114 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Whether thn rafter level has yet been intro- 

 duced in this part of the United States, we can- 

 not say, altliniish we are informed that it is a ve- 

 ry common im|>lcment of agriculture in Virginia. 

 Those u ho do not like to try a newlhin?, may 

 parhaps, derive some advaritage from the lo!- 

 lowing- observations on horizontal ploughing- 

 c )pied from Deane''s JVctt) England Farmer. 



" Regard should be had to the shape of the 

 land in ploughing. They who plough a steep 

 hill up anil down injure their cattle, and miss of 

 ploughing their land to advantage. The furrow 

 that is drawn uphill must he excessively shoal ; 

 or the team mi.ch stronger than common. For 

 this reason a hill should be ploughed horizon- 

 tally, with roivs as nearly parallel to the base 

 as possible. This may be easily done when 

 all the sides of a hill are to be ploughed at once. 

 The r.nins will carry much of (he finest of the 

 soil to the bottom of the hill if the furrows are 

 made up and down. But ploughed the other 

 ivav the furrows will be sufficient drains ; and 

 the" water will move so slowly in them that 

 none of the soil will Ije washed away. But 

 when a hill is very steep, no turning of a fur- 

 row upwards should be attempted. And if only 

 one side of a steep hill is to be ploughed, the 

 furrows should be all cut the same way, the 

 team returning light after each furrow." 



(to be CO.NTIM'KD.) 



CATTLE SHOWS. 



The fourth Annual Cattle Show, and Exhibition of 

 the Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Do- 

 mestic Industry was holden at Pawtnxet, on the 15th 

 and 16th of October, 1!!23. The Committee for the 

 examination of Live Stock, and awarding premiums 

 thereon (Hon. Tristram Burgess, Chairman,) made a 

 report, from which the following is extracted : 



.. M-i.c general appearance of the stock was 

 liighly satisfactory, and strongly inJicated the 

 progress of improvement. The committee 

 know how much all the success of farming de- 

 pends on the animals propagated and reared for 

 agricultural purposes. They are in a manner 

 associated with us in the toils of the lields, and 

 contribute greatly to all our household comforts 

 — the skilful farmer realizes the strength oflhe 

 ox and accommodates himself with the speed of 

 the horse; and the other animals raised by his 

 care and skill, and fed from his hand, reward 

 him with food and clothing, and give to his hab- 

 itation some of its best ornaments and most com- 

 modious luxuries. It is not needful lor us to re- 

 mind such a man how much of all this depends 

 on the care and skill with which he makes his 

 selections among the various breeds of domes- 

 tic animals which have been oO'ered to his choice 

 by a bountiful Providence. Much indeed de- 

 pends on feeding, but more perhaps, on the an- 

 imal chosen for that purpose ; and we can some- 

 times almost realize the dream of the Egyptian 

 monarch in reviewing the cattle of two dilfer- 

 ent farmers. It is a principle in the branch of 

 agricultural economy, that those animals should 

 be sought after by the farmer which will give 

 him the most in return for the least received of 

 him. In awarding the premiums otTered by 

 the society, the committee have been governed 

 by this principle. They are gratified with the 

 emulation of all their (arming brethren who 

 have entered into this competition so highly 



beneficial to the best interests of the commu- 

 nity." 



Then follows a list of the premiums, which is 

 too long for insertion. 



The committee on Shop Manvfactvres observ- 

 ed that " they were much pleased with a model 

 of a newly invented Spinning Machine, called 

 tlie " Balance Flyer Throstle," presented by 

 Mr. E. Fuller, of Cranston. This Machine has 

 the appearance of being a valuable and impor- 

 tant improvement in spinning cotton, particular- 

 ly of slack twisted yarns. They have award- 

 ed him the Society's certificate of approbation 

 and withheld the premium, there being no com- 

 petition." 



Among the Household Manufactures for which 

 premiums were awarded were Imitation Leg- 

 horn Bonnets, Straw Bonnets, Carpeting, Hose, 

 Flannels, Counterpanes, a Sampler, Map of the 

 United States by Anne Calden, of Providence, 

 Fancy Shell iiaskets. Picture Drawing — one 

 Trunk, containing Fancy Articles by the Young 

 Ladies' Academy, Providence, Net Curtains, 

 &,c. &.C. 



" The Committee were highly grjititiod at 

 seeing Dr. Benjamin Dyer, of Providence, clad 

 in a complete suit of silk of a superior c|uality, 

 manufactured in his own family, even from the 

 cul'ure of the trees to the growing of the worms, 

 producing the material. Such exertions to in- 

 dependence in our manufactures, in this article, 

 by this spirited individual, not only deserves 

 tbe praise and approbation of the committee, 

 but merils the applause of the p'lblic." 



Premiums were likewise awarded on Mill Man- 

 ufactures and on Ploughing. A pair of three 

 years old steers, owned and driven by Mr. Nich- 

 olas Waterman, of Johnston, " ploughed one 

 eighth of an acre of ground, well, in the short 

 space of 15 minutes and 50 seconds." The ex- 

 hibition of draught oxen was highly commend- 

 ed by the Committee. — Abridged from the Far- 

 mers'' and .yunitfactiirers'' Journal. 



The Bristol County Jigricultural Socictij held 

 its first annual Exhibition in Taunton, Oct. 21 

 and 22, 1823. A variety of articles, in the de- 

 partment of manufactures, wrought in families 

 and in manufacturing establishments was exhib- 

 ited, together v\'ith live animals, and the pro- 

 ducts of the soil and the dairy and excited the 

 surprise and delight of the most sanguine well- 

 wishers of the Society. At 12 o'clock, an ap- 

 propriate prayer by the Uev. Mr. Hamilton, an 

 elegant and instructive address, by the Hon. 

 Francis Baylies, and very excellent music form- 

 ed the exercises at the Meeting House of theFirst 

 Congregational Society. After the address the 

 Society formed a procession, which repaired to 

 Mr. Atwood's Hotel, where, with invited guests 

 they partook of an excellent dinner. In the af- 

 ternoon the several Committees on Manufac- 

 tures, Agricultural Products and Animals, pre- 

 pared their Reports, which were announced on 

 the following day in the Meeting House. On 

 the second day, in the afternoon, the Ploughing 

 Match took place near the Academy, witnessed 

 by a vast number of delighted spectators. — 

 Three teams, of one yoke each, entered the 

 field, and ploughed one eighth of an acre each, 

 in as short a time, considering the hardness of 

 the sward through which the plough passed, as 

 the annals of ploughing matches in this coun- 

 try have ever reached — and the neatness of the 



work, as well as the experfness of the perfort 

 ance, gained the warmest applause of the coi 

 mittee and many experienced farmers prese; 

 Immediately after the ploughing match the 

 was an auction of some animals, in the Hall 

 tbe Society. Among the Domestic Manvfactvr 

 which received premiums were the fbllowi 

 articles : — Cotton Sheeting, Cotton Shirting, Si 

 inet. Carpeting, Hearth Rugs, Cotton and Woi 

 len Flannel, an Imitation Leghorn Bonnet, Strs 

 Bonnets, Boots, Calf skins, a Beaver Hat, 

 Plough, an Axe, Rose Blankets, Sewing Cottc 

 a Bit-Stock and Bit, Shovels and Weavers' Shi 

 ties, Linen Sheeting and Shirting. 



The following articles were recommend 

 as entitled to Certificates of E.xcellence ; a ben 

 tiful f|uilted Counterpane, fine specimens ofci 

 ton and linen Diaper, a beautiful shell wo 

 Basket, Hearth Rugs and Calf skin Roots. T 

 Agricultural Products were mostly of the usi 

 kinds excepting fine specimens of peach a 

 apple trees, produced by inoculation the pi 

 sent season, by Jacob Dean, of Mansfield, a 

 Potatoes produced from the seed of the prese 

 season, some of them as large as hen's eggs, 

 James P. Lyon. The time in which t 

 Ploughing was completed was as follows; A 

 ner Thayer one eighth of an acre in twenty-o 

 minutes, Samuel Crocker, twenty-three mi 

 iitcs, and Samuel Robertson, twenty-three mi 

 utes. 



Officers of the Bristol County Agricultural So 

 ety for the ensuing year. 



Hon. Samuel Crocker, Taunton, Presider 

 Hon. Oliver Starkweather, Seekonk, Rev. P 

 Clark, Norton, Rev. Otis Thompson, Rehoboi 

 and Thomas Aliny, Esq. Dartmouth, Vice Pre 

 dents ; Dea. Peter Thacher, Attleboroug 

 Treasurer; Horatio Leonard, Esq. Raynha 

 Recording Secretary ; Hon. James L. Hodg 

 Taunton, Corresponding Secretary. 



Committee on Agriculture. — Roland Howai 

 Esq. Elision ; Lemuel May, Esq. Attleboroug 

 Mr. Enos Williams, Raynham ; Capt. She. 

 Weaver, Troy ; Mr. Jesse Smilh, Taunton. 



Committee on Domestic Animals. — George 1 

 Peck, Esq. Rehohoth ; Mr. George W. Walkt 

 Seekonk; Mr. Pardon Cornell, Darlmouth ; M 

 Dan Wilmarth, Taunton ; Mr, William Rea 

 Somerset. 



Committee on Domestic Mamfaciures. — Jose| 

 E. Read, Esq. Troy ; Nath'l Wheeler, Esq. W< 

 lington ; Solomon Pratt, Esq. Mansfield ; Abiath 

 Richardson, Esq. Attleliorough ; Mr. Hen 

 Washburn, Taunton. 



Committee of Publication. — Hon. Francis Ba 

 lies, Hon. James L. Hodges, David G. W. Cob 

 Esq. all of Taunton. 



From the Boston Commercial Gazette. 



CIRCULAR. 

 SIR.— On the 19th of October last (the secw 

 day of the annual Fair in this vicinity) a mec 

 ing was held of the Manufacturers of Woollens 

 Massachusetts, to consider the subject of pet 

 tioning Congress lo increase the duties on woe 

 lens. At this meeting, Hon. JESSE PUTNAi 

 presided, and Mr. J. B. Brown was Secretar 

 The subject was discussed, and a vote passei 

 that it was the opinion of the meeting that a 

 application ought to bo made to the nation; 

 legislature, to revise the Tarift", and to increas 

 the duties on foreign woollen goods. A commi. 



