244 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FEB. », 183 ■■ 



MASriVrHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SO- 

 CIE'lY. 

 We liave grnat pleasure in (innoiincing some of 

 the Pi-etniums of tlie Mass. Agricultural Society. 

 Tlie Society offered two most lib -ral i)romuims 

 for the best and Beconil best managed farm, which 

 might be offered, re(|uinng that the entry oMhese 

 farms for premium should be made early in Oc- 

 lober, and that a full account of the whole condi- 

 tion 'and management should be given in detail 

 The first premium was 150 dollars, the second 

 100 dollars. It was hoped that these would have 

 presented a sufficient inducement for many appli- 

 cations. The offer of premiums made by the So- 

 ciety, though the Trustees took great pains in ex- 

 tending it, did not reach all parts of the State ; 

 and in this matter it is to be feared great neglect 

 is to be attributed to some persons in whose hands 

 iheir prospectus was placed; and by which neglect 

 the liberal and excellent intentions of the Society 

 have been in a measure defeated. The conditions 

 were as liberal as they could with any propriety 

 be made ; and we have many farms in the Slate, 

 which might have honorably entered into the 

 competition. Only three claimants appeared, and 

 two of those not having been seasonably entered, 

 the Trustees did not consider themselves at liberty 

 to bestow on them either of the premiums ; but 

 bestowed liberal gratuities only. The claim season- 

 ably entered was, for reasons detailed in their re- 

 port, not deemed entitle<l to either of the premi- 

 iitns ; but at the same lime deserving of an hon- 

 orable notice. We shall give the reports in full 

 in our next pa|)er, at this time we announce only 

 the rewards. 



To Joshua R. La wton, of Great Harrington, 

 in Berkshire t;o., a gratuity of seventy- 

 five dollars. *75 00 

 To Joseph Howe of ftlethnen.in the county 



of Essex, a gratuity of fifty dollars, $50 00 



To William Buckminster of FrainingI am, 

 in county of Middlesex,a grntility of fifty 

 dollars, $50 00 



The statements of these several claimants with 

 their particular accounts of their management and 

 crops will be given, in due season with the Report. 

 We presume that these premiums on the manage- 

 ment of Farms will be continued, and we hope 

 they will excite that attention among our farmers, 

 which they (teserve. If the pecuniary value of 

 these rewards is not sufficient to rouse them, yet 

 have they no public spirit? have they no interest 

 in the iinprovement of that great art, to which 

 they have devoted their lives? and what can more 

 directly contribute to its a<lvancement than an an- 

 imated nod public competition 1. When we came 

 ,to present the detailed reports to the public, we 

 shall take occasion to exteinl our remarks. We 

 have onl^ to add that Mr Howe of Methuen, Es- 

 sex Co. who appears here honored by a liWeral 

 gratuity, obtained a premium on his farm of thirty 

 dollars from Ihe Essex Agricultural Society the 

 cuj-rent y;:ar. This returning home with two 

 tnedals will, we hope, make his neighbors suffi- 

 ciently envious to induce them to go and do like- 

 wise. If they choose to say, as wc know they 

 will say, there is nothing in Mr Howe's farming 

 which any body cannot do, we only say then in 

 reply, let any body do it. Tliat is the very thing 

 vve desire, 



We subjoin the Report of the Committee on 

 Vegetable and Grain Crops. 



The Conunittee of the Trustees of the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural Society, on Vegetable and 

 Grain crops, respectfully submit the following 

 Report. 



Premiums they recommend as follows — 



To Eldad Post of Lenox, for the largest 

 quantity of Spring Wheal, being 40 

 bushels to the acre. $20 00 



To Maxwell Lowry, of Marshfield, for bis 

 cro)) of carrots on an acre, being the on^ 

 claim for that article, 472 32-56 bushels, $30 00 



To S. D. Colt and Robert Colt of Pittsfield, 

 for the greatest cpiantity of vegetables 

 for home consumption and not for sale, $30 00 



.\lso for the greatest quantity of Ruta Ba- 

 ga, beine 1083 bushels on 1 acre and 2 

 rods, ^ $30 00 



The following claim was sent in too late to be 



admitted according to an i idispensable rule of the 

 Trustees, but as the crop was uncommonly good, 

 the Committee recommend half the amount of the 

 (ireminm as a gratuity. 

 To Peleg S. Gardner of Somerset, for his 

 crop of Rye, on one acre, being 35 1-2 

 bushels, $10 00 



The Committe notice v\ith pleasure the follow- 

 ing claims which, though not entitled to premiums 

 deserve to be mentioned, as evidence of the in- 

 creasing attention of our agriculturists to the rais- 

 ing of wheat, and as showing the practicability 

 of growing to advantage this essential article of 

 bread stuff, in Massachusetts. 

 Payson Williams of Fitchburg, had to the 



acre of wheat, 38 1-2 bush. 



Jcs. S. Leiand of Sherburne, 32 14-32 " 



Freilerick Knight of Newbury, 32 14-32 » 



All these were Spring Wheat. 

 Mr Benj. Cleveland of Somerset, had 79 1-2 bush- 

 els of oats No premium wag oflTered on oats. 

 Mr Peleg S. Gardner had 40 1-2 bushels of Bar- 

 ley on one acre. The quantity required was 

 45 bushels. Signed, 



P. C. BROOKS, Chairman. 

 The crops of wheat rewarded and noticed are 

 excellent. Samples of some of them have been 

 sent here ; and |>resent a beautiful grain. These 

 are most important results in various points of 

 view. Tt is desirable that we should understand 

 our capacity of raising our own bread. For some 

 years past we have been rather too much engaged 

 in making pictures, beautiful engravings on silk 

 |/aper; and have been as much pleased with them 

 as if we were all children. It would be well, if a 

 large part of our population would go to produ- 

 cing something else, apply their ingenuity and in- 

 dustry to something more substantial, and see if 

 they cannot induce the eaithto make liberal divi- 

 dends upon fair investments of manure and labor. 

 The above results show what she can be made, 

 or to speak more gratefully, what she is willing 

 to do ; or ratbir what she can be persuaded to do; 

 and where shall we find any better investment 

 than that which returns sometimes thirty, some- 

 times sixty, often a hundred fold lor one. 



The crops from Somerset are the effects of lib- 

 eral manuring with fish. The effects of this ma- 

 nure, which is well known on inany of the mari- 

 time parts of our slate are very powerful. But 

 the farmers complain that is soon over; so is ev- 

 ery thing else in Imman life soon over- I thiids, 

 said a i)erson to President Daggett of Yale College, 

 on his introduction to him, you are President pro 



tempore — yes said he with some tartness of reply 

 would you have nie President pro eternilate ?- 

 Every thing with us is for a lime. Use it for tha 

 time and be thankful that it does well; but di 

 not complain that its effects do not last forever 

 They were not meant to last forever. The [)re 

 tcnce, that it impoverishes the land, is idle; au( 

 amounts to this, that the land will not produce E< 

 much without the manuie as it did with it. Tin 

 comi)laints of its b^ing so transient, when its lib 

 eral returns are admitted whenever it is apjiliec 

 are the complaints of selfishness and indolence. 



The crop of carrots upon which a premium ha 

 been awarded is oidy an ordinary one ; and vv 

 think the Board must have stretched their libei 

 ality as wide as the mantle of christian cliarity t 

 have.honored it as they have done. We presum 

 however that they were bound by their rules, th 

 being the only claimant. At any rate we have r 

 doubt they judged uprightly and well. It wi 

 or it ought to make some men ashamed of the 

 own neglect. We know several' who have raisi 

 their six hundred, and eight hundred bushels 

 carrots to the acre, and we know some who ha' 

 grown a thousand, who will say on reading th 

 award, " Well, / might have got that premiimi,, 

 I had tried." Why did you not try then ? 'A 

 next time, and try until you do get it ; and thV 

 keep a trying until you get it for a larger cr 

 than was ever raised before. This is what fan 

 ers ought to do; and not be laying down in f 

 spair at the foot of every small hill, which tli 

 come to, which are often not higher than a t 

 man can look over, and crying out in despair, a 

 I never can get over. Move on, Mr Fainthea'' 

 Wake u]), wake up ! you sluggard ! 



Mr Payson Williains of Fitchburg, one of i 

 most successful farmers in Jlassachusetts, w 

 knocks every year at the door of the MassacI 

 setts Society, and whom they are obliged to adi 

 because he shoVTS his sufficient warrant to co 

 in and take the best they have, has we belii 

 been formerly honored with a premium for n 

 ing 55 bushels of Black Sea Wheat on an lu 

 We have known in Massachusetts two bund 

 bushels of Wheat gathered from four acres ; i 

 seventy bushels of rye grown on an acre ; i 

 ninety bushels of oats. What may not induf 

 and skill effect. Barley is a crop, which ou 

 to be much more cultivated than it is. The 

 sect, which for some time, made fatal depre 

 tions upcm it, has disappeared in a great measi 

 It was brought to this country in some impi 

 tions of Barley from Holland made some yi 

 since by a large brewer in Nevvburyport. 

 farmers for two or three years in that vicj] 

 gave up the cultivation of Barley, as they 

 advised and indeed obliged to do, and he be: 

 extinct. It ordinarily, to good cultivation, yi 

 well. It does not mind a cold season, an 

 fatting swine, when intermined with other fei 

 is probably as good pound for pound as any 



grain. 



A ray of light on ihe Author of Junius.- 

 Liverpool Mercury, of Nov. 24, says, "In tl 

 brary of the late Sir Philip Francis, is a re) 

 series of the Public Advertiser newspaper, di 

 ihe period when Junius's Letters were publ| 

 in that Journal, in which nearly every letl 

 corrected, and the regular stops inserted b! 

 Philip Francis, in his clear and very distini 

 tograph." 



