344 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Oct, 
this promenade is the Boulevard des Italiens. Here 
loungers of both sexes seat themselves and pass most of 
the day- The gaiety of this spot, until after midnight, 
exceeds all description. Chairs are placed in front of 
the splendid Cafe’s and Restaurants, which are let at 
two sous each. As we passed along we found throngs 
of gentlemen and ladies seated around little round tables 
sipping their coffee or wine, while crowds were pressing 
along on the wide sidewalk, and carriages rolling noiseless¬ 
ly, almost, over the nicely McAdamized streets. The 
streets are brilliantly lighted, as are the cafes, and the 
places of resort, and the whole presented an appearance 
the most enchanting that can be imagined. 
The next day was a reception at St. Cloud by the 
President of the Republic. This is a spacious palace, si¬ 
milar in its character to Versailles, though not as exten¬ 
sive, though equally rich in its decorations, paintings, &c. 
and connected with which are many interesting recollec 
tions. It was the favorite residence of Marie Antoinette, 
Josephine, Maria Lousia, Napoleon, and Louis Philippe. 
The grounds are very beautifully laid out—fountains are 
particularly arranged, and play admirably; and the 
whole presents a combination of luxuries that would 
enable one, who otherwise was rightly prepared for it, 
here to enjoy himself to his heart’s content, and also, 
to bless others in the free use of these splendid walks, 
and gardens, &c. 
A dinner was served up here for 2,000, but only 500 
could get into the orangerie, when it was laid out, so 
that great scrambling was exhibited for the feast which 
was long delayed, and it was more than two hours before 
the most modest were privileged with eating even a 
morsel. But as all things must have an end, this was 
ended'late in the night, and the wearied out visitants, 
returned within the walls to slumber. 
At each avenue out of the city are gates, at the Bar¬ 
riers, as they are called. There guards are stationed to 
receive the tolls for everything, almost, that pass into 
the city. So at Versailles, as we approached the bar¬ 
rier, being in a private carriage, we were stopped and 
asked if we had any thing liable to duty, before we 
passsed in. I believe this custom exists in all the 
principal towns in the kingdom. 
The next day I visited with Mons. Vattemare, some 
of the public offices, connected with the Bureau of 
Commerce and Agriculture, and found the heads of the 
departments very attentive, and anxious to learn much 
about our county. B. P. J. 
What causes the Difference? —The North British 
Agriculturist , speaking in reference to the difference in 
the quality of the flesh of different breeds of animals, 
says, 
As regards the Black-faced Cheviot, and South-Down 
breeds of sheep, the West Highland, and Angus breeds 
of cattle, the flesh of these, if not more nutritious is at 
least palatable. The Short-horns, He refords, and Devons, 
when fattened at a proper age produce beef of excellent 
quality, but is often deficient in that finely flavored taste 
which distinguishes such breeds as the West Highland. 
How much of this is owing to the nature of the breeds, 
or to the food upon which they are reared, are questions 
which we think have not received that attention from 
scientific men which the subject demands. 
University of Albany. 
Department of Scientific Agriculture. 
The Trustees of the University of Albany, convinced 
of the vast importance which they should attach to the 
subject of improvement in Agriculture, have made this 
an object of special attention in their first steps toward 
the organization of a complete Scientific School. 
Nearly all of our more intelligent farmers are now 
sensible that their profession is one which should be stu¬ 
died ; that it is a profession in which the specially edu¬ 
cated man occupies the same position of advantage that 
he does in every other pursuit of life. The old cries of 
opposition to all theories, and of condemnation against 
all books, are now fast yielding to an eager desire for 
instruction, and to at least a partial belief in the effica¬ 
cy of science. Indeed some farmers go much farther 
than this, in expecting results that are at present cer¬ 
tainly not within the range of possibility, and that there 
is little reason to suppose will ever be realized. 
Instruction then is needed to supply what is called for 
by one class, to confirm the still doubtful minds of 
another, and to sweep away the too extravagant expec¬ 
tations of a third. It is also needed to enlighten the 
minds of a class, still it is to be feared exceedingly nu¬ 
merous, who look upon all progress with incredulity 
and suspicion, and who frown indignantly upon the idea 
that any one can impart new light to them in the way 
of their own business. Under the influence and the 
practice of such men as these, a great portion of our 
land is now deteriorating under cultivation, and will 
continue to deteriorate, until it reaches at last the con¬ 
dition of certain tracts in some of our older States, 
where the crop does little more than return the seed 
sown. Every year of the system now pursued by vast 
numbers of our farmers, increases by an immense amount, 
the labor and the expense that will be necessary in re¬ 
storing the land again to a proper state of fertility. 
That this evil is felt, that it is endured with impa¬ 
tience, is attested by the great numbers of active and 
influential societies for the improvement of. Agriculture, 
in so many parts of the country; by the increasing pa¬ 
tronage extended.to agricultural books and periodicals; 
by agricultural surveys, past or in progress; and by the 
numerous efforts toward the establishment of schools 
where scientific agriculture shall be the end and aim of 
study. 
The reasons which operate so strongly in recommend¬ 
ing Albany as the proper place for the location of a great 
Scientific School, tell with redoubled force when the 
organization of the Agricultural department is consider¬ 
ed. The capital of the greatest, most wealthy, and most 
powerful State of the Union; a State, too, more fully 
alive than any other to the cause of Agricultural im¬ 
provement ; the nucleus of the most powerful and in¬ 
fluential Agricultural society of the Union, a society 
whose annual shows bring together a greater concourse 
than those of any similar society in the world; the most 
desirable and accessible position with regard to-the New 
England States, and on the great lines of communication 
North. South, and West, it presents a combination of 
advantages that may be properly called unequalled. 
In view of such arguments as these, in view of the 
often expressed desire of the people of this State for at 
least the commencement of an institution which should 
have some special reference to the wants of its farming 
population, the Trustees have decided to go as far dur¬ 
ing the present season, as their means and the short time 
available for organization will allow. 
They, therefore, announce a course of Lectures by 
Prof. John P. Norton, now for some years in charge 
of the Department of Scientific Agriculture in Yale 
College. Prof. Norton will commence his course in the 
first week of January, and continue it during the ensuing 
three months. This course is designed especially for the 
practical man, and the subjects are intended to be pre- 
sented in such a manner as to be perfectly intelligible to 
those who have never before attended to such studies. 
A complete and detailed outline of the general connec- 
