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NEW E N G L A N D FAR M E R 



OCT. l#, ;r40. 



WESTBORO' CAT i LE SHOW. 



The first exhibition of the Westboro' Atrricultii- 

 ral Soci'Jty took place on Wednesdny, the 7th iiist. 

 under the most fiivonible auspices. The day was 

 one of the fine.st that could be desired, and one of 

 oreat interest to the inhaliitants of the town, as 

 well as many from tlic vicinity and strangers. It 

 was truly a farmer's holiday, and will lung be re- 

 membered by those who had the happiness to par- 

 ticipate in the rationtil pleasures of the day. The 

 town hall, a handsome and commodious building, 

 was opened as a receptacle for domestic manufac- 

 tures, butter, fruit, vefretnbles, &c. 



The ornamenting of the hall was confided to the 

 oversight of the young ladies, who e.ihibited nujch 

 taete in the arrangement of the evergreens and 

 flowers, for which the wild woods and fields as well 

 as the gardens, were laid under heavy contribution. 

 Among the domestic manufactures, we noticed 

 carriages, agricultural and edge tools, pumps of va- 

 rious patterns, furniture, stoves, leather, carpets, 

 counterpanes, hearth rugs, and a great variety of 

 fancy articles, the handy work of the young ladies, 

 tastefully arranged by their own hands— whose 

 presence greatly added to the interest of the scene. 

 There was also a curious jet (Peaxt in play, supplied 

 with water from the gallery, which attracted much 

 attention, especially from the youngsters. 



The butter presented a most inviting ajipearance 

 and sustained the high chiracter for which the 

 town and vicinity have been noted. It would have 

 bothered us, had w« been on the committee for 

 butter, to have awarded the premium, as it must 

 have required a very acute taste and s.iiell to have 

 decided which was best. All the samples, which 

 were numerous, appeared first rate. 



There was a good show of apples, fine vegeta- 

 bles and samples of seed corn — one from Moses 

 G. Maynard, from a crop of 97 bushels to the acre, 

 without extra labor. It had been duly weighed 

 and measured. 



The following account of a rye crop was taken 

 from a box containing a sample of the rye: 



" ffcstboru', Oct.6, 1840. — Account of my crop 

 of spring rye this season. I have raised on one 

 acre and 1.50 1-2 rods, fortyseven a,i!d a half .hush- 

 els : quantity of seed, three bushels. The ground 

 was ploughed and harrowed with an iron harrow, 

 quite the first of April. About a week after, the 

 grain and hay sped were sown and lightly plough- 

 ed in : ths ground was then harrowed with an iron 

 harrow, and also with a hush harrow. The ground 

 was planted with corn last season, of which I raised 

 a good crop. Quantity ot manure last season, ."iO 

 loads, of an ordinary quality. 



Jonas A. Stone." 



All the productions and articles were so arrang- 

 ed as to present an interesting show — not quite 

 so extensive to be sure as the Mechanics' Fair — 

 but considering it a town affair, very respectable 

 and encouraging, for the first effort. 



The numerous horse sheds near the meeting 

 house, were convertpd into pens to acpommodate 

 the cattle and swine. 



The show of swine was as good as wo have ev- 

 er witnessed at any county exhibition, in proportion 

 to the number of entries, and we should not perhaps 

 say too much, if we pronounced it the best, The 

 breeds were mostly Beikshire, full or half blonds. 



Among the mih'h cows, heifers, steers, bulls, &c. 

 there were many fine specimens: we noticed a 

 pair of twin two year old iieifers, of very priunis- 



afforded fif- 



ing appearance, from a cow that had 

 teen pounds of butter per week. 



The cows of Lovett Peters, Esq., President of 

 the .Society, all made their appearance on the oc- 

 casion — lb or 12 in number — first rate animals, 

 gallanted by a fine young Durham hull. 



Mr Harrison O. Fay obtained the first premimn 

 lor milch cows. He stated that the value of the 

 produce from the animal exhibited, was in the 

 year 18:58, .««8G; in 1839, $83; and thus far the 

 present year, $75: the odd cents we do not remem- 

 ber. 



'i'here were present 80 yoke of Oxen. As they 

 were formed into one team and paraded through 

 the streets drawing a hay load of wood, they pre- 

 sented a pleasing sight : it was certainly "along 

 pull and a strong pull," if it was not " a pull alto- 

 gether." It was an interesting processi.m : a great 

 majority of them were first rate animals. 



For the ploughing match (5 double and 4 single 

 teams were entered : the work was done in a work- 

 manlike manner, and in no way interrupted by the 

 spectators, who behaved with the greatest decorum 

 and propriety through the day. 



There was an address in the meeting house at 

 11 o'clock, that was patiently listened to by a large 

 audieni-e ; but it being the writer's first effort of 

 the kind, and unused to public speaking, could not 

 have been deeply interesting. The politeness and 

 forbearance of the hearers were, however, highly 

 gratifying, 



After the exercises of the house were closed, 

 the trial of the strength of working oxen took 

 place, giving the usual interest We were very 

 sorry, however, to see a pair of yearling steers 

 hitched to the cart and made to draw the load de- 

 signed for heavy cxen up the hill or part way. 

 They worked admirably for such young creatures, 

 and showed how well they had been trained ; but 



must have a good moral bearing upon their per- 

 sonal character. J. B. 



it was most too cruel to put them to so severe a 



test. 



At half past two, a large company sat down to 

 a first rate, substantial dinner, provided by Mr 

 Brigham, and partaken of in as social, cheerful 

 manner as if stimulated by wine or strong drink; 

 and much more agreeable no doubt to a great ma- 

 jority present, and equally satisfactory to all. 



After the dinner was despatched the company 

 proceeded to the meeting house, where the premi- 

 ums were awarded, which consisted in agricultural 

 papers. Before night the assembly had dispersed 

 to their respective homes, well pleased, no doubt, 

 with the result of their first experiment. 



We consider the formation of this Society a 

 very happy circumstance to the farmers of the 

 town and vicinity. It will be more beneficial to 

 them than the county society, as they have monthly 

 meetings for discussing agricultural subjects, and 

 better opportunities to come to the practical results 

 of farming. Here they can compare notes, relate 

 each other's experience, and tell of their failures 

 and success. While county societies should be 

 encouraged and sustained, and the interest of their 

 exhibition greatly increased, associations should 

 be formed in every town for the advancement of 

 agriculture and domestic manufacture, and a day 

 set apart for a holiday, like the one we have now 

 enjoyed. It will give an opportunity for all the 

 inhabitants of a town, of all classi's, to meet to- 

 gether without regard to political or religious sen- 

 timents, and unite in harmonious feeling, in the 

 innocent enjoyment of the festivities of the day ; 

 and when conducted on temperance principles, 



LARGE CORN CROPS. 



To the E.lilor of the New England Farmer : 



Having for several years past succeeded in rais- 

 ing very large crops of corn on my dairy farm, in ; 

 the Winepisseogee lake. New Hampshire, and sev- 

 eral times received a premium from the agricultu- 

 ri'I society of Strafford county, for crops varying 

 from 110 to 131 bushels per acre, I have found it a 

 little difficult to satisfy some gentlemen in our vi- 

 cinity that the measure was accurate. They sug- 

 gested that the only mode of arriving at a correct 

 result was, to weigh the entire crop. I according- 

 ly requested Capt. Paul P. Pilsbury, the very skil- 

 ful and intelligent manager of my estate to test the 

 (luantity of his next large crop in the oar by the 

 scales. 



He writes me from Cow Island under date of 

 Sept. 27th, 1840. ae follows : 



" Your Massachusetts people doubt our raising 

 as much corn on an acre as we have entered for 

 premiums. This year there is no premium offered, 

 but I have been as exact with regard to the corn 

 as if it weie to be entered for premium. I weigh- 

 ed all the crop raised on one acre, and it weighed 

 9216 lbs. I then shelled a portion to ascertain 

 how niany pounds it would take when first gath- 

 ered to make a bushel, and it took 71 lbs. for one 

 bushel. I have kept it apart in order to know how 

 many bushels it would make when shrunk. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson called on me a few days ago, 

 he expressed a desire that I should send a small 

 trace of the corn to Boston, to be hung up in 

 some public place. I will put one or two small 

 traces into a box, and send them when I send the 

 cheese. I think they would not disgrace the best 

 parlor in Boston." 



By this you will perceive that the quantity rais- 

 ed upon a single acre as ascertained by weight 

 immediately after it was gathered, was 129 3-4 

 bushels, a crop which will compare very advanta- 

 geously with the produce of any portion of the 

 soil of the fertile West ; and will, I trust, do no 

 discredit to a Slate Street farmer. 



Yours very respectfullv, 



E. H. DERBY. 



Preservalio7i of Cabbages.— The following meth. 

 od of preserving cabbages for winter use, are the 

 result of experience : 



The cabbages should be gathered before injury 

 is done them by the severe fall frosts ; the heavy 

 outside leaves should remain on the stalk. Fix a 

 siring or cord round the stump near the roots, sus- 

 pended from the sleepers with the heads down- 

 ward in a cool cellar, and they are ready and fit 

 for use at all times. Cabbages kept in this man- 

 ner retain all their peculiar flavor and sweetness: 

 the whole virtue of the stump and leaves is con- 

 centrated in the part which is used, are handy ol 

 access, occupy but little room which would be oc- 

 cupied for other purposes, and seldom, if ever, rot: 

 the out side leaves wilt and contract, and in time 

 become quite dry, which form a sort of coating 

 that serves to exclude the air from the inside ot the 

 head. 



Another method practised by some, and highl) 

 reconnuended, is to cut the head from the stump 

 pack close in a sack, taking care to fill up the va- 

 cancies with dry chaff, thereby excluding the air 

 and keep in a dry cellar — Mbany Cull. 



