Vol. IX.— No. 22. 



AND HOIITICLLTURAL JOURNAL. 



171 



To Tlioiiuis Willet, gaiilcncr to Mr E. Binetl, 

 of Cluulfstowii, for the best Grapes, (Ulaek Ham- 

 bufj,') •;ro\vii under glass, |)resciUeil to the Society 

 at their Anniversary Festival, in September Inst, 

 the committee recommend a gratuity of $5. 



To Elislia Edwards, of Springfield, for several 

 beautiful varieties of rare and valuable Fruits, 

 presented to the Society at various meetings, a 

 gratuity of $5. 



By order of the Conmiittee, 



E. PHINNEY, Chairman. 



The Standing Committee on Ornamental Trees, 

 FlowcMS, &:c, award the following premiums for 

 the year 1830. 



For the most successful cultivation of the 

 Rhododenih'on Maximum, a premium of $5, to Mr 

 Roderick Toohey, of Walthnm. 



For the best specimen of Chinese Chrysan- 

 lienuims, a premium of .$3, to Mr David Hagger- 

 iton, of Charlestown. 



For the six finest Tulips, a premium of §2, to 

 Ur Augustus Aspinwall, of Brookline. 



For the six finest Hyacinths, a premium of $2, 

 o Mr Augustus Aspinwall, of Brookline. 



For the finest Ranunculus, a premium of $2, to 

 llr George \V. Pratt, of Watertown. 



For the finest cultivated native Flowers, a pre- 

 lium of $2, to Messrs Winships, of Brighton. 



For the finest Roses, a premium of $4, to Mr 

 lUgustus Aspinwall, of Brookline. 



For tlie finest Dahlias, a premium of $2, to Mr 

 *avid Haggerston, of Charlestown. 



For the finest Pinks, a i)remii;m of $2, to Mr 

 reorge Thompson, of Medford. 

 For the best Carnations, a premium of $2, to 

 essrs Winships, of Brighton. 

 The many specimens of native Flowers pre- 

 nted by Messrs John Russell, Daniel Chandler, 

 id E. M. Richards, have rendered the weekly 

 iiifl :liibitions of the Society peculiarly interesting. 

 By order of the Committee, 



R. L. EMMONS, Chairman. 

 N. B. Those members to whom premiums 

 ve been awarded, can obtain an order on the 

 'easurer for the amount, on application to the 

 4airmau of the Coninnttee. 



whole, wo shall find the remark not only generally | taking from the groimd. Cabbagi^s in a state of 



nature, are little better than wild mustard ; and 

 cotton, now one of the principal staples, and a 

 source of wealth to our country, in its original 

 state, could scarcely be appropriated to the use of 

 man. These are but few in.stances ; the whole 

 catalogue of agricultiu'al products were in the 

 same state, till linuuiu wisdom and industry im 

 proved iheni by cultivation. If, then, such has 

 been done, may we not fairly conclude that the 

 process of improvement may be continued ? for, 

 as it is not allowed to hunian nature to attain a 

 state of perfection, so we may fiiirly conclude that 

 the works of man are imperfect and are capable, 

 of improvement ad infinitum. — American Farmer. 



FOU THE NEW ENGLAND FARiMER. 



PROLIFIC SHEEP. 



(Mr Ff.sse.nden — Having lately visited Col. John 

 le of Clielsen, and noticed young lambs among 

 flock, he informed me, that the last year he 

 1 44 ewes of mixed breed, which began to pro- 

 e l<ambs, Nov. 24, and continued till some time 

 lanuary — That 2 sheep brought 3 lambs each 

 of wliicli died young. — That from June 14th 

 (uly 2d, he sold 41 lambs at !?2,.50— That 5 

 re sold after that time at the same price, among 

 ich were the 3 from one sheep — that since 

 y 20th, he has 18 lambs of the second crop. 

 Vow. 22, 1830. A. B. 



MPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURE. 



rhe greatest and almost exclusive obstacle to 

 )rovenients in agriculture, is the prejudice ex- 

 ig in favor of old systems, or rather want of 

 em. The practices learned from their fore- 

 lers are taken for granted to be the best, and 

 attempt at improvement upon them is treated 



true, but much more so than a casual observer 

 would bo willing to believe. Go where you will, 

 a thoughtless and careless adherence to old 

 customs will be met with on all siiles, with but an 

 occasional e.xception. Here and there, a beauti- 

 ful mansion, well arranged barn-yard, well tilled, 

 luxuriant and properly fiuiced fields, healthy and 

 thrifty orchards, and improved stock, will be seen 

 like a bright star in the wilderness of ephemeral 

 and misty meteors of the system. The most 

 unaccountable circumstance in this state of things 

 is the fact, that the great success that universally 

 attends these instances of improved i)ractice does 

 not disperse the doubts and prejudices of the 

 neighboring farmers ; but so it is. They view the 

 fine crops, fine cattle, and all the other fine things, 

 results of a wise practice, as the result of accident. 

 ' O ! he is a lucky farmer, ' say they, and give 

 themselves no further trouble about the cause of 

 his prosperity. Indeed his great success is itself, 

 by the weakness of lumian nature, no small ob- 

 stacle to his example being followed by his neigh- 

 bors. It too often excites envy instead of emula- 

 tion, and from this cauldron the vials of all the 

 malevolent passions are filled, and their contents 

 directed towards him. How happy would be the 

 condition of farmers in this country if the reverse 

 of this state of things existed ! There is no 

 country on earth in which the condition of the 

 agricultural community is susceptible of being 

 made so comfortable and happy, as in the United 

 States. While in the most favored country on 

 the globe, except this, the labor of farmers is 

 taxed to almost a moiety of its earnings, it is here 

 comparatively unvisited by the tax-gatherer. We 

 know well that much and loud complaint is made 

 by our farmers against the oppression of taxes ; 

 but let them look at the amount of taxes paid by 

 the agriculturists of any other, we care not what 

 country, and their comidaints will cease. That 

 their condition is at present not prosperous, is 

 readily admitted, but we contend that the faidt is 

 with themselves; and nothing but the unexampled 

 fertility of our natural soil, and the propitiousness 

 of our climate saves them from utter ruin. How 

 long would the farmers of England keep them- 

 selves from starvation, if they pursued the system 

 generally ]iractised in this country ? 



It is not for want of sources of information 

 that so little improvement is maile in our agricul- 

 ture ; but from the neglect of them. This arises 

 from, besides a prejudice for old customs — they 

 are unworthy of the title of systems, — a prejudice 

 against 'book farming,' as it is termed. This has 

 done much injury, and is utterly groundless. It 

 is 'book farming ' that has brought our agriculture 

 even to its present state. The fact is that agricul- 

 ture has derived as much benefit from the invention 

 of printing as any other department of lumian 

 industry. Through the medium of the press, 

 farmers have been informed of the objects of 

 agricultural attention in distant parts, and thus 

 been enabled to introduce such of them as were 

 adapted to their soil and climate. But that every 

 subject of agricultural attention is susceptible of 

 improvement is easily proved ; and if so, that it is 

 the interest of farmers to make the improvements 

 will not be denied. Let us glance at a few instan- 

 ces of improvement that are now considered in a 

 state of perfection by farmers generally. Wheat 

 in its natural state was scarcely anything more 

 than cheat. Potatoes were small contemptible roots, 



li (jerision and contempt. There are many 

 •thy exceptions to this, it is true ; but if we 

 i s view of our agricultural community »s a ' such as we at this time, would scarcsly think of 



Among the articles saved from the wreck of 

 ship Superb, bound from Philadelphia to New 

 Orleans, was a bundle about a foot square which 

 being opened in New Orleans, contained coimter- 

 feit bank notes on the Salem and Philadelphia 

 Manufacturing Co. to the amount of $10,000. 

 It is said they were to have been forwarded to 

 Illinois for circulation. 



In Bedford Co. Pa. the children average 8 to a 

 fiimily. 



Mr Law, of Liberty Co. Ga. has raised a ' brim- 

 stone' potato 18 inches long, 22.? round, lOJ lbs. 

 On one acre he raised more than 600 bushels. 



Last September and October, 700 teams cross- 

 ed the Mississippi, for the upper part of Illinois. 



The Russian government has offered 2.5,000 

 roubles (about £1,000.) for the best treatise on 

 cholera morbus. — The French physicians are not 

 enumerated in the address of the offer, and the 

 treatises are to be written in Russian, Latin, 

 German, English or Italian ; French not being 

 included. They are to be sent to St Petersburg, 

 addressed to the Council of Medicine, before Sept. 

 1, 1831 : the name of the author to be in a 

 separate and sealed cover. 



Mr Rapp, of Economy, Pa, hearing of a pump- 

 kin in N. Carolina weighing 86 lbs. was induced 

 to weigh one which had grown on his farm. It 

 weighed 124 lbs. was nearly 4 feet round one 

 way, and Si the other. 



In Alexandria, D. C, 2d inst. there was hoar 

 frost and ice ; yet strawberries were for sale in 

 the market. 



20,0(0 hogs were lately met in in the Western 

 country, on their way to Alexandria. 



It not being legal to sentence a S|)anish nobleman 

 to punishment for life, the Supreme Court at Mal- 

 aga have lately sentenced a young nobleman, for 

 murder, to the galleys, for 100 years and a day ! 



Elegant ribbons are maiuifiictured at Wayne, 

 Kennebec Co. Me. 



Mr Richard Inday, of Baltimore, has made 

 and shipped for New Orleans a beautiful rail road 

 carriage, intended for the Lake Pontchartrain 

 Rail Road. 



Two of the shillings coined in Massachusetts 

 in 1652, were lately found in a scull bone, while 

 removing earth next the burying ground in Con- 

 cord, Ms. 



Mr HarJing the distinguished .ivtist of Boston, is en- 

 gaged ill making a full length portrait of Dan- 

 iel Webster, at the request of Boston Mechanics, who 

 have raised §600 by subscription for tliat purpose. 



Railroad from Baltimore to Washington.— TKit 

 project seems to gain consistency. The public and the 

 Ohio and Baltimore Company are for it. 



