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THE NEXT ANNUAL SHOW OF THE STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

As the annual show of the New York State Agricultural Society is now sure to bring fifteen to twenty thousand strangers into the place where it may be held, to pass three or four days there, and spend their money pretty freely, it has become quite an object with the different towns situated on the great thoroughfares, to have the exhibitions within their boundaries as often as possible. Strong movements will be made for these hereafter; but we trust that the Society will weigh well the different claims preferred for its favor, and that no other consideration than the public good, and the spread of its influence, will have weight in its decisions.

Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester, each having had the advantage of one of these meetings, other towns now are soliciting the like favor; and among those which are preferring their claims for the show of 1844, we understand that Buffalo, Utica, and Poughkeepsie, are the most prominent. Perhaps as the northern and western parts of the State have now had the benefit of three of the exhibitions of the Society, it is no more than fair that some attention be paid to the southern and eastern portions. We have heard this city named as a very suitable place for the show of next year, and the only objection we can anticipate to it is, that it is an extreme end of the State. Granted; and is not Buffalo the same? Yet, notwithstanding this, we contend that New York or Buffalo is just as fairly entitled in their turn to one of the exhibitions of the Society, as Albany, Syracuse, or Rochester. However, as our own interests might be somewhat served by a meeting of the State Society in this city, we shall waive advocating its claims to one for the present, and content ourselves with stating those of Poughkeepsie.

Lastly, there is more accumulated wealth in the southern, than other parts of the State, and the Society, by holding a fair proportion of its shows in this quarter, will make itself many staunch friends, and be introduced to thousands, who would otherwise be ignorant of its great public merits. The Agricultural Society of the State of New York is looked up to as an example throughout the country, and it should be careful to avoid even the appearance of being partial or local in its proceedings. The national societies of Great Britain and Ireland, adopt the course of holding their shows in, not only the central, but the extreme parts of the kingdom; and this is one great reason of their popularity among all classes.

Tour in England. No. 15.

THINKING that our readers had become somewhat satiated with so much upon foreign matters as have hitherto found place in this journal, we had desisted for several months past, giving sketches of the agriculture of England; but having recently received so many solicitations to continue them, we again take up the subject, and shall pursue it pretty regularly through the whole of our third volume, if such seems to be the pleasure of a majority of our subscribers. Perhaps, to these, we may also add sketches of some things we saw in Russia, the recollections of which are very pleasant, at least to us, yet whether we shall make them equally so in relating them to others, remains to be seen.

Derbyshire possesses the wildest and most broken scenery of any county in England, and after passing over the flat surface of Yorkshire, it was quite a relief to find ourselves trotting up and down along a road winding picturesquely around high hills, and over deep narrow dales. An hour's drive or so, brought us to the pretty little village of Edensor, close by the inn of which, is the entrance to Chatsworth. The village is situated within the park, and is the property of the Duke, and certainly it is the most charming one we ever saw. Every cottage is of stone, and no two alike in their architecture. One is a mimic Gothic castle; another a cottage orn?e; a third in the Elizabethan, a fourth in the Swiss, and perhaps a fifth in the Tudor style. Everything then was so complete about them--the pretty gardens full of flowers--the hedges so neatly trimmed--the yards, laid down with the greenest and softest of turf, and the shrubbery so tastefully planted! These were the residences of the laborers on the estate, the possession of which any one might envy them, and desire to be able to call his home. Attached to the village is a fine old church, and around it an ample yard, handsomely walled in with strong mason-work. Altogether, this village is quite a gem in its way, and we were going to add, an epitome of its owner's heart; for on all his estates, whether in England or Ireland, the Duke of Devonshire has made it a point to protect and bountifully provide for his people. There is no want, or suffering, or seeking the poor-house, by the tenantry, allowed by this kind-hearted, benevolent man.

Turning from Edensor, and ascending a mound-like hill to the left of the carriage-road, the palace and the grounds of Chatsworth appear to the greatest advantage. Immediately below is the river Derwent, tracing its sparkling course through a rich vale, where were perhaps 1,500 deer browsing or taking their gambols. A handsome stone bridge spans the river, and just beyond, the ground rises in terraces to a narrow plain, where stand the noble palace, with its out-buildings, and the immense conservatory, in magnificent grandeur. Back of these rises a lofty hill, the steep sides of which are thickly planted with forest-trees, and the summit is crowned with a high tower of octagonal shape, built of stone. We were received at the palace-gate by a servant in handsome livery, and passing into the gallery of the court, a fine hearty girl made her appearance to conduct us over the building. The front of the palace is 350 feet, and one of the side wings about 400 feet long, and this whole area contains a series of apartments called the drawing-room suite. An entire number of this paper would hardly suffice to give the reader a complete description of these magnificent rooms, and the treasures of art they contain, we therefore pass them over in silence. From these we strolled into the orangery, which is about 30 feet wide, and 200 feet long. It is full of beautiful exotics, and among them were several specimens of the Rhododendron Arboreum, which bore, the preceding summer, over 2,000 flowers. We now walked out to the lawn in front of the palace, where one of the under-gardeners appeared to conduct us over the grounds. These are extremely beautiful, with walled terraces in the Italian style, and fountains. One jet d'eau throws up a column 90 feet high. But the great show here in the way of water-works, is the cascade. It is entirely artificial, and must have been made at a great expense. The water rushes out from a series of lakes on top of the hill, and comes pouring down its side, taking a leap of about 80 feet from one of the arches, and then falls for a length of 300 yards over a series of 24 ledges, and disappears amidst masses of rock, on the edge of the lawn. Here it finds a subterranean passage to the river Derwent. These water-works are looked upon by some critics with affected contempt; not so with us, however, we greatly admired them in their way; and yet we have seen Niagara a thousand times, and had a peep at most of the other water-falls worth looking at in the United States. We have no sympathy with such hypercritics as profess a distaste to the cascade at Chatsworth: as a work of art, it is a magnificent thing, and to our eye, in keeping with the palace and grounds; and we viewed it with interest. A bronze tree a little farther on, excited still greater curiosity with us than the cascade, for it was made to act the part of a fountain, by throwing water from a thousand sprigs and leaves all around in a shower of spray.

But leaving this and the exquisite scenery of the lawn, we passed on by a winding carriage-road to a short distance to the conservatory. This was 350 feet long, 150 feet wide, and nearly 70 feet high; and when fully completed, is to have an additional length of 150 feet. The roof is an arch, and is covered with plate glass of the best kind, and so thick as to resist the heaviest hail. It is heated by iron tubes of hot water, and to these are added others for cold water, and the whole, if stretched out to a single length, we were informed would extend nearly six miles. The plants and trees here are distributed in open borders, each class being placed in the soil most proper for it, and the temperature so regulated as to suit their natural state as nearly as possible. Not far from the centre is an immense rockery rising about 50 feet high, and from the fissures of the thick slabs of stone that compose it, the cactus and other plants grow out as in their natural state. Half way up this huge precipice is a little lake with islets, and in this, water-lilies and other aquatic plants of the rarest and most beautiful kinds. A wild goat path leads to the top of the rockery, and beneath it is a wide, deep cave. The variety of shrubs and plants in this immense conservatory is very great; some of the trees already reach nearly to the top of the roof, and others presented dimensions gigantic in the extreme for those within a green-house. There are wide folding-doors at each end of the conservatory, and any time he pleases, the Duke can have a drive with his coach and four horses through it. Taking it altogether, it is by far the most magnificent thing of the kind we have ever seen. The whole cost of it is not less than half a million of dollars, which is but a little over the present annual income of its wealthy possessor.

After leaving the conservatory, we took a zig-zag road, and ascended through the forest to the crown of the hill by the octagonal tower. A peasant family was residing here, who permitted us to ascend it to the top. The view from this is no less extensive than beautiful, of Chatsworth and the wild broken country around. Descending from this high perch we had quite a chat with the peasant's wife. She informed us that the tower was built by a predecessor of the present Duke, for the purpose of giving the ladies at the palace an opportunity of seeing the fox-hunting which formerly took place at Chatsworth. Upon taking leave, the good woman directed a little rosy-faced daughter to show us the lakes on the hill, the sources of the cascade and fountains below. After something of a stroll through the woods, we found two large expanses of water belted in by thick rows of the larch and fir, and apparently as isolated as if in a wild forest of our own country. The white swan and the black are kept here, and most other kinds of curious water-fowl. Our pretty guide answered all our inquiries with intelligence, and at parting we gave her a small guerdon, for which she returned a grateful "thank'e zur" and a low courtesy, and then, with the lightness of a young fawn, skipped into the woods, and immediately disappeared. Descending the hill toward the palace we came to the stables. These are very extensive, of quadrangular shape, and large courtyards within. At a distance, with their imposing architecture, they might almost pass for the palace itself.

We now bent our steps to the house of the celebrated Mr. Paxton, the head gardener of the Duke of Devonshire, editor of the Magazine of Botany which bears his name, and one of the first botanists of England. His residence is within the park, about a quarter of a mile from the palace, and is a roomy, beautiful cottage, completely enveloped in flowers and flowering shrubbery, with a handsome little conservatory at the end. Much to our regret, he was not at home; but a sub-gardener, quite an intelligent man, volunteered to show us the gardens. They occupy 12 acres, and are enclosed by a thick, brick wall, about twelve feet high. Here are the experimental and kitchen gardens, and hundreds of fruit-bearing espaliers, trained up the walls. In addition to these there are forcing pits in abundance, and upward of 20 hot-houses, about 300 feet long each, devoted to different purposes, one of the most extensive of which is the growing of pine apples. All these things may be considered very extravagant, but in supporting them, the Duke of Devonshire has done much for the cause of science, and has conferred a lasting benefit on his country.

We left Chatsworth with regret; the day we spent there we would have gladly prolonged to a week, and then we should have gained but an imperfect knowledge of the treasures of nature and art which are stored up here for the admiration of thousands of visiters. Mary Queen of Scots was some time a prisoner here; so also was Marshal Tallard, who was captured at the battle of Blenheim. What were the thoughts of the beautiful Queen upon taking leave of it, history does not record; but the Marshal, no less gracefully than happily, said: "When I return to France and reckon up the days of my captivity in England, I shall leave out all those I have spent at Chatsworth." And so thought we, pausing on the mound-like hill again, as we retraced our steps to Edensor, and cast a last lingering look upon the park, and palace, and forest hills in the background, lit up by the clear, glorious sun just sinking beneath the horizon.

AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.

Second. Much has been done, that is beyond all praise, in insuring the best breeds of cattle. While we hear pronounced with gratitude, the names of Mease, Powell, Brantz, Clay, Gowen, and Kelley, let us not forget that the task is not finished.

Third. Soiling, it is apprehended, has been too much neglected by most American husbandmen.

Fourth. Irrigation has also been too little attended to in the United States.

Fifth. Proper care and precaution have not been sufficiently bestowed upon the selection of seeds. This is a subject of the greatest importance.

Sixth. Much is yet to be learned in regard to the preservation and economical use of manure.

Seventh. The introduction, more generally, of labor-saving machinery, and particularly of the itinerant thrashing-machine, deserves to be mentioned.

Eighth. Gardening and raising fruit are much neglected by our farmers.

It is respectfully suggested that special committees might, with advantage, be raised upon these and other useful topics, to report at the next annual meeting.

Pennsylvania contains nearly thirty millions of acres. According to the census of 1840, she had a population of one million seven hundred and odd thousands, which is nineteen acres and a fraction for each inhabitant. In 1842, she raised, of grains of all kinds, upward of sixty millions of bushels; of potatoes, nearly thirteen millions of bushels; of hay, upward of two millions and a quarter of tons; of flax and hemp, upward of three thousand three hundred tons; of tobacco, four hundred and eighty thousand tons; of silk, upward of twenty-one thousand pounds; of sugar, nearly three millions and a half of pounds; and of wines, nearly eighteen thousand gallons.

THE HENRICO SOCIETY held its third annual show at Richmond, Virginia, November 1st. The proceedings are published in the Richmond Enquirer. The Executive Committee reports, that although there is a falling off in its receipts, there is an increased interest and attention to its proceedings by the planters. Mr. C. T. Botts, Editor of the Southern Planter, made the address, from which we subjoin an extract.

This society was organized and has been chiefly supported by a few public-spirited gentlemen in the neighborhood. Its beneficial effects are felt and seen by all of you. To form a proper appreciation of them, you have only to ride in any direction about the suburbs of the city. Rude grounds have been converted into productive gardens, and barren wastes into smiling fields. I recollect a lady's saying to me last summer, that she meant to make her husband become a member of this society, because it had done so much to beautify the rides and walks about the city. She declared the time had been when it gave her a fit of the horrors, to order her carriage for an evening drive; but that now, there was nothing that she and her children enjoyed so much. But this is not all. Let him who has been familiar with your market for the last eight or ten years, compare its present abundant supplies of the finest fruits and vegetables, with the meager exhibition of former days; and, after all, let us be as sentimental as we will, a good market plays a very important part in the comedy of human happiness. Our merchants and mechanics too should remember, that these exhibitions are annually becoming more and more attractive, and that they are by no means inefficient in increasing the trade of the city. But, over and above all considerations of dollars and cents, let us, one and all, come forward and enrol our names as members of this association, which represents the great agricultural interest of the state, and which should be the pride and ornament of its metropolis.

LAKE COUNTY SOCIETY.--The show of this society took place at Medina, Ohio, and a complete account of its proceedings may be found in the Painsville Telegraph. In addition to the usual show of stock, &c., an extensive procession was got up of wagons and carriages, preceded by bands of music. One of these held no less than 35 ladies, engaged in the laudable occupations of knitting, sewing, spinning, and various other domestic employments. We wish we could chronicle more such industrial displays, for we consider them an excellent feature in agricultural shows.

BOURBON COUNTY SOCIETY OF KENTUCKY.--We learn from the Paris Citizen, that the Eighth Annual show of this Society took place near Paris, and continued three days, and is said to be the largest and most varied ever held in Kentucky. The first two days were devoted to the exhibition of domestic animals, agricultural products, and farming implements; the third day, to that of domestic manufactures. The show of horses present was considered very superior; they were of all varieties, from the mettlesome thorough-bred, to the enormous cart-horse. The Durhams and other horned stock were well represented, and gave evidence in their splendid proportions of the superiority of Kentucky pastures. The descendants are said to be an improvement over the original importations from England. Mr. Clay was present, and had a superb pair of blankets presented him by Mrs. James Hutchcraft. These were made from the wool of Leicester sheep, and were of uncommon size and thickness, weighing 23 lbs. the pair. On the presentation of these blankets, Mr. Clay was addressed by the Hon. Garrett Davis, M. C., and he replied in his usual elegant and happy manner.

HAMPSHIRE, HAMPDEN, AND FRANKLIN SOCIETY, MASSACHUSETTS.--The united show for the three wealthy and populous counties above, came off at the beautiful town of Northampton, on the 18th and 19th October, and we much regret on more accounts than one, that we could not, be present. The Boston Cultivator furnishes a full report. A large number of working-oxen of course were present, and to these were added some superb fat oxen, exhibited by Mr. Sumner Chapin. The committee who reported upon this subject, attributes the superiority of the cattle to the large infusion of Short-Horn blood in their veins, and hence their fine symmetry, light offal, and increased weight of flesh on the more valuable parts, as compared with native stock when fattened for the shambles. Mr. Paoli Lathrop exhibited some choice Short-Horns. Of native cows the committee thus speak:--

SALE OF RAMBOUILLET MERINOS.

--Mr. Nathaniel Hart, Jr., of Kentucky, has just passed through this city on his way home, having in company with him three Rambouillet Merino bucks, purchased of Mr. D. C. Collins of Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Hart has kept a large flock of the old-fashioned Merinos for some time, on his plantation at Versailles, Woodford county, and has purchased these fine bucks, as the best animals which could be found, for the purpose of making improvements upon them. Kentucky will have in these Rambouillets a valuable addition to her sheep stock, and we recommend their produce in advance, to the breeders of the western country. We understand Mr. Collins has recently met with a great demand for his sheep, and that he has now disposed of all he has to spare this year. We congratulate him upon it, and take some credit to ourselves, for calling public attention to his very valuable imported flock.

SHEEP-DOGS.

--The price of a well-broke sheep-dog is to . They ought always to be accompanied by their shepherds, as they are taught to manage sheep in a peculiar way, which none but regularly-bred shepherds understand.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE N. Y. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

--The annual meeting of the New York State Agricultural Society, will be held at the Society's room in the Old State Hall, Albany, on the 3d Wednesday, of January, 1844, at 10 o'clock, A. M.

Persons intending to compete for the Society's premiums on field-crops, essays, &c., are reminded that their statements and essays must be sent to the Recording Secretary, Albany, before the first of January.

Presidents of County Agricultural Societies are also requested to transmit the reports required by the statute, to the Recording Secretary, previous to the annual meeting.

LUTHER TUCKER, Rec. Sec'y.

LIST OF PREMIUMS

FLOWERS.

George C. Thorburn, 15 John street, N. Y., for a rich display of dahlias--gold medal.

Daniel Boll, Bloomingdale, N. Y., for a fine assortment of dahlias, including some fine American seedlings--silver medal.

Thomas Hogg & Sons, 79th street, N. Y., for a good assortment of dahlias--Mrs. Loudon's Flower Garden.

Thomas Addis Emmet, Mount Vernon, N. Y.--T. Cremmins, gardener--for a superior display of dahlias--Downing's Cottage Architecture.

William Phelan & Sons, 5th street, N. Y., for a fine display of dahlias--Hovey's Magazine.

William Reid, 34th street and 4th avenue, N. Y., for an excellent assortment of dahlias--Bridgeman's Gardeners' Assistant.

William Laird, 17th street, N. Y., for an ornamental frame, decorated with flowers--Hovey's Magazine.

James L. L. F. Warren, Brighton, Mass., for a beautiful bouquet of flowers--silver medal.

J. B. Mantel, 46th street, N. Y., for an ornamental frame, decorated with flowers--American Flower-Garden Directory.

Daniel Boll, Bloomingdale, N. Y., for numerous varieties of the rose, and other rare flowers--Mrs. Loudon's Flower Garden.

Samuel M. Cox, Bloomingdale road, N. Y., for a beautiful stand of flowers--American Flower-Garden Directory.

William Beekman, 110 Ninth street, N. Y., for a fine supply of dahlias--Hovey's Magazine.

Isaac Buchanan, 29th street, N. Y., for two vases of rare flowers--1 Vol. of American Agriculturist.

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