VOL. XI".'. WO. 83. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER 



« O I 



181 



circumstances point out the necessity of keeping 

 this grass closely cropped, either with the scythe 

 or c;iltle, to reap the full benefit of its great merits. 



Mr Zochariah Cone, in the Oct. No. of the New 

 Genesee Fanner, says — " As to the soil adapted to 

 the growth of Orch.ird grass, J conceive that moist 

 rich loam is the best, but I have found that when I 

 have sown it among other grasses for pasture, it 

 grows lu.Kuriantly, and in case.s of severe drought, 

 when all other grasses are apparently dead, this 

 stands the best, being all the time green and fresh. 

 The best tinif for sowing I he seed I conceive to be 

 about the middle of July or first of August, as prob- 

 ably nature directs this the best time for sowing 

 when the seeds ouine to maturity, which is about 

 that time or earlier — to be dragged in on mellow 

 lanil, yet I always stock in the spring with oats, at 

 the rate of a bushel to the acre, and if the oats are 

 not too heavy it f;enerallv grows well. Its value 

 for hay, I think, stands .-is high as any other gras.s, 

 and for feed and the second crop it stands pre-emi- 

 nent, as it comes forward earlier in the spring and 

 holds out longer in the i'all. I usually cut ft-oni 

 two and a half to three tons per acre, e.xelusivo of 

 the seed, which I reap before mowing in the same 

 manner aa I would wheat, and generally secure 

 from 15 to 20 bushels to the acre. The second 

 crop generally yields from one and a half to two 

 tons per acre." 



The writer last March sowed about a half an 

 acre of Orchard grass in the corner of a lot sown 

 down in timothy and herd's grass, that has been 

 pastured with calves and sheep since July, but it 

 has continued fresh and thriving all the time. 

 There is no doubt it would be one of our most 

 valuable grasses, did our farmers understand well 

 its cultivation, and the manner of consuming it to 

 the best advantage. From our experience and the 

 information from others, we feel entirely safe in 

 giving the following rules : 



1st. Strong and loose ground is best for it, but 

 it will bear shading and grow on land that will 

 produce any other kind of cultivated grass. Let 

 the ground be broken well, then harrowed, tlie 

 seed sown, two bushels to the acre when alone, or 

 line bushel with other grasse.s, then brush it light- 

 ly, roll it, and let it alone. If the season is favora- 

 ble the set will be good. 



2d. Mr Cone directs that the seed be sown in 

 July or August, which is perhaps the rtatural and 

 best time to sow all kinds of grass; but no one 

 will doubt but February and March are good months 

 for sowing. If the ground is properly prepared, 

 the season favorable, there is perfect safety in sow- 

 ing in the spring. A good stand of grass might 

 have been secured, by sowing at any time from 

 the first of last February till the last of September, 

 of the present year, but such a season we may not 

 soon see again. This grass does well with clover, 

 herds grass and timothy. 



3d. To get the full beiielit of Orchard grass, it 

 must be kept in mini that it has to be cut often or 

 pastured closely to prevent it from growing in tufta 

 and bunches. 



It affords most nutritive matter also when not 

 suffered to get entirely ripe. The hay if cut at 

 the right time is sweet, and stock are remarkably 

 fond of it. — J^ashvitle (Tenn.) Agnculturist. 



In France, potatoes are preserved perfectly sound 

 from year to year, by placing them in a dry situa- 

 tion acme three feet under ground. 



. PLYMOUTH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 Report on Improvements. 



Mr PREStDE.NT — The applications for premiums 

 in the department assigned the Committee t>n Im- 

 provements have this year been nnusunlly nume- 

 rous. This circumstance alone is good evidence 

 that the great objects of this Society are receiving 

 more general attention than in past years. In the 

 circuits WG have made in the County, other and 

 even stronger evidence of this fact has been pre- 

 sented ; we have seen many farmrrs, not applicants 

 for premiums, engaged in the prai.sewottliy labors 

 (if rcmovino- rocks, draining and subduing swamps, 

 extending the area of their fields, making the cul- 

 tivation ea.sier, and ensuring more abundant crops. 

 There is manifestly a gradual developcment of the 

 powers of our soils: we hope the work will be en- 

 couraged and assisted till tiavellers will no longer 

 discover any occasion to scoff at us as the mere oc- 

 cupants of sand-banks; till the just reproach, 

 which is now pressing heavily on us, of purchasing 

 more than half our bread stuffs, shall be entirely 

 wiped away. The labor of this association, if pros- 

 ecuted with a steady view to the promotion of an 

 intemst common to every citizen in the county, 

 will have great influence in accelerating so desira- 

 ble results. 



Five claims were entered in May 1839, to the 

 premiums offered for tho renovation of swampy 

 liind. One claim has been withdrawn and another 

 person prevented from operating by the wetness 

 of the season has made a new entry for I84I. The 

 improvements of the other claimants have been ex- 

 amined and the following awards are recommended. 



The first prnmium $35, to Perez Crocker, of 

 North Bridgewater; the second $15, to Nahum 

 Snell, of West Bridgewater. A gratuity of $5 

 and <ine vol. N. E. Farmer to Jonathan Copeland, 

 of West Bridgewater. 



The experiment in the application of manure for 

 which a premium is offered, made payable in 1842, 

 is in progress by Nathan Whitman, of East Bridge- 

 water. 



Only one regular entry has been made for the 

 cultivation of mulberry trees and the production of 

 cocoons. Lincoln Jacob, of Hingham, has 2600 

 trees and has fed 6000 worms. The Committee 

 think favorably of Mr Jacob's perseverance and 

 the knowledge he is yearly acquiring in this busi- 

 ness, but believe we should not be justified in re- 

 commending the award of the first premium, as he 

 reports only about .")00 trees in addition to the num- 

 ber for which he received a premium the last year. 

 We recommend a gratuity of $5 and one vol. N. 

 E. Farmer. 



The following persons have entitled themselves 

 to $9 each for building stone wall — Ezekiel Be- 

 mis and Thomas H. Samson, of Pembroke ; Nath'i 

 A. Eddy and John Wood, of Middleboro' : Barzil- 

 lai Caroy and Lyman Copeland, of North Bridge- 

 water ; Freeman Howard, Solomon Howard and 

 Nahum Snell, of We.it Bridgewater; Jacob Noyes, 

 of Ahington, nnd Benjamin Brown, Jr., of Scituate. 

 In consideration of the quantity of wall built by Mr 

 Brown and various iiandsoine improvements on his 

 farm, we recommend that two vols. Yankee Farmer 

 be given him. 



The ranges of wall examined have generally 

 been built in a very substantial and workmanlike 

 manner. We are sorry to have occasion to com- 

 plain again of the appearance of some built on the 

 highway. Two of the claimants we think blame- 



worthy in the neglect of appearances. Haste and 

 carelessness in building wall are easily discovered 

 in any subse(|uer.t examination of the work. In 

 situations where many eyes are daily to view it, 

 the builders will always do wisely in bestowing 

 equal attention on breadth and height as on length. 

 Six regular entries were made of claims to the 

 premiums offered for the collection of materials to 

 enrich holds We recommend the award of the 

 first premium $20, to Galen Manley, of North 

 Bridgewater; the second $15, to Salmon Howard, 

 of West Bridgewater ; the third $12, to Freeman 

 P. Howland, and the fourth .'^10, to Chelsias How- 

 ard, of Hanson. We also recommend that two 

 vols. Yankee Farmer be given to Nahum Snell, of 

 West Bridgewater, and two vols. N. E. Farmer to 

 Philip Brewster, of Hanson. 



Several unseasonable entries have been made 

 to which we have given no attention. Some of 

 the claimants, who were only a single day too late, 

 may think so trifling neglect should not have ex- 

 cluded them; but the observance of some rule is 

 necessary, and if we could have justified ourselves 

 in establishing one beyond that given us by the 

 Trustees, it would have been extremely diflicult, 

 if possible, to determine where the stand should be 

 made, as the irregular eatries were out of time 

 from one day to sixteen months. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



.MORRILL ALLEN, j 

 JOSHUA EDDY, \ Commiitee. 

 JESSE PERKINS, ) 

 Bridgewater, Oct., 1840. 



A STE-AM BOILER WQRTH HAVING. 



T. Fanning, Esq., editor of the Nashville Agri- 

 culturist, gives the following account of a steam 

 boiler of his invention : 



"I have been studying some time how to con- 

 struct a cheap and convenient steam boiler, sufB- 

 cient to cook food for the, horses, cattle and swine 

 on my little farm, and I .hflve at length succeeded 

 exactly to my notion. I purchased a kettle hold- 

 ing GO gallons, for wlncJii I paid $9, and with the 

 labor of two hands for cndday I constructed a fur- 

 nace out of rough limestonct the cost of which wa8 

 one dollar more ; I then made a box of rough plank, 

 three feet square at the bottom, and high enough 

 to hold about ten bushels ; the box was perforated 

 with many holes, by the use of a five quarter auger. 

 The bottom of the box is made with planks 6 feet 

 long, to afford projections to lift it on and off of the 

 kettle. When the cooking process is going on, 

 the top uf the box is covered with a piece of car- 

 pet, or a close-fitting plank cover to keep in the 

 steam. In using this apparatus, a bushel or two 

 of corn or roots may be put in the kettle, and the 

 box filled with cut oats, corn stocks, turnip tops, 

 beets, potatoes, or any thing else that grows on 

 the farm, and the whoio may be thoroughly cooked 

 in the course of an hour or two. The machine 

 will not cost more than eleven dollars, and 1 con- 

 sider it worth more on a farm than the best hand 

 that labors in the field." 



The tobacco crop in Virginia this year, is esti- 

 mated at 60,000 hhds., being about 15,000 hhda. 

 morfi than an average crop. 



The silk trade was introduced into England in 

 tho 15th century. In the reign of Charles, in 1666, 

 it gave employment to 40,000 persons. 



