NMW 



GtiLA MiiD FARMEK, 



PUBLISHED BY GEO. C. BARRETT, NO. 52, NORTH MARKET STREET, (at the Agricultural 



VOL. XII. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 23, IS33. 



Wahkh. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



NO. 15. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



/ bi the iVi ir !'.!'■ ta id Farmer, 

 NEW VARIETIES OP FRUITS. 



Mr. Fessenden, Of the numerous varieties of 

 recently imported Fruits, of which the collection 

 originated within -10 years in Europe appears to 

 In; very rich, both in quality and number, espe- 

 cial]; Pears, the result of the experimental cultiva- 

 tion of but t'vw has been given to the public, as 

 far as I am acquainted. Two or three articles 

 from the Hon. .1. Lowell, (to whom every friend of 

 Horticulture is deeply indebted,) published in the 

 N. E. Farmer, the principal of which is found in 

 the 10th vol. page 41, contain nearly all that has 

 come to my knowledge. Since then two years 

 have elapsed, and as tins lias beeu a favorable sea- 

 son for fruits in general, may we not hope tha! 

 much additional information may he,., communi- 

 cated concerning the value of the various kinds of 

 new fruits. There is such a diversity of soil, cli- 

 mate and temperature, between this country am! 

 Europe, that I am satisfied we cannot rely on the 

 estimated value of fruits for cultivation in this 

 country, as given in the European publications. 

 It is extremely desirable to those who are selecting 

 young fruit trees, which, especially pears, require 

 many years to arrive at maturity of hearing, and 

 may produce fruit for generations to come, to be 

 possessed of all the information that can be had 

 relative to their comparative value, in a corres- 

 ponding climate. Believing that it will be gratify 

 ing to many others beside myself, I am embolden- 

 ed through the medium of your paper, respectfully 

 to request these gentlemen who are in possession 

 of varieties of fruit, particularly pears, whose 

 qualities in this climate are not generally known, 

 to communicate to the public the results of their 

 cultivation, so soon as their qualities are so dis- 

 covered, and to give their opinion, founded on 

 such cultivation, of their merits, compared with 

 the old varieties, ami of our native kinds, and 

 compared with each other ; and, as I deem this a 

 matter of much moment, should such information 

 not be communicated, for want of leisure or other 

 causes, will not you, sir, give us the results of 

 your inquiries and information on the subject from 

 time to time. 



I cauuot lay down my pen without calling your 

 attention, and that of horticulturists generally, to 

 the necessity of some publication in this country, 

 that shall embrace accurately delineated and color- 

 ed figures of our American as well as the best new 

 foreign varieties of fruits. Such a publication 

 was suggested by Judge Buel in your paper, vol. 

 viii. page 131, and the reasons for, and mode of 

 conducting it, succinctly stated by him. Should it 

 bo thought there would be too little patronage for 

 such a work, or that it would withdraw support 

 from your paper, might not the " Farmer" ho ac- 

 commodated to this purpose by being changed to 

 a monthly publication, and perhaps to all octavo 

 form. Will you not consider the matter, previous 

 to making arrangements for your next voluae. 

 Respectfully yours, Br/. S. 



Berlin, Ct. Oct. 9, 1833. 



.By the Editor. We should be apprcheisive lest 

 a paper of the kind, which would meet tie wishes 



of our correspondent, as expressed above, would 

 not, in this country, at present meet with ade- 

 quate enccfilragement. It is necessary in n 

 er's paper to devote most of its columns to the 

 more common and indispensable objects of field 

 culture, while those of the orchardist and horti- 

 culturist, though important, are to us of secondary 

 consideration. The drawings and engravings for 

 a I'omological Magazine, if well and accurately 

 executed, would be very expensive. 



For tin: New England Farmer. 

 EREAKING STEERS AMD COLTS. 



T. G. Fessenden, Esq. — Sir, I have seen seve- 

 ral communications in your useful journal on the 

 breaking of steers' and colts, showing different 

 ways by which they could he trained, with ease 

 both to the manager and the animals. Almost 

 every person likes his own management the best : 

 and as my circumstances have been so limited, 1 

 have endeavored to adopt the cheapest and easiest 

 mode of accustoming my young steers to the yoke, 

 and my colts to the harness ; and every humane 

 person will pursue that course which will produce 

 least bruised places and. injured- eyes, which are 

 often to be seen on young creatures undergoing 

 their training, and also of saving the trouble of 

 making goad sticks and whip handles that are 

 often needlessly broken about them. Now, 

 Sir, I will lay before you my mode of treatment 

 to these young animals, and if you think it 

 worthy a place in your useful journal, you are 

 at liberty to publish it; if not, you will not wound 

 my feelings at all. I call my young cattle calves 

 till they are one year old. I have a little yoke 

 made with a staple and ring in it. I tell my little 

 boys to yoke up their calves : a small hoy can do 

 it, and it is quite a pastime to them ; they being so 

 young are not so strong but that he can manage 

 them with ease : any small stick or twig answers 

 to drive them with, and there is no danger of the 

 hoy or steers being hurt. When he can drive 

 them where he wishes them to go, which will 

 boon he the case, he will hitch them to a small 

 stick of wood, or if it is winter put them to a hand 

 sjed, and drive round with that ; they will soon be- 

 dume docile. There is no trouble with them after- 

 ward, especially if they are yoked a few times the 

 sf cond winter ; it makes them fond of their mates, 

 (fxen that are trained when young are much more 

 [liable! and obedient, which adds much to their 

 Jalue : steers that run till they are three or four 

 lears old, are dangerous animals to encounter 

 i'ith; they are always running away with the cart 

 ir sled whenever there is a chance for them, and 

 ifteu serious injury is the result. I would not re- 

 commend working steers hard while young, as it 

 (would prevent their growth — there is a difference 

 between working of them and barely training 

 them. 



Colts I begin with very soon after they are 

 foaled ; the mare should be bridled and led to the 

 door and given a little salt. When the colt is one 

 or two day» old take him by the neck, handle him 

 gently, he is then so young that he is not afraid, if 

 his duui is near by him ; continue this practice and 

 he will very soon become fond of his owner, and 

 will come on purpose to be handled after two or 



three weeks. It does not hurt the mare or the 

 colt to use her 1 moderately. If you want to go to 

 meeting on the Sabbath, harness the mare into the 

 chaise or wogoji, and tie the colt to the arm of the 

 carriage ; he may be a little obstinate at first, but 

 in going a few rods he will be peaceable and go 

 very orderly ; if there are many other horses about, 

 your colt is always with you : if you want to stop 

 at a place any time, let your colt loose, he can be 

 taken again without difficulty, and before you start 

 off tie your colt again ; in this way there is no 

 trouble of the colt following other horses away. 

 When they become old enough for service, you 

 do not have to run over all the pasture for the 

 horse ; they can always he taken with ease. Coirs, 

 trained in this way arc completely halter broken. 

 When you begin to harness them they are not 

 frightened by the noise, of the carriage behind 

 them, and are sootier made quiet in harness. It 

 has been a common saying, that if colts are hand- 

 led when very young it depresses their courage, 

 which I am convinced is not the fact. I have 

 raised as many horses as most farmers of my age 

 in this vicinity, and some of them the most spirited 

 I ever saw. The above rules I have practised for 

 quite a number of years, and can recommend 

 them to others with confidence. It convinces me 

 of the truth and efficacy of a rule I have found in 

 an old book I have, much worn by usage — al- 

 though yet whole, it has been in our family almost, 

 a hundred years — which Fays, " train up a child 

 in the T..<; ' ',! go, and when he is old he 



will not depart from it." Train up beasts while 

 young — and I know when they are old they will 

 be serviceable to their owners. 



With due respect, yours, &c. 



James Walker. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BRIGHTON CATTLE SHOW. 



The Committee on Ploughing Matches — consist- 

 ing of John Prince of Roxbury, as Chairman, on 

 both Committees ; Eben. Heath of Brookline, and 

 Daniel Chandler of Lexington, on double teams ; 

 Daniel Adams of West Newbury, and Nathan 

 Adams of Medford, on single teams — beg leave to 

 report: That 18 entries were made for the double 

 teams, and 12 for the single, (a much greater num- 

 ber than ever btfore had offered;) on calling the 

 roll on the ground, however, 13 double and 9 

 single only appeared. The Committee regretted 

 that owing to the lots not having been previously 

 marked out, they were delayed beyond the time 

 appointed for commencing; — from the recent rains 

 and the goodness of the soil, except a few rocks 

 under the surface, they think better ploughing 

 was never done at Brighton — all tried to exccl-*- 

 they were not limited in time, as goodness of work 

 was to be the criterion in awarding the Society's 

 liberal premiums. Tho lots contained one eighth 

 of an acre each. After very close inspection of all 

 the work , performed, they were unanimous in 

 awarding on the double teams, the 

 1st premium to the plough No. 2, A. H. Wheel- 

 er of Concord, - 815 

 Do. as ploughman, - - - 8 

 J. Pitman, driver, - - - 4 



