158 



NEW ENGLxVND FARMER, 



NOVKMDEr! '■ I, lti38. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, Noveubeb 21, 1838. 



AGRICL'LTURAL SOCIETIES AND TKEMIUMS. 



No. IV. 



In poiriling uul subjects of premium we have spoken 

 of tlie qualiticutions and conditions under wliicli tliey 

 should be presented. The objects of bestowing premi- 

 ums are two ; — first by the value or honor of the reward 

 promised to excite an ambition and attempt to ascertain 

 what is practicubh: ; wliat can be attained or accomplish- 

 ed by art, or skill, or industry, or perseverance. The 

 second is to ascertain how it may be done ; in what man- 

 ner improvements of any kind or of a particular kind 

 may be eflected, so that the knowledge may be diliuscd 

 for tiic general benefit. The second object, it is apjja- 

 rent, is the important point ; but then it is as obvious that 

 the promotion of the former object is the direct and- most 

 certain means of accomplishing the latter. We cannot 

 too frequently rerert to the great truth that in agriculture 

 experiment is the great teacher; and we must distrust all 

 thcorie^ which are not based upon, or fully confirmed by 

 actual facts, experience or observation. It is a j;reat 

 point therefore, to induce intelligent men to make exper- 

 iments and observations in the settlement of doubtful 

 points, or ihe Hscertainment of new truths; and we may 

 lawfully do this by appeals to their cupidity, or ambition, 

 or vanity. When the public, however, have paid for the 

 experiment, then are they entitled to know fully the 

 mode of operating; and an indispensable condition in all 

 cases of awarding the i)remium should be a full, exact, 

 and detailed statement of the manner in which an exper- 

 iment has been conducted or any truth found out. 



Little advantnge, in our opinion, comes from the pre- 

 miums bestowed on livestock compared with what might 

 be derived from them. Animals, for example, are often 

 rewarded with premiums, whose owners have recently 

 purchased them ; and for the sole and express purpose of 

 obtaining the premium, without any regard whatever to 

 the great point, whether an actual improvement in the 

 breed has been effected ; what is the origin and history 

 of this improvement ; how long it has been in prnr;ress ; 

 and by what means it has been brought about. Milch 

 cows are often made the subjects of premium when n»- 

 thin;; is known of them excepting what appears at the 

 time of exhibition, unless, perhaps, you get from the 

 claimant some such definite replies as these : — if you ask 

 him, for example, how much milk his cow gives, he will 

 answer, " she gives a pail full froth and all," — and if yon 

 inrjuire what is the quality of her milk, probably you will 

 gQt some such reply as that " her milk looks very yellow 

 and our folks sell some butter besides what we use in the 

 family;" and if you inquire, how s/ie is fed, " why she 

 goes in apasture with other cattle in summer ; andin win- 

 ter we give her some hay and coarse fodder, ami so much 

 of the wash of the house as we don't want for the pigs ; 

 and this 'ain't' a great deal, for sometimes we keep a 

 good many pigs and sometimes not so many ; and then 

 too she runs with the other cows, and we never keep her 

 milk separate." .iVud this isa fair specimen of the exact 

 and definite manner in which some claimants think pro- 

 per to conuncnd their cows for premiums ; and more than 

 that, this is all that is .sometimes demanded by the com- 

 (nittee in order to award a premium, unless it be that 

 they occasionally get the oral certificate of some kind 

 neighbor, that " he docs not know cxacllij but he has 

 seen neighbor such a one's cow, and she carries a jjretty 

 considerable bajr, and he has ' liearu ««i/,' that she "ives 

 a good deal of milk." Now we need not sav that when 



[)remiunis arc bestowed on such giound as this or any- 

 thing like it, it is a mere squandering of money and the 

 true objects of such premiums are en'ircly lost sight of 



We admit that much good comes from the mere exhi- 

 bition of a fine animal. It is important to show farmers 

 what can be done by showing them what actually has 

 been done. Farmers in general, it must he admitted, arc 

 a race of men rather slow of belief with respect to any- 

 thing different from that to which they have been accus- 

 tomed. Living oftentimes in comparatively insular situ- 

 ations, having litth^ intercouse with the world, and biding 

 little familiar with any'iing more than the daily routine 

 of their own circunifcrbed operations, they know little 

 of what is going on in other parts of the country ; and 

 the verbal testimony of the most intelligent and fair men, 

 will make but small impression on the obduracy of their 

 unbelief, unless the matter is demonstrated to their senses 

 This excessive and unreasonable incredulity is in some 

 degree yielding to that intelligent curiosity and spirit of 

 inquiry, which is so generally awakened by the wide 

 difi'usion of agricultural -knowledge and information 

 through the many periodicals with which the country 

 seems destined to be inundated ; and yet there are some 

 men who appear determined to keep their eyes and ears 

 hermetically sealed ; and who have not yet arrived even 

 at the first great truth of the Coperniean system, that the 

 earth revolves round the sun With respect to such men 

 it is impossible to convince them that any improvement 

 can be effected in llie laee of domestic animals beyond 

 their own half-fed and half-grown stock, unless you can 

 place them directly in the pen along side one of your 

 beautiful, sleek, mahogany Devons, or one of your mag- 

 nificent improved Durbams. Then, and then only will 

 truth triumph over obstinacy, ignorance and prejudice. 



But this is of little importance compared w-ith inform- 

 ing the intelligent class of farmers, bent upon improve- 

 nientj and every day becoming more numerous, how such 

 improvements in their live stock can be eti'ected. When 

 therefore, a premium is proposed for live stock, unless it 

 be for live stock brought into tiie country from abroad, 

 the claimant should be the raiser of the animal ; he 

 should be able to give its pedigree, and the manner in 

 which from its birth it has been fed and kept ; its weight, 

 and its actual gain per year or month ; and in what par- 

 ticulars, if any, other than those which are obvious to 

 every observer, he lliiuks the animal excels, or any im- 

 provement has been efl'ected. If a milch cow, foi exam- 

 ple, is offered for premium, the claimant should be re- 

 quired to slate lier age, her parentage, the qualities on 

 the side of the dam for milk or butter, if they can be 

 ascertained ; the race by which she was sired ; the mode 

 of rearing hi'r ; the time of coming in with her first calf; 

 the nundier of calves she has had ; how her calves have 

 proved, if they have reached an age to have been tried; 

 her milk — its amount in anj' twentyfom- hours or week, 

 or month, in pounds or in cubic measure, and whether 

 ale or beer measure ; the amount of cheese made from 

 her, or the amount of butter in »ny given time or from 

 any given quantity of milk or cream, and precisely her 

 mode of being fed during this time ; and how long she 

 remains in milk. On these and other particulars exact 

 information should be sought and reqtiircd. So likewise 

 in regard to a bull presented for premiumi his history and 

 pedigree should be required ; and if of an age to be as- 

 certained, the character of his stock slinnld be known ; 

 their growth, their thriftincss, their feeding or their milk- 

 in:; qualities. 



It may be objected that we cniinot expect such exact- 

 ness from our farmers ; and that the amount of premiums 

 ofi'ered is not snlficient to compensate for the trouble and 

 expense of k(!cping or of making out such .accounts. 



We cannot tell what can be done until we have m;;de 

 the attempt. Our farmers have all of tbtm intelligence 

 enough to see the importance of such ex.ictne.ss, and the 

 great advant.ages which would result from it ; and although 

 it might be ditfieult or impossible to accomplish in this 

 matter all we could wish, we can gradually approach it ; 

 and every approach towards it would conduce essentially 

 to the general improvement. If the amount of premium 

 be not sufficient to indemnify the expense and troubli , 

 reduce the number of premiums and make the amount 

 sulllcient. If neces.sary have two classes of premiums, 

 —one for the exhibition of valuable oi fine animals while 

 the premiums shall be merely sufficient to cover the ac- 

 tual expenses of bringing the animals to the place of ex- 

 hibition ; and trust to the love of approbation, or the 

 spirit of competition, or motives of public good to induce 

 farmers to bring out their fine animals ; and let there be 

 another class of premiums sufficiently large to reward 

 any intelligent and well directed, and persevering ex 

 tions to efi'eet a permanent and substantial improvement 

 in the breed, which shall be demonstrated by the exhi- 

 bition of the actual results of such efiorts. 



This is a matter of great moment to the farming inter- 

 est. Improvements in the breed of animals, though to a 

 certain extent as practicable as improvements in anything 

 else are not to be efl'ected but by intelligence and exact 

 exertions continued for a length of time. Many years 

 liave been consumed and great expenses have been ii 

 curred by the intelligent stock raisers in Great Britain i 

 bringing their noble races of animals to the degree of 

 perfection to which they have already attained. In Mas- 

 sachusetts little has yet been accomplished. We have 

 had many fine animals among us; but few of our farmers 

 have with any care availed themselves of the adv.intag 

 which have been within their reach. Many of them 

 after one or "two crosses have through indolence or indif- 

 ference, allowed everything to run into confusion. We 

 have taken no pains, comparatively, in the improvement 

 of our own native s.cck, which is of a character, unde 

 careful management, to furnish a basis for distinguished 

 excellence. The butcher is allowed to select, at his 

 pleasure, our best calf or our best lamb, and our cows 

 and our sheep may go just where they please to get an- 

 other. We will indulge the confident hope that an era 

 of improvement will presently dawn upon us; and far- 

 mers at last see in this matter their true interest. 



H. C. 



nias!>achusctts Horticnitnral Societr* 



ExiiiEiTios OF Fruits. 



Xuv. \2tk and \^l/i, 1638. 



Jlpjilcs. — From S. Downer, Poiumc do Neige, Brussels 

 Pippin, Flushing Spitzerburg, American Nonsuch. 



From R. Manning, Kilham Hill; Been, Fall Harvey. 



From Rev. H. Ramsdell from Thompson, Connecticut, 

 Chandler, Nichols' winter sweet, Pomme Royale, Ran- 

 dall's red sweet, Reddick, Red Pumpkin Sweet. 



Pears. — From W. Kcnrick, Ntipoleon, Duchess d' 

 Angoulenie. 



From E. Vose, Passe Colmar, Napoleon, Lewis, Wil- 

 kinson, Duehesse d' Angoulenie, (very large and fine, 

 weight of largest Iti 3-4 oz ) 



From R. Manning, Bcurre Duval, Newton Vcrgalieu. 



From S. Downer, Catillac, Bezi A^iet. 



From N. Clapp, Lewis. 



From Geo. Brown, Haslc. 



6'r«;^c*.— From M. P. Sawyer, Arwigsburg, and a kind 

 unknown. ( 



For the Committee, 



L. P. GROSVENOK. 



