98 



NEW ENGLANP TAPMER. 



Phineas Alltii. 

 Jonathan Allen, 2d, 

 Curtis T. Fenn, 

 Thomas B. Stronp:, 

 Jonathan Y. Clarke, 

 Richard Cooman 



Committee 



on 



.Manufactures. 



Committee 



on 



Domestic Animals. 



By order of the Committee for Publication. 

 THOMAS GOLD, Chairman. 



WORCESTER CATTLE SHOW, &c. 



The sixth anniversary of the pnblic Exhibi- 

 tion of the Worcester County Agricultural Soci- 

 ety was celebrated at Worcester on Wednesday 

 the 13th inst. Tlie uncommon pleasantness o( 

 the day being in perfect accordance with the 

 public feeling towards this interesting institution, 

 an unusually large collection of the most res- 

 pectable yeomanry of the county, with proles- 

 sional gentlemen and distinguished strangers, 

 assembled at an early hour. The Ploughing 

 Match was the introductory performance, and 

 was executed in the most workman-like manner. 

 The public exercises in the church were intro- 

 duced in a pertinent and eloquent illustration ol 

 the objects and progress of the Society, by the 

 Hon. Judge Lincoln, the President. A fervent 

 and appropriate prayer was offered by Rev. Mr 

 Hull, Chaplain of the day, which was succeeded 

 by an interesting and animated Address, by Isaac 

 GOODWLN, Esq. 



At the Pens, the company were gratified with 

 an improved assemblage of our useful and noble 

 animals, 229 in number, — headed by the horse 

 " Boman," proudly displaying his prerogative, 

 as the modern "King of Bea«ts." From this 

 rich exhibition of the means of good livinrr^ the 

 company repaired to Mr Stockwell's Hall, and 

 enjoyed its fruition. This was evinced by ihoir 

 hearty acclamation of the sentiments which the 

 occasion inspired. 



The following were among the toasts given 

 at the table : 



.Agriculture., Commerce, and J^lanvfactures — Uncln 

 Sam's three buxom daughters, — May neither hold her 

 head too high to coutribule her equal share in the sup- 

 port of liis large and growing family. 



American Industry Whether its emblem be the 



Canvas, the Skullle, or the Plough, may it alike be 

 honoured as the handmaid of national virtue, and the 

 parent of national wealth. 



.Agricultural Socitties — May they take deep root in 

 the confidence of the people, and spread their refresh- 

 ing influence over the soil of their country. 



77(e Yeomanry of Neio England — A strong team, but 

 unmanageable if attempted to be worked with a Driver. 



Manufactures and the .Arts — Deriving from the earth 

 the materials for their own perfection, they requite 

 their benefactress by contributing to her embellishment. 



Commerce and the Fisheries — A rich harvest to those 

 who plough the dctp ; and may they always find a good 

 market among those who plough the land. 



Yankee Means and Yankee Measures, though some- 

 times full of notions, are often full of force. 



The Sjtorts of the Turf.— when performed by Oxen! 



The great French Farmer — who lent our fathers a 

 hand to thresh the British — who sowed the seeds of Lib- 

 erty in France, and who reaps 2. harvest of gratitude on 

 the field of his youthlul glory ! 



The President of the Worcester Agricultural Society 

 — The life-blood til "the Heartof the Commonwealth." 



A respectful remembrance was had of the 



" Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of jlg- 

 riculture" and a complimentary sentiment ad- 



dressed to the Hampshl'-p, !3 uniMen &. Franklm 

 Societies, which was rer.eiv<-d with enthusiasm, 

 and reciprocated in a very pertinent manner by 

 Judge Newcomb. of Greenfield, and the Hon. 

 Mr Doolittle, of Belchertown, who attended as 

 special delegates from that spirited and most 

 excellent institution. Isaac Goodwin, Esq. who 

 had delighted the Society with his Address in 

 the morning, gave 



The County of JVnrcester—U? Territories, its Institu- 

 tions, its Inhabitants— one and indivisible. 



0^ Want of room this week compels us to omit the 

 rema'rks of the Hon. Judge Liscoln,— the list of pre- 

 miums, — &c. 



jF.irmcr's eLalcnUar. 



[by the editor.] 



Preservation of Apples. — In our last number, 

 page 9-1, we ffave some brief observations rela- 



without injury to the buds, but still they will be 

 bruised, unless the ground he covered with 

 blankets or straw. Particular care is requisite 

 n gathering winter fruit for keeping : — they 

 should be gathered by the hand, and without 

 injury removing them Irom the gathering bask- 

 et to the casks prepared for them, with great 

 care; if bruised, they soon decay ; and the less 

 those that are sound are removed, the belter. — 

 .When in barrels, they should be placed in a dry, 

 cool, shaded situation, above ground, and roniala 

 until in danger from Irost, and then put into the 

 cellar." 



The following valuable observations, contain- 

 ed in a letter from Noah Webster, Esq. have 

 been published in the Massachusetts Agricultur- 

 al Repository. 



" It is the practice with some persons, to pick 

 them in October, and first sprea<l them on the 

 floor of an upper room. This prartice is said 

 to render apples more durable, by drying them. 



live to preservinir apples, but the subject de- U^^, , ^^^ gi^,.^^ ,j,|g (^ ^e a mis'take. Appjes, 



serves further notice. 



Dr Thacher observes, {.American Orchardist, 

 page 113) — "the iniudicious method commonly 

 practised in gathering apples, is more destruc- 

 tive in its consequences than is generally under- 

 stood. The first requisite is, to ascertain pre- 

 cisely when the fruit is wholly ripe, as it is said 

 that the longer winter apples are sufl'ered to 

 remain on the trees, provided they are not o- 

 vertaken by frost, the longer they may be pre- 

 served. In hot climates and in hot seasons, fruit 

 attains to maturity and ripeness earlier than in 

 colder ones, because the sap performs its office 

 more rapidly. It may be considered a correct 

 rule, that apples are ripe, when those that are 

 sound and fiir fall naturally fron the trees, or 

 separate very readily on being touched by the 

 band. They should be galbered during a clear 

 dry air, after the dew is evaporated. According 

 to the late philosophic Dr Darwin, in order to 

 ascertain when fruits, for instance, apples and 

 pears, are sufficiently rijie for g;ithering, it is 

 requisite to attend to the colour of the skin en- 

 closing the seeds. During their infant statp, 

 there is no cavilv round the kernels, but they 

 are in contact with the seed vessels. In a sub- 

 sequent period, when the fruit has exhausted 

 the nutricious matter, the cells containing tiie 

 seeds become hollow, and the latter assume ?. 

 dark colour. This, Dr Darwin observes, is the 

 proper criterion by which to judge when such 

 fruits should be gathered ; as it indicates that 

 they will not continue to increase in size, but 

 waste and become hollow, by absorbing the mu- 

 cilaginous particles from the centre. In gath- 

 ering apples and pears, it is necessary caretully 

 to avoid injuring the blossom buds, which arc 

 already formed (or the next year''* fruit. These 

 buds are placed at the side of the foot-stalk of 

 the fruit, and if the spurs are broken, there will 

 lie no fruit on that part the next season. The 

 pressing against the trees, therefore, with heavy 

 ladders, and the rash practice of thrashing the 



I alter remaining on the trees as long as safety 

 from the frost will admit, should be taken di- 

 rectly from the trees to close casks, and kept 

 dry and cool as possible. If suffered to lie on a 

 floor for weeks, they wither and lose their flav- 

 our, without acquiring any additional durability. 

 The best mode of preserving apples for s[iring 

 use, 1 have found to be, the putting them in dry 

 sand as soon as picked. For this purpose, I dry 

 sand in the heat of summer, and late in October 

 put down the apples in layers, with a covering 

 of sand upon each layer. The singular advan- 

 tages of this mode of treatment are these : — 

 1st. The sand keeps the apples from the air, 

 wliirh is essential to their preservation. 2. The 

 sands checks the evaporation or perspiration of 

 the apples, thus preservihg in them their full 

 H.ivour — at the same time, any moisture yielded 

 by the ap]ilcs, (and some there will tie) is ab- 

 sorbed by the sanil ; so that the a)iplesare kept 

 dry, and all mustiness is prevented. My pijipins 

 in" May and June, are as fresh as when first 

 picked; even the ends of the stems look as if 

 just separated from the the twig." 



An English writer recommends the use of dry 

 pit sand for the preservation of apples k pears. 

 Glazed earthen jars are to he provided, and the 

 sand is to be llioroughly dried. A layer of sand, 

 an inch thick, is then to he placed in ihe bottom 

 of the jar; above this, a layer of fruit, to be 

 covered with a layer of sand an inch thick ; — 

 then lay a second statum of fruit, covering again 

 with an inch of sand. An inch and a half of 

 sand may be placed over the uppermost row of 

 fruit. The jar is now to be closed, and placed 

 in a dry, airy situation, as cool as possible, but 

 entirely free from frost. Wheat bran is some- 

 times substituted tor sand. 



" One of the most easy methods (says Dr Dar- 

 win) of preserving fruit, is that of depositing it 

 in ice houses, where it may remain in a frozen 

 state for a considerable time. And if the fruit 



trees with poles, ought to be entirely abandon- j be afterwards gradually thawed, by covering it 



ed ; for by such means, the bark and limbs are 

 bruised, and the bjo'som buds for the succeeding 

 year are destroyed. Instead of ladders, stepping 

 frames should be employed, and a pole, furnish- 

 ed with a hook at the end, and covered with 

 coarse cloth, may be used to shake the small 

 limbs, without injuring the bark. When per- 



with melted ice, or immersing it in cold spring 

 water, it will lose but little of its flavour, pro- 

 vided it be consumed on the same day." 



The new roads formed in England on the plan sug- 

 o-psted by Mr M'Adam, have been greatly improved by 

 pouring melted tar nv> r the stones in sufficient quantity 

 . !-•-.. , , - «. to fill the interstices, and, belore it cools, sifting some- 



lectly npe, apples lor cider may be shaken oft fme gravel or sand over it. 



