NE^V ENGLAND FARMER 



JUI,T 13, is^ir. 



^tlSW I2 5f/^3£.^Sra> sa-^JSi 222231^0 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1837. 



|Ij"Mr Colkav'b Letter to the Farmers of Massachu- 

 fttts, will be found, in part, in this number of our pa- 

 por, anil will be concluded in our next. We ;ire happy 

 in an opportunity of submitting to our readers, this elab- 

 orate exposition of the views and objects of inquiry of 

 the gentleman, appointed by the Legislature, Commis- 

 sioner to make an Agricultural Survey of the Stale — 

 All useful knowledge in Husbandry, has its foundation 

 in matters of fact, such as Mr Colman proposes to as- 

 certain ; and theories which are not founded on the ba- 

 sis of experiment, are fallacious, and serve to give plau- 

 sibility to error. 



Agriculture is not only the most important, but the 

 most extensive and complicated of the arts. Success in 

 iis pursuits dppiudson a great number of modes of man- 

 agement, the results of protracted and repeated experi- 

 ments, new objects of culture, iuiproved breeds of do- 

 mestic animals, new and ameliorated kinds of vegeta- 

 bles, &e. &c., the uses of many of which are confined 

 In individuals , and the public are but little the bitter 

 or the wiser for the knowledge which such individuals 

 are turning to ibuir private advantage. Many valuable 

 secrets in rural economy, well worth knowing, will not 

 for a long time, if ever, be geneially known, unless 

 some person or persons take pains to find out the wealth 

 producing processes, which cause some farmers to be- 

 come rich, while others, with equal advantages and as 

 much industry, remain poor and embarrassed ; driven 

 by, insttjad <»f driving their business. We ardently hope 

 that every Massachusetts cultivator will consider it his 

 privilege, as well as his duly, to contribute something 

 in answer to Mr Colman's inquiries, which may facili- 

 tate his labors, and promote the important objects of his 

 contemplated investigations. 



FAUDIER'S WORK. 



Roots. — There is, we are sorry to say, no doubt but 

 that the crops of grass, in this part of the country, will 

 be less than an average ; and cultivators will do (veil to 

 raise as many roots as possible, to supply the deficiency 

 ■of catlle food, which appears to be impending. There 

 ■is, probably, no crop which it is not too late to sow, 

 which promises so fiir as the English turnip. We will 

 Jthcrcfure say something on its culture. 



The seed of the English turnip may well be sown as 

 ■Jate as the 20th of July, and some assert tlial the first of 

 -August will not be too lale ; and those which are put 

 ifllo the ground .*t or near the last mentioned i)eriod, 

 "WJil lis less liable to be injured by inseots than if tlu-y 

 ^j, »C sown earlier. Ai^crcroinbie, a celebrated Brilisli 

 Garde.'i'-''') e»*'<^« ihn foli'm\'''ng directions fur raising this 



^rop : 



'•Soil and S((«aC««.— Sand />>• gravel, with a mixture of 

 loam, produce ,Vjc sweetest auii •''«*' flavored roots. It 

 .should bei^.ade fine, but not too r.'ch, lest the turnips 

 ■be rank and ill-taeted. Ground which has been newly 

 cleared from the forest, yields the largest and sweetest 

 roots, and on sucji ppots there ia the Jeast danger from 

 insects. 



" |jet the ground be well broken by regular digging, 

 «nd neatly levelled to receive the seed. Proiure bright 

 well dried si-ed. At a season when llu! turnip fly is not 

 apprclieuded.lhe seed may be put into the ground with- 

 out any preparation, either alone or mixed with Ji little 

 >and ; but in tlm hot weather of summer it is advisuble 

 to use some chonj) and cfFcctual preventive of Ibe fly. — 



It appears from a trial of Knight, at the suggestion of 

 Sir Humphrey D.ivy, that lime slacked with urine, and 

 mixed with a treble quantity of soot, if sprinkled in with 

 the seed at the time of sowing, will protect the seeds 

 end germs from the ravages of this pernicious insect; 

 but this antidote cannot be conveniently applied, un- 

 less the sowing be in drills. A yet simpler remedy, 

 found by Mean, to be perfectly successful, is to sleep 

 the seed in sulphur water, putting an ouijce of sulphur 

 to a pint of water, which will be sufficient for soaking 

 about three pounds of seed." 



The method of sowing is either in broad cast or in 

 drills. In the former method, Abercrombic directs to 

 allow half an ounce of seed to every one hundred square 

 feel. Deane states that the quantity of seed to an acre 

 in field culture, is never less than one pound, more fre- 

 quently a pound and a half, and some limes two. In 

 sewing by broad cast, ihe seed may be covered by draw- 

 ing a " light harrow backward, that is, wrong end fore- 

 most, to prevent the lines which are generally set some- 

 what pointed forward from tearing up the sods, and 

 burying Iho seed too deep." If sowed in rows, the 

 drills may be an inch deep, and twelve or fifteen inches 

 asunder. 



M.\SSACHUSETTS HORTICULTtTRAt SOCIKTY. 



EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



Saturday, July 1, 1837. 



Our tables were this day decked with fine specimens 

 of some of the gayest of Floras' productions. We hope 

 our friends will send us a regular supply during the 

 season of Flowers. We promise on our part to do all 

 in our power to show them to the greatest advantage. — 

 Among the specimens this day exhibited, we noticed 

 some new seedling plants from the garden of Tliomas 

 Lee, Esq of Brookline ; Dahlias from Dr J.C. How- 

 ard, Woodland, Brookline ; 7?o5esfrom Hawthorn grove, 

 l>orcliester,by Mr Jolin Donald, gardener to Col. M P. 

 Wilder, and alsi', some fine specimens by Mr John A. 

 Kcnrick of Newton ; seedling Pinkshy Col. Wilder and 

 Messrs William Miller and Samuel Walker of Roxbury. 

 Some of Mr Miller's pinks were fine, and deserved a 

 name. 



We should have been pleased with an interview with 

 Mr J. A. Kenrick, and to have learned from himself, the 

 names and history of some of his fine Roses. Mr 

 Wilder's' roses, Village Maid, and Bull of Snow, rank 

 among the choicest of the choice. 



Dahlias, — Frimi Dr J. C. Howard, Woodland, Brook- 

 line. — Queen Adelaide, Boot's fine purple, Marshall's 

 Velvet, Foster's Incomparable, all very fine spjcimens 

 lor the season. 



From S. Lee, Esq.— Rhododendron Maximum, Kal- 

 mia Liitifoliii, M.ignolia Glauca. 



Verbascuin Compactuin, Cleome Spinosa, Lupenius 

 Polyphilius, L}'simachea Dubia, Leptosyphon Densiflo- 

 ra, Neinephila Insignis, Media Splendens, Peustemon, 

 Steuactis Spcciosa, Sallandia Bicolor, Lasthenia Cali- 

 fornica. 



By John A. Kenrick, — Pteonies, Whilleji, llumei, 

 Fiagrans, — roies variety. 



Boquets, by Messrs William Kenrick and S. Walker, 

 containing many fine specimens of herbaceous plants. 

 For the Commilleo. 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



BXHIBITION or FRUITS. 



fsuturday, July Bill, 1837. 

 Ily the President, Hon. E. Vose, Dorchester, — Two 

 boxes of Black Tart:iria:i and White liig.-ireau Cherries, 

 and H box of Melhven Castle Strawberries. 



By James L. L. F. Warren, Brighton, — Three boxes 

 of Melhven Castle Strawberries. 'The specimens above 

 were large and perfect. For the Committee. 



' B. V. FRENCH. 



KXHIBITnN OF FLOWERS. 



Saturday, July 8th, 1837. 



By the Messrs Winships of Brighton, — Specimens of 

 flowers, the product of seed collected by Prof. Nultall, 

 while on his recent excursion to Columbia River and 

 California 



Phaulia California, Colinsia bicolor, from C. Coriop- 

 sis Californica. 



Dahlias variety. — Agripina, Russell's maculata, 

 Countess Liverpool, Hanover Striped, Emperor of Yel- 

 lows, Daniel O'Connell, Dwarf Lilac, Picta formos - 

 issima. Royal William, Beauty of Chestnut Grove, 

 Springfield Rival, Sable Queen, [both very fine] Sir 

 Walter's Scarlet Aurantia, Purpurea, Lady Liverpool, 

 Queen of Muslybough, Miss Ramsden. 



By Thomas Lee, Esq. of Brookline, — Rhododendron 

 maximum, Kalmia Latifolia. 



Dahlias. — Thorburn'a white, Columbine, New Calyp- 

 so, Le Brilliant. 



Verbascum Compactum, Digitalis Neros.i, Medea 

 Splendens, Leptosyphcn Densiflora, do. Andrusaecua, 

 Malva, C Good Hope, Lartheria Californica. 



Climbing Tea or Double Ayreshirc Rose, Marie Le- 

 onidas do., Narsette do. 



By Dr J. C. Howard, Woodland, Brookline.— Dah- 

 lias var — Taster's Incomparable, Boot's fine purple, 

 Smith's do,, Squibb's Yellow, Queen of Wirtemburg, 

 Marshall's Velvet. 



By Col. M. P. Wilder, of Dorchester,— A variety of 

 seedling Pinks, and a fine collection of New French ro- 

 ses, among which we noticed Bobelina, Hybrid Camu- 

 sel. Rose ie Sag'e, Pallagiea, and Ball of Snow. 



By Mr Samuel R, Johnson, of Charlestown, — Rose 

 Triumph de Arcole, and Phlox Drummoudi, 



Fine bouquets from Messrs Hovey & Co,, of Cam- 

 bridge, William Kenrick of Newton, ^nd Samuel Wal- 

 ker of Roxbury. 



S. Walker of Roxbury, also exhibited some speci 

 mens of Ranunculus Asiaticus, and seven varieties of 

 seedling Pinks, which he has named as follows : 



Walker's Claudius, do Mary Louisa, do, Lstelle, do. 

 Col. Wilder, do. Cuslinii^tonia, do. Othello, do. Nca- 



lensis. 



For the Commitlee. 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



Saturday, July 8th. 



A meeting was held. The Committee appointed at 

 the last meeting to consider concerning the Anniversa- 

 ry, reported thai it was expedient to notice the same by 

 an exhibitiim and address. A Committee of Arrange- 

 ments was then chosen, consisting of the following gen- 

 tlemen : — 



Mr Samuel Walker, Mr Isaac P. Davis, Mr Samuel 

 P. Grosvenor, Col Marshall P. Wilder, Mr K. Westen, 

 Jr., Mr Benjamin V. French, Mr D. Haggeraton, Mr 

 Charles M. Hovey, Mr Jonathan W^inship, Mr Joseph 

 Breck, Mr J. E. Tesclimacher, Mr W. Kenrick, Rob- 

 ert Treat Paine, Esq., Maj, Henry Slieafe, Mr Samuel 

 R, Johnson, Mr S, Sweetser, Mr Thomas Lee, Mr R. 

 Manning, Dr J. C. Howard, Mr P, B. Hovey, ftlr T, G, 

 Fessenden, Mr L, M, Richards, Mr John A, Kenrick, 

 Mr Wm, E, Carter, Mr J, L L, F Warren. 



Voted to choose a Committee to write lo some gen- 

 tleman of science, to deliver an address — and the fol- 

 lowing gentlemen were made this Comntiltee : Mr J. 

 P. Davis, L, P. Grosvenor, E, Weston, Jr. 



