toes per acre, 150 bushels. There has been very little rot in potatoes the last year, always less disease in a dry season. When the potatoes are half grown and from that time until they are fully ripe, if we have hot wet weather, I discover we have much rot. My remedy is, to drop 3 table spoonfuls slacked lime on the potatoes in the hill when I plant; in this way have had very little rot, while my neighbors adjoining farms on a soil just like mine, have nearly or wholly lost theirs. Dairies are on the increase in our county. Dairymen improve very much in the manufacture of butter and cheese. We have very many as good butter dairies as are in the State. The average quantity of butter made from a cow, is, I think, 140 lbs; some dairies make 200 lbs. Our dairy of 21 cows, 218 lbs. this season. The quantity of cheese about 350 lbs. per cow. Of cattle, the natives are most common, and with a slight cross, say with Durhams, most valuable for the dairy. Durhams or short horns most valuable for beef. Of horses, we have a great variety, mostly too light to be well adapted to all work. The eleventh annual report forwarded to the state department, shows that we have received and paid out more money than in any previous year; and I think I am warranted in making the assertion, that in the towns that take most interest in the society, the increase in the products of their farms is at least 25 per cent, since the organization of our society. PETER WALRAD, President. DELAWARE. From the inland situation of our county, and the uneven and rugged features of much of its surface, making it more difficult of cultivation than many other counties of the State, it is natural to infer that Delaware county should be, in Agricultural advances, behind many of her sister counties, which are more highly favored by nature. But notwithstanding this is doubtless true, yet, being inhabited mainly by a virtuous and industrious people, the hardy features of the soil are rapidly yielding to the improvements of the cultivator. He who has known Delaware county only in years past, to visit it now, would find the old buildings giving place to more elegant and commodious ones, and the meager crops being succeeded by more luxuriant ones. Butter is the staple article of the county, though wool is grown somewhat extensively by some of our farmers. The large flocks are mostly Saxon; the average weight of fleece is about two and a half pounds. Delaware butter is fast coming into note, and many of our dairymen make two hundred pounds of butter from a cow, during the season. The average number of pounds, however, from a cow will not exceed one hundred and fifty. The amount of stock kept makes it necessary that much the largest portion of our land should be kept in grass, for grazing and meadow; though some crops of grain are profitably raised. The average amount of hay per acre it is difficult to estimate. It varies from one to three tons. Oats are raised in large quantities, averaging about forty-five bushels per acre, though some pieces yield as many as one hundred bushels per acre. Corn for several years has done quite well, affording about fifty bushels from the acre. Potatoes, the present year, have not been diseased, though the crop has been light, in consequence of the drought. No cause of the disease or remedy for it has been discovered. Wheat has not been raised much for several years; the "weevil" (wheatmidge) having destroyed it. The "Black Sea" spring wheat has been raised by some of our farmers for the last two years with success. Fruit has been much neglected, though much more attention is now being given to its cultivation. Our cattle are mostly natives, though the Durham, Holderness and Devon cattle are raised to some extent. We have the most of the Durhams. Our annual Fair and Cattle-show was held on the 3d of October. It was a day of interest. The receipts and expenditures of our society the present year are as follows: DUTCHESS. The Annual Fair of the Dutchess county Agricultural Society was held in the village of Poughkeepsie on the 3d and 4th of October. The display was not all that could be wished, because many farmers who have fine stock or have good yields of grain, did not bring the former or specimens of the latter, from the fear that something better might be exhibited by others; and herein they committed a mistake which detracted from the interest of the fair. The rule of our agricultural friends should be to bring anything they have that is good. When they do it, and the sooner the better, our agricultural shows will receive an impetus which will be seen and felt by all. Still much excellent stock, several superior agricultural implements and some beautiful productions of the mechanical arts were exhibited on the field; while the hall, the chief place of attraction, had a fine collection of rare and beautiful specimens of skill, art and genius, as well as many fine and mammoth productions from the field und garden. There was a constant rush to it during the day and a half it was open. The morning of the second day was rainy, still, as soon as the clouds broke away, arrangements were made for the plowing match, which took place on the grounds of the county house. In the afternoon an address was delivered before the society by the well known and able agricultural writer, Mr. Solon Robinson, of Indiana. His remarks were such as a practical farmer, desirous of the improvement and elevation of the great producing class, would address to his fellow agriculturists. On the conclusion of the address the premiums were awarded to the successful competitors. The premiums amount to $361 and 82 vol-umes of works on Agriculture, Horticulture, &c. We noticed at the fair with particular satisfaction a collection of thirty ears of yellow corn, froin Alfred B. Underhill. About 18 years ago, this gentleman commenced to cull the largest ears of field corn for seed, and he has pursued the practice to the present time. The result exhibits a remarkable improvement in the grain, the length of ears varying from 12 to 15 inches. The specimens on deposit were gathered from about 20 bushels. No extra cultivation had been given to the crop at any time, and we are informed that the yield is sometimes 70 bushels to the acre. It is pleasing to see that our agriculturists are beginning to appreciate the importance of reserving the best and most perfect portions of their crops for seed. The following gentlemen were selected as officers of the society for 1850, viz: Cornelius Du Bois, President; Thomas Tabor, Henry. Mesier, J. F. Sheafe, Aaron Vail, J. W. Wheeler, Calvert Canfield, Vice Presidents; Barclay Haviland, Samuel T. Tabor, Recording Secretaries; S. B. Trowbridge, R. G. Coffin, Abraham Burton, Corresponding Secretaries, and Henry A. Field, Treasurer. Our next show is to be held near the center of the county at Seymour Tomlinson's, Washington Hollow. B. HAVILAND, Secretary. ERIE. The Annual Fair was held at Buffalo on the 3d and 4th of October. The weather cloudy and the prospect of heavy rains prevented many from attending, still the gathering was a very respectable one. The show of matched and single horses was very good. The show of cattle was fine, better than at our previous fair, especially the grade stock. The Short Horns were few in number; the Devons less; the Herefords well represented. The grade and natives were in goodly numbers and many of them very good. Of working cattle, but few exhibited; a pair of well trained steers attracted considerable attention. Fat cattle were of the best quality, and but few in number. The sheep and swine and poultry were few compared with former fairs. The butter and cheese on exhibition was good; some fine samples of grain and corn exhibited and a fine display of vegetables. The show of fruits and flowers was unusually fine and the competition very close and spirited. The household products made a very respectable appearance, and displayed the industry and taste of the ladies to great advantage. A bed quilt worked by Mrs. Alonzo Rayner, of Clarence, attracted much attention. The plowing match was spirited, though the competition was not large. The subscription to the funds of the society, as heretofore, were mainly contributed by the citizens of Buffalo, who have ever shown a lively interest in the success of the society, while the great mass of the farmers in the county have manifested a wonderful indifference to all of its transactions since its organization, few comparatively contributing to its funds or affording any aid in getting up the annual exhibitions. It having been suggested by some of the members, that by changing the place of holding the annual fair to some more central town in the county it would have a tendency to enlist a larger number of the farmers in the future proceedings of the society, it was resolved at the last meeting to hold the next annual fair in the village of Aurora. Receipts and Expenditures. Balance on hand 1847,.. $62 06 Paid out in premiums,. $321 87 Balance in treasury,... 122 19 Memberships, $444 06 $444 06 Officers 1850.-President, Robert Pearson, Aurora; Vice Presidents, John W. Hamlin, Aaron Gould, Apollos Hitchcock, Lewis F. Allen, Alonzo Rayner; Treasurer, H. D. Stiles, Aurora; Secretary, Aaron Riley, Aurora, (Willink P. O.) W. H. SOTHAM, President. ISAAC F. BRYANT, Secretary. Extracts from the Address before the Society, delivered by the President, W. H. Sotham, Esq. Rotation of crops.-On grain land I would recommend a rotation of crops, a three, five or seven years system; but beware of sowing three white crops in succession; two is one too many. The plow, the foundation and support of good husbandry is an all important implement in agriculture. I advise straight, deep furrows, narrowly turned, the three first steps towards good husbandry. The seed when sown should be thoroughly dragged both ways. This part of the work on the farm is too much neglected. Draining. I might class under-draining as one of the most important items for the improvement of farming. I am sure of its efficacy, and would strongly recommend it, for it will ere long rank among the highest branches of our agriculture, and Erie county will ultimately be very much benefited by it. The high price of labor is now a drawback to this decided improvement. The time will soon come when labor will find its level and its real value. The immense number of immigrants will afford facilities for work of this description and thereby render the land more productive, and thus enable us to support them, and their industry receive a proper reward. Manures.-The saving and applying of manures is another weighty matter with us all. There is more loss from the barn yard than the farmer is usually aware of, and for this reason I should put it on the land from the stables in the winter as fast as it is made Those, however, who disagree with me as to the application of manure in this manner can make a compost heap of it in the field on which it is intended to be used. "All organic substances which have entered into |