1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



573 



For the New England Farmer. 



REFORM SCHOOL AT WSSTBORO'. 



Mr. Editor: — Your readers will probably bear 

 in mind the remarks made in your paper in rela- 

 tion to the condition of this institution in June 

 last. Having been present at the dedication, this 

 day, of the new apartments added to the estab- 

 lishment, it is but fair to state the impression, left 

 on the mind, of its comparative condition. There 

 has been a decided improvement in every thing 

 about— both inside and out. All the rooms ap- 

 peared in the best possible order— cleansed and 

 ventilated. The boys also appeared quite as well 



EXTRACTS, REPLIES, &0. 



W. C. S., Fayctlemlle, Vt. Your question, — 

 " IIow much oyster shell lime is it necessary to 

 use in composting a cord of pure vegetable muck, 

 to make it equal to the same quantity composted 

 with one-third stable manure?" cannot be defi- 

 nitely answered by any process within our knowl- 

 edge. For some lands, filled with sorrel for in- 

 stance, a cord of meadow mud, that had been dug 

 and exposed a year or two, mixed with four or 

 five lushels of lime, would probably be more use- 

 ful than a cord of stable manure. We should ad- 



as could be expected where so large a number as vise the use of not less than two bushels of lime 

 three hundred and seventy are together. The U^ ^ co^^ ^f ^ju^j^^ ^^^^ ji,,^^ jf ^^^ command 

 regularity and order of their movements was quite ^^ ^^^ ^^^.^^ ^^^^ 



extraordinary; quite equal to a well regulated ^, ,. , ri 3 i ., /..,-,., 



school. We eyed them closely for the two hours "P0» t^^e kind of land, depth of the soil, the quan- 

 they were together, during the dedicatory exer- tity and kind of vegetable matter which the soil 



cises, and did not notice a single movement un- 

 worthy the son of a deacon at church. This, for 

 three hundred criminals, mostly without education 

 and manners when sent there, speaks well for those 

 who have governed them. We saw them also in 

 their school rooms, and we did not notice any 

 thing wherein they fell short of other well ordered 

 schools. We were particular in noticing their 

 personal cleanliness, as such marked exception was 

 so justly taken to this in June, and are free to say 

 we saw no reason of complaint in this particular. 

 As a whole we are happy to bear testimony to the 

 present good state of the institution, and to the 

 fidelity of those who have the charge of it. It is 

 now fitted for the accommodation of five hundred 

 or more. We were quite astonished to see so large 

 a number of boys there, under twelve years of 

 age, one third at least being of this description. 

 Can it be that children of such tender years are 

 fit subjects for judicial sentence? In our judgment 

 magistrates or courts misapprehend their duty, to 

 the Commonwealth, when they undertake to re- 

 form children of such tender years by the appli- 

 cation of the law. Better provide for them at 

 home or send them to school. "Milk for babes — 

 meat for strong men." We maybe wrong, but 

 such are our impressions, with no small parental 

 experience. 



We -were most interested in looking at the lands 

 about the farm; here no special improvement was 

 manifest. We understand that some arrangement 

 is in contemplation, for another season, whereby 

 the boys can be advantageously employed upon 

 the land. But this must be under the direction 

 of well instructed farmers, so that the boys, when 



contains, and upon the species of culture to which 

 it is subjected. In England, where lime can be 

 obtained at a reasonable price, they apply to their 

 lands, on an average, from 7 to 10 bushels a year. 



From a letter of James II. Robbrts, Middlelown, 

 Vt. " The potato rot is very destructive in this 

 vicinity ; the Carter, the Leopard and French 

 Pinkeye sufier most. In many fields they are not 

 worth harvesting. It is dry rot mostly. TFg 

 Peach-blow, the Western-red, and the Culp, seem 

 to be exempt. 



Iron Pears. We are indebted to Caleb Bates, 

 Esq., of Hingham, for some fine specimens of this 

 fruit. 



Skedling Pears. From Dr. J. A. Shtirtleff, 

 Brookline ; very fine ; far more worthy of cultiva- 

 tion than many with their crooked French names. 



From a letter dated San Francisco, Sept. 15th, 

 1853. 



Mr. Brown : — Please accept our thanks for the 

 package of agricultural documents per Adams' 

 express, which we shall take pleasure in placing 

 in the hands of the parties, when they meet to- 

 gether for the purpose of forming an Agricultural 

 Society. 



The great fertility and extent of many of our 

 [valleys cannot fail, sooner or later, to place the 

 agricultural interest of our State in a very prom- 

 inent position. Vegetables and grain of almost 

 all kinds, with the exception of Indian corn, yield 

 most bountifully. We feel confident that next 



they leave this institution at the age of twenty- year the crop of wheat will be nearly or quite 

 one, shall bo capable of taking charge of such sufficient to .supply the demands of the State, 

 work themselves. We have said so much upon Flouring mills are already being put up in all di- 



the boys and the institution that we have no time 

 to speak of the exercises of the day, other than to 



audience. 



what he said did not seem to me particularly ap- 

 propriate to the place and the occasion. 



Several gentlemen spoke five minutes each very 

 much to the point. Gov. Clifford was not there. 

 Mr. Washburn of Worcester supplied his place 

 quite well. Judge Russell of Boston made very 

 happy remarks, and so did good Dea. Grant. 



Nov. 3, 1853. Esses. 



rections. 



Yours very truly. 



Bryant & Co. 



say that they were attentively heard by a large"- ., Thacher Friend of Alfred Maine thinks 



nn^i-pnnA Mr. Bauks is au eloquent speaker, but ,' \^^cher friend, or A/jrea, Maine, tmnKs 



- -•- -j^ . - he has discovered a remedy for the potato rot, m 



mulching the ground after hoeing with meadow 

 hay, saw-dust, or any other light substance which 

 will keep the ground moist and prevent the growth 

 of weeds. He says his crops have not only been 

 sound, under this process, but have been nearly 

 double in quantity. He has made application for 

 the State bounty. 



