158 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
as soon after being dug as circumstances will permit? 
as the falling of rain causes the sides of the ditch to fall 
in. All loose earth at the time of stoneing, should be 
carefully removed. In no case should the ditch be left 
open through the winter. 
After the drains are completed, occasional attention 
will be necessary to keep the mouths of the drains clear, 
and free from obstructions, so that the water may pass 
oft freely. It will also be necessary to close all holes 
made by mice, or in other ways, which would let in wa¬ 
ter directly from the surface, as water running in 
through openings in the upper part of the drain, car¬ 
ries in much earth, which by filling the drain, or par¬ 
tially obstructing the free passage of the water, has a 
tendency to destroy it, or much impair its utility. As 
the drains become older, the earth used for filling be¬ 
comes more compact, and the danger of breaks or holes 
from the surface is consequently diminished. 
I have thus endeavored to reply to your inquiries, 
and if in doing so I shall be the means of calling the at- 
tention of my brother farmers to the subject of draining, 
and they should be induced to reap the advantages at¬ 
tendant on skillful and thorough underdraining, I shall 
be amply compensated for the trouble of penning the 
foregoing statement. 
With respect, your friend, E. MARKS. 
Navarino, Onondaga county , August 6, 1840. 
NOTES OF A TRAVELER. 
Messrs. Gaylord &. Tucker — I last year and this, 
made an excursion to the eastward of the state, in the 
month of July respectively, and was somewhat surpris¬ 
ed to find that although we are nearly one degree far¬ 
ther north than Albany, and all of another by the height 
of land, (the level of Lake Erie being just 550 feet 
above the level of tide water on the Hudson,) still I 
saw comparatively no difference between the field crops 
of small grains, roots, grass, and even corn, as far as it 
had advanced in these respective neighborhoods, viz., 
the shores of Lake Erie in this town, and the fiats and 
hills of the Hudson river, in Albany; and yet the soil 
of the latter place is generally sand and gravel, with 
alluvial, whereas here it is loam and alluvial, more often 
than otherwise resting on a hard tenacious clay, but the 
top soil, partaking, probably, somewhat more of vegeta¬ 
ble matter here, than at the east of us. I should really 
like to see a disquisition from yourselves, or some of 
your scientific correspondents, why the dry hot sands of 
Albany, are not more forward in the common field 
crops, than the clays and loams of Buffalo. In fruits I 
noticed a decided difference, probably nearly a fortnight 
in some particular kinds ; in others about a week. This 
cannot be Avholly explained, by saying that those of Al¬ 
bany are of an earlier variety, because the Isabella 
grape does not ripen here in the open air, scarcely once 
in six years, whereas in Albany, I believe it is pretty 
sure to usually do so every season. The most forward 
county in general crops, I found to be in both years that 
of Onondaga. Here, even on the canal, the wheat was 
quite as ready for the harvest as the rye of Albany, and 
yet the latter grain is considered all of ten days in ad¬ 
vance as a crop. Corn also, was more forward here 
than I saw it elsewhere, and I will add of a stouter and 
more even growth, and yet, this is farther north, even, 
than Erie, though the canal level is not so high by about 
150 feet. I think the dry porous limestone of Onondaga, 
will account for the precocity of its crops. Last year I 
noticed that the corn here and on the rich Mohawk 
- fiats about Utica and below, were nearly the same, but 
this year Onondaga is much in advance, principally I 
suspect, in consequence of the heavy spring rains and 
high waters of the Mohawk, which must have delayed 
planting. Below the mountain ridge at Lewiston, and 
on the Niagara river to Lake Ontario, though by situa¬ 
tion and height of land, it must be full equal to two de¬ 
grees of latitude north of Albany, yet there I suspect 
fruits are even quite as forward, but their top and sub¬ 
soil, is lighter there than here, and they are also better 
' shielded from the cold western winds, and also 300 feet 
below us. 
Of the crops generally, I found them very promising ; 
grass and grains heavy, and of a first rate quality—the 
only fear was of roots. I suspect that the late rains must 
have wholly dispelled this, and have no doubt but the 
harvest of 1840 will be remembered as a very bountiful 
one throughout the land, for Avhich may all have grate¬ 
ful hearts to the kind Providence that sends it. 
The great question three years ago was, where shall 
we find food to fill our mouths ? The most general one I 
suspect this year will be, where shall we find mouths to 
eat the food ? The statesman would answer at once, 
multiply manufactures, ****** . ^ ut t j 1: j s 
is a political theme, the discussion of which Avould pro¬ 
bably be considered more appropriate to the columns 
of other periodicals. I will therefore drop it, and mere¬ 
ly advert to that Avhich is strictly agricultural. Here 
then, are improvements Avanted, that have been long 
and loudly called for, the most important of which is in 
the department of stock. Never was a nation Avith a 
greater abundance beforehand, or more eligibly placed 
for experiments in this line than ours, and it will be an 
everlasting shame and disgrace to us, now at the very 
low prices of all sorts of subsistence, that avc do not gene¬ 
rally enter upon them. There is not a race of domes¬ 
tic animals, or a kind of birds, from the noble horse, 
doAvn to the timid rabbit, and the strutting turkey to the 
busy scratching hen, that does not want improving and 
regenerating, and now is the time to set about it. Look 
at England and her great excellence and advance in this 
particular. Her improved stock is not only a source of 
great wealth, power, happiness and comfort to her own 
citizens individually, but it is norv entering largely into 
her amount of exports, and the Avhole Avorid is constant¬ 
ly going to her lor that which, with a little previous en¬ 
terprise, might have been furnished at home. However, 
this is necessary to begin Avith, and it is better to com¬ 
mence it late than never. 
Among the recent importations for improA r ement that 
have taken place in this state, is that of Hereford cattle 
and Cotswold sheep, by Mr. Corning of Albany. At- 
ti acted by the letter ol Mr. Sotham, that appeared in 
the July number of the Cultivator, Avhen down last 
month, I made an inspection of these superb animals, 
that gave me a A r ery different opinion than I have here¬ 
tofore entertained of these breeds. All other Herefords 
tnat I had previously examined, in comparison Avith 
these, though noble in appearance, had large heads, 
thick necks, narrow hips, and thin loins, compared with 
the best Short Horns, but these nearly approach them 
now in all such particulars, especially in the great width 
ol the hip bones, showing a capacity when well fed, to 
place their meat in those parts where it is most valua¬ 
ble, and 1 cannot but coincide in the remark of one of 
our most distinguished breeders ol’Durhams, “that on 
the right soil, they Avould give the Short Horns enough 
to do to maintain their present high position.” But 
Iioav are they enabled to accomplish this? Why only by 
approaching Short Horn perfection in these particulars. 
Yet at present they are only the graziers’ and butchers’ 
stock ; for though Mr. Sotham talks of their good milk¬ 
ing qualities, I must confess that though I eyed them 
sharply, and handled them closely, I was not favored by 
any such discoveries in their veins, nor did the appear¬ 
ance of their udders make up at all for this deficiency, 
and I should require some proof of the fact, before 1 
could be convinced that even in comparison with our 
good native dairy coavs, they could be called even fair 
milkers.* It is apparent, therefore, that in the general 
purposes of improving our native stock, that the Here¬ 
fords cannot be rivals to the Durham?, at least till they 
are still farther advanced to good milkers, Avhich 
Avill then make them but in fact another race of impro- 
A r ed Short Horns. Yet if the Herefords yield to the 
Durhams at the dairy, in the yoke they must be far su¬ 
perior to any other of the ox kind, for they have nearly 
the quick step, the fine bone, the sineA’v and muscle of 
the Devon, Avith a much greater Aveight and size. I 
could not but admire the great length and rotundity of the 
barrel, the smooth. poAverful structure of their frames, and 
clean elastic limbs. In fact as Avorkers, they seem to me 
to be that happy medium in the race of oxen, that I am so 
desirous ol seeing cultivated more generally in horses; 
neither the light mettlesome racer on the one hand, nor 
the slow, fleshy cart horse on the other, but the superi¬ 
or and more happily mixed general utilitarian. To 
those who are breeding Avorking oxen, or stock express¬ 
ly for the butcher, I Avoukl strongly* recoin mend these 
Herefords. I should think them particularly tvell 
adapted to the rich interior of the Western States, Avhere 
cattle must be driven a great distance to market. In 
that case the blood of the Devons, to Avhich the Here¬ 
fords are so nearly allied, could not but teil like that of 
the thorough-bred racer on the course. 
The CotSAVold sheep, I found much finer in the bead and 
other points, than I expected to see them ; they are also 
very large, and the amount of wool they are said to shear, 
is almost incredible. I cannot, however, but think their 
mutton Avould be too gross; and I doubt whether they 
Avill ever find the general favor in the American market, 
that South DoAvn does. There is this difference be¬ 
tween the consumers of English and American mutton; 
in the former country, being cheaper than pork, it is salt¬ 
ed down by the poorer classes, to be eaten instead of it, 
here avc rarely salt mutton, but eat it fresh; it is there¬ 
fore desirable to have it as tender and lean as possible, 
qualities in which the South Downs are i'ar superior to 
any other breed of sheep that I know of. 1 should like 
to see a show between Mr. Corning’s Cotswolds, and 
Messrs. Dunn’s and Adcock’s Leicesters. Are we never 
to have a State Agricultural Meeting and Fair for these 
and other purposes, in the pleasant month of Septem¬ 
ber ? Nothing in the world could be so beneficial to 
the agriculture of New-Y ork, as this ; or more surely aid 
its stock improvements. It is a crying shame that Ave 
* Since penning the abo\ r e, this month’s No. of the Cultiva¬ 
tor has come to hand, containing Mr. Bement’s excellent arti¬ 
cle on Herefords; in which their merits, as well as Devons 
and Durhams, are very candidly stated. He seems, however, 
to be of the opinion, that the Herefords may be “ fair ” milk¬ 
ers ; but AAdiat is “ fair ?” I hardly think seven quarts per day 
for a good sized animal, even though a heifer six months after 
calving would be so considered in a dairy district, unless the 
milk should prove of a particularly rich quality. I have a cross 
of the Devon and Durham, half and half three years old in 
MaA r , and rather small of her age, and that dropped her first 
calf last March. She gives now on rather poor pasture, seven 
quarts per day, of milk almost as rich as cream; but three- 
fourths, or seven-eighths Durham, of milking families, I think 
would-double this quantity of milk from the cows, and of such 
a cross I am greatly in favor, and am of opinion, it will even- 
tually be the most popular animal in the northern states. As 
I understand it, Col. Jacques thus got his famous Cream-pot 
breed, for he put a Short Horn bull of a milking family, to a 
red natffe cow, that undoubtedly descended from the Devons, 
originally imported into Massachusetts. When I had got the 
cross three-fourths or seven-eighths Durham, I should then 
breed them together. There are crosses of Mr. Rotch’s Dur¬ 
ham bulls on the native stock in Otsego county, that give over 
thirty quarts each, per day, of a most excellent quality of milk. 
should be so far behind our younger sisters, Ohio and 
Kentucky, in these respects. 
An excellent correspondent of the Tennessee South¬ 
ern Cultivator, makes the folloAAdng remarks —“ A feAv 
years ago, if a farmer, dressed in his jean clothes, hap¬ 
pened, in Avhat Avas called genteel society, to speak of 
his bullocks, his lambs, or his pigs, noses were turned 
up at him, and he Avas considered vulgar and insipid. 
But a reaction has taken place in public sentiment, and 
noAv it is the common conversation of fashionable cir¬ 
cles ; and you will hear fluent discourses on Durham 
cattle, Leicester and South Down sheep, and Berkshire 
and Irish Grazier hogs.” This change, I am glad to say, 
is pervading the north as Aveil as the south, and is even 
found to have inoculated the softer sex ; and as evidence 
thereof, I shall quote two instances. A party of gentlemen 
was recently looking over a herd of Short Horns, when 
the name of an individual coav Avas asked for; the owner 
himself could not tell ay ithout going to the house to ap¬ 
peal to his books, when turning to his daughter near by, 
she replied, “ Oh, that is Moss Rose;” and in answer to 
a letter on the subject of stock, that I addressed to a 
correspondent not long since, in bis absence, his Avife, in 
a beautiful Italian hand, replied quite as satisfactorily 
as 1 could have expected of the gentleman himself. 
But to the subject in hand. 
Perhaps one of the most attractive objects in Albany 
to the stock grower and agriculturist, is Mr. Lossing’s 
piggery, in the upper part of Washington-street. I al- 
Avays Adsit it Avith pleasure, not only to have a Berkshire 
talk with the owner, but to gratify my eye with a 
Anew of the noble grunters that are so comfortably pro¬ 
vided for. The animals here, are really choice, and 
each in its style, a capital study to any one the least de¬ 
sirous of forming his taste, or improving his breed of 
SAvine. 
The readers of the Cultivator are pretty well acquaint¬ 
ed Avith the queen of the harem , the renowned Maxima, 
from the faithful portrait given of her in the May num¬ 
ber, and it may be sufficient for me to add, that she is 
all that is there represented. Indeed it is quite impos¬ 
sible for any engraver to flatter a well bred Berkshire, 
for no portrait can do justice to the harmony of their 
fine points, the sleek rotundity of the barrel, and the 
depth and massive thickness of the ham; yet if Maxima 
excels, as her classic name intimates, in size, the gentle 
Peggy may be said to do the same in symmetry of form; 
and Mr. Lossing tells me that the produce of the latter, 
A r ery often approaches the former in weight and dimen¬ 
sions. This I can readily believe, for with the right 
kind of male, I have several soaa^s in my piggery of a 
medium size only, that will breed up to any thing I ever 
sarv, and their stock is as fine and as finished as a piece 
of statuary. 
The Teal soav, as Aveil as the boars brought over from 
England to Mr. L. in the fall of 1838,1 found greatly im¬ 
proved as they had groAvn up. Reading is the longest, 
and perhaps the largest, but Newbury excels in fine 
point, carries great Aveight for his inches, and is remark¬ 
able in his hams; but out of a number of pigs that 1 have 
had of their stock this season, I do not discover much 
difference ; either are good enough and large, and doubt¬ 
less botli boars will best suit the respective localities, 
where they are now flourishing in glory, the former 
having been sold to Mr. Beach of Ohio, and the latter 
remaining with Mr. Lossing. I consider them as great 
acquisitions to the stock of the country, and certainly 
the public ought to feel under many obligations to Mr. 
Haas es for first introducing this king of his species to 
America. 
But will it be believed, that during Mr. H.’s stay in 
Albany, which Avas for two years or more, these animals 
Avere but slightly appreciated, and he had in fact, when 
disposing of them, to accept prices but a trifle above 
that of common hogs ? The superb Jack of NeAvbury, that 
will hereafter stand in the annals of blooded hogs, as 
high in the United States as the Godolphin Arabian 
does in that of horses in Great Britain, was sold for 
hardly what his pork was worth, viz., twenty-five dollars; 
and Mr. Lossing very humorously tells the story of be¬ 
ing literally mobbed, hooted at, and almost stoned, for 
paying Mr. Huavcs, at the Albany fair in 1834, the enor¬ 
mous sum of three dollars for the pig that greAV up to 
his magnificent old Superior ! Why I know a spirited 
breeder in Kentucky, that Avould now gladly give three 
hundred dollars for either of these noble animals, when 
full grown and in their prime, and think that he had 
them at a bargain. No Avonder that Mr. IlaAves should 
have returned to his country in dissust, at his failure in 
endeavoring to arouse the American public to the value 
of an improved race of SAvine. But Rome was not built 
in a day, nor could Berksliires be appreciated through¬ 
out the country in the same space of time; yet thanks 
noAV to the spirit of improvement, that your OAvn and 
kindred journals have aroused in the land, they are at 
length getting their name up, and others will reap Avhere 
Mr. Hawes so discouragingly sowed ; and Mr. Lossing 
can now turn the tables upon the hooters, since he has 
had the pride and pleasure of refusing this summer, just 
ten times what he first paid for a sucking sow pig. for I 
Avas told by the gentleman from Ohio himself, that he 
had offered thirty dollars in vain for a single choice out 
of one of his litters. 
Some may sneer at these prices, and call it a Multi- 
eaulis feA^er revived under another name, but will they 
alloAV me to state a case. Suppose a farmer among the 
rich corn fields of the Avest, that annually turns off, as 
many single persons do there, from tAventy to fifty thou¬ 
sand pounds of pork per annum, which is worth, say in, 
