PLANTING AND FISHING. 107 



There have been as great changes in the mode of farming 

 and in the crops raised in this county as there have been in 

 the fisheries. In looking back to the transactions of this 

 society fifty years ago, I find how much interest was taken 

 then in the culture of the mulberry-tree and the raising of 

 silkworms, twenty-five dollars being the first of five premi- 

 ums offered by the Society for the best nursery of white 

 mulberry-trees for the making of silk. Then three premi- 

 ums of thirty, twenty, and ten dollars were offered for the 

 best plantations of a thousand trees on not less than an 

 acre, in the third year's growth from seed, the offer continu- 

 ing for five years on each of the following kinds : viz., white 

 oak, locusts, larch, white ash, and chestnut. 



Among the " hints to farmers," a record is given of crops 

 raised at different times, in different parts of the county, to 

 the acre : such as, wheat, 26 bushels ; Indian-corn, 117i ; bar- 

 ley, over 52 J ; potatoes, 518^ ; carrots, 900 ; mangel-wur- 

 zel, 1,340 ; ruta-bagas, 688 ; beets, 783 ; English turnips, 814 ; 

 onions, 651 ; which are considered pretty good crops in these 

 days. Then in those years the ladies received premiums for 

 such articles as "list carpeting for rooms and stairs," "grass 

 bonnets, made from meadow-grass of very delicate manufac- 

 ture," "silk stockings and lace veils, samplers and knit 

 purses," one premium being for " a bonnet made of the down 

 of milkweed." 



In 1835 fifteen dollars was offered as a premium "for the 

 best barrel of cider produced at the exhibition of 1836, made 

 within the county. If found worthy of the first premium, 

 to be used at the table without any additional payment." 



Orchards of apples and pears were then in their infancy, 

 when compared with the present. I am informed by one of 

 the largest shippers of apples that last year, the " off year " 

 for apples, two hundred thousand barrels, the product of 

 Essex County, worth over half a million of dollars, were 

 shipped to foreign countries, and about the same will be 

 shipped this year ; and, as fruit-picking time has arrived, let 

 me tell you what he says about picldng apples for shipping. 

 He says, " Pick your apples before they are fairly ripe, so 

 that they will wilt a little, and handle them very carefully 

 like eggs, making two liberal culls as you put them in your 

 barrels, looking out not to rob the cider-heap on the second 



