174 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



insects, dogs, and other annoying animals, and 

 from tlie too frequent intrusion of man. 



CLEANLINESS. 



Cleanliness is favorahlo to liealtii, by i)romoting 

 peispir (tiou and circulation. Animals in a wild 

 state attend to tliis part of tli.ir economy them- 

 selves ; but in proportion as they are cultivated or 

 brought under the control of man, this becomes 

 out of their power ; and to insure their subservi- 

 ency to liis wi.shes, mau must supply hy art tins 

 as well as other parts of culture. Combing and 

 brushing stall-fed cattle and cows, is known to 

 contribute materially to health ; though washing 

 sheep with a view to the cleaning the wool, often 

 has a contrary effect from the length of time the 

 wool requires to dry. * * * 



COMFORT. 



Unquestionably, an animal may be well fed, 

 lodged and cleaned, without being comfortable in 

 every respect ; and in brutes, as well as man, want 

 ofcoaifort ojjerates on the digestive powers. If 

 the surface of a stall, in which an o.x or a horse 

 stands, deviates much from a level, he will conti-n- 

 ually be uneasy ; and he vvill be uneasy during 

 the night, if its surface is rough, or if a proper 

 bed of litter is not prepared every evening for 

 him to repose on. The form of racks and man- 

 gers is often less couunodious than it might be.— 

 A hay rack which jtrojects forward is bad ; be- 

 cause the animal in drawing out the hay is teased 

 with tlie hay seeds falling in its eyes or ears: and 

 this torin, it /nay be added, is apt to cause the 

 bioath of the animal to ascenrl through its foorl, 

 vvliicl) mu.'^t after a time, render it nauseous. For 

 tliis reason, hay shouUl lie as short a tirnt! as j)os- 

 siljie in lofts, but when [tracticable, l)e.given di. 

 rect from the rick. 



SILK CULTURE IX MA11SE. 



By the following extract from the Report of tlie 

 Committee on crops, of the Penobscot Agricultu- 

 ral Society, it will be seen the climate of Maine 

 throws no insurmountable obstacle in the way of 

 tlie silk grower. The tow. .ship of Newport is sit- 

 uated between the Kenneheck and Penobscot riv- 

 ers, at about equi-distapcc from each, and within 

 a few miles of the 45th degree of Itititudc. "Your 

 Committee take great pleasure in making known 

 tlie enterpisc of individuals in N(;vvp'irt* for the 

 jsroductiou of siik. 1 he three nsu'scries entered 

 for i)remiuuis, sueak well for the, foresight mani- 

 fested in a branch of industry which bills fair to 

 rival almost any other in the United Slates. — 

 r.Iaine has loo long and too often looked on the 

 exertions and enteriuise of other sections with fol- 

 ded arms, and seen their labors crowned witli suc- 

 cess, before attem; ting any thing herself. 



There is a branch of uidustry sjuinging up, 

 which may be eniraged in by any owner of land, 

 with little or no caiital. The first thing is to 



make a bed, 50 by 4, rich, and sow an ounce of 

 mulberry seed, which produces 5000 plants — then 

 an acre of land, in good condilion for corn or po- 

 tatoes, is sufficient for the plants in hedge. lIcM-e 

 is the cai)ital invested. Let one half of what is 

 said in regard to profits be true, and two or three 

 females, in eight weeks, will realize a sum suffi- 

 cient to support a decent sized family a year. — ■ 

 Your Committee were shown samples of the trees 

 from the nursery of Mr E. B. bhaw, and found 

 i!ot the least appearance of suffering by our win- 

 ter. They think the time may come, when, as 

 our fair daughters are about to leave the paternal 

 roof, and become bone ami flesh of another, the 

 question of whieh cow, how many sheep, how 

 many beds, blankets, sheets, &c., shidi she have, 

 will not be the only one discuss^Jd in the family 

 circle; but in addition to all this, how many suits 

 of silk curtains, pairs of hose, gowns, cloaks, quilts 

 and counterpanes, whieh have been made in the 

 fitmily. Yoiu- Committee leave this subject with 

 regret, because if wealth and independence are a 

 blessing, they may be possessed by m.any who are 

 now comparatively destitute." 



The Committee awarded the first premium of 

 $3, to Enoch C Shaw, the second of $2, to John 

 Wilson, and also recommended a gratuity of §2, 

 to Jienj. Shaw, for the 3d bett mulberry niirseiy. 

 —Silk Cult. 



MEETING OF THE ACIlICiri..TrRAi:i SOCIETY. 



The annual meeting of the Hampshire, Fraidc- 

 lin and Hampden Agricultural Society was liohhMi 

 on Wednesday Marcli loth, I8.'^7,at which time the 

 Hon. Samuel Lalhrop was unanimously elected 

 President for the yi ar ensuing. — Messrs. H. G. 

 Bower,-^, Wm. Clark, Jr., (Jharles Steanis, E.>q., 

 Timothy Smith of Amiierst, ai>d T. P. Himiing- 

 ton of Hadley — Vice Presidents. D. Stebbinsjuid 

 J. H. Butler — Secretaries. S. L. Hinckley, Treas- 

 urer. 



Messrs. Roswell Hubbard, Aaron Ashley of W. 

 Springfield, an<l Oliver Warner of Hadley — Com- 

 miHee on yigricuUiire. 



Messrs. Nathaniel Eager of Worthingtou, Lucius 

 Clii|)p and G'orge Cook — Com. on Anhnals. 



Messrs. Elijah Powers, Joseph Lathrop and Jo- 

 seph Clark — Com. on Man>'fnctitres. 

 PREMIUM CROPS. 



The first preuuum on the greatest quantity of 

 waste and. wet land reclaimed, was awarded to 

 Rev. Dan. Huntitiuton of Ha<lley. 



Do. on the greatest qiiamity of Corn rai.sed on a 

 whole Fariu, to Willicun Clark, Jr. of Northamp- 

 ton. 



Do. on the greatest quantity of Corn from an 

 acre of old laud, to Henry G. Bowers of North- 

 ampion. 



Aidiough many other premiums wi^iq offered on 

 Cnips, luj claims were made therefor. 



Tjie land reclaimed by Mr. Hmuington, a few 

 years since was a urost unpromismg tract of about 

 twelve acres, which was " ih>l(»rn)e(i and woriidess 

 — a swamj) of bogs, brakes and bushes — the haunt 



