vol,. XI'. NO. 16. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



ted: among thoni were the fruits of Massachusetts, practical and scientific men, fully competent to 

 Michigan, and IHinois, with the Sweet, Eiglit | dischaige the important dntics devolvinrj upon 



Rowed, Rice, and Parchinjr corn. 



Ainontr the most interesting objects of the exhi- 

 bition, was some honey of delicinu.-i flavor, and re- 

 markable transparency and delicacy, contained in 

 two hirg-e boxes presented by Henry Snow, Esq., 

 of Shrewsbury. The honey is taken from the 

 hives in boxes, without destroying the bees; tlie 

 boxes b?in^ placed over the hive, which is perfo- 

 rated, to allow the bees to pass up and deposit 

 their honey. The honey taken in this way is free 

 from all bee bread and young brood. One box 

 contained :}4 [lounds, the other 23. Mr Snow in- 

 forms us that from three hives, this year, he has 

 taken ein-hfy pounds of honey, leaving a sufficient 

 quantity to winter the bees. This method does 

 not prevent their swarming as usual." 



The unusual mild autumn has been highly fa- 

 vorable to tlie floral tribe. Many fine annuals 

 which are destroyed by the first frost, were exhibi- 

 ted at this time in all their beauty. " But the 

 pride and crown of the whole was the Dahlia, tiie 

 'queen of the autumn,' in all her endless variety 

 of costume." 



The enumeration of all the varieties would be 

 too tedious : we would refer to the report of the 

 Masachusetts Horticultural Society's exhibition of 

 last week: about all the varieties reported there 

 were exhibited on the occasion. 'J'he number of 

 contributors was very large ; about 40 from Wor- 

 cester; 25 from this vicinity. From the Massa- 

 chusetts Horticultural Society there was a delega- 

 tion of eight or ten members, who all made liberal 

 contributions of fruit and flowers, as well as other 

 members not present. All who witnessed this in- 

 teresting exhibition were highly gratified: it will 

 produce a salutary eflx'ct. We rejoice with our 

 Worcester friends that they have been so signally 

 successful in their first onset. They have made a 

 good beginning, and we believe it has given the 

 cause of Horticulture an impetus which will ever 

 after be felt in the town and surrounding country. 



J. B. 



INTERESTING TRIAL OF PLOUGHS 



Fur the Slate's Society's Premiums. 



This interesting trial took place at Worcester 

 on the 13tli inst., about one mile from the village, 

 and was a day of no little excitement to the compe- 

 titors as well as to the numercms company of intel- 

 ligent practical farmers, and other gentlemen from 

 Various parts of the country, who witnessed the 

 Bcene. The business in the field commenced about 

 1], A. M. The following gentlemen entered the 

 lists, viz : Messrs Prouty & Mears, Boston ; Mr 

 Wilson, Greenfield, Mass. ; James .Stewart, West 

 Newbury, Mass. ; (;harles Howard, Hingham, Mass.; 

 Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, Worcester, Mass. ; Pe- 

 ter Thatcher, Attleboro', Mass.; Barnaby & iNioor, 

 Ithaca, N. Y. ; Cornelias Bergen, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; 

 E. G. Whiting, Rochester, N. Y.; Perley Tapley, 

 Danvers, Mass. 



There were some other entries made, but for 

 (ome reason r.ot known to us, did not contend fur 

 the prizes: amimg them we noticed the name of 

 Mr Moor, of Wisconsin Territory. 



The premiums offered v. ore .$100 for the best 

 plough to lurn the furrow slice flat, and $75 for 

 the best plou^'h to lay it an angle of fortyfivo de- 

 grees. Open to the whole country. 



The committee who decided the contest, were 



them, and in whom, we believe, all interested ... 

 the trial reposed perfect confidence. 



The first trial was for the prize of .$75, fur ihe 

 best plough to turn the furrow slice obliquely. It 

 was easily anticipated by the spectators to whom 

 this premium would be awarded, as it was evident 

 to all that Charles Howard, of Hingham, had dis- 

 tanced his competitors and gained the victory 



Ttiis was announced ofiicially by the committee on 

 the following evening, that Charles Howard was 

 entitled to the premium of $7.5. He exhibited two 

 ploughs of difierent size for this mode of ploughing, 

 which were equally perfect in their ccmstruction, 

 only one of which was tried. 



Who should have the other premium, was a sub- 

 ject of some discussion among the lookers on. It 

 was, however, generally agreed when the commit- 

 tee adjourned for refreshment at 4, P. M., the 

 ploughs having all been tried, that it lay between 

 the three principal manufacturers in New England, 

 viz: Prouty & Mears, Charles Howard, and Rug- 

 gles, Nourse & Mason. The ploughs fr m all these 

 gt'ntlemen made good work and evinced much im- 

 provement in iheii constructi(m. After a sub-com- 

 mittee returned to the field and handled the ploughs 

 themselves, it was evident, to our own mind, that 

 the chance lay between Prouty & Mears, and C. 

 Howard. Their ploughs ran with wonderful ease 

 and were the admiration of all — doing their work 

 perfectly, and sometimes for rods without the ne- 

 cessity of laying the hand upon them. We be- 

 lieve, ourselves, that Howard's plough, for laying 

 the furrow slice flat, has no superior, and imagine 

 the committee themselves were at some loss on 

 which to bestow the premium. They gave it, how- 

 ever, to Prouty & .Mears. With this decision we 

 are satisfied, largely as we are interested in How- 

 ard's, inasmuch as the committee expressed their 

 opinion that there was no second in the case, both 

 ploughs stood No. 1. We are willing to stand 

 with our neighbors at the head and here will shake 

 hands and wish them success ; but at the same 

 time do not acknowledge any superior plough to 

 Howard's, for all kinds of work, taking into con- 

 sideration rough land, deep ploughing. Howard's 

 are acknowledged to be the most substantially 

 made. 



An oflicial detailed report will be made in a 

 few weeks, which may be looked for with much 

 interest by our agricultural friends, and will un- 

 doubtedly be a document of the greatest value and 

 interest upon the subject which has appeared in 

 the country, as from the ability of the committee, 

 their devotion to the object, and the means they 

 had in their power, will enable them to give many 

 interesting facts in relation to the different degrees 

 of power required for the different ploughs. 



J. B. 



125 



A.NO HORTICULTURAL RRGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesday, Oct. ai, 1840. 



inrllaving received tho official account of the trial 



of iiIou^Ih at Worcr'Slir, wo are compelled to exclud* 

 the ciMiiinunication of H. C, as we cinsidcr it impor- 

 tanl that the report should appear Ihis week, as thera is 

 much inquiry f.ir it, and furthiTrnore incorrect accounts 

 have appeared, which WB deem it important to tectify. 

 The report was not received until after our communi- 

 cation on this subject, in the preceding columns, wa« 

 in 'yi'O- J. B. 



Munificent Donatiun. — The Treasurer of the 

 Bunker Hill Monument A.-^sociation acknowledges 

 the receipt of the donation of ten thousand dollars 

 from Amos Lawrence, Esq., of this city, which was 

 some time since conditionally pledged towards the 

 completion of that patriotic enterprise. — Bost. Times. 



Thanksgiving. — The Governor and Council have 

 appointed Thursday, the 26lh day of November, as 

 a day of thanksgiving in the Commonwealth of 

 Massachusetts. 



IMPORTANT REPORT. 

 Report ok the Committee of the State Societt ap- 

 roiNTED to award the Premio.ms on Ploughs. 

 At the interesting trial of ploughs at Worcester on 

 the 1.3th, the following report was made : 



" The Trustees of the Massachusetts Society fiir the 

 Promotion of Agriciillure, impressed with the idea that 

 a portion of their funds could not be better emphiyed 

 than in an earnest effort, by liberul premiums, tn invite 

 the altcnlion of the public, as well as ihe Bkill of the 

 mechanic, to the important improvements in agriculture 

 — more eap^iciully to whit stands foremost in the view 

 of the agriculturist, the PLOUGH— were induced tci offer 



— Fur the best phiugh, which would turn the siid fiat 



one hundred dollars ; and for the best plough that would 



hiy the sod edgeways or obhquely, sevenlyfive dollars 



and due notice having been given, and the co-operatioo 

 of the several county Agricultural Societies iiaving 

 been solicited, and the particular aid and assistance of 

 the Worcester Agricultural Society having been most 

 freely and obligingly had— The Committee proceeded 

 under these favorable auspices, on the iSth of October, 

 to make trial of the several ploughs presented for pre- 

 mium. 



It is necessary to observe that there were many im- 

 provements in what had been formerly in use. 



But ihere were but two premiums to bestow ; and 

 after a careful consideration, the Commiitee came to 

 the following conclusion with great unanimity : 



That llie premium of one hundred dollars be paid to 

 Messrs Prouty & Mears, for their sod plough. 



That the premium of seventyfive dollars be paid Mr 

 Charles Howard, for his pl.iugh B. No. 2. 

 All whicli is submitted. 

 (Signed) JOHN WELLES, of Boslon. 



HENKY COU.VIA.N, R..xburv. 

 WM. CLAllK, Jr., Northampton. 

 JOHN PRINCE, Roximry. 

 S. R. PIJELPS, Marlboro'. 

 ALLEN PUTNAM, Oanvers. 

 ISAAC ALUEN, Bridgewater. 

 R. W. HAZEN, Andover. 

 BENJ. MILLS, Pitt.-field. 

 LEVI LINCOLN, Worcester. 



Committee. 



The following is the report of a sub-commitice on th« 

 same 6uf>ject, gfung into greater detail on the construc- 

 tion and peculiarities of the various ploughs. 



The Cnmmitlee appointed to examine and decide up- 

 on the several ploughs entered for the premiums of the 

 Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, at 

 Worcester on the 13lh Oct., IH40, after awarding the 

 premiums, having appointed a sub-Committee to report 

 more Sjiecially on ihe merits and peruliaritii^s of the re- 

 spective instruments : the said sub-coinrailtee accord- 

 ingly report : 



