88 



voutly to be wished that more social intercourse may be 

 carried on between our friends, and that next year the Com- 

 mittee on farms may have many interesting examinations to 

 relate, and much useful information to impart. 



EZRA KENDALL, Chairman. 



m»m 



GARDENS. 



f 



There was but one Garden entered for premium this year. 

 That was by Mr. John M. Sawtelle, conductor on the Fitch- 

 burg Railroad, a gentleman you will always see with a 

 flower in his mouth. 



The garden of Mr. Sawtelle is near the house of Mr. Abel 

 F.Adams, and has a gentle slope to the east and south; 

 soil good, or may be made so. Some parts of it are rather 

 wet. This may be obviated by deepening the soil and under 

 draining. 



TheCommitteemadetheir first examination June 30, 1857. 

 The garden was tastefully laid out and embellished with 

 flowers, ornamental trees and shrubs. We did not find 

 every thing here which belongs to a kitchen garden, but we 

 found a good variety of garden vegetables, such as peas, 

 beets, onions, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, yellow and sweet 

 corn, common and cherry tomatoes, squashes, cucumbers, 

 melons, cabbages, salsify and rhubarb ; fruit trees, as 

 apples, pears, cherries and plums ; raspberries, Rochelle 

 blackberry, a bed of strawberries, and grapes. The plants 

 then looked well; the ground was clear of weeds and in 

 good condition. 



August 24ih. We made a secend examination at this 

 time. The ground was pretty thoroughly covered with ve- 

 getation and clear of weeds for so wet a season. There was 

 a large bed of carrots which looked remarkably well, corn 

 good, squashes very prominent, running over every thing in 



