J06 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



to the great gain ofllio purchasers, as well as 

 sellers, for the extra money tliey paiH was for 

 consumable food, not for bone and offal entirely 

 •useless. 



I advert to these prejudices, and I do it in the 

 plainest and simplest manner, adapted to such a 

 subject, because it is a duty early and constantly 

 to meet and repel them. This Society is de- 

 sio-ned to be a practical one ; and our time is 

 much better spent in plain, simple discussions 

 of important facts, than in amusing our agricul- 

 tural friends with polished discourses. If we 

 do not encourage and promote sound principles 

 in Agriculture, our Institution is worse than use- 

 Jess. It is a needless expense to the publiclc. 



To recur (o the value and importance of these 

 Shows. In Tvhat manner could we so rapidly or 

 so certainly have brought home to the convic- 

 tion of our farmers, the decided superiority of 

 the fleeces of the Spanish sheep, as liy contrast- 

 ing them side by side with our races? To the- 

 oretical cultivators, — to HujiniREYS and to Liv- 

 ingston, — we owe their first introduction into 

 the counlry. To the former, this Socicly at 

 once voted its Gold Medal, though he was not 

 a ciii:cn of this State, and though this State had 

 not then derived any peculiar benefit from their 

 introduction. A strong example of public sjiir- 

 it in our predecessors, most of whom arc gone. 



Some years after, this Society, finding that 

 the progress of this valuable race was slow, of- 

 fered liberal and expensive premiums for the 

 introduction of other individuals of the breed. 

 The immediate cSecl was, Iho iiuportation of 

 numerous flocks at once, and oar country lias 

 thus gained, what it wnuld be didicult to Cbti- 

 . mate, and what otherwise it might not liave 

 gained for half a century, if we have the |ia- 

 iience, skill, and care ol the Saxon farmers, wc 

 Biay in another half century adil to the value of 

 our products (including the profit on manul'ac- 

 iuriiig the wool) perhaps a million dollars an- 

 nually to the income of New England 



vantage of higher prices of labour) could afford j a more rapid progress in anv country than that 

 to undersell the British manufacturer in foreign I which we have made in Horlicidturc, and yet 

 markets (regard being had to value as well as; there is no one point in which we are so defec- 

 price) it would have been lliought absurd and i tive ; and yet 1 hope and believe that we shall 

 incredible. 1 own that I was one, who then i soon supply this defect, 

 deemed it such, — to my great personal loss. 



Vv'c can show — our records will prove — that 

 our progress in Agriculture has been full as ex- 

 traordinary. This Society put forth, 20 years 

 since, a set of queries to farmers in various parts 

 of the state, touching every branch of farming, 

 and the quantities produced ui' evpvy description 

 of agricultural products. The answers are in 

 print, and are most valuable documents. These 

 replies, compared ivilh the present siate of ag- 

 riculture, will prove, that the advancement in 



RF.M.VRKS OF HON. JUDGE LINCOLN, 



AT THE (LOSE OF TEE CATTLE SHOW IM WORCESTER. 



As f'hairman of the Committee of the whole, 

 the i^residcnt begs leave to make his summary 

 Report. The judicious preparations of the 

 Cominiltee of Arrangements have been found 

 fully equal to the occasion, and through their at- 

 tention and the prompt, vigilant and spirited ex- 

 ertions of the Marshals, every previous arrange- 



that art has been inconceivoably great. The'nieiit has been executed in a manner the most 

 highest crops of potatoes were then slated at 200 ) satisfactory and creditable to the good character 



bushels. We have grantcil no' one, but many 

 premiums — not to one part of the State, but to 

 inany portions of it, for the raising of (ro:n -iOO 

 to GOO bushels per acre. The highest q:iaiitity 

 of corn raised upon the acre was fonnerhj slat- 

 ed to be from 40 to i.'> busliels. We have had 

 almost innumerable claims for the proiiuction ol' 

 iVom 65 to 110 bushels. 



1 am aware of the objections urged, thai there 

 may have been over estimate*, and that these 

 crops cost too inttch. iMake what allowance you 

 please, for overestimates, (and they are always 

 made under oath) — Allow what yon choose for 

 the extra expense of producing great crops, 3'et 

 they are nroofs of zeal and intelligence, and 

 they go fir to convince the farmers, that one 

 lield well cultivated is better than t.i-o negli- 

 gently manngcd. 



What shall we then say as to crops cnlirclij 

 unkiwxrn as general crops only twenty years 

 since? The mangel wiirlzel, the carrot, the 

 Swedish turnip, the common turnip, the com- 

 mon heft? These .ire the greatest Iriumplis ol 

 agricultural imiirovement in our country — No 

 : longer starving our cattle on the scanty and 

 miserable produce of neglected and undrainod 



But It is not simply in these plain and obvious i meadows— On food, which might well suit with 

 particulars, clearly and indisputably produced i i|,ji.,n jg„op,,nce and indolence, wo have learn- 

 Tiy puhhck encouragement, that we found our jgd to store our cellars with rich supiilies for 

 'opinion of the value of these Shoies. It isinthejour miid, cows, oxen and sheep.— No country 

 Tegular, manifest improvement of all des- i,;,g gvor exhibited a more rapid improvement 

 -criptions of domestick animals from year to )„ (hese particulars.— We have not yet exten- 

 year. When Farmers are willing to pay fivejsivclv adopted the system of rotation in crops. 

 dollars for a cross, with a fine imported animal, | Xfjai is still to come", and will inevitably follow 

 ■they will take iette.r care of ihe progeny ; and if| ti,e present cr;cell2nt practice of raising with 

 it produced no other effect than this, the value care, roots lor winter foddur 

 of this excitement would be incalculably great. 

 •In short, is it possible, that in a free and en- 

 lightened country, when the minds of men are 

 excited and turned to the improvement of their 

 past practices in any one art, by all the motives 

 ■which influence human action, — by self-interest, 

 emulation, desire of publick notice, that no val- 

 uable effects will follow from such an escite- 

 •nient ? 



If it were so, it would show that we had ar- 

 rived to the highest degree of perfection before, 

 er that the same causes oporaliug in the agri- 

 eultural art, are incapable of producing the same 



.\s to lIouricvi.Ttw:, the field is neajZi/ explor- 

 ed — From a barren wilderness it has become 

 a fojtile garden. In my short space of residence 

 in this mutable world. 1 remember when the May- 

 duke and the sour Kentish Cherry could alone 

 be seen in our market — and there is not 

 now a market on carlh, better supplied than 

 ours with every variety of the most delicious 

 cherries. 1 remember when our strawberries 

 were only gathered from the grass lields — 1 re- 

 collect the first boxes of cultivated strawberries 



hitherto enjoyed by the Society. — The present 

 is tlie sixth public Agricultural Exhibition in the 

 County, and it cannot be but with sentiments of 

 pride aiid gralulation, that we may recur to the 

 period of the institution of the Society, may trace 

 its progress and -aliitary intlucnce hilherlo, and 

 anticipate its advance in improvement, until 

 specimens of excellence in whatever is Uie re- 

 sult of labour and industry and skill is exhibited 

 unilcr its auspices. 



The competition in the Ploughing Match has 

 been more earnest than in any preceding 3 ear. 

 Leaving it with the ajipropriale commillee to 

 distinguish among the competitors as their work 

 has merited, justice requires that for their 

 pioriiptitude in appearing upon the field, and 

 their cheerful and precise conformity to the ar- 

 rangements for this interesting pari of the pub- 

 lic exhibition, lliey should all be jiresenled as 

 dosiirving the highest praise. — These sturdy 

 voomen in a generous emulation to excel in la- 

 bour, will never be nnmindl'ul that it is the hon- 

 our of the struggle, rather than the premium of 

 success, which constitutes their distinction, and 

 that to hiin even who is beaten in a manly con- 

 test, greater credit is due, than to hundreds of 

 such as have not spirit for the trial. 



The Reports of the respective Committees 

 upon stock of diiVerent description evince the 

 excellence of that part of the Exhibition. The 

 observation of everyone, who has had ojiportu- 

 nily for comparison of the Show of Cattle this 

 day, with that of preceding years, must have 

 prodcccd a conviction cf the great and regul- 

 arly progressive improvement of the Stock of 

 the County. \Vithout any particular excitement 

 on the present occasion, the Cattle have been 

 exhibited in as great numbers as at any I'ornier 

 lime, and in quality decidedly superior to what 

 has been before witnessed. It is not the least 

 pleasant consideration, that Ihey have been 

 brought from distant parts of Ihe County, and 

 iVom towns heretofore but little known at oup 

 pens. 



The excellent quality nf the house-hold fab- 

 ric, and the fine wrought goods from the manu- 

 facturing eslablishmenls, are not more justly tho 



effects, which are daily under our eyes produc- j 

 ed in all the oilier arts. 



that 



If a tnan had been told, only 20 years since, 'ly at nrariict. 



ever sent lo Boston Market; they are now in 'subjects of commendation, tlian the small quant 



prolusion, and of excellenl quality — but still sus- ity and little variety of the latter are matter for 



jccj)tlblc of vast iinprovemeat. Whoever heard j serious regret. This Society has laboured to do 



t 



r 



of an English or Dutch gooseberry, or- raspber- 



b years since 



The GciiiliLo:. 



a single manulacturing compai.y could turu I ('altern-and Minot, and Iron pears, some of 

 out two millions ol yards ol cotton cloth, of a ihcm execrable, were often seen, but not a sin- 

 quality far superior to those produced by the 

 successors of .'^j'.tiwiui.ur, and (under the disad- 



to these valuable objects ample credit. It has 

 uniformly appropriated a liberal proportion oil 

 the premiums lo their encouragemtiit. Its olll- 

 ccrs have olficially endeavoured to conciliate 

 gle delicious variety was known out of tho gar- the confidence of the manufacturers, and in the 

 dens of llic rich coDnoisscur. There, never was spirit of sincerity have reiterated to theiA eX^ 



