1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



97 



of sucli successful agriculture is equally compi- 

 mentary to the scientific skill of Mr. Foster, and 

 to the fine capability of our State as a farming 

 country. 



Meuiorandum of crops from thirty-six acres of 

 land, in the town of Weston, in Maine, cultivated 

 by Samuel J. Foster. 



30 tons of hay ; 667 bushels oats ; 186 do. 

 •wheat ; 97 do. buckwheat ; 40 do. corn ; 17 do. 

 peas ; 947 do. potatoes ; 812 do. carrots ; 21 do 

 turnips. 



The average of oats was 67 bushels per acre ; of 

 wheat, 32; of buckwheat, 56 ; of carrots, 1008 ; 

 of potatoes, 750. 



Mr. Foster remarked that he did not think the 

 whole expense of the buckwheat, when threshed 

 and in the granary, exceeded 12 1-2 cents per 

 bushel. 



I think it may be questioned whether any of our 

 Western States afford a more successful sample of 

 agriculture than this. Yours truly, • 



T. CusniNG. 



P. S. I also learn from Mr. Foster, that he dug 

 from a field on the bank of the Molunkus river, a 

 carrot of the orange kind, measuring four feet and 

 eight inches long." 



That carrot, we suppose, is cousin to those of 

 the same family which, in Illinois, grow down in 

 the earth till they come through on the other side 

 in the Chinese empire. Seriously, we ask any 

 rational man where he can go in Massachusetts, or 

 any other New England State, and with tlie same 

 labor obtain larger and better crops than accrued 

 to Mr. Foster the past season? Let this prejudice 

 against "down east" be done away. — Gospel Ban 

 ner. 



liSGISLATIVE AGRICULTURAL MEET 

 INGS. 



Second Meeting— Tuesday EvEiViNo, Jan. 25, 1853. 



The second Legislative Agricultural Meeting of 

 the season was held on Tuesday evening, at the 

 State House. 



The meeting was called to order by B. V. 

 French, of Braintree. 



Mr. Brown, of Concord, moved that a commit- 

 tee of five be appointed by the chair to nominate 

 a permanent list of officers and prepare business 

 for the meeting. 



The motion was carried, and Messrs. Brown, 

 Howard, of Boston, Dodge, of Worcester, Page, 

 of New Bedford, and Merriam, of Tewksbury, 

 were appointed that committee. 



They subsequently reported the following gen- 

 tlemen to constitute the Executive Committee, 

 whose duty it is to secure chairmen for the meet- 

 ings, prepare rules, and select subjects for discus- 

 sion — and they were unanimously chosen : B. V. 

 French, of Braintree, J. II. W. Page, of the Ex- 

 ecutive Council, Joseph Smith, of the Senate, 

 J. W. Proctor, of Essex, and Nath'l Trull, of 

 the House. Mr. Small, of Truro, was subsequent- 

 ly added. 



Mr. M. P. Wilder, of Dorchester, was invited 

 to take the chair, which invitation he com- 

 plied with. 



The Executive Committee not having time for 

 action, a topic for discussion was called for, where- 

 upon , 



Mr. Merriam, of Tewksbury, suggested for this 

 purpose, Avhether some change could not be made 

 in the method of bestowing premiums by agricul- 

 tural societies, which would enable them more 

 effectually to attain the objects for which premi- 

 ums are designed. 



Mr. Merriam remarked in explanation, that he 

 conceived that the present modes of bestowing 

 premiums failed to accomplish their true aim, 

 viz., improvement in agricultural products. For 

 instance, take the milch cow. The first premium 

 is awarded to the best animal, without regard to 

 the place where she was raised, provided she had 

 been kept in the county for a period of perhaps 

 six months. She may not be owned by a breeder, 

 nor kept for the purpose of breeding, and was 

 bought, perhaps, at an extravagant price, to please 

 the fancy of some rich gentleman rather than to 

 improve our stock of milch cows. Her competi- 

 tor m 1 ( cow raised in the State, and by a 

 farmer who rears his own stock ; but the former 

 gets the premium. Is this course calculated to 

 improve in the least our stock of milch cows ? He 

 did not suppose that the object of premiums was 

 to induce rich men to purchase the best cow that 

 can be found in the State or country. The same 

 remarks, Mr. Merriam continued were also appli- 

 cable to working oxen. In his (Middlesex) coun- 

 ty, the regulation is that they must have been 

 owned in the county six months. 



Mr. Merriam wished to have the intellectual 

 faculties of the farmer stimulated, as well as his 

 hands, and for this purpose would have the con- 

 trol of agricultural societies placed entirely under 

 his control, and have him draw up the reports, 

 make the addresses, &c. He was confident that 

 it would prove of great benefit, and be a decided 

 improvement on the present method. 



Mr. Seth Sprague, of Duxbury, considered it a 

 matter of some difficulty to ascertain how to im- 

 prove our neat stock, owing to the variance of 

 opinion which exists in regard to the superiority 

 of foreign and native blooded cattle. As to milch 

 cows, our native cows carry off the premiums as 

 often or oftener than the imported ones. He 

 thought farmers generally, paid too little attention 

 to sources from which their cattle spring. They 

 have no criterion, and when they purchase cattle 

 are guided by no particular reason in making a se- 

 lection, but usually judge of an animal by its gen- 

 eral appearance. We replenish our stocks of cat- 

 tle generally from the droves that come from Maine, 

 Vermont and New Hampshire. Hence, until the 

 farmers of Massachusetts rear their own stock it 

 will be vain for us to talk of improving either our 

 milch cows or our oxen. We may select good 

 cows, take them to the shows, and get premiums, 



