1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



375 



was still a very small class of working farmers 

 left who made it a point to attend the meeting of 

 the society in all cases and to do so out of princi- 

 ple, and not from more motives of "self." On 

 this class of men did the society always have to 

 depend for its efSicacy in carrying out the work 

 necessary to be done, to make the "Fair" suc- 

 cessful. But now, since "Agricultural Fairs" 

 have become so popular, there is not that difficul- 

 ty existing to such an extent as there was a few 

 years ago. Probably there may be found ten ef- 

 ficient working men who will enter into this field 

 of labor, where there could be one found ten or 

 twelve years ago. Still we are satisfied that the 

 large part of tlie work for these institutions has 



f;ot to be done by a few energetic working men. 

 t will be next to impossible to have these institu- 

 tions so managed but that there will be some 

 grumblers left. And yet there may be such man- 

 agement carried out as to live down all opposition , 

 and finally give a complete triumph. 



Yours truly, L. Durand. 



Derby, Ci., June 26, 1854. 



Remarks. — In Middlesex county, and perhaps 

 in others, premiums are awarded on farms strict- 

 ly in accordance with the views expressed hj Mr. 

 Durand. 



For the New England Farmer. 



FARMS ENTIRE. 



Mr. Editor: — Your judicious remarks upon the 

 benefits to be derived, from the notice of^ farms en- 

 tire, farms viewed by committees of agricultural 

 Societies, instead of particular crops, (frequently 

 the result of forced culture,) biings to mind the 

 advice of that model of Massachusetts farmers, 

 Timothy Pickering, in his address to the State 

 Societ}', in Oct., 1822, when he was more than 80 

 years old. Says he, speaking of the manner of 

 giving premiums, "One pleasing result has ap- 

 peai-ed — that by ample manuring and good culture, 

 the usual crops of the same plants may be doubled 

 and even trebled. But is it necessary to continue 

 premiums of this kind? May not now the entire 

 management of fiirms rather claim attention ? In- 

 stead of numerous small premiums disposed on a 

 variety of su1)jects, might they not be advantage- 

 ously concentrated for the purpose here intimated 

 — the cleanest, most economical, the most pro- 

 ductive management of farms? For it must be 

 such a general improvement (f the entire farms that 

 toill constitute thefarmer^s pcr/nancjil prosperili/.^' 



* * * "Perhaps it may not be difficult for 

 the Trustees of the State Society {the Stale Board 

 of Agriculture he would have said in these days) 

 to prescribe some general principles and rules of 

 proceeding, that may produce uniformity in tlie 

 • reports of county committees acting under their 

 direction." 



There is so much sim}ilicity, clearness and wis- 

 dom, in the instructions of tliis vencraljlo man ; 

 that I love to dwell upon them. I deliglit in re- 

 freshing my mind withtliis perusal. As your pa- 

 per has the reputation of being eminently conser- 

 vative, I thought some of your young readers 

 would be instructed by the quotation ; — and 1 

 know your old readers will not bo offended by it. 



Ju/y3, 1854. ♦. 



THE PROPER TIME OF CUTTING 

 GRAIN. 



In the 2d volume of "British Husbandry," p. 

 130 — 7, it is said, — "The question has been for 

 some time agitated, regarding the state of ripeness 

 in which grain should be cut; and it has been re- 

 commended, as a general rule of practice, to cut 

 down the crops before the uppermost grains can 

 bo skaken out. « » * # Taking all things 

 into consideration, it seems to be the mo.^t prudent 

 plan to liave the grain cut before it is fully r'i^o ; 

 but in this a medium course should be adopted, 

 for although grain, if allowed to become too ripe, 

 assumes a dull, dusky hue in the sample, yet if 

 not ripened enougli, shrivels in the drying." 



In the "Reports on Select Farms," it is said in 

 reference to themanagementof the Scoresby farm, 

 superintended by Mr. C. Howard, that 



"Wheat ought never to be allowed to remain 

 uncut until it is fully ripe. Experiments, easHy 

 made, will prove to every cultivator of it, that 

 by permitting it to stand until the straw has lost 

 its succulency, he gains nothing in plumpness or 

 bulk of grain, but loses much in color and fineness 

 of skin; besides which, he incurs the risk of shell- 

 ing by high winds, or by its being cut under tlic 

 influence of a burning sun. When fully ripened 

 by standing in the shock, no dry hour sliouM be 

 lost in getting it well secured." 



Loudon, the celebrated English writer, whuse 

 views and opinions upon all topics connected with 

 agriculture are singularly logical and corro. t. 

 says on this subject : — 



"In harvesting wheat, the best farmers, botli in 

 Britain and on the Continent, agree, that it ou^'it 

 to be cut before it becomes dead ripe. Wh.ii 

 this is the case the loss is considerable, both in 

 the field and in the stack yard ; and the grain, ac- 

 cording to Von Thaer, produces an inferior flour." 



Cadet De Vaux, the French author of a valua- 

 ble and erudite treatise on wheat, remarks : — 



"Corn (wheat) cut eight days before the usual 

 time, has the grain fuller, larger, finer and better 

 calculated to resist the attacks of the weevil. An 

 equal quantity of the grain thus reaped, with 

 grain reaped at maturity, gave more bread, and of 

 a better quality. The proper time for reaping, i^ 

 when the grain, on being pressed betvi-een the 

 thumb and finger, has a doughy appearance, like 

 a cruml) of bread just hot from the oven." 



The philosophy of the usage recommended by the 

 writers above quoted, is not immediately apparent 

 to every one. The question, indeed, has frequent- 

 ly been asked in our hearing — "Will any valuabl 

 accessions be made to the grain if the wheat plant 

 be detached from the roots before the former has 

 arrived at maturity?" That is, to resolve tlu- 

 quory into a somewhat more familiar form — "Will 

 the w!ieat,or other grain, so cut,rcceive fi'om tlie im- 

 mature stalk, any assistance in filling and matur- 



