^l)c iTavmer'g jHontl)!!) btsitor. 



157 



coiikl. But it is not yet, nor is it soon likely to 

 be, as extensive in its itiflnencc ilnonsth tiieeoun- 

 ly as we wish it inifjiitbe. Some ofour best ngri- 

 rultiiial towns have scarcely a member: many of 

 oni- best practical farmers never have been mem- 

 bers. 



It" all our towns would take hold of this mat- 

 ter in the spirit of our neighbors of Boscawen, 

 or Canterbury, or Nortlifield, we cannot doubt 

 that the ffood effects of their exertions would 

 greatly more than comi)ensate for the time and 

 money expended; and although there are noble 

 fanners instant in season and out of season to 

 watch the opportunity of tnaking every improve- 

 ment, we cannot doubt tliat the effect of niaUmg 

 their light to shine so that others, seeing their 

 good works, might follow their example, would 

 be salutary and lasting. A man may be a capital 

 and a successful farmer, adopting by his good 

 judgment all the better improvements, and the 

 value of his knowledge be almost entirely con- 

 fined to himself; whereas by association and in- 

 lerconnnunication he may not only impart the 

 benefits of his own knowledge to others, but 

 tnay jjlace himself in a position to learn olher 

 facts which his own good sense will teach him 

 at once how to apply^ This valuable inforinti- 

 tion is very likely to be concentrated in all agri- 

 cultural uss( ciatioiis : and the more general and 

 extensive the association, the greater will be the 

 diffusion of knowledge ; and each member of 

 the communily will have not alone the benefits 

 of his own experience and that of his ncarneigli 

 bors. but the benefits of improvements of the 

 whole mass. 



The exhibition of the Merrimack Agriciiltuial 

 Society was on the I81I1 of October at Boscaw- 

 en. The editor regrets that his inevitable en- 

 gagements both this year and last prevented his 

 personal attendance. Last year he spent four 

 j)leasai]t days travelling the county wherever 

 farms were entered for premium ; and on lliat 

 occasion he performed the laborious services as 

 a pleasant doty, for which he «as amply com- 

 jjensated in tlie kind entertainment whicli he ev- 

 ery where received. Such a torn- as he took then 

 in several tours through every town of the State 

 —over mountain, hill and glen, through grazing 

 grounds, meadows and tilled fields— would be to 

 him more pleasant than any travel in a stranger 

 country. He entered not his own farm ; but the 

 committee aivardid him tlien the first premium 

 for his field of potuloes. He planted this season 

 a new field of five acres of potatoes in the sod, 

 from which he dug rising nine hundred bushels. 

 His best cornfield was upon pine plain land. He 

 counts bis main crops of the present year as fol- 

 lows : 



tiO tons of hay at $10, worth 



200 bushels rye, on 20 acres, at 67c 



300 bushels corn, on 8 acres, at 67c 



POO busliels potatoes at 25r. 

 25 bushels while lieans, $1 25 

 Beets, cabbages, onions and olher gar 

 den vegetables, worth 



Expenses — equal to 

 One hired man one year, aveiage 



boaid and wages 58 cents per 



day, $174 00 



Two'ollicr men at $20 per month 



six months each, 240 00 



We.-u- and tear of tools and labor 



anil expense ol team, 200 00 



Taxes on laud cultivalid, 50 00 



Interest on value of land, 240 00 



Expense of maniue and grass 



seed purchased, 160 CO 



on the east side of the river, worth 



100 00 



$701 25 



Leaving ns Iho jirofit ofour farming in the cur- 

 rent year in somelliing really more substantial 

 than the gain of the maid from the proceeds of 

 her pail of milk, nearly equal to two dollars a day 

 the year round. We entered not for a premium 

 this "year; but we think our fifty acres produce 

 of new land may entitle us to a premium another 

 vear. Our crop was shortened ten tons of hay 

 by as many acres overlaid with mud and sand, by 

 the freshets. Even at present low prices we do 

 not believe our farming has lieeu a losing busi- 

 ness. We intend to stand by the County Agricul- 

 tural Society, and may, within the next two years, 

 enter our tarni and crops for premium. 



We learn from the State Gazette of this town 

 that the Hloughing Match at Boscawen was well 

 contested between Messrs. Isaac Virgin of Con- 

 coi-d, Little Burbank, John Farmer and David F. 

 Kimball of Boscawen and others; that an excel- 

 lent address was delivered by Simeon B. Lit- 

 tle, Esq., President of the Society. The sen- 

 timent at the coni^lusion was — '• Be just, lionest 

 and industrious, attend to your bnsiness, never 

 go into wild, sclieming speculations, be kind to 

 your neighbor, take a newspaper and pay the 

 printer." 



Rev. Messrs. Tracy and Worth united in the 

 public proceedings. 



An ulul^ually large number of the farmers, me- 

 chi iiics and other citizens were assembled un tlie 

 occasion. The Boscawen fanners, alone, tunieil 

 out about 80 yoke of oxen, besides a large nmn- 

 ber of steers, heifers, horses, sheep, swine, &c. 

 The farmers of otlier towns in the county, as 

 will be seen by the list of premiums, brouglit in 

 forexliibition "many products of their industry. 



Needle Work— Miss Maiy Courser, Bosc'n, I iJ'^ 

 do Mrs. L. M. Chadwick, <lo '•» 



do Mrs. E. Gieeu, lai- v^ii "0 



Fnl 



veil, 

 &c — Jere. Tiltou, Norlhfield, 1 



50 



/D 



50 

 75 



1064 00 



Leaves as apparent gain. 



But to this may be added, as included 



ill the above expense, 



40 acres of rye sown for next year's 

 crop, worth $5 an acre, 



Beilerments on ten acres of intervale 

 land by tillage and manure for future 

 crops, worth ten dollars per acre, 



Improvements ou ten acres of piiie+dain 

 land on the Londonderry turnpike by 

 clearing, breaking up, manuring and 

 femiiig, worih $15 per acre, 



Improvemelit on 30 acres of (line plain 



151 25 



200 00 



100 00 



150 00 



Premiums awarded at the late anniversary of tlie 



Merrimack jlgriculturai Society: 



Best Farm— Abraham Brown, Norlhfield, $5 CO 



2d Silas Call, Boscawen, 4 00 



3d F. W. Coffin, do 3 00 



Be.-t Garden— Enoch Coffin, do 2 00 



2d Jeremiah Kimliall, ilo 1 00 



Best Wheat— Albert Ames, Canterbury, 3 00 



2d Beiij. Wliipple, Dunbarton, 2 00 



3d David K. Foster, Chichester, 1 00 



Best Cow— John Taylor, jr., Franklin, 2 50 



2(1 Josi.ih if. Phiibrick.Sanbornton, 2 00 



3d Fisher Ames, Canteibm-y, 1 00 



Best Potatoes — Geo. Peverly, do 1 00 



Rest Carrots — Albert Ames, do 100 



Ploughing — Isaac Virgin, Concord, 1 25 



do David F\ Kimball, Boscawen, 1 00 



do Joliii Farmer, do 75 



Working Oxen— Joseph Gerrish, do 3 00 



do Isaac Virgin, Concord, 2 00 



flo Benj. Fariiuui, do ■ 1 00 



3 year old Steers- Heurv Faruum, ilo 1 00 



do A. Brown, NoriliHeld, 50 



2 year oiri Steers— Jolin Pcvcrly,Caiiterbury,l 00 



do A. Biirluuik, Boscawen, 50 



J year old— iVbraham BinlKiiik, do 100 



3 year old Heiler— A. Burbank, do 1 00 

 2 do do N. Blaisdell, Canterbury, 1 00 

 Best Bull— John Taylor, jr., Franklin, 3 00 



2d Aliraham Burbank, Boscawen, 1 00 



3d Jereuiiali Tliojiipsnu, Sanhornton, 50 



Milch Cows— .'Miraham Burbaid;, Bnscaw(!n,3 00 



do Jeiv. flinmpson, Saubornlon, 2 00 



do L. M. Chaduiik, Boscawen, 1 00 



Mares and Colts— Samuel (:;hadwick, do 1 00 



do F. W. Coffin, do 



Colls — John Peverly, Caiitei biuy, 



do Biiijaiiiiii \Vlii|^ple, Diudiarton, 

 }}ii,-lis — Joseph Barnard, Iliipkinlon, 

 do L. M. Chadwick, BoscaueM, 

 Ewes — Joseph Barnard, lliipkiiilon, 

 do Josiah H. Philbrcjok. Sanbornton, 



Cloth, - , .,..., 



do Laban Morrill, Canlerbury, I ^^ 



Carpets and Rugs — Owner unknown, lint the 



one lined wiih bed licking, 75 



do Mrs. E. Conch, Boscawen, 50 



Blankets, Connterpanes and Coverlets — D. 



F. Kimball, Boscawen, 1 00 



do Isaac Virgin, Concord, \ Ot» 



do Bliss E. Sargent, Canterbury, 100 



do Miss Elizabelli S. Green, " ,50 



Flannels — Miss Jidianii Pingrey, Salisbury, 1 50 



do Samuel Chadwick, Boscawen, 1 00 



do Samuel Moore, Loudon, 50 



Woolen and Silk Hose— Miss Ann Morrill, 



Boscawen, 



do Mrs. E. Couch, Boscawen, 



Sewing Silk and Twist — S. Moore, Loudon, 



Boots, Shoes, &c— T. D. Roberlson, Warner, 1 00 



Leather — T. D. Roheilson, do 7.'> 



do T. D. Roberlson, do 50 



Arliclesof Special Improvement — Sanuicl 



Moore, Loudon, on piece of M. de Lniue, 1 OO 



2d Mr.s. H.uriet Cogswell, Boscawen, 75 



Voted to J. S. Robinson, Concord,on Plough,! 00 



Voted, That no persons receive any premium 



unless they join the society and pay a lax. 



Voted, 'I'bat the Executive Coinmitlee appoint 

 a committee of three in each town in the coun- 

 ty, to solicit new members. 



Voted, That the Exeivutive Committee appoint 

 the lime and place for llie next cattle show, and 

 that it be continued two days. 



Voted, That the premiums for this year be paid 

 the first of next Jarniary. 



'Wie following otiicers were chosen for the en- 

 suing year: 



President, Benjamin Whipple, Dunbarton. 

 Vice President, N. B. Baker, Concord. 

 Secretary, Jeremiali Kimball, Boscawen. 

 Treasurer, James Peverly, Concord. 

 Executive Committee, George W. Doh, (Umroid; 

 Joseph Barnard, Hopkinton ; T. D. Robertson, 

 Warner; Laban Morrill, Canterbury; Joseph 

 Pillsbury, Boscawen. 



50 



1 00 

 50 



2 00 



1 00 



2 00 



1 01) 

 Joseph Noves, Franklin, if in funds, I 00 



2 00 

 100 

 2 50 

 2 00 

 1 50 



1 00 

 50 



2 50 

 2 00 

 1 50 

 I 00 



50 



Sows — Joseph Pill.-liury, Boscawen, 



do do do do 



Bulter— Sanuiel Moore, Loudon, 



2d Laban Morrill, Canlerbury. 



3d Benjamin Walker, Boscawen, 



4th Enoch Coftin, do 



5ih John Killiuru. do 



Cheese— Benjauiiu WlM|iple, Duidiarton, 



2d James Cochrau. Noilhfield, 



3d Naihau KlHinrii, Anduvcr, 



4th Laban iMorrill, Canlerbury, 



5lli F. W. Coftin, Boscawen, 



Scythe making in Wayne, Keuuebec Coun- 

 ty, Maine. 



The editor of the Visitor acknou ledges the re- 

 ceipt of three beautiful sleel-li;\(di Hcuhes from 

 ihe factory of IMessrs. Hitchcock, Taylor and Com- 

 pany, successors of R. B. Dunn in VVayne, Maine. 

 These scythes may be seen as a sample at ihe 

 Counting-room of Hill's Palriot — ihey are excel- 

 lent of their kind. JMr. Taylor of this firm has 

 wrought at scythe making (i-oiu a hoy ; for sev- 

 eral years he was engaged in the mamifactory of 

 Messrs. Colby and IVIesser at New- London, N. H. 

 The Wayne mahiifacimed scythes have already 

 been iMtrodnccd at Aridiersi, Milford and some 

 other places in New Hauqisliire, and have been 

 very extensively used iu the southern comities of 

 Massachusetts ; Plyuioiiih, Brislid, &c. The or- 

 ders for another year are already nuinerous in 

 both Stales. The last year the manuliicture was 

 about four thousand doziui, and will be extended 

 another year to five or six thousand dozen. 



The scythe makers at Wiiyiie furnish this arti- 

 cle from "thirty-eight 10 fifty inches in length, and 

 of all the shapes required for Use in plain and 

 rough lands — iu stout iind thick, or lliiii and scat- 

 tered grasses— in fresh or salt nieadov. s, or upland. 

 These scythes are considered, as they iindoidit- 

 ediy are, in no respect inlf^rior to Colby's best, to 

 F.irwell's, or any other well known and establish- 

 ed scythes. The laying and tempering of the 

 edge is the great matter wauled to make a good 

 scyllie : of this part of the business perhaps no 

 man in the country has a better knowledge than 

 Mr. Tavlor, who is doing every thing in his pow- 

 er to suit the farmers who may choose this im- 

 portant implement from the Wayne manuliictory. 



PRESF.nVI.NG WINTER ApPI.ES.— .\ppleS tllMt lUe 



to be kept long must be ke[)t cool and dry ; it is 

 beat and moisture that contrihute most to decay. 

 Some cool shed or the cooh^sl part of ihe b;irn 

 is therelore pnferable to a cellar at ihls season. 

 But when colder weather comcs,a cellar of some 

 kind is necessary. A cellar which has ire in 

 one part of it may be the most convenient place, 

 but the cellar must be cool or the fruit will soon 

 begin to rot. 



