142 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



Agricultural Survey of the Commonwealth of 

 Massachusetts. — We have been informed, and are 

 mucli pleased to learn, that a Topographical Survey of 

 this State, with particular reference to its \ gricullure, 

 under the sanction of the Legislature, is in contempla- 

 tion. Surveys of this kind have been accomplished in 

 Great Britain and Ireland, and the results have been 

 very useful and inte.resting. Almost every cultivator 

 has some improvement, or peculiar mode of tillage, 

 some new or improved seed, plant, fruit, breed of ani- 

 malSj mode of treating their diseases, some Hew and .su- 

 perior implements for facilitating and adding efficacy to 

 labor; something [leculiai in his practice of the art of 

 husbandry, which, if getieraily known, would be gener- 

 ally adopted, and prove beneficial to every individual of 

 the great family of man. The knowledge derived from 

 actual survey, sanctioned by ocular demon.'^lration, and 

 correctly reported, could have none of the disadvanta- 

 ges attributed to hu'jl; farming. It would be the results 

 of experience, communicated, for the most part by men 

 who practice what they communicate, and who cannot 

 afford to practice incorrectly. 



In carrrying into effect a survey of the kind alluded 

 to, much — almost everything would depend on the ag- 

 ricultuiil knowledge and judgment, as well as industry 

 of the "person or persons to whom the surveys may be 

 entrusted. It would be easy to accumulate masses of 

 matter, as flat, stale and unprofitable as the figures in 

 th6 calendar pages of an old almanac, but if the inquirer 

 knows what has been in use, and is capable of judging 

 of what might be found useful in rural economy, mines 

 of inforiuaton might be explored, more valuable than 

 those of Golconda or Potosi. 



In order to obtain valuable results to the researches, 

 said to be in contemplation, a system should be pursued 

 as regards objects of inquiry. In Great Britain, the fol- 

 lowing course, or something similar, was usually adop- 

 ted : — 



Survey of Middlesex. 



Middlesex is part of the north side of a vale watered 

 by the Thames, and contains 179,200 acres, exhibiting 

 a great variety of agriculture. 



1 . Gengraphical Slate and Circumstances. 



Climate — Healthy; warmer near London, from the 

 fires kept there. Stationary winds from S. W. and N 

 E. In spring, frost in the hollows, when none on the 

 hills, theimometer has been as high as 83^\ and as low 

 as 6° below zero. 



Soil- — By long continued manuring, the surface soil 

 almost every where looks like loam. 



Surface — Gently waving ; highest towards the north ; 

 Hampstead 400 feet above the level of the sea, <fec. 



Mineral Strata. — 1. Cultivated surface. 2. Gravel 

 of Flints, ,&c. Water: Abundant and excel'ent. The 

 Thames falls about 24 feet in ten miles. Mineral wa- 

 ters, at Enst Acton, Hampstead and Bngnige wells. Fish 

 caught ia the Thames : Sturg-on, Salmon, Tench, &c. 



Spring water found at various depths, from 5 to 3U0 

 feet; the latter the depth at Paddington. 



2. State of Property. — Estates generally under the 

 care of attornies and badly managed. Tenures: much 

 freehold, considerable extent of copyhold, some Church, 

 College and Corporation lai.d. 



Then follows: 3. Buildings; 4. Mode of occupation ; 

 5. Implements; 6. Enclosii g; 7. Arable land; 8. CJrass 

 lands ; 9. Gardens and Orciiards ; 10. Woods and Plan- 

 tations ; 11. Imj rovements ; 12. Live Stock ; 13. Rural 

 Economy ; 14. Political Economy ; 15. Obstacles to 

 Improvement; 16. Miscellaneous Observations, 17 

 Means of lmproveu)cnt. 



Other topics of inquiry might be added to, or substi- 

 tuted for some of the above mentioned ; and, perhaps, 

 circular letters containing queries relative to such points 

 of information as are thought of the greatest conse- 

 quence, might be sent to intelligent cultivators, in the 

 towns about to be visited for the purposes of Agricul- 

 tural Surveys; &c. By such and other means which 

 will syggest themselves to practical and ingenious cul- 

 tivators, a mass of information may be elicited which 

 will be of a value, scarcely to be overrated by the most 

 sanguine anticipations. 



The Farming Interest and the Surplus Reve- 

 nue. — Under this head, the American Farmer gives an 

 article, recommending the several States to establish 

 Pattern Farms, Agricultural Schools, General State Ag- 

 ricultural Schools, and County Societies. 



'< After viewing and reviewing the subject, in all its 

 various phases, we have come to the conclusion, that a 

 hotter disposition oi s. part of ti)e revenue, could not be 

 made ; and that Irke the seed sown of old, it would in- 

 crease a hundred fold. 



" America at this moment presents a curious aspect 

 to the world. Hitherto, from her surplus products, slie 

 has been able to supply the old world with a large por- 

 tion of their bread siuffs, but owing to the disastrous re- 

 sults of the season tlie last year, she is now almost de- 

 pendent on the transatlmtic grain growers, for her daily 

 bread. Such being the case, does it not behoove those 

 whose province it is to superintend and promote the 

 concerns of the national husbandry, to essay a remedy 

 for the existing evils. If it should be asked, would th(! 

 organization of the agricultural institutions, we speak 

 of, prevent the depredations of the fly, and stay the ele- 

 ments .' We answer, if they did neither one nor the 

 other, the happiest effects would result from their exis 

 tence. While the two first, would tend to enlighten 

 the agricultural community, the two latter would excite 

 a spirit of emulation and generous rivalry, that coulil 

 not fail to be productive of an immense sum of public 

 and private good." 



Agricultural Papers in Maine. — Maine can now 

 boast of a trio of agricultural papers, equal to any in th(j 

 country ; and we are happy to add that her farmer* 



