502 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nor, 



237. Inquiries as to the value of Cow manure, p 

 424. 



MEABOWS. * 



On p. 402, 413, and 423, we find the details of 

 successful meadow cultivation. A few years since, 

 the farmers of Massachusetts hardly knew what 

 to do with their meadows ; now they would not 

 know what to do without them. 



^ MISCELLANEOUS. 



" The Thriraess Farmer." " Hitching Posts " 

 for horses, recommended instead of using shade 

 trees and front fences for that purpose. " Rough 

 Paint" for carts, fences, &c. " Saleratus." 

 " Monthly Farmer for August." " Mr. Webster's 

 Mansion." " Discoveries and Improvements." 

 Hints on " Shelter." Comments on Swine, Breed- 

 ing SowSj Sheep, Plowing, &c., p. 421. 



POTATOES. 



Of the four short articles in this number of the 

 Farmer, three are suggested by the disease thai 

 has so long baffled the skill of the learned, and 

 the experiments of the practical farmer. 



ROTATION OF CROPS. 



The natural tendency of the soil to a change of 

 production, illustrated by facts in relation to the 

 change of timber in forests, p. 395. 



SCIENTIFIC. 



" Action of Drought on Plants," an article.from 

 a London paper. Draining has been so universally 

 recommended in English Agriculture, as the first 

 and last requisite of good farming, that I had sup- 

 posed its climate was so moist as never to suffer, 

 as here, from drought. This article, however, 

 says, " The present season has afforded abundant 

 illustrations of the effect of the want of moisture 

 on the several plants the farmer has to cultivate 

 "Ammonia," by Prof. Johnston, and "Laying 

 down to Grass," by the same. "Analyzing Soils, 

 Farming Science, &c.," is an article that shows up 

 BOipe of the extravagances that are put forth in 

 the name of science. 



THE SEASON. 



In presenting " some of thg aspects of nature 

 about the farm in the first autumnal month," and 

 reminding us there is still " work enough to do," 

 the editor blends the poetical with the sterner du- 

 ties of the season. It is well that he should ; for 

 the hard knocks, the sweats and freezes, one gets 

 on a farm in our climate is apt to beat the poetry 

 all out«f a fellow. Vegetation generally is repre- 

 sented as unusually vigorous throughout New 

 England, though apples will be scarce, and pota- 

 toes more or less rotten. 



TRANSACTIONS. 



Nos. 1 and 2, (p. 409, 417,) of a series of Arti- 

 cles on the Volume of Transactions of the Agri- 

 cultural Societies of Massachusetts, for 1852, by 

 one who has thus far manifested the right sort of 

 ability for the somewhat difficult task he has un 

 der taken. 



WALKS. WARTS. 



Recipe for making the one, p. 400, and for cur- 

 ing the other, p. 398. A Reader. 

 Winchester, Sept. 15, 1853. 



Old Horses should be driven by old people. Till 

 you have the rheumatics yourself, you cannot prop- 

 erly sympathize with the spavins of other people. 



WORCESTER AGRICULTURAL FAIR. 



The Worcester Agricultural Society held its 

 thirty-fifth annual Eair in the city of Worcester 

 to-day. The yard enclosedJbr the pens contains 

 a little more than seven acres, and is located 

 about half a mile west of the court house. It was 

 purchased and prepared at an expense of some- 

 thing over $4,000. The fence around the enclo- 

 sure is about eight feet high, supported by sub- 

 stantial granite posts. The whole enclosure is 

 perfectly level and in every way is a most con- 

 venient and appropriate spot for such a display. 

 A spacious tent was erected within the southwest 

 part of the enclosure, under which were the tables 

 for the dinner, and the preparations for the ad- 

 dress. This is the first time that the Society has 

 made the experiment of charging a fee for admis- 

 sion to the fair, which on this occasion was only 

 ten cents. 



Fat Cattle. — Of these there were some fine spec- 

 imens. We noticed particularly one pair of oxen 

 by Mr. Fitch Winchester, of Southboro, one of 

 which weighed 2315 lbs. and the other 2205. 

 Others by Lewis Hastings, of Sterling, John Wat- 

 son, of Princeton, Samuel Ellsworth, of Barre,were 

 very good, and one very handsome pair ofDur- 

 hams by Charles H. Newton, of Shrewsbury, 

 weighed 4560 lbs. Mr. Harrison Bacon, of Barre, 

 and Charles Bowen, of Worcester, exhibited some 

 fine fat cows. 



Stoek. — Some fine bulls were exhibited in this 

 department, among them the largest and most 

 worthy of attention were one by John Park, of 

 Millbury, of the Ayrshire breed, very fine ; one by 

 Phineas A. Beaman, of Princeton, a full blood 

 Durham, weighing 1785 lbs. one by Lewis S. Taft, 

 of Uxbridge, one fourth Ayrshire and one fourth 

 Galloway, and one by Silas Bailey, of Boylston, a 

 Devon three years old, weighing 1500 lbs. Of 

 Heifers, Steers and Calves, there was a great num- 

 ber on the ground, consisting of Ayrshire, De- 

 von, Durham and native breeds. Of Swine there 

 was a very good number, principally of the Suffolk 

 breed. Of Sheep there was only a small number, 

 of Irishmixed, Merino, native and Dishley breeds. 



Of poultry there was a fine assortment, com- 

 posed of turkeys, ducks, shanghais, chittagongs 

 andcommon barnyard fowls. Of the latter, a most 

 beautiful collection was presented by Mr. J. H. 

 Hero, of Westboro, called Bolton Greys. Some 

 very handsome pigeons were exhibited by Mr. E. 

 L. Bingham, of Worcester, seven varieties, and 

 by Wm. C. Ripley, twelve varieties. 



Of horses there was not a great number ; one 

 black colt of two years old, by Joel Richardson, of 

 Templeton, attracted attention by his size and ex- 

 cellent training. He was driven in a buggy made 

 by George Kenncy, of Worcester. His weight 

 was 1034 lbs., of the Morgan and Black Hawk 

 stock. 



Of agricultural implements there were none 

 that we noticed except a large assortment of 

 plows, feed Cutters, ifec, by Ruggles, Nourse, ' 

 Mason & Co. Of butter and cheese, there were 

 only about a dozen contributions of each. 



THE PLOWING MATCH. 



This commenced at nine o'clock, on land of 

 Charles Hawdin, Esq. The soil was a light loam, 

 a portion of which had recently been laid down in 

 clover, and a portion having an older and closer 



