Reports of Committees. 23 



FALL CROPS. 



Whole number of entries 171, classed as follows: Sowed corn, 12 entries; 

 corn, four acres, 33 entries ; corn, one acre, 39 entries ; buckwheat, 22 

 entries ; potatoes, 29 entries ; beans, 4 entries ; beets, 5 entries : carrots, 

 5 entries ; turnips, 5 entries ; cabbage, 3 entries ; best managed farm not 

 less than forty acres, 10 entries. 



The committee on Fall Crops have attended to their duties, (excepting 

 one of the committee who most of the time was prevented by sickness from 

 serving,) ^Yc the active members therefore submit the following report. 



Notwithstanding the extreme drouth of the summer and fall, and the 

 fearful forebodings of the people generally, of an alarming failure of the 

 fall crops, there has been a fair production, verifying the truth of the old 

 maxim, that a dry season scares people to death and a wet one starves 

 them to death. 



The corn crop was very good, there has been a larger production some 

 seasons, but seldom if ever so universally sound and ripe as it is this season. 



The fields of potatoes were quite uneven in their productions. Some 

 very good crops the production of the majority of the fields of the potato 

 crop was light. Your committee are of the opinion that we arc not in the 

 habit of making proper allowance for the quality of the potato, but arc 

 governed more by the quantity produced. Quantity and quality should 

 each have their due weight in determining the premiums. The Peerless, 

 the Harrison, the Prolific and the Early Goodrich, are very prolific, some 

 of these kinds are not desirable for table use, others have not been suffi- 

 ciently tested as to their quality, The Peach Blow, the Early Rose and 

 many others arc celebrated for their line qualities for cooking. The amount 

 of seed used in planting both corn and potatoes has generally been too large, 

 the largest production cf potatoes that we found was planted with but one 

 piece in a hill, and hut one eye in the piece. Your committee arc of the 

 opinion that two pieces of potato in the hill with but one eye in each piece 

 is sufficient, four stalks in a hill of corn and thirty hills to the square rod 

 is about the manner of planting that produces the most corn to the acre. 



Buckwheat and beans were rather slight crops, on dry land the drouth 

 injured them. Farmers we think would find it for their benefit to plant 

 more white beans, they are a good paying crop and can be raised on any soil. 



There was nearly three times the number of entries of sowed corn that 

 there was last year, showing that the farmers notwithstanding Dr. Loring's 

 views, are beginning to prize the value of sowed corn for feeding not only 

 their cows, but other stock, after the fresh pastures of summer are begin- 

 ning to fail them. 



Farmers will find it to their profit to cultivate the root crop«, (Sweedish 

 turnips carrots and beets) for late fall and winter use. Y r our committee, 

 some of whom have served frequently on the agricultural committee from 

 the commencement of this society, while examining the ten farms entered 

 for premiums, were forcibly reminded of the great improvements in the man- 

 agement and improved culture of our farms, improvement of buildings, 

 fences, fruit gardens, &c. Since the Ilousatonic Agricultural Society was 

 established old tumbled down stone walls have been relaid on sure fouuda- 



