62 ON THE CULTIVATION OF POTATOES. 



authorized to award any thing in the character of premiums ; but 

 as several years have elapsed without any premium having been 

 awarded to the competitors, the Committee would recommend 

 gratuities in the present case, in the expectation, that our farmers 

 maybe encouraged to pay more attention to this subject, and be 

 led to exhibit to the Society better samples of their cider. The 

 Committee recommend the following gratuities, — 



To John Cole of Boxford - - - - 5 dollars. 



" Messrs. Kidder and Swift of Andover 3 dollars. 



" John Foster of Andover - - - - 1 dollar. 



" Daniel Foster of Andover - - - 1 dohar. 



It is a matter of some surprise that in a part of the countr) , 



where fruit of an excellent quality is so abundant as in the 



County of Essex, there should not be more attention paid to the 



manufacture of cider. As a common beverage it is one of the 



most pleasant and healthful which our country affords, and might 



easily be made a source of great profit. It is stated on good 



authority that in the town of Orange, in the State of New Jersey, 



which contains a population of about four thousand inhabitants, 



there are manufactured and sold, on an avorage, twenty thousand 



barrels of cider, annually, at the rate of about five dollars per 



barrel, giving about one hundred thousand dollars receipts for this 



single article. If, to the farmer, this produce of his orchard can 



afford both pleasure and profit, to the philanthropist it must be 



a subject of no less importance, as substituting a pleasant and 



healthful beverage in the place of that bane of morals and 



prosperity, the use of ardent spirits. 



Ebenezer Moseley, per order. 

 Sept. 29, 1831. 



No. IX. ON THE CULTIVATION OF POTATOES. 



The Committee appointed to award premiums on the best 

 conducted experiments in raising potatoes, have attended to that 

 service, and report — 



That six specimens were presented for their examination, 

 three of which only came within the rule prcscriljed to the 

 Committee for awarding premiums. 



