338 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



aged, for the produce of the hen, in eggs and chick- 

 ens, forms an important, and no inconsiderable part 

 of our food ; and as to profit, as much depends on 

 the breeds, and good management of fowls, as of any 

 other animals. 



The show of fruits and flowers was fine, and that 

 of the former larger than we expected to see this 

 season. There were some fine specimens of vegeta- 

 bles, but in this department the exhibition was rather 

 limited. 



The address by Hon. A. T. Newhall was plain, 

 practical, and instructive, giving the experience and 

 observation of the speaker. It was rather brief. 

 Among the distinguished visitors of this fair were 

 Governor Briggs and Ex-Governor Hill. As a gen- 

 eral thing, this show was excellent. Mr. Proctor, 

 the president, and the other officers, constitute an 

 efficient corps in the cause of improvement. 



MIDDLESEX CATTLE SHOW. 



This festival was held at Concord, on Wednesday, 

 last week. A large number attended. The plough- 

 ing match was on land that was rather heavy from 

 recent rains, and considerable skill was .necessary to 

 good work. The competition Avas very brisk, yet 

 most of the ploughmen and teamsters promptly per- 

 formed their labor in a quiet manner. The plough- 

 ing was excellent, and the most of it was remarkably 

 good, particularly in turning the last furrow. There 

 were nine double ox teams, nine single ox teams, 

 and five horse teams, one pair each. A son of A. G. 

 Sheldon, Wilmington, ploughed with a double team, 

 without a driver. He made excellent work, and 

 completed his land in good season. 



The show of cattle was not extensive, but there 

 Avere some very fine animals. A variety of breeds 

 were in the pens. Among the blood stock, the 

 Devons and Ayrshires were the most conspicuous. 

 There were fine natives, and some good crosses or 

 mixtures of the native and foreign breeds. Concord 

 shows have long been noted for fine specimens of 

 swine, mostly a mixture of diff"erent breeds. One 

 lot was called Our Old Native Race, as pure as could 

 be found ; but they looked too well to be even distant 

 relations of the Land Sharks, as the old gaunt races 

 were called. There was but very little poultrj\ The 

 show of fruit, though not extensive, was very fine 

 indeed. The vegetable products were not numerous, 

 but large, and of superior appearance. 



The address was by I/illy Eaton, Esq., who has 

 occasionally appeared at celebrations as a poet ; there- 

 fore we expected that the address would be poetical 

 or flowery ; but in fact it was both. He ran into 

 verse frequently, and his prose was often poetical 

 and flowery. The address was generally pleasing 

 and beautiful, and no small part was marked with 

 sage reflections and sound philosophy. Like many 

 other addresses on such occasions, it was too long, 

 requiring an hour in its delivery. This is a day of 

 impatience and railroad speed, and the orator's motto 

 should be, " Much in a small space." 



We could not attend the dinner ; but we under- 



stand that this society has followed the excellent 

 example of some others in putting the tickets at fifty 

 cents. This has been the uniform price at the shows, 

 this season, excepting at Worcester. 



This exhibition, on the whole, indicates good prog- 

 ress in improvements, in agriculture, horticulture, 

 manufactures, mechanism, and in useful knowledge 

 generally. 



♦ 



TRANSPLANTING TREES. 



The land for setting trees should be deeply and 

 thoroughly cultivated, and if not in good tilth, it 

 should be manured with well-decomposed compost, 

 which should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. 

 Trench ploughing and subsoil ploughing are excel- 

 lent preparations. 



A hole for the tree should be dug five or six feet 

 wide, and eighteen or twenty inches deep. It should 

 be filled, nearly to the top, with rich loam and decom- 

 posed sods, which should be trodden doAvn a little, 

 lest the tree settle after it is set. Set the tree so that 

 the roots Avill be within a few inches of the surface 

 when the ground is levelled, or about the same as it 

 grew naturally, or in the nursery. Deep planting is 

 injurious. Fill in among and on the roots fine soil, 

 and tread it down gently. 



After setting the trees, in the fall, in the usual 

 manner, to protect the roots in winter, throw up 

 around the tree a broad mound of earth, six or eight 

 inches deep ; then lay around and verj' near the tree 

 three or four stones, pressed into the earth, to keep 

 them firm, and then place sods or turfs between the 

 tree and stones, and press them down with the foot. 

 The heap of earth will throAv oft' the water, and keep 

 the tree in good condition, in its new location ; and it 

 will also protect it from mice, as they Avill not work 

 in elevated, exposed situations. The stones and 

 sods, together Avith the moiind of eartii, Avill save 

 the tree from injury from winds, without stakes. In 

 spring, the convex surface should be changed into a 

 concaA'e or basin, to catch and hold the Avater. 



October is a favorable season for transplanting, 

 and the sooner it is done the better. There is no 

 better season, if the work is done well, as Ave haA'e 

 recommended. When trees are Avell set in fall, they 

 groAV the next season, as though they had not been 

 moved; but when set in spring, they often fail to 

 grow, and sometimes they die from severe drought. 

 We ahvays have good luck in autumnal transplant- 

 ing, even in exposed situations, and when open or 

 changeable Avinters succeed. In packing trees that 

 are to remain long in the package, the leaves should 

 fall first, or they should be cut off, to prcA'cnt fermen- 

 tation ; hence some nurserymen recommend delay, as 

 they do not like the trouble of removing the leaves. 



CHEESE. 



Several reasons being suggested for cheese being 

 sometimes poisonous, another has occurred to the 

 Avriter, from observing a number of thirsty cows 

 drinking the " green mantle of the standing pool," 

 in a pasture, for want of pure Avater. — Selected. 



