134 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



OCTOBER 31, 1S3S. 



AND gaiidener's journal. 



Boston, Wednesday, Octoder 31, 1838. 



AGRICULTUR.AL SOCIETIES AND CATTLE 

 SHOWS. 



The cattle shows and exhibitions of manuractiires in 

 our State having closed for the season, we propose now 

 to say a few words, of their utility, and the modes of 

 managing them; and to suggest such measures as in 

 our opinion would increase the advantages of our agri- 

 cultural societies, and render their influence more cfl'ect- 

 ual to agricultural enterprise and improvement. 



We have not at hand the means of ascertaining with 

 precision the dates in the case ; but, as well as we can 

 recollect, the first cattle show in the United States was 

 held about twentyfour years since, under the spirited ex- 

 ertions of some intelligent gentlemen at Pittsfield, Mass., 

 at the head of whom was Elkanah Watson, Esq., then 

 of that town. The Berkshire Agricultural Society took 

 the lead in the case, and a ploughing match was connect- 

 ed with their cattle show. This intelligent and highly 

 enterprising society have continued their cattle show and 

 exhibitions from that time to the present, with unabated 

 zeal ; and with beneficial eflects of a decided and per- 

 manent character upon the agriculture of that district. 

 Perhaps no better evidence of this can be given than in 

 the fact, that the interest taken in this institution by the 

 farmers of Berkshire universally was never stronger than 

 at this time ; and the exhibitions of the society, as we 

 have been informed, wore never more numerously at- 

 tended nor better su.stained than the current year. 



The Massachusetts Agricultural Society, instituted as 

 early as the year 1791, soon followed the lead of the 

 Berkshire Society ; and for more than twenty years, with 

 the exception of three or four intermissions, held cattle 

 shows and exhibitions of domestic manufactures at Brigh- 

 ton, open to the competition of farmers from every part 

 of the commonwealth. Here too ploughing and drawing 

 matches were held, which, by the liberality of their pre" 

 miums, brought competitors oftentimes from a distance of 

 fifty miles. These shows were held and managed under 

 the direction and personal superintendence of gentlemen 

 of the highest standing in professional and political life ; 

 and went ofi" with spirit and eflect 



These movements were soon followed by the formation 

 of county societies in the several counties of Essex, 

 Worcester, Middlesex, Hampshire, Hampden, and Frank- 

 lin, and Bristol and Plymouth. These societies were 

 enpouraged by liberal grants from the Legislature, giving 

 to every agricultural society, formed in a county contain- 

 ing not less than 2.5,000 inhabitants, for every thousand 

 dollars, which they should raise and permanently invest 

 for the benefit of that society, the interest of which 

 should be yearly appropriated to purposes of agricultural 

 improvement, the annual sum of two hundred dollars, to 

 be applied in premiums under the direction of the Trus- 

 tees of the sociaty ; provided however, that in no case 

 should any society receive annually more than six hun- 

 dred dollars. Under these provisions a sum of upwards 

 of four thousand dollars has been yearly given by the 

 State to these ditlerent societies to be disbursed in aori- 

 cultural premiums. This being added to the amount 

 fuxnislicd by their own funds had formed a considerable 

 aggregate : the sums actually olfercd by the Mass. Agri- 

 cultural Society in premiums the current year exceeding 

 in amount twelve hundred dollars. These county soci- 

 eties arc now all of them in t le practice of holding cattle 

 shows and exhibitions in their respective counties. We 

 have had the pleasure of attending as many of these as 



was practicable. As far as our observation extends, the ' literary, the commercial, the manufacturing and the agri- 

 bounty of the State could not have been applied to a | cultural on common ground, and where no jarrings^of 

 more worthy object, nor with more success as concerns religious or political party ought to intermingle; whe.. 

 the public wealth, and the general improvement. The I those, who labor with the head are made to feel their 

 agricultural improvements in the State within the last ' depci:deme on those, who labor with the hand ; and 

 twentyfive years have been immense. The plough itself! tho.se who labor with the liands recognize their obliga- 

 has become a new instrument, in form, in lightness of j tions to science, to commerce, and to the mechanic arts, 

 draft, in eaie in handling, in ease of repairs, in the exe- and find their own profession exalted and their self-re- 

 cution of its work, and in the neatness of its construction. 

 The potato hoc, the drill seed sower, the seed harrow, 

 the cultivator, the roller, the cradle, the hoise rake, the 

 corn planter, the threshing machine, the double-mould 

 board plough, the side hill plough, owe their origin and 

 general diffusion to agricultural societies and agi'icultural 

 publications. The introduction of new seeds, of most 

 valuable fruits, of excellent esculent vegetables, of im- 

 proved varieties of Indian corn, wheat, barlev, and oats 

 this likewise is to be attributed in a great measure to the 

 same source. The introduction likewise and diffusion of 

 improved breeds of live stock, of the fine-wooled sheep 

 the long wooled sheep, the mutton breeds, the several 

 improved varieties of swine, the beef and dairv slock 

 the Devon, the Holderness, the Alderney, the Ayrshire 

 the Improved Durham Short Horns, and of horses of an 

 improved kind for the saddle and for draft, are all more 

 or less to be ascribed to the spirit of public enterprise and 

 improvement awakened and kept alive bv these agricul- 

 tural societies, exhibitions, and publications. It is indeed 

 impossible to estimate by any exact measure what has 

 been effected in the short space of a quarter of a century ■ 

 but it meeti the observing and experienced eye every- 

 where in the improved and well furnished houses, orna- 

 mental fences and embellishments, smooth and well- 

 cultivated fields, commodious barns, substantial wagons 

 and carriages, which are to be found everywhere in pro- 

 fusion among our agricultural population. It is important 

 to keep this spirit of enterprise and public improvement 

 awake and active ; to press the steam to the utmost limits 

 of safely ; "to speed the plough;" and to relax no efforts 

 to advance the cause of agricultural improvement; to 

 diffuse agricultural intelligence ; to raise the character 

 and the profession of the farmer; and thus lo extend the 

 power and means, and quicken the spirit and enterprise 

 by which the treasures of the earth shall Le developed, 

 the fund of human subsistence become constantly enlarg- 

 ed ; and the comforts and reasonable luxuries of life dif- 

 fused among all without stint. 



The agricultural societies hold the power of doing im- 

 mense good; and, as the gentlemen who have the direc- 

 tion of the funds of these societies have no j)rivate views 

 to answer, but are laboring in the most disinterested man- 

 ner, solely for the public good, we know them loo well to 

 fear giving offence by any suggestions, whi'h have no 

 other object than the public good ; and which will not 

 be submitted without a perfect respect for their public 

 spirit and superior judgment. 



We have the highest opinion of the utility of cattle 

 shows, ploughing; matches and the exhibition of agricul- 

 tural products and household manufactures. They excite 

 an emulation, which engenders no bitterness of feelin" 

 and which prompts to the most spirited improvements. 

 They gratify a laudable ambition to exhibit to others 

 what we have accomplished. They extend the know- 

 ledge of what has been done fat beyond w hat it could 

 be by any other means. They are the only opportunities 

 which many farmers enjoy of seeing samples of tlie im- 

 proved stock in the country; and of comparing it with 

 what they have themselves. They bring farmers together 

 to interchange friendly sympathies, and to communicate 

 their mutual experiences. They bring men of dillerent 

 professions and conditions together, the professional, the 



spect increased by this unrestrained and mutual inter- 

 course These cattle shows have been the means of in- 

 ducing the importation of all the valuable animals, which 

 have been brought into our State through the liberality 

 of gentlemen of large capital and large minds, in order 

 to improve the stock of domestic animals in our own 

 State. Especially, they keep the great subject of agri- 

 culture before the public mirwl in the light of its intrinsic, 

 permanent, and universal importance. The well-known 

 custom of the Emperor of China at the return of every 

 spring, to show his respect fur the cultivators of the earth 

 and thus honoring their great art by holding the plough 

 himself in the presence of the dignitaries of the realm 

 and of assembled thousands of his subjects, is well know n. 

 Its favorable influence upon the agricultural classes may 

 easily be inferred ; and ourcaiile shows, bringing lo"clher 

 as they do gentlemen of all professions, have the same 

 beneficial effects. 



It has been therefore lo us matter of much rcret that 

 the -Massachusetts Society has now for two or three years 

 suspended its annual and accustomed show at Brighton. 

 We know that it is attended with gieat labor to the gen- 

 tlemen of the Board of Trustees, to get up and superin- 

 tend a matter so foreign to their accustomed ])ursuits and 

 habits ; perhaps it is a labor we ought not to ask of them • 

 but we believe that sixty or a hundred dollars would fur- 

 nish tliein three or five practical men, who would gladly 

 take all the drudgery of the management off of their 

 hands and get it up and carry it through in a numner 

 honorable lo the board and entirely satisfactory to the 

 public. We know the labor is considerable, and in such 

 case ought to be compensated ; and we do not know how 

 some portion of their funds could be more properly ap- 

 plied. H. C. 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 

 PREMIUMS. 



It is matter of just surprise that the magnificent pre- 

 miums offered by this society for the advancement of 

 agriculture should excite so little attention, and be so 

 little known throughout the State. They offer the pre- 

 sent year in four premiums for the best cultivated farms 

 in llie Commonwealth, the large amount of six hundred 

 doUars ; and yet we think we mav .safely say that nine 

 tenths of the farmers iii the State iiave never heard of it. 

 This must in some measure be their own fault, perhaps, 

 in not taking an agricultural paper ; for the prospectus 

 of premiums offered was published at large we know in 

 the l\ew England Farmer, and we believe in other agri. 

 cultural papers in the State; and copies of this prospectus 

 were distributed among the members of the Legislature, 

 and sent to every postmaster. The Agricultural Com- 

 missioner likewise, though having no agency whatever 

 in the proceedings of the society, has distributed a great 

 many in various parts of the State. Premiums are likewise 

 offered, one of a hundred dollars, two of fifty dollars, and 

 one of thirty for the best butter and cheese presented to 

 the society by the first of December in Boston. The 

 samples of cheese and butter for the highest premiums 

 must amount to 300 lbs. — for the lower premiums 100 lbs. 

 As we understand the proposals, competition for these 

 dairy premiums is not limited to Massachusetts. The 

 entries must be made with Benj. Guild, Esq , Boston ; 

 and auctioneers will be furnished for the sale of the pro- 

 duce cffcred whether successful or not in the competition 

 for premiums. The butter and cheese presented on such 

 occasions have always commanded high prices. The 

 premiums are certainly munificent to an excess ; and the 

 competition it is to be hoped will be much more extended, 

 than heretofore. 



