244 



Report on Crops. 



Vol. IX. 



on the day of trial and after follovvinsr a 

 couple of furrows with the Centre-drauirht, 

 it was proposed to let the plough go alone — 

 no sooner said than done, and to our amaze- 

 ment it ran a round of one hundred rpds 

 without putting a hand to it, farther than 

 steadying it on land that was a good deal 

 sideling; turning a much neater furrow by 

 itself than with an indifferent ploughman. 

 Indeed, it was agreed by all, that upon level 

 land without obstruction, it would run all day, 

 by only just turning it in and out at the ends. 

 I have seen many encomiums on the 

 ploughs of Barnaby & Moer, Ruggles & 

 Mason, &c., but if they can go ahead of the 

 Boston Prouty & Mears' Centre-draught, 

 they deserve the thanks of every farmer and 

 every farmer's horse in the community. An 

 iron merchant of this town has engaged to 

 bring on a number of ploughs from your es- 

 tablishment in Philadelphia, in the spring, 

 as a great many farmers are anxious to ob- 

 tain them ; I hope we shall be furnished 

 in time fot spring cultivation. The black- 

 smiths do not encourage them, as they will 

 lose their work of sharpening and new lay- 

 ing the shares, as in other ploughs, but 

 when they become known, farmers will, I 

 am confident, send one hundred miles to ob- 

 tain them, rather than purchase those now 

 in use about us. The entire satisfaction 

 which my plough has given me, and the 

 universal admiration that she has excited, 

 have induced me, as in duty bound, to give 

 you the above information ; and in conclu- 

 sion, I wish jou to consider me, your much 

 obliged friend, Stephen Widney. 



Piqua, O., Jan. 28th, 1845. 



Repojt on Crops. 



At a meeting of the Philadelphia Society 

 for promoting Agriculture, held at their 

 rooms, March 5th, 1845 : The Committee on 

 Crops beg leave to report, that they have 

 carefully examined all crops submitted to 

 them, and award the premiums as follows: 



To Mr. James Gowen they award the 

 premium of ^ 8, for the best three acres of 

 Rye. 



To Samuel S. Richie, second premium of 

 Coleman's Agricultural Tour. 



To Henry Chorley they award the premi- 

 um of S8, for the best three acres of Oats. 



To John Hunter, second premium of 

 Coleman's Tour. 



To James Gowen they award the premi- 

 um of $8, for the best acre of Sugar Beats — 

 972 bushels. 



To H. Williams they award the premium 

 of $8, for the best acre of Ruta Baga — 790 

 bushels. 



To Caleb Cresson, second premium, Cole- 

 man's Tour. 



To James Gowen, they award the premi- 

 um of !*8, for the best half acre of Carrots — 

 495 bushels. 



To S. S. Richie, second premium, Cole- 

 man's Tour. 



To James Gowen, they award the premi- 

 um of $8, for t!ie best half acre of Sugar 

 Parsneps, at the rate of 700 bushels per. 

 acre. 



George Blight, 

 Henry Chorley, 

 Samuel S. Richie, 

 Cornelius S. Smith. 

 Philadelphia, March 4th, 1845. 

 It may be allowed us to remark, that in the forego- 

 ing Report, there is a manifest deficiency, which can- 

 not fail to strike every one. Premiums are in several 

 cases rendered for the lest crops, without designating 

 the amount of those crops. This cannot be satisfac- 

 tory : wliere premiums are awarded, it is desirable to 

 know, that they are for really heavy crops, and not 

 merely for the best of a set of wretched ones. The ex- 

 tra trouble should not deter farmers from the free use 

 of the half bushel.— Ed. 



Philadelphia Agricultural Society. 



To the Commitlee on Crops : — 



Gentlemen, — As the year is drawing to a 

 close, I take leave to pay my usual respects 

 on the occasion, by way of showing what I 

 have been doing in the department under 

 your supervision since you last heard from 

 me, and of claiming your attention to some 

 of the following crops, in hopes they may be 

 found worthy of distinction. 



You are all aware, that in consequence of 

 keeping so large a stock of cattle, my farm 

 is principally under grass, and that I raise 

 but little grain. If premiums had been of- 

 fered for the best fields of grass, I should 

 have competed successfully, I think, with 

 thirty acres of Timothy. The early grasses, 

 clover, and orchard, were not so good, I 

 housed however, some one hundred and 

 twenty to thirty tons, first crop hay. 



Of Corn, I had but seven acres, the yield 

 very good in view of the impoverished state 

 of the land, it being two small lots adjoining 

 some land of mine which from its condition 

 for years, was a standing i-eproach to the 

 neighbourhood. It came mto my possession 

 last spring, and I had barely time to plough 

 and seed it. 



I had no wheat, except two acres of spring 

 wheat, the seed of which was presented to 

 me by Mr, Butman, of Dixmont, Maine. It 

 ripened well — is not yet threshed ; I cannot 

 therefore report the precise yield, nor its 

 quality as to flour. 



Of Rye, 1 had eight acres, in with orchard 



