1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



285 



nure to that Dudley pasture, and then travelling 

 so much to take care of the crop. You know we 

 do get awful dry there, sometimes, father, and Hob- 

 son's cattle are almost sure to break in and do 

 damage, when there is no one to look after them." 



"Well, what do you say, Joe?" 



"I think what Nelson says is worth considering. 

 I believe we ought to have the crops that require 

 the most labor, and manure, and watching, as near 

 home as possible. Why can't we raise grass on 

 the Dudley pasture, and have all our cultivated 

 crops near by ?" 



"I saw in the Farmer" says Nelson, "that it is 

 thought best to plant among trees in the orchard." 



"Don't like plowing among trees, boys. Besides, 

 can't raise anything under trees ; shady, corn wont 

 ear, potatoes only about yield the seed." 



"Yes, but, father, if we get a crop of apples from 

 the trees we ought to be satisfied. Perhaps our 

 trees might be thinned some, so that they would 

 not shade the ground so much. At any rate, folks 

 do get four times as much for the apples from an 

 acre of trees, as we do for an acre of corn. I don't 

 think we ought to grudge a tree the ground it 

 stands upon, or be afraid if it should get some of 

 the manure spread on for the corn or potatoes." 



"So you think we had better rip up the old or- 

 chard by the barn, this year, boys ?" 



"We do. The land is richer than the Dudley 

 pasture, and we shall be doing great good to the 

 tre-?^ by plowing it up." 



The boys bring the papers, after the "cloth" has 

 been removed ; they read to their father. More 

 light breaks gradually into his mind. He decides 

 to plant the lot which lies so level and near his 

 barn. 



For the New England Farmer. 



ART IN AGRICULTURE. 



This may truly be said to be the age of improve- 

 ments. Occupying a stand point of only twenty 

 3'ears back, and looking in whatever direction you 

 please, the mind is filled with delight, at the many 

 wonderful results of genius to be found in every de- 

 partment of industry. To the appreciative mind 

 it is one of the greatest sources of pleasure to im- 

 prove some of the leisure hours in the examination 

 of them. 



On a visit to your city a short time since, I stepped 

 into the large and extensive warehouse of Messrs. 

 Nourse, Mason & Co., over the Quincy Market, 

 where is one of the largest collections of agricultu- 

 ral implements to be found in the world. Through 

 the politeness of Joel Nourse, Esq., one of the pro- 

 prietors of this establishment, and the originator of 

 the same, I was shown through this truly agricul- 

 tural museum. This hall is undoubtedly famil- 

 iar to many of your readers, as that occupied by the 

 Mechanics' Association for their triennial Fairs. 



Messrs. N., M. & Co. occupy about 400 feet of 

 this hall, or four sections, and the rotunda. On en- 

 tering the first section is found the seed depart- 

 ment, in which can be found ever) variety of seed 



required by the farmer or gardener, and which 

 keeps in constant employ four experienced seeds- 

 men, in supplying orders which come from every 

 quarter of the globe. Passing along, thousands of 

 beautifully finished ox yokes, piled up in systemat- 

 ic order, meet the eye and fill the mind with won- 

 der, as to when they can all find a use ; hay and straw 

 cutters, corn she]lers,&c., without number, reaching 

 to the very ceiling. Passing on to the rotunda, one 

 is struck with amazement at the immense amount 

 and variety of articles before him ; piles of churns, 

 rising like mountains, the summits almost lost from 

 sight, occupy the greater part of this immense 

 dome ; it would be impossible for me to name, much 

 less describe the numerous articles here displayed, 

 of many of which I was obliged to own my entire 

 ignorance. Some of the most prominent, howev- 

 er, are worthy a passing notice, such as their newly 

 invented universal ploio, a person buying one of 

 which, with the series of mould-boards for the same, 

 can change it into twelve different kinds of plows, 

 each perfect in its parts, and adapted to its own es- 

 pecial work. This I consider one of the greatest 

 improvementsof the times, audit will eventually su- 

 persede the kinds now in common use. 



Their Steel Plows, on an entirely new and im- 

 proved plan, which makes them stronger, and light- 

 er than any now in use, are of two qualities, which 

 particularly recommend them for the Great West. 

 Corn Planters and Seed-sowers, which, by the aid 

 of a horse will perform the labor of many men. 

 The Corn Planter is so constructed, as to furrow, 

 plant and cover the grain in the most perfect man- 

 ner any given distance, dropping the fertilizer at 

 the same time with the seed, and at the rate of ten 

 acres per day. Mowing Machines and Reapers, 

 which for superiority of work obtained the State 

 premium of $1000 at a trial held last fall in the 

 western part of the State. 



Passing from the rotunda to the other sections, 

 immense quantities of shovels, hoes, forks, rakes, 

 plows, harrows, cultivators, horse-hoes, horse-pow- 

 ers and threshing machines ; gristmills, corn crack- 

 ers, sugar mills, &c., were arranged on either side, 

 whilst the busy employees, engaged in packing and 

 shifting the same, gave it the appearance of a hive 

 of industry. 



Messrs. N., M. & Co. have a foundery and man- 

 ufactory at Worcester, also one en a much larger 

 scale at Groton, where they keep in constant em- 

 ploy between four and five hundred workmen, turn- 

 ing off" goods of their manufacture to all parts of the 

 world — manufacturing every thing from the rough 

 state to the complete and finished article. They 

 can answer their large orders with a promptness and 

 despatch not to be equalled in any section of the 

 United States, if, indeed, in the world. "Where do 

 all these goods go, and where can there be found 

 a market for them ?" I often asked ; with a smile 

 I was answered, "Twenty years ago, when I thought 

 I was doing a large plow business, if I could dispose 

 of 150 or 200 a year, I considered I had done well ; 

 but now the demand exceeds tens of thousands, 

 where they then were not known. Such is the ad- 

 vance of civilization. The plow is needed to open 

 the way, and civilization is sown on its furrows. Eu- 

 rope, Asia, South America, Australia, New Hol- 

 land, Van Dieman's Land, all ! all ! call for Yankee 

 plows." Well, thought I, in the infancy of their 

 civilization, what better nurse could they have than 

 my friend Joel, or his representative, the Plow. 



