14 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Organized, and has its next exhibition in October. The 
following officers were elected for the ensuing year - 
Theodore C. Peters, of Darien, President—Gen. P. 
Stanton, Middlebury; E. Bishop, Attica; E; J: Pdttb 
bone, Elba ; Truntan Lewis, Orangeville ; Phical M. 
Ward, Perry; Holland Ear 11, Pembroke; F. P. Pen- 
dell, Batavia ; Jesse W. Duguid, Le Roy, Vice Presi¬ 
dents.—C. P. Turner, Batavia, Secretary; Thomas Rid, 
Darien, Corresponding Secretary, and a Manager to 
each town. 
Fair of Tompkins County Agricultural Society. 
Of the many County Agricultural Societies that held 
their meetings the last October, few have seen them go off 
with greater spirit and more encouraging success, than 
that of Tompkins county. The concourse of farmers and 
others was very great; the show of animals, vegetables, 
agricultural implements, and manufactured articles, such 
as to gladden the heart of a lover of his country, and en¬ 
courage to still more strenuous exertions to render her tru¬ 
ly prosperous and independent. The pens provided by the 
society were filled with beautiful cattle, sheep, and swine; 
and the tables of the show room were laden with fine spe¬ 
cimens of domestic skill and ingenuity, honorable to the 
skill of I he workmen, and the fair hands whose taste con¬ 
tributed so largely to the arrangement and to the pleasures 
of the day. Tompkins county has a good soil, and the ve¬ 
getables exhibited, and the crops reported, showed that 
this advantage is appreciated and improved by the farmers. 
Tompkins county has some fine improved cattle and 
swine, and the flocks of fine woolled sheep that feed on her 
hills, are rarely equalled. 
Premiums for corn yielding 112 bushels 29 quarts of 
corn to the acre; wheat 40 bushels 21 lbs. to the acre; 
Rohan potatoes 300 bushels from three bushels of seed; 
and for a variety of other articles were awarded. A num¬ 
ber of superior Saxony sheep were shown by L. A. Mor¬ 
rell, and fine Bakewells and Lancashires by Messrs. 
Woodward and Brewer. Among the vegetables was a 
beet 28 inches long, and the same in circumference, taken 
from a lot one of which weighed 18 pounds, and a cab¬ 
bage 15 feet in circumference, and weighed 34 pounds, 
both grown by Mr. Curtis. Ithaca has for years been 
celebrated for its manufacturing skill, and the variety of 
articles produced there, and the number and finish of those 
exhibited at this Fair demonstrated that its reputation in 
these respects was well deserved. 
In all such matters it is experience alone that can make 
perfect; and the decided improvement made in conducting 
the fairs of this year over those of former ones, proves 
that in this respect errors have been corrected, and new 
attractions and inducements to action been made effective. 
1840 has done much for Agricultural Fairs; 1841 author¬ 
izes us to expect still greater things. 
Onondaga County Agricultural Society. 
FARM RETORT-B. G. AVERY’S. 
E. Marks, Esq. has kindly placed in our hands, the Re¬ 
port, which, as a viewing committee of farms for the town 
of Onondaga, he and J. M. Ellis, Esq. made to the On¬ 
ondaga County Agricultural Society, at their meeting in 
October, and from it we select in substance their examina¬ 
tion of the farm of B. G. Avery, which they were invited 
to visit. 
The farm of Mr. Avery lies on the west side of the On¬ 
ondaga valley, two and a half miles from Syracuse, and 
contains 160 acres of land. Of this 30 acres lies on the 
side hill, and is in woodland and permanent pasture ; on 
the east part is a tract of about 20 acres of lowland or 
swale; and the balance is mostly dry arable land about 
equally divided into gravelly loam, sandy loam, and alluvi¬ 
al deposits, and like most of the soil of the Onondaga val¬ 
ley very fertile ; and under good management producing 
fine crops. The swale is black muck, resting on a strata 
of clay of a few inches in thickness, and this on sand. 
The crops of the present season were as follows : 
Wheat, 19 acres, 380 bushels or 20 bushels per acre. 
Oats, 25 “ 1500 “ 60 
Corn, 26 “ not harvested, but a beautiful crop; 
and estimated by Mr. Avery from his experience in former 
corn crops, at 80 bushels per acre, making 2000 bushels. 
Buckwheat, 2 acres not threshed, but very good. 
Potatoes, 6 “ 1500 bushels or 250 bushels per acre. 
Hay, 20 “ 40 tons, mostly sold by weight. 
Sheep 200 ; horses 3; neat cattle 13; and swine 22. 
The sheep on Mr. Avery’s farm are a cross in which the 
Spanish Merino prevails; and the hogs are grade Berk- 
shires. 
The oats grown by Mr. Avery are of the kind called 
barley oat, having a shorter, thicker kernel and less hull or 
bran, than the common oat; Mr. Avery prefers it as more 
productive, and heavier than any other cultivated variety, 
his sometimes weighing from 42 to 46 pounds per bushel. 
The corn-field of Mr. Avery was a beautiful sight to a 
farmer. The rows were planted 3 feet 5 inches apart each 
way, and so perfectly straight were the rows, that in a 
length of 60 rods, a deviation of only a few inches could 
be perceived, and in whichever direction viewed the rows 
were equally distinct. Such workmanlike planting adds 
greatly to the ease of cultivation. The corn planted by 
Mr. Avery, is the eight rowed yellow, and the Dutton; 
Mr. A. preferring the latter. 
Mr. Avery draws his manures from his yards to his 
fields, and piles it, allowing it to ferment, and decompose tho¬ 
roughly, and become short muck. The committee consi¬ 
dered this a waste of its fertilizing qualities, and Mr. Ave¬ 
ry admitted such to be the case ; but he contended that the 
destruction of the seeds of weeds by the fermentation, and 
the consequent ease of keeping his land and his crops clean, 
and the increase of product from this cause more than com¬ 
pensated him for any loss arising from the escape of ferti¬ 
lizing matter during decomposition. 
In the summer of 1839, Mr. Avery applied manure to 
one part of a field which had been previously mown, in¬ 
verted the sod, and sowed it with wheat. To another part 
of the same field, (from which he had harvested wheat) he 
applied refuse lime from the kiln, to the probable amount 
of 180 bushels per acre ; which lime he deems equal in va¬ 
lue to one-third of that quantity of stone lime. The result 
was, that where manure was used, the straw was large, 
and the berry somewhat shrunk; where lime was used the 
straw was not so large, but was bright, the berry good, 
and the yield the greatest per acre. The ground where 
the lime was used was more worn than the other. 
In the swale before mentioned, the committee observed 
an improvement making by Mr. Avery, in the shape of a 
sod fence ; the opening from which the turf and earth are 
taken to make the fence serving the purpose of an open 
drain. Where a fence and open drain are required at the 
same point, this will probably be found a cheap and valua¬ 
ble improvement. Mr. Avery estimates the expense of 
such a fence and ditch, aside from posts and boards, at 
three shillings per rod. 
Agricultural Society of Fredericksburg, Va. 
Mr. Garnett’s Address. —The annual meeting of 
this Society, which has now been established many 
years, took place on the 13th of November, at Frede¬ 
ricksburg. The zeal and spirit with which it is con¬ 
ducted has had a most favorable influence on the agri¬ 
culture of the district, and the Reports of its annual 
meetings are always looked for with interest. Virginia 
is essentially and truly an agricultural state; its resour¬ 
ces in this respect are vast, and if they have in former 
times been too much neglected if her sons in their 
haste to be rich, have neglected and forsaken their pa¬ 
trimony for the western states, the action of such soci¬ 
eties, by improving the culture of the soil, and develop¬ 
ing the resources at home, will prevent the drain on the 
population and wealth of the Old Dominion, that has 
acted such an injurious part. 
The Address before the Society at the present meet¬ 
ing, as at several of the previous ones, was made by J. 
M. Garnett, Esq., whose reputation as an agriculturist, 
and powers as a writer, are well known to the readers 
of the Cultivator, to the pages of which he has contri¬ 
buted many excellent papers. An accurate and untir¬ 
ing experimentalist himself, a careful observer of na¬ 
ture, and the effect of various modes of treatment on 
the same plant, the details of his experiments in culture 
which constitute the substance of his addresses, renders 
them particularly instructive. 
In our notices of the Chinese Corn, we have express¬ 
ed the opinion that it would prove a valuable grain for 
the middle or southern states, where the season gave a 
certainty of its ripening, and the following conclusions 
drawn by Mr. Garnett, from his planting of two years, 
would seem to show our views were correct: 
u 1st. It ripens sooner in our climate than any of six or 
eight early varieties that I have ever tried, except the 
Golden Sioux, which is very unproductive. Secondly, it 
is fit to grind by the last of August if planted by the 1st 
of April, and it will produce roasting ears in 90 days. In 
the next place it is much more productive than any other 
dwarf corn. And lastly, I infer from the two trials alrea¬ 
dy made, that in land of medium fertility, it will proba¬ 
bly yield more per acre, although not more by the hill, 
than any of our common large varieties, since you may 
place it so close as to leave rather more than double 
the number of stalks.” 
Mr. Garnett states the yield per acre, at the rate of 
“ 6 barrels and 2 bushels,” and as weighing within a 
fraction of 64 lbs. to a bushel. Mr. Garnett’s remarks 
on the changes that take place in the color of corn, are 
interesting, but we must omit them. Mr. Garnett cor¬ 
rects an error into which this paper had fallen, in rela¬ 
tion to the point of insertion of the silk in the kernel, 
when remarking on Mr. Garnett’s statements on that 
point of vegetable physiology, in a former address. 
Mr. Garnett adduces some very strong arguments in 
proof of the position, that frequent stirring the earth 
in the summer is the surest remedy against drouth, an 
opinion in which he is unquestionably correct. As a 
proof of this, and also of the fact that the roots of corn 
are rarely injured by moving the earth, he quotes from a 
letter of Mr. Stevenson, of Arkansas, an extract in which 
he states, “ that in 1834 he planted a lot of corn in a light 
siliceous soil, with a red clay subsoil, the hills 4 feet 
apart. This he cultivated solely with the single coulter, 
running it both ways, 7 or 8 inches deep, the strokes 8 
inches apart, and within 4 inches of the plants. The sum¬ 
mer,” he says, “ was very dry and warm, hut his corn ‘ne¬ 
ver twisted at any time,’ although the coulter was used 4 
times. In September he cut off some of the corn to 
make room for a building, and found roots more than 
20 inches below the surface.” In speaking of the qua¬ 
lities of the white and yellow corn, and the higher 
price commanded by the latter in the northern markets, 
Mr. G. says —“ Not one southern man in a hundred will 
ever eat yellow corn bread, when he can get white.— 
To our taste there is nearly or quite as much difference 
between the two as between a chokepear and a fine 
seckel or bergamot.” 
Mr. Garnett describes a most satisfactory experiment 
he made in planting the shoots or sprouts from grow¬ 
ing potatoes, instead of the roots themselves; he found 
they gave at the rate of 302 bushels per acre, and there 
were very few small ones among them. In another ex¬ 
periment made by planting the roots on an even sur¬ 
face, 3 inches deep and 18 inches apart each way, and 
covering the whole with bean vines, dead grass, garden 
flags, &c., to the depth of 6 inches. This was all the 
culture they received, and the produce was at ihe rate 
of 504 bushels per acre. It has by some been supposed 
that Irish potatoes could not he produced in the south, 
but such experiments show the opinion to he altogether 
a mistake. 
This year, as in former ones, Mr. Garnett has been 
successful with the Rula Baga, and thinks there can be 
no serious difficulty in growing that valuable crop in the 
middle states. As a general rule we should not advise 
repeating the turnep crop on the same ground, for 
though we have sometimes succeeded in that way, yet 
experience here and in Europe seems to have shown 
that the crop is not uniformly as good, and is more liable 
to be attacked by the fly on grounds from which turneps 
were grown before than on others. We know of no 
crop which is not benefitted by a rotation, though some 
will doubtless resist the effect of a repetition longer 
than others. 
The Farmer’s Register, which has taken a deep inter¬ 
est in the silk culture, remarks that “ although there 
have been sundry cases of success this year, (1840) in 
raising silk worms, it is nevertheless certain that the far 
greater number of trials have resulted in general or en¬ 
tire failure ;” and Mr. Garnett’s experiment in growing 
cocoons, was not an exception. He estimates the pro¬ 
ceeds of his daughter’s labor, and that of 6 or 7 other 
persons, for 7 or 8 Aveeks, at only about $35; slender 
encouragement it is true ; but he justly remarks, that an 
unsuccessful experiment should not be deemed conclu¬ 
sive against the culture 
The closing paragraphs of this excellent address are 
directed to an exposition of the propriety and necessity 
of reducing the rates of postage on agricultural pam¬ 
phlets and periodicals,as well as written communications 
for such journals, to that of common newspapers ; and 
he has appended the form of a petition to the Congress 
of the United States for the passage of a law to that 
effect. We can see no possible objection either on the 
ground of its effect on the treasury, or on constitutional 
ones, to the adoption of such a course, and we are con¬ 
fident the best interests of the country demand the 
change. We trust the proposition will receive the at¬ 
tention of that body. 
u ILog Cabin Agricultural College.” 
Our readers will remember that in the last volume of 
the Cultivator, we gave some interesting notices of the 
“Great West,” from the Rev. T. S. Hinde, of Mt. 
Carmel, Illinois, a pioneer of the great west, and a 
contemporary and associate of Boon and his hardy 
and daring associates ; and particularly of his inten¬ 
tion to found an institution combining the advantages 
of collegiate and agricultural knowledge in the best 
possible manner. 
In a late communication to ns he states that the insti¬ 
tution has been long in contemplation with him, “ and 
arrangements made to erect it long before the rage for 
‘ log cabins and hard cider’ had become the topic of the 
day ;” and in it he more fully discloses the ‘ means’ at 
his disposal, and which he has devoted to its use. Did 
our limits permit we would gladly give his paper entire, 
hut must content ourselves Avith a brief notice. The 
means specified are as follows :■— 
1st. Six hundred acres of land for the use of the col¬ 
lege, and on which the buildings are to he erected. The 
necessary improvements for this purpose are now ma¬ 
king. 
2d. A volume of about 300 pages, entitled Soliloquies 
or reflections on a visit to the Old Dominion, (Va.) 
embracing many topics connected with the settlement 
of the West; the rise and progress of its agriculture 
and commerce ; and the progress of navigation from the 
original bark canoe to the present majestic steamboat. 
The table of contents show that it will be a most inte¬ 
resting work. Illustrated with plates. 
3d. A work to he entitled the Memoirs of the late 
Theophilus Armenicus, in 3 volumes, embracing a mul¬ 
titude of valuable facts in relation to western states. 
These works are now ready for the press. 
4th. Nearly ready for the press, a work on “ The 
Philosophy of Moses, as illustrated in the original He¬ 
brew, and sustained by facts as to custom, and main¬ 
tained by the learned among the Jew's.” Two vols. 
5th. “ Notes on the Antiquities of the West; and the 
principal transactions that have occurred in the Upper 
Mississippi and the Ohio valleys from their earliest set¬ 
tlement.” Few men have had a better opportunity of be¬ 
ing acquainted with every part of the West than Air. 
H., and few have witnessed more fully the progress of 
civilization, and its effects on the Indians. Personally 
acquainted Avith most of the poAverful chiefs that, have 
flourished or fought in the Avest for the last 50 years, with 
ample notes of their speeches, and correct minutes of 
proceedings at the principal Councils that haA r e been 
held with them, Mr. Hinde can hardly fail of making 
a work very instructive. 
We have only room to add that we Avish Mr. Hinde 
eAmry success in his efforts both in the cause of Educa¬ 
tion, and the Literature and History of the country, 
and trust the opening of the ‘ Log Cabin College’ at 
Alt. Carmel Avill prove an era in the progress of agri¬ 
culture, literature, and civilization in the West. 
