13 



live stock of a farm ; Green Food, comprehending car- 

 rots, the great beet, or mangel wurtzel, the Swedish tur- 

 nip, and Indian corn plants while abounding in sweet 

 juices ; Ripened Indian Corn and Wheat " — a large field 

 to be tilled, it seems to me, in one day. He says : " My 

 own practice, since, has been conformed to this conclu- 

 sion: diligently ploughing in all manure as soon as 

 spread, even so far as to spread in the morning no more 

 than could be ploughed in before the hour of dining, and 

 while the cattle were eating to spread only so much 

 more as they could plough in by night." " I am induced 

 to think the spreading of dung on grass land the most 

 wasteful way in which it can be used." Of cattle he 

 says : " I would inquire whether giving rewards for the 

 biggest and the fattest is the best method of obtaining 

 the most valuable breeds." " In fattening cattle and 

 sheep there is a point to be attained at which their flesh 

 will be of the best quality and most valuable to the 

 consumer. Is not 'all beyond this a waste of time and 

 expense in their keeping ? " He says in the same ad- 

 dress that Swedish turnips should be sowed early in 

 May ; and that no green food " will afford butter of equal 

 excellence " with that produced by green corn fodder — ^^^ 

 two points in which fanners of this day would differ 

 from him. 



Again, on February 21, 1820, Col. Pickering address- 

 ed the Society, in accordance with a vote of the trustees. 

 He discussed deep-ploughing and manuring, root crops 

 Indian corn and winter wheat, live stock and orchards — 

 giving his views on these subjects with wisdom and 

 practical good sense. 



Andrew Nichols was the next orator. He delivered 

 the address at Topsfield, October 5, 1820, in which he: 



