NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



331 



agriculture and its kindred branches, and published 

 at Middlebury, Vt., by D. It. Bassett & Co. — 

 The number before us is filled with good articles, 

 and promises well. 



For the Netv England Farmer. 

 LANCASTER TREE CLUB. 



BY CUARLES SIEDIIOF. 



Lancaster, Mass., is undoubtedly one of the most 

 beautiful villages, not only in Massachusetts, but 

 America. It is not my object to describe it ; I 

 wish merely to say, that its roads, streets and in- 

 tervales abound in trees of large size and elegant 

 appearance. In Emerson's "Shrubs and Trees of 

 Massachusetts," two especially beautiful trees of 

 Lancaster are mentioned, — a gigantic elm on the 

 bank of the Nashua, between Lancaster and the 

 Old Common, and a white oak on the foot of 

 George hill. 



C. F. Symmes, Esq., of this place, an intimate 

 friend of mine, observing that I was as much de- 

 lighted with trees as he himself, suggested to me 

 to avail myself of the opportunity which a series 

 of lectures I was to deliver before the Lyceum af- 

 forded me, and to propose the forming of a tree 

 club, in order to continue and complete the plan- 

 tation of ornamental trees on the public roads and 

 walks, commenced years ago by sensible men. I 

 did not for a moment hesitate to do this, and had 

 the pleasure of seeing the "Lancaster Tree Club''' 

 formed, whose object ^is the embellishment of the 

 environs of Lancaster. Each member of the club 

 pays one dollar annually, either in cash, or in la- 

 bor, or in trees. It does great honor to the inha 

 bitants of Lancaster, that they are so ready to sup 

 port an association, with the greatest liberality, 

 which has nothing to do with making money or 

 the sensual luxuries of life for which thousands 

 and thousands are spent daily. Indeed, there is 

 more in life than money or tea parties. A heart 

 open for nature's charms and beauties cannot beat 

 in the breast of one who is bad. 



Lancaster, April 16, 1852. 



Remarks. — Mr. Siedhof, the writer of this com 

 munication, is the founder and teacher of the 

 school for boys in the pleasant town of which he 

 writes, and which we recently said somethin 

 about. If we had a son which we desired to send 

 to school, it would be to a person imbued with 

 such sentiments, and such a love for the natural 

 and beautiful, as we have noticed in Mr. Siedhof 's 

 writings. But, alas, we have none. Ours, the only 

 son, was called from this beautiful and busy world 

 long years since, away, hojis, where he was want- 

 ed by his Father to cultivate, and be cultivated, in 

 a still more bright and lovely existence. We can 

 therefore only prompt others to what we think we 

 should do ourselves in their circumstances. Plant 

 a society, and plant trees. Beautify the heritage 

 that God has given us. Line the highways with 

 trees that will produce fruit as well as shade, and 

 welcome the traveller to both. Let us forget our- 

 s Ives and make humanity appear in every act ; 

 then will our memory be sweet, and we shall have 

 no occasion to run a crusade after happiness. 



FEEDING STOCK. 



There are few of the operations of the farm so 

 little understood as that of feeding out the pro- 

 ducts of the fields to the animals that are sus- 

 tained by them. Amid all the exertions of the 

 fifteen or twenty agricultural societies in Massa- 

 chusetts, encouraged, and partly supported by the 

 bounty of the State, and many of them having 

 among their number gentlemen of learning in phy- 

 siology, chemistry, and great practical skill on 

 the farm, few exact experiments have been made, 

 as to what particular times or in what particular 

 form, fodder for the cattle should be fed out. 



Many persons of liberal views and ample means 

 have been discouraged from making these experi- 

 ments, on account of the distrust and want of 

 faith in the community, in regard to everything 

 done of this kind, which is not performed by the 

 farmer who labors daily with his hands at the 

 plow, hoe or scythe. They possess every requi- 

 site qualification for such investigations, and would 

 engage in them with zeal, but for the fear that 

 they would fall still-born upon the world, or only 

 excite the sneers and contempt of that large class 

 so wedded to old habits and notions as never to 

 see any good in anything that is new. 



Under such discouragements, we are glad to 

 find the Worcester County Agricultural Society 

 appropriating a portion of its anqrie funds to a se- 

 ries of experiments in regard to the feeding of 

 stock, as interesting as they are valuable to the 

 farmer. These experiments have been conducted 

 by the order and under the sanction of that soci- 

 ety. Messrs. John W. Lincoln, John Brooks, 

 Wm. A. Wheeler, Thomas W. Ward, and Chvrles 

 Brigham, were placed upon the committee by the 

 trustees, and it is their report upon the experi- 

 ments made which we now propose to lay before 

 the reader. It will be found of equal interest in 

 all parts of the country and to every grade of far- 

 mers whether keeping one or one hundred head of 

 cattle. 



The whole report is worthy of being placed up- 

 on record for immediate use and future reference, 

 and while we take this opportunity to express our 

 obligations to the society for their wisdom and 

 forecast in directing these movements, — to the 

 committee for their sound and discriminating views 

 upon the experiments made, — and to the experi- 

 menters for their pains-taking and careful labors, 

 we shall extract and spread broadcast most of the 

 report before us. 



Our readers as well as ourselves, are indebted to 

 the Hon. John W. Lincoln, Chairman of the Com- 

 mittee, for an early copy of the report, free ex- 

 tracts from which may be found in another part of 

 the paper. 



|^" Numerous inquiries having been made, in 

 consequence of a notice, which we published some 



