PRACTICAL FARMER. 



45 



lest they should become mouldy. On ri<rer water, 

 and particularly by steamboats, there is not the 

 same danger. The boxes in every case should be 

 covered with a tarpaulin of good oil cloth, that 

 they may in no case suffer from dampness or rain. 



The price of cocoons in this country cannot 

 yet be settled, but it will be the interest of the silk 

 culturist to sell them in the beginning as cheap as 

 possible, to encourage the silk manufacturers, 

 which alone can procure them regular purchasers, 

 and without which their produce must lie on their 

 hands. 



Perforated cocoons, from which the moth has 

 escaped, those which are spotted, and the imper- 

 fect ones, command no price, and are generally 

 given away by the silk culturists. There are but 

 few of them, because, those who raise the silk 

 worms being experienced in the business, pro- 

 duce hardly any but good cocoons. When these 

 are sold, the bad ones are thrown into the bargain. 



Oakland Whig. 



Tranfactioni of the Kssex Agricultural Society, for 1834. 

 I ON DOMESTIC MANtJPACTUUES. 



This Committee, Rev. G. B. Perry, Chairman 



after mentioning the awards of premiun>s — some 



' of which for specimens of needlework, were giv- 



I en to children 11, 5, and 4 years old, amounting in 



I the whole to the sum of one hundred and eight 



dollars — proceed to say ; 



{ In presenting this report they are happy to observe 

 what indeed must be known to all who have visited 

 i the room where the articles were exhibited, that 

 I their number was unusually large, and in general 

 I of a superior quality. It will be readi'y perceived 

 I that this increase in number, considering the lim- 

 ! ited time allowed the committee for examination, 

 must increase the difficulty of examining and 

 comparing them so as to judge correctly of their 

 relative merits. All the committee assume is an 

 honest desire to fulfil iinpartia ly the trust com- 

 mitted to them, feeling no ways confident that 

 exact justice has in all instances been done. 



There were several articles for which premiums 

 or gratuities are awarded, and others perhaps 

 nearly or quite as meritorious, not thus distin- 

 guished, upon which the committee would have 

 been glad to have made seme remarks. Among 

 them may be mentioned specimens of different 

 kinds of dressed leather, a great number of very 

 substantial hearthrugs, several pair of linen hose, 

 a variety of beautiful articles manufactured from 

 the milk-weed, (asclepias syriaca,) and some inter- 

 esting specimens of coloring done by Mrs Mer- 

 rill of Newbury. But our time did not allow of 

 such discriminate records as would now make our 

 remarks of the best service to the Society. 



An unusual number of the specimens exhibit- 



ed were the work of children from 4 to 12 years 

 of age, many of them executed at leisure hours or 

 between schools, and afford a happy and encour- 

 aging evidence of the industry of that interesting 

 portion of our population. Your committee were 

 at some difRculty to determine what should be 

 done in relation to them, but concluded finally, as 

 it was the great object of this Society to encour- 

 age industry and the developement of the me- 

 chanical powers, they would recommend a gratu- 

 ity of a dollar to each one whose work gave cred- 

 itable evidence of a desire and ability to do well. 

 Your committee think, however, that should the 

 Society comply with this recommendation, it 

 ought not to be construed into an intimation that 

 the like course would be pursued at subsequent 

 exhibitions. 



Perhaps it may be observed with justice, that a 

 large proportion of the articles were rather of or- 

 namental than in the strictest sense of the word, 

 of the useful — such as are more calculated to 

 please than to profit. Your committee are not 

 enemies to taste and ornament ; nor do they sup- 

 pose that because a thing is good for nothing but 

 just to look at, that it is therefore worthless. Our 

 benevolent and wise Creator has made, and does 

 from year to year continue to make, many things 

 of which we know no use except that they are 

 pleasant to the sight ; and we feel willing — more 

 than this, desirous, — that the noblest portion of 

 his creatures should in their appropriate sphere 

 attempt to imitae him. But with the beautiful 

 he has given a still larger portion of what in civil 

 economy is called the useful, or perhaps it may 

 be more accurately expressed, he has rendered 

 the useful attractive by finishing it in a tasteful 

 and ornamental manner. We do not wish any c 

 the specimens had been withheld, nor the atten-f 

 tion to things of taste diminished, but we wish 

 with these an increase of those of a more substan- 

 tial character, and particularly those where the 

 useful are rendered interesting and attracting by 

 an ornamental and, tasteful finish. We are persua- 

 ded we express the feelings of the Society, and of 

 the community generally, when we observe 

 that the great and good design of this annual exhi- 

 bition will be more fully answered, if in subse- 

 quent years our young female friends, and indeed 

 those of greater age, together with their highly fin- 

 ished specimens of b^ad and lace and various fan- 

 cy work, will also bring well wrought specimens 

 of plain sewing and knitting, garments of com- 

 mon wear, and other necessary and substantial 

 articles of domestic life ; things which meet the 

 wants and subserve the interest of every day, and 

 by which, even in the busy forenoon, a family 

 would appear attracting, as well when at even- 

 tide they are ready to see friends and enjoy the 

 sweets of social life. 



