1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



39 



again this week, another evening, anid I will then 

 tell you what he said about topping. 



Essex, Nov. 30. w. J. a. b. . 



Remarks. — Well, I think you got hold of an in- 

 teresting "stranger up there to the fair," whose 

 notions about corn are very good. Don't fail to 

 call as you propose, for I shall be impatient to talk 

 with you again about these things. 



LAYING OUT SURFACES. 



A few simple rules are oftentimes convenient to 

 those who are not conversant with surveying opera- 

 tions, and a writer in the Wesicrii HoriicitUural 

 Revieio has communicated to that work some very 

 go»d ones, some of which we copy, and to which 

 we add a few others. 



To lay out an acre in a circle. First fix a centre, 

 and with a rope as a radius, seven rods, three links 

 and three-eighths long, one end attached to the 

 centre, and kept uniforml}' stretched, the sweep of 

 it at the other end will lay out the acre. 



For one quarter of an acre, a rope three vods and 

 fourteen links will be the right length. 



For one-eighth of an acre, a rope lioo rods and 

 thirteen links will be enough. 



Triangles. — If you wish a triangle to contain 

 just an acre, make each side nineteen rods, five and 

 a half links long. 



A triangle whose sides are six rods and twenty 

 links long each, will contain one-eighth of an acre. 



To lay out an ellipse or oval. — Set three stakes 

 in a triangular position. Around these stretch a 

 rope. Take away the stake at the apex of the tri- 

 angle, which will be where the side of the oval is 

 to come — move the stake along against the rope, 

 keeping it tight, and it will trace out the oval. 



A square, to contain an acre, or just one hundred 

 and sixty rods, should have each of its sides just 

 twelve rods, ten feet and seven-tenths long. 



To draw an oval of a given size. — The long and 

 the short diameter being given — say twenty feet 

 for the shorter, and one hundred for the longer — 

 divide the short diameter into any number of equal 

 parts — say ten — and from each point draw a line 

 parallel to the long diameter ; then divide the long 

 diameter into the same number of equal parts, (ten) 

 and from each point draw a line parallel to the 

 short diameter. Then draw a line from point to 

 point whei-e each corresponding line cuts the other, 

 on the outside, and' tiiis connecting mark will de- 

 scribe the oval or ellipse required. — Maine Farmer. 



Winter Lectures. — The particular attention of 

 the reader is called to a communication in another 

 column on this irflportant matter. We agree with 

 the writer in all the positions he takes, and should 

 be glad to be instrumental in calling the attention 

 of curators in every town'in the State to this sub- 

 ject. There is a foolish notion prevailing, that Ly- 

 ceums must be supplied by professed lecturers,who, 

 alone, are qualified to amuse or impart instruction. 

 Let tho jnerchant, the mechanic, the farmer or 

 sailor take the platform in turn with^those who 

 have, heretofore, almost exclusively occupied the 

 ground, and the world will grow wise quite as 

 fast. 



OFFICERS ELECTED. 



Of the N. IL State Agricultural Society for 

 1852-3 :— 



President— v. P. P. WooDnuRV, Bedford. 



Fice Presidents— lohu H. Steele, Hillsboro' County; A.B. 

 Clossnn, Grafion; Austin Coibiii, Suilivan; David BufTunrj, 

 Cheshire; Samuel Dean, Belknap; Levi Bnrtleit, Merrimack; 

 Samuel Bean, Carroll; .Joseph Cilley, Rockingham; William 

 Haile, Strafford; Jehu P. Pitman, Coos. 



Executive Committee— H. F. French, Exeter; John VVad- 

 leigh, Meredith; Thomas H. Leverett, Keene; N. B. Baker, 

 Concord; Wm. Tenney, Hanover. 



Secretary— i. S. Walker, Claremont. 



Treaswrer— Frederick Smyth, Manchester. 

 .... C Daniel Clark, Manchester. 



^'"'"'"■*~ I Brooks Shattuck, Bedford. 



Hillsboro' Agricultural Society, N. H. — At 

 their late annual meeting, this society elected for 



President— HtLOOKS Shattuck, Bedford. 



Vice Presidents — i. M. Tyler, Pelham; Hiram Munroe, 

 Hillsboro'; Jonathan Russell, Mason; C. E. Potter, Manches- 

 ter. 



Recording Sccretari/— Moody Hobbs, Pelham. 



Corresponding Secretary— A. G. Comings, Mason, 



Treoswrer— David Stuarl, Amherst. 



Chelmsford Association. — At the annual meet- 

 ing of the Chelmsford Farmer's and lilechanic's 

 Association, the following persons were elected as 

 its officers, viz.: 



Presideni-'Dr-. J. C. Bartlett. 



rice President— Capi. Asa Hodgman. 



Secretary — E. H. Warren, Esq. 



Treasurer — loseph Reed, Esq. 



Executive Commiltee—ioseph Warren, Jr.-., Sewall Park- 

 hurst; Charles T. Bird; Charles Proctor; F.S.Sawyer; E. 

 P. Spalding; David Peiham. 



DOMESTICATION OF WILD ANIMALS, 



Among the animals over -which God has given 

 dominion to man, and which are fitted for domes- 

 tic uses, there are several on this continent wait- 

 ing to be subdued, and brought into service. We 

 are glad that public attention is to be directed to 

 this subject. The agricultural portion of the re- 

 port of the Patent Office for the present year, con- 

 tains an elaborate article upon it, from the pen of 

 Prof. Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution, and the proposition to publish one hundred 

 thousand copies for distribution having prevailed 

 in Congress, the people will have in their posseS' 

 sion the necessary information, and can hardly 

 fliil to give it their earnest consideration. The an- 

 imals, as we understand, which are particularly 

 named, are the moose, the reindeer, the elk, the 

 buffiilo, the sheep and goats of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, and the antelope. The reindeer, as is well 

 known, is an animal of great speed and endurance, 

 and the moose adds to these qualities immense 

 strength. These animals are found along our 

 northern frontier, especially in Maine, and are so 

 perfectly adapted to the climate and the country, 

 that they may be regarded as indispensable to the 

 full development of the high latitudes of the con-, 

 tinent. The reindeer would be of greater service 

 in the British possessions than with us, but the 

 moose might be introduced throughout our north- 

 ern States with very great advantage. Fully equal 

 to the horse in weight, they are more cheaply fed ; 

 their strength is greater, and their speed is fully 

 twice as great. Added to this, they are usefulas 

 an article of food. Domesticated, all their native 

 qualities would be improved. They would attain 

 larger size and finer form, as well as increased 



