72 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



On "Wednesday of last week, we had the pleasure 

 of attcndinf^ the Convention at Dcdham, held for 

 the purpose of forming an Agricultural Society for the 

 county of Norfolk. The meeting was large, and 

 composed of zealous and eflicient friends of agricul- 

 ture, from different parts of the county. 



The Convention was organized by the appointment 

 of Hon. Cliarles F. Adams, of Quincy, to the ofRce 

 of President, and of other gentlemen as temporary 

 officers. Mr. Adams briefly addressed the Conven- 

 tion, on the important subject before them, remark- 

 ing, that as he had inherited considerable real estate, 

 he should give particular attention to the subject of 

 agriculture, in order to manage it with advantage. 

 Hon. Josiah Quincy, Jr., late mayor of Boston, ad- 

 dressed the Convention in his usual spirited and able 

 manner. During the session, brief and animated 

 remarks v>crc made by Hon. B. V. French, of Brain- 

 tree, Hon. M. P. Wilder, of Dorchester, S. Walker, 

 Esq., of lloxbury, E. K. Whittaker, Esq., of Need- 

 ham, and by others. 



A constitution was adopted, and a large number 

 of names obtained as members. A subscription was 

 opened, headed by Mr. Adams, the president, for 

 $300. Messrs. French, Wilder, and A. D. Williams, 

 of Roxbury, subscribed $100 each. 



The following officers were chosen for the ensuing 

 year : Hon. M. P. Wilder, President ; Hon. C. F. 

 Adams, Hon. B. V. French, Hon. S. D. Bradford, of 

 Roxbury, Checvcr Newhall, Esq., of Dorchester, 

 Rev. E. Burgess, of Dedham, Hon. Jos. L. Richard- 

 son, of Medway, Vice-Presidents ; Hon. Edward L. 

 Iveycs, of Dcdham, Recording Secretary ; E. K. 

 Whittaker, Esq., Corresponding Secretary ; Mr. 

 Enos Foord, of Dedham, Treasurer. Various other 

 officers were also chosen. 



A vote of thanks was passed to Messrs. Adams, 

 French, Wilder, and Williams, for thcii' liberal dona- 

 tions ; and to Mr. ^^^littakcr, for his zeal, persever- 

 ance, and efficient labors, in getting up the Conven- 

 tion. A letter was read from General Dearborn, 

 mayor of the city of Roxbury, excusing his non- 

 attendance, on account of physical inability. 



Messrs. Walker and Williams set a noble example, 

 and pledged Roxbury for $500 ; Mr. Wilder, and 

 other gentlemen, pledged Dorchester for $400 ; and 

 their example was followed by liberal gentlemen of 

 other towns. The whole permanent fund, raised on 

 the spot, amounted to over $2800, with a fair pros- 

 pect of adding several thousand dollars more, from 

 members, and by donations. 



Thi'oughout all the proceedings, the utmost har- 

 mony and most gratifying enthusiasm prevailed, and 

 the result has been auspicious, and highly satisfactory 

 to the friends of agricultural improvement. 



POSTAGE ON SEEDS, SCIONS, &C. 



The post-office laws should be so modified as to 

 allow of sending very small packages, containing 

 seeds, scions, &c., by mail, as this would offer great 

 facilities to cultivators, and, of course, to improve- 



ments in agriculture and horticulture ; and there 

 would be an advantage in a greater revenue to gov- 

 ernment, without any extra expense, of consequence, 

 ill transportation. The following is a copy of a peti- 

 tion adopted by the C^incinnati Horticultural So- 

 ciety. We hope that other societies will cooperate 

 in the endeavor to bring about a change so desirable. 



To the Uon. tlie House of Representatives of the Pcojile 

 of the United States in Coiigress. 



The subscribers respectfully petition your honor- 

 able body for such a modification of the post-office 

 laws as will enable those persons who are engaged in 

 horticultural pursuits, or others, to transmit by mail, 

 seeds, grafts, and such other horticultural objects as 

 arc occasionally sent by mail, at a rate of postage not 

 exceeding that of newspapers, provided they be in 

 packages of not more than two ounces in weight. 



Believing that you will at once perceive the gen- 

 eral advantage to our country from every increased 

 facility of disseminating throughout its varied dis- 

 tricts the various jilants and fruits which may be 

 thought useful for cultivation, and especially such as 

 it may be desirable to test in different soils and cli- 

 mates, we consider it only necessaiy to remind you 

 that the charge of letter postage, according to the 

 present system, retards the progress of improvement 

 in horticulture, and therefore deserves modification. 



We might add, that we have no doubt the revenues 

 of the post-office would be greatly increased by the 

 proposed amendment; we consider, however, that by 

 its adoption the public good would be so much pro- 

 moted, that no question of revenue should be allowed 

 to affect it. 



PRESERVATION OF BUTTER. 



At a late Council of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England, a few years since, a jar of butter was 

 received from Henry Wood, Esq., as a specimen of 

 the successful mode adopted for its preservation 

 when that article is intended for exj)ort to foreign 

 climates. 



Mr. Wood informed the Council that this butter 

 had been prepared on the 19th inst., (June,) accord- 

 ing to the process adopted in Eastern countries, 

 where it was used for culinary purposes instead of 

 hog's lard, which the T*Iahomctan law prohibited, 

 and would keep for any length of time in a perfect 

 state of preservation, although it contained no salt 

 or other additional substance. This preservative state 

 of the butter was induced by the removal of scvim, 

 and the dissipation of the watery particles of fresh 

 butter, effected by the gentlest possible application of 

 sufficient heat to produce the result. Mr. Wood 

 stated that in Asia this gentle heat was obtained by 

 the natives by filling a large, open, earthen- ware pan 

 with powdered and well-dried cow-dung, and then 

 setting fire to it, introducing into the midst of the 

 burning cow-dung an earthen vessel containing the 

 butter, which thus became melted ; and when the 

 scum, as it rose, had been successively removed, and 

 the watery particles driven off by the heat, it was 

 poured into a jar and preserved for use. Mr. Wood 

 suggested that a sand-bath, properly regulated, 

 might answer the same purpose as the dried cow- 

 dung, and as the process was so very simple, there 

 could be no difficulty in preparing it; and that, 

 when once prepared, the butter never became taint- 

 ed. Mr. Wood stated that he carried with him to 

 the Cape of Good Hope some butter prepared in the 

 same way, a year previously, and which was thero 

 pronounced to be superior to the salted butter of the 

 colony and for culinaiy purposes far superior to 

 lard. 



