226 



Agricultural Reports. 



Vol. V 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Agricultural Reports. 



The Committee appointed by the Phila- 

 delphia Society for promoting agriculture, 

 respectfully report, that after making the 

 most careful examination of the crops of 

 those who notified them, and became com- 

 petitors, they make the following award ofj 

 premiums, viz ; 



For the best acre of Lucerne, to James 

 Gowen, of Mount Airy, the premium of $10 



For the best three acres of rye, to James 

 Gowen, the premium of $10. 



For the best five acres of corn, to Henry 

 Chorley, of the Scott Farm, the premium 

 of $10. 



For the best two acres of potatoes, to 

 James Gowen, the premium of $10. 



For the best acre of ruta-baga turnips, to 

 James Robinson, on the farm of the late 

 Lewis Clapier, Esq., the premium of $10. 



For the best halt-acre of carrots, to James 

 Gowen, the premium of .$8. 



For the best quarter-acre of sugar pars- 

 nips, to James Gowen, the premium of $6. 



The Committee were particular in attend- 

 ing to all calls made on them for the purpose 

 of viewing crops — the good appearance of 

 which, gave general satisfaction ; and they 

 have to regret, that there should have been 

 so few competitors, when so many more 

 might have entered the lists. Mr. Isaac 

 W. Roberts's field of wheat, — Mr. Helm- 

 bold's, and others — Mr. Samuel Rogers's lot 

 of ruta-baga turnips — and Mr. Chapman's 

 field of rye, were all deserving of great 

 praise, for their good cultivation and pro- 

 mise of abundant yield. 



The Committee would have been much 

 gratified, had these gentlemen given them 

 an account of their products. 



The condition of the farm of Mr. James 

 Gov/en, was highly interesting to the Com- 

 mittee ; the great regularity of the crops, 

 their cleanliness and fine appearance, gave 

 strong evidence of good management on the 

 part of the proprietor. 



The statements of the different competit- 

 ors will be laid before the Society, giving an 

 account of the cultivation of the different 

 crops, and their yield. 



Aaron Clement, } 



Isaac W. Roberts, > Committee. 



Henry Chorley, ) 



January 28th, 1843. 



To the Committee on crops. 



Gentlemen, — In compliance witli the rules 

 of the Society, I beg leave to present a state- 1 



ment of some of my crops, viewed by you 

 1842, and for which I claim premiums, v 

 Lucerne, one acre. — Sowed 15 pounds 

 seed to the acre, with spring grain, on t 

 26th of April, 1841. It was one of the m 

 unfavourable springs for seeding, in my 

 collection; this, with the grain that crowd 

 and shaded it overmuch, prevented its s 

 ting as uniformly well, as I could ha 

 wished. The soil light, rather sandy, a 

 is part of an old orchard — some trees rece: 

 ly removed, and some still standing. It w 

 in, the previous year, with mangel wurzel 

 was of course, well ploughed. Had a dro 

 ing of cow-stable manure, well rotted, mix 

 with scrapings of the yard, harrowed in 1 

 fore sowing. Last season it afforded thr 

 several cuttings of plants, from 2^ feet tr 

 feet high. It was of great service to me 

 soiling, and I have hopes it will yield 

 well for several seasons to come. 



Rije. — A field of some 20 acres. Tl 

 had been a thicket in my Woodland farm, 

 Cheltenham township, Montgomery counl 

 Its aspect in 1838, when I undertook to si 

 due it, was truly frightful. — I never beta 

 any thing of the kind so uniformly clo; 

 The unshapely junipers, cedars, scrub oa 

 briars and sheep-berry bushes, were so mi 

 ted together, that it seemed as if notliii 

 could thread it, except something in t 

 shape of a bird or rabbit. It was well knov 

 as the best lodge for rabbits, in all the cou 

 try — and many a contra blessing have I h 

 bestowed on me, by a certain class of hop 

 ful citizens, for depriving them of a share 

 the bounties of nature, on which they hi 

 depended, and to which they consider! 

 themselves entitled, by prescriptive right. 

 The grubbing was a formidable job, ai 

 the ploughing, from the roots and huge fli 

 stones that obstructed, was vexatious in tl 

 extreme. It tried both the temper of tl 

 ploughs, and the ploughmen. But after tl 

 first ploughing, as should be, there were i 

 further difficulties, nor never will be wi' 

 me, after a first ploughing. For two se 

 sons I applied no manure, except lime, ai 

 lime ashes. In these periods I sowed oa 

 and grass-seeds, and rye and grass-seed 

 turning down the stubble every fall — tl 

 crops, of course, were light. But in tl 

 fall of 1841, when I had the soil somewh; 

 disciplined, I treated it with a generoi 

 dressing of a compost, from stable manur 

 dirt and ground bones, to the value, includin 

 carting, of about $400, lightly ploughed n 

 and on the 20th of September, began to see 

 with rye and orchard grass — finished see< 

 ing on the 27th — and in due time the follov 

 ing spring, added clover. Now, I looked ft 

 a crop, and you have seen that I was not di: 



