increased advantage to the feeder. The increase in number and value of farm stock has been great within the last few years. All kinds of stock are high. To this, perhaps, may be attributed the fact, that more calves have escaped the butcher's knife the few last seasons than usual. Many good horses are raised here, but not enough for the convenience of our population. Beef is not as high, in proportion, as cows and working oxen. The quarters are worth from $5 to $6 per hundred; hides, $3 50 to $4; good cows, in May last, worth $30 to $35; oxen, $95 to $120.

Sheep.-Sheep husbandry connects admirably with the common branches of farming in northeastern Pennsylvania. The price of wool is now lower than usual, 20 to 50 cents per pound, according to quality. But few fine wooled sheep in the county; flocks are principally native, in many instances crossed with Berkshire. The marshal for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, in 1840, reported 34,878 in this county. I am quite certain there are now twice as many as then. Average pounds per head, 3 to 4. Mutton is worth, in spring season, 5 and 6; in the fall, 4 and 5 cents per pound. Skins, this season, three to five shillings apiece; winter fleeced and large, more. A friend, in writing to me a few years since, says: "Sheep are to be admired for various reasons; for the warm and healthy article of clothing they produce, for their valuable mutton, for their ability to produce two crops in a year, viz., wool and lambs, for their quietness, and for various other reasons. Unlike other animals, they have no disposition to injure one another. The stronger will not oppress the weaker, and the stranger may eat at the same rack. In this respect, what a valuable lesson is taught to the shepherd by his flock. A sheep may die in debt to its purchaser, but it cannot to him who raised it. The reason for this is plain. It pays all charges once a year, and the moment it has settled for arrearages, it commences to accumulate at a rate which is sure not to fail wherewithal to meet the next annual settlement; and, die when it may, it always leaves a fair compensation to its owner for what little it has consumed of his substance. Notwithstanding the opinion of some men to the contrary, sheep are a greater benefit to a farm than any other kind of stock I have ever kept. They will turn thorns, and briars, and noxious weeds, curses pronounced on Adam and his seed, into useful substances, and in the end cause them to become extinct, and valuable grasses to grow in their stead. Thus do they lighten the toils of man; thus do they turn the curse into a double blessing; yea, treble-his thorny fields into green rich pastures, into warm clothing for his body, and into wholesome food for his subsistence." The wool growing, like the wheat growing business is travelling west and south. If wool should fall off in price for two years to come as it has for the last ten years, it will not be worth the attention of farmers in the eastern and middle States.

Hogs. No great or material change has taken place in this kind of stock since '47. More pork is made, and more consumed; but not as much in proportion to the population as then. Average

weight per hog, when fatted, about 270 pounds; market value, while fresh, $6 to $7 per cwt.

Poultry and eggs.-Dung hill fowls receive increased attention. Poland hens are much sought for-perhaps more than they will be two years bence. The full blooded lay remarkably well; but are quite scrupulous about hatching chickens. Ours had rather lay two eggs a day, and work in the corn field or garden morning and evening, than to busy themselves hatching and taking care of chickens. Eggs are worth 12 cents per dozen.

Bees, like the husbandman of northern latitudes, have a short summer in which to procure provisions for a long winter. But so far as I know they are as healthy in this as in any other section of country, and as seldom die of starvation. Average yield per hive 45 pounds. Market value 12 cents per pound. No material change since 1847.

Manure.-Less attention is paid to the preparation and application of manure in this county than in many other sections of Pennsylvania. Barns and stables are not often moved for the purpose of getting rid of a troublesome manure heap; but manure is often permitted to accumulate about them and waste before it is removed to the field. Justice to our farmers, however, requires that I should report great improvement in saving and management of manure, and making of compost for top dressing, &c., since 1845.

Com

Wages of labor.-Young men hired for farming last season, received by the six months, 12 to 14 dollars per month and boarded. Day laborers, at building stone fence, haying, and harvesting, one to one and a half dollars. Planting, hoeing, &c., 75 cents. mon hands in winter, preparing fencing and firewood, threshing, &c., 62 to 75 cents per day. Mechanics, $1 to $1 50. By the month, from $25 to $35. Female domestics, $1 to $1 50 per week. For attending the sick, frequently two dollars per week; sometimes more; seldom over paid.

Wayne County Agricultural and Mechanics' Arts Society.-This society was organized in 1847. About $200 paid in. Paid out in premiums, at fair in October, about $90. For printing, &c., $20. Present in hands of treasurer $100. Pope Bushnell, president; post office address, Bethune, Hinsdale. Samuel E. Dimmick, secretary. The prosperity of our agricultural society is flattering. We had an interesting exhibition this season. In all probability our annual fair will elicit much greater curiosity, and be increasingly advantageous.

Thus, dear sir, have I, at much greater length than I, intended, replied to most of the inquiries in your circular. If any part of my response can be of service in enabling you to make out your next annual report, I shall feel amply compensated for the little time I have spent in preparing it.

I have the honor to be, with respect and esteem, your obedient servant, POPE BUSHNELL.

Hon. EDMUND BURKE.

NOTE.-Paul S. Preston, esq, has resigned the office of president of our agricultural society. I have been in due form chosen P. BUSHNELL.

DELAWARE.

SIR: With this you will receive a statement of some of the principal crops grown in school district 58, taken as a data whereby an estimate may be made of the crops grown in the entire State of Delaware.

The following gives the estimated crops for 1847 and 1848: Bushels of wheat.-In 1848, 14,392; in 1847, 12,333. Increase, 2,059.

Bushels of oats.-In 1848, 31,838; in 1847, 25,617. Increase, 6,221.

Bushels of corn.-In 1848, 41,260; in 1847, 42, 18. Decrease, 1,458.

This shows an increase in wheat of 2,059 bushels, of 6,221 bushels in the oat crop, but a falling off of 1,458 bushels in the corn crop. This latter was very much lessened (say ten per cent.) in consequence of dry weather in the latter part of July and August. The quantity of seed wheat sown varies from 1 to 2 bushels to the acre. It will be seen that the fields which were sown the thinnest produced the most wheat to the acre. One field, (86 acres,) upon which 103 bushels of Mediterranean wheat was sown, produced full 2,400 bushels, or nearly 28 bushels to the acre-over 23 bushels for one bushel of seed sown.

The average acreable product of each of the crops grown was about 14 bushels of wheat, 26 bushels of oats, and 2 bushels of corn to the acre.

School district No. 58, Newcastle county, and State of Delaware, is divided into 24 farms, cultivated as follows:

The usual course of tillage is a five field rotation. This system has varied more or less, as the price of grain has varted in the market. The regular course is, 1st, corn; 2d, oats; 3d, wheat; 4th, clover; 5th, pasture. This system, adhered to, will show 6,230 acres under cultivation and pasturage, leaving 1,993 acres, or something over one quarter, uncultivated or in wood land.

There are but few acres of this district but what are susceptible of high cultivation. This is not far from the ratio of the cultivation in the unimproved land of the county of Newcastle. North of us, in the neighborhood of Wilmington, the land, although not so good naturally, is more highly cultivated. South of us, and

further from the market towns, there is more wood and uncultivated lands.

The proportion of uncultivated land in Kent county may be put down at one-half, and that of Sussex county at more than threequarters. The land in the entire State is in a healthy condition of improvement, and so is also the entire peninsula from the Pennsylvania line to Cape Charles. Some of the most rapid improvements that I have heard of on our poor old worn out lands, so called, have been made by our neighbors of Cecil county. Cornelius Smith paid $7 per acre for land a few years since, and, by improvements, he has raised its value so that he has recently been offered $90 per acre. Many instances might be cited where land, but a few years ago deserted by the owners as not worth cultivation, has been resuscitated, and now produces from 60 to 80 bushels of corn; in some cases over 100 bushels have been reported, and from 30 to 50 bushels of wheat to the acre.

The most approved manure for the renovation of these worn out lands is lime and clover, with a free use of plaster. But how is this to be applied? Plough in the autumn pretty deep; then spread 40 or 50 bushels of well slaked quicklime to the acre ploughed ground. In the spring plant with corn, sow wheat in the growing corn early in August, or oats in the spring after; but in either case, sow about one bushel of clover seed to every five acres of wheat or oats. Let your clover grow until August of the fifth year without either mowing or pasturing, not forgetting to sow plaster, at the rate of one bushel to the acre, at least twice. Let the first dressing be as soon as the clover is up in the third year, and also in the spring after-the earlier in the spring the better; let the clover grow until the August of the fifth year without either mowing or pasturing; then turn under all of it well with the plough, (Prout's No. 50, or some other plough that is quite as good;) harrow lengthwise with a light harrow, so as not to disturb the sod, and then roll it; immediately, before sowing with Pennock's drill, one bushel of seed to the acre, and you may be pretty sure of twelve bushels of wheat to the acre or more for one sowing. Pursue this course for three full rotations, and you may fairly count on twenty bushels of wheat to the acre. More than twenty has been obtained by this course in No. 58. This course of rotation is recommended because it is known to have succeeded well. The concentrated manures might be used to force on heavy crops. at once, but not with as much certainty and economy as the lime and clover.

But little attention is paid to any other of the branches of agricultural industry called for in your circulars, except in about the proportion of the increase of population, which you may put down for Delaware now at least 100,000. The city of Wilmington, as well as many small towns in the State, have doubled their population since 1840. Our farmers, too, have concluded to remain in Delaware, where, for a series of many years, they have been getting an average of $1 25 for wheat, and 60 cents for corn, rather than go to the west. I still adhere to my estimate of the value of straw

and corn fodder. The prices I fixed were based upon the value of wheat and corn in Delaware. In the east, where grain is higher, the price of corn and fodder is increased. In the west, where corn is worth but 12 cents, then the value of straw and corn fodder falls in the same proportion. I have been offered $5 per ton for my straw on the farm by men who have presses, and who can press it and tak it to Philadelphia, where it brought, last spring, from $10 to $12 per ton. The price of straw this day, 8th January, 1819, on Pennsylvania avenue, Washington city, was 60 cents per hundred pounds. It sold on Wednesday last, in Boston, at 70 cents for the same quantity. Straw is used in the city for feed for stock, cut up and mixed with shorts, rye, or Indian corn-meal, and for litter for stables, and for packing crockery ware and other merchandise; and also by the hog slaughterers.

One firm in Baltimore has slaughtered over 10,000 hogs for the British market this season; and instead of scalding, they singe the hair off. The process is this: They have brick buildings about 12 feet wide by 30 feet long, with high stories, so as to keep the flames within the buildings. They bring in about twenty in a row at each singeing, and place the hogs first on their bellies, with feet spread out, so as to get as much surface as possible; then on, around, and between them, they scatter straw rather loosely, so as to make a quick flame, which will burn the hair without scorching the flesh of the hog. After the first firing, they then turn them down on their sides, give them another covering, then turn them again; and after three firings, which require but a few minutes in each operation, they are removed to another apartment, where they are shaved, hung up and dressed, ready for the packers, consuming, by the three firings to each twenty hogs, about 400 weight of straw, or about 25 pounds to each hog.

The price of straw and corn-fodder may just as well take its value at the city or markets where it is consumed, and where it commands the highest price, as these are the places where the grain-wheat and corn-took its price, that seemed to swell the value of exports so enormously high the past two years. Much of the corn shipped abroad the past year was purchased in the west at 12 cents per bushel. Indeed, notwithstanding the foreign demand for corn, owing to the famine in Europe, yet it was as low as 17 to 18 cents in St. Louis, for months together, in 1848, although that corn had been brought, much of it, no doubt at least 500 miles by steamboats, and paid two cents on the commission out of that, reducing the low price of 18 cents at least one-third, if not one-half. Corn is now what tobacco was in Virginia in times past; it is the best basis for all our calculations. The value of our lands de

pends upon the price that corn will bring.

In your valuable report of 1847, you presented a table which showed that our exports of corn for 25 years, from 1820 to 1845, had averaged less than half the growth of Delaware, not one-fif tieth part of the growth of Tennessee, being only about 1,400,000 bushels per annum. I have no means of ascertaining the amount of any kind of bread stuff exported for the year ending 30th June,