1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



557 



that you leave these men among the unfinished 

 Representatives. You must vote for men who 

 ■will attend to your interests. For half a century, 

 we have souglit to have our agricultural Bureau 

 established, but for half a century, we have failed. 

 With you, and the farmers of our country every- 

 where, the ultimate success or failure of this pro- 

 ject rests, and the careful instruction of the young, 

 in matters pertaining to agriculture^ is a means to 

 be used in promoting the prosperity of this cause. 

 Instruction in our schools should be of a more 

 practical character. God and nature never intend- 

 ed that Latin and Greek, and the higher mathe- 

 matics, should be taught to children, who are to 

 become farmers. Subjects should be brought be- 

 fore them, a knowledge of which will be of practi- 

 cal advantage to them in after life. This is but a 

 meagre sketch of Prof. T.'s remarks. On Thursday 

 there was a plowing match in the forenoon, and in 

 the afternoon, a trial of skill in horsemanship by 

 the ladies. Thus ended the first exhibition of the 

 kind ever held in this town, and the fourth ever 

 held in the county. It is proposed to make Pitts- 

 field, the county seat, the permanent locality for 

 these fairs. j, b. k. 



Oct. 10, 1856. 



A JAPANESE FEAST. 



It is possible that intercourse with this exclusive 

 nation may add some new dishes to the American 

 cuisine, but Commodore Perry's experience of their 

 hospitality was not very tempting to an epicure, as 

 one would infer from his account of the entertain- 

 ment : 



"Immediately on entering, the guests were de- 

 sired to seat themselves, the Commodore, with 

 Captains Buchanan and Adams, occupying the 

 highest tables on the right hand, and the regent 

 and his associates the one opposite the left. A 

 pair of chop-sticks was placed at each corner of every 

 table ; in the centre was an earthern pot filled with 

 saki — the intoxicating drink made by the Lew- 

 Chewans — surrounded with four acorn cups, four 

 large, coarse China cups, with clumsy spoons of the 

 same material, and four tea-cups. On each table 

 were dishes to the number of some twenty, of 

 various sizes and shapes, and the exact basis of 

 some of which no American knoweth to this day ; 

 possibly it was pig. Of the dishes, however, which 

 were familiar to western apprehension, there were 

 sliced boiled eggs, which had been dyed crimson, 

 fish made into rolls and boiled in fat, j^ieces of cold 

 baked fish, slicesof hog's liver, sugar candy, cucum- 

 bers, mustard, salted radish tops, and fragments 

 of lean pork, fried. Cups of tea were first handed 

 round ; these were followed by very small cups of 

 saki, which had the taste of French liqueur. Small 

 sticks, boobam sharpened at one end, and which 

 some of the guests mistook for tooth-picks, were 

 furnished, to be used as forks, in taking balls of 

 meat and dough from the soup, which made the 

 first course. Soup constituted also the next seven 

 courses of the twelve, where of the repast consisted. 

 The other four were gingerbread, salad made of 

 bean sprouts and young onion toi)s, a basket of 

 what appeared to be some dark red fruit, but proved 

 to be balls composed of a thin dough rind covering 

 a sugar pulp, and a delicious mixture compounded 

 of beaten eggs and a slender white root with an 

 aromatic taste. Novel as was this bill of fare, the 



gentlemen of the expedition endeavored, with true 

 courtesy, to do honor to the repast, and at the end 

 of the twelfth course respectfully took leave, though 

 they were assured there were twelve more to come. 

 The number of the courses indicated a desire to do 

 our countrymen a double share of honor, inasmuch 

 as twelve is the prescribed number for a royal en- 

 tertainment." 



CATTLE SHOW AT AMHERST. 



The Express gives a glowing account of the ex- 

 ercises at the dinner table on the day of the recent 

 annual Show at Amherst, and quotes portions of 

 the speeches made. It must have been a brilliant 

 affair, while it was wholly appropriate to the occa- 

 sion, instructive as well as brilliant. The speakers 

 were, Mr. Dickinson, the President of the Socie- 

 ty, Dr. Hitchcock, the orator, J. H. W. Page, 

 Delegate from State Board of Agriculture, A. H. 

 Bullock, of Worcester, one of the Trustees, of 

 Amherst College, Francis De Witt, of Ware, the 

 present Secretary of State, C. C. Chaffee, M. C, 

 of Springfield, and Professor Haven, of Amherst. 

 We have not found such eloquence and enthusi- 

 asm in any other similar gathering this autumn. — 

 As one of our good old fathers said at Lexington, 

 "why, they are firing bullets," — so, at this festival, 

 they so far departed from the usual custom as to 

 talk about agriculture ! The Union was saved but 

 once, and that in the briefest possible manner. 



But why will not the farmers themselves some- 

 times talk at these gatherings ? They have the 

 facts, and with occasional eff"orts, and such excellent 

 examples as were afforded them on the occasion of 

 which we have just been speaking, they could not 

 fail to instruct others, and would increase their own 

 interest in the subject. Try it, brethren, and take 

 a full share in all the departments of our instruc- 

 tive and useful festivals. 



We regret that we could not be at Amherst, and 

 reap a portion of that ample harvest for ourselves. 

 But we shall gather up the rich sheaves that have 

 come to our hands, and ponder them well. 



For the New England Farmer. 



FAIR AT NORTHAMPTON. 



The Annual Fair of the Old Hampshire Society 

 was holdeu at Northampton, on the 7th and 8th 

 inst. The exhibition compared favorably with 

 those of former years. The society has purchased 

 and enclosed a plot of ground with a high fence, 

 including a trotting course. The exhibition of horses 

 was unusually good, and the show of speed was 

 among the greatest attractions of the occasion. 



The orator was non inventus est. These frequent 

 failures are extremely annoying, and call for reform. 



It may well be questioned whether this now fea- 

 ture in our agricultural shows — trotting-matches — 

 will work more good than evil. Please let us have 

 your opinion, Mr. Editor. H. 



