DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE AND ITS KINDRED ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



VOL. III. 



SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1851. 



NO. 4. 



RAYNOLDS & NOURSE, 

 Proprietors. 



OFFICE, QUINCY HALL, BOSTON. 



S. W. COLE, Editor. 



THIRD AGRICULTURAL MEETING 



At the State House, Jan. 28, 1S51. 



Ge.n. Beariorn, Mayor of Roxbury , in the Chair,— Sub- 

 ject, "Thorough Draining and Subsoil Floughi7ig." 



The President for the evening addressed the meet- 

 ing at length on the general subject of Agriculture, 

 with great ability and in an eloquent manner. He 

 spoke of the great agricultural improvements in 

 England by which her products had been doubled, 

 tripled, and quadrupled in half a century. Other 

 countries of Europe had also made great improve, 

 ments. 



In this country there had been but little legisla- 

 tive aid to agriculture until recently, though seven- 

 tenths of the people were engaged in this branch of 

 industry; and even at this timeour general govern- 

 ment had done nothing of consequence. Massachu- 

 setts took the lead in this business, and the subject 

 was receiving attention by many other States. A 

 few years ago science was a mere abstraction, but 

 now it was applied to the practical purposes of life. 

 It has done much for the mechanic arts and other 

 professions, and when properly directed to agricul- 

 ture, it will accomplish equally wonderful results 

 for that branch. Our country has a diversity of cli- 

 mate and soil, and like China, with skilful cultiva- 

 tion, it is capable of supporting a vast population. 



After this address, of which we cannot now give 

 even a sketch, Gen. Dearborn announced the sub- 

 ject for the evening, and made a very few remarks 

 on its utility. Mr. Whittaker read a letter from 

 Col. Wilder in regard to the potato rot, in which it 

 was stated that the potato had rotted in its native 

 region, but as it was continually reproduced there, 

 the inhabitants of that country did not seriously 

 feel the calamity. He then remarked that a gentle- 

 man wished to offer a few propositions, and he 

 called on Prof. Fowler, of Amherst. 



Mr. Fowler thought that our discussions should 

 lead to some definite information, and he proposed 



that a committee of two be appointed, who at the 

 close of the discussion should propose certain ques- 

 tions on the subject discussed, leading to further in- 

 vestigation, and for discussion at the meetings an- 

 other year. As an example of his plan, he then 

 proposed some 10 questions in relation to the pota- 

 to rot, the subject discuseed at the previous meet- 

 ing. 



The proposition of Mr. Fowler Avas favorably re- 

 ceived by the meeting, and Mr. Fowler and Gen. 

 Gushing were appointed a committee to effect the 

 object proposed. 



Mr. French, ofBraintree,was called on, who gave 

 a short history of draining and sub-soiling as it 

 had its rise in Great Britain. He then spoke of his 

 own experience, particularly in making drains un- 

 der his walls, by which his land had been greatly 

 improved, and even plants peculiar to dry lands had 

 taken the place of aquatic productions. He had 

 found these drains very profitable. Stones are used 

 in various ways in making drains. Judge Buel 

 used saplings for this purpose, placing them butt 

 upwards, and the drains worked well 20 years after 

 they were .made. Mr. French showed draining 

 tiles, of two patterns. They are made of clay, like 

 that used for bricks; the length is about fourteen 

 inches, the thickness about two-thirds of an inch. 

 The calibre four inches. One kind is tubular, form- 

 ing a pipe, with a flat surface on one side, to pre- 

 vent its sinking in soft soils. The ends are square, 

 and are placed against each other, without any in- 

 sertion, and as the ends will not be tight, the wa- 

 ter will run into them. The other is made in the 

 same manner, excepting the sole or bottom is want- 

 ing, and they are intended to lay on a hard soil, 

 such as a pan, or they may be laid on small or fiat 

 stones arranged for that purpose. 



Mr. French spoke also of the very favorable ef- 

 fects of sub-soiling, by which the earth was stirred 

 to a great depth. This system had produced won- 

 derful effects in Scotland, where it was first intro- 

 duced, and is now extensively practised. 



