164 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



April 



taken Into the desired product — a new calf, 

 milk or flesh. After the cows come into milk 

 they require a longer time in eating, and he 

 feeds more liberally, giving a cow for some 

 time eight quarts of sliced roots instead of 

 six quarts. 



[His Cows are always Heelthy. 



In going through his stalls we remarked 

 that his cows had the appearance of perfect 

 health, and a corresponding vigor. He re- 

 plied, "My cows are always healthy; I have 

 not lost one for many years, nor had a case of 

 garget or abortion among them, they come in 

 with great regularity, are kind mothers, keep 

 in good flesh and last a long time. I have 

 them drop their calves in February and March. 

 I raise my own cows, and do not begin to call 

 them old until they have reached a dozen 

 years." 



We observed that the cows were tied in 

 stanchions and the oxen and calves in chains. 

 Mr. Ellsworth is strongly in favor of feeding- 

 roots to his cattle, and imputes much of' his 

 success in making milk to their use. 



GAMBLING ON THE KACE COURSE. 



The leading editorial of the Turf, Field 

 and Farm of February 12, commences with 

 the remark : — 



"We have seen man defined as an animal that 

 made bets. . . . In all nations and climes we 

 find him the sole proposer and acceptor of wagers ; 

 no matter how rude or polished, savage or civil- 

 ized, ignorant or learned, all have the same bet- 

 ting proclivities." 



The editor then assumes that all the evils 

 which result from gambling are chargeable to 

 "the perversion of this principle, and not to 

 the principle itself," and that as men "cannot 

 be legislated out of their smaller vices," all 

 that the moralist or legislator can do is to "di- 

 rect it so that as little injury as possible may 

 arise from the gratification of the propensity." 

 The article closes as follows : — 



A very great majority of betters [on the turf] 

 content themselves by the investment of a sum 

 that will not be felt, if lost, while it greatly en- 

 hances the plea'-ure of seeing the race run. As 

 long as men only venture what they can afford to 

 lose, and do not take risks incompatible with the 

 duties they owe to themselves or fiimilies, the in- 

 jury will 1)6 very slight, if irjury there is. But 

 "plunging" cannot be too strongly reprobated, 

 and tiiose who have the true welfare of the turf at 

 heart should use every endeavor to restrain that 

 spirit that prompts large outlays. 



The whole argument is an ingenious and 

 well put defence of betting, without which 

 "the pleasure of seeing the race" would be- 



come stale, flat and unprofitable ; but it is alto- 

 gether unsatisfactory to our mind, and we 

 hope it will be so to the managers of agricul- 

 tural fairs who are solicited to co-operate 

 with the friends of the turf. We believe tha.t 

 gambling, thieving, pool-selling and many 

 other "smaller vices" of poor human nature 

 should be restrained, not merely regulated. 



NHW PUBLICATIONS. 

 Essex Ageicdlturai, Societt. 



The Transactions of this old Society for the 

 year 1868 are before us in a neat pamphlet of 148 

 pages. It was established at Cyrus Cummings' 

 tavern in Topsfield, on Monday the 16th day of 

 February, 1816, fifty -three years ago. Timothy 

 Pickering (of excellent memory) was chosen Pres- 

 ident. The address, last fall, was by Dr. Loring 

 of Salem, and recounts the history of the Society, 

 giving the names of its principal ofBcers, and those 

 in it who have been distinguished in public life, or 

 who have taken an active and influential part in 

 the affairs of the Society. . The names of all the 

 orators, or persons who have *formally addressed 

 the Society at its annual public meetings, are given, 

 together with some striking remarks, or opinions, 

 expressed by them, which showed that their minds 

 were critical and far-seeing, reaching forward af- 

 ter improvements in the art. For instance : Col. 

 Pickering addressed the Society m 1829, and, in 

 speaking of ploughs said, — "It is not so much the 

 weight as the shape of a plough which makes it of 

 easier or harder draft ; and this depends chiefly on 

 the mould-board." He also urged keeping manure 

 "under cover." Some striking -.pothegm, full of 

 practical value, like that which we have quoted, is 

 given from nearly all the pages of the orators. 



The Transactions contain an unusual number of 

 good reports of committees, and statements of 

 contributors ; and this is an excellence which will 

 soon distinguish any agricultural society. 



Among these reports is one on Fat Cattle, by 

 Francis Dodge ; a kng one on Swine, by Ben. Per- 

 ler Poore; one on Ploughing by Boys under eigh-. 

 teen years, by Joseph How ; one on Apples, by T. 

 C. Thurlow; one on Vegetables, by Allen W. 

 Dodge; one on Farms, by Chas. P. Preston. These 

 are followed by a dissertation on Special or Con- 

 centrated Fertilizers, by Dr. James R. Nichols 

 of Haverhill ; on the Agriculture of Essex County, 

 by W. A. DuRANT, of Lawrence and one on How to 

 Manage the Hencoop, oy Gilbekt L. Streeter, 

 of Salem. 



This volume is one of the best that has been is- 

 sued in the State for some years. It bears t-he 

 marks of the patient industry and practical knowl- 

 edge of its indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Preston. 



—Last year's crop of sugar and molasses in In- 

 diana is worth twenty million dollars. It will be 

 larger and more valuable this year. 



