A CONSOLIDATION OF BUEL’S CULTIVATOR AND THE GENESEE FARMER. 
Cult. Vol, VIII,—No. 8, 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY. 
GAYLORD &. TUCKER, EDITORS. 
JESSE BUEL & CO. PROPRIETORS. 
One Dollar per annum—Six Copies for $5. 
(PAYABLE always in advance.) 
20 per cent commission on 25 or more subscribers, and 
25 per cent commission on 100 or more. 
Subscriptions to commence with a volume; and the money 
to be sent free of postage. 
Of the State Agricultural Society, to be held at Syracuse 
on the 23lh and 30 th days of September, 1841. 
We are gratified at receiving assurances from all parts 
of the state, that the plan of the September Fair of the 
State Society is welt received, and will doubtless be at¬ 
tended in such a manner as to make it one of the most 
interesting exhibitions of the kind that has yet taken 
place in this country. It will be seen by a reference to 
the list of premiums (see Cultivator for June, page 93,) 
that for cattle between thirty and forty premiums, va¬ 
rying from $5 to $20 in amount, are offered : on horses, 
eight premiums of from $8 to $20 ; on swine eight pre¬ 
miums of from $5 to $10 ; on sheep, eighteen premiums 
of from $5 to $10 ; on farm implements, twenty-five 
premiums of from $5 to $30; making altogether a very ex¬ 
tensive list of premiums,.besides which a large number of 
discretionary premiums will be awarded on such arti¬ 
cles as shall appear worthy of such distinction, and 
which could not be conveniently arranged under the 
foregoing classes. 
We think the conductors of the public press who are 
friendly to the cause of agriculture would confer an ad¬ 
ditional favor on their readers, if they would call the 
attention of their farming subscribers to this subject, 
and press upon them the necessity of encouraging and 
attending not only the meetings and fairs of the State 
Society, but of adequately supporting, and efficiently 
organizing such county societies, as are contemplated 
in the law making provision for the advancement of 
agriculture. We trust that no remissness on the part 
of any will prevent the realization of the full benefits 
expected from these movements in behalf of agricul¬ 
ture. 
Agricultural Prospeeis^-Improved Stock, &c. 
Since the July number of the Cultivator was issued, 
we have had the pleasure of an excursion through some 
of the western counties of this State, and though our 
time was necessarily limited, we had the satisfaction 
of calling upon many of our farming friends, and ob¬ 
serving generally the appearance of the crops and the 
condition of agriculture. That great improvements are 
making in our husbandry, no one can doubt, who sees 
what it now is, and remembers what it was some twen¬ 
ty years since. In the appearance and management of 
the crops ; in the kinds and qualities of the agricultural 
implements ; in the superiority of the work performed • 
but more particularly in the animals on the farms, cat¬ 
tle, sheep, swine, &c. it is clearly to be seen great ad¬ 
vances have been made. 
The early spring was most unfavorable to the opera¬ 
tion of the farmer, cold and wet, and consequently back¬ 
ward ; and this was followed from about the 20th of 
May with extremely dry and hot weather through the 
greater part of June. The sowing of the barley and 
spring wheat, had been much retarded, and when done 
was not accomplished under the most favorable circum¬ 
stances, and the spring grains generally received at the 
onset a shock, from the effects of which they will 
scarcely recover, even under the favorable weather 
and refreshing rains since experienced. In some few 
districts the wheat is quite inferior, and as a whole, 
will not, we think, come up to a medium crop. Never 
have we known a season, in which the effects of plaster 
on grass lands have been more manifest than this, and 
the thick bottom of white clover, and luxuriant red clo¬ 
6 
ALBANY, N. Y. AUGUST, 1841. 
ver of the fields, where this substance has been used, 
demonstrates the advantage of its application. In the 
drier sections of the west, grass will be lighter than 
usual, and it will be necessary to give the more atten¬ 
tion to raising and saving other materials for fodder. 
The growth of the root crops had evidently been check¬ 
ed by the dry weather, but are now coming on finely, 
and potatoes, &c. give a promise of good yields. Corn, 
we think, appears better than any other crop ; the hot 
dry weather agreeing with this plant, and where the 
soil was in good condition, giving it an unwonted luxu¬ 
riance. We have rarely, in any year, seen more beau¬ 
tiful fields of this truly valuable grain. Of fruit, we 
may say, without exaggeration, the country is literally 
full of it. Apples, pears, peaches, plums, (unless by 
the negligence of the owners, the trees have been de¬ 
stroyed by the blight,) cherries, and all the minor 
fruits, abound, and will contribute much to the prospe¬ 
rity and comfort of the farmer and others. 
We were much gratified also, in witnessing the tone 
of public feeling, and the true spirit prevailing on the 
subject of agriculture. There is more self-reliance, 
more inquiry, more reflection on the principles of hus¬ 
bandry among farmers than there used to be ; there is 
less dread of innovation : a thing proposed is not con¬ 
demned untried or unheard because it is new, nor with 
many are agricultural heresies deemed sacred, because 
they are of venerable age. Scarcely a town, or even 
neighborhood, can be found, in which are not found 
some well informed, well read agriculturists, who, by 
the silent, yet powerful influence of example, are gra¬ 
dually dispelling the prejudices and errors that have 
so long retarded the progress of the farmer. Such 
men bring to the notice of their neighbors and friends 
the agricultural journals of the day, and wherever these 
go, inquiry, experiment, and eventually improvement 
follow in their train. 
Few of the calls or visits made by us, gave more 
pleasure, than the one to the farm of Col. Sherwood, 
at Auburn ; as here, owing to the accidental detention 
of half a day, we had an opportunity, for the first time, 
of seeing some of the beautiful Short Horns, from the 
herd of Mr. Rotch, of Butternuts, Otsego county. Col. 
Sherwood, the well known stage proprietor, being, by 
the progressive extension of railroads, partially driven 
from the business he has so long followed with advan¬ 
tage to himself and the public interests, resolved, last 
year, to devote a portion of his time and capital to the 
pursuits of agriculture. For this purpose, he purchas¬ 
ed the farm formerly owned and occupied by the late 
United States Marshal, N. Garrow, situated on the 
western border of the beautiful village of Auburn. 
Having selected a lot of the best cows to be found in 
his vicinity, he determined to procure a few of the best 
Improved Short Horns, and we had the pleasure of 
viewing his purchases, which were principally from 
the herds of Mr. Van Rensselaer, of this city, Mr. 
Rotch, of Otsego, and Mr. Alexander, of the same 
county. Those from Mr. Rotch’s stock, including those 
purchased of Mr. Alexander, exhibit in a striking man¬ 
ner the perfection and skill of good breeding, and pre¬ 
sent points of excellence, which are only found in ani¬ 
mals bred by the most careful and competent observers ; 
and those from this city were the choice of Mr. Van 
Rensselaer’s herd. Altogether we think Col. Sherwood 
has reason to be proud of his stock, both blood and na¬ 
tive, and we trust his success will be equal to the intel¬ 
ligence and enterprise he has shown in the undertak¬ 
ing. 
After the examination of his own stock, Col. Sher¬ 
wood had the kindness to accompany us to the farm of 
Major Dill, in the same vicinity, where, although the 
Major was unfortunately absent, we had the pleasure of 
seeing two beautiful Short Horn heifers, from the herd 
of Col. Randall, animals worthy of high commendation. 
We saw also a native heifer, of which, and justly too, the 
Major thinks very highly. In general appearance, she 
much resembles the cattle exhibited by Mr. Hooker, 
of Brighton, at the Monroe Agricultural Fair of 1833, 
and described by that gentleman in the Genesee Far¬ 
mer, vol. 4-h, page 6. Mr. Hooker’s cattle were black, 
with white spots, fine forms, and the prizes they re¬ 
ceived, showed the estimation in which they were held 
by the judges. According to Mr. Hooker’s statement, 
they were “ a cross of the Dutch Short Horn,, with the 
Durham Short Horn.” Major Dill’s heifer is black, 
and from her form, color, and promising milking quali¬ 
ties, as well as her dam being black, it is probable she 
is from, or has partaken of the blood of that stock. 
Though but two years old, she has a calf by a Short 
Horn bull, and gives twelve quarts of milk per day. 
Cult, & Far, Vol, II,—No, 8. 
It is surprising, when we reflect on the comparative* 
ly short time which has elapsed since public opinion 
has been directed to the subject, to witness the actual 
improvement in our domestic animals. Go where you 
will, you have pleasing evidence that the Berkshires, 
or their kindred improved breeds, are fast crowding out 
the omnivorous alligator races of swine from our land. 
Where the fineness of the wool grown is not so much 
of an object with the farmer, the fine South Downs are 
taking the place of the scraggy, coarse wooled sheep, 
that constituted the old flocks. And there is scarce a 
district in which traces of Short Horn blood are not to 
be seen more or less pure, in the herds that graze our 
rich pastures. In short, we find everywhere in the 
country, the most satisfactory evidences that farmers 
are fast assuming their true position in the State ; that 
the cry of hard times is much less frequently felt than 
formerly ; that honest industry is receiving a proper re¬ 
ward, and that in the spread of intelligence, knowledge 
and education, we have the surest guarantee that a state 
of things so properous will still be continued. 
Kentucky Blue Grass. 
Mr. John Lewis has transmitted to us a memoir 
prepared by him on the subject of this grass, which, 
from the minute accuracy of the details, the botanical 
skill of the writer, and the perfect manner of the inves¬ 
tigation, will, we hope, settle the proper place, name, 
and character of this grass among naturalists. 
That it belongs to the Poa family or genus, was ad¬ 
mitted by all; but there has been much dispute as to its 
species, and it has been by different writers called P. 
viridis, P. pralensis, and P. trivialis, and more recent¬ 
ly Mr. Nuttall has described a species which he has 
called P. pungens, which appears in many respects to 
resemble this grass perfectly. According to Mr. Lewis, 
the celebrated Blue grass of Kentucky, and to the ex¬ 
cellent qualities of which the great superiority of the 
beautiful pastures of that state is mainly owing, is call- 
ed in Virginia goose grass, yard grass, green sward ; in 
England great or smooth stalked meadow grass, and if 
so, it appears to be the same grass called in the north¬ 
ern states June grass, or the P. pralensis of botanists, 
which Mr. Lewis, as well as Mr. Stevenson, the able 
editor of the Kentucky Farmer, who assisted in verify¬ 
ing the details, is disposed to consider it. 
We cannot imagine, when we reflect on the immense 
importance of the true grasses to the agriculture of the 
country, the trifling shades in appearance by which 
grasses wholly distinct in quality arese para ted from each 
other, and the confusion in names which prevails even 
with regard to some of those the most common and best 
known, of a greater benefit that could be conferred on 
the agriculture of the United States, than a volume by 
some competent person on our grasses, indigenous and 
acclimated, with figures which shall make the distinc¬ 
tions apparent to all such as take an interest in such 
matters. Such a work we hope will ere long be under¬ 
taken, should not the volumes published as part of the 
survey of this state, render it unnecessary. 
Florida Fruits. 
Col. Wyatt, of Florida. in answer to some inquiries 
of Judge Breckenridge, of Pittsburg, has furnished se¬ 
veral papers for the National Intelligencer, containing 
much curious information respecting that country and 
its productions. Col. Wyatt thinks that eventually 
it will become one of the finest and most productive sec¬ 
tions of the United States ; that the famous everglades 
will be drained, and that the culture of sugar. Cuba to- 
bacco, tropical fruits and plants,and indeed all kinds of 
valuable trees grown in any southern clime, will be suc¬ 
cessfully prosecuted. 
In answer to an inquiry respecting the value of one 
acre of tropical fruit, Col. Wyatt says,—“ I have no 
positive data to govern me in this estimate ; but I would 
say that one acre cultivated in orange or lemon, allow¬ 
ing two hundred trees to the acre,(not an over number, 
I think,) and producing one thousand to the tree, va- 
lued atone cent each, would yield a crop worth $2,000. 
One acre planted in sugar cane, producing 2,000 lb’s, at 
4 cents per pound,would amount to $80 ; the same in cot¬ 
ton producing 200 pounds of cleaned cotton of the first 
quality, at 30 cents per pound, would come to $60. An* 
acre planted to other tropical fruits, such as the pine¬ 
apple, fig, plantain, or banana, would no doubt far ex¬ 
ceed the estimate for the orange and lime.” Col. Wyatt, 
deems the territory unfit for the culture of the coffee 
tree, that requiring a deep soil, and the whole of Flori¬ 
da being based on a limestone rock with a shallow soil, 
not suited to the long tap root of the coffee tree 
