1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



425 



AGKICULTURAL KEPOBT OF PLY- 

 MOUTH COUNTY. ! 



Every Secretary of an agricultural society who 

 has attempted to make up a report, can fully 

 sympathize with the worthy Secretary of the Ply-; 

 mouth society, in his remarks upon the state- 

 ments of committees and competitors. It is too 

 often true, that "very few statements of any ac- 

 curacy or importance, come into the hands of the 

 Secretary." 



"Let it be understood now and always, both 

 by the exhibitor and the committee man, that 

 our agricultural societies do not, and were not 

 designed to give premiums alone for the accident 

 of a fat ox, or a fat field, or a twenty quart cow, 

 but they give a premium in return for some in- 

 formation accompanying the ox or cow, as to the 

 liow, the when and the wherewithal, which is what 

 the farmers want to know, and which alone, in 

 the reports of the society, can be of any benefit 

 o the community." This is the true doctrine, 

 and we are glad to see it made prominent by the 

 Secretary. 



The commitiee on premiums appear to have 

 caught the spirit of this officer, for we notice 

 that three competitors for premiums on grain 

 crops, lost their premiums by not sending in 

 their statements seasonably. 



Plymouth has a high reputation for its large 

 grain crops. Its corn crops have never been ex- 

 celled in the State, and we are glad to see an at- 

 tempt to place the yield of this crop on a basis 

 which shall prevent all doubt hereafter, as to the 

 accuracy of the reports. The corn is to be shelled 

 in January, and weighed, allowing fifty-six 

 pounds to the bushel. Mr. G. P. Wood's corn, 

 raised in 18o7, was estimated by harvesting, and 

 weighing two rods, at ninety-eight Hushels per 

 acre. On being shelled and weighed in January, 

 18j8, it yielded 75 15-56 bushels, of fifty-six 

 pounds each, which shows a great shrinkage be- 

 tween harvesting and January. 



Fine crops of barley and oats were also pre- 

 sented and received premiums. We have no 

 doubt that the successful cultivation of grain 

 crops in this county is due, in great measure, to 

 the liberal premiums that have for many years 

 been paid for them. We are glad to notice that 

 premiums were awarded for the skilful manufac- 

 ture of the largest quantities of compost ma- 

 nures. Charles G. Davis and Jonathan How- 

 ard were well entitled to the premiums they 

 received, and especially for the accounts they 

 furnished of their methods of operation. An in- 

 teresting essay upon the culture of corn, by that 

 sound farmer, Morrill Allen, will repay peru- 

 sal. 



Two married ladies and three single ones dis- 

 played themselves on horseback, no doubt to the 



gratification of most, if not all, the young men 

 and boys assembled. Eleven premiums were 

 awarded for the exhibition of flowers, nearly all 

 of them to ladies. We do not hesitate to record 

 it as our opinion, that a beautiful bouquet, or 

 basket of flowers, is a more appropriate exhibi- 

 tion for a lady, than the exhibition of her person 

 on a fast horse before a gazing crowd. 



The report closes with a list of premiums of- 

 fered for the year 1859. We notice that this 

 practice is becoming common, and it strikes us 

 as a good arrangement. The only objection to 

 it is, that the meeting of the Trustees must be 

 held, before the report can be got out. But, per- 

 haps, this is the best way. With the incidents 

 of the last exhibition in their mind, the Trustees 

 will be better able to make arrangements for the 

 coming one. 



For the Netv England Farmer. 



QEAPE VINES 'WHICH CAN NSVES 

 BEA.R. 



Most persons are aware that a flower is perfect 

 in structure when the stamens and pistil or pis- 

 tils are present. It matters not whether the co- 

 rolla, that brilliant circle of colored leaves, which 

 in popular language is called the flower, be pres- 

 eat or not ; a flower is perfect in structure when 

 the organs which are essential for the produc- 

 tion of seed are present, and these organs are 

 the stamens and pistils. Classifying by structure, 

 we shall find most of the finest flowers of our 

 gardens are very imperfect, their elegant double 

 nature being gained at the sacrifice of the sta- 

 mens, which by a beautiful metamorphosis, have 

 changed to petals ; on the other hand, a classifi- 

 cation founded on structure increases our inter- 

 est in many trees and plants. Few, probably, 

 are aware of the most abundant flowering of the 

 elm tree. These flowers precede the leaves, ami 

 while some wonder at the interval which elapses 

 between the bursting of the dark brown buJ; 

 and the appearing of the leaves, that noble tree 

 is centering all its energies in performing the 

 most delicate and intricate work of the round 

 year, the perfecting of the organization of its 

 myriads of seeds. 



The statement that stamens and pistils are al! 

 that are necessary to form a true flower, may ap- 

 pear to some merely a theoretical truth, possibly 

 of some value in science, but of no practical val- 

 ue. If this be so, I would ask such an one to 

 explain how I can sustain the absolute assertion 

 made at the head of this article, viz.: That there 

 are grape vines that cannot bear ? And this 

 statement can be made as absolutely of straw- 

 berries and other plants as of grape vines. Na- 

 ture is no waster of her recources ; with her the 

 primary end of our edible fruits is to protect the 

 seed, and therefore, if the parts necessary for the 

 perfection of the seed are not present, rarely, .if 

 ever, shall we find fruit. 



For several years we have had growing upon 

 our trellis two seedling grape vines, which had 

 been selected for the superior vigor of their 

 growth from a large number of seedlings. All ol 



