12G 



NEW ENGLxVND FARMER, 



OCTOBER 84, 1838. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, October 24, 1838. 



RURAL FESTIVAL AT BARRE, MASS. 

 Tile spirited farmers at Barre have been for several years 

 past actuslomcd to hold a cattle show and exhibition of 

 manufactures for that town. It was holdcn this year on 

 the 17th Oct., and was numerously attended, very few of 

 the enterprising and intelligent farmers of that town be- 

 ing willing to absent themselves from so agreeable an 

 occasion. Many farmers from the neighboring towns 

 gladly availed themselves of the opportunity to cultivate 

 the kind and friendly sympathies, and " to see how their 

 neighbors were getting along." 



Tlie business of the day commenced with a ploughing 

 match. The ground was marked out for five teams, i 

 One failed and four entered the list as competitors for the 

 honor of success. The teams were all single ; the oxen 

 of superior character and well traiiied, and the work 

 well dw^. The plough generally used here is Nourse's 

 plough, of Worcester; and is.designed to be an improve- 

 ment on WoodVs plough, which led the way in the great 

 improvements in the constfuction of this most important 

 implement, that have taken place within the last twenty 

 years. The improvement understood to have been made 

 by Nourse consists in lengthening the mould board. By 

 this extension of tlie mould board the friction and of 

 course the difficulty of draft is increased ; but the move- 

 ments of the plough are more steady, and the sward is 

 intended to be more completely inverted and laid down. 

 We do not believe, however, that the proper shape of 

 the mould board is yet commonly reiiched among us, 

 either .is it regards lightness of draft or goodness of work. 

 A good ploughman will often make good work with a 

 very inferior plough : but much certainly depends on the 

 construction of the implement. In regard to the ploughs 

 used on this occa.sion, in our opiuion they were too cin- 

 vex to work with the ease of draft which might be ob- 

 tained ; and their operation in such cases is to double the 

 furrow in a sort of spiral form rather than to lay it flat, 

 or phce it at such an angle of inclination as might be 

 desired. The workm.inship of tlie ploughs, both the 

 wood and iron parts are much to be commended. They 

 were without a cutter or coulter, which in sward land 

 especially, ought alw.iys to be employed. After tlie 

 ploughing niiitch the drawing match took place, which 

 from not being apprized of it, we did not witness, but 

 which we understood was well contested. 



The show of working cattle was beautiful. They 

 were numerous, well trained, and in excellent condition, 

 though it was said that Barre might iiave produced four 

 times the number, of equal excellence. The show of 

 fat cattle was small ; but some of them were capital. A 

 yoke of oxen seven years old, fatted by Mr Daniel B,icon, 

 one of the best farmers in the county of Worcester, and 

 that is saying a good deal, were of remarkable excellence. 

 They weighed upon the hoof 4.590 lbs., and were of our 

 native stock. Some valuable cows were prcjsented ; — 

 one owned by Mr Ayrcs, of very ordin.iry appearance 

 and now twelve years old, had given fifty pounds of 

 milk per day. Two others presented by Mr Holden 

 were of extraordinary beauty ; but their produce was not 

 stated. It was evident that the Devon blood largely pre- 

 dominated in them ; and there were signs of the inter- 

 mingling of the improved Durham in their origin. But 

 nothing was known with certainty. The. Barre farmer.s, 

 whose main object is the dairy, raise more or less stocli 

 yearly ; but as yet little attention has been paid to the 

 improvement of the breeds. Several spoke of having 



had a bull from Connecticut river, purchased some time 

 since by a joint contribution; but his true character or 

 pedigree were not known by any, to whom our inquiries 

 were addressed. This is a deficiency among our farmers 

 yet to be supplied. They are not familiar with the dif- 

 ferent breeds which exist or have been introduced among 

 us ; and in almost every case of attempt at improvement 

 no record is kept, and the genealogy is soon los( in con- 

 fusion. Of swine there were no samples presented of 

 any note ; but if any one desires to see good swine, let 

 him go to the styes of some of the farmers in Barre, and 

 he will be gratified with the sight of some as fine as New 

 England can show. Let him go especially to the styes 

 of Mr Daniel Baccm ; rather an ominous name, which if 

 the poor things understood, we fear it would too much 

 disturb the equanimity of their spirits, for them to thrive 

 as they do ; but they seem in tliis case to be wrapped up 

 in a happy insensibility to every corroding care ; and 

 more extraordinary thrift and size and symmetry have 

 never come under our observation. It is a little singular 

 and shows only what may be done in the marvellous 

 transmutations of material things that Barre should make 

 such excellent beef or pork at pleasure. 



After the show the farmers of Barre sat down, to the 

 number of one hundred and thirty, to an elegant and ex- 

 cellent dinner at the tavern of Mr Wheelock, a hotel 

 which we can cordially recommend to all travellers in 

 pursuit of kind attentions and most comfortable accom- 

 modations. The dinner was succeeded by an address 

 mainly on the subject of the dairy, by the commissioner of 

 agricultural survey. Reports of the several committees 

 m the various matters of exhibition were then given in a 

 iportive humor, intermingled with many piquant senti- 

 ments from several gentlemen present. Tlie occasion 

 was one of unmingled gratification. Such holidays 

 among the farmers cannot fail to excite a laudable and 

 powerful competition in their art ; and passed in this 

 rational and agreeable manner, must exalt the character 

 of the profession. 



The association being wholly voluntaij and unincor- 

 porated has no premiums to bestow ; but we hope this 

 deficiency will another year be supplied. Nooneofthe 

 Barre farmers, who attended the exhibition, would find 

 it at all difficult to give a bushel of wheat, or two bush- 

 els of corn, or a good cheese to the advancement and en- 

 couragement of this great art, by which he lives, in his 

 own town. In the benefit and pleasure which would at 

 once be reflected back upon himself, he would find an 

 ample compensation. Now let the farmers there be 

 asked to levy annually this light tax upon themselves 

 either in kind or in money, and a fund is at once formed 

 to be distributed in premiums, which would quicken em- 

 ulation, and give a vastly increased interest and value to 

 their shows. 



The exhibition of domestic or honsehold manufactures, 

 or dairy produce, or vegetable products, was extremely 

 meagre. This ousht to be otherwise ; and we may ex- 

 press the hope that another year there will be an ample 

 display of their rich domestic and household products in 

 every form ; and perhaps no town in the commonwealth 

 from their own resources, could furnish a more beautiful 

 or creditable exhibition. Farmers of Bane ! go on ; and 

 lead ofl' in the fine stvlc in which you have begun. 



H. C. 



quite respectable in quality, though not large in number. 

 The exhibition of househcid manufactures, such as pieces 

 of flannel and of dressed cloth blankets, quilts and coun- 

 terpanes, carpeting, hearth rugs, hosiery, and a great vari- 

 ety of fabrics of a useful as well as an ornamental charac- 

 ter, was beautiful and extremely creditable to the women 

 of the county of old Hampshire. They constitute at the 

 same time to the young men of industry and enterprise, 

 the best recommendation, which they can ask for of that 

 county as the place to apply for frugal, industrious, intel- 

 ligent, and useful wives. 



The second day was occupied with a ploughing match, 

 an exhibition of horses, the usual siddress, and the an- 

 nunciation and distribution of premiums. Of these a 

 full account will be given in the reports of the commit- 

 tees, which we shall publish as soon as received. 



In the ploughing match seven teams were entered, five 

 of which were two horse teams ; the other two ox-teams, 

 a single yoke each. The ploughing of six of the teams 

 was excellent ; and the committee, where all was so well 

 done, found it extremely difficult to make the necessary 

 discriminations. The ploughs used were of various pat- 

 terns,— Howard's, Nourse's and Wright's. Though with- 

 in twenty years, since the first ploughing match at Brigii. 

 ton, much has been gained in the construction of the 

 plough and the mode of handling, there is still great room 

 for improvement, before we reach that perfection of < 

 ecution, to which the art of ploughing has arrived in 

 England and Scotland. There young men are trained tc 

 the plough from their childhood, and no line can b{ 

 drawn with more exactness than they strike out with tli( 

 plough and without a driver. The direction of the fur 

 row, its straightness, its width, its depth, and the mode o 

 laying it, whether fiat, or overlapping or at what angle i 

 shall be set up, are with them all matters of the greates 

 precision. The finishing of their lands likewise is alway.- 

 executed with the utmost exactness. The constructioi 

 of this great implement in agriculture so as to secure thi 

 best work with the greatest lightness of draft and th( 

 mode of executing this operation under all circumstances 

 being of the greatest importance to husbandry, canno 

 receive too particular attention. To ploughing matches 

 to the competition and inquiry there excited, we 

 mainly indebted for the improvements already made 

 Still greater than have been made are in prospect; an< 

 the introduction of the side hill plough with a changini 

 mould board may be strongly recommended to farmer; 

 for common use on their leTel lands as saving much tinn 

 in turning and the necessity of a dead furrow. 



The day at Northampton, was lowery and rainy, an< 

 by the condition of the previous weather, the attendanci 

 of many farmers from the distant parts of the district wa 

 undoubtedly prevented. The occasion was one of mucl 

 enjoyment and good fellowship. II. C. 



NORTHAMPTON CATTLE SHOW AND EXHI- 

 BITION OF DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES. 



This occasion took place on the lllh aiid 1 2th of the 

 present month. We regretted not beingin season to see 

 the show of calllo, many of which were removed from 

 the pens before our arrival, but we were told that it was 



The e<litor of the Newburyport Herald says, that " M 

 Colman, editor of the N. E. Farmer, has recently beei 

 on a tour througli Maine, New Brunswick, Novi 

 Scotia," &c. This will probably be news to Mr Colman 

 as it was to us. He verily thought himself engaged ii 

 the agricultural survey, in tlie western part of this Statt 

 and we beheve he has been thus engaged since Apr 

 last. The Herald has been led into an innocent mistak 

 which we should not perhaps notice, were it not that w 

 do not wish Mr Colman to be made chargeable with mor 

 than his own sins Mr Colman has generally given u 

 a weekly communication, for our editorial page, whic 

 have of late been signed by the initials of his name ; bt 

 the care and arrangement of the paper has fallen upo I 

 the senior proprietor, who to clear H. C.from therespoi] 

 sibility of any inaccuracy of language and style in h 

 own communications has signed his own initials. Tl 



