]SEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



VOL. ill 



PUBLISHF.l) BY JOHN B. KUj^SEI.L, U0(;F.US' lU'll. DINGS, fCJNCKK.SP STKIJ.I', COSTOX.— THOMAS G. rr.SS|;M)i:N, EDITOR. 



No. 15. 



FRIDAY, NOVEMBER .-i. 1824. 



SlgntuUuvp.l Reports. 



BERKSMiaE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Report of the Viexeing Commitlee, 1824 — igricul- 

 liinit Report. 

 In tlie ili^rharge nftlie duties as?i<fned thern, 

 the Vieivins: Committee have oxflinined tlie 

 Crops and Kaims, clTrrod for i)reminms of Ihc 

 Rerksliire .Aa^riciiltnral Society, agreealile to tiie 

 Scliediile I'liinislied them by the Sucreiary, viz. 

 1 1 rrnps Winter VVhrat, 

 21 do Summer Wheat, 

 li rto Ryt-, 



IG do Oats, or a mixtnrp of Oats and Rye, or 

 Oats, Ryu and Teas. 



1 do Pra«, 



2 do Millet, 

 7 do riax, 



18 do Corn. 



88 crops in all, and 3 Farms. 



The Committee are induced to jiresent thi^ 

 statement, in order to sliow tlie proarrc?sive in- 

 crease of candidates for prcminms in'thi.s de- 

 jiartmenl ; Jind, if talten in connexion with a 

 view of the present stale of husbandry in Berk- 

 shire, compared Hilh that of a feiv years piii^t, 

 we iire enabled. llierel>y, to appreciate the Siib- 

 stanlial benctils of tins institntion. 



Every person acqiiainlcd, even thenretically. 

 with a!^ricnlliir,ii pursuits, will assent to llic 

 (rulh ol' the maxim, "that e\ery farm which is 

 in pood lieart, should be kept so; that every 

 one not in srood heart, should be made so ; jind 

 Ihal vvhiitever is rij^it as (o the farm jjcnofsliy, 

 18 so as to evcrv (lart of thai farm.""* It lias 

 been a source of much gr.itulalion lo tlie com- 

 mittee, to witness the many instances of its prac- 

 tical operation, so satisfactorily denionslrated hy 

 the tjrnwinj; attention to every part of rural ec- 

 onomy the jirevailinG: spirit of etniilalion fi rthe 

 ncquisitioo of useful know ledge (especially in 

 the rising generation) and the imjiroved quali- 

 ties, and attention to the keeping of live Slock ; 

 as well as by the increase, variety, and excell- 

 ence of the productions, with which it has plea- 

 sed an all bountiful providence to reward the 

 lahouri! of the industrious and skilful liusband- 

 man. 



The commillee, in their tours through the 

 County, in execution of ihe duties assigned 

 them, have remarked so many instances of good 

 liusbandry, that it would, perhaps, be deemed 

 invidious were they to attempt to particularize : 

 Suffice it, therefore, to observe, that the ellort- 

 our brother farmers, generally, U:\\e made, and 

 are making, is alike honorable to themselves — 

 lo the County, and to the profession. 



The regulations of the Society liaving made 

 it indispensable that each candidate should fur- 

 nish a detailed statement of his mode of cultiva- 

 tion, the committee forbear any reni.irk in rela- 

 tion to ihe management of crops lo which ibey 

 Mwnrd premiums; as the publication of these 

 statements will afford a more suitable opportun- 

 ity lo compare individual (iractices ; [\^^• results 

 of which, clearly evince the praclicability of 



"Mr. Madismrs Agricultural Address. 



raising crops, equal to those even of more favor- 1 

 ed climates. 



With these brief remarks, which the commit- 

 tee consider (ill liiat is necessary, on an occasion 

 like the ()resenl, they proceed to report their' 

 award of jiremiums. 



WINIT^R WHE.\T. 



First premium, to Solomon Wilcox, of Stockbridge, $8 

 Srrott.i do. to Levi Goodrich, of Fittsfield, G 



'I'hird do. to Daniel Fairchilds, of Stockbridge, 5 



Mr Chattield, of Great-Rarrington, present- 

 ed a very tine piece, hut growing on nr-w lavil, 

 it could not enter into competition, conforma- 

 ble to Ihe regid.itioiis. 



As Winter Wheat lias considerably, and ge- 

 nerally sufTered ihi* year hy r»s^ the commit- 

 tee would suggest the propriety, on a recur- 

 rence of the disease, to cut the grain as soon 

 as its ravages commence, as a mean of pre- 

 serving the crop from greater loss. 



SUMMER WHEAT. 



First pretniam. to .lolin Chamberlain, of Dallon, §8 

 ^'creiid do. to Luciin ReHdin^on, of K iclivnond, 6 

 'i bird do. to Daniel Stearns, of I'ittsfield, 5 



RYE. 



First premium, lo Dfiniel Fairchilds, of Stock- 



brid 



<^0 



Second do. to Levi Goodrir>, of rittsfit Id, 



Third do. to Williain W. \i ard, of PiUsfltld, 4 



0.\TS. or a mixed crop of OATS and 

 PEAS, or OATS. PEAS and KYE. 



First prremiura.to Samuel Ij. f'.c'l.of Pitlsfield, t'6 

 Second do. to I-'no? Sniilli. of SiwcKliririiir, o 



It is proper here io remark, that Mr Beal, 

 of Au'lerlilz, (N. Y ) for nuiny years a mem- 

 ber of the Society, was a candidate for the 

 premium on Oats. The committee were u- 

 nanimoi.s in the opinion, that it did not com- 

 port with their duty, (for reasons too obvious 

 to require explanation) to go out of the Coun- 

 ty In esamme crops. Of I his decis:ori, Mr 

 Beal has been duly apprized by the Chair- 

 man. 



MILLET, either for seed or fodder. 



First premium, to James Barker, of Lanesbor- 

 ough, $0 



Second do. to Zebulon Kirby, of Slockbridge, 5 



A», in the oiiinion of the committee, it is in- 

 ere"tina: lo introduce the culture of Millet, 

 and as this is the first attempt of the Society 

 to counlenance experiment', ih^y have been 

 indaced to award Ihese premiums ; although 

 ihe products are not such as may be reasona- 

 bly expected, when we shall have become 

 belter acquainted w'th its cultivation and 

 worth. The committee would briefly re- 

 mark, that from the best information, it re- 

 quires a soil rather drif. than wioij/, and espe- 

 cially a clean tilth ; as its slow crowth in the 

 early stage of its vegetation lends to encour- 

 age weeds. 



CORN". 

 This crop has had to contend with un vn- 

 proniiiovs season, insects, and earhj and severe 

 frosts. These ca«ualues, however, atlord a 

 striking iib'siration of the truth of tlie max- 

 im heretofore alluded to. Almost invariauh', 



wherever it is pruclised, the crops are good; 

 where neglected, they are but indifTerent. — 

 Frst prMnicin, (o David Ch3pin, of Richmond, $8 

 Second do. to Timothy Wainwrigbt, of Great 



Barringlon, 6 



Third do. to John Chatfield, of Great Barrington, ;> 



PEAS. 

 But one crop having been offered — that 

 being deemed but an " ordinary product" — 

 and raised without any other than common 

 culture, the committee in conformity with the 

 regulations, have not awarded a premium. 



FLAX. 



First premium to Edward Plummer, of Richmond, $S 

 Second do. lo Erastus Rowley, of do. f) 



Best managed FARiM — the residue of a special 



donation. 

 First premium to William Weller, of Pittsfield, $20 

 Second do. to Oliver P. Dickinson, of Pittsfield, 15 



Together with a diploma to each, as honorary 



members, agreeable to the 7th article of the 



Bye-Laws. 



For this premium, which the Committee con- 

 sider as the most important of any on the Soci- 

 ety's list, and which they confidently hope, will 

 never he abandoned, because it embraces with- 

 in itself " ^o'jd management in every department 

 of husband nj.,''' there v\ere but three farms enter- 

 ed ; on each of which, the Commitlee found so 

 much to ap(vrnvr, so nnich neatness and econ- 

 omy, connected w.th such admirable system, and 

 I'laise-worthy industry and perseverance, that 

 .h.-'v w-<riiid gladly go into considerable detail in 

 I'elauon' to eacii farm, were they not fuibiudeii, 

 I'y the iiece'^sarily circumscribed limits of a re- 

 port. The commitlee cannot, however, refraia 

 from remarking, in regard to that of the vener- 

 able Judge \Valker,that he has 9uccess!"ully in- 

 tr. duced the system of rotation, judicious man- 

 . element, and regularity of accounts, which he 

 so earnestly recommended in his address to the 

 Sociely, when President, 1819. 



I'be committee are lully aware that their de- 

 cisions will probably disappoint manJ^ They 

 trust, however, with confidence, their endeavors 

 to do impartial justice will be appreciated, even 

 by Ihose who may deem them unsuccessful; to 

 such, as well as ti) all others who may not ob- 

 tain the honour of a prize, they beg leave to 

 remark, that it is impossible all should obtain 

 rewards; that their turn for premiums may 

 come another year ; and that all the improve- 

 ments they may make in this honourable strife 

 will either give ihem immediate profits, or add 

 'o the value of their farms. Besides, the Com- 

 mittee indulge the hope, that a higher and no- 

 bler i-ish than that of being the successful com- 

 petitors, had an influence in inducing them to 

 offer lo view the results of their industry and 

 skill in the parent art ; the art, which of all 

 others, deserves lo he the most venerated and 

 encouraged ; because, directly or iniHrectiy, every 

 memlierofthe community owes lo it, .ill his en- 

 jovmeuts,nll his wealth. " The irue objects of the 

 Agriculturist,"" (as is very justly remarked by 

 the celebrated Davy) " are likewise those of 

 the patriot; men value most, what they have 

 gained with effort; a just conlideDce in their 



