130 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



OCTOBER ;il, 183S. 



Van R. Swift, Bridg'r :3d fut ox 3d prem 



Joshua Bates, do 4th do 4th do 



Dyer Robinson, do best milch cow 1st prem. 10 00 



Seth Pratt, do 2d 



Zenas Crooker, do 3d 



Gad Robinson, do best heifer, 



David Snow, do 2d 



Abm Washburn, 2d, do best bull, 



Salmon Keith, do 2d 



Alb. Reed, 2d, Abington,best do calf, 1st do 



Horatio Keith, Bridg'r, 2d 2d do 



Paul Revere, do bestheifer calf, 1st do 



Joseph Copeland, do 2d 2d do 



6 00 biy founded on the failure of experiments iiijudi- 



4 00 ciously conducted. 



Nurseries, we believe, have often been sowed in 

 much richer soils than those into which Ihe trees 

 were afterwards transplanted. This is contrary to 

 all approved rules of nursery men. Forcing the 

 growth of young trees, it is easy to perceive in- 

 creases the danger of their destruction by frost. 

 Experimenters sliould not be governed implicitly 



3 00 ; by the language of seed venders, which may quite 



2 00 i as oft -n be dictated by personal interest as practi- 



3 00 cal knowledge. They should proceed cautiously 

 2 00 , and make theories for themselves in the progress. 



^ 



Wm 



D. OLDHAM, Chairman. 



Improvements. 

 In this county there are extensive tracts of waste 

 land. Trhe growth of useful herbage or wood has 

 in most cases been obstructed by redundant water. 

 Some expensive operations are necessary in the 

 renovation of these lands. But when the work is 

 once accomplished, we acquire some of the most 

 productive and enduring fields under our cultiva- 

 tion. Waste lands early employed the attention 

 of the Trustees of this Society ; various projects 

 in different periods have beqn formed to induce our 

 farmers to lessen the borders of barrenness. Some- 

 times prospective premiums have been offered for 

 the renovation of the greatest quantity of waste 

 land in a given number of years ; sometimes an- 

 nual premiums for the best crops produced on re- 

 claimed lands. Something of embarrassment and 

 difficulty attended the award of those premiums, 



Where full grown trees are desired we at present 

 think this variety preferable to any other ; the 

 Morus Multicaulis we consider very important for 

 annual propagation and use. 



A few years since there was something of ex- 

 citement on the subject of raising mulberry trees. 

 Many extensive nurseries were planted from which 

 few results are now visible. The excitement has 

 in a great measure ceased, and we fear, as often 

 happens, that things are left in a worse state than 

 before. It is now manifestly difficult to induce 

 efforts. We have this year offered liberal premi- 

 ums for preparations for nurseries ; none of which 

 are claimed. 



In past years premiums have been offered for 

 building the greatest quantities of good stone wall. 

 This year it was judged expedient to encourage no 

 competitions on the subject, but give reward to 

 every man who should build one hundred rods and 

 an increased sum for every additional hundred rods. 



from the vague statements of claimants and the I Some members of the board while they approved 



consequent uncertainty in the minds of the Trustees 

 concerning the original state of the land, and the 

 amount of labor that had been performed. With 

 the purpose of avoiding such difficulties, premiums 

 were tliis year offered for the greatest efforts in 

 reducing waste land in a single season to a condi- 

 tion to receive the seed of useful plants. It was 

 required of claimants to make entries early enough 

 for the committee to view the land before their op- 

 erations commenced. One entry only was made. 

 A member of yoiff^committee viewed the land, 

 which presented ml^ formidable enemies to the 

 health and growth of useful plants. The owner 

 seemed then to Lave a stout heart, an unsuspecting 

 confidence, of conquest ; but from some cause has 

 entirely failed, and the enemies to a useful vege- 

 tation are now standing there with countenances 

 of apparent triumph and defiance. Your committee 

 perceive nothing in the terms of these offers de- 

 manding alteration, we recommend the continuance 

 of them and hope future claimants will not suffer 

 Iheir promises to exceed performances. 



For the cultivation of mulberry trees, (Morus 

 Multicaulis,) we award the first premium of .flO to 

 Dr Lemuel W. Kriggs, Jr. of Middleborough. 

 The second premium of $,"> to Mr Franklin Ames, 

 of West Bridgewater. Dr Briggs exhibited eleven 

 hundred and thirty trees raised from cuttings. Mr 

 Ames three hundred and seventynine chiefly from 

 cuttings. Dr Briggs has a large nursery of white 

 mulberry trees planted in 1837 ; these come not 

 within the offers of the present year, but in con- 

 eidcration of the exertions ho has made, we re- 

 commend a gratuity of three volumes of the N. E. 

 Farmer. 



White mulberry trees seem to be falling into 

 neglect in the county. It is supposed, we think 

 erroneously, that these trees cannot endure the 

 severity of our winters. The supposition is proba- 



the principle of this arrangement fear the conse 

 quencc would be too great a drain on the treasury. 



No inconvenience of this kind is realized the 

 present year. We propose to give some rew :rd to 

 four persons for building wall and yet not pay 

 quite as much money as we used to appropriate to 

 the object in two premiums. Mr Dion Bryant of 

 Bridgewater, is entitled to .921,90 having built 

 207 1-2 rods of wall. The actual improvement in 

 this case is not confined to the erection of so much 

 substantial fence ; some beautiful fields are cleared 

 of the obstacles to an easy cultivation, where the 

 sons of sons may labor with pleasure to the latest 

 generation. 



Paul Hathaway, Esq. of Middleborough, is en- 

 titled to !r!9 having laid one hundred rods. Mr H. 

 has made important improvements in fields by the 

 removal of rocks ; but the pressure of his business 

 probably, occasioned his dropping into stone holes 

 some too valuable materials for such a purpose. 

 Compost manure will not produce much immediate 

 effect when deposited two or three feet below the 

 surface. 



Mr Fibonezer Shaw of Middleborough, has built 

 an hundred rods of wall and is entitled to .$9. Mr 

 S. has recently engaged in the business of culti- 

 vation, is laboring on what farmers call hard land ; 

 a good beginning is made. Mr S. seems to possess 

 all tlie innocent zeal of a new proselyte ; perseve- 

 rance will give success. 



Capt Solomon Howard of West Bridgewater, is 

 entitled to $9, having buiit llti rods. Mr H.'s 

 wall appeared to be a sufficient security against 

 Ihe inroads of cattle. It is good fence, but in a 

 part of it there is more of zigzag than the eyes of 

 the committee could follow with much pleasure. 

 There might have been reasons for short turns not 

 manifest to us, strong reasons, however, are neces- 

 sary to justify them. 



We were first among agricultural societies 

 offering premiums for stone wall, we may yj 

 standing alone in the thing ; if we be, there 

 occasion for us to blush in the position. The mo- 

 ney we have paid has been returned to the com- 

 munity in more than two fold' proportion. The 

 subject is growing every year more important, wej 

 would bestow due attention, not shrinking from; 

 singularity when sure that we arc useful. 



We have the satisfactiim of reporting an in-,| 

 creased attention to the business of cornpostingj 

 manure, the great instrument in the farmer's suc-( 

 cess and wealth. The committee are sometime3i 

 charged with admitting substances of little efficacyj 

 into the composition of manure. There is truth in- 

 these charges, but we suppose no just censure i 

 We act in the belief that anythinir, whether animal) 

 or vegetable substances, can be mixed with soils ini 

 cultivation in a manner to increase the growth oil 

 plants. The same result can also be attained irj 

 the judicious mixture of different soils. We dc( 

 not regard it so much our province in the discharge! 

 of this duty to determine what constitutes thej 

 richest compost manure, as we do to ascertain thej 

 comparative value of what has been made amongj 

 the competitors. We would encourage renewec! 

 zeal in good works by awards in justice and libe-' 

 rality. We award the five premiums for compost 

 manure, to the persons whose names follow. Thi 

 first to Capt. Salmon Howard of West Bridgewater 

 second to Benjamin Hobart, Esq. Abington ; thirc 

 to Paul Hathaway, Esq., Middleborough ; fourth t( 

 Mr Nahum Snell, W. Bridgewater, and the fifth t. 

 Rev Freeman P. Howland, of Hanson. We als( 

 recommend tlie addition of one volume of the N 

 E. Farmer to each of these premiums. 



We recommend that a gratuity of eight dollar 

 bo given Mr Chelsias Howard of Hanson, for hi 

 exertions in composting manure. The larges 

 number of loads made by any competitor this yea 

 is 798, and the smallest about 350. Mr Hobar 

 used lime to some extent, and Mr Howard made ; 

 considerable quantity of ashes with swamp turf 

 but the other competitors have performed littl< 

 more than to collect and mix materials found oi 

 their own farms. We believe almost any farm cat 

 be made productive in the employment of sucl 

 means. Not to the extent of some more expensive 

 applications, yet as productive as a prudent an( 

 wise policy would in many cases justify. Farmcri 

 situated at a distance from any considerable mar 

 ket town, would not be ultimately successful, i 

 they should engage extensively in the purcliasc o 

 the richest manures, which must be conveyed U 

 their farms from a distance of twenty or forty miles 

 Nor should we recommend immediate extensivi 

 engagement in all the operations discovered ii 

 science to accelerate the efficacy of substancci 

 which we apply to enrich fields. The time hai 

 not come, it may never, when in this country w, 

 can profitably adopt the process and improvement 

 no doubt it may in some places be justly called, o 

 iM. Jauffret in producing the fermentation and di 

 gestion of vegetables in casks to fertilize ourfieMs 

 Prudence will not lead us to great market placei 

 in pursuit of tlie bones of cattle, the most effective 

 among manures ; it will rather load to the exercisi 

 of living bones in the collection of things locatee 

 near us, which though not immediately so effective 

 will in the issue prove far more profitable. Field: 

 liberally dressed with pulverized bones, the French 

 man's Poudrette, or the Spaniard's favorite Guano 

 may for a time look far more fruitful than thusi 



