1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



97 



MASS. STATE BOAUD OF AGRICUL- 

 TURE. 



TiESDAT, Jantauv 17, 1854. 



Board met at the State House. Present : His 

 Excellency, the Governor, the Lieut. Governor, 

 and Secretary of State. From those appomted 

 by the Gov. and Council, Marshall P. Wilder, 

 and from the counties ; IMessrs. Brewer, of the 

 Hampden, Brown, of the Middlesex, CLAPP,of the 

 Franklin, Dodge, of the Worcester, FRENCH,of the 

 Norfolk, Lawton, of theHousatonic, Page, of the 

 Bristol, Proctor, of the Essex, Reed, of the Berk- 

 shire, Smith, of. the Hampshire, and Spragce, of 

 the Plymouth, societies. 



After the reading of the proceedings of the last 

 meeting by Mv. Flint, the Secretary, a brief 

 discussion ensued relative to the farm connected 

 with the Reform School, at Westboro', and then 

 the Secretary commenced the reading of his first 

 Annual Report of the Board. The reading was 

 continued through the day, but often interrupted 

 by animated and most instructive discussions by 

 the members of the Board. The reading and dis- 

 cussions continued through the day, until a late 

 hour, when the Board adjourned. 



Wednesday, Janiauy IS. 



Reading of the report was resumed , and after 

 being contiaued two hours, was suspended for the 

 transaction of other business — when, on motion of 

 Mr. Proctor, it was 



Voted, That the committee appointed to confer 

 with the Trustees of the Reform School at West- 

 boro', be authorized to make all suc'i arrange- 

 ments as they may think advisable, and to join in 

 such petition or recommendation for authority 

 from the Legislature, as may bo necessary for this 

 purpose. 



Thcbsday, Ja.ntauy 19. 



The reading of the report was resumed, and oc- 

 cupied most of the day, and was not concluded, 

 when it was laid aside for the transaction of other 

 business. It was then 



Voted, That in the opinion of this Board, if it 

 shall be deemed expedient by the Legislature to 

 grant acts of incorporation for agricultural so- 

 cieties, the geographical limits of such societies 

 should be distinctly defined, so that no two soci& 

 ties hereafter to be entitled to the bounty of the 

 State, shall cover the same territory. 



On motion, Marshall P. Wilder was request- 

 ed to prepare and report to the Board an Essay on 

 the Culture and Preservation of Fruit, and a sim- 

 ilar vote was passed requesting Harvy Dodge, of 

 Sutton, to report on the culture of the Turnip. 



Voted, That the services of Charles L. Flint, 

 Secretary of this Board, have been fixitlifully and 

 eflBciently pcrf(jrmcd, and his discharge of the du- 

 ties of liis oflice meets the entire approbation of 

 Board. The Board tlien adjourned. I 



PEACH TREES. 



The large crop of peaches last year destroyed a 

 great many trees; almost all orchards shov.' the ef- 

 fects of it in their broken and dangling branches. 

 These should ha sawed ofl'now, if not already done, 

 and the heads of all tliosc not In-oken down headed 

 in. AVe give below from Cole's Fruit Book, a 

 descnption with illustratiims, of the proper man- 

 ner of performing the work. 



unprcned. 



" Prune peaches in fall, or early in spring. The 

 fall is preferable, as by the reduction of the top, 

 the tree will be less exposed to injury. Prune at 

 the extremities, by cutting off one-third, or, when 

 very luxuriant, one-half of the last growth. This 

 mode is called shortcning-in or hcading-in, and it 

 is most conveniontlj' performed with stout shears, 

 having long, wooden handles. 



Trees pruned in this way will bear earlier, and 

 produce larger, fairer, and better fruit, and larger 

 crops to the acre, if set near, as we Rave recom- 

 mended ; and tliis mode will prevent over-bearing, 

 by reducing tlie blosssom-buds, and save the ex- 

 pense o^ thinning the fruit. It will also keep up 

 a constant succession of new wood for the next 

 crop, for the fruit is on the previous year's growth. 



This is l)y f;\r the ))est system of pruning, as it 

 keeps the trees low and close, saving them from 

 destruction by excessive crops, heavy winds, damp 

 snow, sleet, and ice. It also economizes room, by 

 many trees to the acre; it promotes health, vigor 

 and longevity, and a constant production of good 

 fruit. 



SUORTEXED-IN. 



This system is now becoming general, and high- 

 ly useful. A tree shortcncd-in is covered with 

 fruit and foliag(>, like the neat small figure; w'liile 

 the unpnincd tree (or that pruned only at the 

 trunk) presents the deformity of naked branches, 

 witli the fruit and foliage only at the extremities, 

 like the large;, ugly figure, first given. 



Agriculture at Framingham. — Wo had the 

 pleasure of meeting many of our friends at Fra- 

 mingham on the evening of the 16th inst., at their 

 Lyceum and Farmer's Clul). Tlicre was an ad- 



