Vol. IV. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



84 i 



afford the grower ' ub fuJdor of u, valuable kind, 

 wiiite tiiid y-ioldM not only an useful gr:ii;i; but alSo 

 as large ;i quantity of e.-Lcellent fodder as the same 

 field would when seeded do.vn v. nil tlie best kind 

 of frra.ss. The geullcmiiu above alluded to, says 

 that iii^ neat stock, horses find sliecp, appear to 

 eat the .Millet straw as freely as they would the 

 be.st English hay ; and he thinks a loji of the first 

 quite as valuable as a ton of the l-ist. 



Aubtiier g-enlleniaii of this town sowed about 

 three acres with Millet the last year. And altho' 

 the ground was not suitably prejiared for this crop, 

 bc.n.-- irreen sward turned over by the plough but 

 iL short thne previous to sowing, yet the product 

 was, in his opinion, more than a ton per acre — 

 What the quantity of grain was, he does not know, 

 as the crop was cut before all the i;eed was fully 

 ripe, and used pnneipally as dry fodder, which 

 proved to be very good. 



We could easily uicntion many instances of the 

 eiitire success of this crop in other States,but deem 

 it unnecessary, as oar object is not so much a con- 

 firma.io : of tiie importance of tills vegetable, as 

 to ml. ce our agricultural readers to make the ex- 

 perunent theinselves ; as a few rods of land pn 

 their own farm.;, devoted to its culture, would af- 

 ford more satislkctory and convincing evidence of 

 the advantages of raising this grain, than all we 

 could say on the subject. 



The soil best ada:pted to the grswth of Millet, is 

 found to be a light one, and should be well tilled. 

 Col. Powel, a very distinguished agriculturalist, of 

 Pennsylvania, says, " Millet succeeds best on light 

 land, and rcijuires as much strength of .soil as is 

 necessary to produce heavy oats." We have con- 

 versed with several persons belonging to the mid- 

 dle and western States, who have been in the 

 habit of gro'.vinjf Mill: t, and they all agree in the 

 opinion that, the land should be in good tilth, in 

 order to produce a large crop. Indeed, the same 

 observation may be made with equal propriety in 

 relation to all kinds of iigricultural prudncls. And 

 it is a matter of surpris'^ and regret, that our farm- 

 ers are generally so blind to their interest as to 

 persevere in the useless attenipt to improve more 

 areible laiul than their means allow them to manure 

 and till propr-rly ; by which their labour is much 

 increased and their crops 'diminished and deterio- 

 rated. 



Cut to return — the land for the growth of Millet 

 ah.juld be as welf prepared as for any other kinds 

 of liinall grain ; the surface made level by the har- 

 ro.v or otiier me:ns, and tiie seed soviin by the last 

 of May, or the first week in June. The quantity of 

 seed necessary for an acre, should vary somewhat 

 ■according to other circumstances. On a strong, 

 well cultivated soil, if the object is a crop of fod- 

 der, from two to throe pecks may be sown per 

 ac re : some use even a larger quantity. If it is 

 w iohed to procure a heavy growth of grain, a smal- 

 ler (luautity should be sown, say from one to two 

 pecks. As many of the seeds are often not suifi- 

 ciently ripe to vegetate, perhaps, on our common 

 lands, half a bushel woul-1 generally be about the 

 proper quantity. After the seed is sown, the best 

 method of covering it, is either by a light wooden 

 toothed harrow, or better, with what our farmers 

 call the busli. This leaves the surface even, and, 

 while it eftectually covers the seed, it does not 

 bury it too deep. 



There are dift'erent opinions as to Ihe best time 

 of cutting Millet. The crops raised in this town 

 have been cut as soon as the seerds in the upper 

 parts of the heads havg become fuDy ripe and 



riard. The same stage is coni;idered by Col. Pow- 

 el to be the Hiost proper, as he thinks from his ob- 

 servation and experience, that the fodder is then 

 tiie best and most nutritious, and the easiest made. 

 The same ojiinion has been expressed by tlie Hon. 

 Uushrod Wasliington. 



Although the labour, )ierhaps, is greater to cra- 

 dle the crop than to mow it, yet, on several ac- 

 counts, the former is preferable to the latter — the 

 seed is more easily threshed ; it is less liable to 

 be shelled out in curing it, and it may be more 

 conveniently and compactly stowed in the barn, 

 than when mowed, whicii is oftentimes of jnuch 

 consequence. — [Worcester Yeoman.] 



WORCESTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL 



SOCIETY. 



The annual Meeting of the members of this so- 

 ciety, tor the election of officers, aud the transac- 

 tion of other business, was held on the 19th ult. — 

 From the period of the first establishment of this 

 society in 1818, may be dated the origin and pro- 

 gress of that spirit and improvement in agricul- 

 ture, wiiich had enriched the dairies and stalls of 

 our farmers with the finest of animals, and cover- 

 ed their fields with lieavier harvests than ever be- 

 fore loaded the green valleys. The institution, 

 which first communicated a reviving and invigor- 

 ating impulse to husbandry, has experienced the 

 reciprocal action of public favour on its prosperity. 

 It now numbers more than seven hundred of our 

 worthiest citizens among its members. From the 

 annual report of the Treasurer, our much esteem- 

 ed fellow townsman, Theophilus Wheeler Esq. it 

 ii.ppears that the funds, under the most faithful and 

 prudent management, sutfer no diminution. In 

 March, 1825, the amount of available funds was 

 stated at .'^4299 56. lu March 18'3f!, this officer 

 charges hiinself with the sum of $.5257 58 includ- 

 ing the gratuity of -StiOO paid from the State Treas- 

 ury. The expenses of the last year, including the 

 amount in liberal premiums, are comprehended in 

 the sum of .$021 51 leaving a balance in favour of 

 ihe society of .S'iSG 07, principally loaned to indi- 

 viduals with good security for the payment of in- 

 terest and principal when demanded. Seventeen 

 new members have been added during the past 

 year, who by the payment of $5 each have depos- 

 ited in the funds .S85. 



The first exhibition of Animals and Manufactures 

 took place in 1819. Since that period, the Agri- 

 cultural festivals have been attended with increased 

 interest and undiminished zeal. The following 

 list e?;l!ibits the names of tliose gentlemen who 

 have officiated as orators on these pleasant occa- 

 sions. — [Worcester iEgis.] 



1819 His Excellency Levi Lincoln, 



1820 Hon. Lewis Bigelowy 



1821 Hon. Jonathan Russell, 



1822 Hon. Mithaniel P. Denny, 

 1833 Hon. Oliver Fishe, 



1824 Isaac Goodwin, Esq. 



1825 Georsre A. Tufts, Esq. 



The folloioing officers were re-elected. 

 President, Levi Lincoljc. 

 1st Vice-President, Jlaron Tufts. 

 2d Vice-President, William Sledman. 

 Treasurer, Theophilus JVheeler. 

 Cor. Sec. Oliver Fiske. 

 Rec. Sec. William D. WTieeler. 



ORNAMENTAL TREES. 

 In a young region, where all the disposable in- 

 dustry must be consumed in freeing the earth 

 from -those stately forests, whose leaves have al- 



ternately shaded and tufiched the soil ilnougii tin; 

 successive Spnn^-s and Autunms of many centu- 

 ries, it is not surprising, tliat little attention should 

 be paid to the presLTvatioii of those beautiful or- 

 naments of a cultivated country, the green tiect', 

 which afford so luxurious a retreat from the Sum- 

 mer sun. But vviiero the warfare with the origi- 

 nal settlers of the country has ceased, it is re- 

 mar ktbre Uiat so little care should be bestowed 

 on the comfort of -the traveller, or the convenience 

 of the resfdent, by planting trees along the way- 

 sides. There is not a more lovely object, than an 

 ancient elm, with its glossy leaves stirred by the 

 wind, at eventide, with the hum of insects, sound- 

 ing from its branches, and the troops of children 

 frolicking about its trunk. Objects like this, may 

 be everj where mu'tiplied, at a very trifling ex- 

 pense of care and trouble. A few hours' labor, a 

 few moments' carefulness at intervals, are all that 

 are necessary for the cultivation. Would each 

 individual bestow these in planting that portion of 

 his land which borders on the public roads with 

 trees, — our highways, instead of being bleak, bar- 

 ren, and sultry, would seem like avenues of green, 

 joining village to village, equally sheltered from 

 the burning sun, and the driving storm. — [Ibid.] 



CHEAP PAINT. 

 Take a pound of potatoes, skinned and well bak- 

 ed, bruise them in three or four times that weight 

 of boiling water, and pass them through a hair 

 sieve. Add two pounds of fine chalk in powder, 

 mixed with double its weight of water, and stir 

 the whole well together. This mixture will form 

 a glue to which any colouring matter may be ad- 

 ded, even charcoal, brick or soot, which will make 

 a cheap and durable paint, for barns and fences, 



SILK WORMS. 



The diminution of the duties on the importiition 

 into England of foreign silk goods, seems to have 

 given a stimulus to the manufacture on the Conti- 

 nent. At Berlin, M. Bolzani, an Italian, has under- 

 taken, with apparent success, to revive the culture 

 of silk worms in Prussia, where it has been aban- 

 doned since the reign of Frederic II. The King 

 has granted him several rooms for the purpose at 

 the Hospital of Invalids ; and he has besides ob- 

 tained, on payment of certain rent, the privilege of 

 availing himself of the mulberry trees in the gar- 

 den of that establishment. M. Bol/ani has induced 

 a number of female silk spinners to emigrate from 

 Italy to Prussia ; and is very well satisfied with 

 the progress whicli he has made in the present 

 year. 



An experiment has been tried upon a toad, bj 

 immuring it in a small flower pot, sunk deep into 

 the earth, to ascertain the fact of the animal's liv- 

 ing without food. When the light was let into his 

 cell, after three years' confinement, it hopped out 

 upon the earth quite cheerful. " The, prisoner was 

 re-committed for further trial." 



Good Advice. — The last Dover (Delaware) Ga- 

 zette says that one of the reverend gentlemen, of 

 that town, in the course of a Fast-day sermon, 

 gave the following excellent piece of advice. 



" If," said the preacher, " the young gentlemen 

 were more frequently to mingle with the virtuous 

 young ladies of the tjwn, instead of hoverin" 

 around grog shops and gaming tables ; it wouldiin 

 time have a beneficial tendency in weaning them 

 from inany of their vicious practices, and thereby 

 render them more respectabie:inenibers offaooiety"." 



