98 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Oct. 17, 1828. 



dissolved, and Uic leaf falls." The reasonal.le- 1 animals they examined, and did honor to the stock 

 ne..s and truth of this theory, as far as respects which he represented. 



dicotyU'donous plants, becomes more obvious by 

 feflcctiug- on the diilerence between the decay of 

 leaves and the decay of teudrils. The loaves of 

 V)lants, grasses, bulbs and other Jlnnocotyledoiiea;, 

 in a strict sense, cannot be said ever to drop from 

 the plants. Dr. Brewster judiciously observes, 

 that M. Vaucher is the first who directed botanists 

 10 the ors^anic structure at the base of the petiole ; 

 and he adds, that a similar arraagenient probably 

 prevails in the other parts of plants which succes- 

 sively drop ofl; and the connection of whose ves- 

 sels with those of the stem, though necessarily in- 

 timate, is merely temporary. A new field is thus 

 opened for botanical research. — Gard. Mug. 



REPORTS OF THE WORCESTER AGRI- 

 CULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT ON FAT CATTLE AND '.IILCH COVvS. 



The Committee on Fat Cattle and Milch Cows 

 cannot express, in adequate terms, the gratifica- 

 tion which they, in common with the multitude 

 who have witnessed this day's Exhibition, receiv- 

 ed from that part of it which came under their pe- 

 culiar cognizance. Eighteen fat oxen were en- 

 tered for exhibition or premium, and sixteen were 

 found in the pens. Among these they must first 

 notice those offered for exhibition only, by the 

 lion. Joseph Estabrook of Royalston, who has 

 long been favorably known throughout this am' 



Among the other cattle, there was exhibited by 

 Capt. Harrington, of Princeton, a remarkably line 

 cow with calf, which weighs 1,663 pounds, and 

 has been kept oidy upon hay and grass. She is 

 half Holderness, six years old and added much to 

 the interest of the show of animals. 



Old Englaiid may boast of her roast beef— and 

 Europeans^ mav say that nature degenerates in 

 her pro.luctions in America, but while New Eng- 

 land iirod.ices such animals for the slaughter as 

 have this day exhibited, we never need to fear 

 the want of good eating, or fear the imputation of 

 degeneracy in man or beast. 



There vvere the uncommon number of eighteen 

 milch cows entered for exhibition or jireraium, 

 seventeen of which were in the pens. Tiiis was 

 as it should be. It was doing justice to the coun- j 

 tv which has long been distinguished for its dai- 

 ries. But more credit is due to one part than an- 

 other of the county, since ten of them were from 

 the town of Princeton, and eight of these were 

 exhibited by one gentleman, (John L. Boylston, 

 Esq.) for whose public spirit and interest in its 

 concerns, the Society owe their acknowledge- 

 ments. Of the sixteen, eight were entered for ex- 

 ibition onlv, and the time of the committee will 

 not permit them to do that justice which they 

 could wish to the animals or to the gentlemen 

 'who exhibited them. Stephen Salisbury, Esq. 

 j exhibited a fine cow, seven years old, half Denton 



other counties as a distinguished farmer. He pre- j ij,.eed ; and Mr. Richard Mills, of VVorcester, ex- 

 sented twelve fine oxen from his jiastures which 

 by estimation would average from twelve to fil- 



teeii hundred weight each when slaughtered, and 

 from thijir excellent poinis, their fatness and their 



hibited a native cov/ six years ol<l, of a fine quali- 

 ty. Mr. Asa Rice also exhibited a cow which 

 was acknowledged to be a fine animal, and Mr 

 Boylston exhibited a beautiful Denton cow, and 



number, attracted the attention of every one. A- j o„c oii,cf fine cow which the comnnttee viewed 

 mong such a Jury, as they may from their iinin- Uvith pleasure. And among the animals for ex- 

 ber well be styled, it would not have been easy to j hihition, the remarkably fine cow of Col, J. W. 

 select a Foreman, and the Committee are happy Watson, Princeton, must hold a high place in the 

 that their duty did not rccpiire any such distinc- estimation and commendation of the committee. 



■ • ■- "• « - '- "••■— ''■"' Among the cows offered for exhibition only, the 



imiiorted' short horned Durham cow offered by 

 our entcrprizing and public spirited fellow citizen 

 Stephen Williams, Esq. of Northborongh, was par- 

 ticularly noted by the committee. Others may 

 dispute about long horns, and short horns, the 

 committee unanimously agreed that let long horns 

 he as they might, the short horned cow ot Mr. 

 I Williams deserved their unqualified approbation. 



^„ ,.„„. .._ ^ I And having exhausted their epithets of approba- 



Ihat the Committee regretted the limited number jtion they can only add that Colonel Lincoli ' ■ ' 



tion to be made. Among tlie other oxr-ii t!ie 

 Committee noticed one offered by Capt Ephraim 

 Mower of Worcester, which was a fine animal 

 having most if not all the good points required in 

 such an animal. They also viewed with great 

 pleasure the fine grass fed ox of John L. Boylston 

 Esq. which weighed 2310 pounds, and they do 

 not hesitate to pronounce him a superior animal, 

 doing great credit to the gentleman who present- 

 ed him. And it was when viewing such animals 



of premiums they had to award. These were on- 1 ties-rved her shan 

 ly two — One of fifteen dollars winch they award ! fo,- exliibition only. 



her share of them, offered as she was 



10 Capt. Benjamin Harrington for his native grass 

 fed Ox, eight years olil, weighing 2511 pounds. — 

 And the second premium often dollars they award 

 to Gen. S. Towne, for his bc.-mtitul six years old j 

 ox, weighing 2237 pounds, half Holderness breed. 

 The ox of Capt. Harrington, as he certifies, has 

 had no grain or meal during the last summer, and 

 the committee were induced to award the pre- 

 mium to him on account of his fatness, although 

 the ox of Gen. Towne was much the most beau- 

 tiful animal of the two ; and considering his keep- 

 in" which till the present season was common and 

 ordinary, and entirely without grain, his great ue- 

 f ree of fatness and excellent condition, were sub- 

 jects of high commendation-. The ox exhibited 

 by the President of the Society, for exhibition on- 

 ly, was worthy of the high place he held in the 



It was no easy "task to award premiums where j 

 there were so many claimants, and their claims j 

 were so just. The committee regretted that Mr. ^ 

 Benj. Harrington, of Princeton, had it not in his j 

 power to furnish the requisite certificate as to the | 

 quantity of milk given by his cow offered for pre- 1 

 mium, during the month of September. But as , 

 he could not, she could not be considered as a 

 subject for premium, whatever the committee 

 might have thought, had such certificate been 

 ofl'ered. She was a very fine animal, and the 

 quantify of milk given by her in June, twenty-one 

 quarts a day, shows how high her claims were up- 

 on the attention of the committee, and how strong 

 they might have been upon them to award her a 

 premium. After due deliberation, the coinmittee 

 are unanimously of the opinion that the first pre- 



y, was wortny ot ine nign piace ne neiu m mt n,.e unanimously oi tne opmiu" '""• ^-^ •■•' i-" 

 ■stimatioi) of the committee among the very fine 1 ,„mtn oi'iifteen dollars should bo awarded tu Mr. 



Henry Sprague, of Spencer, for his four years oM 

 cow, "half Holderness breed. The quantity of milk 

 given by her, as certified, was twenty quarts of 

 strained milk per day, from the first to the twen- 

 tieth day of June— and from that to the first of 

 October, eighteen quarts a day ; although her 

 keeping was upon grass, in company with thir- 

 teen other cows. 



The second premium of ten dollars the com- 

 mittee award to J. L. Boylston, Esq. for his beau- 

 tiful light rod iimr years old cow, which produced 

 during the month of June, an average of nine 

 pounds of butter per week, and during the month 

 of September, fourteen quarts of milk per day al- 

 though kept with from twelve to twenty-one cows, 

 and only upon grass. She is of the native breed, 

 and her calf nine months old, a fine animal was 

 exhibitcil at the same time. 



The third premium of eight dollars, the com- 

 mittee award to Mr. Albert Stone, for his excel- 

 lent cow twelve years old which produced as cer- 

 tified about eighteen quarts of milk during the 

 siuiimer months, and thirteen (piarts per day sub- 

 sequent to Sei)temher. Although the certificate 

 of her qualities in regard to milk was not so pre- 

 cise as the committee wished, yet when they took 

 I into consideration the calves fattened by her, her 

 appearance, and the facts which were certified, 

 they concluded to award for her the third pre- 

 mium. 



For the fourth premium Jlr. Boylston was his 

 own comjjetitor, and if he will present so many 

 animals, so fine that there is little or no difference 

 he must not complain if he himself should be cal- 

 led upon to decide, because "the doctors disa- 

 ■n-ec." Upon examination and comparison, how- 

 ever, the committee award to him the fourth pre- 

 muim, of six dollars, for a dark red four years old 

 cow, which averaged in her produce, nine pounds 

 of butter per week during the month of June, and 

 thirteen quarts of milk per day during September. 

 She was kept with from twelve to twenty-one 

 cows during the season, and only upon grass. In 

 describing this cow the committee describe also 

 the other four cows of Mr. Boylston, and they 

 here again express their regret that they were lim- 

 ited in the number of their premiums, for where 

 all deserve, it is difiiciilt to discriminate. 



If the committee have failed to notice any of 

 j the animals exhibited, in a proper manner, it a- , 

 ! rises entirely from their number, and the difficul- 

 I ty which arises in such cases in discriminating 

 ifrom recollection the several animals and their 

 distinctive traits. In the case of Mr. Harrington 

 the committee are so well persuaded of the merits 

 ' of his cow which was exhibited for premium, to 

 whom they were precluded from awarding a pre- 

 mium by "the rules of the Society, that they res- 

 pectfully suggest to the trustees the allowance to 

 Mr. Harrington of his travelling fees according to 

 the rules of the Society, if be does not receive 

 them in respect to other animals exhibited by hini. 

 In addition to this, what some may deem dry de- 

 tail, the committee beg leave to offer one or two 

 remarks of a general character. They cannot 

 but express their surprise, that any man will ever 

 keep a poor milch cow when, as has this day bee* 

 shown, animals so much more profitable can be 

 keiit at an equal cost. It is a deplorable want ot 

 economy, and worse even than that of a man who 

 should 'invest his money in two per cent, stock, 

 when he might as safely receive t£n per cent, ou 

 his capital in any other way. No animal repoys 



