NEW ENGLxVxND FARMER. 



loe 



equally beneficial to the one that produces, as to him 

 that peruses. 



My paper will not admit the views in relation to 

 dairy products, the best mode of culticating grasses, the 

 renovation of orchards, &c., &c., that had occurred to 

 my mind ; but what I have said may be taken as a 

 sample of wli^it might be said on other subjects al- 

 most innumerable. 



Ycrv truly vours, 



Danvers, March 6, 1819". ' J. W. V. 



Hon. Mr. Denny, of Wcstborough, remarked, that 

 the bounties of the state to agricultural societies 

 amounted to seven thousand dollars, and this was 

 dispensed by competent judges. The societies make 

 a return of their doings, an abstract of which is pub- 

 lished. One class of men are satisfied with the 

 honor of obtaining premiums ; the principal object of 

 another class is to get the money. In some cases 

 books have been offered, in part, as premiums ; and 

 he was sorry to say, that this was not satisfactory to 

 the competitors. Societies had followed the same 

 path in offering premiums for twenty-five years. lie 

 thought it would be better to give more premiums 

 on well managed farms, and generally to give 

 larger and fewer premiums. Instead of premiums 

 for the best cow, they shoxild be for the best dairy, 

 with a report on the breed of cows, mode of feed- 

 ing, management, &c. Premiums should be offered 

 for good practical essays on agriculture. He thought 

 the time had come for a change. Ploughing matches 

 had led to great improvements in the ploiigh, and 

 now other imj^lements should receive attention. 



Hon. Mr. Calhoun, secretary of state, said, that 

 this was a novel but important subject for discus- 

 sion. He thought there was room for great improve- 

 ment in our cattle fairs. The business of examining 

 articles and reporting was done in too much haste. 

 As the returns to the state may be made until the 

 10th of January, there was an opportunity to make 

 deliberate reports. From some societies the reports 

 are good ; but in some cases, particularly on the sub- 

 ject of swine, some person, who has no practical 

 knowledge of agriculture, M'rites a report before the 

 time, and endeavors to make a display of -vvit rather 

 than of knowledge. Such reports may serve to 

 amuse at the time, but they do not answer the pui-- 

 poses intended as a return for the state bounty. The 

 state furnishes societies with money, and they ought 

 to furnish useful reports. Premiums offered for 

 single cows are generally taken, not bj' farmers, but 

 by others who have only one cow and feed high ; and 

 cows are often short-lived from high feeding. The 

 owners of such cows can furnish no useful informa- 

 tion on management. The great object should be to 

 elicit information of general interest. In Plymouth 

 county, a supervisor is employed to travel over the 

 county, for the purposes of observation, and make a 

 general report. This is a good arrangement. Mr. 

 Allen, a skilful farmer, is emploj'ed in that office. He 

 wished to see ofRccrs of the State Agricultural Society 

 at these meetings, that we might concentrate all the 

 aid we can upon this great subject. Much is done 

 by agricultural papers and societies for improvement. 



Mr. William Parker said, that there was but little 

 advantage in giving premiums for milch cows, as we 



seldom hear of them after the premium is given. 

 If the owner can get two dollars more for a cow for 

 beef, she is sold for that purpose. Premiums are 

 seldom taken by those who have several cows. 



Mr. Cole, of the New England Farmer, said, that 

 he had attended cattle fairs in different parts of 

 the country with great pleasure, and generally, they 

 were conducted by the most intelligent men ; but he 

 thoi'ght that some improA'ements might be made. 

 Premiums should be given lor economical and profit- 

 able farming, rather than for great crops from a 

 single acre of land, that cost more than they are 

 worth, while the rest of the farm was neglected. 

 This is bad management, and should not be encour- 

 aged by agricultural societies. Horticulture is a 

 branch that receives attention at agricultural exhi- 

 bitions. Sometimes an amateur cultivator will raise 

 half a dozen very large specimens of fruit on a 

 dwarf tree, and take the premium in preference to 

 the most skilful cultivator in the country, who haa 

 acres under the most profitable and successful man- 

 agement. At some horticultural exhibitions, premi- 

 ums are awarded for the greatest variety of fruits, 

 when not one quarter of them ai-e worth cultivating, 

 and no distinction made between the good and the 

 poor. The fhexperienced, judging from appearance 

 only, are often deceived. In estimating the quantity 

 of milk given by cows, it should be weighed, as 

 this rule would be uniform. Measures differ very 

 much. 



Mr. H. C. Merriam, of Tewksbury, said, that in 

 Worcester county, the premium caK might be traced 

 to the premium ox, and the effect was not such as 

 was complained of by Mr. Parker. 



Mr. Denny thought it would be a good mode to 

 offer a premium for the best daii-y of cows raised by 

 the farmer himself, and another for the best one half 

 of the cows raised by the farmer. 



The president observed, that he was highly pleased 

 with the remarks that had been made, and he hoped 

 that they would be duly considered by those who 

 dispense the bounties of the state. Observations 

 from those who have the care of the state affairs 

 are entitled to serious consideration. 



AMERICAN APPLES IN ENGLAND. 

 Ml-. P. Barny, (of the firm of EUwangcr & Bar- 

 ny,) editor of the horticultural department of the 

 Genesee Farmer, furnishes from England, for that 

 paper, the following account of American apples in 

 that country, which contains valuable hints to the 

 growers and exporters of fi'uit. 



Large quantities of American apples have been 

 brought into Liverpool recently, but the most of 

 them have been of indifferent quality, and badlj' 

 gathered and picked ; and hence they do not com- 

 mand high prices, nor do us any credit, — nor can 

 the shippers gain by the operation. There is an 

 unfailing market here for our orchard prodvicts ; but 

 to make the shipment of them profitable, it is abso- 

 lutely necessary that select varieties be sent, that 

 they be carefully hand-picked and packed in the 

 best manner. One barrel will then sell for as much 

 as three or four ; and the freight, wliich Ls the great 



