18o6. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



619 



in vain for water ; but, with a foot of snow upon 

 the earth and many feet upon the mountains, the 

 hum of the mill-stones and the harsh notes of the 

 saw will soon and long testify to its beneficence. 

 Bridges, earth-works, and the fruits of engineering 

 skill and toil may be swept away, but man tvill still 

 rejoice in the general good and adore the benevo- 

 lence of Him M'lio orders all things aright. The 

 snow is a great purifier of the atmosphere. The 

 absorbent powerof capillary action of snow is like 

 that of a sponge or charcoal. Immediately after 

 snow has fallen, melt it in a clean vessel and taste 

 it, and you will find immediately evidences of its 

 impurity. Try some a day or two old, and it be- 

 comes nauseous, especially in cities. Snow water 

 makes the mouth harsh and dry. It has the Same 

 effect upon the skin, and upon the hands and feet 

 produces the painful malady of chilblains. The fol- 

 lowing easy experiment illustrates beautifully the 

 absorbent jjroperty of snow : Take a lump of snow 

 (a piece of snow crust answers well) of three or 

 four inches in length, and hold it in the flame of a 

 lamp ; not a drop of water will fall from the snow, 

 but the water, as fast as forijied, will penetrate or 

 be drawn up into the mass of snow by capillary at- 

 traction. It is by virtue of this attraction that the 

 snow purifies the atmosphere by absorbing and re- 

 taining its noxious and noisome gases and odors. 



For the New England Fanner. 



"A GOOD COW MAY HAVE A GOOD 

 CALF." 



This sentence has often been construed as ex- 

 pressive of a doubt as to the expediency of attempt- 

 ing to raise the offsjjring of superior animals, in 

 the hopes of producing their like. I believe it 

 not wise thus to construe it. I think the chance of 

 growing valuable animals, from those which are 

 themselves valuable, is much greater than from 

 those which arc not. 



In illustration of this principle, my attention has 

 lately been called to a heifer, three years old, now 

 owned by Mr. 0.,the offspring of Mr. Huntington's 

 cow, that was sold last April for $150, and which 

 ■was said to have yielded more than two pounds of 

 butter per day the previous season. This heifer is 

 now of good size, bearing a strong resemblance to 

 the cow from which she came, and yields sixteen 

 quarts of milk daily. Of her butter-making quali- 

 ties I am not advised, but her milk is of first rate 

 quality. If I do not mistake, this a very good pro- 

 duct for an animal of this age ; — and I know no 

 reason why this animal should not be worth as 

 much as any of the same age of the most improved 

 breed — although her name and number may not be 

 found in the herd-book. 



I understand that the mother meets the expec- 

 tations of the purchaser, yielding twenty quarts or 

 more of milk daily. I hope these animals will be 

 exhibited at our Shows, that the farmers may see 

 what can be done by selecting, and care in rearing. 



Sept. 30, 1856. * 



Maixe State Society. — The time of meeting 

 of the Maine State Agricultural Society will be 

 holden at Portland, October 2 1st, 22d, 23d and 24th, 

 instead of the 28th to 31st, as has been stated 

 heretofore. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY CATTLE SHOW. 



The annual exhibition of the Middlesex County 

 Society took place at Concord, on Tuesday, Sept. 

 30. The weather was unfavorable, there being 

 a drizzling rain, inters])ersed with an occasional 

 "drencher," throughout the daj'. But in spite of 

 all the discomforts and discouragements of a rainy 

 day, the old society did not, probably, come off" sec- 

 ond best to any show that has taken place ! The 

 numbers in attendance,to be sure, were not so great 

 as they might have been under a clear sky, — but 

 all the various departments were well filled, and 

 the whole passed off with promptness and a good 

 degree of enthusiasm. 



The Plowing Match took piace near the depot 

 on a fine field belonging to Mr. Henry A. Whee- 

 ler, who, in the most accommodating spirit, al- 

 lowed the society to go there after it had been dis- 

 appointed in arrangements to plow in another place. 



Twenty -two teams were entered, fifteen only were 

 present and contested, but their contest was ani- 

 mated, and resulted in the execution of the best 

 plowing, as a whole, that we have ever seen on a 

 similar occasion. Several double plows were used, 

 and they left the ground in condition to receive 

 even the smallest seeds, with very little labor after 

 plowing. Middlesex county cannot be beaten, v/e 

 think, if it can be equalled, by any plowmen in the 

 country. Plowmen and teams have been trained 

 there, until a degree of skill has been reached, 

 which we think accomplishes all that men, team 

 and plow can do. The work of the single plows 

 was excellent, but we think the double plow, where- 

 ever it can be used, will save, in the after cultiva- 

 tion, all the cost of plowing the land. 



The Spading Match afforded a spirited scene. 

 Ten stalwart young men entered the lists, and kept 

 time with the stirring notes of the Lowell Band, 

 while a vast throng surrounded the hollow square 

 and watched with eager interest the progress of 

 the work. Even the pedlers and showmen were 

 hushed for a time, and mounting the highest box 

 of their cart, peered over the heads of the multi- 

 tude to catch a glimpse of the stout contestants 

 within the ropes. Several of the squares, five feet 

 by twelve, were left in a condition fit to receive the 

 celery, or other seeds as small. There is consid- 

 erable skill in good spading, and there are many 

 persons calling themselves good gardeners, who 

 cannot spade rapidly and effectively ; this part of 

 the exhibition, therefore, is an important one, and 

 is always watched with interest. 



Ten teams engaged in the Drawing Match, or tri- 

 al of strength and skill in working oxen. The loads 

 to be drawn, backed and turned, were one of 4,000, 

 and the other of 4,500 pounds, and they were moved 

 up hill and down with certainty and ease. After 

 this Mr. Samuel Blood, of Pepperell, unyoked 

 his cattle and drove them in every direction through 



