114 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



wliatever gro.vs out of the soil ultimaiply re- 

 turns to it ag-ain, to allord food for other jilanis 

 which succeed. Consequently tlie more any 

 Soil can 1)6 made to produce, the more tiiat, or 

 some other in the neighborhood, will he en- 

 riched. Do any douht tlie correctness of these 

 theories ? Why has Palestine, or the lioly land, 

 which once flowed with milk and honey, and 

 sui)ported by its own produce, on an extent of 

 territory not exceeding that of Massachusetts, 

 seven millions of people, become so barren as 

 scarcely to be able to preserve a lew thousand 

 miserable wretches? Why has the river Jordan, 

 once, undoubtedly, a noble stream rolling thro' 

 fertile vallies, been reduced to a small brook, 

 winding its way through a sandy desalt? ^ ou 

 will perhaps answer, the malediction of the 

 Host High rests upon if. True, but the Al- 

 m ghty etVects his i)urpo5e through the agency 

 of natural causes. It was overrun by victorious 

 armies, and vegetation was destroyed ; exposed 

 to the direct rays of the sun, the soil ilself dis- 

 appeared, the s[)rings were dried up, ;tid ler- 

 tilizmg showers became Ic^s and less fiti]iient. 

 The same process is now going nn in our naked 

 pastures, many of which, that a few yciiTs since 

 were well clothed with grass now produce little 

 or nothing- but moss. — ibicl. 



Farmers generally would make their pursuits 

 more profitable if they were careful to send to 

 market the best articles, in the neatest irder. 

 Gr;od butter, good cheese, good fruit, good ci- 

 der, good pork, beef and mutton, will aways 

 sell, even when the market is glutted wiih in- 

 ferior kinds of the same articles. The differ- 

 ence of the expense of raising or preparirg the 

 best, and the more ordinary kinds of llese com- 

 modities, is often very trilling. The.')u((er. for 

 , . , i.^..,! ivji salt', IS olteti I>"^'? rancid, 

 and almost worthless. Yet .such bnlcr costs al- 

 most as much, perhaps often more,'han it would 

 to have made it of the best qpility- Butter 

 ihould always be made, salted m^ preserved by 

 rule. Despise not, therefore, <lrcctions on this 

 subject found in books; for i' is impossible al- 

 ways to make good butler, if it he carelessly 

 worked over, and salted as chance directs. The 

 didiculty of making good jutter, and of sending 

 it uninjured U) the market, in the hottest weath- 

 er, may be easily obvi;tod. For, with very lit- 

 tle trouble or expen-e, ice may be kept in a 

 common cellar the vhole season.* 



I>y selecting gojd, sound api)les, and pro- 

 perly managing ifce liquor during and after Icr- 

 nii'iitatinn, CiiiF.n can he made without addition, 

 ])ossessing a fine flavour, and in strength equal 

 to about one fourth its (|uantity of proof spirit. 



'' In tlic midiilc or one comer of the cellar may be 

 liuilt a bin. 'I hrow down some board?, and cover thf 

 bottom with straw ; or, what is better, the spent bark 

 nf lamif-riis, generally kuowii by the name ol' tan, in 

 sulficicnt quantity to leave it a loot in thickness under 

 rhf necessary pressure. In the month of Kebruary or 

 March, go to the most convenient pond of fresh wa- 

 ter, and obtain a sulTiciciit quantity of ice, cutting or 

 sa.ving it up in blocks as laige as can be conveniently 

 handled, and pile it up as compactly as possible in the 

 Vin, leaving a space of one foot or more all round it ; fill 

 this space, and cover the whole with tan or straw, and 

 the ice, unless the ccUer be uncommonly open, will 

 keep the whole summer. Two men, and one pair of 

 o.x. n, will perform all the labour necessary to lay in 

 such a store of ice in one day. Around this ice let the 

 pans of milk be set, and place the pots of cream and 

 butler upon it. Place two or three pounds of ice in each 

 box when the butter is couveyed to market. 



By the addition of about twenty pounds of sugar 

 to a barrel of common cider, as it comes from 

 the press, it will fine itself, keep foryears, even 

 on the lees, without souring, and be much im- 

 proved in strength. — ibiil. 



CATTLE SHOWS, iic. 



XORTHAMPTO.y CATTLE SHOW. 



The Hampshire Gazette of the 30th tilt, con- 

 tains the General Report of the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the Ham[)shire, Franklin and Hamp- 

 den Agricultural .Society, respecting the late 

 Cattle IsIk vv. It occupies almost seven columns 

 of the Gazette. We can only give the follow- 

 ing abridged sketches of its contents. 



The premiums awarded the present year, 

 including those awarded upon Horses at a meet- 

 ing of the Executive Committee in the town of 

 Greenfield, in the month of May last, but with- 

 out reference to those offered lor the greatest 

 quantity of grain and other articles of produce 

 upon a given extent of land, are one hundred 

 and sixty-six, and amount to seven hundred and 

 thirty-six dollars. The committee on Manufac- 

 tures was composed of Gen. Jacob Bliss, Col. 

 James Shepherd and Mr. Erastns Clarke. The 

 two former only attended to the discharge of 

 the duties assigned them, the latter gentleman 

 being absent. 



The first object- of premium rehMTcJ to that 

 committee were blue woollen cloths, and wool- 

 len cloths other than blue, both required to be 

 3-1 ofa yard in width, and cassimeres. Upon 

 these three descriptions of articles, eleven pre- 

 miums were offered, and seven only awarded. 

 Thirteen specimens were exhibited, and six 

 excluded from consideration of the committee 

 in consequence of their deltciencv in width. Of 

 twelve pieces of undressed flannels likewise 

 only two pieces were of the requisite width, 

 and only two premiums awarded, though five 

 were offered. Those undressed were retpiired 

 to be five quarters, and those dressed o-8 of a 

 yard. The sub-committee recommend the weav- 

 ing of flannels for fulling at least five quartei-s 

 wide, and remark that by weaving our flannels 

 of that width we gain 20 per cent, in the ope- 

 rations of weaving and dressing, and at the same 

 lime great advantage in the facility and savinsr 

 vvitii which it is worked. Of dressed flannels 

 five specimens were presented, and two premi- 

 ums awarded. The two wli:ch were denied 

 the premium were left out of consideration, 

 in consequence of their want of width. 



Of the linen sheetings, shirtings and diapers 

 exhibited, the committee speak in terms of high 

 commendation. Upon these three different kinds 

 of articles 19 premiums were offered, and 17 

 specimens presented. The committee awarded 

 a number of small gratuitous premiums upon 

 specimens of webbing, linen hose, silk hose, 

 travelling trunks, chairs, merino wool hats, and 

 other small articles, such as a screw plate, 

 guage, and a number of hammers, all beautiful- 

 ly wrought. They also awarded a small pre- 

 mium to Mrs. Chloe Strong, a venerable lady, 

 more than 80 years of age, who offered for ex- 

 hibition eight pieces of linen sheeting, contain- 

 ing 12 yards, all spun and wove by herself. 



The committee speak in handsome terms of 

 an invention of Mr. Cotton White, of Hadley, 

 lor making handles to corn brooms, by moans of 

 a hollow auger — of Teapots from the pottery 



of Messrs. Crafts, White, k. Co. of Whately— 

 various and rich specimens of Cabinet Woi 

 presented by Messrs. Judd & Cook, Beach 

 Loveland, and Pomroy k. Bams, and awardi 

 gratuities to their proprietors. 



Very nice specmens of Straw Bonnets wei 

 exhibited, and one of grass, in imitation of th 

 Leghorn flats was highly s])oken of". 



The display of Cattle was unusually fine- 

 that of grass fed cattle superior to the exliib 

 tion oi last year in that department. The cattl 

 were generally of the breed of the country, i 

 fine form, and in excellent condition. Th 

 whole number exhibited was seventy head, an 

 though a number were rejected in consequenc 

 of not being exclusively gra.ss fed, the commi 

 tee state that there were many for which pn 

 miums were not awarded, richly entitled t 

 them, had any further premiums been annoum 

 ed. The committee likewise make favorabi 

 mention of a "beautiful red heifer," exhibite 

 by Mr. George Bridgman, of Northampton- 

 of the number, beauty, activity and strength i 

 the working cattle, particularly a voke ownc 

 by -Mr. E])liraim Arnold, of Belchertoun. 



The Committee upon Slieep, in announcin 

 the principles upon which they have proceci 

 ed, remark that the breed of Merino Sheep 

 valuable cbielly for its wool ; not that these ai 

 im-.ils are inferior to the native sheep for tb 

 use of the table, as they may, undoubtcdlv, t 

 grown to nearly if not an etjual size with shee 

 of that description. But the quality of the wO' 

 deteriorates, as the condition of the animal, bi 

 yorid what is termed good store order, is in 

 proved. The committee looked chiefly, then 

 fore, to the qtialitii of the fleece, its Jincness, i 

 softness, and its vniJ'orini;i/, and next to its quai 

 tty, giving to the finer fleece the preferenci 

 although the coarser one might have been moi 

 abundant — they desire to give in their repor 

 prominence to the fact, that sheep bearing woi 

 of fine harle, and s/(orf, instead of long staph 

 are the best. They likewise regret that thei 

 was so little competition for the premiums o 

 leied for native sheep. 



The Ploughing Match was attended by 

 great concourse of people. Eight ploughs wet 

 entered, and four oxen and fifty minutes allov 

 ed to each plough for the performance of th 

 work; the land to be i)loughed was one-fourt 

 of an acre. The committee report that th 

 ploughing by the various competitor was ui 

 usually good. 



The Committee close their Report with ih 

 following im[iortant remarks : 



"By the law of 1819, each incorporated \_ 

 riculfural Society, within the state, which rai- 

 by the subscription of individuals a capital st( 

 of one thousand dollars is entitled to receive i 

 the month of October annually, from the publi 

 treasury, the sum of rtco hundred dollars, anil 

 proportionate sum, also, for any further addition 

 by subscription, to its capital stock; providee 

 however, that no society shall be entitled to re 

 ceive, during any one year, any greater sun 

 than six hundred dollars. Upon an inspectioi 

 of the Treasurer's hooks, it appears that thi 

 capital stock of this society amounts to thrc 

 thousand nine hundred and seventy Jive dollars 

 entitling us, of course, to receive yearly ^UUt 

 from the state treasury, and giving us, with ^17'. 

 payable annually by 86 annual subscribers an in 

 come of ijtlOlO 50. The statute containing th( 



