1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMED 



&il 



planted and cultivated the best we pyamu o.r»d in 

 the wccii, uv... ..-.T^ iii-t yec round one worth en- 

 couraging. The samples you send are sour and 

 foxy, with a hard acid core about the seeds, and 

 are not worth cultivating, because they will re- 

 quire as much care as a grape that all will ac- 

 knowledge good. The wild grapes make excel- 

 lent jel y, and tolerably good preserves, but are 

 not fit for the dessert. Manuring will not im- 

 prove the quality of the fruit much. 



HYDKAULIC RAMS. 



The promised information is wanted of your 

 Concord. (Mass.) correspondent, concerning hy- 

 draulic rams. I want to know what kind of pipe 

 is the best — what size will be necessary to sup- 

 ply twenty cattle — and any other infoxxnation he 

 can give. Pay. 



BakersfielcL, Vt., Sept., 1859. 



KOCKIWGHAai, N. H., FAIB. 



[REPORTED FOE THE SEW ENGLAND FARMKR.] 



Messrs. Nourse, Eaton & Tolman : — At 

 ten this morning, the farmers, with their wives, 

 sons, daughters, oxen, &:c., were in full attend- 

 ance to assist in opening the exercises of the 

 Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Rockingham 

 Fair. 



The exercises commenced with a procession led 

 Dy Chief Marshal Palmer, composed of the va- 

 rious bands, fire and military companies, and cit- 

 izens, with town teams from various parts of the 

 county, bringing up the rear. These teams made 

 a very fine appearance, made up, as they were, 

 mostly of the famous "Red Oxen," of New Eng- 

 land. 



The Nottingham team had a few very heavy 

 yokes of cattle, and as each yoke bore a banner, 

 with the name of its town marked upon it, the 

 effect was pleasing. 



The Hampton team, however, was tJie attrac- 

 tion ; its car beautifully adorned externally, and 

 infinitely more beautiful within, with the anima- 

 ted grace and loveliness of the fair daughters of 

 that town, all indicated that Hampton women 

 take an interest in agriculture, as well as Hamp- 

 ton men. 



The stock pens were well filled, and the vari- 

 ous breeds of cattle, Devon, Durham, Jersey and 

 native, were fairly represented, though there 

 were few cattle showing any marked superiority 

 of system, either in breeding or feeding. A fair 

 show of horses, sheep and swine completed the 

 list of stock in the pens. 



The plowing match came off at 2\ o'clock, P. 

 M., and was very well attended. There were 

 some fourteen entries of horse and ox teams, 

 with plows rigged exclusively for sod plowing. 

 Two of the famous universal plows, and several 

 others, were entered for trial by their respective 

 owners. The land to be plowed was of a light, 

 sandy loam, with little or no sward, and not of 

 that character to bring out all the good qualities 

 of a plow, or to fully test the skill of the plow- 

 man. 



The universal plow, entered by Joseph H. 

 Weare, of Seabrook, soon became the object of 



general attention. The soil came from its mould- 

 board, completely disintegrated, and the land 

 plowed looked much like a garden, so complete- 

 ly and smoothly did the plow do its work. .1 am 

 confident that this plow will take the first pre- 

 mium, satisfied as lam, that of the many farmers 

 who witnessed its work, not one went away who 

 did not decree, in his own mind, this award to it. 

 All the others performed well, but owing to con- 

 ditions of soil, before mentioned, a sod plow 

 could hardly be said to have had a complete 

 trial. Much must always depend, in a trial of 

 plows, upon the skill which the plowman pos- 

 sesses, in rigging them, or adjusting to the char- 

 acter of the soil to be worked. Many good plows 

 are often condemned and thrown aside as worth- 

 less, simply from an ignorance of these requisites. 



Immediately after the plowing match, a trot, 

 (for a purse made up out of the society,) was an- 

 nounced ; the names of the contesting parlies, or 

 the result of the trial, I did not take the trouble 

 to learn, as I do not consider this a part proper 

 of an agricultural fair. 



The address, by Chas. G. Davis, Esq., Pres- 

 ident of the Plymouth, Mass., County Society, 

 was next in order, and, as an instance how much 

 a good, sound address will attract that class of 

 people who frequent fairs only to see speed, it is 

 proper to state that ere the conclusion of the ad- 

 dress, two -thirds or four-fifths of those in at its 

 beginning, had left. 



I would suggest, that if trials of speed are to 

 become the rule at our fairs, the managers shall 

 arrange to have half the trot before and half af- 

 ter the address ; this will secure the attendance 

 of the people to hear the address, and may lead 

 the popular mind to entertain more exalted no- 

 tions of the aim and end of agricultural improve- 

 ments. Duties, in another direction, prevented 

 my enjoyment of Mr. Davis's address. I judge, 

 however, that those who heard it through, went 

 to their homes with a new impression of the dig- 

 nity of their calling. 



A glimpse at the hall showed that to be the 

 great point of interest. Here is felt the influ- 

 ence of woman's hand and taste, in the various 

 adornments, natural and artificial, which it con- 

 tains. Upon its tables are displayed all imagi- 

 nable productions of the garden and greenhouse, 

 arranged as only woman can arrange to show all 

 their good points. 



Trie mechanical department was almost no- 

 where, and furniture, etc., was not much better. 



The second day was devoted to "Female Eques- 

 trianism," horse racing, a shoio of a market fair, 

 or sale of stock, which a shower and a scarcl'y of 

 buyers brought to an untimely end. In the an- 

 nouncement of premiums, I found that Mr. 

 Weare drew the first for the universal plow. No. 

 121. After this came another race, and then the 

 close. Yours, very trulv, NoMAD. 



Exeter, N. H., Sept. 28, 1859. 



113^ The attention of the reader is called to an 

 article in another column upon the meaning of 

 the words "Type — Species — Variety." as con- 

 stantly used by farmers and gardeners, in speak- 

 ing of their various products. There will be a 

 better understanding between each other when 



