NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



43 



fowls or turkies. In its taste, it so stronjjly re- 

 sembles the oyster, that when sliced, ami fried 

 in batter, it can scarcely be distingiiislicil from 

 it. If our gardeners would introduce it into 

 the market, and our citizens once try it, there 

 would be no danger of its ever failing hereafter 

 to be raised. It is in eating from November to 

 May, precisely the period in which our vegeta- 

 ble market is "most deficient in variety."* 



Mr. Lowell, in this article, states his confi- 

 dence in the success of attempts which are mak- 

 ing to naturalize the Sweet Potatoe in New 

 ■, England, and says, 



'• Wc are confident they will be regularly for 

 sale in Boston market, from this time forward. 

 Wo have had experience this spring of their 

 hardihood. They encountered a severe frost 

 on the sixth of May, after having been trans- 

 planted from a hot bed, where they were made 

 patt rnally tender. They were cut down by the 

 t'ln^t, but have started again more freely than 

 common potatoes. They are now one month 

 earlier, than any we ever raised, and we feel 

 no doubt that they will produce an abundant 

 crop, and those which will not sell, will furnish 

 the best possible food, for pigs, cows, and poul- 

 try. This is no speculative theory, but the re- 

 sult of four years constant observations and ex- 

 periment. We have no idea of its being an ob- 

 ject of general culture, but it will, and must form 

 a part of the cultivation for the market, <ind of 

 ■ gentlemen, who feel a taste for horticulture." 

 The next articles are long, and relate entire- 

 ly to Horticulture. The writer in an introduc- 

 :ion to " Extracts fron) th,e Horticultural Trans- 

 Ktions," complains that 



" We are utterly destitute, in New England, 

 if nurseries for fruit trees on an extensive scale. 

 Ac have no cultivators on whom we can call 

 or a supply of the most common plants of the 

 .mailer fruits, such as strawberries, gooseber- 

 les, raspberries of the superior kinds — we have 

 I 10 place to which we can go for plants to orna- 

 nent our grounds — we have not a single seeds- 

 nan, who can alwaj's furnish us with fresh seeds 

 )f annual flowers on which we can place a re- 

 iance. These are trifling evils compared to 

 lie want of bread, but when we are tilled with 

 ihundance, we look round for something to grat- 

 ly our tastes." 

 '' Let those, who please, laugh at the absurd- 



* Rees' Cyclopedia observes, in substance, that the 



talks of the Tragopogon, or Salsafie "may be cut in 



, J lie spring, when they are four or five inches high, and 



Iressed like asparagus, in which way they eat very 



ender and well ;" and gives the following 



^^ Method of Culture. — The seed should be sown in 

 he spring, in an open situation to remain, either bioad- 

 ast and raked in, or in shallow drills eight or nine in- 

 lus asunder, scattering the seeds thinly, and covering 

 htm half an inch deep ; and when the plants are come 

 ip two or three inches in height, they should be thin- 

 " led and weeded by hand or the hoc, leaving them 

 " ight or ten inches asunder, repeating as required, diir- 

 i? the summer, which is all the culture they require, 

 iid they will have large roots by the autumn, as early 

 ■ September or October, when they may be begun 

 iking up for use ; and in November, when the leaves 

 • gin to decay, a quantity should be preserved in sand 



r use, when those in the ground cannot be got up. 



'■ In the spring, when those rtmaiuing in the ground 

 (gin to shoot, the shoots, when a few inches high, 

 lay be cut for use, whieh, when quite young and ten- 

 • er, on being boiled are excellent eating. The roots 

 re brought to market in bunches during the autumnal 

 ad winter seasons." 



ity of talking seriously of the importance of rais- 

 ing orntinipntal trees, shrub?, and herbaceous 

 dowering plants; let them ridicule the zeal, 

 which would furnish us with all the varieties of 

 fruits, which grow from Palestine to Archangel, 

 which would supply our tables with lettuce in 

 February, and green pease in March, yet there 

 are few of these laughing gentlemen w ho w ould 

 not gladly see and taste these rarities, and they 

 must he had, and will be had in spite of ridicule. 

 They are in truth as rational sources of pleas- 

 ure, and as just objects of pride and display as 

 a fine carriage, or superb dresses. They in 

 truth, give more general pleasure ; for w hile 

 the coach and the muslin robe are chiefly grati- 

 fying to the owner, those who cannot afford 

 either the one or the other, can feel, and often 

 do feel, more exquisitely, the pleasures derived 

 from the display of the beauties of flowers, or 

 the taste of the delicious fruits of nature. The 

 cultivator then of fruits and flowers is much less 

 selfish. Their sweets are not produced for him 

 alone. He can derive little pleasure from 

 them, but by their distribution." 



"• To shew the utter incompetency of our oxji 

 nurseries (if the few we have can be dignified 

 with the name.) I will simply state the fact, that 

 one hundred roots of strawberries, all of which 

 were nearly dead, sold at the late sale at auction 

 for a greater price than fine plants of approved 

 sorts, would be sold for in England, and that 

 raspberry plants sold at such a price, as would 

 have given me six hundred dollars, had I chosen 

 to break up my raspberry plantation and send 

 the plants to auction ; and I could have guaran- 

 teed better plants and better sorts than any which 

 could be expected in a promiscuous importation 

 and as good as can be found in Europe. This 

 shews the demand and the inadequacy of supply.^'' 

 (to be contikued.) 



WORCESTER COUNTY 



CATTLE SHOW, EXHIBITION OF MANUFAC- 

 TURES, AND PLOUGHING MATCH, 



At Worcester, on Wednesday, September 23, 1822. 



The Committee of Arrangements, appointed 

 by the Trustees of the Worcester County Ag- 

 ricultural Socict}', give notice, that in the dis- 

 charge of their duty, every accommodation will 

 be atibrded to the citizens of the county and the 

 public, which this interesting occasion may de- 

 mand. From comniuniiations which have been 

 made to them, they have the pleasure of antici- 

 pating a more excellent Show of Cattle and a 

 finer Exhibition of Manufactured Articles than 

 in any preceding year, and they doubt not of the 

 best endeavors of the industrious, spirited and 

 prosperous inhabitants of this extensive, popu- 

 lous and rich county, to render the day most 

 highly creditable to their exertions, and emi- 

 nently gratifying to the numerous and distin- 

 guished strangers, who may honor it by their 

 attendance. 



The Ploughing Match will lead in the exer- 

 cises of the day'. The Teams must be on the 

 Field, prepared to start at 9 o'clock, A. M. pre- 

 cisely. By the rules of the Trustees, "• those 

 persons who design to become competitors, 

 must give notice in writing to the Recording 

 Secretary, on or before the 15th of September 

 next, that suitable ground may be obtained, the 

 proper number of lots measured and marked out, 



and the requisite arrangements made for the 

 occasion. 



A Procession will be formed, immedifrfely af- 

 ter the Ploughing Match, of the OflTicerH and 

 Members of the Society and of invited strangers, 

 and proceed to the South Meeting-house, where 

 Prayers will be offered by the Chaplain of the 

 day, and an Address will be delivered by a Mem- 

 ber of the Board of Trustees. 



The Pens for the Cattle will be erected on 

 the Common, near the Meeting-house. 



The Procession will be conducted from the 

 Meeting-house, into the area between the ran- 

 ges of Pens, for the examination of the Animals. 



The trial of Working Oxen will follow the 

 examination of the Stock. 



The Examination of Manufactures will be at- 

 tended to i)> private, by the Committee appoint- 

 ed to that duty on Tuesday the 24tli of Septem- 

 ber, and the articles must be entered with the 

 Recording Secretary, and delivered to the per- 

 son appohited to receive them before 1 1 o'clock 

 of the forenoon of that day. These articles, 

 together n:ith whatever is curious and ivonderfiil in 

 fabric, or in the product nf the Earth, 'i'ill be 

 publicly exhibited in the Rooms of the Soci..ty 

 from 9 o'clock, A.M. until 5 o'clock, P.M. of the 

 25th. The citizens of the county are respect- 

 fully and earnestly solicited to contribute to the 

 interest in the Exhibition, by sending to the 

 Rooms any article in their jiosscssion, which 

 may be worthy of observation, although it may 

 not be of the description advertised for Premi- 

 um. The most faithftil attention will be paid to ' 

 preserve every thing from injury, and to re- 

 store the property to the respective owners. 

 The Rooms for the Exhibition, are furnished to 

 the use of the Society by the liberality of Ma- 

 jor Flagg, and arc the same which were used 

 the last ysar. 



The Funds of the Society will not admit of 

 further gratuities for the Exhibition of Teams 

 of Cattle from the neighboring towns, but the 

 Committee trust in the public spirit of their fel- 

 low citizens that the high gratification afforded 

 by the fine display made by the good 3'eomanry 

 of Sutton and Shrewsbury, the two last jears, 

 will be renewed at the approaching Cattle Show, 

 by similar Exhibitions from those and other con- 

 veniently situated towns of the county. 



The respective Committees of Premiums will 

 make their Reports, and the Premiums will be 

 awarded in the Meeting-house, at five o'clock, 

 P. M. 



Marshals are appointed and will be under 

 oath, to enforce the Rules and Regulations of 

 the Trustees, and to preserve good order on the 

 occasion. 



God speed the plough, and give success to the 

 Spindle, the Shuttle, and the Loom! 

 Lev: LI^•coL^•, 



Theophilus \Vheeler, Committee 

 Oliver Fiske, > of 



Thomas Chamberlain, Jlrrangemenis. 

 Nathan Howe, J 



Worcester, .'lug. 28, 1822. 



Mr. Isaiah J. Hendrix, of Bennington, (Vt,) 

 has lately invented, and obtained a patent tor an 

 instrument c,-<lled the Delineator, to be used in 

 the cutting of garments. Being fitted for th<? 

 fashion required, it shows with precision all the 

 points necessary to be found in cuttiiig for any 

 size or proportion. 



