aim of the Society to furnish a 
Journal, which, in some degree, should compare with 
the Journals of the Royal Ag. Society of England, and 
the Highland and Ag. Society of Scotland—that is, that 
its Journal should consist of the Transactions of the 
Society, and of such original papers of a high order as 
it should be instrumental in producing. But instead of 
this, a large portion of the present number is made up 
of extracts-—valuable certainly,-—hut which are alread} 7 
accessible to the public, who look for, and have a right 
to expect, something more from a National Society than 
the reiteration of what has already been said and done. 
Such an organization should be the great fountain head 
of Agricultural research and information, and as such, 
send forth streams to water and fertilize our land. 
Coons’ Patent Iron Fence.— We have received proof 
sheets of a treatise on fence building, by Mr. M. P. 
Coon’s of Troy, N. Y., who.has patented a method of 
combining iron and wood in the construction of a fence, 
which secures both permanence and cheapness in the 
structure. The hook treats of the several kinds of fence 
in use, showing the objections to each, and lays down a 
principle, which is said to be well sustained by facts, in 
the short time in which it has been tested. The author 
thus states his main principle — 51 By practical tests, as 
well as observation, it will be discovered that the raising 
of the ground by frost, does not affect the position of a 
stone^ or log of wood, when horizontally imbedded in 
the earth.” The reasons for the truth of this are stated 
at considerable length, and seem satisfactory. In ac¬ 
cordance with this theory, a block of stone is laid into 
the ground at sufficient depth, in a horizontal position, 
and the upright iron post is firmly fixed in it. The post 
is now immoveable, and it only remains to properly join 
to it the bars and pickets. The method of coupling the 
bars, which may be either of iron or wood, to the post, is 
peculiar, and of such a nature that the fence can be 
erected equally well in all situations. It admits of a 
pleasing variety of form, and must necessarily be more 
durable than the common kinds of fence in use. Judg¬ 
ing from the reasoning in the treatise, and a specimen we 
have seen near this city, we are confident that Mr. Coons 
has succeded in making a valuable improvement in thjg 
important branch of rural economy. 
We hope at some future time to present our readers 
with a cut of the farm fence, and a farther description 
of the mode of its construction. 
Mr. Downing’s Successor at Washington.— Mr. 
Breckenridge, of Washington, a gentleman who is ful¬ 
ly acquainted with Mr. Downing’s plans, and has been 
associated with him in the carrying out of his designs, 
has been appointed by tbe President to complete the im¬ 
provements now being made at the Capital. Though this 
appointment disappoints many aspirants, it will undoubt, 
edly secure the faithful development of the proposed 
plan, and so give satisfaction. 
Mass. Board of Agriculture.— This Board was in¬ 
corporated by the last legislature. It consists, we be- 
lieve, of five members appointed by the Governor and 
Council, and a Delegate from each County Ag. Society 
in the State. The Board are authorised to appoint a 
Secretary, who shall devote his time under their direc¬ 
tion. to the advancement of the interests of agriculture. 
At a recent meeting of the Board, the Rev. Dr. Hitch¬ 
cock of Amherst College, received the appointment of 
Secretary. We shall rejoice to hear that he has accept¬ 
ed it, for we know of no one in the country from whose 
labors so much benefit might be anticipated. 
Trial of Reaping and Mowing Machines.— Man¬ 
ny’s Northern Illinois Reaper and Mower, and Burrall’s 
Machine, were tested in the neighborhood of this city on 
the 5th August. A large number of farmers were pre¬ 
sent at the trial, and general satisfaction ■was expressed 
at the performance of both machines. They did their 
work well, and with a rapidity truly surprising. By the 
use of Reaping and Mowing Machines, the farmer will be 
able to secure his crops of hay and grain at the proper 
time, thus avoiding the waste incident to delay, in cutting 
■altogether by hand. The expense, too, must be materi¬ 
ally lessened by their use. Some very interesting state- 
ments, respecting the trial of Agricultural Implements at 
Geneva, will he found in our columns. 
Buffalo Nursery. —Our old friend Col. Hodge, who 
originally started this nurserythe first, it is said, west 
of Albany.—having accomplished that most desirable 
desideratum, an 11 ample fortune,” has sold out his nur¬ 
sery, and retired to his fine farm at Peach Haven on 
Grand Island, near Niagara Falls, where he has been 
engaged for some years in planting large orchards, of the 
different varieties of fruit trees. May he live long to eat 
the fruit thereof. His successors in business are D. S. 
Manley h Brothers, who have just issued their first 
Catalogue, and who are strongly recommended to the 
public by Col. Hodge. 
The Potato —Ourcorrespondent u C. E. G.,” whose 
paper will be found on another page of this number, 
sent us the following, to be added as a “ P. S.” to his 
article; but as it came too late to be attached to the ar¬ 
ticle, we give it a place here: 
P. S.—Should the alternations of frequent light rains, 
with either warm, damp, and cloudy weather, or still 
