VOI,. XVI. Nt). 3r. 



AND GAUDENEE'S JOURNAL. 



293 



than ill any other northern climate in spite of the 

 many difficuhies to which itissnhject. The fiirt, 

 that inany fine varieties of fruits and especially 

 the pears, have heen introdnccd from other states ; 

 iind indee<i from Europe many select kinds have 

 fourul their way into the collections of connois- 

 seurs, who have with the most liberal disposition 

 ilistrihuted them for th ; piililic utility, fully testi- 

 fies the interest that has heen taken to introduce 

 choice and rare fruits. Delicacy will not allow 

 me in this place to do puhlic justice, to those 

 whom my acquaintance fully satisfies me are in 

 every way deservin;; the fjratitude of an enlight- 

 ened community. '1 he introduction of rare flow- 

 ers has also been in every way encouraged by 

 private collections and public ijistitiitions and con- 

 tinued in a sphited manner to the credit of those 

 who have so liberally contributed to that pleasing 

 branch of Horticulture. 



In reviewing the many Horticultural societies, 

 which have of late years been formed in different 

 sections of the States, too much camiot be said in 

 favor of thsir great utility. I know not of any 

 soeial communities that are more really useful 

 than these, as the idea of a Horticultural society 

 does not altogether rest on a certain denomination 

 or sect of people, but extends to all classes, its 

 sole object being to disseminate the various fruits 

 af the earth into all those countries which may 

 lie congenial to their natural qiuilities ; and in 

 many cases artificial means are resorted to iiir 

 llieir accommodation. Hence Horticultural so- 

 ;ietics form a connected chain of social enterprise 

 ind real utility. The best criterion of the |jro. 

 )riery of such institutions is, the res|>ectability of 

 he leading members interested in their welfare ; 

 liese will be found in this case of the very first 

 n-der, as men of learning, taste, and those holding 

 •cspectable offices of public trust. The interest 

 aken by those gentlemen in the respective de- 

 >artments of those societies, has proved to ha of 

 nuch public benefit and utility. Being connected 

 i.vilh similar societies in Europe and various other 

 jarts of the world of so extensive a nature and 

 itimding, that it has brought about the means of 

 istablishing a mutual correspot>dence and ex- 

 ;liango of all kinds of fruits, flowers, vegetables, 

 ind other matters connected with Horticulture. 

 This mutual intercourse has been fully apprecia- 

 ed, by the many choice fruits and vegetables which 

 lave been introduced into many parts of the 

 States. Most of the fine pears now in use owe 

 heir origin to France ; Flanders, Germany, and 

 he Netherlands have been the principal source 

 rem whence most excellent vegetables have been 

 mported, and from England many varieties of 

 Vuits have been brought into this country through 

 he medium of the London Horticultural Society, 

 ivhich has much intercourse I understand with 

 ta sister institutions in New York, Boston, &e. 



HASS.'iCHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SO- 

 CIETY REPORTS. 

 r© the Committee on As:ricultural Products of the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural Society. 



The subscriber presents for premium the fol- 

 owing production of two acres of land with a crop 

 )f Rye, on his farm in Somerset, Bristol county. 



The lot of land is situated in the southerly part 

 )f the town, bordering on Lee's River, the soil 

 iBturally not very good, but by a judicious mode 

 )f culture has been made to produce good crops 

 D part effected by the application of Munhaden 



fish. The subscriber owning a sceine makes use 

 of several hiiinlred barrels annually, besides sup- 

 plying his neighbors with as many moro at 20 cts. 

 per barrel. The lot of land in question has been 

 pretty well dressed for several years with fish, and 

 alternate crops of English grain and potatoes have 

 been kept lip ; the last s-ason, jiotatoes were the 

 crop and fish the only manure. The present year 

 no manure was used on the rye, for among other 

 reasons, the benefit derived from fish is as valuable 

 to the second as to the first year, especially if rye 

 be the crop of the second year. 



The prodiict of the crop the present year with- 

 out detailing particularly the mode of cultivation, 

 which is about the same as to the manner of 

 ploughing, &c. ns was followed with the crop of 

 Barley, was seventy-two bushels, weighing fifty- 

 seven and a half pounds per bushel. Fifiy-fbur 

 pound being the standard weight, the surplus 

 three ami a half pounds per bushel makes over 

 four bushels to be added to the common measure. 

 Seventy-five- bushels therefore is the whole crop, 

 and thirty-seven and a half bushels to the acre. 



The cost of cultivation is set down at the fol- 

 lowing sums, to wit : 



Ploughing, sowing, &c. ' §4,00 



Reaping, binding, &c. 4,00 



'I'hreshing, cleaning, 8,00 



Seed rye, two bushels, 2,50 



Value of crop, say 80 bushels, at $1,25 per 



bushel, $30,00 



2 1-2 tons of straw, at $G per ton, 15,00 



$18,.50 

 Value of crop nt present prices, say TO 



bushels, at.$l,25, $87,50 



3 tons straw, at $9,00, 21,00 



$108,50 

 PELEG S. GARDNER. 

 Somerset Dec. 29, 1837. 



To the Committee on Agricultitral Products of the 

 Massachtisetts Agricultural Society. 



The subscriber offers for premium the following 

 production of two acres of land cultivated with 

 Barley, on his farm in Somerset, Bristol county. 



The lot of land in question is situated in tlie 

 southerly part of the town, and near Lee's River, 

 the soil is similar to most of the land in the vicin- 

 ity, well adapted to grass and English grain, when 

 properly cultivated. The crop of the last year 

 was corn, which was quite good for the season ; 

 the common portion of compost manure put in the 

 hill, and thirty or forty barrels of Muiiliaden fish 

 spread per acre around the corn in the course of 

 iMay and June. 



The present season no manure was used ; the 

 land was ploughed and the seed got in as early as 

 the first or second week in April, the season being 

 favorable for English grain the crop was unusually 

 good. In the month of August the barley was 

 cut and put into stack and soon after threshed 

 and the product found to be, after being well win- 

 nowed and cleaned, eighty .one bushels, weighing 

 forty-eight pounds per bushel, the standard weight 

 being fi)rty-si.x pounds, the surplus weight of two 

 pounds making nearly fom- bushels ; eighty-five 

 bushels nearly was the whole product, or forty-two 

 and a half bushels to the acre. 



Expenses of the cropaie estimated as follows : 



$95,00 

 PF.LEG S. GARDNER. 

 Somerset, December 29, 1837. 



Ploughing, harrowing, sowing, &c. 

 Mowing, stacking, &c. 

 Threshing and cleaning U|), 

 Six bushels seed barley. 



$4,00 

 4,00 

 7,00 

 7,00 



From tlie AcriciiUnral Ciiininissioner's Report. 



A SPIRITED IMPROVEMENT OF WET 

 MEADOW IN ESSEX CO. 

 The next accoutit I shall give is of an experi- 

 ment now in progress, which for various reasons 

 wilt be found interesting. It shows in a striking 

 view what may be ac<^omplished by enterprise 

 and perseverance. I shall give the account in the 

 words of the individual whose letter is before me. 

 "The land in question a year ago last August 

 (that is 1836) was grown over to blueberry, alder 

 and briar bushes, and some young maples ; a 

 growth of maple having been cut from it four or 

 five years ago. 



I mowed these bushes a year ago last Au- 

 gust : cost of labor, Sl2,00 

 The quantity of deep meadow is about six 

 acres. One and a half or two acres on 

 the edges of this meadow produced a 

 small quantity of poor hay. 

 Expense of digging a new ditch and clean- 

 ing out other ohi ones, 30,00 

 Paid for labor on the meadow, 300,00 

 For tools, §12 ; for board $1,50, 1G2,C0 



Expenses, $504,00 



The quantity of wood got out ef this swamp, 

 as nearly as I can estimate it, is about two hundred 

 cords. The stumps and trees were from one foot 

 above to two or three feel below the surface. The 

 trees or logs were from ten to sixty feet in length. 

 They appeared to have heen blown down, and 

 the meadow to have been fortued over them. The 

 wood is mostly stumps; the sap being gone, and 

 the heart left perfectly sound. I dug three large 

 stumps, one on top of the other, like tea cups the 

 bottom side up ; and under these was the heart of 

 a pine tree, which had been burnt some time or 

 another. 



The wooil-t<iat I have made into' coal I did not 

 cord ; but there were tvvelve hundred bu^hels of 

 coal. Allowinff fifty bushels to the cord, as some 

 estimate it, there would be twenty-four cords of 

 wood. 

 Eleven hundred and twelve bushels of 



coal, sold for $157,00 



Paid for burning and marketing, 40,00 



117,00 

 The wood when cut fit for a cook stove is 

 worth $4 a cord ; the expense of cutting 

 $2 a cord. 

 I have now on hand, as nearly as I can 

 judge, 175 cords of woods, worth as it 

 now is $3,50 ; but when coaled or cut 

 fit for market, double that amount. 

 Wood, ' 350,00 



Proceeds, $467,00 



The land at the present time I value at $100 

 per acre, and my object is to ^et it into English 

 $22,00 1 grass as soon as I can." 



