114 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Oct. 31, 1828. 



jny yard, and carted in autunin, and thrown iiiftt ciety there were»thirty competitors rejjiilarly en- 



large hcai).s, and covered from the weather. This 

 season hsjs lieen aUke favoralile to tlie crop ; and 

 T judge, when measured, the produce will be found 

 to be nearly as great, without the fiftieth |)art of 

 the loss by smut. Tho quantity has not been as- 

 certained, as it was of so rare an occurrence as 

 not to 1)0 wortji the trouble, though severed, of 

 bringing from the field. The suckers also were 

 so free as to cause no injury. It appears obvious 

 that the diminution of smut was occasioned by 

 the quality of the manure applied to the hill. 



The modern practice of ploughing in alt the ma- 

 nure preparatory to the cultivation of corn, has, no 

 doubt, a tendency to lessen the ipiantity of smut; 

 but I doubt whether it affords as great a crop of 

 corn. The old system of putting all the manure 

 in the hill, is justly exjiloded by good farmers ; yet 

 the modern practice of spreading it all, is, in my 

 opinion, erroneous. I am aware that the best 

 farmers defend it. I took occasion to enquire of 

 one "who had received a premium for the best crop 

 of corn, his process of cultivation. He informed 

 me that he spread the manure and ploughed it in. 

 \ asked him whether he did not reserve some fur 

 the hill. On his answering in the negative, I fur- 

 ther inquired, whether, if after he had sjuead 

 what he sliould judge a sufficient quantity and had 

 some left, he would not put that in the hill. His 

 reply was, no — I ivovld spread that also. ]\Iy prac- 

 tice, as before observed, is otherwise. My reasons 

 for it are that at the time of planting, the ground, 

 if not wet, is usually heavy, and necessarily of a 

 low temperature. The furrow for planting, if it 

 does not remove the best i)art of the mould, loaves 

 little or none at bottom. Instead of being sup- 

 ported on matter, warm and quickening, hasten- 

 ing vegetation and uffurding a free exit and ex- 

 pansion of the roots, the seed is consigned to a 



terca, each deserving much credit ; although it 

 was put of the jjower of the Committee to award 

 each a premium. 



The Committee proceeded to compare them in 

 reference to age, size, docility, equality of match, 

 activity and form ; and after a careful examina- 

 tion, and trial of their power and training, they 

 award as follows, viz. — 



To Henry Mellen, of Milford, his cattle 

 four years old, first premium $25 



To Hiram Copeland, of Easton, his cattle 

 four years old, second preiniimi 20 



To Asa Cummings, of Sutton, his cattle 

 four years old, third premium 15 



To Silas Dudley, of Sutton, his cattle five 

 years old, fourth premium 12 



To William B. Harrington, of Grafton, his 

 cattle five years old, fifth premium 8 



All which is respectfully submitted. 

 For the Committee, 



LUKE FISKE, Chairman. 



Brighton, Oct. 15, 1828. 



The Committee appointed to award premiums on 

 Sheep and Swirie Report — 



That they do not find any merino buck entitled 

 to the first premium. 



They award to George M. Barrett, the sec- 

 ond premium, for a merino buck 



To Joseph Barrett, the first premium for 

 the best merino ewes 



To George M. Barrett, the second premi- 

 um for the next best ewes 



To John Mackay, the first premium for the 

 best hoar 



To Silas Dudley, the second premium for 

 the next best boar 



To John Mackay, the first premium for the 



were four merino ewes and one Saxony buck of- 

 fered by Gorliam Parsons, Esq. that were justly 

 distinguished for their superior form, quantity and 

 fineness of fleece ; and foiw excellent ewes from 

 the Netherlands, that were presented to the So- 

 ciety by the Hon. Thomas H. Perkin.'i, and also 

 a buck and ewe of the Dartmoor or Devonshire 

 Natts breed,* that were presented to the Society 

 by Gen. John Coffin ; all of them attracted 

 great attention, and were deservedly hold in high 

 estimation. JOHN HEARD, Jr. 



SAM. JAQUES, Jr. 



THO'S WILLIAMS. 



$101 



20 I 



I 



10 : 



12 



hard and cold surface, is more exposed to perish, hest sov/ 



more feeble if it vegetates, and more tardy in its 

 early progress. To obtain a prolific crop, with 

 early maturity, it is essential not only that the 

 seed should be good, but that it should have some 

 extra stimulus to induce a hcaltliy and vignrous 

 outset. Under a favorable comuiencement it is 

 better enabled to overcome all the impediments in 

 Us course. To those who have spread all their 

 manure, I can recommend no better substitute 

 than equal parts of inodi'ratcly leached ashes and 

 plaster, well mixe<l, ami as umch as can be thrown 

 in at once by the hand. 



With respect to siiuit, my rule is to have it re- 

 moved wliereverit appears, as soon a.s discovered. 



To George M. Barrett, the second premi- 

 um for the next best sow 8 



To John Mackay, the third premium for 

 the next best sow 5 



To John Mackay the first premium for the 

 best pigs 10 



To Joseph Barrett, the second prenfium 

 for the next best pigs 5 



The Committee were highly gratified to observe 

 an improvement, this year in the number, form, 

 and fineness of fleece in the sheep, and in the 

 uiunber and quality of the swine. And they are 

 principally indebted for the improvetnent in the 

 sheep, to the perseverance, and intelligence of 



By this practice a sound ear may often be saved Messrs. Joseph Barrett and George M. Barrett, of 

 whicii otherwise would have been blighted. It Concord, Mass. 



prevents the filth and dust from contaminating the 

 ears and those who harvcnt if, and an annoya)ice, 

 if not an injury to the stock that consumes it. 

 « Yours with respect, 



Worcester, Oct. 29, 1823. O. FiSKE. 



OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



OF TIIF, 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Tlie Committee of the " jMassaehnsefls Socletii for 

 the Promotion of ^Igrieullure" consis-ting of Mesi^rs. 

 Luke Fiske, Elijah PERny, and Amos Liver- 

 more, who were appointed to consider the several 

 claims for premiums on h'orking O^tn, have attend- 

 rd that service, and Report — 



That for the five premiums offered by the So- 



The characteristic marks of a good hog, and a 

 good proportion of them, well adapted to the res- 

 pective breeds and varieties were observable in 

 al! the swine, that were exhibited. Those pro- 

 duced by Mr John Mackay were distinguished for 

 great production for several successive years, for 

 small bone, fine flesh, lively activity and excellent 

 condition, as well as for their kindly disposuion to 

 fatten early and easily. There were some pecu- 

 liarities in those brought by Mr Dudley and Mr 

 Barrett, that deserved particular attention, for they 

 evidently show sound judgement in the selection, 

 and good management in keeping. 



The Committee had great pleasure in noticing 

 the several pens that were filled with sheep by 

 the friends and benefactors of the Society, and 

 which were offered for exhibition only. There 



FOR THK NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



POTATOS. 



Mr Editor — There has been a potato raised 

 in Windham County, (Con.) for about twelve 

 years, which was imported from England ; I be- 

 lieve they are likewise raised in Rhode Island. — 

 They are called Irish Whites, are white inside ; 

 the shape is generally longer than the English 

 Whites. They yield well on good land — are of a 

 inid<lling size, and should be planted as early as 

 possible in April to have time to ripen. They are 

 esteemed, 1 believe, by all who have raised them, 

 as superior for the table to any they have ever 

 seen. They much resemble those potatos describ- 

 ed in N. E. Farmer, vol. vi. p. 337, called Rogers 

 Potatos, except that 1 never saw any red spots on 

 them. It may be, that the same kind or others 

 equally good are raised in the vicinity of Boston, 

 but I iiave never seen any Potato there that I con- 

 sidered fit for the table. Please to try a few of 

 these I send you, for your own satisfaction. 



Connecticut, Oct. 2G, 1828. C. T. 



Remarks. — We have eaten of the above Potato, 

 and according to our taste, (and de gustibus non 

 est disputavdum, anglice, there 's no disputing our 

 taste,) the Irish Whites are the very ne plus xdtra 

 of all possible potatos. — Editor. 



(Prepared by the Editor.) 

 BEES. 



An able and very useful review of" The Farm- 

 er's Manual, including a Treatise on the Manage- 

 ment of Bees, by Frederick Butler," was pub- 

 lished in the last number of the North American , 

 Review. We woidd republish at length this val- 

 uable essay, were we not pressed for room, and 

 sensible that it is already in the hands of many of 

 our readers. We will, however, extract some of 

 the most practical observations, which may prove 

 beneficial to some, who are not in the habit of 

 perusing the work from which they are taken. 



"A hive ought not to be considered as the liouse 

 or habitation of the bee, for even in the forests, 

 where there may be supposed to be abundance cf 

 hollow trees suited to their purposes, bees have 

 built their cells on the under side of a stout branch ; 

 and they have neglected the convenient form of a 

 well constructed hive, to attach themselves to the 

 eaves of a house, or to the inner sides of a chim- 

 ney. The nature of this part of their instinct 

 o-oes no further than to secure a firm roof, to which 

 they can attach the cells, and a firm position that 

 shall protect the cells from the sun and rain. 



* A specific cliaiacler of ihe Dartmoor or DBVotishire Nails . 

 sheep. Faces and legs while, nerks ihick, bones large, backs 

 narrow, but back hones hieh and sides good. 



The race is prinripallv confiiiad to the moor in the County of 

 Devon, whence the sheep derive iheir name. The wool is lonj;, 

 weighing nine pounds ou au average, at about two years and a 

 half old. 



