Oats, Barley, Rye, Peas, and Beans.-These crops, except oats, are not much cultivated in this locality; and oats are growing into disfavor more and more every year, because of their exhausting the soil. I have seen but one crop of barley here for twenty years, and that was only a small lot. Rye is only sown on what we call marsh lands, which, though prolific for corn and rye, will not bring wheat. Peas and beans are seldom planted, except in small patches, for family use, and to supply the places of corn-hills that have been destroyed by insects at a time when it is too late to re-plant with corn.

Clover and Grasses.-There is very little hay grown with us on high ground, except clover hay, and sometimes clover and Timothy or rye grass mixed. Timothy and herdsgrass are grown for hay on our meadows or fresh marshes. The average yield of hay cut per acre on upland is about one and a half ton; some of the meadows will yield three tons per acre. The best fertilizers for meadows and pastures are ashes and bone-dust. Guano is the best for setting the meadow or pasture in grass. The quantity of red clover-seed sown per acre is about one-sixth of a bushel; of rye grass, one peck; of Timothy, one gallon. The cost of growing and saving hay per ton will average about five dollars. I cannot say that my experience shows that red clover is injurious to horses; but it seems to be the prevailing belief in this locality that constant feeding with red clover seriously affects the wind of a horse, whether he be used for the road or the plough.

Dairy Husbandry.-I do not know of a single dairy farmer in this county. Our practice here, from time immemorial, has been, for the farmer to eat what he wants first, and then sell the surplus, if he has any. Every householder, almost, whether in the villages or on the farm, keeps a sufficient number of cows to supply his family with butter and milk. Some farmers keep more, and thus are enabled to sell weekly a few pounds of butter to the storekeepers in the villages. We have not a market-house in this county; the merchant of the village is the grain-buyer, the fishmonger, the huckster, and general factor and caterer for his customers.

Neat Cattle. The cost of rearing neat cattle till three years old is about twelve dollars, and the usual price at that age is about fifteen to eighteen dollars per head. The value of a good dairy cow is about twenty five dollars in the spring, and thirty dollars in the fall, if fresh in milk. We have never tried any of the imported breeds of cattle in this neighborhood, except the Durham, until recently. Our experience is, that Durham stock will make rather more meat from the same quantity of food, but they are not so good for milk or for work cattle as our native stock. The Devon stock are now taking the place of the Durham. The oxen of this stock are better than the native for heavy draught; but where speed is required our well reared natives are far superior. We generally break our steers to the yoke by gearing an old one and young one together, having their tails well plaited together and tied with thongs. After coupling and working in this manner for a few days, the young ones are placed in the same yoke and fastened ahead of the old ones to the same draught; or, what is better, placed between two yoke of old steers. Care is always to be taken to unfasten their tails before taking off the yoke, when ungearing the young oxen.

steers are well grown, we generally begin to work them a little at two years old, so as to accustom them to the yoke.

Horses and Mules.-Until within the last five or six years it has not been considered profitable to grow these animals here, because we could buy them at four years old from the Western drover rather cheaper than we could raise them. Since the Mexican war, however, these Western animals have become about thirty per cent. dearer, and it is now considered cheaper to raise our own stock. The cost of raising a horse-colt till three years old is about sixty dollars, and a mule about forty; the price at that age will vary materially, according to the blood. Ordinary stock will bring about seventy dollars; but blooded colts and large mules will generally bring at three years old but little less than one hundred, and frequently one hundred and twenty five dollars. The only difference in the cost of rearing common and blooded colts is in the siring and the loss of service of the dam for the first six months after foaling. A mare should be bred early in the season and while she is thin of flesh, and as soon as she has refused the horse she should be put in good condition and groomed with care and exercised nearly every day with moderate work; never strained or driven hard or very far in one day. We generally use our brood-mares in this way until a few days, or perhaps a fortnight, before foaling time, when they are turned out upon the pasture during the day and kept at night with a good bed of salt hay in a large stall--say seven or eight feet wide. After foaling, the dam and colt are permitted to run together in the pasture until the colt is about six months old, and fed together morning and night in the same stall. By this time the colt has learned to eat grain and hay, and is taken from the dam and generally fed with all the hay he can eat in the winter and a quart of oats or three or four ears of corn night and morning. Ile gets but little more grain than this daily allowance until the winter preceding the spring he is to be broken. He is then allowed about double the quantity of grain, and should be groomed with as much care as a regular work-horse. From the time he is taken from the dam the colt should be accustomed to the halter and bridle, and when it is in contemplation to break him he should first have the collar put on his neck, and that suffered to remain upon him day and night. He should then have a surcingle put around him, and his head and neck should be set up by means of the bridle, bradoon, martingale, and surcingle. He should be treated with these for several weeks before being invested with the harness complete. His harness should be kept at the foot of his stall and thrown gently on him three or four times a day for ten days before he is to be geared up. If these preparatory measures are taken you may expect your colt to go off kindly and smoothly the first time he is hitched up with a gentle horse in double harness. After a few drives in double harness, which should always be so short and to so light a vehicle as not to weary the colt, he may then be tried in single harness to a light buggy. Care should always be taken to have the harness to fit in all points, and light draughts and short drives for the first season, so as to prevent the colt from getting into the habit of stumbling-that most provoking of all tricks of which a horse can be guilty. Sheep and Wool.-I can give no information on these subjects. Hogs. Our farmers all agree that the best breed of hogs we have ever had in this section of country is a cross between the Berkshire and what

we call the Chester county breed; which last was brought here from Chester county, Pennsylvania, some eight or ten years ago. The rais. ing of hogs here is a matter of convenience, and not of economy, as we can usually purchase our bacon in Philadelphia cheaper than we can raise it. For this reason few farmers raise any for sale.

If you will, for every hundred pounds of pork, take eight pounds of alum salt, five pounds of sugar, four ounces of saltpetre, and one ounce of red pepper in the pod, and make it into a pickle strong enough to bear an egg, and pour it cold on your pork, the hams and shoulders being at the bottom, you will have it well pickled; then let it remain for six or seven weeks, when it should be taken out and the hock-ends of the hams and shoulders, and the parts where the bones protrude on the fleshy side, lightly covered with red pepper. Let it then be carefully hung up and smoked every day for two or three weeks, with half-seasoned sassafras wood, and you will have as good hams as are found this side of Westphalia.

Cotton, sugar-cane, rice, tobacco, and hemp are not grown with us. Root crops (turnips, carrots, beets, &c.) are not much cultivated as field crops.

Potatoes (Irish and Sweet.)-The average yield per acre on our land (which does not seem very well adapted to the Irish potato) is about 125 bushels of Irish and 150 of sweet potatoes. The cost of production and getting to market is about 18 cents per bushel. The most prolific and profitable sweet potato we raise is what is called the "Poplar root," which name describes the appearance of the potato. This variety frequently weighs from two to three pounds. The Mercer is generally esteemed with us the most prolific and profitable variety of Irish potatoes; but we have a variety called the "Pink-eye," which is decidedly better than the Mercer for table use.

Fruit Culture.-The culture of fruit is receiving increased attention here, and the spirit of enterprise is well rewarded. I have no doubt that apples enough can be grown on an acre to render the crop an exceedingly profitable one. I can say nothing with regard to the comparative value of apples and potatoes for feeding hogs and cattle. The varieties of apples that are mostly sought after here for winter use are the Newtown Pippin, and a handsome dark-red apple called "Carthouse." The last-named apple I believe is very little known in latitudes higher than 39°. It somewhat resembles the "Pomme d'Api" in flavor, but is very much larger, and in shape more round. The variety which seems to keep best or longest is the Butcher apple, and next to this is the "Grindstone." These varieties will keep till April and May. The most salable apples we send to the Philadelphia market are the Belleflower and Pippin. We have no such thing in this section as "blight" on apple trees, nor are we ever troubled with borers, of which so much complaint is made in the more Northern States. Our pear trees are somewhat affected by "blight" which some of our fruit-growers think is occasioned by electricity, and undertake to prevent by laying blacksmiths' cinders at the roots of the trees. The yellows on peach-trees we believe can be prevented, but do not think a tree can be saved after it is once attacked. This disease first manifests itself by causing the tree to put forth from the trunk or larger limbs bunches of very delicate switches or sprouts, bearing a very narrow, sickly-looking leaf. As soon as this symptom is

doubtful profit; the cost per ton on my farm having been about $60. Having tried both methods, I found it advisable to mix a bushel of plas ter per acre with the guano. I have found, when smut existed in my seed wheat, soaking it in a solution of salt or blue-stone, and afterwards rolling it whilst wet in slacked lime, an effectual remedy The hand screen-an implement introduced here within three or four years, and costing about $10-has been exceedingly effectual in removing cockle, scarcely a grain remaining. Weevils are scarcely known here. The fallow wheat is succeeded the following year by corn. For this crop the ground is broken up as early as it is in a proper condition to be ploughed in the spring, beginning usually with the middle or the latter part of March, when the ploughs will break about an acre and a half each per day. The plough used is the three horse bar-share. Should it be meadow ground, however, it is broken the previous fall as soon as practicable after seeding, in order that the sod may be completely rotted and merely harrowed and laid off in the spring. The laying-off furrows cross each other at right angles, four feet apart each way; some persons using for the purpose only the single shovel plough, and others preferring to use the bar-share, with two horses, in crossing, as affording a better bed for the seed. Corn-planting usually occurs between the 20th of April and 10th of May; sometimes, however, commencing a few days earlier, and occasionally continuing till late in May; the latter-planted corn, not unfrequently, with propitious seasons, equalling, and sometimes outstripping the early. About six grains are dropped to the hill, which are thinned to two or three when the corn is six or eight inches high; the corn is covered with the hoe. The cultivation of this crop once with the harrow, and repeatedly with the single and double shovel ploughs, occupies our agricul tural labor uninterruptedly, with the exception of a few days immediately after planting, devoted to the repairs and making of fences, till hay mak ing and harvest; the former commencing about the middle of June. Plaster is sometimes applied to the hill after the corn comes up, and sometimes omitted. If any improvement has been lately introduced in the cultivation of corn, it is probably in running a furrow with the single shovel plough, midway between the rows, in one or both directions, before harrowing, and very soon after the corn comes up; this advances the tillage, and the harrow acts more effectually; the roller is sometimes used with much benefit at this stage. A fair average crop of corn in a series of years from good land, well tilled, is from 25 to 30 bushels per acre; the price about 50 cents, varying from 40 to 60.. The corn is usually ripe enough to cut up by the 20th of September, and is shocked and housed during the fall and winter; sometimes not completely till spring. The common white and yellow varieties are cultivated; that known as the Dutton has been tried and abandoned as unproductive.

I have the honor to be, sir, most respectfully, your obedient servant, G. W. TURNER. To the COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS.

Manures. Our farmers generally consider that the best plan of makingmanure is to have a stock of hay, straw, and other provender, which will be abundant for feeding their cattle, and some to waste, as they term it. The cattle should each have separate stalls where they are kept haltered at night, and be permitted to run at large, in the pound or barn yard, during the day, in the winter season. In the fall of the year, the pound is to be cleaned up, and the manure, if not applied on wheat, to be taken to the field intended for corn the next season, and covered, in large heaps, with soil. The pound, after having been cleaned up, is immediately filled with corn-stalks, to the depth of eighteen inches or two feet. After these are somewhat trampled by the cattle, woods earth is hauled into the pound, in depth about three inches; then another layer of corn-stalks or straw. After this, the manure is taken from the stalls, and spread over the last layer of litter, and that immediately covered with. woods-earth. This operation is repeated from time to time during the whole winter, care being always taken to keep the manure that is taken from the stalls and stables immediately covered with woods-earth or a deep covering of straw. Lime is extensively used of late years. Plaster is very seldom used as a fertilizer. It is the prevailing belief that of itself it has no fertilizing effect, but is useful as a top-dressing in time of a drought, as it attracts moisture from the atmosphere. In using lime on a worn-out soil, we generally begin with a dressing of twenty-five bushels of quicklime to the acre, on the top. If the land is suffered to lie without being cultivated for two years, it may then be broken up with a deep ploughing. Then it is ready to receive another dressing of quick lime, fifty bushels per acre, on top of the ploughed surface. This ap. plication should be repeated every fourth year. Guano is getting to be very extensively used, and it has never yet failed of success. It is, of all manures we have ever tried, the surest and the best. The only complaint we have to make respecting it is the exorbitant price at which it is held by the agents of the Peruvian government. We usually apply about from 250 to 400 pounds to the acre. The effect of 100 is very visible on worn-out land; and on the very leanest soil it may be applied at the rate of 500 or even 600 pounds per acre with increased success. The only question with us is, will it pay the landlord to furnish his tenant with this manure? More than one half the land in this county is yet cultivated by tenants, who usually pay the landlord a rent, in kind, of about two fifths of the merchantable grain. It is a rare case that a tenant will agree to pay for any portion of the guano, though some of them are sufficiently intelligent to see their interest in doing so. As I have stated in the commencement of this communication, the increase in the yield of corn from the application of guano is about 5 or 6 bushels per hundred pounds. Taking 5 as the average, this increase is equal in money (estimating corn at 50 cents per bushel) to $2 75. The cost of guano to the farmer is $2 25 per hundred pounds, leaving a profit of 50 cents. To this is to be added the increase in provender. or fodder, which is equal to about $1 25 per hundred pounds, making the excess of product of 100 pounds of guano over cost, in money, about $1 75; from this is to be deducted, again, 25 cents per hundred for hauling and spreading on the land, leaving a clear profit of $1 50 per hundred pounds, or thirty dollars per ton. Now, out of this the tenant gets, first, all the increased yield of fodder, $1 25 per hundred, one fifth