244 



NEW ENGl^ANB FARMER. 



[Feb. 25, 



jB^artfora ^(gricuUural Soctcts. 



The stated Meeting of tlie members of the 

 Society for the choice of Officers, and the trans- 

 action of its annual business, was held at Morgan's 

 Coffee-HousQ on Tuesday last. 



The attendance was chiefly from the country, 

 and although the traveling was very bad, yet at 

 no former Meeting of this Society, has there 

 been present so great a proportion of enteri)riz- 

 ing, operative Farmers. 



Resolutions were adopted, providiiis;, that 

 hereafter no premiums shall be av.arded by this 

 Society, to any persons, but to its members, 

 their daughters, and minor sons, except to wid- 

 ows and fatherless females — that suitable pre- 

 miums be offered, for encouraging the growth 

 of Nurseries of Fruit and Ornamental Trees. 



The zeal for the interests of the Society man- 

 ifested by its members on this occasion, has re- 

 moved all apprehensions which might have ex- 

 isted for its prosperity, and furnishes abimdant 

 evideuce that the Hartford County Agricultural 

 Society is to exist and flourish ; though other 

 and similar Societies have decayed and died. 



This Society is not now patronized for its 

 novelty, but for its utility — and at no period 

 since its formation, have its prospects been more 

 encouraging. 



An adherence to tliese principles — which have 

 lately governed the various Awarding Commit- 

 tees — and a prompt and faithful discharge of 

 the duties devolving on the Awarding and Town 

 Committees, will insure the increase and jier- 

 tnanency of this Society. 



The fbilovving persons were ohosen oflicers 

 of the Society lor the year ensuing : 



ENOCH PERKINS, President. 

 M.iRTrN Ki;llogg, jr. \st Vice President. 

 ■ Luther Loomis, 2d Vice President. 

 J. L. CoMSToCK, Corre?p- Si:c''y_. 

 Charles Baecock, Eec. 5cc'i/. 

 Solomon Porter, Treasurer. 

 Cyprian Nichols, Auditor. 



S. S. Stebbins, 'Chairman Vicxajiri" Commiifce. 

 Joseph Pratt, Chairman Com. an Produce. 

 Martin Ellstvorth, Chairman Com. inspec. 

 Barzuillai Hudson, Chairman Com. .Maniijac. 

 Joseph Porter, Chairman Com. on Phiighiiig. 

 Harvey Seymour, Seedsman. 



To the Executive Committee of the Hartford Comi- 

 ty Agricultural Socictij., the Vievsing Committee 

 respectfully report : 



That their duties this season have been more 

 arduous, and they think more gratifying than in 

 any former year, since the establishment of the 

 Society. Seven fine Farms were entered for 

 inspection, which we now mention in the order 

 in which they were examined. 



For a description of Mr. Hapiiel's Farm, of 

 his i.iiprovements, and mode of managing, we 

 with pleasure refer to former reports of the 

 Viewing Committee, which, we think, have 

 done uim ample justice. Within his enclosures, 

 every thing is found in its place, even to a straw. 

 For his peculiar neatness in f^irming, he has al- 

 ready hi'en encuuraged and rewarded by re- 

 ceiving, in 1824, the eecond premium, in the 

 gift of the Society. In his peculiar trails, as a 

 farmer, we are not afraid of his being tco fre- 

 quently imitated ; — and would cordially recom- 

 mend an examination of his yards and out-houses, 



not only to those who have a wood-pile at one 

 door, and a pig-pen at the other — but to every 

 Gentleman, who, in the arrangement of his 

 buildings, and adjacent grounds, regards both 

 conilbrl and eiegnnce. 



The large Farm of Mr. Ira Webster, in 

 West-Hartford, is well known in this vicinity as 

 a pleasant and highly productive one. — Most of 

 this Farm lies upon a ridge ot land, having a 

 light, warm, gravelly soil, friendly to a great 

 variety of crops, and yielding a sure and hand- 

 some profit. Possessed of such advantages, we 

 cannot say that we are gratified in finding Mr. 

 Wi;BbTER engaged in reclaiming, at an immense 

 expense, a tract of low land, sufKciently unpro- 

 mising, at the first view, and, on examination, 

 still more so. The surface is uneven, consist- 

 ing of hillocks and pond-lioles ; and the soil ex- 

 tremely shallovv, imposed upon a close, reten- 

 tive sub-soil. Should the Projirietor carry into 

 complete effect his design, of bringing the 

 whole to an even surface, and rendering it, by 

 the application of manures, productive, it would 

 add much to the appearance of his Farm, but 

 would be attended with an expense which, vvc 

 think, neither its situation, nor its inherent va- 

 lue, would justify. In justice, however, to Mr. 

 Webster, we must remark, that his attention 

 lias, by no means, been confined to this part of 

 his farm — but that those parts, the cultivation 

 of which must be attended with both profit and 

 ()leasure, afford eiident marks of correct taste, 

 and good management. Wo know of no Far- 

 mer in this vicinity, who has been so exten- 

 -ivel)', or so successfully engaged, in the cul- 

 tivation of fruit. Of the excellence, and abun- 

 dance of this, we enjoyed a very sensible [>roof. 

 His Orchards, which contain a large number of 

 llie finest varieties of Apples, Pears, Peaches, 

 &c. far surpass, in beauty and thrift, every 

 thing of the k'lud, \vhich we noticed, in our ex 

 cursioji. 



The nest Farm, which came imder our ob- 

 servation, was that of Mr. Moses Goodman, of 

 West-Hartford. This Farm was examined by 

 the Viewing Committee, last year, and wa^ 

 mentioned, in favorable terms, in their oflicia! 

 report. Deacon Goodman is one of the oldest 

 members of our Society, and we hardly know 

 of one, who may, in all things, be more safely 

 followed, by I'armers of small capital. His 

 Farm a'lpears to have been in a train of melio- 

 ration, for more than foi !y years. He has 

 adopted no striking plan of improvement, h inch, ; 

 if it failed, would be ruinous: — his attention 

 has not beea engrossed by any .Civorite scheme, j 

 which would lead to a neglect of the ordinary! 

 concerns of the Farm ; — but by husbanding his 

 time — by judiciously applying his means, ami! 

 by availing himself of the advantages, which, 

 the nature of his grounds presented, he has re- 

 claimed tVom absolute waste, a tract of more 

 than twenty acres, and brought it to a slate of 

 productiveness, which is rarely surpassed. 



The large farm of Mr Grant, of VVintonbury, 

 was presented for our inspection. Here we 

 witnessed the various operations of Agricul- 

 ture, Horticulture, and several of the Mechan- 

 ic Arls carried on, upon a grand and extensive 

 scale. Notwiflistanding tlio establishment is so 

 large, and the objects ofalfeotion so various, 

 every thing is perfect clock n'or!:. Althouqh 

 the system of farming pursued by Mr Grant, 

 cannot be generally adopted in this country, 



still we were convinced that it was the best pos- 

 sible system, for one in his situation. It will be 

 recollected that he has the charge of the Pau- 

 pers of the Stale of Connecticut, and also some 

 of the the adjacent towns. These unfortunate 

 men, reduced to a state of dependence, by in- 

 capacity, infirmity, or vice, and destitute, in 

 most cases, of either skill or judgment, would 

 seem incapable of much efficient labour. But, 

 by being kept in a course of temperance, by 

 having their labour judiciously arranged, and 

 divided, and by being under constant superinten- 

 dence, they are enabled to perform, in a work- 

 manlike manner, a great variety, and a great 

 amount of libour — thus contributing both to 

 their own health and comfort, and to the wealth 

 of the Contractor. The Committee regard the 

 situation of Captain Grant, as peculiar; — and 

 we iloubt not, that, with his management, aided 

 as lie is by the skill and enterprize of his son, 

 he will soon render this establishment one, 

 which no citizen can visit without profit. 



Tlie Farm of Mr Oliver Filley, in the same 

 neighbourhood had been previously vieued by 

 your Committee, in 1820, and 1821 : — and was 

 considered by them, as having high claims for 

 the neatness and arrangement of its buiidings, 

 for the excellence of its fences, and for the ex- 

 tent, which it exhibited, of safe improvement, 

 anil judicious practice. Since that time, the 

 exertions of Mr Filley seem not to have been 

 abrited. His tields afford a striking contrast with 

 those on either side, and. evince, by their ap- 

 pearance, how much may be done, by moderate 

 menns,skilfully applied. It will be recollected, 

 that, as Mr Filley had already received the.fcc- 

 o:iJ premium on'Farois, be was by a by-law of 

 llu^ Society, a competitor only for ihe first. 



From the examination of the Farm of Mr Jef- 

 FERv O, Phe! rs, of Sirasbury, we received no 

 small share of satisfaction. An astonishing change 

 lias been eflected upon the Farm, in the few 

 years in which it has been in the hands of Mr. 

 Phelps, both in its appearance, and in the a- 

 mount of its production. The leading improve- 

 ments, which came within our observation, ap- 

 pear to have been made at what farmers too 

 frequently call leisure seasons, and with refer- 

 ence both to immediate and future profit. In- 

 deed, Mr Phelps appears to be, emphalicslly. 

 one mho makes the most of every thing. In his farm- 

 ing operations, nothing is wasted, or neglected — 

 every thing is done in its season, ahd every 

 hour is devoted to some employment, which is 

 useful, because profitable. The i>riuciples of 

 strict economy, by which he is guided, seconded 

 by the frugal and enlightened system, which is 

 displayed in the domestic concerns of the family, 

 point out, with an unerring, hand, tlie road to 

 iveulth. 



The Farm of !\ir Bryan Hooker, of Bristol, 

 presents many marks of good management, and 

 some of successful experiment ; — and, in its 

 sreneral appearance, exhibits additional proof, 

 that nothing but the hand of industry, guided 

 by sound judgment, is necessary, to cause Ihe 

 wilderness to blossom as the rose. 



Our excursion was a laborious, but still a 

 pleasant and instruclire one. Besides thi-se al- 

 ready mentioned, we noticed several line Farms, 

 exhibiting improvements and experiments, of 

 commanding interest. We believe that the 

 Society is exerting a powerful and beneficial 

 iulluencR, throughout the County ; — (hat pre- 



