1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



509 



farmer, — summed up opinions of practical men on 

 important points of husbandry, and was altogeth- 

 er of a decidedly useful character. It was one of 

 those productions which will live in the memory 

 of those who heard it, and upon which they can 

 profitably fall back in their daily labors on the 

 farm, — and this is what we want. Fine, open 

 theories, loose speculations, and all allusion to po- 

 litical matters, are entirely out of place in these 

 gatherings. 



At the dinner-table there was a large collection, 

 including ladies ; short addresses were made by 

 the President of the Society, Brooks Shattuck, 

 Esq., of Bedford, by Mr. Proctor, Mr. Beard, of 

 Nashua, and Mr. Brown, of Concord, Mass. One 

 beautiful and encouraging feature of the exhibition, 

 was the presence of a large number of ladies, at 

 the plowing, the dinner-table and in the church 

 We feel sure of success so long as this feature pre 

 vails. Although there was not perfection, there 

 was no room for fault-finding, in any department 

 of the Show. The arrangements were well digest 

 ed, the music, by the Milford Band, very fine, 

 and the escort by the Fire Company, imposing 

 and pleasant ; the dinner was good, and a good 

 deal damaged before we were done with it ; the 

 ladies were smiling and the men good-natured, 

 and there was no rioting, drunkenness or vulgari- 

 ty to be seen or heard ; and thus has the "good 

 TIME come," which has been predicted. We wish 

 thenr all — including the young women in the cars, 

 with the delectable babies, who thought their 

 cherubs ought to have a premium — (and we 

 thought so too) — we wish them all prosperity— « 

 and long life, even to that delightful period when 



" The l.ind unplow'd sliall yield her crop, 

 Pure honey from the oak shall drop, 



The fountain shall run milk ; 

 The thistle shall the lily bear, 

 Aud every bramble roses wear, 



And every worm make silk." 



pulverized manure, one peck leached ashes, for 

 each hill, and with a spade or shovel mix well to- 

 gether from top to bottom. Then plant the seeds, 

 leaving the top of the hills level with the surface 

 of the ground, and keep them so during the sea- 

 son. When they are up, and the bugs have done 

 troubling tliem, thin them out, leaving two or 

 three stocks in each hill, which will cover the 

 ground before the summer is ended. I intended 

 to have said something about planting and raising 

 other vegetables, but will leave that for another 

 paper. Yours truly, 



Ansel Holman. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE MARROW SQUASH. 



Friexd Brown : — In the Sept. No. of the Far 

 mer, M. Tennv, of South Groton, asks some of 

 your correspondents to give him information about 

 cultivating the marrow squash. For the informa- 

 tion of friend Tenny, I will give you my experi- 

 ence in raising them. My neighbors can testify 

 to the quantity as well as quality of my squashes 

 and other vegetables. Much depends upon the 

 manner of planting squash seeds, as well as all 

 other seeds, to ensure good crops. Every man's 

 motto should be, ^'loork the soil deep,^' and with 

 the blessing of God, I shall have vegetables to sell 

 and to keep. When I have planted my squash 

 seeds after the following rule, I have never failed 

 of having been well paid for my labor, viz. : — Dig 

 the holes 16 or IS inches deep, three feet broad 

 and seven feet apart ; throw the top soil one side, 

 and the bottom soil on the other side of the holes. 

 After digging as many holes as I wish to plant 

 hills, I return the top soil to the bottom of the 

 holes, and then take one bushel or more of well 



GRAFTON COUNTY (N. H.) CATTLE 

 SHOW AND FAIR. 



Lebanon, Sept. 23, 1853. 



E'is. Traveller: — It rained yesterday, the first 

 day of the Fair, incessantly, and the naturiil con- 

 sequence was that a great many, undoubtedly the 

 majority of those who had made arrangements to 

 go with their beast and products, did not go, and 

 so nothing was done ; and though the weather was 

 fine to-day, those who would have gone were de- 

 terred, from the rule adopted that all articles must 

 be entered on the first of the two days. Sorry I 

 am, therefore, for the necessity of sending you a 

 poor account of the Show. 



The spacious Common in Lebanon village was 

 for three-fourths of its surface enclosed, furnish- 

 ing ample room for a trotting course, and pens for 

 beasts, and the old meeting-house for manufac- 

 tures in the lower story, and the upper for speak- 

 ing. Besides this accommodation, a large tent 

 was erected in the centre, a hundred feet in diam- 

 eter, for fruits, implements, machines, and so forth. 

 In this. Bond's Cornet Band was stationed, and 

 contributed rich music. The arrangements and 

 preparations were excellent, but the rain, like the 

 thunder at Wolf's Crag (Bride of Lammermoor) 

 spoiled all. This was the more to be regretted as 

 the previous fxirs of this county have been very 

 spirited, and have unquestionably exerted a hap- 

 py influence on the agricultural interests. 



Still there were some things of interest. Sixty 

 pairs of working oxen were driven into the enclos- 

 ure in one team, and they were a fine spectacle — all 

 strong, well built, and well conditioned animals — 

 showing by what means the stubborn glebe of these 

 hills has been subdued, as the beautiful slope of 

 three or four thousand acres on the south of this 

 village bears witness. Some of these oxen were 

 called into requisition at a drawing-match. A 

 stone-boat loaded with five thousand pounds of 

 pig-iron was the weight to be drawn and the fric- ^ 

 tion of the boat over and above that of wheels 

 probably added another thousand pounds. There 

 was considerable animation iu this trial of ox 

 strength and brute force among the more immedi- 

 ately interested. I was satisfied with seeing one 

 yoke march off with it in a stately manner. 



There was a plowing match of four competitors, 

 two with horses and two with oxen. The horse 

 teams came out almost precisely even, and one of 

 the ox teams distanced the other by one furrow. 

 The recent rain made it unftivorable plowing, and 

 diminished the number of competitors. In passing, 

 I remark for the benefit of the rest of mankind, 

 that I think this a fiir more rational and profitable 

 trial of skill and strength than a rowing match, 



