of their own food, in destroying insects, and in numbers and some of the worst kind when they abound, such as grubs, beetles, grasshoppers, &c. We saw the fine effects of this, on a few farms we visited in July, two or three years ago, in the interior. In one' neighborhood, swarms of grasshoppers were laying waste almost every thing green. One farmer told us he had common fowls, in tolerable numbers, and but few turkies, but these would seem to make much head against the enemy. This gentleman told us, he had a friend living without the line of march of the invading foe, who had a large flock of turkies; he had seen the efficiency of his own, few as they were; he borrowed them, brought them home, and put them on his place, in a few days he was comparatively clear of the grasshoppers; they saved his corn and second growth of grass, besides other plants. He told us, his common poultry kept about the yards and gardens near his house, but the turkies scoured the fields at a distance, and appeared to find and face the enemy in every nook and corner of his premises, and devour him. To talk of destroying mischievous insects entirely, is idle; no man who knows any thing of their character, ever pretended it could be done; all we can effect is, to lessen their number, and thereby mitigate the evil. Turkies should be induced, if possible, to come home every night the season through, to roost on trees or other pretty high objects near the house; this will instil into them the habit, and prepare them for late in autumn and winter. In nut and corn time they will frequent the woods, in quest of one or two of their favorite feeds; indulge them, the season is short, it will put new life in them; will make them almost think of ages back, when all around was a wilderness, and these fruits abounded, and could be fed upon nearly without stint or molestation. Some farmers think poultry of all kinds are troublesome and expensive, and especially turkies; they will not pay; they roam at seasons all over the farm and neighbourhood, tread down and devour the grain and grass. Most animals do this more or less; even cattle sometimes break inclosures and injure grain badly, and at all times trample down and eat grass; common fowls and other poultry do the same, only about the house though. Does this more domestic poultry travel over the farm and destroy myriads of insects in every part of it, [Assembly, No. 183.]

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pick up the grains scattered in gathering, and not only live but get almost fat by their industrious rambles? These too, not being so much at home, do not infest gardens, yards, &c., as much as others, and they are more sought after, and will bring more in market. Turkies, after running at large till late in autumn, must be fattened or prepared for market, except such as are to be wintered or kept for store. We think the best way is to confine them in pretty large pens, with fences rather high, and also high perches for them to roost on, higher than other poultry; they require it; it is one of their hereditary habits.

Turkeys are voracious feeders, give them plenty of feed and they will fatten quick-all kinds of grain are good for them, espe cially indian corn, barley, buck-wheat ground or unground, feed should be changed often and the shape of it, given as meal or flour, moistened with water or skim milk, scraps of the house, dry crumbs of bread, bits of meat, all mixed up and made fine, and stirred up together with the flour and meal. Certain fruits are good, sweet apples, pears, nuts &c.; these for a change, both healthy and fattening: the small fruits are good early in the season both for young and old turkeys, strawberries, blackberries, whortleberries &c. Some people in Europe, perhaps some in our own country, cram their turkeys in the season of fattening them, with a delicate machine made for the purpose, and this after they have eaten all they would voluntarily. We should doubt the profit of this system. We think it unnatural, it is a forced process, and the food, after the crop is thus stuffed against the will of the animal, cannot prepare its various secretions in the stomach, and that part which goes to make flesh and fat assimilates to the body healthily and naturally. A few years ago, we met with a French gentleman who appeared to be conversant with this system of cramming, as he called it. In a certain district in France, they reared the turkey altogether, fattened and prepared them for the Parisian market, They did this almost exclusively on hickory nuts, raised for the purpose, large, thin shells, and full of rich meat. After the turkeys had eaten as much of these as they would, they crammed them every day with the nuts. This was done, he said, not only to make them very fat, but to fatten them very quick, and thereby save expense, as there was no feed

the bird was so fond of. He had seen turkeys there often, that weighed from 20 to 30lbs. They were known throughout Paris, sought after and bought with avidity. Notwithstanding this, if correct, it is here thought the fat and flesh of the turkey cannot be so healthy and fine flavored, as when he eats what he chooses at a time, and appetite and digestion go on regular as nature prompts. There is a book lately published, called "Brown's Poultry Yard," an excellent work, written by an Eastern gentleman, and where all keepers of poultry would find some good hints, and probably new ideas and suggestions, as to the best mode of keeping, rearing and fattening poultry of all kinds, and especially the turkey.

We can truly say, that nothing would give us greater pleasure, than to be the means of putting our readers, or even some of them, in channels which would be sure to lead them to the best information on our subject, and who wonld be stimulated thereby to help increase the numbers, and improve the qualities of one of our most valuable and beautiful American birds.

ADDRESS

Delivered at the Castle Garden, on opening the 25th Annual Fair of the American Institute.

By the Hon. HENRY MEIGS.

Ladies and Gentlemen-At the request of the Managers of the 25th Annual Fair of the Institute, I will endeavor to speak for them what I know to be their views and feelings in reference to the establishment and illustrious progress of our beloved country in all the useful and delightful arts; for, as our State organized the Institute to promote, by all honest and honorable ways and means, agriculture; yes, fellow citizens! that grandest art of all, on which all else depend as their foundation, strength, comfort, and most pleasing in the sight of God-that comes first-next commerce! that rapid, cheap, fair communication and exchange can be made by the farmer with the maker of the plow, and the maker of the club axe, the greatest work of art for such a world of forests as when we first landed on this great continent shaded it from the light of the sun. Here were presented jobs for Hercules! American genius and strong arms, and the vision of a future Republic animated their souls and untiring arms. The huge woods once browsed on by herds of mammoths, and whose mazes marked out by their enormous feet, made roads for the red men; these were all to be opened to the light of heaven, to prepare the way for the white faces coming from the east; or, as the Indians said, they rise with the sun out of the eastern ocean. All this work depended on the club-axe. We, of modern times, have forgotten, and most of us never saw the poor axe of all antiquity; it was called the pole-axe. Its head was thin, and its blade long and narrow; its aim very unsteady, and its blow light. Our Yankee axe did more work in a day than the pole-axe could in a week. This, and thousands of other ingenious and novel in

ventions, rapidly placed the lands in order for culture; hewed timber down for houses, and barns and fences. Before this advanced guard of the Republic, all the obstacles have nearly disappeared. The red man will soon be with the mammoths, and the few wolves that remain clear out at once and forever, when they hear the shrill, frightful scream of the locomotive steam whistles. And already have the republicans made some 20,000 miles of railroads, so that no vermin in our broad land but hears with consternation its terrible unearthly voice, and prepares to quit with all celerity, and breed no more. The Institute was organized, too, to promote manufactures; and behold here some of the results, in the glittering instruments of labor, and their wonderful products of every description. The human race never before had such noble ones, not only dignifying hard labor by giving to it a most beautiful arm in appearance, but of the best form and make ever known. Such scythes as those in yonder case would have been selected as imperial swords by the old emperors.

Such cloths of cotton as we now make, never, since the deluge, have been made, for evenness of thread and excellence of weaving, not for any price whatever; such cotton cloths as we now buy by the thousand acres, if you will, for six cents a yard, a cloth worth more than the old, ten for one. Well, fellowcitizens to speak these great truths about American progress is easy to one who feels deeply as we do its grandeur. We had once a father, as he said, and now a rival, as we all know. It is a hard fought game that is still playing between John Bull and us, and a much harder one was fought and won by our fathers over him. After all, I like him; competition is the life of business. He works like a bull-dog for perseverance, but he is too short in the legs to keep up with us; and he sees that already, and his great sheet, the Times, is now telling him much about it.

You are all young, compared with myself, and are in full vigor. Go on-you will never be beaten in the cause to which you devote yourselves. God has given you a mighty inheritance; go on and fill up the destiny! You and John Bull must shake hands. He says his people beat their drums all around a great