86 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPT. 10, 1840. 



anh horticultural rfci3ter. 

 Boston, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 1840. 



ENGLrsH AGRICULTURE. 



It is highly grnlifyiiig tu observe thu rtnewc^d :iiiil 

 strong interest now lal<en in jijrri.-ulturc!. Some years 

 ago this interest seemeJ to be at it.s hei>;ht, under the 

 enliglilnned, iniiel.itigaiile, aiul intense devotion of Sir 

 John Sinohiir and ihe Rev. Arlhnr Young. Aided by 

 many intelligent coadjutor.^ and enjoying the lihcral p.rt- 

 ronage of the government, Ihey effected innnense bene- 

 fits to the agriculliirul interest. They awakened uni- 

 versal attention. They obtained the establishment of a 

 national board of agrieulturo ; they procured surveys of 

 all the counties of England, which were published by 

 the order and at llio expense of the board ; and full and 

 statistical returns (if all the parishes in Scotland. These, 

 Sir John Sinclair embodied in his general report of the 

 airriculture of Scotland, iiiadilillon to this he publish- 

 ed in two octavo volumes a distinct treatise of the hus- 

 bandry of Scotland, one of the most valuable works ever 

 given to the agricultur.il public ; and after this, what 

 he denominates his Code of Agriculture. This has been 

 througli several editions abroad, and has also been pub- 

 lished in this country with notes by the American edi- 

 tor. This book was intended, from a general survey of 

 the whole ground which he h,ad passed over, to collate, 

 combine, and condense the most valuable information 

 and the most useful, practical and settled points and 

 principles of agriculture ; and must long remain a stan- 

 dard work on this subject. In addition to this he visited 

 Flanders, and publislied some remarks on the agricul- 

 ture of that country — a very imperfiicl work on that 

 subject, because the kindling of a war between France 

 and England obliged him suddenly to return home be- 

 fore lie had accomplished his researches. In addition 

 to this, an agricultural society in England had, at their 

 own expense, sent out the llev. Mr Radcliffe to Flan- 

 ders, who published an inleresting account of his tour, 

 with very full details on (he ribjects of it — a highly in- 

 structive volume. 



At the same time Arthur Young published in many 

 volumes his agricultural lours through the several pans 

 of England, which are full o/ ontertaiiiing and practical 

 observations. Many other liighly intelligent writers 

 entered the lists, and the science insejiarable from the 

 practice always advanced with rapid strides. About 

 this time Sir Mumphrey Davy, with \\U admirable ge- 

 nius and learning and attractive manner, could render 

 a course of lectures cm agricultural chemistry interesting 

 to a very full attendauee of the highoct order of the no- 

 bility and gentry of both sexes. This was the ''book 

 farming" part of the business, which kindled a flame that 

 illuminated all of England, and was reflected upon this 

 country, where it was eagerly drank in by such minds 

 as Washington, tnid other ilistitiguished niind-i, particu- 

 larly in our own good Stnte of Massachusetts, in New 

 York and in Pennsylvania. If nothing else came of it, 

 it every where set the plough to work, and revealed to 

 men the high importance of this great interest and its 

 capability of improvement far beyond what it had al- 

 ready reached. 



The Bath Societv about the same time distinguished 

 itself by its many valuable publications ; and many in- 

 dividuals came forward with the communication of high- 

 ly important experiments in cultivation. Great atten- 

 tion, likewise, was piiid to th<' improvement, more p;ir- 

 ticularly of sheep and horned rattle; and llii.s attention 



and interest seem to have been kept itp without inter- 

 mission to the present time. 



We should be very glad, if the means, which are in 

 our possession, were at hand where we write, to sub- 

 stantiate and exhibit the immense improvements which 

 v%ere eflecled under such influences and agencies. We 

 siiall have, we trust, some future opportunity of demon- 

 strating this. We have only to say that they were most 

 obvious and ex'.raoidinary, and amph' compensated the 

 labors and fulfiderl the predictions of ihr.sc patriotic in- 

 dividuals by whom they had been brought about. Af- 

 ter a while, as it happens with all human affairs, the 

 flood tide began to ebb; and for a while, with the ex- 

 ception of the improve nent of the live stock of Ihe 

 country, as above alluded to, tho attculitm to this great 

 subject seemed to flag ; and from the advancement of 

 the science and the bettering of the practice, it was di- 

 rected principally to the discussion and controversy re- 

 specting what are called the Corn L.'iws, which with a 

 view to protect the landlord and grov\'ei of grain, forbid 

 the introduction of foreign wheal or flour, iinlil from 

 scarcity or other circumstances, wheat has reached a 

 certain price fixed by statute. 



Things have now changed. The direct and practical 

 improvement of agriculture is now claiming a deep inte- 

 rest throughout the United Kingdom. Men rif science 

 are turning their attention to it. Men of the highest 

 wealth and rank are turning their attention to it. What 

 is better than all this, the practical cultivators of the 

 soil are turning increased and exact attention to it, and 

 are communicating the results of their inquiries and ex- 

 periments tlirough the medium of the agricultural jour- 

 nals. The Highland Soeiefy o'' Scotland, has distin- 

 guished itself by the valuable communications which it 

 has given to the public. A new national agricultural 

 society has been formed, which embraces gentlemen of 

 the Irighest rank and influence, and extensive landhold- 

 ers, and vast numbers of practical farmers, who hold 

 their annutil cattle shows, where every stimulus which 

 distinction and substantial golden rewards can apply, 

 arc presented to competition an>l excellence. They 

 have published four numbers of an agricultural journal, 

 desitrnrd to be continued, and whose continuance is 

 ;ire;illy to be desired, if the immbers already given are 

 to be regarded as a fair sample of what may lie expect- 

 ed At their creiit meeting at Smitlifieid the last year, 

 our distinguished fellow-citizen, Mr Webster, addressed 

 Ihe meeting, bein;' called up by a complimentary toast 

 to his own country. This year the meeting was ad- 

 dressed by our Ambassador at the court of St. James, 

 Mr Stevenson. We gave Air Webster's admirable re- 

 marks on the occasion, and we hope the jiublishers of 

 the Farmer will *rive Mr Stevenson's to their readers, 

 which do him equal honor. [Mr Stevenson's speech 

 has been published in the Fanner.] One .sentiment em- 

 bodied in it, coming from a Virginia planter, is sufficient- 

 ly remarkable — viz : 



" II (agriculture) became then the cause not of their 

 country <ir his, but that of' mankind ; and who so prior 

 or sordid in spirit, as to think only of himself or his 

 country, when the great question was, whether the 

 earth should be inhabited and cultivated by enlightened, 

 and virtuous, and religious men, or by debased and ig- 

 norant human beings and hordes of savages?" . 



A noble sentiment, most truly, which if acted upon to 

 its just extent, might well inspire bright hopes in the 

 bosoms of ihe pliilanlhropic and humane. 



This encouragement to agriculture in England, we 

 hail not merely with pleasure but eiithtisiasm. We want 

 to sav much more than we have room for. Its effects 

 will scarcely fiil to be felt in our country almost as 



much as at home. We are now but twelve days apart. 

 The London papers come lo us wet from ihe press. 1'iie 

 two grert nations — the moiher and the daughter— are 

 beginning to have but one pulse; and every stirring of 

 the waters in lh:it land of our fathers, sends not its rip- 

 ple but its wave to our sluues. 



Let us encourage a generous and nolde competition 

 in this most generous and peaceful of all arts. We are 

 no longer in leading strings ; and if we cannot move on 

 in our agricultural improvement with an equal step, let 

 us see that we do not lag far behind. H. C 



FINE PEACHES. 



We acknowledge the receipt of a generous box of deli- 

 cious peaches from our friend E. Phinney, Esq,of Lexing- 

 ton, the product of his orchard. For size and flavor we 

 have not seen or lasted any that will compare witli them. 

 Fruit of this description will sell for :!7 1-2 to 50 cents 

 per doZ'-n in our market. Is not tins a sufficient induce- 

 ment to those v\-ho live at a marketing distance to raise 

 good fruit.'* Does it cost any more to rear a tree pro- 

 ducing good fruit than it does to raise a tree whose 

 fruit is indifferent or bad? No: certainly not; and 

 [here is no excuse for inferior fruit. Every farmer may 

 have as good fruit as this we have tasted, by first ob- 

 taining good varieties and then by paying proper atten- 

 tion to bis trees. J. B. 



MASS, HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



[TTNOTICE — The premiums for ihe best Dahlias 

 will be awarded on Wednesday, the 23d inst. The 

 specimens must be in the stands before 10 o'clock, A. M. 

 All the cultivators who intend to compete for ihi: prizes 

 are respectfully invited to meet at Ihe Hall, 23 Tremont 

 Row, on Saturday next, at 11 o'clock, as judges will 

 then be appointed and arrangements made for tlie Dah- 

 lia show. 



It is hoped that all the cultivators will be present at 

 the meeting. Per order, 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



Sept. 12th. 



Peusian Gardens. — There is no luxury in Persia 

 comparable to their extensive grounds, planted with the 

 choicest fruit trees. These grounds are left open to the 

 stranger, and although belonging to many proprietors, 

 their boundaries are merely a row of trees or a gutter 

 of water. The Persian mode of irrigation is ingenious 

 and cimplete, their soil most proiligal — their pnaches, 

 melons and grapes of a flavor unknown in Europe. — 

 Then they have their olive grounds, which are very ex- 

 tensive; and the luxury on horseback of inhaling the 

 odor in a thicket of flowers for miles around, must be 

 felt in order to be appreciated. It is customary to form 

 parties and spend whole days in the gardens, pitchin" a 

 tent, &c., but this is unnecessary, since the night air 

 gives no humidity. Give a *' punabard " or sixpence 

 to the proprietor and you may remain in his garden all 

 day and surfeit yourself wiih fruit, which (onus much of 

 ihe summer food of the Persians. — Persian Rcmitiiscnccs. 



QuiNCK Bushes. — A correspondent of llie Journal of 

 Commerce, at Norwich, Conn., says that while quince 

 bushes were generally killed in Connecticut last winter, 

 he noticed a cluster of tlunn standing in his native gar- 

 den, just as they did foity years ago, and thil tlie secret 

 of their safety, he presumes, may be found in tlie fact 

 ihat they stand close under ihe north side of a stone 

 wall, which so shades them as lo retard ihe .ilarting of 

 the sip until the hard frosts are over. 



