1851. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
91 
NOTES FOR THE MONTH. 
Acknowledgments.— Communications have been re¬ 
ceived since our last, from Townsend Green, C., G. A. 
Ilanchett, Julia E. Hanchet, James H. Alexander, X., 
William Bacon, Prof. J. P. Norton, C. E. G., H. R., A 
Subscriber, J. S. Copeland, A. D. W., L. Young, G. J. 
Books, Pamphlets, &c. have been received as follows: 
Transactions of American Institute for 1849, 548 pp. 
octavo j and Random Recollections of Albany and 
Hudson, from Charles Yan Benthuysen, Esq., Al¬ 
bany--Transactions of the Ag. Societies of Massachu¬ 
setts, for 1849, from Wm. Bacon, Esq., Richmond- 
Annual Report of the New Haven Co. (Ct.) Hort. So¬ 
ciety for 1850--Nova Scotia Parmer’s Almanac for 
1851, from C. H. Belcher, publisher, Halifax, N- S. 
--Proceedings of the Greene Co. Ag. Society for 1850, 
from A. Marks, Esq.——Transactions of the Worcester 
Co. (Mass.) Ag. Society, for 1850, from J. W. and W- 
S. Lincoln, Esqs. 
Specimens op Indian Corn for the World’s Fair.— 
Among the various contributions from this State to the 
World’s Fair, few, we think, will attract more attention 
than a collection of varieties of Indian corn, prepared 
and forwarded Mr. B. B. Kirtland, of the Cantonment 
Farm, Greenbush. The collection embraces seventeen 
varieties, grown in New York. All of them are shown 
in the ear, and are arranged like the petals of a flower, 
around a central point. Specimens of several of the 
varieties are also shown on the -stalk, with the leaves 
and other parts of the plant, thus presenting a very good 
idea of the peculiarities of each. The different forms 
in which this grain is prepared for culinary and other 
uses, are shown by samples in glass jars, which are placed 
in the case with the corn. They consist of fine and 
coarse meal, grits, farina, hommony, starch, oil, &c. 
The whole arrangement is very neat, and highly credita- 
’ le to the taste and judgment of the contributor. 
Agent for the World’s Exhibition. —Gov. Hunt in 
his late message, recommends that the Legislature should 
provide for sending an agent to this exhibition, to take, 
charge of the various articles which may be forwarded 
by the citizens of this State. 
Lawrence Scientific School. —This valuable school, 
which is attached to Harvard University, embraces in¬ 
struction in Chemistry, Zoology, Geology, Engineering, 
Botany, Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Astrono¬ 
my. Mathematics, &c. The department of Chemistry is un¬ 
der the direction of Prof. Horsford ; that of Zoology 
and Geology under Prof. Agassiz ; that of Engineering 
under Prof. Eustis. The year is divided into two 
terms, the first of which commences in August and the 
second in February. The school enjoys a well-deserved 
reputation, and receives students from all parts of the 
country. For particulars apply to Prof. E. N. Hors¬ 
ford, Cambridge, Mass. 
Crops in New Jersey, 1850.—Mr. Benj. Sheppard, 
of Greenwich, N. J., writes us that the potato crop was 
in most instances a "failure; that white wheat was 
damaged by the rust, so that the crop was comparatively 
of little value j red wheat good in quality and quantity; 
Indian corn below an average yield; oats would have 
been good, but were injured by the storm just, before 
harvest, which reduced the yield one-third. 
Yield of Butter. —Mr. G. A. Hanchett, of West 
Stockholm, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., informs us that 
his dairy of 22 cows, produced last season an average 
170 pounds butter to each cow, besides the milk and 
cream used in a family of eight persons. His practice 
has been to set the milk in earthen pans, first putting 
into each pan half a pint of cold water, which he thinks 
throws up the cream and prevents the milk from sour¬ 
ing as soon as it otherwise would. He asks what are the 
particular advantages of churning the milk instead of 
the cream—whether it produces more or better butter. 
Will some one who has had experience with both modes 
answer? —— 
Increased Production of Wheat in New York.— 
From the best evidence we can obtain, it appears that 
the production of wheat in this State is increasing. This 
increase is doubtless attributable in part to the extended 
cultivation of the grain, by the clearing of new land, 
&c.; but we think the adoption of improved modes of 
tillage has been also a considerable cause of this result. 
A writer in the Argus of this city gives a comparison of 
imports of wheat and flour at the ports of Buffalo and 
Oswego, and also the receipts at tide water on the Hud¬ 
son, for the years 1849 and 1850, by which it appears 
that there was a deficiency in the imports of the latter 
as compared with the former year, of 141,049 barrels 
of flour, and 1,073,703 bushels of wheat, while the re¬ 
ceipts at tide water for the same years, show an increase 
for 1850, of 8,102 barrels of flour and 869,987 bushels 
of wheat; from which it is reasonably concluded “that 
New York must have made up the large deficiency of 
about 150,000 brls of flour and 1,900,000 bushels of 
wheat.” -——- 
An Old Horse.—George Young, of Grand Rapids, 
states in the Mich. Farmer that he owns a horse which 
is forty-five years old. He says he bought the animal 
in 1825, and that his age was then stated to be fifteen 
years; that he drove him in a buggy and rode him in this 
city, (Albany,) for six years, and that for the last nine¬ 
teen years he has been one of a farm team; that he has 
still the appearance of a colt, that in 1848 he drove him 
240 miles in four days. About nineteen years ago his 
teeth became so uneven that he could not grind hay well, 
and his owner had them filed down, since which “ he has 
been able to feed with the youngest horses.” 
Musk-Rats. —A correspondent informs us that he is 
much annoyed with these animals, by their burrowing 
and injuring the banks of ditches, &c., and he wishes 
to know what is the best method to destroy them. Will 
some one give the desired information? 
Agricultural Publications.—Edmund Ruffin 
Esq., of Virginia, in a lecture on the subject of agricul¬ 
tural improvement, remarks, 11 Notwithstanding all the 
existing obstacles and difficulties, American agriculture 
has made greater progress in the last thirty years, than 
in all previous time. This greater progress is mainly 
due to the diffusion of agricultural papers. In the ac- 
