356 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 2, J836. 



BOSTON. 



Further Extracts from a Pamphlet lately published 

 hy the Essex Agrhultaral Society. — Willi re- 

 marks by Col. PiCKERIiNG. 



NATIVE BREED OP CATTLE. 



It should be constantly borne ii) mind, that the 

 Society has been formed for the purpose of effect- 

 ing improvements, in every branch of liushandry. — 

 Chance in breeding, or a lucky purchase, may give 

 a farmer a superior cow ; but unless her offspring 

 he raised, we shall make no advance ; and fifty 

 years hence, the quality of our neat cattle will not 

 be improved. It is true, that fine cows, and fine 

 bulls do not alicays produce an offspring equal to 

 themselves ; but the high probability is in their 

 favour. Hence tlie high prices given for the im- 

 ported breeds ; like generally producing like. 



Many are willing to raise a cow-calf from a su- 

 perior cow ; wliile they are regardless of a bull- 

 calf: But to an improving farmer, the latter is 

 more valuable than the former. The offspring of 

 the female is very limited ; whereas tiie male may 

 be the sire of Imndreds. — The heifers from fine 

 cows so often prove worthless, because tlie cows 

 are put to worthless bulls. — How different is the 

 conduct of breeders of horses ? No one expects a 

 fine colt, unless from a good mare, and more es- 

 pecially from a stallion of distinguished excellence. 

 The same rule and practice must be adopted in 

 the raising of neat cattle, if we expect fine cows 

 and bulls. 



(U'For these reasons, tlie Trustees expect, that 

 farmers, for tlieir own interest, as well as from 

 their desire to contribute to the improvement of 

 the stock of tlie county, will raise both the male 

 and female calves from cows which they ofi'er for 

 premiums, as animals of superior osccllence. 



O^/^NoTE. In determining the premiums on 

 steers, regard w'll be had not only to their si/,e 

 and appearance, but to tlie manner in which they 

 have been trained, and their power in tlie yoke ; 

 and the committee will test these qualities in such 

 way as they may think proper. 



(U°To encourage the farmers of Essex to raise 

 the offspring of their best stock, tlie Trustees 

 have thought fit to ofi'er to the owners of tlie cows 

 that may obtain the premiums, further similar pre- 

 miums for their ofi'^pring respectively. That is, 

 such offspring, whether bull or heifer, shall be en- 

 titled to the same preiniuin that was awarded to 

 its dam ; the oftspring to be exhibited at the Cat- 

 tle Show next after it shall have attained to the 

 age of one or two years, accompanied with satis- 

 factory evidence of its identity ; and on this fur- 

 ther condition, thai if such offspring show such 

 marks of superior qualities, as in tlie opinion of 

 the Trustees to be capable of materially improving 

 the neat cattle of the county, if retained as breed- 

 ers) — the same shall be retained accordingly with- 

 in the county. Note. The latter requisite 



will not prevent the sale of such improved off- 

 spring, provided it be to some farmer or farmers 

 of the county. 



(jy'Claims for Premiums, to be awarded the 

 present year, must be entered with the Secretary 

 of the Society, on or before 'J o'clok, A. M. of the 

 day of Exliibilion. 



All persons, whether members of the Society, 

 or not, will be admitted as competitors. 



Ten copies of the current volume of the -Vew- 

 England Farmer, will be awarded as Premiums 



at the next Exhibition, in such manner as the 

 Trustees shall think proper. Those who obtain 

 the premiums for the best management of a Farm, 

 or succeed best in Agricultural Experiments, will 

 probably have the preference. 



A certificate of premiums, with a suitable en- 

 graving, will also be given the present year. 

 By order of the Tinistees. 



T. PICKERING, ^ Committee of 

 J. W. PROCTOR, ) the Trustees. 



[Abstracts from late foreign journals.] 



To train oxen to the draught. — Put a broad strap 

 round thfir necks, fasten one end of a cord to it, and 

 the other end to a large log of wood ; permit the ox to 

 drag it about as he feeds in his pasture before he is put 

 iu harness, by which his docility is much forwarded. 

 Transactions of the Society of .iris. 



To desl'roy Rats and .Mice. — The following has been 

 recommended for this purpose, and is worth the trial. 



fake equal quantities of unslackcd limf- and powdered 

 oat meal : mix them liy "lining, without adding any 

 liquid, and put a small quantity iu a plape infested by 

 rats or mice. Il is said that they wih swallow (his pre- 

 i^aration, become thirsty, and the water which they 



lill drink will swell the lime and destroy them. 



Strength of Man. — The strength of savages has been 

 frequently represented as far superior to that of man 

 in a civilized state ; towards the end of the last centu- 

 ry an ingenious instrument to which he gave the name 

 of dynanoiueter was invented by M. Regnier of Demur, 

 •or determining with precision both human power anil 

 that of inacViinery. This was employed by Peron in 

 his voyage to New Holland ; and this able navigator 

 has shown ttiat the strength of savages is uniformly 

 less than that of civilized men. 



Jlnectlole of Dr Parr. — Ur Parr was once dispuling 

 vith a gentleman who had evidently the worst of the 

 argument, but was unwilling to give it up, though he 

 had nothing more to say. " Well, Dr Parr, after all," 

 said he, '• 1 will still maintain my opinion." " No," 

 was the reply , you may retain it, but you cannot 7nain- 

 lain it." 



Destruction of Insects. — The Icares of walnuts, 

 steeped in boiling water; and that infusion mixed 

 with lime water, soap suds, and urine are ound very 

 ethcacious for destroying slugs and worms in the 

 ground, and insects on trees. — Forsyth. 



Silling of Soap. — For the use of private families, 

 where linen is dirty by perspiration or grease it will be 

 of great service towards rendering it white to steep it 

 for some time in a clear liquor, made by mixing one 

 quart of quick liiue in ten gallons of water, letting the 

 mixture stand 24 hours, and then using the clear wa- 

 ter, drawn from the lime. After the linen is steeped 

 ill this liquor it should be washed as usual, but it will 

 require much less soap to be used. 



Hard Jf'aler.—\t is said that a few ounces of soda 

 will soften a hogshead of the hardest water, so as to 

 render it fit for washing. ?oda is preferable to potash 

 or pearl ash for that purpose, as it is less corrosive. — 

 This may be important information to many flosto- 

 nians, where rain water cisterns are so frequently ex- 

 hausted, and the water of many wells in this vicinity is 

 not fit for washing without some preparation. 



VALUABLE WORK. 



The Pennsylvania Society for the promotion of 

 Internal Improvement, propose to publish, under 

 the superintendence of the author, the reports of 

 William Strickland, Esq. agent of the Society on 

 a recent tour through Great Britain. The reports 

 made to the Society are on the following interest- 

 ing subjects ; Canals, Canal-Boats, Cranes and 

 Hoisting Machines, Tunnelling, Railways and Lo- 

 comotive Engines, and of Oil and Coal Gas, on 

 Cooking bitumenous Coal, and on making Cast and 

 Blister Steel, and lastly, on Rollers of copper for 

 the printing of calico. 



From the Boston Daily Jldcertiser. 



THE STATE OF TIIE SEASON. 



Roxbxiry, May 26, 1826. 



Mr Hale — I made some observations on the 

 state of the season in the early part of this month, 

 and endeavoured to show, that the season was not 

 a backward one. Since that period we have had 

 the most uncommonly hot weather, for May, un- 

 checked by any cold. We have had no frost in 

 this month as yet, and it is the first month of May 

 for yO years in which we have escaped one. The 

 season is now extremely forward, prematurely so. 

 The clover is in many fields in full bloom, which 

 .arely occurs before the first week in June. 



Let us compare tlie (lowering of the apple trees. 

 In ltJl3, lei.'j and 181(i, apples were in the fullest 

 fiower on tlie '27th day of May — in lb23, on tlia 

 •-liA of May — in 1824, a very early season, on the 

 I7tli of May — in 1825, a very early year, on the 

 l.'ith of May — and this year they opened on the 

 11th of May, and were out of blow on the I'jiU. 

 Cinnamon roses in flower in 1822, May 2-'', 

 in 1823, June 6, 

 in 1826, May 20. 



I think it will be admitted, the present season 

 is among the earliest we ever have. 



The deficiency of rain has been as remarkable 

 as the heat, and the combination of both has been 

 highly injurious to garden vegetables, fatal to 

 some of them. Light pasture grounds have sufl^er- 

 ed severely, and warm, thin mowing lands will 

 turn out miserable crops of hay. Rains would 

 come now too late to save the grass on such lands. 

 Meadows and rich lands have been not otherw ise 

 aflT^^cted than being earlier fit, as they probably 

 will be, for the scythe. Potatoes have not suffer- 

 ed as yet ; and abundant rains (for they must be 

 abundant to supply the exhausting effects of such 

 an early summer) may make the season still a 

 fruitful one. It is to be apprehended that the crop 

 of strawberries will be affected by the drought, 

 and if it continues, I should fear, that the tender 

 and newly set fruits on the cherry, the pear and 

 the apple, will fall in unusual quantities. 



I am sorry to announce, but it is a duty to do so, 

 that the Canker Worm has re-appeared at Cam- 

 bridge in unexampled numbers. Many trees on 

 the Brighton side of Chailes River Bridge, near 

 the Colleges, look as if a fire had passed over 

 them. Farmers should look back at the various 

 preventives, which were proposed in the Journal 

 of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society when 

 we were last visited by that scourge. The most 

 sure one is applying a strip of sheep skin with the 

 wool out, or of canvas, and covering it with tar 

 softened with fish oil, or any oil. Thus diluted, it 

 will reniain.in a sotl state longer, and require less 

 frequent application. Those who are provident 

 will begin this autumn in November — if they find 



