62 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



-AUGUST 30, 1837, 



ssTiiw js-ij^iL^j^f^^ i^^.i^^mm^ 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, IS?.?. 



Boston Farm School — On the 26tli inst. we enjoy- 

 ed llie pleasure of joining a l:irge parly of ladies and 

 gentlein*'n, of Boston, in visiting tile Farm School, on 

 Thompson's Island, in Boston Harbor. We embarked 

 in the steamboat Kingston, at 3 P. M, o'clock, and 

 returned in the eveninjj at seven, in the same pleasant 

 conveyance. 



In this short excursion we seemed to combine and to 

 condense in an hour the e"iijoyments of an age. Ti)e 

 beauties of a cool and bright d;iy, the charms of the 

 scenery in the harbor, the handsome happy faces, and 

 respectable and agreeable society which honored the 

 occasion ; the Paradise on the Island which ;irt and in- 

 dustry liiid created, and caused l-i spring up before our 

 eyes like Arabian fictions realized, were present in one 

 charming assemblage. And the air, the motions and 

 the cnuntenances of the spectators awoke higher and 

 nobler feelings of satisfaction tlian were ever indicated 

 by "stupid starers and by loud huzzas." 



The examination of the young cultivators (one hun- 

 dred and four in number present,) or pupils of the Farm 

 School, relative to their mental uS well as manual 

 pursuits opened new avenues of intellect; and devel 

 oped resources for the pleasing as well as profitable em- 

 ployments of the human faculties, which are not 

 dreampl of in the jog trot philosophy of some hoary 

 headed hard workers. The pupils of Captain Chandler 

 Superintendent of the Bo.'iton School gave evidence 

 that they are little scientific characters, proficients in 

 more useful arts than most who annex A. M. to their 

 names, and can give more inlormatioB relative to the 

 theory as well as the practice of Agriculture and Hor- 

 ticulture than some lawyers we wot of can tell us about 

 Blackstone or the Revised Statutes. The different 

 kinds of crops, and their relations, the classifications of 

 vegetables into an nualSjbienniaJs, deciduous, evergreens, 

 culmiferous, gramineous, herbaceous, ligneous, bulbous, 

 tuberous, &c., were all familiar to these pretty sages. 

 Likewise the different sorts of soils, their mixtnres and 

 the crops best adapted to each. It appeared likewise 

 that these little farmers knew as much about the pr.nc- 

 lice as the theory of cultivation. Located in the midst 

 of a farm of 140 acres, and under thorough culture, 

 it is tilled almost altogether by these striplinn-s, whom 

 we should think are nearly, if not quite all under twelve 

 years of age. 



^ We were pleasi'd also to learn that these farming 

 boys were happy in their present vocation and employ, 

 ment; and none of them willing to exch mere the field 

 of the tiller for the counter of the merchant, the desk 

 of the clerk, or any other pursuit of either a sedentary 

 or a bustling nature, which those who do not kn'ow any 

 better esteem preferable to that of husbandry. This 

 predilection of the Farm School boys, (little men in a 

 state of comparative innocence) of husbandry to all 

 other occupations, would seem to indicate that the cul- 

 tivation of the earth is not only the primitive occupation 

 of man, but the most pleasant of human pursuits. We 

 also were infi)rnied that some of these " swains of the 

 field," could also turn their hands to the shop board, and 

 oHicinte as taUnrs and shoemakers, not only for Ihein- 

 solves but for their schoolmates of the farm cstablish- 

 mcnl. In this way, these ingenious striplings by exor- 

 cising the functions of Jack at all. trades materially cur- 

 tail the expenses of the establishment. 



The education of the Farm boys is not confined to 

 to the art of tillage and rural economy Under the di- 



rection of Mr. Curtis the boys daily attend the instruc- 

 tions of the school both morning and afternoon. They 

 are there taught the elements of useful knowledge, 

 reading, writing, arithmetic and geography, and es- 

 pecial attention is paid to their moral and religious cul- 

 ture. The exercises of the boys, on this occasion, in 

 mental arithmetic, geography, the rudiments of astron- 

 omy, &c. &c. were honorable to their diligence and ca- 

 pacity, as well as to the assiduity and qualifications of 

 Mr. Curtis. 



The following extract from a Circular, which has 

 been forwarded to gentlemen, who have been, or we 

 hope may be induced to lend a hand to the good work, 

 ably develops the plan and progress of this most noble 

 charity. 



One hundred ami eight boys, many of them orphans 

 and children of widows, taken from idleness and pro 

 fligacy in the streets, are there engaged in farming, gar- 

 dening, or some useful trade, and acquiring a suitable 

 education. A course of life which led to degradation 

 and often to crime, is exchanged for one of industry, 

 and the enjoyments to which it leads. Instead of crim- 

 inals they are likely to become useful men, some of 

 them, perhaps, to excel in virtue and intelligence, as 

 they might have done in skill to defraud." 



Addresses, happily adapted to tlis occasion, were 

 made by Gen. Dearborn, Mr Grant, and other gentle- 

 men, and the company separated with gratified feelings 

 and invocations of good will towards this eslablisiiment. 

 We understand that a handsome donation to the insti- 

 tution was presented by a gentleman present. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL. SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION OK FKUITS. 



Saturday, August 26, 1837. 



Pears.— By Mr French,— a beautiful variety, name 

 lost, the quality inferior. By Mr Abial Cooledge, of 

 West Cambridge,— Fine Gold of summer. By Mr Man- 

 ning.— Fondante D'Ete; this fruit, Mr Manning ob- 

 serves, has always proved but 2d rate with him. Apple 

 Fear of the County of Essex, — a small, round, ordinary 



fruit, and distinct from the Pomme Poire of Europe. 



Rousselette Hatif of Coxe— a small sweet fruit, valua- 

 ble for its early maturity, and for its extraordinary pro- 

 ductiveness. Blanquelte a longue queue, blights a 

 little; this has sometimes bieii confounded with the 

 Skinless, which is a distinct and sound fruit. 



J]pplcs.—Ry Mr Vose, President of the Society,— 

 High top Sweeting, Red Juneating, Shropshiievine, 

 Early Harvest; also, William's Favorite, very beautiful 

 and fine. 15y Mr French,— Early Harvest. By Mr 

 Riciiards, — a fine collection of fruit, as follows : Lady 

 Haley's Nonsuch, Early Red Streak, a pleasant fruit, 

 Early Bough, Red Juneating, Summer Red Calville, 

 Curtis' Early Striped, Sopsavine or Shropshirevine, Be- 

 noni, Williams Favorite, all early. The two last named, 

 and the Eaily sweet Bough, are decidedly of the finest 

 early kinds. By Mr Manning,— Early Harvest, and 

 Bough Apple, or, as it is somelimes called, Early sweet 

 Bow. This last, as Mr M. observes, is always fine and 

 fair, while the Early Harvest does not bear well, nei- 

 ther is it now so fair. 



Plums.— by Mr Downer— Bingham Plum, very large, 

 oblong, white, pale red next the sun, a fine fruit. By 

 Mr Pond,— Royal De Tours, large, black and beautiful, 

 a superior fruit. By Mr Manning,— Purple Gage, or 

 Reine Claude Violette, from an English tree, not ripe. 

 Also, Black Morocco Plum, a middle sized, very swetjt 

 and excellent fruit, very early. 



From Mr James Brown, of Cambridge,— samples of 

 unripe Filberts. For the Committee. 



WM. KENRICK, Chairman. 



EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



We have received a long article under this head, am 

 are sorry that want of room, compels us to abridge i 

 from Mr Walker's manuscript. 



From the garden of M. P. Wilder, Esq. by Mr Johi 

 Donald, — Dahlias ; var. Juliet, (superb,) Apollo, (su 

 perb,) Glory, Rival Yellow, (fine,) and 25 other ver; 

 handsome varieties. 



S. R. Johnson, Esq. — Dahlias : var. I\Ir3 Wilkinson 

 Augusta, Duchess of Buccleugh, (superb,) and 9 othe 

 va.rieties. Also, Roses, several sorts. 



Messrs Hovey it Co. — Dahlias: var. Beauty of Dul 

 wich, Juliet, Mrs Bradford, and 23 other sorts. 



From the Botanic Garden, by Mr W. E. Carter,- 

 Dahlias — Countess of Sutln rland, (fine,) do. of Livei 

 pool, Queen of Dahlias, Barrett's Queen Adelaide, air 

 20 others. 



By Mr Wm. Lealhe, — liahlias — seveial varieties. 



" In addition to the above," Mr Walker states, "then 

 was a fine collection of Dahlias from S. Svveetser, Eso 

 of Cambridgeport, containing new and choice varietien 

 We cannot give the names of Mr Sweelser's specimenn 

 having mislaid the minutes, but as a whole, they wer 

 very fine. 



For the Committee. 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



Roxbury, Aug. 24, 1837. 

 A Great Dav's Work. — Mr Fessenden, — Sir: Ml 

 Robert W Lougee, who works on the firm of Thoma 

 II. Darling, in Roxbury, dug, assorted, and put into bai 

 rels yesterday, one hundred bushels of potatoes, b< 

 tween the hours of 4 1-2 A. M. and 7 1-2 P. M.; milke 

 two cows in the morning, attended his meals as usua 

 at the house, which is 1-4 of a mile from the petal 

 field ! The above is susceptible of proof. 



Correspondent. 



The above is a very remarkable sample of induslrj' 

 agility and adroitness ; and better deserves a place i 

 the annals of human achievement, than the victories < 

 Julius Caesar, or the conquests of Bonaparte. Wear 

 told that Mr Lougee received 5 cents per bushel forhai 

 vesting potatoes; of course he earned $5 by the abov 

 day's work. — Editor. 



Geological Report. — We have received, by 

 kindness of the Hon. Richard Fletcher, ftl . C. fror 

 Boston, a document entitled " Report of a Geologicsi 

 Reconnoisance, made in 1835, from the Seat of Gov 

 eminent, to the Coteau De Prairie, &c." which vr 

 shall read attentively, and place before our readers sue; 

 notices and reviews of the tract, as we shall think wi 

 prove most useful. 



Faneuil Hall Vegetable Market. — Wednesdof 

 August 30, 1837.— Peas and String Beans 20 cts. a peclj. 

 Shell beans 10 cents a quart ; Broad Windsor Beans 2i 

 cents do ; Cucumbers 13 1-4 cts. a dozen ; Squashes 12 

 cents a dozen ; Green Corn 12J cts. a dozen ; Torn* 

 toes 1^4 to 25 do. ; Cabbages 37 1-2 to 50 cents do^ 

 Beets, Carrots, cS-.c, 6 cents a bunch ; Cauliflowers 13' 

 to 25 cents a head ; Celery cents a root ; Potatoes 5 

 cents a bushel ; Winter Squashes .5 cents per lb. ; Ye^ 

 paraso do. 5 cents; Sweet Potatoes $1,50 bushel. 



Fruit. — Apples and Pears 50 cents a peck ; Peacho 

 $2 to $0 a dozen ; Apricots 50 cents a dozen ; Berrie 

 of various sorts from 8 to 12 1-2 cents a quart ; Melon 

 12 1-2 to 25 cents each ; Grapes 75 cts. to |I,00 per H 

 Plums 37 1-2 to 50 cents a box. 



._L 



