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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 21, 1827. 



The following was selected some nioiUhs since for inserliou in 

 our paper, but was then omitled in consequence of a press of 

 matter, applicable to the current season, and which if deferred 

 would be in some measure like a last year's almanack. It was 

 therefore laid by for the present ; and at length concluded to 

 defer it till near the time of year in whicli it was delivered ; 

 when similar festivals will render its remarks as well timed as 

 they are judicious and well expressed. 



Extracts from an Address delivered before tlie Hartford County 

 Agricultural Society, October 12, 182G. 

 BY REV. CHARLES A. GOODRICH. 

 Scarcely half a century has elapsed, siucc the 

 ;omraencemenl of the present system oftriving an 

 impulse to Asriculture and mechanical efforts, by 

 Shows and honorary rewards. This short period 

 however, has elicited the opinion of many in their 

 favor, and jriven to airricultural societies and their 

 exhibitions, no small influence in the civilized 

 world. Fifty millions of aien, in Ktirope and 

 America, are now their advoc-ites. In England, 

 societies are numerous and efficient. Three es- 

 tablishments only, in the United Kin;jdom, annu 

 ally e.vpend, in tiie promotion of Agricultural ob- 

 jects, the sum of $70,000. France has nearly one 

 hundred annual shows, besides a national exhibi- 

 tion at Paris, once in three years, whose li.sts of 

 premiums alone, would fill, it is said, an octavo 

 volume of 350 pages. In the United States, in the 

 .short space of about twenty years, agricultural 

 societies have increased from a sincrle one to be- 

 tween fifty and sixty. Among the patrons of these 

 societies, too, both hero and abroad, are to be 

 found men of the most cultivated and enlightened 

 minds, of deep philo.sophicai research and practi- 

 cal skill, and of the highest official rank. Surely, 

 such men as Madison, Q,uincy, Pickering, Powcl, 

 Lincoln, and Peters, not to mention many distin- 

 guished names in Europe, would not lightiy favor 

 a system, designed only to amuse a rabble, or des- 

 tined to be ephemeral in its existence and iuliu 

 ence. If public opinion, then, be any test — if the 

 sanction of the wise and great carries anv weight, 

 it must be admitted, that too much iniporlance has 

 not been given to .-gricuitural societies. The ex- 

 hibitions of such 'O' ieties are always connected 

 with much that is interesting and instructive. Is 

 the farmer an admirer of the animal creation? He 

 iiere sees dom'-stic animals, both native and im- 

 ported, of the finest forms and choicest qtialities. 

 Is he an admirer of the vegetable productions of 

 the earth.' Here are ex'hibited specimens, which 

 .shew, that if in the sweat of his brow, man must 

 toil, a munificent Providence does not let him toil 

 in vain. Is he pleased with the exhibitions of me- 

 chanical skill.' Here are implements, the result of 

 genius, of patient, persevering industry, which will 



which, in the mathematical and mechanic sciences 

 have so highly distinguished the names of Newton, 

 Godfrey, Watt, Arkwright, and Perkins? Who, 

 but twenty years since, dreamed of the results of 

 the present times ? Is it too much to say, that we 

 live in the dawn of a day, wliosc beams by their 

 radiance, will by and by shew, how insignificant 

 the light is, which we now think so great? 



But from fancy, if this be fancy, let us descend 

 to the facts. I ask you to notice foi '. moment, 

 some xmprovemtnls, v.'hich have been n -de in this 

 country in agriculture and its branches, within 

 the last twenty years, the merit of which must be 

 accorded to Agricultural Societies. 



At the commencement of this period, the high- 

 est crops of potatoes were staled at 200 bushels to 

 the acre — now, crops of this vegetable are notun- 

 frequently made of from 400 to 700 bushels. Then 

 the highest quantity of corn gathered from an 

 acre v.'as from 40 to 50 bushels — now, we read of 

 numerous crops of from GO to 120 bushels, and, in a 

 single instance, of one which reached 172 bush- 

 els.* In the mean time, many valuable roots and 

 plants, such as the mangel wurtzel, the Swedish 

 turnip, the carrot, the common beet, the cabbage, 

 some of which were before scarcely known, have 

 been introduced as general crops, and yield hun- 

 dreds of bushels to the acre. Many new imple- 

 ments of husbandry have been introduced, and 

 former ones iraproved, adding greatly to the con- 

 venience and profit of the fanner. Our farms are 

 better ploughed, better manured, botterseeded, bet- 

 ter drained, and better fenced. Numerous flocks of 

 Spanish and Saxony sheep have been introduced, 

 which furnish to our manufacturers the material 

 for fabrics, which already rival those of Europe. 

 Through the instrumentality of some gentlemen, 

 much zeal has been e.xcited throughout the coun- 

 try, to improve other descriptions of domestic an- 

 imals: and with what success, every year furuish- 

 Gs proof, which must come with a welcome tothnse 

 who have pioneered the way, at the expense of 

 much time and wealth. 



Permit me to suggest, in the first place, the 

 importance of our farmers, as a body, becoming 

 men of more reading and injormaiion tj! their pro- 

 fession. Tlie experience of an individual must 

 of necessity be limited. He has not time, nor ot't- 

 en neither the requisite wealth nor capacity to 

 institute experiments of importance. How, then, 

 shall his deficiences be supplied ? Obviously by 

 the satne means b"; which the deficiency of the 

 lawyer, the divine, and the physician are supplied 

 — bj/ reading. Let the farmer, then, purchase, as 

 he is able, a few well selected boolts on the sub- 

 ject of agriculture — to these let him add a paper. 



abridge his labors; and here, too. are proofs, not i o>" tv;o, devoted to the same subject, of which, 

 the fewest, nor the meanest, that the daughters of' happily, wo have now several of high character — 

 our land can put their " hands to the spindle," and ! "nd to these let him devote a portion of the dark 

 are not ashan.ed of the " dJ^tnA"." In short, the ! fi".vs of autumn, and the long evenings of winter, 

 farmer has ocuhir damnnstration, that if the ia.st 'Prom these, every farmer may derive many valu- 



age of improvoment hts arrived, it has not yet 

 made its exit from the worlu. The human mind 

 is still ascendant. God has not prescribed a limit 

 10 the genius of uin ; or if he have, that limit is 

 not yet seen. True, we may never he able " to 

 plough by ste;-m, nor sow by steam, nor by the 

 novel combina ions of the mechanic powers;" yet, 

 vho has fully tested the energies of nature, or can 

 vet foresee u-hat philosophical investigation, com- 

 bined with practical skill, may not accomplish? 

 Who will alnrra that discoveries and improvements 

 «r. agriculture do not await ua similar ttx those, 



hie hints. He will find, perhaps, an account of 

 some new and useful implement of husbandry ; 

 some new grass or grain ; some improvement in 

 the management of a crop of corn ; some remedy 

 for a disease afflicting his family horse ; or some 

 valuable suggestion about wintering his sheep. 

 Besides relieving the tediousness of many an hour 

 ordinarily dozed away in his corner, Itc will thus 



* Messrs. .1. & M. Pratt, of Easion, Madison county. New- 

 Yci k, in 1822, raised 172 bushels and two pecks of corn, on an 

 acre. )S« Nfw-Englan'l Farmer, p. 331, also, Fannrr's Guide, 

 p. 92. 



be adding to his stock of useful knowledge ; and 

 be preparing in the ensuing spring and summer, 

 to bring to some profitable account the knowledge 

 which he has gained. The vast improvement in 

 Agriculture in Great Britain, within half a centu- 

 ry, is attributable, in no small degree, to the cir- 

 culation of facts and experiments, by means ol 

 treatises, pamphlets and papers. It is to be hoped 

 the time is not distant, when the farmers of this 

 county, and elsewhere, will give to this suhjectits 

 merited attention. Might I venture to name a 

 single publication, which more than any other 

 seems adapted to general use among our farmers, 

 it would be that of the New England Farmer, a 

 weekly paper publisi.-^d at Boston. Its Editor is 

 is as enlightened as ne is industrious, and makes 

 his paper a vehicle of information on Agriculture, 

 and its kindred subjects, of the most interesting 

 and profitable kind. 



Another point to which I beg your indulgent 

 attention, is the importance of that management o! 

 a farm, wliich regards it as a whole. By a bold 

 and vigorous effort, a farmer may, in a given in- 

 stance, and on a favored spot, raise a crop of un- 

 common magnitude ; and yet this crop, by demand- 

 ing that labor which is due to other parts of the 

 farm, may, upon the whole, operate as a loss. Nc 

 farmer should possess more land than he can 

 watch over v\ith proper care ; and his industry 

 should have one uniform direction, and one ulti- 

 mate tendency — Ihe melioration of the whole farm. 

 Like a wise father, if he have favorites, he should • 

 still discharge his duty to the whole circle of 

 children. Each acre should receive that atten- 

 tion which it deserves, viewed as a member of the 

 whole, and that cultivation, which will best bring 

 its powers into action. Indeed, on the portions 

 least favored by nattire, he should, perhaps, be- 

 stow the most cultivation, on the principle whicii. 

 it is said, parents should act in sending unlikely 

 sons to college — to make them equal to the rest. 

 It is attributable to this partial and unenlightened 

 management, that so many of farms present a 

 chequered and unsightly appearance. A few par- 

 ticular lots are selected, which are cultivated with 

 great assiduity ; while other lots are neglected 

 I and despised. No regard is had to the farm as a 

 whole ; no system of general operations is pe- 

 rused. Tho farmer gathers what he is able from 

 these fevif well cultivated portions, and rests con- 

 tented. By some of our farmers, the beauty of a 

 farm is judged to lie much in contrast ; and hence 

 some portions of their land are neglected through 

 fear that the bramble, tho thorn, tho thistle would 

 otherwise find no dwelling place on earth. 



These observations apply to no part of our 

 farms with more force, than to our /^as/urcgrounrf*. 

 Upon these a thought is scarcely ever bestowed. 

 Bushes and briars and thorns and thistles are suf- 

 fered to usurp dominion in the very heart of a 

 farm, and to show a pointed and painful authority 

 over the stock — besides operating to a total loss 

 of many per centum of the value of these grounds. 

 The consequence is, that where a couple of acres, 

 or even less, would keep a cow, several become 

 indispensable. And after all, the pastures are fed 

 close ; the dairy suffers ; and a stock of meagfre, 

 half famished cattle come in in the fall, and con- 

 tinue lank through the winter. A few days spent 

 upon these " neglected spots" each year would 

 enable the farmer, especially if they were thrown 

 into small enclosures, to admit of alternate chang-- 

 es of the stock, to keep more, and keep them is. 



