276 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



HAMPSHIRE, FRANKLIN, AND HAMPDEN AG- 

 RICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 The Executive CommiUee of the Hampshire, 

 Frnnklin, and Hampden Agricultural Society 

 have awarded the following premiums for agri- 

 cultural experiments made during the last sea- 

 son — 



To Charles Starkweather, Esq. of Northamp- 

 ton, the society's first premium for the greatest 

 quantity of corn raised on an acre, being ninety- 

 two bu-hels ; measured Nov. 7, 18?i — g1o,(jO. 

 To the Rev. Doct. Lyman, of llatticld. the 

 second premium for the next greatest quantity 

 raised on an acre, eighty-two bushels and one 

 pint; measured Feb. 10,"lt!2J — gI2,()i>. 



To Joseph Lyman Partridge, of Hatfield, the 

 3d premium for the next greatest quaiititj' raised 

 on an acre, seventy-five bushels ; measured Feb. 

 10, 1823— $10,00. 



To Samuel Buffinton, Esq. of Worthington, 

 the society's first premium for the greatest quan- 

 tity of flax and llax seed raised on an acre and 

 twenty-seven rods; — seventeen bushels and 18 

 quarts of seed, and four hundred and eighty-nine 

 pounds of flax, dressed clean — jjilO,00. 

 The mode of culture is slated as follows : 

 Mr. Starkweather states that his land was in 

 the furrow in the spring of 1821 ; it had been 

 turned up the autumn before. It had been for 

 several j'cars down to grass ; it was harrowed 

 with a common seed harrow, and planted in 

 drills three feet apart ; about eight or nine 

 loads of common yard manure were put in the 

 drills ; the crop that year was fifty-eight bush- 

 els. In the spring of 1822, the stalks were cut, 

 and burnt on the ground ; nineteen loads of 

 manure were then spread over it, and harrowed 

 down smooth ; it was then planted three feet 

 wide, and two and a half apart, and eight loads 

 of manure put in the hills; three corns of the 

 largest yellow corn, were put in each hill. The 

 land was low and subject to inundation, and was 

 not planted until the last of May. 



The Flev. Doct. Lyman states that his land 

 was planted early in May, and the seed gener- 

 ally failed of sprouting, and was planted a sec- 

 ond time near the last of May ; many hills of 

 the first planting entirely failed, and others 

 partially ; part of the field was materially in- 

 jured by a late frost. The manner of plant-' 

 ing was, that one half was planted in rows of 

 the common width, and about a yard or two and 

 a half feet between the hills; in the other half, 

 the hills were about the common distance of 

 planting ; each hill was manured in the hole ; 

 the quantity of manure about eight common 

 waggon loads; after the first hoeing each hill 

 received a sprinkling of unleached ashes; the 

 whole number of bushels was about six. The 

 jiart of the field which was most closely plant- 

 ed was once suckered, and the suckers given to 

 '.he cows ; it was a rich soiling of two cows for 

 about half the scasor, and afforded a three fold 

 compensation for al! the labor attending the 

 process. At harvest the difference of the pro- 

 duce from the two parts of the field was incon- 

 siderable. The portion which was not sucker- 

 ed, had a slight advantage ; but the profit on 

 the whole was greatly in favor of suckering on 

 account of the ample, and rich teed, it afforded 

 to two cows for many weeks. The land for 

 many preceding years was im])reved about one 

 half in mowing, and the other part in pasturing. 

 In the autumn of 1821, the turf was turned with 



the plough ; in the spring following, it was ef- 

 fectually levelled with a seed harrow. The field 

 was cultivated faithfully with the corn barrow 

 and hop ; it was harrowed three times, and 

 hoed four limes. If there was any dilTerence 

 in tlie product of land which had been in pas- 

 ture, or that which was mowed, the decision by 

 the eye was in favor of that which had been 

 mowed. Dr. Lyman further states that by long 

 experience he is convinced, that unleached ash- 

 es are the best manure for corn, to be applied 

 after the first hoeing, at the rate of from five 

 to ten bushels the acre ; he believes that they 

 arc indispensable for securing a good crop on 

 land turned up from the sward, in order to pre- 

 vent the ravages of worms. Like experience, 

 has also convinced him, that the second year 

 after turning up the sward, is by far the best 

 for ensuring a large harvest of Indian corn ; it 

 sprouts better, it ripens sooner, and is more 

 heavily loaded with fruitful ears. The corn 

 which Doct. Lyman planted, was the twelve 

 rowed corn — very large ears, the kernels close- 

 ly compacted, and remarkably filled to the end 

 of the cob ; and when shelled a bushel weighed 

 sixty-four and three quarters pounds — which ex- 

 ceeds the weight of common eight rowed corn 

 nearly two pounds per bushel. 



Major Buffinton states, that the land on 

 which his flax was raised, was pasture land, 

 broken up in the spring of 1821, and planted 

 that year with potatoes ; about sixteen loads of 

 coarse barn yard manure were put in the hills ; 

 the potatoes were hoed twice and the land was 

 not ploughed after the crop was harvested. 

 There was no manure put on the ground last 

 spring ; it was ploughed twice and sowed the 

 2d day of May, with one bushel and twelve 

 quarts of seed. The flax was pulled the 12th 

 and 13th of August. 



JOSEPH LYMAN, President. 



PENNSYLVANIA AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At the first Quarterly Meeting, held at Nor- 

 ristown, on the 11th of January, 1823, the fol- 

 lowing Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 



That the President be authorized to petition 

 the Legislature, for an Act of incorporation for 

 this Society, and for such a modification of the 

 Act, entitled ao "• Act for the promotion of Ag- 

 riculture, &c." as shall authorize its oflicers to 

 receive from the Commissioners of 

 Counties Dollars, and to perform 



their duties as effectively, as if the Pennsylva- 

 nia Agricultural Society had been organized, in 

 confi)rmity with the sections of 



said Law — and that he shall endeavor to obtain 

 some provision by which the sale of Spirilous 

 Liiiuurs sludl be effectually prevented zjithin the 

 distance of three miles from the place at "Jihich the 

 Agricultural Exhibitions shall be held, except at 

 houses licensed according to law. 



That as this is an Association of practical 

 Farmers, disposed to acquire and communicate 

 mlormation derived from essays on the soil, it 

 shall be the duty of one of the Assistant Secre- 

 taries, to record the substance of all verbal 

 communications, which any of the members 

 shall make, at the quarterly meetings. 



That a committee be appointed to report up- 

 on Mr. Pope's Thrashing Machine, which has 

 been this day exhibited. Whereupon Job Rob- 

 erts, John Hare Powell, and Henry L. Waddell 

 were appointed. 



That the Directors be instructed ;o give ntf 

 tice, in such manner as they shall think fit, e' 

 the intention of this Society, to award premi 

 urns, at their Annual Meeting, for Neat Cattle 

 Sheep, Horses, Swine, Crops, Implements 

 Husbandry, and Household Manufactures- -th 

 value of the prizes, to be determined at tk 

 next Quarterly meeting, .\ccordingly, Williai 

 Harris of Chester county, George Sheaff ( 

 Montgomery county, Henry L. Waddell ofBucb ■ 

 county, Aaron Clement of Philadelphia count' 

 and Thomas Serrill of Delaware county, wei 

 constituted a Committee from the Board of D 

 rectors — Job Roberts, Manual Eyre, Samui 

 West, and Charles Downing were subsequent! 

 ajjpointed to aid them. 



The Committee appointed to examine M 

 Pope's Thrashing machine, reported — 



'• After having carefully examined the co 

 slruction, and observed the performance of M 

 Pope's Hand Thrashing machine, we are d; 

 posed to think, that it is well adapted to tl 

 purposes of small farms ; as it has in our prt 

 ence, thrashed Wheat without difTicuity, at tl 

 rate of sixty sheaves an hour." 



JOB ROBERTS, 

 JOHN HARE POWELL, 

 HENRY L. WADDELL. 



Mr. Joseph Kersey of Chester Count}', ma 

 a communication on an ingenious mode of ms 

 ing Thrashing flails — a communication on Shee 

 accompanied by observations, on the expulsi 

 of Rats. 



Mr. Job Roberts of Montgomery county, co 

 municated the result of his experience, corn 

 orative of Mr. Kersey's remarks. 



Mr. Powell of Philadelphia county, made t 

 following communications on Mangel Wurt: 

 and Millet : — 



I have certificates, accompanied by the oa 

 of my farmer and his assistant, showing t' 

 982), bushels of Mangel Wurtzel were produ< 

 on 155^ perches of land, which had not rece 

 ed more manure than is usually given to pot 

 crops in this county. The soil had been vi 

 deeply ploughed, aud stirred by Beatson's Sc 

 ifier, the manure was after ploughsd nine io' '^ 

 es under the surface, the Scarifier having bt 

 again applied, the roller and harrow were u: 

 to .educe the tilth. In April, the seeds w( 

 dibbled an inch deep — three inches apart, 

 rows thirty inches asunder. Soon after < 

 plants appeared, they were thinned, and left 

 intervals of six inches — when their leaves I 

 become two inches long, they were cleaned 

 a four inch triangular hoe. The earth i 

 weeds were thrown from them, by a very sn 

 one horse plough, leaving a space of four 

 five inches unbroken next to them. The f 

 row was returned by Davis' shovel plough ; tJ 

 were again hoed, and left a foot apart. In 

 first week of November, they were dra^ 

 closely cut beneath the crowns, measured, pi 

 in a cellar in rows, as wood, and covered w 

 sand. The expense of planting, tilling, s 

 gathering the crop, was about equal to that 

 Indian corn. 



My neat cattle prefer Mangel Wurtzel to i 

 roots which I have offered to them. I hi 

 found its effects, in producing large secret! 

 of good milk, very great. I selected in I 

 verober, two heifers of the same breed, and 

 rv nearly of the same age, and in similar cor 

 tion ; lliey were tied iu adjoining stalls, : 





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