284 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



The Annual Exhibition was at Greenfield, on the 

 29th and 30th September. The Address by Prof. 

 Mapes, — practical, concise, clear and excellent. 

 The reports of Committees and Treasurer's report 

 show a prosperous condition of the society. The 

 committee on "fine arts, fancy articles, &c.," was 

 composed, mostly of ladies — right — why was not 

 the committee on "carpeting, rugs, flannel, &c.," 

 made up in the same manner ] 



The pamphlet is well compiled, printed hand- 

 somely, and reflects credit on the society. 



COWS AND OXEN IN PORTUGAL. 



The Secretary of the N. Y. State Society has 

 favored us with the following extract from a letter 

 from C. B. Haddock, the United States Charge 

 d'Affaires to Portugal. 



Oxen, strange as it seems, are almest exclusive- 

 ly employed in agriculture ; nor do they appear to 

 feel tije heat much. Indeed the Portuguese have 

 a kind of Hindoo respect for the bovine race, and 

 always treat them well. I never, in any country, 

 saw oxen and cows so universally fat and healthy 

 in appearance. During the winter, though there 

 was not a single frost, the cows driven into the 

 street, in which I live, and milked there every 

 morning at the doors of their customers, were gen- 

 erally covered with warm woolen blankets. Ox- 

 en are often protected from rain and flies by an 

 oilcloth, covering them from the hips. I every 

 day see a beautiful ox belonging to the Duke 

 Palmella, and used to draw water in a hogshead, 

 upon wheels, covered entirely with a canvass awn- 

 ing, raised in an arch over the shaft of his cart. 

 Like the snail, the happy fellow carries his house 

 with him. And both oxen and cows are so trained 

 it is curious to see them. The cow is as tame, as 

 easy handled, as quiet, whilst women or children 

 are playing with its horns, as a pet dog. The calf 

 is driven to town with its mother, and learns to go 

 through all the operations which are to be the fu- 

 ture business of its humble life, whilst it is thus, 

 with its nose muzzled, following the herd of milch 

 kine. It is called and sent off at will, with a word. 

 Oxen are driven by a man, who goes before them, 

 and sometimes between their horns even ; he turns 

 his face to them and brads them with his long 

 goad-stick in the side or the flanks ; or he takes 

 hold of a rope which unites their horns, and leads 

 them as we lead a horse. These animals are the 

 peasant's pride, and are often decked with ribbons 

 and bells. I saw, at the October fair, at "Campo 

 Grande," near Lisbon, more than a thousand yoke, 

 many of them splendid animals, and all gaudily 

 ornameij^ed, and driven by men as gaily attired as 

 themselves. 



The yoke, what an instrument that is ! and the 

 cart, and the plow. These man makes ; God 

 makes the oxen. The yoke is a straight piece of 

 chestnut wood, about four inches by two and a 

 half, slightly hollowed, where it lies upon the 

 neck ; it has two straight pins, a foot long, run- 

 ning from it, at right angles, where is put the bow, 

 and united under the animal's neck by a bit of 

 rope, or thong of green hide. The rude imple- 

 ment is confined to the tongue of the cart with 

 ropes, and to the horns with thongs. Unyoking is 

 untying the strips which unite the pins under 



the neck, and those upon the horns. And as the 

 tongue of the cart is fastened to the body, tipping 

 up carries up tongue and yoke together, and leaves 

 the oxen all ungeared below. The cart has solid 

 wheels, about three feet high, and from four to 

 six inches thick, with a fixed axle, that turns, 

 of course, with a wheel. The body and tongue 

 are framed together, and are confined to the 

 axle by pins, between which it revolves with a 

 noise, frequently, that may be heard for a mile. 

 Now and then the axle is oiled, but not generally ; 

 the "stridentia plaustra" of Virgil is recalled to 

 you upon every public road. The plow is even 

 ante-Roman ; ruder than Virgil describes. The 

 beam extends to the yoke, and is fastened to it 

 with cords. The same stick serves for share, 

 coulter and handle, and is morticed to the beam 

 at not quite a right angle. It is generally pointed 

 with iron. The harrow and hoe are similarly 

 rude. 



And yet, with such instruments the fields are 

 made to yield abundantly. Beautiful crops of bar- 

 ley, wheat, Indian corn, and potatoes cover them 

 on every side. Saving of labor seems hardly an 

 object. Men work for fifteen cents a day and find 

 themselves. 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



SEVENTH MEETING . 



The Board was called to order by his Excellen- 

 cy, Gov. Clifford, the roll called and the proceed- 

 ings of the last meeting read by the Secretary, Mr. 

 C. L. Flint. Present, Gov. Clifford, Mr. 

 Wright, Secretary of State, Messrs. Wilder, 

 French, Proctor, Sprague, Hitchcock, Nash, 

 Parkhurst, Lawton, Reed, Brown, Wood, Dodge, 

 Paige and Smith. 



The Secretary was directed to confer with the 

 Sergeant-at-Arms, and make arrangements for a 

 room for the accommodation of the meeting to- 

 morrow. 



Mr. Wilder distributed the Transactions of the 

 Norfolk Agricultural Society, among the members 

 of the Board. 



Mr. Proctor, from the Committee in relation to 

 a Slate Chemist, reported as follows : — 



The committee, instructed to report on the ex- 

 pediency of employing a State Chemist, for the 

 analysis of soils and other experiments connected 

 with culture : — fully impressed with the impor- 

 tance of such operations and the knowledge to be 

 derived from them ; — are still of the opinion that 

 the time has not yet arrived, when it will be ex- 

 pedient to recommend any distinct action on the 

 subject. 



Mr. Proctor also reported as follows on the 

 subject of Farmers' Institutes : — 



The committee to whom was referred the prop- 

 osition for the establishment of Farmer's Insti- 

 tutes in the several counties of the Commonwealth, 

 analogous to the teachers' institutes, that have 

 been holden with so much favor, have considered 

 the subject, and entertain an opinion favorable to 

 the proposal. 



