142 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



XOVIOMBKR T, 1838. 



bage, and also a native of Britain. The grand 

 object of agriculture anglit to. be the renewal of 

 soils, and the ada))tHlion of crops ; and as science 

 advances, and its sons become more influential, 

 these objects will be attained. — (Quarterly Journal 

 of Jigriculture. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wedsesday, Novembee 7, 1838. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES ANDl CATTLE 

 SHOWS. 



NO. II. 



We are of opinion, most decidedly, lliat in no case 

 ■hould less than two days be devoted to a cattle show and 

 ploughing match. This is as little time as can be taken 

 for the proper and satisfactory discharge of the duties 

 and business of the occasion. Everything is performed 

 in an inconvenient, hurried, and unsatisfactory manner 

 when all the business is crowded into one day. Tlie 

 plougmng match, the drawing match, the inspection of 

 the various pens, the examination of tlie household man- 

 ufactures, the address and services at the church, the 

 awards of the committees, the dinner and its accompani- 

 ments, the reading of the reports and the annunciation of 

 premiums, all compressed into one short day in October, 

 senders everything unsatisfactory to all who feel an in- 

 terest in the true objects of tlie exhibition. We have 

 been repeatedly engaged on committees at such times; 

 and we know that it has been impossible to do anything, 

 •r see anything excepting what was particularly submit- 

 ted to the committee on which we were placed; and 

 know how unpleasant it has been to be compelled to re- 

 port in a hurried manner on the subject submitted. In 

 such cases, likewise, we could have no comfort in hearing 

 the address, which indeed it often happened we could get 

 no time to attend ; no pleasure in the dinner because, 

 perhaps, our report was not made up ; and as to any con- 

 versation with friends from a distance, this was utterly 

 out of the questian. The reports in such cases are of 

 necessity in general extremely meager; the committees 

 are compelled to make up their award after the most par- 

 tial examination ; and the unsuccesBful competitors are 

 often with very good reason dissatisfiod. Indeed such 

 examinations and reports are many times a mere farce 

 rather than the performance of an important and refpon- 

 sible duty. 



Not less than two whole days then, should bo devCted 

 to this occasion. If matters are properly arranged and 

 managed, two days cannot be better spent. Let, the cattle 

 be in the pens at nine o'clock of the first day ; and the 

 committees, who should be previously appointed, proceed 

 uninterruptedly to the performance of their dutiiw. l^et 

 the domestic manufactures and dairy produce, and agri- 

 cultural implcmenls be ready for inspectionj and let no 

 persons be admitted to the rooms vntiJ the comniitte.es 

 have *iade their examination. Let none of the cattle be 

 removed until fonro'clock in the aHernoon,so tliat every 

 person, desirous of doing it, may have a full opportunity 

 for inspection. Let the public dinner take place at two 

 o'clock of the first day ; and let it be the occasion for 

 pleasant humor and friendly intercourse; and for the ut- 

 terance of sentiments, which will be sufficiently exhilar- 

 ■ ating without the aid of heavy potations of wine to give 

 them force ; and let the occasion be devoted to speechee 

 and discussions immediately connected with the business 

 of the day. If need be let gentlemen he selected for 

 this express purpose and subjects of address be n-iven 

 tbcm, for which they may come prepared. The dinner 



should not be expensive. If wine is dispensed vvith, 

 fifty or seventyfive cents will furnish as good a dinner as 

 ought to be desired; and as to those who want wine, let 

 them call for it and pay for it. The price of the dinner 

 should be such that no respectable farmer should feel that 

 he cannot afibrd the expense. In the evening let the 

 fanners come together at some common place of meeting, 

 and organizing themselves by the choice of a moderator, 

 let them proceed to discuss matters of an agricultural na- 

 ture, or listen Ic the relation of important experiments of 

 those who have any such to connnunicate. 



Let the second day be devoted to the ploughing match, 

 the public religious services, the address, the reading of 

 the reports of the committees, which they will then have 

 had ample lime to prepare in a full and satisfactory man- 

 ner, and to the public awarding of the premiums to the 

 successful candidates. Let the public services of the 

 second day be closed with another public dinner of the 

 same description as the dinner of the former day ; and 

 let it afibrd an occasion for the suggestion of any new 

 subjects of premiums, or any measures for advancing the 

 objects of the a.«sociation. There is no occasion for, nor 

 any advantage, in any sort of extravagance in such ca.se. 

 A gentleman may dine any day at the best hotels in our 

 cities, at a table furnished with the greatest elegance and 

 abundance and with all the luxuries of the season, for 

 fifty cents ; and it can be equally well done in the coun- 

 try. At several of the cattle show dinners which we 

 have attended, no wine was furnished, and none drank, 

 but we saw no want of good humor and hilarity. In 

 this matter we would leave it to every gentleman to do 

 as he pleased and to call, on bis own private account, for 

 what he desires. If the old proverb be true, that when 

 "wine is in wit is out," we think gentlemen who are 

 likely to meet on such an occasion, would have no diffi- 

 culty in discovering that wit raijht be in, though wine 

 should be out. 



We wish another thing likewise, and this, in the inte- 

 rior, where farmers come from a considerable distance 

 would be particularly desirable, that suitable and com- 

 fortable provision should be made for such of the fanner's 

 wives and daughters as might see fit to avail themselves 

 of it. We do not mean without expense to them ; but 

 as things are now managed they are often most uncom- 

 fortably situated, and can scarcely find a resting place. 

 Since gentlemen have given up their bacchanalian revels 

 on such occasions, and tliere would be nothing to offend 

 their delicacy, if there were room, they might be invited 

 to come to the public table. They themselves ought to 

 be encouraged to become competitors in their line for the 

 premiums of the society ; and their presence in such 

 cases so far from being a hindrance to any rational and 

 manly pleasure would serve only to heighten the gratifi- 

 cation. 



There is another circumstance, which we know from 

 observation, woidd add greatly to the interest of the oc- 

 casion. The practice prevails in the Berkshire Society 

 of awarding all the premiums above a dollar in some 

 durable form, in a spoon, a set of spoons, a ladle, a creiun- 

 pot of silver plate, or other useful articles, and of bestow- 

 ing it in public on the sec/md d,iy of the show. After 

 the reports are read and the awards announced, the suc- 

 cessful competitors are called for and the premium gained 

 is publicly handed to them. The premiums in this Ibrm 

 are spread upon the tabic in front of the pidpit, and this 

 passing them along by the marshals creates naturallv an 

 intense interest among all parties. If the successful com- 

 petitor be for example, some excellent dairy woman, who 

 has secured a proniiuiii upon her butler and cheese, her 

 husband finds a new motive to honor her and show him- 

 self deserving of !ier esteem ; and, if some young wo- 

 man is called up, who has shown her superiority and 



cleverness in the use of the needle, or the fabrics of the 

 loom, in her carpeting, or her blankets, or her hosiery, 

 then the industrious and sober young man knows where 

 to apply to get a helpmeet for him. 



This is not all. The article so honorably gained i; 

 carried home as a permanent trophy. It is brought oul 

 on great occasions, and is always shown to visitors with 

 an honest and laudable pride. It stands as a perpetuul 

 memorial of past success, and presents a new stimulou:; 

 to future exertions. It goes down as an heir-loom in the 

 family. Children receive it as a precious legacy, and it 

 inspires in them a noble ambition of like honors. Bui 

 when prenduins are paid in money and settled with the 

 Treasurer in private, they are frcfiuciitly spent as soon as 

 received, and, like most money which comes in the forn- 

 of a gift, it is oftentimes spent for what is useless ; the sl 

 cessful com))etitors themselves soon forget their own su 

 cess ; and little good effect of the premiums come to oth- 

 ers compared with what might be obtaiiied from them. 

 In every case of premium we are of opinion that some 

 durable memorial should be given, though where the pre 

 mium exceeded a certain amount, saj- five or ten dollars 

 some portion of it might be gfven in money to be appliec 

 and used at the pleasure of the receiver. H. C. 



RURAL FESTIVAL AT PETER.SHAM, MASS. 



The intelligent and spirited farmers of Petersham, Wor 

 cester county, held a Cattle Show and Festival on th( 

 24th Oct. . The weather was unpropitious as the rain fel 

 abundantly and without cessation though the whole dav 

 But in spite of every inconvenience a large number o 

 people and cattle were assembled ; and the ploughing 

 match and drawing match were contested with mud 

 spirit and skill. 



158 yoke of fine oxen and steers, all belonging to tha: 

 town, were exhibited ; and most of them of superioi 

 quality and condition. One yoke of oxen weighed 1270 lbs 

 — these were of native stock — and one yoke of two yeai 

 old steers of the strong mixture of the Improved Durban 

 Short Horn, possibly of unmixed blood, %veighcd ~'.57( 

 lbs. One bull of mixed blood, one year old last spring, 

 weighed 1010 lbs. One handsome pair of steers of na- 

 tive stock, 4 years old, weighed 2305 lbs. One pair ol 

 oxen 3720 lbs. One cow 1325. One cow 1280 lbs 

 The ploughing match was contested by eight single yok< 

 ox teams. 



After the surveys were made by the committees anb 

 the ploughing and drawing matches were closed, an abun- 

 dant and handsome diimer was given at Foster's Tavern 

 where one hundred and thirty plates were all occupied. 

 After dinner an address was delivered by the Commis- 

 sioner of Airicultural Survey, mainly on the charactci 

 and condition of our present breeds of neat stock, and 

 the introduction of the improved breeds; topics in which 

 the farmers of Petersham, a stock-raising town, were par 

 ticularly interested. The day was spent in innocent In 

 larity. Many good sentiments, abounding with wit and 

 humor were thrown out ; the reports of the coinmitin- 

 afli'ordcd much entertainment ; and the farmers separated 

 gratified by the interchange of kind feelings with each 

 other ; a spirit of agricultural enterprise Wiis excilct 

 and nourished, and a new spur was given to a^riculturai 

 improvement. U, C. 



SMALL POTATOES AND FEW IN A HILL. I 



We are receiving from day to day accounts from diffe- 

 rent quarters, of large productions, heavy crops, and great 

 yields; one man exhibits a mammoth squash of huge 

 dimensions, another a wonderful cabbage, a third boasts 

 of a pumpkin so large that two men can hardly turn it. 



