FOft PKOMOTING AGRICULTUEE, 83 



will be the easiest, cheapest and most effectual means to accomplish 

 -this great object?' A principal one has been to grant premiums for 

 the greatest crops of specified plants on given quantities of land. 

 One pleasing result has appeared, that, by ample manuring and good 

 culture, the usual crops of the same plants may be doubled and treb- 

 led. But is it necessary to continue premiums of this kind? May not 

 now the entire management of farms, rather, claim attention? Instead 

 of numerous small premiums, dispersed on a variety of objects 

 might they not be advantageously concentrated for the purpose here 

 intimated the cleanest, most economical, the most productive man- 

 agement of farms? For it must be such a general improvement of 

 the entire farm that will constitute the farmer's permanent prosper- 

 ity. 



In ploughing the just aim must be to make a straight furrow and of 

 uniform breadth arid depth, and so to turn over the furrow-slice as 

 completely to cover whatever plants or manure are upon it. All this 

 cannot be effected with a hurried step. And what benefit can possi- 

 bly result from such a step? A farmer's oxen at the plough must 

 labor a great part of the day to properly turn over an acre. To do 

 this without a driver will require a skillful ploughman and well- 

 trained oxen. To encourage the forming of such ploughmen 

 and oxen, should I conceive, be the sole object of ploughing 

 matches. Working oxen at the plough may be considered as well 

 trained when they obey the voice of the ploughman, keep the track 

 in which they ought to move, and step as quickly as will be compati- 

 ble with the necessary continuance of their labor. And as the 

 annual exhibitions at this place have demonstrated the practicability 

 of performing the general operations of the plough with one yoke of 

 oxen, without a driver, it may merit consideration whether premiums 

 should not be thus limited in all future trials with the plough. Un- 

 der such limitations every farmer who is ambitious to exhibit proofs 

 of superiority in these points, would be sensible that his oxen must 

 attain a certain size, and be, though not fat, yet well-fleshed, which 

 would give strength to their sinews and momentum to their exer- 

 tions. With such oxen all our agricultural labors would be so well 

 performed that there would be no room to envy the condition of 

 farmers in any of our sister states, in some of which their horses 

 consume, perhaps, as much grain as would furnish bread to all the 

 inhabitants of New England." 



It may be remarked that the trustees acted upon two 

 of Col. Pickering's suggestions in the following year, 

 when they offered a premium, through certain of the 

 county societies, for the best cultivated farm, and modified 

 the regulations of the Brighton cattle show, so that pre- 

 miums were given in the ploughing match for single- 

 yoke teams and double-yoke teams, separately. Previously 

 all had ploughed in one competition. It was made optional 

 with owners of single teams, however, whether or not to 

 have a driver other than the ploughman. A premium 

 " for the best farm," to be awarded upon the judgment of 

 a committee of the trustees, was first offered in 1830. The 

 reason for non-action previously, is stated in the report 



