106 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



(j»cl. 2C>, 1827. 



that our old orcliavds w pro perishing, and no new telligence, and perseverance which he has display- 

 ones planted. The complaint was well ibuiuled, i ed, in his nursery and orchard. Some time after, 

 as all of us of three score years of age well know. I the Committee, consisting of the Hon. Messrs. 

 This society, alarmed at the fact, offered more | Welles, Sullivan, Guild and myself, visited the 

 than nine years since, a liberal premium — a pre- College farm, which was under a long lease to Mr. 

 mium of itself sufticiont to defray the whole ex- j Nahum Hardy. Mr. Hardy claimed the soiiety's 



pense of planting an orcliard of apple trees, and 

 they have continued the premium from that titne 

 to the present. No application has however been 

 made for this premium until the present year. 

 This year four eompotitors presented themselves 

 for this premium. 



We need not say how grateful such applications 

 were to iis. They were proofs that our premi- 

 miums had excited the public attention ; they 

 gave the satisfactory assurance that tiie apple 

 tree, the farmer's best friend, was no longer neg- 

 lected; its fruit, the most prohtablo production of 



premium. We there found an orchard of eight 

 acres, reclaimed from the wildest state, and filled 

 with a most beautiful display of apple trees, 500 

 in number. The state and condition of the trees 

 evinced the greatest care and skill, and we con- 

 gratulate the public, who are owners of the farm, 

 through the medium of the University, on their 

 havinn- a tenant so capable of increasing its value, 

 and who appears to have devoted his capacity, to 

 so good effect. Immediately after viewing Mr. 

 Hardy's orchard, the Committee proceeded to ex 

 amine a younger orchard, planted by Elias Phin 



a farm ; its product in cider, the best possible pgy^ ggq of Charlestown and Lexington. Mr 

 substitute for spirituous liquors, and the abun- p|,i[,r,Qy ggigdej a most favorable spot, declining 

 dance of >vhich, if well manufactured, i- much towards the south, covered five yefrs since with 

 more likely to check the use of distilled spirits, i g|,,.p[, oji-g^nj rocks, and there planted his or- 

 than all the associations and too little discriminate ' j.],ard, 400 in number, of the best fruits. The 

 representations which tbo well meant zeal of pi- j frees were in the most beautiful condition — every 

 ous and excellent friends to virtue could put forth. I euperfluous twig carefully, and judiciously extir- 

 At any rate, Iho abundance of a pleasant and ! pated, and their general health gave the best evi- 

 wholesome beverage, of less intoxicatin;: qualities, i dence of judicious management. If the premium 

 is the best auxiliary to tlie laudable efforts now i ^f the society had been offered to the orchard, in 

 making to diminish the consumption of ardent | glj respects best managed, without any regard to 

 spirits. In all these views, so many applications Intimhrr, Mr. Phinney would probably have carried 



for premiums for orchards planted since 181G, and the premium but as Mr. Hardy's trees were in 



which will be in perfection in the days of our |an excellent condition, and exceeded Mr. Phin- 

 grandchildren, were to be regarded with great ^ ngy'g ;„ number by 100, the committee consider 

 interest. — There will be sojiie benefit we hope jj,.. jjardy entitled to the society's premium of 50 

 derived from giving a brief account of these seve- j dollars, and they award it tn him nrror 'inMv. 

 ral applications. | The general state of Mr Phinney's farm was. 



The applict.rt whose orchard we first cxnmin- j [jowever, so perfect, considerins the means applied 

 ed, was Charles Davis, Esq. of Ho.vibury. To to it— there was so miiLh ffood judgement, in all 

 those who know the spirit and intelligence, with ! his operations — he havinor made also the first, and 

 which he has managed a rough and neglected j a very successful experirnent in making wine, from 

 farm, it will bo no surprise to loarn, that in a | the native grape, that your committee recommmd- 

 piece of ground entirely covered with rocks and ^ ed, and the trustees have voted, to present to Mr 

 bu.shes in 1819, he has an orchard of the most un- | Phinney a cup,ofthe value of 90 dollars, with such 

 common growth and beauty. The whole number j inscriptions as a committee of the trustees may de- 

 of apple trees planted out by him since that peri- j vise, indicative ef his merit, as a farmer. Well 

 od, islSO; such was their flourishing state thai j then, my fellow citizens, shall it be said, tliat no 

 the committee, on leaving his farm, thought that ; ^ood results from these societies? Isitofn^be- 

 he must be the successful competitor. For his j nefit that men, who merit well of their countrv, 

 laudable and successful c.vertions, the Trustees . have a iurc and im/jarZio; means of making their 

 award to him an honorary premium often dolb.rs. ' merit known? Are our farmers so debased, so in- 

 From his estate they proceeded to examine the different to their own best interests, and reputa 



o.-chards of Mr. Baldwin of Milron ; there tion, as not to feel excited by the success of others J 



could scarcely be a more interesting e.vhibition Why should wo presume it, when we see, at once, 

 than this farm aflTirded. Mr. Baldwin, an old four competitors, distant from each other, in Nor- 

 revolutionary soldier, took possession of this farm folk and Middlese.x, competing for one of our most 

 when he was 55 years of age ; it was in the importc.nt, and hitherto neglected premiums ? We 

 rouchest possible state ; he has made a consider- hope yet to see a claim for our premium for forest 

 able portion of it a perfect garden; his apple trees trees.' Let us be patient. Improvement in every 

 planted in I81.T and 1816, arc, we believe, the branch of industry is slow, but certain— in agri- 

 Jargest and finest in the state. He has also done cnlture, more slow than in any other— but as i't. is 

 great honour to himself, and benefit to the public, more slou\ so it is more permanent, aud more im- 

 by forming an extensive nursery of fruit trees, for portant. Let us all, then be moderate in our ex- 

 which we have been, and still continue to be, in a pectations, huljirm in our reliance on eventual 

 great measure, tributary to the cultivators of other success. Our temperate climate, our natural in- 

 states. When we left Mr. Baldwin, it was with a dustry, zeal and intelligence, will not deceive us 

 deep conviction of his rare merit, as a skilful cul- ; New-England will be, what she always has been 

 tivator, aud with a hope, that we should be enabled the nursery of arts, of intelligence, of enterprise' 

 to award to him the society's premiu,>ii of 50 dollars , and the abode of virtue, oberJience to the laws, and 

 ■--.but subsequent examinations render this impos- |love of liberty. She will never desert her rulers 

 sihle, consistently with our duty, and consciences, j whether national or state, so long as she is con' 

 We nave thcrpf.,re recommended to the Trustees, , vinced that they consult the true interests of the 

 and they have agreed to award to Mr. Baldwin, an 1 republic— She will forever cherish agriculture as 

 honorary premium of 10 dollars, for the spirit, in- 'the acknowledged foundation of all national wealth 



j while she will recollect that her numerous harbor.s 

 invite her to avail herselfofthe benefits of foreign 

 .commerce, which has raised her to her present 

 comparative importance, and produced a sur- 

 plus capital, which can in ti.mcs of peace, on-- 

 ly be successfully employed in manufactures 

 and internal improvements, to which the rare me- 

 chanical skill, untiring industry, economy and per- 

 severance of her citizens especially invite her 

 ; while her numerous and inexhaustible waterfalls 

 ! aflx>rd her facilities, which no other portion of our 

 ■ country can boast. Let our maxim forever be, "A 

 liberal union, without jealousy, of agricultural, ma- 

 nufacturing and commercial skill." By a strict ad- 

 ; herence to this liberal principle, the population of 

 I New-England must increase in wealth and power 

 j — power, of the noblest description, most advan- 

 1 tageous to the nation, the power of mind ; a moral 

 j and beneficent power, which ought not to be the 

 1 subject of jealousy or envy, but which will corn- 

 ^ raand the respect of our sister states, while it will 

 : essentially promote their best interests. We must 

 be forever supplied with our flour and cotton, from 

 the South, but we shall send them, in return, their 

 own products in a manufactnred state, and contri- 

 lute to their wealth, their comforts and their luxu- 

 ries, at least as much as to our own. Such seems 

 :o bo the order of Divine Providence. Our com. 

 ; taralively sterile soil, and severe winters, oblin-e 

 us to bo the li.bourers for onr brethren. Local anU 

 temporary prejudices may retard, but can nevsi- 

 change the order — the beneficent order of Provi- 

 dence. 



It would naturally be expeCed, that something 

 should be said of our present show, but a moment's 

 reflection will convince our auUence that this is 

 entirely impracticable. The new arrantrements 

 have lefi no trustee at leisure to make any writ- 

 ten remarks, and how could I, engaged in examin- 

 ing and aiding in the decision, of three distinct 

 classes of tnimals, be expected to say any thino- of 

 the others, or of the ploughing match, or the work- 

 ing cattle, of who-e respective merits I have no 

 knowledge. All I can say is, that in my owu 

 branch of dity the show was highly respectable. 

 Full reports v iil be made by the chairmen of the 

 several committees, which will assign the grounds 

 of their respective decisions. It would be, howev- 

 er, a gross neg'ect on my part, if I should omit to 

 notice the renewed exertions of our fellow country- 

 man, Gen.Coflir, to contribute towards the agricul- 

 ture of his native state. Gen. Coffin, it is well known 

 and will be long remembered, generously intro- 

 duced, at great i.vpense,a stallion of the cart horse 

 bered, of prodigious power, bone and muscle. His 

 brother, Admiral Sir Isaac Collin, at various times 

 has presented to his native state. Admiral, a bull 

 of the finest short horned breed, a cow of the same 

 race; aHerafordshire bull, Sir Isaac, of uncommoa 

 beauty, and whose slock to my own knowledge 

 have been of rare beauty of form; a stud horse of 

 the Yorkshire race, and ^ mare of the same breed. 

 For these repeated acts of public spirit this Socie- 

 ty could do no less th.an to present to each of these 

 brothers, rivals in good works, their gold medal of 

 fifty dollars. 



Gen. Coflin, with the same untiring zeal for the 

 interests of his native country, has purchased three 

 rams and three ewes of the Devonshire Nots, a 

 race of long wooled sheep closely allied to the im- 

 proved Leicesters. One of these sheep was shear- 

 ed at a year old on his passage, and gave 1.3 pounds 

 of long and fine wool. They are as valuable for 

 their meat as for food, the quarters weiorhin<' from 



