NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



14 



For the New England Farmer. 

 N. Y, STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BY WM. BACON. 



[From our esteemed correspondent, W. Bacon, 

 Esq., Richmond, Mass., we have received a partic- 

 ular account of the Winter Exhibition of the soci- 

 ety mentioned above. Having received and pub- 

 lished an account of it already, we omit a por- 

 tion of the one before us, but give the remarks 

 which follow his description of the exhibition.] 



Among the thousand and one interesting things 

 which gave beauty, spoke of utility, and added in- 

 terest to the exhibition, were models of fruit, the 

 leaves and wood of fruit trees and vines, and in- 

 sects that depredate thereon, prepared in plaster 

 by Townsend Glover, of Fishkill, N. Y. Of these 

 he presented some 1G0 of apples ; IGOofpeas; CO 

 of strawberries ; 80 of plums ; 30 of cherries ; 19 

 of gooseberries ; 5 of apricots ; 11 of nectarines, 

 &c. &c, all so natural in form, color, and indeed 

 every peculiarity, that the most fastidious connois- 

 seur could not help fully recognizing in them the 

 faithful portraiture of the varieties they represent- 

 ed. Mr. Glover is entitled to much commendation 

 for the aid he is thus giving the Pomological world, 

 in helping them readily to settle the nomenclature 

 of fruits, and we hope our horticultural societies 

 will help themselves and him, by introducing sets 

 of his models into their cabinets. 



The officers of the society for the ensuing year 

 were chosen at this meeting, and are, Henry 

 Wager, of Oneida, President; E. Corning, Jr., of 

 Albany, Recording Secretary ; B. P. Johnson, of 

 Albany, Corresponding Secretary ; Luther Tucker, 

 of Albany, Treasurer ; and Utica was designated 

 as the place of holding the next fair. 



The continued and increasing prosperity of this 

 society must be a matter of strong congratulation 

 to every farmer that has a decent respect for his 

 profession through the land. Why should it not 

 be'? It is the lever that is moving and is to move 

 effectually the agricultural destinies of the na- 

 tion. 



But it is not to these exhibitions alone that the 

 society may look in truthful trust for the secret of 

 success or the triumphs of a wide-spread influence. 

 The volume of transactions she annually sends out 

 among the people, telling the tale of truth where- 

 everit goes, must, though noiseless in its operations, 

 accomplish a work which no other means can ef- 

 fect. Who can look upon its plates of prize ani- 

 mals and not see that there is a degree of perfec- 

 tion to be attained in raising stoek that he has not 

 approached. Do not say you "can't do it," broth- 

 er farmer. You are unworthy of the name of 

 farmer until you have made a decided, per- 

 severing trial. It is just such farmers as you are 

 that hang like an iucubus on our profession, to 

 keep it in the back-ground and cause the taunt- 

 ings of reproach to fall upon it. It is no wonder 

 if your sons look with a species of contempt on the 

 profession of their father, and hurry away from 

 home to seek employment in the miasma of towns 

 in some calling more honorable than that which 

 your "can' is" are daily bringing into disrepute. 



Who, too, can read of the crops which thorough 

 cultivation brings and not feel that his own glebe 

 is susceptible of a higher shite of improvement, or 

 who can sec or i-ead of the richer fruits which in 



their freshness fall to gladden the palate of his 

 neighbor, and not feel constrained to exchange the 

 little, sour, puckery crabs which his own matted 

 topped, moss-embowered trunked trees produce 

 for something to gratify his own taste ? All these 

 things and many more of equal or greater impor- 

 tance these annual volumes of transactions scatter 

 information upon. They are a treasure every 

 farmer ought to possess and read. The farmers 

 of that State undoubtedly appreciate them. If 

 they do not, we do, and would not willingly be 

 without them. 



Yours truly, 

 Elmwood, Feb. 3, 1852. 



W. B. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PREPARATION AND USE OP MANURE. 



BV A. G. SHELDON. 



A practical farmer knows he needs all the ma- 

 nure he can conveniently make ; and that in order 

 to make it properly, a barn cellar is necessary. 

 Let this cellar be a reservoir for all his manures, 

 that they may be thoroughly mixed, and let this 

 cellar be the home for his hogs, and his horse ma- 

 nure their bed. Let him add to the droppings of 

 the cow, fresh earth, at least once each week, to 

 absorb all the liquids ; this will give fresh earth 

 for the hogs which is quite beneficial to them even 

 in the winter. If he intends his manure for up- 

 land, let him obtain his earth from the swamp, 

 and previous to putting it in the cellar let it be ex- 

 posed a sufficient length of time to the air and 

 frost, that it may become thoroughly pulverized. 

 If he wishes to use his manure in reclaimed 

 swamp, let him take his earth from the sand bank. 

 Early in April clean out the barn cellar, place the 

 manure in a pile in a warm, dry place, mixing all 

 the parts together thoroughly, leave it in the pile 

 as light as possible, cover it with loam and let it 

 remain until time to plant. 



The preceding remarks have reference to the 

 treatment of the manure collected in the winter. 



In the summer, if your cattle lie in the yard, 

 cover the surface of the yard with loam or pulver- 

 ized meadow-mud, having reference to the land on 

 which it is your intention to use it. Every morn- 

 ing throw the droppings of the cattle on the pile, 

 covering them with double the quantity of the 

 material with which the yard is covered ; or if the 

 cattle are tied up, be careful to add each morning 

 to their droppings double the quantity of mud or 

 loam. 



Before the ground freezes in the fall, place the 

 summer manure in a pile, or piles, near where you 

 expect to use it, scraping up all the covering of the 

 yard not used, and thoroughly mixing it with the 

 piles, then cover the piles with loam, and this is 

 ready for use at any time. 



Now a few hints as to the application of manures. 

 For a garden, spread the manure in the fall, and 

 turn the furrows together ; this covers all the ma- 

 nure and leaves hollows for the water to soak in- 

 to the earth without drenching the manure. In 

 the spring you will find the manure decomposed 

 and the soil thoroughly impregnated with its 

 strength. 



If the manure is to be used for corn, spread and 

 plow in the coarsest, put a small quantity of the 

 finest in the hill to give the corn the first start. 

 This latter remark applies particularly to dry land. 



