Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-26
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

7ery great, a due proportion ssf which vas |
made up of persons Immediately interested In |
he purpose Of the affair praeticsi 'agricuita-
ralists. By far the larger number, however,
we're Baltimorsans, of both sexes, most of whom
thought far more Of the horse racing incident
to the occasion, than of its legitimate object
Thus, only during the hours for the exhibition
and racing Of the horses was the throng great
and noisy. The display of improved cattle was
very creditable, every variety being shown
That feature satisfied US that Maryland and
the adjacent States are rapidly improving their
farm stock, of every description, much more
rapidly than ever before. The portion OF the
short-horn herd of Clement Hill, Esq, OF Prince
Georges county, Nd, on the ground, were de-
cidedly the finest cattle, in all their points, ex-
hibited rejecting infinite credit on has enter
prise and skill as breeder.
There were lot of merino sheep shown, pur-
chased recently by s. s. Bradford, Esq, Of Va,
in Vermont, to be carried to the Piedmont
region of Virginia-300 in all-which attracted
much attention from the improved stock raisers
present. Mr. Bradford has, SO far, been a very
successful wool grower, and in importing to bis
region Of country $50 we'll adapted for probably
raising sheep this fine lot of stock, he is doing
much, indeed, for its substantial improvement.
The display of agricultural implements from
the establishment Of Sinclair 4 Co., Baltimore,
was quite creditable, though the competition
in the trade has of late induced manufacturers
of such things to sacrifice durability to show,
and to false economy of weight and quality of
material.
Among their recently designed implements,
we saw one for marking (checking) of corn
rows light two-wheeled cart, to be drawn by
one horse, with markers-which, in expediting
work, and securing regularity, and therefore
economy of land in corn planting, can hardly
fail to pay back to the purchaser its cost, over
and over again, every season. Another was
clovef-seed gatherer-a bin, with four revolv.
ing spiral knives and a comb arrangement for
to catch and hold the plant in proper posi-
ton to be operated on by the knives-which
looked to US as though likely to operate we'll.
Nothing is more troublesome and difficult than
to secure clover seed without loss and free of
"flth" expeditiously, and we were glad to per-
ceive this substantial step in that direction.
Also, harrow and roller combined, which
must prove labor saving machine in reality,
as it is roller so arranged with splitting pro-
tuberances Of castiron, as upon not very cloddy
and hard land, to enable the farmer to perform
the two essential operations to the proper prep
aration of the soil for any crops, at one and the
same time. Also, clod crusher upon an Eng
ish model which, if sufficiently durable to last
a considerable time, will be worth much more
than double its cost to any farmer breaking up
an annual average of 100 acres. This year,
(which, however, was an extraordinary one in
that way, owing to the remarkable lack Of rain
experienced there,) the extra cost of break
ing up" for wheat, with clod hammers, extra
borrowings, extra rollings, &C., was at least 81
per acre; for few good farmers there rolled
and narrowed there less than three times, and
subsequently devoted less than an average of
one days labor of stout man in knocking to
pieces the clods upon an acre, that had obsti-
nateiy resisted every other application to that
end. This particular crusher is composed of
narrow, spiral segments or rings of cast irun re-
voiving on an axle and garnished with protu-
berances to penetrate the clods. Its carriage
can be so laden as to make the whole fair
load for three yoke of oxen, though one can
OF Its better adaptability than that of any other
machine in use to the same end-the only du-
bious point involved in its use being, whether
the narrowness and want of weight of It's indi-
vidual segments, and the impossibility of fast
ening them together on the inside 20 as to throw
most of the strain on the inside fastening will
not render it easily broken to pieces in the
hands OF any save most careful persons
We also saw the WiIloughby patent grain
soWer, without a guano attachment, which is a
new Pennsylvania grain drill, that struck rs
as embracing substantial improvements over
any other We had previously seen, insomuch as
1t sows oats equally as we'll as wheat; is put
In and out Of gear with greater facility than
any drill now much in use; is more simple and
substantial in its construction, though of light.
er weight; and has an arrangement of springs
to each tube which makes it give or yield TO
the pressure Of clod root or other obstacle.
without in any way jostling the other tn bes
OF the machine, and thus disturbing the regu-
larity OF its work. The arrangement for reg
ulating the quantity of seed it sows is also
capital one, requiring no change of cog wheels,
and but the shifting of light lever to the
90 VI WV Ou tuc WuOle We were much
struck with the real practical improvements
involved IN this new machine. We understand
that 1T is also made with guano and timothy
seed sowing attachments, without which, of
course, it would be Of little utility in this Sec
ton OF country where not one in a hundred
SOW wheat without at the same time putting in
guano and timothy seed.
we regret that want of space compels us to
cut short this description of the points of in.
terest in this fair, because there is no subject
OF greater public importance than improve
ment in agricultural methods and modes. As
fast as we progress in all other elements of ma
nonal wealth and power, it will be centuries
before agriculture ceases to be the great over
shadowing interest in the United States, if ever.
Such display in bringing together nearly all
the important results Of the application of
American mechanical genius, science and skill
10 Improvements in agricultural implements,
and nearly all the results of the patient labor,
investigation ex nerieuce md sc;.no. o~.-.:..,