Vol. VII.— No. 35. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



275 



aid in the investigations connected vvitii the topics 

 which lie is so ably discussing. 



We insert ihe following in order Ihai Joih parlies may he 

 heard in a controversy, which we hope will be closed with this 

 document. — Editor. 



FOR THE NEW ENGL.iND FARMER. 



Sir — The remarks of" Essex" in your paper of 

 the 13th inst, upon the Report of a Committee of 

 the Essex Agricultural Society, are in a style and 

 of a character, "that should not pass without no- 

 tice." Taken in connexion vvitli the Card that 

 appeared in your paper of the 7th inst, it is high- 

 ly probable, at least, that they originated directly 

 or indirectlt/, from the same source. Believing this 

 to be so, notwithstanding the affectation of apology 

 made by " Essex," I think it a duty the Committee 

 owe themselves and the i)ublic, to state some ad- 

 ditional facts, in explanation of what has been 

 published. When those facts shall be properly 

 considered, I shall cheerfully submit to the public 

 to determine, whether the Cnmmittee are justly 

 charged with making an " ungenerous and covert 

 attack" upon this gentleman and foreigner.' or, 

 on the contrary, whether he did not in the first 

 place, attack the Committee and the Society, in a 

 manner altogether unbecoming a gentleman, and 

 entirely without provocation ? " 



So liir as the remarks of " Essex" contain rules 

 for forming reports, or strictm-es upon the style in 

 which reports should be written, I have no dispo- 

 sition to question their correctness. I am willing 

 that the paper criticised should be tried by these 

 rules. The insinuations and misrepresentations of 

 " Essex" on these points are well and ,;atisfactori- 

 lyanswered, in your notes annexed to the re- 

 marks. 



But so far as they charge the Committee witji 

 being influenced by " unworthy i.nd low preju- 

 dices," — '- with a want of knowledge, or judg- 

 ment," — with " Wiiut of delicacy," or " violations 

 of propriety," — with " uncaudid and unwarranta- 

 ble remarks," with " prating," with " illiberaiity," 

 and with " little practical concern with agricul- 

 ture in any of its forms ;" — it is proper to inquire 

 whether or not these charges are well founded. — 

 These accusations relate, almost exclusively, to 

 that part of the Report, which speaks of the In- 

 dian Hill Farm. Because the Committee spoke in 

 relation to this farm, as they felt it to be their duty 

 to speak, olTence is taken. The Committee would 

 have passed this faim iti silence, if they could 

 have done so with juopiicty. But it being gen- 

 erally known in the county, that they had Visited 

 this farm, and that it had been entered for | ^enii 

 um, they thought it wculd be shrinking from their 

 duty, to omit to say, what they did respecting it. 

 Much more might have been truly said, which 

 would probably have been still less acceptable, to 

 the courteous, sensitive, and delicate " Essex." 



I will state, sir, some facts within my own 

 knowledge in relation to this farm. I regret that 

 duty requires this to. be done. I regret also the 

 necessity of animadverting upon the condnct of a 

 gentleman, whom I have, at all times, been dis- 

 posed to treat with respect and civility ; and from 

 whom I have at all times, personally^ received a 

 corresponding treatment. 



Mr G. early in the last season entered the In- 

 dian Hill Farm for premium. The'Committte 

 visited it in June and in August, as they did other 

 farms ; — and also on the 24th of Septemlier, at tl e 

 special request of Mr G., to see the first operation 



of his new threshing mill. I believe, that no in- 

 timation was given by the Committee, or any one 

 of them, at either of these visits, of their opinion 

 in relation to the management of this farm. Mr 

 G. was informed, both by the form in which the 

 premiums are proposed, and by the Committee 

 l)ersonally, that a detailed account of his opera- 

 tions upon the farm, of the quantity of labor em- 

 ployed, of the expenses incurred, of the crops, [)ro- 

 ducts, stock, iSic; &c. upon the farm, would be ex- 

 pected from him by the Committee. Mr G. prom- 

 ised to furnish the same. At the meeting of the 

 Committee on the 29th of Dec. last, to award the 

 premiums — this statement had not been furnished, 

 nor any reason given why it was withheld. The 

 Cjmmittee addressed a line to Mr G. soliciting 

 this statement, that the same might be published 

 in connexion with their Report ; — and at the same 

 time informing him, that his farm having been en- 

 tered for jiremium, and having been repeatedly 

 visited by the Committee, they could not, consist- 

 ently with their duty, omit to speak of it. They 

 received an answer addressed to the Secretary of 

 the Society, in the words following, viz. 



•' The letter from the Committee on Farms was 

 duly received, in reply to which, I would observe, 

 that for the visit of the Committee I am much 

 obliged — but after the decision of the Committee 

 on Plougliing at the Cattle Show, I determined 

 not to give the result of my farming — fully be- 

 lieving that prejudice would predominate." 



As Mr G. has repeated in his Card, addressed 

 to the public, that he withheld his statement of 

 the result of his farming, on account of the decis- 

 ion of the Committee on Ploughing, at the Cattle 

 Show, I will briefly state what I believe to be the 

 facts, in relation to this point ; — though I had no 

 voice in it, or knowledge of it, until it was made 

 public by the Committee. There were eight 

 douhle teams in the ploughing match, of which 

 Mr G. had charge of one, and was himself plough- 

 man. There were four ])remiums to be awarded. 

 The Coimnittee, five in number, were all prac- 

 tical farmers, with inucii experience. They did 

 not award a premium to MrG. — not because he 

 did not plough well, as I learn from them, but be- j 

 cause others, in their opinion, ploughed better than 

 he did. It is possible, that they did not judge j 

 correctly in this iratter ; and it is equally possible 

 that they did. We have the opinion of five, com- 

 petent, disinterested witnesses on the one side ; I 

 and the opinion of one, interested (but modest) j 

 witness on the other. But whether they did judge 

 correctly or not, how it follows from this, that an- 

 other committee, on a subject entirely different, 

 would allow " Prejudice to predominate," is not 

 easily understood by the rules of logic to which I 

 have been accustomed. It should also be stated, 

 that Mr G. had a pair of horses in the ploughing 

 field, which performed their work exceedingly 

 well, to the admiration of all who saw thein, and 

 which were spoken of in the highest terms of ap- 

 probation liy the Committee. As no premium 

 was offered i()r work done by horses, the Commit- 

 tee awarded to this team a gratuity, equal to the 

 lowest premium offered. Whether Mr G. is dis- 

 satisfied with the noh'ce that was taken of his horse- 

 team — or the omission to take notiee of his ox-team, 

 I am not advised — but presume it must be the lat- 

 ter. 



Says " Essex," " we believe, and his neighbors 

 admit the fact, that there is no farm in the vicini- 

 ty where a greater produce has been raised in 



proportion to the expense, &,c." than upon the In* 

 diaii Hill Farm. Then why withhold a statement 

 of the produce and the expense ? On this point 

 I am ready to join the issue, and if the testimony 

 of neighbors is to be taken, I have no fear of 

 proving, that the expeiises upon this farm the past 

 season would far exceed the gross amount of all 

 its products, estimated at their highest value. 



But sir, I forbear, at this time stating particular- 

 ly, those things in the management of this farm, 

 which the Committee thought of doubtful expedi- 

 ency ;— (and more than this they have not said in 

 their Report.) From the remarks of " Essex" 

 himself, it would seem, at least, that some experi- 

 ments have been made, and that some of the plans 

 [lursued wore of a doubtful character. If "Essex" 

 will condescend to annex his name to his commu- 

 nications, I will engage to examine the subject 

 upon its merits. And though I may not be able 

 to enumerate high sounding names, or wield "rhe- 

 torical flourishes" as he does ; — and though I may 

 be as wanting in that practical knowledge of ag- 

 riculture, as he would intimate the Committee 

 are ; — still, I believe I can satisfy a candid public, 

 that the operations upon the Indian Hill Farm, the 

 past season, were neither worthy of premium, of 

 approbation, or of imitation. 



That my brethren of the Committee may not 

 labor under the aspersioiis cast upon them by 

 " Essex," of " want of delicacy, or violations of 

 propriety," of " aiming at wit, or what looks like 

 it," &c. I will simply say that the language of 

 the Report is mine, — (that it was written in haste, 

 in one evening, and perhaps with too little care ;) 

 but that the opinions therein expressed were unan- 

 imously approved by the Committee ; and that 

 after a reexamination of the same, with the benefit 

 of the mild and civil remarks of " Essex," we do 

 not find occasion to alter what is there stated- 

 Respectfully yours, &c. 



JOHN W. PROCTOR. ■ 



Danvers, March 16, 1829. 



SILK. 



We tender our thanks to our agricultural friend 

 who last week presented us with two specimens 

 of American silk. These although (as we are in- 

 formed,) produced from the common mulberry of 

 our forests, are beautiful indeed. 



We do hope our agricultural friends generaUy, 

 will call in and view our specimens of silk. These 

 well demonstrate the |)racticabihty of the cultiva- 

 tion of this valuable material. — Delaware Advertiser. 



Great attention is now paid in Delaware to the 

 culture of silk. We have been favored with a 

 copy of the following resolutions which have pass- 

 ed the Legislature. 



Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representa- 

 tives of the State of Delaware in General Jlssemhly 

 met, That all lands within the limits of this State, 

 which now are, or futurely shall be, actually em- 

 ployed and occupied in the growth of silk, shall 

 be exem))t from taxation for the space of ten 

 years, from the time of planting such trees. 



Resolved further, That to each and every indi- 

 vidual who shall plant and bring to perfection 

 within the limits of the State, two hundred such 

 Mulberry trees, within the space of five yeer.s 

 from the first day of May next, there shall be 

 given by the State, a silver medal of the value of 

 five dollars. 



Attest, WILLIAM HUFFINGTON. 



.Clerk of the House of Representatives o^'the Slate 

 of Delaware. 



