202 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAKVARY 9, 1S33. 



wliicli, triviiil ;is they may ssoiii, arc yet ucccsshit 

 to the acquisition of truth. Any circumstance, then, 

 which may he detected as overlooked, will never 

 he thought unworthy of our attention as lovers of 

 science and knowledge. 



" Mcleagris Gallopavo." Lijinc. _I5onap. Audub. 



" Americaiius." J^arl.Trav. 



" Wild Turkey." 



This splendid and highly useful hird, from -which 

 have originated ail the domestic varieties of turkey, 

 it is affirmed has been unknown for a long time in 

 New England. Nuttall says, " from the Atlantic 

 states generally, they are Jiow nearly extirpated." 

 — Land Birds, p. 640. Audubon gravely tells us 

 that it is " rarely seen eastward of Virginia and 

 J'onnsylvania" — Ornitholog. Biog. p. 2. While 

 the " Prince of Musignano" affirms that "it is not 

 very plentiful id Florida, Georgia, aild the Caro- 

 liiKis, is still less frequently fouud in the western 

 part of Virginia and Pennsylvania, and is extremely 

 lare if indeed it exist at all in the remaining north- 

 ern and eastern ])artsof the United States ; in New 

 Kngland it even appears to have been already de- 

 stroyed 150 years hack." — Bonap. Am. Birds, vol. 

 1. p. 81. 



The bird is, however, every year seen in nun}- 

 bers near Mount Tom, in this State, and a female 

 was surprised on her nest near the base of the 

 mountain about a year since. A very tine male 

 was lately sold in Boston from that neighborhood. 

 Tliirty or forty years ago, the wild turkey was a 

 nuisance to the farmers iu West Springfield, and 

 children were employed in driving them from the 

 fields. Massachusetts may still boast of possessing 

 within her limits, a bird whose usefulness and 

 8i)lendor of plumage united, is seldom ecjualled in 

 the ornithological kingdom. 



The wild turkey is easily crossed with its con- 

 geners of the barn yard ; and every good farmer 

 knows the value of the result. Indeed, the males 

 often make iutrusions in the spring, into the neigh- 

 lioring farms. Au individual raised from eggs 

 taken from the nest of a wild bird, weighed at the 

 end of the season nearly thirty-five pounds. Au- 

 dubon mentions 36 lbs. as aometimes occurring iu 

 male birds. The male commonly weighs from 

 fifteen to twenty-five pounds. 



The turkey was first introduced into Spain from 

 Mexico in the 16th century: into England during 

 the reign of Henry VIII. and soon afterwards into 

 otlier parts of Europe. Yours, &;c. XIOPE. 



For the yew Englaxd Farmer. 

 AGRICUIiTXJBAI. ESSAYS, NO. XH . 



EDUCATION. 



It is in the power of almost every farmer who 

 lives in New England, to bestow such a degree of 

 education on his children and apprentices, as will 

 amount to common reading, writing and arith- 

 metic. And greatly to the dishonor of the father 

 of a family it must be, when his offspring and oth- 

 ers under his care, are found to he ignorant o( 

 these necessary and important acquisitions. And 

 this is but one part of the charge against such a 

 character: for, neglected through his inattention 

 and want of care on this head, they themselves are 

 most irreparably injured. It is like taking away 

 a right eye, and cutting off the right arm from 

 those whom natural affection, every hour admon- 

 ishes him in the most -persuasive language, to 

 guard, instruct and foster in his bosom. 



Consider this matter iu great seriousness. After 

 you are gone off the stage of life, your sons are to 

 come forward and to transact the concerns of tlie 



public. They are to compose iu part, the legisla- 

 ture of the land in which you now live ; and to go 

 through the same, ora moreimportantroutine of the 

 public services than you have done. But this will 

 be impossible unless they have received such a de- 

 gree of scholastic education, at least, as iscommpn- 

 ly bestowed ; and which the public, in great wis- 

 dom and generosity offers to every one in this land 

 of light and knowledge. Circumstanced as they 

 are, I can conceive of no apology for tho.se farm- 

 ers in New England wlio do not endeavor to have 

 their children and apprentices instructed in all the 

 more cuminou and necessary branches of knowl- 

 edge ■ as the incaus afibrded forthe.se ends arc 

 as common as the manna was formerly, which 

 fell round about tlie te.-U doors of the Israelites : 

 and of which heavenly .'bod every man might 

 freely gather as much as he wanted, or as much 

 as was necessary. 



And yet, through ignorance, covi'^tousness, or 

 some other inimical mean, the children of farmers 

 are often brought up like the wild asses colt. 



Let me request you, who are parents and heads 

 of families, and who are careless and unconcerned 

 in reganl to the instruction and inlbrniation of 

 those whom God has jilaced under you, to reflect 

 upon your conduct; and to consider how you will 

 be able to answer for this crimiiud neglect to your- 

 selves, to your country, and to God. Consider the 

 days of youthful innocence; in which the mind is 

 ready to receive the most useful impressions; i<iu\ 

 in which, curiosity, emulation, and a desire of 

 pleasing and excelling, arc peculiarly influential. 

 And if you wish to see your sons uscfid, and 

 your daughters respectable, give them so much 

 education at least, as shall qualify them for the 

 common occupations and offices of the comitry in 

 which you live. 



Do we not say," we see ?" must it not then be 

 unpardonable in us if we walk not agreeable to the 

 light of which we boa.st, and do not endeavor to 

 render posterity as wise and as happy as we our- 

 selves are ? Then let it never be said, that a man, 

 ora woman born and brought up in New England, 

 can neither read nor write, nor knows any thing 

 of the use and powers of figures. Allow your chil- 

 dren time and opportimity for improving in all the 

 common and more useful branches of knowledge. 

 A learned education is out of the question : the 

 writer is jileadiug only tbr that measure of infor- 

 mation which is really necessary, and which yon 

 mav, and are in duty hound to bestow upon them. 

 One would think it unnecessary to add any thing 

 more on this subject : but it may not he amiss to 

 observe still farther, that every farmer ought to be 

 qualified to keep and adjust his own accounts; and 

 which, altliough trifling hi comparison with those 

 of the ^lerchant, ought, nevertheless, to be attend- 

 ed to will) the greatest exactness, if he would do 

 justice to himself and to his neighbors, and avoid 

 one very fruitful source of contention. I add fur- 

 ther, that, as young people in general, when the 

 business of the day is over, will he ready to engage 

 in some pursuits of interest or pleasure, the sons of 

 those farmers who have been taught to read, write 

 and cypher well, instead of spending their even- 

 ings in idleness, or at taverns, may find a most 

 grateful and useful amusement, in the perusal of 

 some good author ; in emleavoring to improve their 

 hands in writing; or iu revising their past labors 

 in arithmetic. The fact is this, when there comes 

 on a stormy disagreeable change of weather, and 

 when little or nothing can be done to advantage on 



the faru], and many such days occurevery year, a 

 young man will not be at a loss how to employ 

 those leisure hours to advantage, and to find a 

 most agreeable amusement at home. These nec- 

 essary accomplishments of a common school edu- 

 cation, have [iroved a source of innocent amuse- 

 ment 111 many, and been the means of preserving 

 them from various teuqjtations and misibrtnnes. 

 Therefore, if you regard your own happiness, the 

 innocent amusements of your children, and their 

 future usefulness, and would guard them against 

 the snares of vice, give tliein a good common edu- 

 cation, at least. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Saturday, Jan. S, 183.3. 



Fruils Presented. — Pears. A very fine ])ear by 

 Enoch B.irti.f.tt, Esq., called Brown St. German, 

 a valuable fruit fi)r the season. 



Apples. By Dr. Benjamin Shurtlefk, Boston, 

 two varieties, called Russet Sweeting, and Smooth 

 Skin Sweeting. By Dr. John Willia.ms, Cam- 

 bridge, large orange colored apples of sweet flavor, 

 name unknown. 



Aboltleof Sciippemong Wine was presented by 

 H. SuEVKE, Esq. of Boston, from a friend of his at 

 the South, upwards of 13 year.^ old. It wasthought 

 superior to any domestic wine, which has hereto- 

 Ibre been tasted by the Committee. 



For the Committee, E. M. Rschards. 



An adjourned meeting of the Mass. Hor. Soc. 

 will be holden on Saturday the 12th inst. at the 

 usual time and place. 



The Standing Committee on Ornamental Trees, 



Shrubs, Elowers, &c. award the following Pre- 



miwuis for 1832. 



For the best Hyacinths, P. B. Hovey, .«3.00 



" Tulips, Samuel Walker, J.OO 



" " Ranuncidus, David Haggerston, 4.00 



" " Anemones, " " 3.00 



" " Pinks, Messrs. Winships, 3.00 



" " Carnations, John Lemist, 4.00 



For the finwt Collection of Cultivated Flow- 

 ers, Messrs. Winshi|>s, 3.00 



For the finest Ro.ses, Augustus Aspinwall, 5.00 

 " " Dahlias, E. Putnam, 5.00 



" " Chry.santhemiuns, P. B. Hovey, 5.00 



Jonathan Winship, Chairman. 



A cottager at VVarson, near Mansfield, lias gath- 

 ered from a walnut tree in his possession, sixty 

 thousand ripe wahnits, allowing, as they are usual- 

 ly sold, six score to the hundred ; part of which he 

 sold at at one shilling per hundred, and the re- 

 mainder at teup-ence ; therefore, calculating the 

 whole sixty thousand to be sold at tenpence only, 

 the tree produced, at that rate, twenty-five pounds. 

 It must also be understood, that in the jiiekling 

 season, when green, some thousands were also 

 gathered, which are not reckoned in the above 

 calculation. — Doncasler Gazette. 



BITPFAI<0 HUNTING ON THE xJlPPER IfflS- 

 SOURI. 



A CORRESPONDENT of the Commercial Advertiser 

 who dates from the mouth of the Yellow Stone, 

 gives the following interesting account of Buflalo 

 hunting west of the Mississippi. We have it not 

 in our power to ))resent our readers with the en- 

 tire letter, which we the more regret as the writer 

 presents a very graphic description of the scenery, 



