AND GAllDENER'S JOURNAL. 



PUBLISHKn BY JOSEPH I5RECK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Aoricultural Warehouse.)— T. G. FESSIjNDEN, EDITOR. 



VOL. XVI. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 12, 1837. 



NO. 1. 



£!>'®^^^^&ieW^^^» 



V. Crops cultivated ; among wliicli are the fol- 

 lowinir : 



I.ETTER 



TO THE 



FARMERS OF MASSACHUSETTS, 



On the subject of an Jls^ricidtural Survey a/ the 

 State by the authority of the Legislature. 



BY HErJRY COLMAN, 



Commissioner for such Survey. 



Sir, — Having been appointed by the E.\e(Mitive 

 of the Comiiionwealtli, under the provisions of a 

 Resolve of the Legislature, passed at its last ses- 

 sion, Commissioner to mal<e an Agricultural Sur- 

 vey of the State, I take the liberty of addressing 

 this Circular to several gentlemen of intelligence 

 and respectability in the different towns, yourself 

 among others, with a view to obtain their advice 

 and co-operation in accom|)lisliing such survey. 



You will allow me, then, to point out the gen- 

 eral objects of inquiry ; and to solicit particularly 

 your attention to them ; that when I visit you, as 

 I shall ask the pleasure of doing, you will be able 

 to give me, in respect to those which have been 

 the subjects, either of your experience, inquiry, 

 or observation, the desired information. By the 

 Resolve, it is made the duty of the Commissioner 

 "To collect accurate information of the state and 

 condition of the Agriculture of the Common- 

 wealth, and every subject connected with it ; — 

 point out the means of improvement ; and make 

 a detailed report thereof, with as much exactness 

 as circumstances will admit." From the terms 

 of the Resolve, it is apparent that the duty is very 

 comprehensive ; as it embraces every subject con- 

 nected with the agriculture of the State, and the 

 means of its itnprovetnent. The more full, how- 

 ever, it is. the more useful it is likely to prove ; 

 and exactness in the information obtained, is ob- 

 viously of the very highest inqiortance. I will 

 now point out some of the objects to which in- 

 quiries will be directed. 



L The Nature of the Soil, in different parts of 

 the State ; and particularly in reference to 

 the crops cultivated. 



If. The Climate, with reference to the crops 

 grown ; the usual time of ploughing, plant- 

 ing and harvesting ; the occurrence of early 

 frosts ; the length of winter ; the average 

 temperature ; and the quantity of rain or 

 snow in any year. 



It is desirable that meteorological observations 

 should be made in different parts of the State. 



III. 1. The number of acres in any town cul- 

 tivated, or in any form productive. 



2. In wood, timber, &c. 



3. Capable of cultivation but unproductive. 



4. Waste or irreclaimable. 



IV. Products. 



1. The amount raised in any town in any given 

 year. 



2. The average yield of any crop per acre. 



Wheat, 



Indian Corn, 



Rye, 



Barlev, 



Oats," 



Buck Wheat, 



Peas, 



Beans, 



Tares, 



Lupins, 



Hemp, 



Flax, 



Tobacco, 



Hops, 



Broom Corn, 



Teasles, 



Madder, 



Woad, 



Saffron, 



Rape, 



Mints, 



Herds Grass, 



Clovers, 



Red top, 



Orchard, 



Tall meadow Oats, 



English Bent, 



Rye Grass, 



Millet, 



Foul Meadow, 



Blue Grass, 



Salt meadow grasses, 



Thatch, 



Potatoes, 



Onions, 



Cabbages, 



(Carrots, 



Parsnips, 



Be^ts, 



Artichokes, 



Pumpkins, 



Turnips, 



Fruits, 



Garden Vegetables. 



Grass for Bonnets. 

 Mulberry for Silk. 

 Sunflower for Oil. 

 Poppy for Opium. 

 Mustard, 

 Succory. 



Lucerne, 



VI. Other Products. 



Wool, Mutton, 



Silk, Lard, 



Beef, Cheese, 



Poik, ' Butter, 



VII. Rotation of crops. 

 V^III. Mode of cultivation. 



1. Soils adapted to particular crops. 



2. Preparation of the soil by |)lougliing and 

 manur(?s. 



3. Seeds ; selection ; change of seed ; quan- 

 tity ; preparation ; steeps for seeds ; preservation 

 ot seed from worms, birds and vermin. 



4. (/are and management of the growing crop. 



5. Harvesting. Time and manner. 



6. Use aiul application of the product. 



7. Labor required ; and general ex|)enses of a 

 crop. 



8. Value of the crop for use or sale. 



9. Marketing of the product. 



IX. Diseases of crops. Blight ; iviildew ; rust; 

 curl ; &c,. &c. 



X. Weeds; and methods of extermination. 



Thistles; Canada thistles; brake; laurel; ox- 

 eyed daisy or white weed ; r.uiunculus or Butter 

 cuj) ; wood wax ; pine-weed ; St. John's wort ; 

 charlock or cadluc ; sorrel ; cockle ; tares ; chess 

 or cheat, &c. &c. 



XI. Refuse of crops. Preservation ; value, 

 and use for fodder or manure. 



1. Value and use of the stalks and husks of 

 Indian Corn, and how preserved. 



2. Value and use of the stalks and husks of 

 Broom corn. 



3. Value and use of the straw of wheat, rye, 



oats and barley. 



4. " " of the haulm of pease and 



buck wheat. 



5. " " of potaio tops, &c. &c. 



It may be useful in this place to give an out- 

 line of the inanner in which it may he, desirable 

 to conduct the inquiries. I will take for exam- 

 ples, wheat and Indian corn. 



Wheat. 



1. History of its cultivation in the State. 



2. Kinds ; bearded or bald ; flint or soft skin ; 

 red or white; summer or winter; vvliere obtain- 

 ed ; by what name or quality designated ; aver- 

 age weight per bushel. 



3. Amount of any particular crop ; extent of 

 land sown. 



4. Condition of the land ; nature of the soil ; 

 whether newly cleared ; burnt; swarded; or how 

 used for two or three years previously ; how pre- 

 pared for sowing,, 



5. Kind and qttilntity of manure ; useoflirne, 

 plaster, or any compost manure. 



6. The quantity of seed to an acre, and pre- 

 paration of the seed ; advantages or evils of steep- 

 ing the seed. 



7. The time of sowing; week and day, if pos- 

 sible, to be ascertained. The in)portancc of such 

 an inqui.y as this, will appear for the reasons 

 which follow : 



It is strongly recommended that wheat should 

 he sown before the 14th of September, so as to be 

 well rooted before winter ; thus affordmg a better 

 protection against frosts. Or else so late as not 

 to germinate before spring ; this method has been 

 tried. — Or, frozen in water in the autunin, and 

 ke|it so until the spring, which experiment is re- 

 pertcd to have been successful. It is often de- 

 sirable for wheat to follow Indian corn ; but In- 

 dian corn in general, cannot be taken off in sea- 

 son to get the wheat sown. The discovery of any 

 mode, such as the above, for example, by which 

 the necessity of this early sowing could be obvia- 

 ted, would be of great advantage. 



Wheat sown early, is more likely to have pas- 

 sed beyond injury from the hot, damp, steaming 

 weather, which occurs in July, and occasions rust. 

 Query : whether late sown wheat is not likely to 

 pass beyond that season, before it gets into a con- 

 ilition to be injured, which is while it is in the 

 milk. 



Late sowing of wheat, as in some cases the last 

 of May and the first of Jime, it is stated, has car- 

 ried the season of flowering beyond the time of 

 the wheat insect, and the crop has been saved, 



8. The diseases or accidents, if any ; whether 

 affected by rust, smut or mildew ; and any cir- 

 cinnstance-< of weather, situation, or particular 

 condition of the plant, connected or contempora- 

 neous with such occurrence. The situation or 

 exposin-e of any blighted tield, whether high and 

 airy, or low, damp and confined. 



9. Whether or not, affected by the vicitiity of 

 barberry bushes. 



