NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Published every Saturday, by THOMAS W. SHEPAKU, Ro»c-r3' linKdins:, Congr.-ss Street, Ho.trm ; at i'2J,D per aim. in a^liaiu i-, nr ^itM at the close of the year. 



Vol. I. 



BOSTON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1822. 



No. 18. 



DR. MITCHELL'S ADDRESS, 



Delivered before the J\'. York Agricultural Society, 

 November 12, liS22. 



Gentlemen of the Society, and Fellow Citizens, 



Addresses, on occasions like this, have become 

 so common, that it is almost to be regretted (he 

 call for them has not ceased. Yet it seems diffi- 

 cult to close such a scene as the present, wilh- 

 eut offerings a few observations, particularly as 

 they are prompted by the surrounding; objects. 

 Indeed, if remarks on the improvements alre<fdy 

 made, and rapidly making among' us, have any 

 pertinence or valUiC) now is the proper time to 

 offer them. 



I was always friendly, as I still am, to the pub- 

 lic patronage extended by law to societies for 

 promoting the interests of agriculture and the 

 ^iseful arts. It manifests a liberal and noble 

 spirit — it invites the citizens to exertions they 

 would not otherwise make, and as it is not com- 

 pulsory, they can decline acceptance if they 

 disapprove the terms. 



In acceding to the conditions, our association 

 has shewn its good sense. A spirit of emula- 

 tion has arisen which has produced excellent 

 effects. 



Persons have been brought together for laud- 

 able purposes, who would otherwise never have 

 met. Productions and articles of various kinds 

 have been offered for exhibition, which could, 

 only in this way, have been viewed to so much 

 advantage. 



In all these displays it becomes us to acknow- 

 ledge the goodness of the almighty Ruler of Ko.i 

 ven and earth, who enables his creatures to ad- 

 vance in wisdom and skill, as well as in virtue 

 and piety. 



1 congratulate you on the appearance of gene- 

 ral advancement in the business of the socie- 

 ty. The highways are very much mended ; the 

 strata of granite and gneiss have been broken 

 up and converted into stone-fences. Bridges of 

 the best construction connect the opposite 

 shores of some rivers; and ferries of modern 

 excellence offer remarkable facilities for cros- 

 -ing the waters of others. The ease, safety and 

 -peed of travelling are increased, and the con- 

 .lition of inclosures, buildings, forests and tield^, 

 evince the good oreier of farmers. 



.\s indications of the prevailing spirit, 1 bring 

 to your recollection the periodical works devot- 

 ed to the cultivation of land, the due application 

 of labor, the introduction of better m.ichmery 

 and implements, and the multiplication oi' valu- 

 able produce, which do honor to their respec- 

 tive editors in Albany, Baltimore and Boston. — 

 It is a reasonable expectation that the proprie- 

 tors of the soil in all the states, will extend an 

 increasing patronage to such respectable and in- 

 structive publications. 



It is pleasing to notice the Horticultural Soci- 

 ety established in this county, and pursuing 

 :-UCcessfully its object. The exhibitions of the 

 produce of gardens during the season, have en- 

 alilcd the directors to present interesting re- 

 ports to their fellow citizens. It would seem 

 that such laudable exertions must have a high- 

 ly beneficial effect upon the market, both as to 



the quality and quantity of the articles. In a 

 survey like the present there is a peculiar de- 

 light in noticing (he mechanical and scientific 

 institution now organizing for instructing trades- 

 men and citizens in those principles of nature, 

 which elucidate the processes of art. The well 

 directed eftbrts of the managers merit applause 

 and cannot tail to be servicabie to the great 

 cause. 



Our own premiums for butter have excited 

 strong emulation among the proprietors ofdai 

 ries. It is ascertained that it can be prepared 

 in as neat and exquisite a style, as in any other 

 place. .\nd whenever the purchasers shall be 

 willing to pay the additional expense, it may be 

 decorated with prints, and refrigerated with ice, 

 to suit the most refined taste. 



Allied to this is milk, the daily supply of 

 which to the inhabitants of a populous cilv, is 

 more considerable than is generally supposed 

 Considering the extensive and perpetual use of 

 this liquid, I wish it had been ascertained by 

 fair espefiment what course of keeping and 

 feeding would be best for the cows which afford 

 it. 



I am peculiarly pleased with the bonnets now 

 as well as heretofore offered at our show. It 

 has been the good fortune of our ingenious fe 

 males, among whom 1 mention Misses Harrison, 

 Hedges, and Babcock, to discover that the bent- 

 gross, [agrostio,) and the spear-grass, (poa,) are 

 excellent materials for the manufacture. The 

 Tuscan fabrics that we receive from the banks 

 of the Arno, through Leghorn, are made of the 

 ■■■fraw from n dwarf variety of wheat, [Tritictaii.) 

 .^s far as I can judge, our native grasses may 

 be worked and bleached into forms quite as 

 beautiful as the wheat. 1 hope they will be 

 found to possess more toughness and flexibililv, 

 wear better, and last longer. The raw material 

 is cheap: the quantity inexhaustible. We must 

 leave to the patience and skill of the Indies the 

 determination of the ciuestion how far it may be 

 practicable or expedient to establish manufac- 

 tories among us. My feelings and wishes are in 

 their fiivor. I trust they will grow and thrive. 



Trom the excellence of the works in silk be- 

 fore us, we have full proof that our artists are 

 proficients in dying and weaving. Whenever 

 the state of society shall arrive in which the cul- 

 ture of this article shall be found profitable, we 

 already know that both the tree and the animal 

 are congenial to our climate. The white Mul- 

 berry grows perfectly in our soil, and the Bom- 

 byx prepares its cocous as completely as in an\ 

 part of the world. It is delightful to contem- 

 plate the resources of future industry, and to be- 

 iiold through the glass of prophecy, this family 

 of insects, labouring under proper direction for 

 'he comfort and decoration of the human race. 

 1 observe with what salisfaclion you beheld the 

 vest patterns, the watch ribbands, the sewing- 

 .'ilk and other articles. The fabrics of cotton 

 atford matter for the most agreeable reflection. 



The plant whose seed is enwrapped and cra- 

 dled as it were, by the precious down, has be- 

 come naturalized to the more southern states. 

 Though the Gossypium displays its yellow blos- 

 soms, and discloses its ripening capsules occa- 



sionally in New-York, tlirre is reason to believe 

 that it cannot be relied u|)on as a crop, by rea- 

 son of the early frosts, further north than the 

 banks of the Roanoke. We receive if, howev- 

 er, in vast quantities, of various qualities, and 

 upon the bust terms, from Charleston, Savannah, 

 Mobile, New-Orleans, and the other parts of the- 

 regions wlicre it grows, since its introduction in- 

 to Georgia by my friend the late Governor Mil 

 ledge. The arts of spinning, colouring, wea\ • 

 ing and putting up the goods, seem to be full-, 

 understood. A strong recommendation of oui 

 domestic articles of this class, is the bettei- 

 twist of the thread, and the more compact tex- 

 ture of the web; whereby it has a decided su- 

 periority over the starched goods of England, 

 and the fleazy ones of India. .An examination 

 of the Sheetings, Shirtings and Giiigliams befon 

 you, ha? veritied this remark. 



Wool, and its fabrics, have acquired, as they 

 deserve, a high share of consideration. In ;. 

 country subjected to the ihfluence of cold for 

 nine months, and of fashion for the whole twelve, 

 the manufacture of clothing from this material, 

 is a business of high moment. Accordingly it 

 has attracted a corresponding degree of atten- 

 tion. Foreign wool, is admitted free of duty. 

 In addition to the varieties of sheep, whose flee- 

 ces are of a longer and coarser staple, the me- 

 rino breeds of Spain are now domesticated tor 

 furnishing the material of the finer fabrics. — 

 Ware houses are established tor buying and sel- 

 ling the tools and utensils of the trade, as well 

 as the different kinds of the staple. Manufac- 

 tures hav,; grown up to respectable .^nd encour- 

 aging height. And the stockings, the flnnnel-s 

 the coatings, the blankets, the carpets and broad- 

 cloths, are among the things which bear wit- 

 ness of the skill, the industry, and the cajiilal 

 employed. 



1 cannot forbear to notice the machines in- 

 vented to facilitate the dressing of the bark, 

 rind, or cortical part of flax, by several persons 

 at home and abroad. The price of linen cloth 

 is so high, that the patriot and economist will 

 agree in opinion that all practical efforts to re- 

 duce the extravagant price of this elegant arti- 

 cle of drcs', are worthy of special countenance 

 and regard. 



Hcmji, I rejoice to assure you, may be raised 

 to any requisite amount, as New-York and Ken- 

 tucky have abundantly proved. If hcncetbr- 

 ward v,e derive it from Russia and Poland, it 

 will be imported from the convenient exchange 

 of commercial objects between friendly nations, 

 rather than from any necessity we are under to 

 procure from that source cordage or canvas for 

 our shipping. 



Our works in wood are admirable. Ships, 

 carving, cabinet-ware, household furniture and 

 utensils, squared and sawed lumber, staves, 

 masts, yards, and the almost numberless fabrics 

 of wood, are a mighty and important article of 

 our domestic produce, proving the excellence 

 and variety of the raw material, and the ability 

 of the workmen to improve it. The b.irrels, 

 casks, hogsheads, trays, ladles, spoons, boxes, 

 and baskets, may be considered as samples ol 

 this interesting art, in certain branches of whicb 



