1854. 



NEW" ENGLAND PARMER. 



163 



IMPBOVEMENT OF THE DAIEY. 



Lexinc;ton., Jax, 0, 1854, 

 To Ihc Trustees of the Massac/mscils Seciely for 



Promoting Agriculture. 



Gentlemen- — In a communication -which I have 

 just received front the Ron. E. R. Hoar, iatc 

 President of the JJiddlcsex Agricultural Society, 

 lie informs lue that ho huA a conversation some 

 weeks ago with oee of the members of your Board, 

 in regard to the mode in which tlie State Society 

 <~ould best promote agricuiturui improveKients, 

 through the agency of the County Societies ; and 

 that he then suggested, that if tlie Trustees of the 

 State Society had fujids which they ceuld spare 

 for the purpose, it might be well for them to 

 divide the State into disti-icts, pcrlvapg four in 

 number ; the Western Counties one, TTorcester 

 and Norfolk one, the Southern Counties one, and 

 Essex and Middlesex the fourth ; that should the 

 sum appropriatefl admit of it, $150 should be 

 offered in each district, as premiums foir the best 

 ■dairy of cows, not less than *•/> in number, which 

 should have been owned for five months previous 

 to the cattle shew by ths exhibitoT, divided into 

 three premiums of $75, $50, and $25, open to 

 competition io any pei-son iu either of the coun- 

 ties composing the district, and offering it in 

 Middlesex this year, and in Essex next, or vice 

 versa, and in like manner in each of the other 

 ■districts. 



In case the funds of the Society would admit 

 of offering only $100 to each district, in premiums 

 of $60, $30 and $20, or in two premiums of $60 

 and $40, it might be proportionably useful. 



The foregoing plan presents a mode of offering 

 premiums, which if not entirely new, has been 

 adopted only to quite a limited extent, by any of 

 our agricultural societies. The object is one of 

 great importanco : the advancement of that impor- 

 tant branch of agriculture which pertains to the 

 dairy. Hitliei-t > the attention of agriculturists 

 has been niainl3' directed to improved modes of 

 culture, with t(?(» little regard to the dairy, or the 

 stock best suit&l io its purposes. It i!i true that 

 to this end the Trustees of the Maasachusetts 

 Society have for many years past directed their 

 attention, and not -s^ithout beneficial results. — 

 That all their eflort« should have been crowned 

 with entire succ.-s* could not reasonably have 

 been expected. That they had aided in awaking 

 the minds of farmers to a sense of the importance 

 of greater improvement in this branch of husband- 

 ry, cannot l)e questioned. There is still much 

 need of further effort to advance this department, 

 and bring it nearer to perfection. 



In tlie confident belief that the plan above 

 mentioned, if carried out under pjoper regula- 

 tions, would have a useful and beneficial effect, I 

 bog leave to offer it for your consideration, cherish- 

 ing the hope that it well not be deemed unworthy 

 of your adoption and encouragement. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant. 



Saml. Chandler. 



teution which was duo alike to its subject and its 

 source. 



At the last meeting of the Board, the under- 

 signed were appointed a Committee to communi- 

 cate to you the conclusion to which the Trustees 

 had come, with full powers to arrange all the 

 details which might be necessary for carrying 

 their views into effect. 



You have done the Trustees of the State Society 

 no more than justice in saying that "they have 

 directed theiv attention for manyyaira past to the 

 adv-ancemcEt of that important part of Agricul- 

 iture which pertains to the Dairy.'' They deem 

 ine departiaent ef husbandry more interos'ting or 

 imore important, and they will gladly avail them- 

 jselves of the suggestions of exiierienced farmers, 

 in doing whatever more may bo in their power in 

 the same directton-s. 



With this view, and in conformity with the 

 general ideas of ly'ourself and Judge Hoar, they 

 have authorized and instructed the undersigned to 

 select four counties in different quarte;s of the 

 Commonwealth, in which premiums for the best 

 dairy cows shall be offered by the State Society 

 during the present year, and they have appro- 

 priated the sum of six hundred dollara for the 

 purpose. Should the result of this experiment 

 fulfil the expectations which they are encouraged 

 to form, it ie not improbable that a similar course 

 will be pursued in the other counties in succeed- 

 ing years. 



For the pra«!ont, however, we are authorized to 

 announce to ^-ou, and through you to the farmers 

 of Middlesex, and other parts of the State, that 

 the Agricultural Societies o^Middlcseoc, Berkshire, 

 Worcester and Bristol, are hereby severally em- 

 powered by the Trustees of the State Society, 

 to offer the following premiums for the present 

 year, and to call upon our Treasurer for their 

 payment, viz : — 



For the best dairy of cows, not less than six in 

 number, and which shall have been owned by the 

 exhibitor and kept within tlie county not less than 

 five months previous to the Cattle Show, $75. 



For the second best do, $50. 



For the third best do, $25. 



You will observe that we have so far departed 

 fi-om your suggestions, as to confine the competi- 

 tion to the separate counties, instead of adopting 

 the district system, which you proposed. 



And we desire, also, to add, that the whole re- 

 sponsibility of judging as to the cattle exhibited, 

 and of awarding the premiums, ia intended to be 

 left to the County Societies, respectively, subject 

 only to the conditions and limitations which hare 

 been already stated. 



"We remain. Dear Sir, 



Respectfully, your obedient servants, 

 RoiiT. C. W^i.\THRor, ) 

 James Brow.v, \ Committee. 



Geokoe W. Lyman, l 



Boston, Feuruary 18, 1854. 

 Gen. Sani'l Chandler, Lexington : 



Dear Sir — Your communication of January 

 0th was duly received by the Trustees of the 

 Massachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture, 

 and has been considered by them with all the at- 



Dkstruction of Birds at VAN9iTTARTlsL.ijfi> 



They generally take 2,000 to 2,200 in each pit, 

 in the morning, at one drive ; and then jumping 

 into the hole, they sot to work to pick tlieir poor 

 captives, pulling offoidy the feathers of the body, 

 and throwing the carcases out of tho hole. Thie 

 is hard work, and l)oforo the end of the season 

 their nails often como off from the continual pluck- 

 ing. The feathers of 25 birds weigh only a pound, 



