1853. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
New Books, 
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry and Ge¬ 
ology. By Prof. Johnston. With a complete index 
and American preface, by Simon Brown, .editor of 
New-England Farmer. New-York: C. M. Saxton. 
This is a neat duodecimo volume, the title of which 
well explains the contents. It is a much larger and 
more complete work than the Catechism on the same 
subject, published some years since, and is plainer and 
more elementary in its character than the Lectures 
by the same author. 
Prof. Johnston has been long known as standing 
among the first agricultural chemists of Europe, and as 
belonging to the more moderate, common-sense school, 
that teaches the absolute necessity of connecting exper¬ 
iment in cultivation, with the theoretical deductions 
of science. Hence our readers, who may purchase 
this excellent and valuable treatise, may do so with the 
assurance that they will not be likely to be misled by 
chimeras, but that sound scientific suggestions will be 
placed before them, for the assistance of their attempts 
at improved cultivation. The present work contain 
some well-timed suggestions on detecting frauds in the 
sale of concentrated manures, which are much needed 
at the present time, when gross impositions of this 
character are likely to become common, as they have ' 
already in some places—impositions, which cannot be 
immediately detected except by chemical analysis. 
There are some peculiarities in the people of the 
two nations that modify a work of this character. The 
English are careful and cautious—the Americans are 
prompt and headlong; the English chemists have? 
therefore avoided some of the blunders into which oth¬ 
ers have been led by a love of the marvellous, and 
who, from a superficial knowledge of science, concluded 
that the agricultural millennium was close at hand. 
The reader of this work of Prof. Johnston will there¬ 
fore occasionally observe the importance of scientific 
knowledge more strenuously urged in particular in¬ 
stances, on his sceptical countrymen, than would be 
necessary in a different latitude and meridian. This, 
however, does not at all lessen the value of the work, 
which we commend to all who wish to understand the 
rationale of successful culture. 
Transactions of the Agricultural Societies of the 
State of Massachusetts, for 1852, with the procedings 
of the State Board of Agriculture. Prepared by 
Amasa Walker, Secretary pro tern. 
We are indebted to Charles Louis Flint for a 
copy of this volume, which consists of about 800 well 
filled pages, containing a vast amount of valuable 
practical matter. It is mostly occupied with an ab¬ 
stract of the proceedings and reports of the county 
societies. The numerous statements of the successful 
competitors for premiums, which those societies require, 
and which, in most cases, are given in a clear and 
practical manner, together with the many well written 
and excellent reports of committees, constitute the 
great value of the volume. 
There are also some excellent essay3 and addresses 
given in this work, and some marked with too much 
random assertion, to merit a place in a volume of this 
character. For example, we are told on page 581,*' 
where the writer is speaking of the analysis of soils, 
that “ analyses of mineral substances are among the 
easiest processes of the chemical laboratory, upon 
which the pupil commences his earliest manipulations.” 
We should suppose this to be ironical, did not the rest 
of the address from which it is taken show otherwise— 
the author having adopted the wild chimera that only 
a few years are needed to bring about an extraordinary 
revolution by means of chemistry, in practical farm¬ 
ing. 
As a whole, however, we have not met with any 
volume of the transactions of agricultural societies, 
which contains more of a truly valuable and practical 
character; while the excellence and accuracy of the 
typography are worthy of the imitation of others. 
e » -— 
Albany County Fair. 
The First Annual Fair of this Society took place at 
Bethlehem Centre, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs¬ 
day, Oct. 4, 5 and 6. The organization had from its 
formation been regarded by many as an experiment 
of very doubtful success, and its most sanguine friends 
were not entirely free from the apprehension that the 
strength and beauty of Albany County would not be 
adequately represented. The Fair has decided the 
experiment to be eminently successful, and more than 
realized the anticipations of all. The attendance on 
both the public days was very large, and principally 
from the farming towns. The chill October air and the 
driving wind kept some exhibitors and more visitors 
away; still a large proportion of the county and its 
wife and children gave the sanction of their presence 
to the occasion. 
To convey a correct idea of the extent and charac¬ 
ter of the show, it would be necessary to publish the 
entire list of entries and award of premiums, which our 
limited columns will not permit. We must, therefore, 
content ourselves and our readers with a brief notice of 
the several Departments. 
The whole number of exhibitors in the Stock De¬ 
partment was one hundred and twenty-two. The 
show of horses was large and embraced many very su¬ 
perior animals. Aside from those to which premiums 
were awarded in their respective classes, “ Young 
Norman,” a six year old Stallion exhibited by Wm. 
Hunter, of Watervliet and one by Mr. M. Olcott, of 4dri- 
an, Mich., are worthy of especial notice. Among sin¬ 
gle horses, a fine gelding, half English bred, and well 
trained, shown by Dr. James F. Babcock, of Albany, 
and a Black Hawk mare of good style and action, ex¬ 
hibited by Luther Tucker, attracted much attention. 
To both these animals discretionary premiums were 
awarded. There were several fine ponies. The judges 
awarded a discretionary prize to Thomas Brown, of 
Bethlehem, for a well-built bay pony. Several spans 
of matched carriage horses, for which no premiums 
were offered, were shown ; among these a span exhib¬ 
ited by Mr. Lawton, of Albany, and another by Sena¬ 
tor Cooley, were very fine. The matched horses shown 
