This is more than enough in most cases to crop the entire ground; for a single individual of some of the weeds which are commonly met with in clovers would, if left alone, occupy several square feet of soil.

It must be admitted that such small plants as clovers are very difficult to keep free from weeds, and the process entails considerable expense. But instead of the care being proportioned to the need for it, it more frequently happens that a particularly dirty patch of mixed clovers and grasses will be put up for seed. Though so mongrel a growth would make bad hay, it may yield a heavier weight of seed than when pure. It is true, that when offered for sale, the remark may be made that "it is not very bright;" but the answer, “I don't ask a heavy price," silences criticism; and for the sake of saving a few pence per bushel in the first outlay, the buyer becomes a perpetual cultivator of weeds. Having paid for his enemies, and carefully sown them, he imagines on their coming up that they are natural to the soil.

The more deliberate adulterations are endless. We have found as many as 1,920,000 seeds of the heavy and easily-grown narrow-leaved plantain in a bushel of red clover; and 23,040 seeds of the false barnet (Poterium sanguisiorba) in a single bushel of saintfoin. The false barnet grows so much faster than the saintfoin that it completely smothers it when in such enormous proportions. But perhaps the most gigantic fraud committed upon the farmer is one in which he is himself the agent. Every one knows the common charlock, kerlock or kedlock of our arable fields. It is a species of mustard-the Sinapis arvensis of the botanist-and is often so abundant as to render the fields a complete blaze of yellow. Its seeds are just the size of those of the turnip; for both belong to closely allied species, and it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. The charlock seeds are separated from the corn in process of winnowing; and as there is a ready market for this refuse, at from 2s. 6d. to 3s. the bushel, the farmer is only too glad to sell it. A portion of it is crushed and mixed with rape or linseed. The hot and stimulating mustard is a poison to the bullocks which are fed upon the mixture. It produces inflammation of the bowels, and many a fine head of cattle has been killed from its use. Several samples of both linseed and rape-cake, which have been attended by these fatal results, were subjected to the examination of Professor VOELCKER of the Royal Agricultural Society, and in all of them the inustard was detected by its pungency. The transaction in this form is clearly not to the advantage of the farmer. But the greater part of this charlock is used for the adulteration of turnip seed. It is previously subjected to a high temperature, which destroys its vitality, and prevents the suspicion which might arise if it came up in the rows when drilled. Still detection is easy; for if turnip seed be bruised and mixed in water, the charlock will soon betray itself by emitting the pungent odor of mustard. In both instances the farmer has his weed returned upon his hands, in the one case at the expense of his fattening bullock, and in the other he buys back what he sold for a trifle at the rate of from 9d. to 1s. per pound. As it does not germinate when it is sown, an extravagant expenditure of seed becomes permanently necessary, to allow for the chance of much of it never coming up at all. Where the seeds are not killed the case is worse. An instance of this is given in the "Agricultural Gazette" for November 7, 1857, and many could add others from their own experience:— "Some few years since we commenced the growth of flax. Our first crop introduced to the field a large growth of Sinipis nigra, or black mustard, a plant to which the field was before a stranger. The seed of this flax was afterwards sown in another part of the farm, thus introducing the black mustard in a new place in an aggravated degree. Afterwards some of the linseed was threshed at the farm buildings, and in various ways its weeds got to a manure heap, which was traced to a field of beans. The black mustard occupied a large strip in the middle, the boundary line circumscribing the growth of the weed. This is now the general charlock of the farm, it having nearly expelled the common Sinapis arvensis-a circumstance which we think partly accounted for by the greater fecundity of the former, for the Sinapis arvensis has only 4,000 seeds to a plant, and the Sinapis nigra has 8,000. The manner in which weeds are spread over

some farms may be observed in the increase of exotic species from the use of foreign seeds, a circumstance which accounts for the additions to our English flora within the last few years. However, these, as being wholly foreigners, sel dom make rapid progress."

Not content with home-grown adulterations, a still further supply is imported from abroad. The following extract from the letter of a French dealer in London, addressed to the well-known seed establishment of the Messrs. SUTTON, of Reading, will show how systematically this fraudulent trade is carried on:

"I have sold this day some India rape-seed for mixing with turnip seed, and enclose a sample. If you will have some at 56s. per quarter, in the docks, you can have it, if unsold, to your answer. I have some East India radish seed at 9s. per bushel. If you want some for mixing, I shall be very happy to serve you."

India rape-seed at the price of turnip seed leaves a tolerable margin for profit; and East India radish seed to be re-sold at the garden price of 2d. the ounce is certainly a temptation to the dishonest dealer. The remedy is with the farmer. He should neither sell weed seed nor buy it. There is little doubt that seeds can be got absolutely free from weeds if he will pay such a price as will remunerate the seed grower, and it is with seed adulterations as with all other kinds of sophistications, that the balance is ever against the purchaser.

Trivial as the subject will appear to some. it is not only a question of private profit but of national importance. If all the weeds which occupy the place of plant that serve for the sustenance of man were in a single parish collected together, we should be astonished to perceive how great was the loss of food to the community at large. What the weed eats is so much taken from human subsistance, and the aggregate amount which is thus consumed is enormous. With the general improvement of agriculture farmers have become far more alive to the importance of keeping their land clean, and preventing as much as possible the growth of weeds, instead of leaving them to overshadow the proper crop till they threaten to drive it from the field. But much still remains to be done before docks and thistles will be replaced by a proportionate quantity of bread and beef and beer, to the mutual advantage of the individual farmer and the population who enjoy abundance, or pine in scarcity, according to the increase which the earth is made to yield.

AGRICULTURE OF OHIO.

In the annual report of E. D. MANSFIELD, Esq., Commissioner of Statistics, we find the following items of general interest :

GRAPES.

Supposing Mr. Buchanan's estimate of 1,500 acres for Hamilton County to be correct, and adding to it the vinyards of Clermont, Brown, Adams, Kelley's Island, and other localities, I estimate the number of acres in bearing in this State to be 2,200. Taking an average of 350 gallons to the acre, we have 770,000 gallons of wine as the product; but I do not suppose that more than 500,000 gallons of wine will be made. 1st, because the average of vinyards, especially those in the interior of the country, is not as high as those in the immediate vicinity of Cincinnati; and, 2d, because a large quantity of grapes are now consumed as fruit.

PEACHES.

Neither 1858 or 1859 were good peach years, but much the contrary. After the frost of June 5, it was scarcely probable there would be any peaches in Ohio; in fact, nine-tenths of the expected crop was destroyed. Notwithstanding this, there were localities in Ohio in which the orchards had a moderate

amount of fruit. In the Cincinnati market-a fair test of this kind of fruitpeaches were brought from Manchester and Rockville, (Adams County,) though neither so good or so numerous as the year before. Some peaches were also brought from Clermont County, and some from Warren. The orchards of Warren County are very extensive, and never have entirely failed in any year. In 1859, two or three large orchards bore well, and one in particular, of fifteen acres, is estimated to have borne 3,500 bushels. Why a single spot like this one should have escaped all frosts, and borne a full crop, when no others did, is a problem for both horticulturists and philosophers.

AGRICULTURE.

On the 1st of June last, there was a much greater extent of land sown and in culture than at any former period. The results would probably have been unprecedented crops, but for the frosts of June 4th and 5th. The effects of this have been considered in the "Climatology." As to its final results on crops, there is one uniform testimony that it was most disastrous in three-fourths of the State.

In 1858 I stated the crops to be below an average, and the same thing is undoubtedly true of this year. In order to show how accurate the deductions made from this testimony is, I make the following brief table of my estimates and the actual results :

In regard to corn, I remarked that the summary of reports gave two-thirds an average, which would be near 60,000,000, but as the falling off was chiefly in the large corn-growing counties, the actual loss would probably be greater. So it was. The diminution from the year previous was no less than 32,000,000

bushels.

In regard to oats, I estimated the loss on that crop (taking 20,000,000 as an average,) at 15,000,000 bushels. In fact, however, the crop was 8,000,000, and the loss but 12,000,000 bushels. In the aggregate bushels of the grain crop, my estimates were very nearly correct. The general results of the crops of 1858 was, that they did not reach two-thirds of the year previous, and that the three crops of wheat, corn, and oats fell 50,000,000 bushels short, which was fairly worth $22,000,000.

In regard to the aggregate crop of 1850, it is better than in 1858, but is still short of a full crop. The main loss fell on wheat and hay. Oats and potatoes are a full crop. Corn is a fair one. That the crops of 1859 were not full in the aggregate, either in Ohio or adjoining States, is proved by an unfailing test. On the 1st of January, 1860, the prices of all agricultural produce were, on the whole, higher in Cincinnati than on the 1st of January, 1859, and much higher than in January, 1858. This took place, too, when the foreign demand is not great, and the autumn had been exceedingly favorable for bringing forward the crops.

COTTON CULTURE OF LOUISIANA.

The New Orleans Prices Current gives the following statement of the cotton raised in Louisiana :

COTTON RAISED IN EACH PARISH OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA FOR THE YEARS 1858, 1857,

In 1859, not all ginned and baled this 16th of February.

It will be perceived that the parish of Tensas is the banner Parish this season, Carroll the next, and Concordia the third parish for 1858. The increase for the great year 1858 over 1857 was 20 per cent, and over 1855, 30 per cent. It is supposed, with an average season, the yield for 1860 will be 550,000 bales.

STATISTICS OF POPULATION, &c.

IMMIGRATION.

The official returns of the immigration into the United States are as follows: DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, February 25, 1860.

In compliance with the act of Congress of March 3, 1855, regulating the carriage of passengers in steamships and other vessels, I have the honor to communicate herewith statements of the number. sex, age, and occupation of passengers arriving in the United States by sea from foreign countries during the year ending December 31, 1859, together with the country in which they were born, the country in which they mean to reside, and the number that died on the voyage, compiled from returns made to this Department by Collectors of the Customs, pursuant to the provisions of said act.

I have the honor to submit also herewith comparative statements, showing1. The countries in which were born passengers arriving in the United States from foreign countries during each of the last four years.

2. The occupation of passengers arriving in the United States from foreign countries during each of the last four years.

3. The age of passengers arriving in the United States from foreign countries during each of the last four years; and

4. The number of passengers arriving in the United States by sea from foreign countries from September 30, 1843, to December 31, 1859. I have the honor to be, sir, you obedient servant,

Hon. JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE, President of the Senate.

LEWIS CASS