AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



I'UHLISIIEU in' JOSEPH IJliKCK & CO., NO. 52, NORTH MARKET Sl'UEET, (Agricultural Warehouse.)— T. G. !■ I'.bSENDEN, EDITOR. 



vol.. XVI. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 9, ,1837. 



Nu. 5. 



^^m.i&^^^^w'^^iL: 



fFnr llie ,Ve\v England Fannt-r.] 

 CROWFOOT atim BUTTERCUP. 



Mr Editor: Seeing i" ^ liitt^ niiniUer of your 

 piiper, a coininiuiii'iUioi), with remarks, on the 

 daisy or lohite tveeii, ])ron\\>tA me to attempt to call 

 your atlciitioii to llie Ranunculus or Buttercup, 

 than which a more pernicious weed grows not in 

 tlie fields of New Enfrland. A weed of which 

 Dr Whitlow, a celebrated Englisli physician and 

 botanist, says : •' It is the cause of more sickness 

 and disease in London and its vicinity, than all 

 the otlu'r causes put together. That if the influ- 

 enza, which aunu'dly visits London in the latter 

 part of haying time, was called hy its right name, 

 it would he called the buttercup-fever. That it 

 is almost the entire cause of erysipelas, or St An- 

 thony's fire. Tliat he will defy any man to give 

 an authentic case of cancer that exists where the 

 butteicup does not grow; and that if any man 

 doubts the pernicious i)roperties of this plant, let 

 him bind a few of the green brnise<l ears upon 

 his back, or on the calf of his leg, and in eight 

 hours he will have such ample testimony of the 

 truth, that he will not be disposed to question or 

 gainsay." 



Tliis weed grows abundantly in the mowings 

 ami pastiuTS in the vicinity of Boston, especially 

 in the towns of Dorchester and Milton, where, in 

 the fore part of June, it may be seen spread over 

 the pastures, so thick that cows cannot put their 

 noses to the ground and graze, without eating it ; 

 and the essential oil, and bad properties of the 

 plant, we reciive through iheir milk and butter, 

 no doid»t contribute as little to the health of the 

 inhabitants of Boston, as the like does to that of 

 the citizens of London. D. 



Btj the Kdilor. — Doctor Bigelow, in his Florida 

 Bostuniensis, a collection of Plants of Boston and 

 its Environs, describes seven varieties of the Ra 

 nunculus, viz : Raniuiculus Abortivus, small flow- 

 ered crowfoot ; Ranunculus Sceleratus, Celery 

 leaved crowfoot ; Ranunculus Fascicularis, early 

 crowfoot; Ranunculus Bulbosus, bulbous crow- 

 foot; Ranunculus Acris, tall crowfoot ; Ranuncu- 

 lus Repens, creeping crowfoot ; Ranunculus Flu- 

 v'tatilis, river crowfoot. 



In describing the tail crowfoot, Doctor Bige- 

 low observes : Calyx spreading ; flower stalks 

 round and even ; leaves in three divisions with 

 many segments, the upper ones linear. This plant 

 spreads rapidly, and is exceedingly troublesome 

 in meadows and mowing ground. Being cut with 

 hay, it would no doubt be pernicious to cattle, 

 were not its acrimony lost by drying." 



We have long known the buttercup to be a per- 

 nicious weed, but never supposed it had any 

 agency in producing the diseases attributed to its 

 influence, by our corresjondent. We are still 

 Bomewhat incredulous relative to this weed's hav- 



". any connexion with erysipelas, cancer, &c.; 



but we should be very happy to receive and com- 

 municate further information on the subject. 



MERRIMAC CO. AGK. SOCIETY. 



At a meeting of the Directors of the Merrimac 

 County Agricultural Society, held pursuant to 

 pidilic no ice, at C. H. Peaslee's office in Con- 

 cord, N. II., on Tuesday, May 9, 1837, 

 Voted the following Committee : 

 On viewing Farm<, Gardens and Ci ops — Jos. 

 Robinson, Concord, Chairman ; .loseph Barnard, 

 Hopkiuton ; bamuel Cliadwick, Boscaweu ; Ben- 

 jamin U hippie, Diuibarton ; Smith Sanliorn, Can- 

 terbury ; James Wilson, Pembroke ; Sam'l Cof- 

 fin, Concord. 



Voted the following |ireraiunis for the year 

 1837 :— 



For tlie best Farm, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. 3d best do. 



do. best Garden, 



do. 2il best do. 



do. best aero of Wheat, 



do. 2d l)est"do. 



do. liest acre of Corn, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. best pair working oxen if not 

 beef cattle, 



do. 2tl best do. do. 



do. 3d best do. do. 



do. 4th best do. do. 



do. best pair of three year ol<l 

 steers, accustomed to the 

 yoke, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. best pair yearling steers, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. best bull one year old and up- 

 wards, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. best bull calf, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. best Milch Cow, capable of 

 making the most butter, or 

 giving the incst milk in 

 weight, 



do. 2d best do, 



do. best three year old heifer, 



do. 2d best do. 



ilo. best two year old heifer, 



do. 2d best do. 4 



do. best pair yearling heifers, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. best breeding tnare, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. best Saxotiy or merino buck, 



do. 2d best do. 



do. 3d best do. 



do. 5 best Saxony or merino ewes, 



do. five •2d best do. 



do, five 3d best do. 



do. best boar, 



(10. best, ''vv", 



do. 2 best , 'gs, 



$10,00 

 8,00 

 6,00 ■ 

 3,00 

 2,00 

 4,00 

 2,00 

 4,00 

 3,00 



5,00 

 4,00 

 3,00 

 2,00 



3,00 

 2,00 

 2,00 

 1,00 



3,00 

 2,00 

 2,00 

 1,00 



5,00- 



3,00 



3,00 



2,00 



2,00 



1,00 



2.00 



1,00 



3,00 



2,00 



4,00 



2,00 



1,00 



3,00 



2,00 



1,00 



2,00 



1,00 



1,00 



For the best »tud fiorse, 

 do. 2d best do. 

 do. best three year eld colt, 

 do. 2d best do. 

 do. best breaking-up plough, 

 do. best seed do. 



5,00 

 3,00 

 2,00 

 1,00 

 1,50 

 1,00 



do. best ox yoke, bows and irons, 4,00 



do. 2d best do. 2,(0 

 [Providing the committee shall deem 

 (he same worthy of a pr<niium.] 

 do. best specimen of blacksmith's 



work, 2,00 

 do. best butter not less than 20 



pounds, 5,00 



do. 2d best do. 4,00 

 dn. best cheese not less than 20 



pounds, 3,00 



do. 2d best do. 2,00 

 do. best dissertation on rr.aking 



and applying manure, 3,00 



do. specimen of fine needle worlcT LSO 

 do. best piece of fulled cloth, not 



less than ten yards, 2.00 



do. 2d best do. 1,00 



do. best piece of cassiniere, 2,00 



do. 2d best do. 1,00 

 4o., best piece of earpeting, not 



less titan 25 yds., 3-5 wide, 3,00 



do. 2d best do. 2,00 



do. 3d best do. 1,1 



do. best pair blankets, 3,00 



do. 2d best do. 2,00 

 do. best piece linen, not less than 



ten yds., 3-4 wide, 2,00 



do. 2d best do. 1,00 



do. best woollen hose (2 pairs) 1,00 



do. best pair silk hose, 1,00 

 do. best piece of flaimol, not less 



than ten yds. 3-4 wide, 3,00 



do. 2d best do. 2,00 



do. best counter|)ane, 1,00 



do. best grass or straw bonnets, 2,00 



do. 2d best do. do. 1,00 



do. best boots and shoes (2 pairs 



eacii) . 1,00 

 do. best sole and upper leather, 



(3 sides each) 1,00 



do. . best calf skins, 1,00 



do. best specimens sewing silk, 2,00 



do. 2d best do. 1,00 



do. best hearth rug, 2,(0 



do. 2d best do. 1,00 

 do. articles of special iinprovp- 



nient, 5,00 

 do. liest specimen silk (suflicient 



for a dress) 3,00 



do, 2d best do. do. 2,00 



Voted, That the Treasurer be reqnireil to col- 



lect all money now due the Society, and to fur- 

 nish a list at their next annual meeting of all de- 

 linquents at that time. 



Voted, To adjourn to Saturday, the 30th day of 

 September next, at 10 o'clock, A. M. 



C. H. PEASLEE, Secretary. 



