328 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



they did die, and would supply their places with 

 Bfiother set of natural fruit." Here, in the cold 

 State of Maine, March is the hest time to prune. 

 I have known trees for thirty years that had been 

 pruned in ^larch that are now healthy trees. 

 Three years ago I had small trees in my nursery 

 trimmed by the snow settling in March. The 

 branches were broken off, so as to leave a cavity 

 in the main stem, and I never saw trees heal so 

 quick, and that were so smooth where the branch 

 came off, as they are now. E. G. C. 



Canaan, Me., May, lSo9. 



Remarks. — Trees are governed by natural 

 laws just as much as animals, or the winds or 

 rains. If the land of "Canaan," where our cor- 

 respondent dates, is so cold and backward a re- 

 gion as he intimates, then July would be the 

 time to prune, according to our theory. 



MIDDLESEX SOUTH AGRICUIiTUBAL 

 SOCIETY. 



This society appears to be in a flourishing con- 

 dition. It is in the hands of energetic and pro- 

 gressive men. The address of Hon. Emery 

 Washburn contains many useful suggestions. 

 The dinner was enlivined by the presence and 

 remarks of several eloquent gentlemen. This so- 

 ciety has usually been fortunate in the selection 

 of guests which have honored their board. 



The various statements of the poultry fanciers 

 are an interesting feature in the reports, and 

 show what can be done in this department of the 

 farm, by care and judicious management. 



The only premiums awarded for horses, were 

 for farm and working horses. Such premiums 

 clearly come within the range of farm premiums. 

 As the labor of horses is fast taking the place of 

 ox labor, we should be glad to see the breeding 

 of this class of horses encouraged. Several pre- 

 miums were awarded for cut flowers and bouquets. 

 These add much to the beauty of the exhibition 

 in the hall, and their culture is a source of much 

 pleasure, and a gratification to any person of 

 taste, and we hope all our county societies will 

 offer premiums for their exhibition. We notice 

 that several have done so this past season. 



Awards were made for apple orchards, for pear 

 trees, for peach orchards, for grain crops, root 

 crops, and for reclaimed meadows. Many soci- 

 eties confine their awards to articles exhibited at 

 the tables — the products of the garden and the 

 field. • We doubt the expediency of this. The 

 skill of the cultivator is better exhibited in the 

 culture of the trees in the field, than in the dish 

 of apples or other fruit, which may often be the 

 result of accident, or of the skill of some one who 

 hag owned and cultivated the trees before him. 

 But the man who has planted and brought into 

 bearing a fine growth of trees, gives proof of his 

 own skill, and has made some permanent im- 



provement of his farm. Premiums for entire 

 crops are more satisfactory, and we think more 

 useful than for samples. Such premiums bring 

 out statements of the methods of cultivation on 

 different soils, and in different localities, that are 

 often highly interesting and valuable. We think 

 the trustees of this society have shown much 

 sound judgment in the selection of the objects of 

 their awards. There are many other subjects 

 deserving their attention, and we doubt not they 

 will receive it in due season. 



For the New England Farmer. 



AQRICULTUBAIi BOOKS. 



Mr. Editor : — The following remarks were 

 read a few evenings since before the Concord 

 Farmers' Club. At your request, I send you a 

 copy. Yours, &c., j. R. 



A new department of literature has been ere 

 ated within a few years. We have books or 

 soils, on manures, on horticulture, on field cul- 

 ture, on tree culture, on fruit culture, on cattle-, 

 on horses, sheep, swine, draining, farm imple- 

 ments, &c. &c. These may be considered chief- 

 ly scientific. Then we have a wide range of 

 what may more properly be called agricultural 

 literature, consisting of agricultural papers, pe- 

 riodicals, transactions, addresses, reports and 

 essays, relating to agriculture or collateral sub- 

 jects. All these constitute a great body of read- 

 ing. INIen are better educated than formerly, 

 and read more on all subjects. No man is now 

 satisfied with the knowledge of his own business 

 which he gains by his own experience. He avails 

 himself of the knowledge of others as well. He 

 must do so, to keep up with the progress of the 

 times. This is as true in agriculture, as in any 

 other pursuit. Farming is progressive. Prin- 

 ciples must be understood, and their application 

 varied according to circumstances. To do this, 

 principles must be studied, and the circumstances 

 which require their varied application must be 

 studied. Young farmers all read, and find their 

 views enlarged, and their stock of ideas increased 

 by it. They thus acquire food for thought, and 

 learn to reason. The interchange of ideas by 

 means of books, is like the interchange of prod- 

 ucts by means of commerce. It contributes to 

 the wealth and prosperity and comfort of all par- 

 ties engaged in it. This interchange of ideas 

 is the great means of civilization and refinement. 

 The man of ideas is the man of power. But hia 

 ideas are chiefly obtained from others ; for no 

 one man originates more than a few ideas. If 

 he did, he would become too powerful, and would 

 swallow up his neighbors. Reading serves to 

 distribute and equalize the amount of existing 

 ideas, as commerce serves to distribute and equal- 

 ize wealth. Before commerce was established, a 

 few men had the wealth and power, and the rest 

 were dependent. Before booKS were made, and 

 men learned to read them, a few men had the 

 knowledge, and the rest were their tools — their 

 hands. 



There is no subject that requires a knowledge 

 of so many things as agriculture, unless it be 



