Elmira Seamless Keg Company, Elmira; O. D. Goodsell, secretary; Seamless Kegs. C. O. Gott, Syracuse; Photographs and Oil Paintings. On the Threshing Machine entered by Wheeler, Melick & Co., Albany, N. Y., for the premium offered for any improvement in Threshing Machines, if judged of real permanent value, and invented or introduced since the trial in 1866, at Auburn. Wheeler, Melick & Co., Albany, Thrasher and Cleaner, for 10 horse-power; Geiser patent of 1868. Entry No. 996. We made a thorough examination and trial of this machine and found that it thrashed at the rate of one bushel in forty-five seconds; a careful and protracted examination failed to show a single kernel of wheat left in any of the heads, nor did we find any waste grain whatever. The cleaning was as good as could be desired, except that the small seeds contained in the grain were not taken out; but this may be remedied by passing it over a screen which would allow them to fall through before the grain is spouted into the measure. We were informed that they put these screens on to machines sold by them when it was desired by the purchaser. This machine presents the following peculiarities of construction: 1st. There is no apron or sieve on, or in the machine, the chaff and grain being carried over rollers on a downward grade, while a gentle blast is blown which separates the chaff and cleans the grain effectually without waste. 2d. This blast is regulated by a strictly automatic arrangement which acts admirably, and renders the overloading of the fan an absolute impossibility. 3d. None of the separating machinery is driven from the cylinder, but is perfectly independent of it. 4th. The number of bushels of grain thrashed by the machine is counted with unerring accuracy by means of a very ingenious self-registering apparatus. 5th. The concave can be raised or lowered by the person who feeds the machine, while it is in motion. We were very much pleased with this arrangement, which, so far as we are aware, is not found on any other machine. We are inclined to attribute superiority to this machine for the following reasons: 1st. The rapidity and excellence of its work. 2d. The superiority of its duration. We found our opinion upon this point upon the entire absence of lateral vibration in this machine, which in all others that we have been acquainted with is a very disturbing element, and which wears upon every joint of the machine, and especially upon the gearing. We could detect no vibration in this except in a horizontal direction, which was slight and not objectionable. 3d. We esteem the arrangement for counting the number of bushels thrashed as an admirable guard against errors, and as adding greatly to its value. 4th The automatic regulation of the blast is, in our judgment, a point of great excellence. In view of these valuable improvements we award the large bronze medal of the Society. HENRY WATERMAN, TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL FAIR OF THE NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY AT ELMIRA. The visit of the Society to Elmira has been a pleasant one. Twice before had the State Fair been held at this thriving town, and each time heavy rains interfered with the enjoyment of the occasion. This year, however, the splendid weather gave an opportunity of seeing to advantage the beauty of the valley in which Elmira (isen to the rank of a city since the fair of 1860) is so cosily nestled, and the week which the Society had been compelled to select turned out the best in the whole autumn. A little warm perhaps it was, and a trifle dusty, but heat (especially with the cool mornings and pleasant breezes that we had) and dust are easier to bear than cold and rain. The grounds, though small and requiring a somewhat compact arrangement of the show, were found sufficient, and indeed it was a subject of remark that though on the second day of the Fair the number of tilts showed that about 25,000 persons must have been present, there was no discomfort from overcrowding in any part of the ground. The supply of water was at one time far from adequate. Dependence had been placed upon the supply from the main pipe of the city water works, which passes through the ground occupied, but the long continued drought had reduced the reservoir so much that it came near failing altogether. The difficulty was remedied (upon the kind suggestion and with the aid of Mr. W. P. Sherman, the chief of the fire department) by using one of the tine steam fire engines belonging to the city, to pump the water after the pressure from the resorvoir proved insufficient. The influx of visitors taxed to the utmost the capacity of the city, but the people of Elmira proved equal to the emergency, and it is believed that all were comfortably lodged during the Fair. The headquarters of the Society were at the Rathbun House, where the host, Mr. Wadsworth, showed himself a landlord of resources, as well as a courteous and attentive one. The Society was favored with the presence of the Honorable the Commissioner of Agriculture and Mr. Glover, of the Agricultural Department, early in the exhibition. The President of the Agricultural Association of Ontario and the President of the State Society of Pennsylvania were also present, with other representatives of both Societies. His Excellency the Governor paid a visit to the Fair on the last day. and it was much regretted that he was not able to come while the exhibition had more attractions. Of the exhibition it may fairly be said that while it was not, as a whole, equal to Fairs the Society has held, it was nevertheless very respectable, and in several departments brought out evidences of special progress. There were several drawbacks. Two breeders of cattle and several breeders of sheep, who had made large entries, were for some reason or other absent. One of them, Captain Hilton, was taken ill suddenly just before the fair. The absence of the others has not been accounted for. One gentleman (Mr. Coleman, of Seneca), whose entry of horses would have added to the unusually good show in that department, was prevented attending by a death in his family. A number of articles sent by railroad were unaccountably detained on the way and did not arrive in time to be exhibited (in one case three car loads of implements were so detained), and finally the character of the season had been such as to prevent a good show of fruits and flowers. Besides, it is to be considered that when the Society appoints its exhibition at a place off the line of the Central railroad it is always to some extent a sacrifice, made, to be sure, voluntarily and without regret, from a sense of the duty of diffusing the benefits of its operations, but yet a sacrifice always felt both in the extent of the display and in the receipts of the fair. The show of cattle, notwithstanding the deficiency of the number shown compared with the number entered, was an exceedingly good one. Of this department, Mr. Swan, the member of the Executive Committee in charge of it, writes as follows: "The show in this department was not as large as we had been led to anticipate from the number of entries made by prominent breeders in the eastern part of the State, which, for some cause, they failed to make good. The show of short-horns was small, but good from the quality of the animals on exhibition. Besides, the stock shown by the Hon. Ezra Cornell, of Ithaca (to whom the herd prize was awarded), and by Mr. George Butts, of Manlius, Messrs. William Blanchard, Ira Young, V. W. Mason, and William Jackson, had fine specimens of aged bulls, and Messrs. J. W. and C. W. Wadsworth some fine animals in the younger divisions. The Devons were not out in large numbers, but a good show was made, especially by Mr. Walter Cole, of Batavia, who took the herd prize. Of Ayrshires there was a very excellent show, the principal exhibitors being Messrs. Walcott & Campbell, of New York Mills, and Mr. S. D. Hungerford, of Adams, the herd prize going to the former. Of Jerseys, there were few compared with the number in the catalogue, and great disappointment was expressed at the absence of the entries of Mr. W. B. Dinsmore. Mr. Wm. Crozier, of Northport, L. I., made a good display in this class, and was awarded the herd prize. There were no entries of Herefords, but a very respectable show in the classes of grades and fat cattle." It should perhaps be added that the short horns of Mr. Cornell were fully up to the high standard his herd has attained, and that the show made by Mr. Butts, who had not been an exhibitor for several years, was of remarkable excellence. It possessed an interest, moreover, from showing how great good can be done by a single animal of pure and high descent, and proved Mr. Butts to be a breeder of intelligence and skill, so that it deserves a few words of notice in this place. Beginning with a good foundation, but with animals of pedigrees considered "old fashioned" (though their value is now beginning to be duly appreciated), a Countess of the strain so long bred by Lewis F. Allen, and a Pansey of the Van Rensselaer importation, Mr. Butts had bred in the same lines until his purchase, about 1858, of the pure Bates bull, Apricot's Gloster (2,500), son of the famous Duke of Gloster (11,382) and the imported cow Apricot, by 3d Duke of York (10,166). This bull was (as he stood on the fair ground of Watertown, in 1861, winner of the first prize in his class) worthy of his descent, of a beautiful red color, of very remarkable quality, symmetry and compactness, short in leg, good in chest and crops, very level and deep, of good carriage, and with a very beautiful head, well set (not high) on a short and well formed neck. But what was more to the purpose he proved to be (even for one of Duke of Gloster's sons) a remarkably powerful sire, and his owner had the sense and judgment to continue using him while he lived, the result being a herd of which breeder might well be proud. any Of the animals shown by Mr. Butts, Treble Gloster, two years old, and the successor of his progenitor in the herd, is a red bull, of good size and apparently capital constitution, in quality and form very much resembling the old bull, though longer. He is by Apricot's Gloster, dam by the same, grand dam by the same, so that his name is justified by his pedigree. His dam, Spring Beauty, is also red, and is a cow of great neatness and very attractive in every way, and the red heifer calf by her side, Souvenir by Treble Gloster, is a little gem, as promising as could be wished. None of these inbred cattle show the slightest deficiency of substance or constitution, quite the contrary. They are shown in natural condition and are eminently useful looking beasts. It is not intended, in these remarks, to convey the idea that inbreeding can be carried on forever without a check, but to enforce the truths so well set forth by Mr. Allen in his prefatory essay to the first volume of the American Herd Book, when he says: "To such as intend to breed cattle of decided excellence, we recommend to select bulls of only moderate size, coupled with all the fineness of bone and limb consistent with a proper masculine vigor and energy, and with fullness of carcase and ripeness of points, so as to embody great substance within small compass. In addition to this let him be deeply bred, that is of as pure blood and of as long ances try (not depending altogether on the herd book for that, as many of the best class of animals have comparatively short herd book pedi grees) as possible. Your cows, we will presume, are such * * * as your opportunities have enabled you to procure, but of approved blood. If the bull selected breed well to your cows, have no fears of continuing his services to a second or even a third generation of his own get. Such practice will produce uniformity, and uniformity is one great excellence. No matter for the color, so that it be within the short-horn colors." In the Devon class the credit of this hardy and beautiful sort was well maintained by Mr. Cole, who was, however, disappointed by the absence of his usual rival; but in the Ayrshires the lovers of this excellent dairy breed were gratified by seeing the two best herds in the State, both fully represented, in competition; and it was a pleasure to welcome Mr. Hungerford again as an exhibitor. In the absence of Mr. Dinsmore, the Jersey honors were carried by the Beacon Farm herd of which a capital entry was made, and the Herefords did not put in an appearance at all. The show of horses was an exceedingly good one in the division of breeding stock, but only respectable in the class of harness horses, although of single harness horses there was a good entry. The class of stallions for general purposes was one of the strongest and best ever exhibited at the fairs of this Society. The class of road stallions was also very good, and the show of young stock was a large and very creditable one, the large entry made by Mr. Morris being a very prominent feature of it. Upon the declaration of the awards of the horse premiums, the new classification of horses, adopted in 1868 and continued this year, was made the subject of some criticism, on the ground that it was unfair to compel horses of mixed or unknown blood to compete with thorough-breds. The changes made in 1868, in the list of premiums offered for |