Reports of Committees. 



REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL COMMITTEE. 



The farmers of Berkshire, the bright green spot of all New England, should be 

 truly thankful for the favorable season just passed. While other sections around us 

 have suffered with excessive drought, we have been favored with genial showers and 

 warm sunshine, that have caused our valleys and hill tops to blossom and bring 

 forth abundantly. But few of our oldest inhabitants can remember so uniform and 

 warm a season. All crops and fruits have matured at least two weeks earlier than 

 usual. The summer crops were generally good. Small grains were early matured, 

 and harvested in a remarkably good condition. We noticed a want of plumpness in 

 the berry generally, owing perhaps to the intense heat of the summer. 



Winter Wheat. — There were but three entries, only two of which we considered 

 worthy of premium. 



Sprint; Wheat. — We found a more than average crop. 



Rye was rather a failure. We found many false heads, the berry small, and not 

 well filled. One field, upon examination, contained hardly any filled heads, although 

 the straw was very heavy and upright. 



Oats. — There were a great many entries, though your committee feel compelled 

 to say they were not quite as good as last year. The Norway oat was an exception, 

 that having a large berry and well filled head. 



Meslins seem to find great favor with our farmers. We saw one piece of oats 

 and peas. Spring rye and oats were more used than any other mixture, especially 

 by dairymen. We did not find any charlock, and but few thistles, owing, doubtless, 

 to the remarks of our worthy chairman in last year's report. 



Barley was a good crop. Many very late pieces were unusually well filled. 



Sowed Corn was very fine, and particularly heavy. We would, as did your 

 committee last year, recommend the sowing of sweet corn in drills. 



Crass, one of the most important crops of the farm, we are happy to say, is in- 

 creasing every year, both in quantity and quality. It was early cut, and secured 

 in admirable order. Take the county through, there was not as much hay cut per 

 acre as last season, but with the immense second crop, and botli crops secured in fine 

 order, the supply will be fully equal to previous years. 



Gardens. — There were not as many entries as we could have wished for. It is 

 the most important spot of ground on the farm, and generally the most neglected. 

 Nearly one-half the living of a family is taken from a well cultivated garden. It is 

 an ornament to the farm, and a sure index to all other crops. The tlower garden is 

 voted a nuisance, and is generally left to the care of the gentler sex. It would seem 

 that the very energy of the Divine mind is brought to adorn and beautify them, and 

 yet they are not considered worthy the attention of degraded man, who needs theii 

 softening influence to help elevate him to a higher sphere in life. 



The fall crops were seldom, if ever, better. 



Corn is the most important grain raised in our county, and we can truly say qo 

 committee ever found corn so early matured, almost every field being ready to har- 

 vest in August. The crop is very abundant, bright and sound, ami cattle show will 



