of the organization of the Society, which took place at a meeting of a few public spirited individuals the past winter. Application was made to the Legislature for aid, and a bill making a suitable appropriation passed the House of Assembly unanimously, but was lost by a tie vote in the Senate. He thought, and justly too, that the present fair, undertaken and carried into successful operation by the farmers themselves, would have a favorable effect upon the next Legislature. In conclusion the President said, that in looking for a model institution, from which to pattern theirs, they had fixed upon that of New York, and that they had selected and invited one of its members, the Hon. J. P. BEEKMAN of Kinderhook, to address them on this occasion.

After the applause which this announcement elicited, Dr. BEEKMAN commenced his address, in which he gave a history of the rise and progress of the N. Y. State Ag. Society, and the effect it has had on the prosperity of her citizens. He pointed out the small beginning of this now pow erful institution,-paid a deserved tribute to the memory and labors of the lamented BUEL, and to the influence of the Agricultural press-stated the discouragements under which the Society labored for years, but which were finally overcome by the determined perseverance of the few who looked forward with confidence to the success which has now crowned their labors. He described the progress which had been made in Agricultural improvements during the existence of the Society, and thus encouraged his audience to press forward in the laudable efforts which they had now so aus. piciously commenced, until the influence of their Society should be extended, as was that of New York, over the whole state.

On motion of Ex-Governor STEELE, the thanks of the Society were voted to Dr. BEEKMAN for his Address, and a copy asked for publication.

In the evening, the hall was again crowded, to hear remarks from all who chose to address them. The meeting was opened by the President, who reminded the Society that there were present a great number of practical farmers, whom they wished to hear, and expressed the hope that the brief time that they could devote together to the interests of the great cause of agriculture, would be every moment improved.

The meeting was successively addressed by Gov. Steele, Judge Woodbury, Gov. Colby, Mr. Cooke of Keene, Mr. Briggs of Ohio, Gen. Pierce of Concord, Mr. Sawyer of Piermont, Dr. Martin of Dover, Col. Berry of Hebron, and several others. The remarks of several of these gentlemen, proved that as farmers they would compare well with the best farmers in the country, and that their lands, as they should do, were, by an intelligent practice, growing more productive each succeeding year. This is the true course. No man can be justly called a good farmer who permits his land to deteriorate. The meeting was altogether, a very interesting one, and we doubt whether there was one farmer present, who had not, before it broke up, formed the determination, so necessary to useful progress in any branch of industry, hereafter to improve the advantages with in his reach, better than he had ever done before. We would gladly copy largely from a report of the speeches, furnished by a correspondent of the Boston Traveller, did our limits permit; but we must close with a few brief examples of what has been done, by way of encouragement to those who are disposed to see what they can accomplish.

Gov. STEELE said he had been but five years a farmer, and commenced upon land which had been reduced to the lowest degree. As he was altogether unlearned in the art, he resorted to agricultural books for practical knowledge. He attributed his success in bringing his land from almost barrenness, to a highly productive state, to deep plowing and liberal manuring. My practice, said Gov. S., has been to plow deep, and when time will admit of it, to subsoil, and always with good success.

Gov. COLBY said he was a farmer by profession, and was happy to meet with his brother farmers to receive and impart instruction. He had raised this year forty tons of hay from twenty acres, and thirty tons from twenty acres more. This is pretty good, but his land could do better, and he wanted to know how it could be made to do it at the least cost. He had raised wheat for six years upon plowed green-sward, and never failed of having a good crop and good wheat. He lived in a hilly re gion, where the wind blows, and no insects affected his wheat. The weevil can't live there, and this was an axiom with him, if you would succeed in wheat, raise it where the wind blows. His carrots this year yielded 800 bushels to the acre; and he considered them the best roots to raise for stockbetter by far than potatoes.

Mr. SAWYER of Piermont, explained the mode by which he was enabled to raise his own wheat, which was to top dress his land in the fall with lime compost, and he never failed, his crops averaging from 15 to 25 bushels per acre. He thought that the great amount of money paid for flour brought into the state, should be retained at home, and all that they had to do, was just to turn about and raise it for themselves. "Out of the abundance of our land," said Mr. S., we want and should have, for agricultural prosperity, more small farms. Let every young man have one. Farms of 200 or 300 acres may profitably be divided into 4 or 5 farms, and each acre could then be made to produce three times its present yield. This is the true policy for New England, and by it we shall excel in agriculture, as we now excel in industry and energy. Let us resolve that everything we touch shall bear the mark of improvement, and we can double our wealth, and sustain double the population upon our

soil."

Col. BERRY of Hebron, related his experience with a field that he bought some years ago. When purchased, it was entirely reduced, and the whole value of the crop upon it was not worth $15. In the spring of the year, I drew out of the field one hundred and twenty loads of stumps. I then run the plow through it in every direction, driving it to the beam. I manured two acres, and planted it with corn and potatoes. My crop was decent. I plowed and manured again, and sowed to grass and oats, or wheat. I have this year gathered large and profitable crops, but like Gov. Colby, I want to know how I can make that field produce more."

As we left Concord on Thursday morning, we cannot speak of the transactions of the last day; but we learn that the attendance was large-esti mated at from eight to ten thousand; and that the exhibition was closed up in a manner most gratify. ing, both to the public and to the officers of the Society, who,-especially Mr. NESMITH the President, Mr. WALKER, the Secretary, and Mr. BAKER the Treasurer,-deserve great credit for the success which has crowned this first exhibition of the NewHampshire State Agricultural Society. May still greater success attend their future labors.

Westchester County Ag. Society.

The annual exhibition of this society took place at Tarrytown on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of October. The general display was less extensive than had been anticipated; owing, probably, to the location being on one side of the county, not conveniently reached from the other portions. The number of animals was small, and with a few exceptions they were only of ordinary quality. Of cattle, most of the breeding stock was of common or mixed blood, whose appearance did not indicate extraordinary value for any purpose. We noticed a very good fat ox, four years old, a cross of the short horn breed, owned by Motte Underhill, Westchester. There was, also, three yoke of good working oxen. There were a few good sheep-long wools and South Downs. Among the former we noticed specimens offered by Dyckman Odell and Saml. Acker, Greenburgh, and Daniel Jepson, Yorktown. Of swine, there was a very large and well shaped sow, resem. bling the large Lincolnshire breed, owned by Ira Miller, and a Berkshire boar, showing the peculiar points of that breed, owned by P. R. Paulding, Tarrytown. There was a respectable show of fruits, consisting of apples of the popular kinds for late keeping, a few choice pears, and a very handsome show of grapes. The latter were chiefly from the extensive vineyard of the President of the Society, Dr. R. T. Underhill, at Croton Point. He informed us that he has twenty-five acres in grape vines-twenty of which are devoted to the Isabella variety, and five to the Catawba. The Isabella has ripened a good crop the present season, though in many instances there is complaint of a failure in this respect. The Catawba is always more uncertain than the Isabella, throughout our section of the country, but Dr. U. thought his would ripen quite well, if the mild

weather continued till the 16th. These two kinds constitute his main crop, though he cultivates others on a small scale, by way of experiment, and to test their adaptedness to his purposes. His grapes are sold in New-York, at eight to ten cents per pound. The American Institute held its trial of plows, plowing match, and spading match at Tarrytown, in connexion with the show of the Westchester county Society. The competition, both in the trial of plows and plowing match was quite small-only five plows owned by three men, having been entered for trial, and only three plows for the plowing match. In the trial of plows, the specifications for the size of furrow, were given as follows: 1st, sixteen in ches wide, eight inches deep; 2d, twelve inches wide, six inches deep. In regard to the propriety of plowing sixteen inches wide, we may have a word to say another time. What were the rules in refer ence to the awards on the plowing match, except that the furrows were to be six inches deep we are not informed.

A sub-soil plow was exhibited, (not for premium.) by Mr. Samuel Allen, of New-York, who, though passed the age of three-score and ten, showed the operation of this valuable implement, under the guidance of his own hands.

There were four competitors in the spading match. The ground was divided into lots twenty feet long and ten feet wide, and one hour was al. lowed for the completion of the work. All the lots were finished within the time, and the quality of the work on two of them, was of the best character-the soil being thoroughly pulverized to the depth of from ten to twelve inches.

Addresses were delivered on the show-ground, before large and highly respectable audiences, on the

10th and 11th, by Dr. Gardner, and by Gen. Dix. Both addresses were able, and creditable to the distinguished speakers, but as they are expected to be published, we will not attempt a particular no. tice of them here.

From what we saw of Westchester county, in our excursion through a portion of it, we should conclude that the agriculture of several neighbor. hoods was considerably improving, and it is presumed that these examples will be a strong stimu lus to further progress. The proximity to New. York, and the means of reaching a market where all productions find a ready sale at good prices, offer great inducements to high cultivation, and we cannot doubt that a judicious course of farming would be here followed with the most satisfactory

returns.

Drainage of Soils.

Fancy a soil full of water, so that any rain which falls on it, just rolls over the surface into the next ditch, without getting into the land. The water in such a case, by excluding the air, will sour the land; it will convert what would have been good food for plants, into poison for them; but even supposing it did not do this, the plants would soon starve. For you must remember that a plant in the soil is just as a man would be who was chained, by the leg, to one place in the larder. The larder may be full of food, but as soon as the man had eaten all that was within his reach, he would starve, though in the midst of plenty; that is he would do so if there were not some contrivance in operation for carrying the different dishes by him as he stood, so that he might take a bit here and there as they passed, just as he chose. Now, in a well drained soil, the rain water is just such a contrivance as this. It dissolves out the mineral part of the soil, and carries it by the and a bit there, as they choose, and thus they are roots of plants, so that they may take a bit here fed; but if the land be not drained, the water soon fills it, and then no more rain will sink in, and the water is stagnant in the land-there is no current through it-the dishes in this larder are lying still on their shelves, and as soon as the poor plant has eaten up all the food around it, (even supposing it to be food and not poison,) it must starve, for it cannot go about after its food like an animal; it is like an animal chained by the leg; it is stationary, and must die if food is not brought to it. The use of draining is to keep the soil so that rain shall sink through it and feed plants. Abundance of water is a good thing. What is more fertile than a water meadow? But then it must not be stagnant water, which keeps the food of plants away from them, or converts it into poison. It must be water in motion continually carrying food to the roots of plants, as in a water meadow or that on a well drained field it does. Ag. Gaz.

Method of Skinning Calves.

As most dairymen are in the habit of killing their calves as soon as the milk is good, and as buyers of skins have frequent occasion to complain of cuts and hacks, I give the following method of skinning. First rip the skin as usual, and start it from the fore legs and neck, sufficient to fasten a small chain around the neck of the skin, and with another, chain the neck of the calf to something permanent, and with a small windlass attached to the side of the barn or something where you wish to do your work, draw off the skin by means of small levers or arms of your windlass. G. A. HANCHET.

Fair of the American Institute.

The exhibition of this association for the present year, is thought to have been superior, in several respects, to any previous one. There was a larger collection of machinery and articles of a strictly useful character, than is usually seen here. Among the articles of this kind, we noticed very powerful iron shears, on the principle of Dix's Anti-friction Press, which we understood were designed for exhibition at the World's Fair at London, next year. A steam engine of new and simple construction, was offered by M. P. Coons, of Lansingburgh. King's Railway Washing Machine, also offered by Mr. Coons, appears to be an improvement. Grimes' Improved Cooking Closet, by which baking, boiling, roasting, washing, and ironing may be carried on at the same time, appears to be an economical apparatus.

Good assortments of agricultural implements were exhibited by A. B. Allen & Co., and John Mayher & Co., New-York.

The show of animals was held at the Madison Cottage on the 16th and 17th of October. The display of the different kinds of stock, though not large, was decidedly better in quality, in most of the classes, than we have before witnessed here. Horses were quite numerous, though most of them were too long-legged and too loose made to suit our notion of what horses should be for service and endurance. A compact and heavy Norman horse, bred by Mr. Harris of New-Jersey, was shown by C. F. Howell, Astoria, L. I.

The cattle comprised specimens of Short horns, Devons, Ayrshires, Alderneys, one Hereford, two Hungarians, and a large number under the denomination of "grades," consisting of mixtures of the various imported and common stocks. There were but few full blood short-horns. A good bull, “Earl Seaham," was shown by Sherwood & Stevens, and a good cow and several young animals by Mr. Vail, of Troy. Seven imported Devons, of various ages, were shown by Ambrose Stevens. They were from the celebrated herds of Messrs. Quartly & Mercer, Devonshire, England, and are most beautiful stock -combining size, substance and symmetry in a remarkable degree. W. P. & C. S. Wainwright, of Rhinebeck, exhibited four fine Devons. They were from the herds of Messrs. Baker and Geo. Turner, of Devonshire. The bull, four years old, is a su perior animal. A good bull and cow were shown by J. N. Blakeslee, of Connecticut.

R. L. Colt, Esq., Paterson, N. J., exhibited Ayrshires, Alderneys, and Hungarians. Among the 14 grades," were several excellent milking COWS. We noticed as particularly good those of fered by Thomas Bell, (the same which were at our State Fair,) and those offered by James Bathgate, a cross of the Ayrshire and Durham, and those of R. R. Morris, a cross of the Holstein and Durham. There were several good fat cattle. The beautiful red ox, four years old, purchased by Mr. Bell of Mr. Wadsworth at the State Fair, is as fine as ever, Mr. B. has had the misfortune to lose his mate, having been over-heated on his way to Mr. B.'s farm. A pair of very heavy oxen, of good quality, was shown by John J. Coapman, Pough. keepsie. We saw but one yoke of working oxen, and they were not remarkable for any good qualities that we could discover.

gate & Bell, of Morrisania, were of good size and form, and strong constitution. There were several lots of excellent South-Downs, particularly those imported by Ambrose Stevens, and those offered by Edward Waite, Montgomery, Orange county, and D. B. Haight, Washington, Dutchess county. D. W. Catlin, of New-York, exhibited several Saxon rams and ewes, of the stock imported by him in connexion with C. B. Smith, of Connecticut. Good Saxons were also shown by Walter Wakeman, North-East, Dutchess county. J. N. Blakeslee & Son, and Mr. Thrall, of Connecticut, showed ex cellent specimens of Merinos.

Of swine, some fine Suffolk pigs were shown by Edward Hallock; and a first rate imported boar, thirteen months old, of Fisher Hobbs' Black Essex variety, was shown by Samuel Brewer, New-York. Several lots of white hogs, of a very large kind, called Lincolnshires, were exhibited.

There was quite a display of poultry, comprising several varieties of geese, white and dark colored turkeys, several kinds of ducks, and a large assortment of fowls of the gallus family, among which the Malay tribe, under the names of Cochin-China, Shanghae, and half a dozen other names, were prominent. The principal exhibitors in this department were R. L. Colt, Paterson, Wm. Moore, New-York.

Franklin Institute.

This old established Institute are now holding their 20th annual exhibition of American Manufactures, in the buildings called the " Chinese Museum," admirably adapted to the purposes of the exhibition. On the main floor as you enter, you find the machinery in operation-a display alike creditable to American artists and to the Institution. Several water rams are in constant operation, exhibiting their almost self-acting powers. Beautiful steam engines, some of miniature dimensions, are in opera. tion-and the variety of articles in this room, is deserving of the special attention which they are receiving from a crowd of visitors. Two of Woodworth's planing machines are in this room. Many ingenious articles are on exhibition which, did not time prevent, would meet a special notice.

Adjoining this room, the stoves, grates, cooking apparatuses, &c., are exhibited in operation. Bread smoking hot, and cakes in like order, are being exhibited fresh from the ovens, and every desirable facility is here given to visitors to test the value of the different articles for actual use. The arrange. ments in this room exceed any thing I have else. where seen. Agricultural implements of various kinds are contained in the room first named. No. of articles on exhibition in these rooms is 937.

The

From the stove room you ascend to the grand exhibition rooms above, being the main rooms of the exhibition. This immense room with its gallery is arranged in the most admirable manner, so that visitors have an opportunity of examining every article without the inconvenience so often experienced. By having the exhibition arranged in several apartments, the crowd of visitors is broken up, and no inconvenience from the throng is experienced. The show of cotton goods is most admirable. I noticed the articles from several N. Y. establishments, among others the New York mills Oneida county, who exhibited very choice shirtings, cottonades, check gingham, and chambrays, and from Benj. Marshall, Troy.