534 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL 



SOCIETY, 

 The following officers were chosen at a late meet- 

 ing of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society : 



President — Joseph S. Cabot. 



Vice Presidents — Benj. V. French, Cheever 

 Newhall, Edward M. Richards, Josiah Stickney. 



Treasurer — William R. Austin. 



Corresponding Secretary — Eben Wight. 



Recording Secretary — W. C. Strong 



Professor of Botany and Vegetable Physiology — 

 John Lewis Russell. 



Professor of Entomology — T. W. Harris. 



Professor of Horticultural Chemistry — E. N. 

 Horsford. 



Committee on Fruits — E. Wight, J. Lovett, C. 

 M. Hovey, W. R. Austin, F. L. Winship, W. C. 

 Strong, Joseph Breck. 



Committee on Flowers — J. Breck, A. McLellan, 

 E. A. Story, G. Evarts, A. Bowditch, T. Page, F. 

 Burr. 



Committee on Vegetables — H. Bradlee, D. T. 

 Curtis, A. C. Bowditch, G. E. White, A. W. Stet- 

 son. 



Committee on Synonyms of Fruit — M. P. Wild- 

 er. P. B. Hovey, R. Manning, S. Walker, E. 

 Wight. 



Executive Committee — J. S. Cabot, W. R. Aus- 

 tin, M. P. Wilder, S. Walker, P. B. Hovey. 



Committee for establishing Premiums — E. Wight, 

 J. Breck, H. Bradlee, Jos. Lovett, P. B. Hovey. 



Finance Committee — M. P. Wilder, J. Stickney, 

 0. Johnson. 



Committee of Publication — E. Wight, J. Lov- 

 ett, Jos. Breck, H. Bradlee, C. M. Hovey, W. C. 

 Strong, F. L. Winship. 



Committee on Gardens — J. S. Cabot, E. Wight, 

 J. Lovett, S. Walker, J. F. Allen. 



SHOW AND PAIR AT CONCORD. 



The Agricultural Society of Middlesex County, 

 Mass., held its annual exhibition at Concord on 

 the 6th inst. The large concourse of people as- 

 sembled on the occasion, proved that the popular 

 interest in .agriculture is not less strong here than 

 in other sections. This is, indeed, what might be 

 expected from the character of the county. The 

 writer had not till lately the opportunity of visit- 

 ing Concord and vicinity, but was much gratified 

 to find so much good land and good cultivation. 

 Excepting on Connecticut River, it is doubtful 

 whether there is in the State so large an extent 

 of naturally fertile soil, as in this neighborhood. 



The first object of attention in the proceedings 

 of the day, was the plowing match, in which thir- 

 ty-seven teams were engaged. Eight of these 

 were of four oxen each, one of two oxen and two 

 horses, and one of four horses. The others were 

 teams of one pair of oxen or horses each. The 

 "double teams" were required to plow nine inch- 

 es deep, — the others seven. 



The field devoted to the trial belonged to Simon 

 Brown, Esq., and comprised a beautiful point 

 formed by a bend in Concord River. We know 

 well enough that beauty of situation has nothing 

 to do with the questions involved in a plowing 

 match, but as the general interest of the occasion 

 was made up by many associations, we do not 

 deem it irrelevant to say, that the nature of the 



surrounding scenery, with various incidents, com- 

 bined to make the scene one of the most attrac- 

 tive and delightful that we have witnessed. At a 

 little distance below the field, on the bank of the 

 stream, is seen the monument which marks the 

 spot, where "fell the first of the enemy in that 

 war of revolution which gave independence to 

 these United States." On either hand are seen, — 



"Amid the tall ancestral trees," 



venerable rural homes, having that air of neat- 

 ness, quiet, and comfort, peculiar to the best parts 

 of New England. 



But aside from all historical or poetical consid- 

 erations, there was more real excellence of work 

 in this plowing match than we have ever seen in 

 any other. Many of the plowmen acquitted them- 

 selves in a very creditable manner. Had the 

 opportunity been given them to strike out their 

 lands, their skill would have been put more satis- 

 factorily to the test. We speak of the work in 

 reference to the character of the soil, which from 

 its depth, and a tendency in the lower portion to 

 tenacity, required deep and thorough tilth. There 

 was, to be sure, a wide difference in some of the 

 lands in regard to the latter point, and we do not 

 know that it was regarded as essential by all those 

 on whom devolved the duty of making the awards. 

 The depth only was prescribed by the rules, — the 

 other requisites for "the best work with the least 

 expense," having been left optional with the three 

 committees who had charge of the three classes of 

 teams. Their reports will be looked for with 

 interest. — Boston Cultivator . 



For the. New England Farmer. 



APPLES POR COWS— PLOWS. 



Mr. Editor: — I would like to inquire if you, or 

 any of your correspondents or readers, have ever 

 ascertained by actual experiment, the effect of ap- 

 ples, sweet and sour, sparingly or freely given to 

 cows, upon the quantity and quality of their milk? 

 As there are various opinions upon the subject, 

 doubtless a satisfactory answer to my inquiry, 

 would oblige many others as well as myself. 



I would also inquire what kind of plows are con- 

 sidered the best for turning a deep, wide, flat fur- 

 row upon grass land ? 



Yours truly, s. l. w. 



Grolon, Oct. 12, 1852. 



Remarks. — We have made no exact experiments 

 with the apples. Perhaps some of our readers 

 have, and will answer your question. 



The best plow for the use you speak of, we con- 

 sider Ruggles & Co.'s Deep Tiller, Eagle No. 75. 

 This plow will turn a furrow nine or ten inches 

 deep, fifteen inches wide, and lay it over flat — pro- 

 vided it is held right. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 DISEASED SWINE. 



Gentlemen : — I am a farmer by occupation, and 

 better qualified to hold the plow than the pen, but 

 as my brother farmer solicits you or your readers 

 to give the disease among his pigs a name and a 

 remedy, I take the liberty, for his consolation and 

 others, to call it the Bla'chlooth. The remedy is to 

 extract them ; the disease is not confined to any 



