AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



4*^^^ 



I'UBLISIICI) BY JOrfEPH BKECK & CO., NO. S2, NORTH MARKET STREET, ( Aosicultuiial Warehouse.) 



\ OL. -WI. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 10, 1838. 



NO. 37. 



LETTER 



'Vom the Commissioney of Jlirricullural Survey, to 

 the Farmers of Massachusetts. 



In the perfoi'trianco of my diitios, as Cotnrnis- 

 oncr for iiiukiiig an Agricultural Survey of the 

 tate, I take this occasion to address myself to the 

 armers of the Conimonwealtii and to ask their 

 d. I wish particularly to avail myself of the 

 j|iortunity of the meetiufr of the Lefjisiature, 

 hen so many from dift'ireiit parts of the Stale 

 ill ho assemhled in Boston, to invite a free in- 

 rconrse, and to request the favor of their com- 

 unicating with me fully on the snhjects of my 

 irticular inquiry, anil our common concern, i 

 irnestly invito farmers in every part of the State 



do the same, promising all the return in my 

 )wer : a grateful acknowledgement of ihe kind- 

 !ss,and tlie general diffusion and connnunication 

 ' whatever valuahle information, I may obtain. 



I have caused to be puhlished a Circular Letter 

 dressed to the Farmer.s of Massachusetts, point- 

 g out at laige the various topics embraced by 

 e proposed Survey. This has he mi already ex- 

 isively distributeil in parts of the State, which 

 liave visited, and will be cheerfully furnished to 

 tiers, who will do me the favor to examine it. 

 le survey embraces every thing in any way 

 longing to the agricultural condition of the 

 ate or remotely or directly connected with 

 i i'nprovement of its husbandry. No informa- 

 V. even of the most minute character bearing 



this subject can fail to be acce|)table. 

 Points which are most jjarticularly tobeinquir- 



intq, are 



I. The crops raised ; the average yield ; and 

 whole expenses of cultivation. 



II. Lands redeemed from waste or nnprofitable- 

 5S and made productive ; by what means this 

 s been accom|)lislied ; and the ex|>eHses of such 

 provenients. 



III. New articles of cidture -y or articles not 

 lerally cultivated — such as Silk ; Beets for Su- 



Wood ; Madder ; Tobacco ; Rnta Baga ; 

 ngel Wurtzel ; and other roots for Stock ; and 

 )erior kinds of Wheat and Indian Corn, Oats, 

 rley, or other Grains. 



V. Manures; composts of various descrip- 

 is ; use of Lime, Gypsum, Marls, Peat, Bone 

 nure — Peat, Coal, and Wooil ashes: Marine 

 nnres, as Fish ; Fish Oil; Sea Weeds; Sea 

 dis and Sea Sand. 

 iT. Improved Breeds of Animals — of Neat CJat- 



Sheep, and Swine; and accounts of any ex- 

 )rdiDary animals or stocks. 

 ^1. Improved Machinery for agricultural pur- 

 es of every description. 



Il\. Lastly, Experiments of any kind, whether 

 cessful or unsuccessful, connected with agri- 

 ture ; an<l having a bearing upon its improve- 

 at. 



In relation to all these matters the Commission- 

 er for the survey earnestly solicits information. 



The subscriber has great pleasure in stating 

 that wherever he has extended his visits, when 

 the objects of his mission have been understood, 

 they have been duly appreciated ; and he has 

 been met with a cordial welcome, lie has been 

 mainly occupied in the counties of Essex and 

 Berkshire ; and has been incidentally into several 

 of the other counties. The first steps of any new 

 and, in our country, unattempted enterprise must 

 necessarily be slow ; but practice in this case 

 brings with it the usual facilities, and materially 

 hastens its progress. As the objects and course 

 of the enterprise become better understoocJ lie is 

 confident of the ready co-rtperation of the Farmers 

 in all parts of the State, svhicli will he hopes ena- 

 ble him to complete the survey within the time 

 contem|ilaied by the Government. He has had 

 ihe pleasure of attending several of the Cattle 

 Shows; and would have gladly attended others 

 bad not the days, on which several of the Shows 

 were holden, been in some cases simultaneous se 

 as to render his attendance on some of them im- 

 practicable. In many of the principal villages, he 

 has had the pleasure of meeting the farmers in 

 considerable numbers by their own appointmetit ; 

 of giving and receiving information of a valuable 

 character; and in this way of quickening n spirit 

 of agricultural improvement, from which great 

 good may be expected to the common cause. 



The Commissioner is anxious during the con- 

 tinuance of the Sin"vey to be regarded as the cen- 

 tral point in the Commonwealth of comtnunica- 

 tion, in all matters pertaining to Agricultm-e ; — 

 promising most cordially the best devotion of his 

 time and talents to the interest of the Farmers; 

 and offering his services in any probable way, 

 which may be suggested, to promote the cause of 

 agricultural production; and of rural improve- 

 ment, honor, and comfort. 



He has deemed it of great importance to ascer- 

 tain, where the best seeds for early maturity and 

 abundance ; th& best machines for the farmer's 

 operations ; and the best animaLs, of what are 

 deemed the improved varieties, are to be found ; 

 and in all these rn.alters he will be prepared to 

 give the fidlest information ; or hi.s aid in procur- 

 ing them, for the farmers at the lowest expense 

 and without any other charge than the .actual cost, 

 as be has no view to any other advantage than the 

 pleasure of serving the interests of the Farmers. 

 He confidently hopes that gentlemen, who liave 

 valuable seeds or machines, will send him samples 

 or models, with authentic accounts of them, for 

 exhibition to the Farmers; am! he will cheerfully 

 pay all reasonable expenses of transmission. 



He lias taken at present for the winter months 

 or during the session of the Legislature an office 

 in School street No. 21, over the American Sta- 

 tioners Company, where he may be found at the 

 usual hours ; and where be invites the visits of 



his explorations as soon as the season will ad- 

 mit. No eng.agemeut of any kind wi II be suflered 

 to interfere with the agricultural survey ; and the 

 devotion of bis best services to the interests of the 

 Farmers. 



He has great pleasure in adding that, in those 

 parts of the State, which he has visited, there is in 

 general a high ilegree of agricultural prosperity ; 

 agricultural information is sought for with great 

 avidity ; mineral manures have been discovered 

 which promise great advantages ; the cultivation 

 of wheat, silk, and vegetable crops is rapidly and 

 successfully exteniled ; large tracts of waste land 

 have be; n redeeiried to purposes of productive 

 cultivation ;: and a spirit of enterprise and improve- 

 ment is abroad, which successfully cond)ats those 

 supposed natural difficulties of soil and climate, 

 that have operated so strongly to encourage emi- 

 gration from the State ; and to discourage the ag- 

 riculture of our Commonwealth, a community in 

 all social advantages s<) eminently distinguished. 

 HENRV COLMAN, 

 Commissioner for Agricultural Survey. 



N. B. Communications relating to the Agricul- 

 tural Survey may be addre.ssed to him at the office 

 of Ihe Secretary uf State, by private conveyance 

 if convenient ; or otherwise by mail. 



Boston, Jim. 1, 183S. 



Scliool Street JVo. 21. 



Printers in the Commonwealth favorably dis- 

 posed to the objecto of the above letter are respect- 

 fully requested to give it an insertion iu their 

 paper. 



(For the New England Farmer.) 



ON THE PROPERTIES AND PRESERVA- 

 TION OF EGGS. 



The sensible qualities of eggs vary materially. 

 The albumen of a hen's egg coagulated by boilin" 

 is a beautiful opaque milk-white substance ; that 

 of a duck's egg is slightly transparent, and coag- 

 ulates with less heat than that of n hen's ef;-:, in 

 consequence of which, it should not be boiled for 

 so long a time. In frosty weather all egi-s require 

 a longer time to coagulate the albumen than in 

 warm weather, the difference being about half a 

 minute. The egg of the goose is strong, yet not 

 disagreeable ; that of the turkey is almost as mild 

 as a hen's ogg, and that of the duck is glutinous, 

 but not quite so delicate. The egg of ihe guinea 

 hen is smaller and more delic-ate than the common 

 hen'i* egg. The ostrich egg is of a sweetish taste, 

 is gro.ss, andi soon ."atiates the appetite, but it keeps 

 longer than a hen's egg, owin;; to the thickness of 

 its shell, which, by age grows as hard as ivory. 

 Edible eggs vary very much in size. Some natu- 

 ralists affirm that the ostrich egg weighs fifteen 

 pounds ; but one laid in the menagerie at Paris, 

 as large as any brought from Africa, weighed but 

 two pounds and fourteen ounces. It helil a pint 

 and was six inches deep. The smallest hen's egjj 



weighs about one ounce and three fourths ; tho 

 gentlemen interested in tli-e agricultural improve- I average is two ounces and a quarter ; and the 

 iiient of the State. He proposes to recommence largest that ever occurs does not exceed 4 ounces. 



