I 



NKW ENGLAND FARMER. 



17!) 



Thirdly, on Lime. In a district of country a- 

 beunding in Limestone, as is the case in Berk- 

 shire, it would seem interesting; to permanent 

 improvement in husbandry, to in-ilitutean inqui- 

 ry, for the purpose of ascertaining how far our 

 soils may be improved by its use — in what man- 

 ner it may be most efficaciously applied — and, 

 if the benefits resulting from its application will 

 warrant the expense. 



The Committee are induced to urge the sub- 

 ject on the attention of the Society, not only 

 from a conviction, in their own minds, of its im- 

 portance, but especially from its having been 

 recently slated in an Address of the Hon. Jona- 

 than Roberts, President of the Pennsylvania Ag- 

 ricultur<<l Society, — " thai soils to which gypsum 

 has been applied for several successive years, 

 cease to afford either summer pasture or winter 

 fodder ; whilst an evident diminution of the 

 ploughed crops followed. A recourse (lie adds) 

 has been had to the use of lime, and its effects 

 have been scarcely less visible, than that of 

 gypsum, when first applied." 



Feurthly, on N.\ket> F.allows. On some soils | 

 anil under some circumstances, they are un- 

 doubtedly necessary; whil-t on others, they 

 cause not Only the loss of one crop, bjt a need- 

 less expense of labor. Judicious rolalinns, ade- 

 quate manuring, the culture of corn, peas, and 

 rape, (the former, of an early kind, to bo cut U[i 

 when seared, and removed from the land to rip- 

 en and cure in stacks — and the latter to be fed 

 to sheep) or the ploughing in of green crops, it 

 is believed, wc ild be more advantageous than 

 the present general practice. 



Fifthly, on Wi.vter Meslix. Experience hav- 

 ing demoostriited that this crop is subject to less 

 casualties than either species ofgrain w hen sown 

 separate, the Committee would recommend that 

 it be introduced into the list of [remiums. 



Whilst we had an abundance of fresh and fer- 

 tile soil, it was the interest of the farmer to 

 spread his labour over as great a surface as pos- 

 sible; consequently, the study and practice of 

 the true principles of agriculture were neglected, 

 until nectssily awakened us to the need of a re- 

 I'orm. 



To this cause we are principally indebted for 

 the numberless patriotic Societies spread abroad 

 through every section of our happy country, for 

 the purpose of collecting and diffusing ngricult- 

 I ural information. And it is gratifying (r specially 

 I to those who afforded ihem counlenarice and 

 support in their infancy) to perceive that the 

 object is pursued with a zeal and intelligence, 

 which characterizes the efforts of a selfgov- 

 erned people, whatever may be the objects to 

 which they are directed. 



THOMAS MELVILLE, jr. Chairman. 



Pittsfidd, October 5, 1824. 



2Jftottc=SEslanU Sorfctg 



FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF DO.MESTIC INDUSTRY. 



The Committee on Agricultural Products res- 



pecifully submit the following 



REPORT : 



James Rhodes, Esq. of Warwick, is entitled to 



Hie Society's premium of Ten Dollars, on a crop 



of Indian Corn, amounting lo 1 17 bushels 7 and 



a half quarts, produced on one acre of ground. 



The soil on which this crop grewi<; a Ftro.^g 



loam, which'had remained in sward six or seven 

 years. It ivas ploughed on the 2t)lh of May, and 

 planted on the 22d, in rows three feet apart, 

 running north and south. The corn was dropped 

 in n furrow, about eight inches apart, and six 

 inches apart, lengthwise of the furrow. About 

 28 loads of compost manure, mixed with slablc- 

 dung, were used — one half of this being plough- 

 ed in, and the other placed in the furrow. — 

 Tliiily barrels of Menhaden fish were ploughed 

 into the middle of Ihe rows on the 2 Jth of June. 

 The crop received no other ploughing, and was 

 hoed only twice. The eitpense of cultivation, 

 [)lacing half Ihe value of the manure to thegrow- 

 ing crop, was $27.70. 



Thomas Fry, Esq. of East Greenwich, is en- 

 tilled to the Society's premium of Ten Dollars, 

 on a crop of Potatoes, grown on an acre of 

 ground, and amounting lo 419 bushels. 



This acre is part of the four acres which pro- 

 duced the premium corn crop of last year. The 

 ground was ploughed about the middle of May, 

 and then furrowed two and a half feet apart. — 

 The potatoes, which were the long red, or River 

 La Plate, were cut, and one piece placed at 15 

 to 18 inches ajiart in the furrow. Fit'teen loads 

 ol manure were [uit on the potatoes, and they 

 were then covered with earth. They were 

 hoed only once, and were dug the last of Octo- 

 ber. The expense of cultivation, placing half 

 Ihe value of the manure to Ihe growing crop, 

 was gH 98. 



A communication has been received from Mr 

 Nathaniel Cook, of Cumberland, addressed to 

 the standing Committee. It is presumed, that 

 the letter was intended for the Commiltee on 

 agricultural products, and that it has some 

 reference to the premium offered by Ihe Socie- 

 ty, to the person who shall, by actual exjjeri- 

 menl, prove the Lest season, and modes of lay- 

 ing down land lo grass; whether spring, sum- 

 mer, or fall seedmg, be preferable ; and with, 

 or wilhoul grain, on different soils. 

 Mr Cook observes, that from long experience, 

 he is able to decide, that Ihe best time lor lay- j 

 ing land down to grass, is as early in the spring I 

 as the ground will do to plough. Ho says, j 

 " last spring, I sowed a piece of sjiring rye, and . 

 hay-seed, about Ihe 1st of April, and about the 

 20th, 1 sowed Ihe land adjoining to barley. — ! 

 The hay-seed look much best on that sown lirst, 

 so much so, that a plain difference is to be seen, 

 through the whole length of the line, about 2U 

 rods." PJe expresses an opinion, that if hay 

 seed he sown in the fall, the winter is apt to 

 kill the grass, especially on poor land. He 

 states from observation, that iiay-secd sown 

 alone will take better than with grain, but still 

 conceives, that where the land is capable of 

 producing a good crop of grain, it is most pro- 

 fitable, to connect the crops. Your Committee 

 consider the Society indebted to Mr Cook, for 

 the information contained in his letter, but they 

 do not conceive, that a single, and possibly an 

 accidental experiment, on one point, can enti- 

 tle him to the premium. 



Your Committee would here remark, that it 

 is understood, that fall seeding, is getting into 

 favour, with some of the most eminent farmers, 

 in the vicinity of Boston ; and they would re- 

 commend, that satisfactory experiments, in that 

 mode of seeding, should be made in this State. 

 The experiments in the culture of millet, havej 



rather !r\crea!ed the favourable impression, of 

 last year, ll is hoped that experiments in this 

 article, Jioth a? a seeding and a fodder crop, will 

 be extended. Your Committee slate with re- 

 gret and mortification, that no claims have been 

 offered for [iremiums, on Ihe four acre crop of 

 corn, on carrots, on mangel wurlzol, on exper- 

 iments to ascertain the best modes of raising 

 Indian corn, on barley, or on the introduction of 

 a new species of grass. It is true, that the re- 

 sult of the season, disappointed the hopes, 

 which many had built, on its early [iromise. It 

 is also true, that in the ever varying dispositions 

 of Infinite Wisdom, we are doomed to frequent 

 disappointment. Our seasons will fluctuate, be- 

 tween the productive and unproductive ex- 

 tremes. In many respects, the last season was 

 productive, and if in some articles our expecta- 

 tions were not realized, this does not account 

 for the mortification, which our Society now ex- 

 periences, in the neglect of its premiums. It 

 was hoped, that the small premiums offered by 

 our Society, would excite a generous emulation 

 in the most important pursuit of industry. It is 

 hoped, that the neglect of this interesting In- 

 stitution, is in some degree accidental. 



In comparing Ihe present state of agriculture, 

 with lis condition at the date of our last Re- 

 port, we find no cause for giatulation. Our 

 foreign market for produce remains limited, and 

 Ihe last commercial documents which were is- 

 sued by the Treasury Department of the United 

 States, exhibit a diminishing export. The na- 

 tions of Europe, with exceptions rather unim- 

 portant to commerce, are in a state of Peace; ' 

 and every friend of humanity, must wish, that'' 

 Ihey may so remain. The rate of wages, con- 

 linnes too high, for the rate of produce. A good 

 hand, hiied at eight dollars per rnojilh, and sub- 

 sisted, as a laborious man ought to be, will in 

 most cases, find it difficult, to return his em- 

 ployer, Ihe value of his wages and subsistence. 

 We cannot censure our brethren, who have sold 

 us their exhausted land, at a high price, and 

 have transplanted themselves to the fertile re- 

 gions of Ihe West, there to purchase estates 

 comparatively for a song. In the adversity of 

 our particular pursuit, we are not however, left 

 without consolation. We enjoy, as a nation, 

 the paramount blessings of Heaven, Peace, ' 

 Plenty, and Liberty. SAMUEL KING. 



For the Committee, 



Pawtuxet, Dec. 15, 1824. 



EFFECTS OF BURNING CHARCOAL. 



Ursula Delage, a seamstress, at the house of a 

 lady in Bordeaux, a short time since. The 

 mistress of Ihe house had caused a bath to be 

 prepared, but from some circumstances was pre- 

 vented taking it. The seamstress expressed a 

 desire to make use of it, which she easily ob- 

 tained. She shut herself up in the room, 

 where every thing was ready. She drew the 

 water from the cylinder which served to heat 

 it ; but the vapours of the coal, which absorbed 

 the atmospheric air, soon produced their sad ef- 

 fect. The poor woman probably had "not 

 strength to call, for when they went into the 

 room, she was found in the bath, drowned. — 

 A simple opening of the neck was sufficient to 

 prove that death took place rather from the ef- 

 fect of ihe air, than from the water 



