156 



^l)c iTarmcr's i1lontl)li) lUsitor. 



^ tin^ its agi'iciiltur.il iniprovrtiieiits. But that 

 "> j'oiirifjer member of lliU faiiiily wlio in success- 

 ive aiimial fairs, with the pen of the ready wri- 

 ter as well as the pleasaut face and cheerful 

 voice wliich always ;;ive zest to the "feast of rea- 

 son and the flow ol' somI" — where shall liis place 

 he supplied? Alasl the sad bereavement occa- 

 sioned hy his death has left a vacancy in the 

 annual Worcester exhibitions that not one in a 

 thousand has the capacity to fill. The presidinsc 

 otScer on this occasion as on all others where we 

 have lieeji present, imparted life and interest to 

 the whole proceedings. On two successive eve- 

 nings of the Show his elegant mansion was 

 thrown open to strangers visiting the town, who 

 there had the opportmiity of meeting and ma- 

 king the acquaintance of the most ilistinguislied 

 men of the Connnonweqith. A public (.linner, 

 the first day for the County, and on the third day 

 for the State, was given at the Central tavern. — 

 A liall in liojKn- of the farmers of the Stale and 

 County, each under different managers, was giv- 

 en the two last eveniiigs of the exliihitiou. The 

 Agricultural week at Worcester seemed to he 

 devoted exclusively to its appropriate object. — 

 Amiilst the exciting elections in several States 

 which were to give tone to the final result of the 

 Piesidency, in this conirnnnity we were annoyed 

 by no conversation or exultation which could be 

 unpleasant to the most sensitive member of any 

 parly. 



To undertake in this place a description of the 

 three days exhibition at Worcester in detail 

 would be as tedious to us as it would be mono- 

 tonous to the reader. The first day was taken 

 up by the County Association — the two last by 

 the State Society, which in olden times used to 

 have its annual exiiibition at Brighton. The fir.st 

 exhibition was announced by the President as 

 containing a greater number of animals for pre- 

 mium than had yet been presented. An ox of 

 . the native breed five years old, belonging to Mr. 

 Seth Wynian of Shrewsbiu'V, drew the first 

 premium: his weight was 2380 pounds. The 

 working oxen and cows, the sheep and swine, 

 the butter and cheese, the ploughs and other im- 

 |)leinents of agriculture, the vegetable produc- 

 tions, the manufactures both fi)r fancy and use, 

 were all truly magnificent and probably never ex- 

 celled in the country. In the department of 

 ruaiHifactures many yoimg ladies of .some of the 

 first (iijuilies in ^Vorcester seem greatly to have 

 dislingifished themselves. The ploughing match 

 on the morning of the first day was on ground 

 somewhat difficult to show to the best advan- 

 ta^'e. Wi; saw the work afiri- it was done : it was 

 as well executed as docile teams and ingenious 

 and vigilant teamsters and y)loughnien could ef- 

 li.'ct that ohjcci. 



'I'he Slate Society fiiiled partially in their object 

 of ascertaining the characlerof the liest ploughs 

 1>V the determination of the two great com- 

 peliiors of Massachusetts, (Ruggles, Nourse and 

 Mason and Prouty &• Mears,) that their iniprove- 

 menls .should not be submitted to the decision 

 of any committee on this occasion. As the law 

 of patents has been construed by Mr. .lustice 

 Slory, there is no patented plough improvement 

 now in existence, so ihat the great plough-mak- 

 i^rs freely avail themselves of whatever jioints of 

 anv ini[M'oved plough they may choose. As the 

 last ploughs have been made, we should .'^ay theie 

 was none or but very little difli'reuce in the 

 jiloughs couslructed by cither of the great |ilongh 

 makers — both of them have their names stand as 

 high as either could wish, not to be afli'ctcd in 

 reputaiion by the ileci.sion or award of any soci- 

 ety ; ami therefore they are mighty indifferent 

 about sidiinitting the question. But we are t'ren 

 to declare that the Howard plough of llingham,' 

 which was alone presented for premium, is equal 

 in all respects to any others in the country. — 

 This declaration is due to the unassuming pre- 

 ientions of a mechanic, whose first improvement 

 years before either of the others were known as 

 plough makers, entitles him as a iiraclical man 

 to ijulle as much credit as is due to any subse- 

 quent iuventioii. 



The cattle brought for exhibition before the 

 Slate Society were oidy such as had oblainod 

 premiums in the several counties: of course the 

 nnndiers were limited. The county of Ilamp- 

 shiri^ carried the Stale premium for the best Bull, 

 which was awarded to Paoli Lathrop, Esq., of 

 .South Hadley. John Warland, Esq., of Andover 



from the Essex county Society, presented the 

 best fat oxen ; and their superior we have never 

 seen. Tliese cattle were one half of the Dur- 

 ham breed, six years old, and weighed together 

 5210 pounds. Men of wealth like Messrs Lath- 

 rop and iMarland, may afford to raise and keep 

 such fine animals as these. Such men do a great 

 service by introducing them as breeders: farm- 

 ers of less ability will derive itiuch advantage 

 from sucii eftbrts ; and any agricultural society 

 will do well to distinguish them by generous 

 premiums. Mr. Marland is entitled lo great 

 credit for his efforts in behalfof agricultural im- 

 provement. Among the giant vegetables at 

 Worcester was a squash raised on his farm 

 weighing 132 pounds, being one of a number 

 from a single seed, the whole of which weighed 

 more than 600 pounds. 



The tbilowiiig statement in i-elation to the 

 Cows in the State exhibition, is from the accu- 

 rate pen of a man who has many years zealous- 

 ly devoted himself to agricultural improvement, 

 and wlio was of the committee on ihat part of 

 the exhibition. With it we close what we have 

 to say of Massachusetts Agriculture in the pres- 

 ent number of the Visitor. 



From llie Mass. Pfougfiman. 

 Premium Stock at Worcester. 



DeaiiSir: — The following facts which were 

 developed on examining the cows pres%nted for 

 premiums at the late Exibition in Worcester, on 

 the 10th of October, may be worthy of notice, as 

 tending to show what class of animals was most 

 worthy of being reared on our fiunis. 



ftloses Ayer, of New Braintree, a cow 7 years 

 old, i Durham, t native ; gave in June 52 lbs. of 

 milk per day, for 21 days, from which was made 

 2i lbs of butter per day. This cow received the 

 first premium of the Worcester County, and the 

 first of the State Society. 



Simon Car|-.enter, of Charlton, a cow 5 years 

 old, part Holderness: gave in June, 17 quarts of 

 milk per day, from which was made 2i lbs. of 

 butter, and continued to yield 2 lbs. of butter 

 per day, through September ; led on grass alone 

 through the season. Received the first premimn 

 last year from the Worcester County Society, and 

 the second from the State Society this year. 



Henry B. Leach, of Grafton, a cow 4 years old, 

 native ; from lOfh lo 20th of June, gave 3(52i 

 lbs. i)f uiilk, from wliich was made 20i lbs. of 

 butter, anil in Septendier, in 10 day.s, her milk 

 yielded ]7| lbs. of butter. Received the third 

 premium of the State Society. 



^Villiam Eame.s, of Worcester, a cow 9 years 

 old, native; from lOih to J7tli ofjimc, yielded 

 K) lbs. II oz. of butler. Received the fourth 

 premium of the State Society, 



Joseph P. Pond, of' Salem, a cow 9 years old, 

 native ; has yielded 10,(165 !bs. of milk in 10 

 months, equal to 14 quarts per day: milk sold, 

 no butter made. To this was awanled a gratuity. 



Geo. Randall, of New- Bedford, n !) year old 

 Ayrshire ; mad€2 lbs. of butter per lUiy in June ; 

 said to be fed at two-thirds the expense of cows 

 of common size. To this was awarded a gi-atuity. 



Jacob W. Watson of Princeton, a cow 4i 

 years old, J Holderin'ss, J native: with a calf 11 

 moiuhs old ; weighing 1050 lbs. The cow of 

 fine ap|)earance. A cow 3 years old, same 

 breed ; made lOJ lbs. of butter in 10 days in 

 June. 



Win. Eames, of Worcester, a cow 3 years old, 

 i Ayrshire, i native; yielded Hi lbs. of butter 

 in ten days, of superior quality. 



Alrie'l Jaques of Worcester, a cow 4 years old, 

 native; yielded 6i lbs. of butter a week, 6 mos. 

 liom the time of calving. 



Win. Cushman, of , a cow, Durham, 3-J 



years old, weighing J385 lbs. ; yieldeil 26| lbs. of 

 milk a day in Jinit,ai«J made lOJ lbs. of butler 

 ill 7 days; jiasture feed only. Purch.ised of Mr. 

 Loihrtq), of South Hadley, at a cost of $900. 



(f'harles Allen, of Worcester, a cow 7 years 

 old, p;ut Durham, has yielded 16 quarts of milk 

 per day ihe past season, for exhibition only; 

 the fiandsomest animal in the pens. 



Joseph Sawyer, of Bolton, a heiler Durham, 2 

 years 7 months old, weighing 1511. Another, 

 1 year and 7 months old, weighing 1125 lbs. 



Mr. Randall, of New Bedford, exhibited an 

 Ayrshire cow, called Little Dairy, 4 years old, 

 tUit yielded 16 quarts of milk per day ; had a re- 

 markably large bag. Another Ayrshire cow, 



called Medal, lately imported, 5 years old, with '• 

 evidence that 1 lb. 9 oz. of butter was made . 

 from 7 qnarls of her milk. 



If these facts shall be considered of any value, 

 they are at your service. J. W. PROCTOR. 



Danvers, 'Od. 18, 1844. 



Potatoes in Manufactures. 



Few persons are probably aware of the quan- 

 tity of potatoes used in our own country and 

 elsewhere in the manufaclure of starch, arrow- 

 root, tapioca, &c. The starch inauufactory in 

 Mercer, Maine, is said to have manufiictured one 

 hundred and forty thousand pounds, of an excel- 

 lent quality, grinding about sixteen thousand 

 bushels of potatoes. TJie account from which 

 this is taken says, further: "We learn that they 

 have made arrangements lo grind twenly-fbur 

 thousand bushels of potatoes the coming winter, 

 which will pro<luce more than two hundred and 

 forty tliou.sand pounds of starch. They sell the 

 commodity in Boston lor about four dollars per 

 hundred. The New England manufacturers pre- 

 fer it to the Poland starch." Another manufac- 

 tory is mentioned in Hampden, \vhich consumes 

 2500 bushels per day. 



In a single district in Bavaria, in Germany, four 

 hundred thousand pounds of sago and starch are 

 manufactured from potatoes; one hundred pounds 

 of potatoes are said to give twelve pounds of 

 starch. The following extract from an agricul- 

 tural journal presents some porticulars relating 

 to the quantity of starcii conlained in various 

 kinds of potatoes: " Some years ago we experi- 

 mented upon three varieties which we had, viz, 

 the long reds, the Philadelphias, and the pink 

 eyes. We tbund that the long reds produced the 

 most st.u'ch to the bushel. We think that they 

 yielded a litlle more lluui six pounds per bushel, 

 and the, others not so mtK-.h." — Exchanire paper. 



(U^ So readily may potatoes be produced in 

 the mellow, rich soil of the northern comities of 

 Vermonl, that the |irice of twelve and a half and 

 eighteen cents a bushel delivered at the starch 

 mill makes that one of the most jirofitable crops. 

 In many towns starch mills have been in opera- 

 tion, and it has become ipiite common for ati or- 

 dinary fiirmer to raise his one, two and three 

 thousand bushels of potatoes in a season. In the 

 entire Green Mountain region, fiom Berkshire on 

 the south to Canada line on the north, there has 

 been such a failure in the crop of puialocs, that 

 it is said there will be none left the present year 

 for the manufacture of starch. 



Soiliug—Fish Poiids--Birde> 



The following is an extract from an article in 

 the American Agriculturist, upon the manage- 

 ment and a|ipearance of ihe fiirm of Mr. Pell, 

 of Ulster county New York : 



1. Soiling. — Last year the cows here ran upon 

 very good pasture, and averaged eight quarts of 

 milk only per day. Tlusyear,by keeping the same 

 lot up in the yard and soiling them with green 

 food, they have averaged thus far within a frac 

 tioii of sixteen quarts a day; thus far showing 

 that by being ilrivcn to and fro from the pasture, 

 walking about in search of food, and the disturb- 

 ance of flies, animals will not secrete as much 

 milk as when kept up cpiietly with jileuty of food 

 where they can have shade or sunshine as they 

 please. A certain degree of exercise is doubt- 

 less neces.sary for health ; but an undue amount 

 is prejudicial to fatting of ihe animal or secret- 

 ing milk. JMore manure is made for the fiirm 

 wlien cattle are kejit up and soiled than w hen 

 left out to run upon pasture. 



2. Fish Ponds. — It is a matter of surprise when 

 fish ponds are so easily made and kept up, that 

 our fiirmers do not |iay more attention to them ; 

 as tiiey could thus have, at a trifling expense, a 

 supply of fi'esh fish all the year round, any time, 

 at a moment's warning. Mr Pell has already four 

 of these on his liu'iii. and contemplates soon ad- 

 ding two others. They ,are made in the easiest 

 and simplest possible manner, by merely deepen- 

 ing a hollow in a meadow, and conducting a 

 stream or rivulet to it, or darning up a ravine. 

 One of these ponds was .=itocked with pickerel ;a 

 second with tioiit and gold fish; while in anoth- 

 er, the experiment is now making lofiesh-iunter- 

 ize the shad. Last spring fifty-six of these fine 

 fish were caught with a seine in the Hudson, in 

 front of the farm, and instantly placed in the 

 pond. Herring, bass, white and yellow perch, sun. 



