318 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



APRll. 11, 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, April U, 1838. 



the 



believe lliat ever a single mill of this money has been account of the neighborhood of the railroaJ, is singu- 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



We present to oiir readers in this day's Farmer, 

 project now under consideration by the Legislature for 

 the establishment of a Board of Agriculture. The Re- 

 port is very ably drawn up ; and places in a strong light 

 the duties and objects of sucli a board ; and some of the 

 benefits, which may be expected from their inquiries 

 and labors. We have little space, and there is little oc- 

 casion beyond this repoit to enter Ufion the subject. 



Aaricullure, as far as the geneial comfort and wealth 

 of the commuNity are concerned, is decidedly the pri- 

 mary and (unJamenlal interest. The state in respect to 

 it may properly propose ih^ee objects to itself — to make 

 it skilful, productive, and honorable. It will do the first 

 by encouraging inquiry ; and diffusing knowledge ; the 

 second by liberal premiums and bounties for excellence ; 

 and the last by directly, explicitly, and constantly man- 

 ifesting its concern in its advancement and improve- 

 ment. To the distinguished honor of Massachusetts it 

 has for years past fallen behind no State ; we might 

 indeed, with great propriety say, it has surpassed all 

 others, in its lib ral patronage and expenditures for 

 these objects. But that this patronage and liberality 

 should be bestowed to the greatest advantage, and with 

 an intelligent discretion, it is indispensable that it should 

 be committed to the charge of a particular department 

 of the government upon whom would rest the respon- 

 sibility of its application and use. 



A committee of Agriculture in each branch is annu- 

 ally appointed at the opening of the session of the Leg 

 islature. In the first place, however, this has never 

 been a joint committee; but they have acted singly 

 upon such matteis as were specially comnuttf'd to them 

 in either branch. In the next place they are hot called 

 upon to act upon the general subject of Agriculture; 

 but only upon such particular subjects as may be Bpe- 

 cially referred to their consideration; and they are 

 not expected to originate any public improvement. Then 

 again their appointment is only temporary, and closes 

 with the sessi(m. Under these circumstances their mo- 

 tives to any extraordinary discharge of duty are small; 

 and their responsibility correspondent. 



A Board of Agriculture constituted as is proposed by 

 the annexed resolves would assume a very different char- 

 acter. The whole subject of llio condition and improve- 

 ment ol Agriculture would come directly under their 

 supervision. By law and express appointment this would 

 constitute their pii.nary and exclusive object of inquiry 

 and action. They would make it therefore matter of 

 exclusive consideration and inquiry. They would pos- 

 sess themselves of the information requisite for the proper 

 discharge of their duly ; and they would feel a deep re- 

 sponsibility for its performance. If any thing can be 

 done for the benefit of agriculture they would be likely 

 to discover it. They would fully lest all proposed im- 

 provements as far as that is practicable by any such board. 

 They would form a central point of influence, to which 

 agricultural inquiries and infurmalion would be directed 

 But one of the greatest advantages, which might be 

 oxpecled to result from sarh a board, would be found 

 in the aid they would be likely to give to the local so- 

 cieties in the disbursement of the bounty of the State ; 

 and in the direct accounlability to which they would 

 hold these societies in relation to the appropriations 

 which the State annually make to them. We do not 



fraudulently used ; or applied otherwi.<e than by the 

 best judgment of these, to whose care it is entrusted. 

 But we fear that in many cases it fails of accomplishing 

 the good, which the State basin view in its bestowment; 

 and we cannot doubt that the strict inquiry and sound 

 judgment of twelve of the most intelligent agriculturists 

 in the Slate applied to it could not fail to be emincnily 

 useful. 



The great interests at stake entitle this subject to 

 much coini lifiii 111. Under existing laws in regard 

 to silk, sugar, and wheat it would not be surprising if 

 even the current year the Slate should be called upon to 

 appropriate forty thuusand dollars in the form of boun- 

 ties. In these circumstances it is highly important that 

 the Slate should be assisted and protected by such a 

 Board as is here proposed. 



The efficiency of such a Board would undoubtedly 

 be much aided and increased by the possession of funds 

 to use in various forms, either in premiums, or for llie 

 purchase of machinery, seeds plants, &c. or the intro- 

 duction of valuable stock. We cannot at once look for 

 so much good ; and we should be averse to taxing fur- 

 ther the funds of the State. If the Board alter trial 

 should prove successful and receive Ihe public ccmfidence 

 wre think th.; Slate it-ielf would be jeady to place at its 

 disposal some porlion of the moneys, which it now fur- 

 nishes to the local societies for the same objects. The 

 sum proposed to be asked for by the resolves for the 

 possible expenses of the Board is not equal to what the 

 State gives now to each one of the local societies in the 

 Commonwealth, excepting one 



larly fortunate ; and an inexhaustible mine of coal in 

 that situation, would be of much more value to the state 

 than a mine of g(dd. 



We should be glad to quote in reference to this mat. 

 ter all the facts stated in the report ; but the report will ' 

 be "enerally circulated ; and our limits do not at pres- 

 ent admit of an extension of thi- notice. If we hadanyi 

 doubts of the fxpediency of the Legislature's affording 

 its aid in this case, after visiting the mines and listening 

 to the opinions of gentlemen skilled in sijch matters 

 and having no personal concern in its results, we havS' 

 doubts no longer. 



DANTZIC WHEAT. 

 We perceive that Messrs Breck & Co , advertise for 

 sale, " Oanlzic Wheat," This sample we understand 

 was grown in Maine and is a beautiful article. We 

 know no history of it beyond its name ; but in looking 

 into a British Farmer of October last, we find that whal 

 is called the Dantzic Wheat in their corn market holds 

 a high reputation. We quote' from the article in ihf 

 Magazine. '-It will not be denied that the best Dantzic 

 Wheat will bring more than the best English, which 

 leaves a difiereuce between the average price of the 

 British Wheat and the best Dantzic of not less than 24s 

 to 2lis. per quarter — from which it evidently follows tha 

 where Dantzic Wheat would sell at 44s, 8d in bond (o 

 54s. 8d. free, according to his proposal of lOs. duty) tha 

 the average price of British grain could not he more thai 

 30s. to 35s. per quarter and Irish much lower." We dr 

 not know the grounds og which this extiaordinary pref 

 erence is made; and nothing more of the wheat adver 

 tised by Messrs Breck & Co. than that it came fror 

 Maine under ihis deni raination, without any referenc 

 to the article we have now quoted. Its name and :ij 

 pearance must be however no small recommendation. 



GEOLOGY OF MASSACHUSETTS AND COAL 



MINES. 



A Report on a re-examination of the Economical Ge- 

 ology of Massachuselts by I'rofcssor Hitchcock, has just 

 been printed by order of the Legislature. Its appear- 

 ance is so recent as to have given us no time to exam- 

 ine it with attention ; but a mere glance at the topics 

 satisfies us that it is of the highest value to the agricul- 

 tural interests ol the State. Its treats fully, of the soils, 

 marls, limestones, clays, and coaJ formations in the 

 State; and we shall avail ourselves of occasional and 

 early opportunities to lay what is particularly interest- 

 ing before our readers. 



The coal formations, which are treated at considera- 

 ble length are of great interest at tiiis time. We had 

 Ihe pleasure the last week of visiting the coil mines in 

 Mansfield. A shaft has been sunk by one of the com- 

 panies to a depth of 84 feet, and coal of an excellent 

 quality has been raised. There is in the judgment of 

 persons familiar with such operations the strongest rea- 

 sons to believe ihat coal is to be fimnd there in abun- 

 dance ; and that the quality will become better as they 

 go deeper. But the work is too heavy for individual or 

 pri\ate means and enterprise. It should be therefore a 

 publir concern ; we mean so far as to ascertain the ex- 

 tent and value of the deposit. Let it be on^-O deter- 

 mined upon satisfactory grounds and scientific examina- 

 tion that there is a strong probability of success, then 

 the risk which the State would be called upon to take 

 in order to make the necessary explorations would not 

 deserve consideration in comjjarison with the immense 

 advantages, which would accrue to the Stale from a suc- 

 cessful discovery. 



We have only to say that the prospect ofsucc 'ss is as 



good as when" the. business was commenced in Penn- ., „, „ „ . , r n ./-^ uj 



" . , , , , 1 . • J . I J .1 ■ Mr Wm. C. Reed, Jr. of Last Cambridge, succeedc 



sy Ivania, and that the coal obtained at similar depths is .^ ^^^.^^ ^^^^ ,i^^^ ^^ ^,,^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^,,S ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 



of as good quality. The situation of the deposit in ref- jnio the water by the upsetting of a small sail boat, la 

 erence to the great markets of the State and vicinity, on Sund.ny. — Evening Jfezcs. 



The Annual Report of the " Transactions of the Ei 

 sex Agricultural Society," being No. VII. of Vol. I 

 has just made its appearance ; and contains besdes th 

 usual reports of the Committees much valuable matte 

 The first article is the sensible and practical address ( 

 the Rev. Mr Gage, which has already been given toot 

 readers. Another valuable article on the culture of rot 

 crops is presented in this day's Farmer. There aresei 

 eral other aiticles and reports, to which we shall see 

 to five as wide a diffusion as our columns afford. Th 

 socirty deserves to be spoken of throughout the agricu 

 turiil community with the highest respect for its assidi 

 ous devotion to its great object ; and for its spirited ar 

 instructive contributions to public improvement throug 

 the press. 



jUassachiisetts Horticnltural Society, 



EXHIBITION OF FROITS. 



Saturday, March 31. 

 Fine specimens of the Rhode Island Greening, were exhi 

 ited by Mr Walker. 



For the Committee. 



WILLIAM KENRICK, Chairman. 



ERR.tTA in N. E. Farmer of April 4 Page 310, 2d c< 

 unin, 7ll) liixfom top, for oriential, read orienlal — for b 

 ranged, read arrayed — 11th line from boltom, for moral <lev 

 lion, read rural recreation— 3d column 16lh line from to 

 for touch, read touches. 



