i'le 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Nov. 7, 1H-2S. 



RHODE ISLAND CATTLE SHOW. 



The Rliode Island Society for the Encourage- 

 iiiem of Domestic Industry held their Show and 

 Fair, at I'awtuxet, ou tlie 21st and '2"2d inst. The 

 Society was niarshallcd by Allen O. Peck, Esq. 

 and an Address delivered by Hon. John Pitman. 

 This jiroduction says the Microcosm " was strik- 

 ingly characteristic of its author ; plain, forcible, 

 liractical and pungent, and yet the " garniture" of 

 poetry was not wanting to its embellishment, nor 

 liie refinement of a chaste and happy style in com- 

 municating sound thoughts. The discourse was 

 listened to with great satisfaction for an hour. A 

 copy was requested by the Society for publication. 

 The services at the meetinghouse were impress- 

 ively introduced by the Rev. iMr Farley of Provi- 

 dence. 



There was a fine show of animals in the pens, 

 and the collection of neat stock was " superior to 

 any seen there for a number of years. Several 

 jiolile bulls of liigli blood, showed the great pains 

 that have been taken by our farmers to introduce 

 the best imported breeds into this State. Forty- 

 i.ight neat cattle, forty-six swine, twenty-nine 

 sheep, eighteen yoke of superior working cattle, 

 and ton colts were entered for premiums. Twelve i 

 bulls and six liull calves were exhibited, aiiioug ! 

 the former the Durham, Ilolderness, Devonshire | 

 and Alderney breeds, the latter a bull formerly be- | 

 longing to the Mass. Agr. Society, pvirchased by | 

 Mr J. C. Brown, and entered for exhibition. The j 

 cows presented uotliing beyond the stock of any 

 good farm, 'though fourteen were entered. A fall- 

 inn- ofi" of household manufactures is complained 

 of " though there were some pretty things to ad- 

 mire, and some few substantial articles. Of the 

 former a specimen of lace, with the manner of 

 working its foundation and figure, a copy of a 

 Flemish picture, a coimtry house, and buildings, 

 &c. manufactured of paper, with great labor. — 

 Several filagree baskets and some other articles 

 attracted the principal notice. But five aiticles ' 

 of mill manulacture were presented. They were 

 excellent in their several qualities. j 



In the dai.y and agricultural products, the shop 

 ir.anufactm-es, &c. there was a better exhibitiou j 

 than usual ; the butter exceeded any ever exhibit- 

 ed in the state. A specimen of screws manufac- , 

 tured at Olneyville, is reconmiended. Mr Ham- 

 lin's Solar 31icroscope was greatly admired. On I 

 Tuesday there were nearly four thousand people 

 assembled to witness the ploughing match. Ex- 

 cept the delay in commencing the work, the whole 

 was conducted in the best possible manner. The 

 competitors have learned that the race is not to 

 the swift, and they went to work as steadily as 

 if they had the day before them. The ground, 

 though unfavorable was ploughed in a manner 

 superior to any former match. Eighteen yokes 

 competed for prizes, but one of which was with- 

 out a driver. 



Among the premiums was one to Samuel Low, 

 of Warwick, for a lot of sewing silk, of various 

 colours, manufactured in Warwick. 



"The Committee would remark that the rais- 

 ing of silk is becoming a subject of great im- 

 pm-tance, and promises soon to form an impor- 

 tant and extensive branch of Domestic Industry. 

 They take pleasure in saying that among the able 

 and useful woHvS on this subject within a short 

 period, is one by Mr William H. Vernon of this 

 State, a cojiy of which has been presented to the 

 Society. They would take the liberty of suggest- 



ing the propriety of hereafter offering standing 

 premiums for silk jiroduced in this State." 



The Committee on sheep and swine " noticed 

 with pleasure the evident improvement in the ex- 

 hibition of swine, of which there was an unusu- 

 ally large number entered, many of them good 

 specimen.^ of choice breeds. A gratitjing evi- 

 dence is thus afforded that through the influence 

 of this Society in a great degree, the lank-sided, 

 long-nosed, clamorous and ravenous race, that 

 formerly exacted from the crib more than they 

 yielded to the pork barrel, are fast disappearing, 

 and giving place to breeds which, comparatively, 

 have the faculty of almost fattening themselves, 

 besides furnishing a delicacy in their flavor as 

 much superior to the flesh of the long legged vag- 

 abond hog, as the butter of New England is to 

 the substitute used by the New Hollander. The ': 

 pnrk barrel, is one of the most important items I 

 ill the provision of a small or large family ; and | 

 the economy of supplying it with the best luateri- 

 a! and at the cheapest rate, probably involves the 

 direct interest of a larger number of persons than 

 the raising of any other description of domestic 

 animals. It is surprising, therefore, that when a 

 good breed of swine will consume so much less 

 and yield so much more than an indifferent one, 

 that the latter should have been suffered so long 

 as it has been, to disturb the domestic quiet of the 

 farm yard, by an incessant clamor for food which 

 satisfieth not, and after all seems to be totally ab- 

 sorbed in elongating the ears, legs and nose of the 

 ungrateful animal. Your Committee, therefore, 

 recommend to every parson, who owns a stye, to 

 take especial care what occupants he suffers to 

 take possession of it." 



The following certificate was produced relating 

 to the Geese imported from Friesland. 



This may certify that in the fall of 1827, I im- 

 ported from East Friesland to this country, a pair 

 of geese, for James Sisson, Esq. being, I believe, a 

 uifti^rent kind from any heretofore importeil from 

 Germany, and a much sui>erior and improved 

 breed. Another important thing (in my opinion) 

 that adds to their value besides their size, is the 

 great quantity of feathers they produce, which are 

 an article of exportation from that country. These 

 feathers in Germany, Holland and England, are 

 considered the best of any that come to those 

 markets, and command a better price. 



CHRISTOPHER CHILDS. 



Warren, June 28, 1828. 



Among the Agricultural Experiments were a | 

 premium awarded to Abner Sprague, of Cranston, I 

 for the best specimen of cider, $8. " Good judges j 

 might have mistaken this for cider of the best Jer- j 

 sey manufacture." A premium of $3 was award- | 

 ed to N. Barllett, for a beautiful specimen of cele- 1 

 ry, from the garden of Philip W. Martin, Esq. of 

 Providence. 



To Esbon Sherman, for several bushels of 

 Sweet Potatoes, raised in Warwick, some of them 

 weighing more than two pounds, a premium of $8. 



GATHERING AND PRESERVING ROOTS. 

 A proper place to deposite roots in is among 

 the pie-requisites for their preservation. Loudon 

 says "the root-house is used for storing up or de- 

 positing potatos, turnips, carrots, cabbages, or oth- 

 er roots or tops for the winter food of cattle. It 

 should always join the cattle sheds, and communi- 

 CHlion with them by an inner door that opens into 

 the feeder's walk along bv the heads of the cat- 



tle. The entrance door ought to be so large as 

 to admit a loaded cart. These houses are essen- 

 tially necessary, wherever there is a number of 

 cows or other sorts of cattle, to be supported on 

 roots of the carrot, parsnip, turnip, and potato, 

 kinds, as well as for cabbages, as without them it 

 would not only be inconvenient, but in many ca- 

 ses, in severe weather impossible to provide them 

 for the daily supply of such stock. Cabbages 

 should not, however, ever be kept long in houses, 

 as they are very apt to take on the putrid fermen- 

 tation and become useless. The master should 

 be careful that the yard-man constantly keeps 

 such places perfectly clean and sweet, in order 

 that the roots may contract no bad smell, as cat- 

 tle are in many cases e.vtremely nice in their feed- 

 ing, and when once disgusted with any sort of 

 food, seldom take to it again in a proper manner." 

 Mr. McMahon's mode of preserving roots is as fol- 

 lows : "Previous to the commencement of severe 

 frost, you should take up, with as httle injury as 

 possible, the roots of your turnips, carrots, jiars- 

 nips, beets, salsafy, scorzonera, Hamburgh or large 

 rooted parsley, skirrets, Jerusalem artichokes, tur- 

 nip-rooted celery, and a sufficiency of horse radish 

 for the winter consumption; cut off their tops, and 

 expose the roots for a few hours, till sufiSciently 

 dry. On the surf\ice of a very dry spot of ground, 

 in a well sheltered situation lay a stratum of sand 

 two inches thick, and on this a layer of roots of 

 either sort, covering them with another layer of 

 saud, (the dryer the better) and so continue layer 

 about of sand and roots till all are laid in, giving 

 the whole on every side a roof-like slope ; then 

 cover this heap or ridge all over with about two 

 inches of sand, over which lay a good coat of 

 dxaw^j straw, up and down as if thatching a house, 

 in order to carry off wet, and prevent its entering 

 to the roots ; then dig a wide trench round the 

 heap, and cover the straw with the earth so dug 

 up, to a depth sufficient to preserve the roots ef- 

 fectually from frost. An opening may be made 

 on the south side of this heap and completely cov- 

 ered with bundles of straw, so as to have access 

 to the roots at all times when wanted for sale 

 or use. 



"Some people lay straw, or buy between the 

 layers of roots, and immediately on the top of 

 them ; this I do not approve ol', as the straw or 

 hay will become damp and mouldy, and very often 

 occasion the roots to rot, while the sand would 

 preserve them sweet and sound. 



"All these roots may be preserved in like man- 

 ner in a cellar, but in such a jilace they are sub- 

 ject to vegetate, and become stringy earlier in 

 spring. The only advantage is, that in the cellar 

 they may be had when wanted, niore convenient- 

 ly during winter, than out of the field or garden 

 heaps. 



"jVbie. All the above roots will preserve bet- 

 ter in sand than in common earth, but when the 

 former cannot be had, the sandiest earth you can 

 procure must be dispensed with." 



In gathering roots, of the mangel wurlzel, or 

 other beet, it is recommended to cut oft' the leaves 

 aJiout half an inch abovethe crown, as they will' 

 not keep so well, if cut more closely. 3Iessrs. 

 Tristram, and Henry Little, of Newbury, Mass, 

 in an account of their premium i-rop, state that 

 "isthe best mode of preserving them we have 

 tried divers ways ;— by pitting them— by putting 

 them into a barn, and" covering them with hay. 

 and by putting them into the cellar ; the last 



