162 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



NOVEMBER a-, IS3S 



The committee on working oxen have very much of much consequence in manuring, liming, plaster- 

 to regret that tlierc was any misunderstanding in ing, and in sowing grain and grass seeds, and also 

 regard to tlie [irccise time when the drawing should in determining the amount of produce per acre, as 

 take place — tbey stood some time at their posts | v,-ell as enabling a farmer to judge correctly of the 



anxious for the trial of strength and docility of 

 that noble animal, the ox, and with patience wait- 

 ing the tenderness of his driver, when they were 

 informed " the time had not come," and they like 

 some other tribes were soon dispersed. On their 

 return they were at once struck by the appearance 

 of a wondrous concourse of people : 



" Andj fow ev'ry Yank.'O full of ni.^ltlf 

 ■ Swarm forth lik'c bees at sound of keltic 

 Nut Riiiiie, wlien Tarqnin rap't Lucretia 

 ;5:iw wilder mustering of militia " 



The commitlce without further preface, would 

 ask leave to report their award of the society's \ 

 premiums as follows, namely : » 



To Leonard Wbeelock of Grafton, for llio best 

 pair of working oxen, the first premium of .f 12,0'l 



To Isaac Hathaway of Sutton, tlie 'Id premium 

 of $10,00 



To John Newton of MiHlHiry, tlie 3d premium 

 of * VSfiO 



To Stephen Marsh, Jr., of Sutton, 4th premium 

 of •*5,C0 



The committee regret tlieir inability to bestow 

 premiums to other individuals who oifered and tried 

 beautiful oxen — they were cattle that will do honrr 

 to any farm, town, or county. But while speaking 

 in high commendation of the oxen, they hope to 

 give no offence to tbeir owners, if in the language 

 of the Orator of the day, they say that " whipping 

 is a gratuity," and if it is " received in humility," 

 it is oftentimes misplaced. 



A pair of oxen presented for exhibition by Henry 

 Putnam acquitted themselves handsomely, as also 

 did a fine pair which are under the care of Dr 

 Woodward of the State Lunatic Hospital. The 

 committee were much gratified with the appearance 

 of a team of five yokes of young cattle belonging 

 to Reuben Wbeelock of Sutton — they were well 

 matched for size and color, and under perfect com- 

 mand, and they recommend to him a gratuity of ten 

 dollars. 



The chairman, on his own responsibility, will 

 say that the committee were able lo dec-ide all 

 questions of right without appealing to tlie chair. 

 All which is humbly submitted. 



THOMAS W. WARD, Chairman. 



amount of labor bestowed on a given space of 

 ground. All of these matters are too oft"n t^uessed 

 at, and sometimes the guessing is so coarse as to 

 lead botli the proprietor and his friends into great 

 errors of judgment. Fields being of equal dimen- 

 sions, require the same uiii'uint of labor each year, 

 in tilling them, produce as near as human means 

 can tifect it, the same amount of products, and 

 give the ability to distribute the manure with an 

 equal hand over the whole firm. 



Although many farms are beautifully laid off 

 into fields so as to attain the objects above stated 

 in an admirable manner; yet theie are many oth- 

 ers, so cut up as not to inilicate much intelligent 

 design in its accomplishment, eitiier in respect to 

 convenience, or the due apportionment of the re- 

 spective inclosures. Where this is the case a sys- 

 tem should at once be adopted, the tendency of 

 which would be in a few years to regulate and cor- 

 rect it. There is something so incongruous in one 

 year cultivating a large field and the next a small 

 one, that it cannot be duly appreciated, except by 



clay. Three years since I had several apple tree^ 

 grafted, using the composition; the gral'ls did wen 

 for one season, since which almost every stock li-.^ ^ 

 died, at least that portion which came in cont: el 

 with the composition — neither is mine a politary 

 instance ; I have known whole orchards injured or 

 pitliack a year or two by the use of the above 



composition. 



X. 



GRASS AND GRASS SEED. 

 A firmer never thrives unless he raises abundant 

 crops of grass ; for grass and hay feed stock, andl 

 stock makes manure, and with plenty of manure, 

 grain and every other agricultural product is easily 

 brought into existence, but without manure, which 

 is the food of all idants, farming would soon come 

 to a full stop ; as well might we expect a mill to 

 grind without water, or a watch to keep time with- , 

 out a mainspring, as for grass and grain to grow 

 and thrive without being furnished with food. ( 

 have never yet known a prime good farmer that did 

 not pay especial attention to raising the greatest 

 possible quantity of grass, and I have never known 

 one that did so, but what was more than amply re- 

 munerated for his expense and trouble. It is pain- 



, , J . • , r- •. f I fill to see within twenty miles of Philadelphia, 



one who has made trial of it; for one season your '"' '" , ./, •..■■■. ■ ■ i 



" " , ' ' , ■ ,. \ ;. Tnd an or wood grass still maintaining its original 



(From the Farmer Caliiiiel.) 



SUBDIVIDING A FARM PROPERLY, &t. 



It a matter of no small importance, and it re- 

 quires much skill and judgment to lay oif a farm 

 properly into fields and inclosures so as lo realize 

 the greatest possible advantage by it, in regard to 

 convenient access, equal size of inclosures, and 

 convenience in watering of stock. The saving of 

 fencing is also a matter of considerable conse- 

 quence, both as it regards the expense in the first 

 instance, as well as that occasioned by subsequent 

 repairs. 



Fields for cultivation sliould be rectangular, and 

 the nearer they approach to a square, the less fence 

 they require. The inclosuri^s intended for a regu- 

 lar rotation of crops should be as near the same 

 size as practicable, and the number of acres in 

 each field should be accurately ascertained, and a 

 register kept of it. The importance ot having the 

 fields to contain each a known number of acres, is 



force is not adequate to your work, and the next it 

 IS superior to it. It is continual up and down hill 

 work, and the larger fields suffer for want of an 

 adequate supply of manure, and sometimes from 

 insufficient culture. 



Thorough culture always ranks first in agricul- 

 ture ; manure next, and then follows good cro]is 

 and prosperity, which maketh the heart of the far- 

 mer glad, and stimulates him £o renewed exertions 

 in promoting the fertility of the soil, and by that 

 means increasing the sum total of animal existence 

 and enjoyment. 



When fields arc elevated above neighbors' 

 grounds, heavy rains carry the finest, richest par- 

 ticles of the soil on to them, hut this kind of tres- 

 pass has not often been found to destroy good 

 neighborhood ; if it should unfortunately do so, a 

 small gutter made near the line fence or a ihvf 

 stones judiciiiiisly arranged under, near, or against 

 it, will generally correct the evil, and no doubt pro- 

 mote the interest of the more elevated farmer, by 

 ki^eping within his own enclosures the food which 

 his own crops may be the more luxuriant for parta- 

 king"'>f Those who have had the benefits of the 

 wasf!iiies of their neighbors' fields, can form some 

 estimate of its importance, for 



" What is one friend's loss is another's gain." 



Agricola. 



For ihe New England Farmer. 



WASH NOT TO BE USED FOR PEAR 

 THEES. 



In conversation, a few days since, with one of 

 the most intelligent farmers in the Commonwealth, 

 in speaking of the use of potash and water as a j ^^^f 

 wasii for apple trees, he cautioned me against the 

 using that wash for pear trees ; — for the want of 

 this information, I have lost within the last few 

 years, several valuable pear trees, and was not 

 aware till now of the cause. Hoping that others 

 may profit by the above hint, I have communicated 

 it f ,r your paper. 



position in some fields and meadows, when lime 

 that can be so easily procured would soon destroy 

 it and supply its place with something alike cred- 

 itable and profitable to the cultivaior of the soil. 

 Grass seed should always be sowed evenly and in 

 quantities to coat the surface with a sufficient num- 

 ber of plants to exclude weeds ; there should be no 

 room left for unbidden guests to seat themselves. 

 Red clover, which should always be one of the 

 Brasses sown, on account of its large prodncti tap- 

 root, and the fine condition in which it leaves the 

 soil, weighs from 60 to 64 lbs. a bushel, and a bushel 

 will sow from six to eight acres. The seed of 

 timothy being small, one peck to the acre is suffi- 

 cient. Orchard grass seed being chafiy and liglit, 

 should be applied at the rate of from one to two 

 bushels per acre, and herds grass or red top as it is 

 sometimes called, one bushel to the acre. There 

 should always be at least two, if not three of these 

 kinds of seed sown together to insure a good crop, 

 so that if one partially fails, the others may furnish 

 a supply of plants. The loss or failure of a crop 

 of grass is too serious an affair to run any risk 

 about that can possibly be avoided ; therefore sow 

 plenty of difterent kinds on the same ground, and 

 if you don't raise your own seed, be careful of 

 whom you buy, lest you get an impure or damaged 

 article, for 



Cheap seed is always dearest in the end. 



Agricola. 

 N. B. Orchard grass is said to have stood the 

 late severe drought the best, and timothy to have 

 suffered the most by it of any of the artificial 

 grasses ; but it is perliaps yet too early to form a 

 decisive opinion on this subject. — Farmer's Cab- 



Ornamental Trees. — The time is at hand 

 when those who are desirous of transplanting orna- 

 mental trees bIiouUI be up and doing. We rejoice 

 ','iat the public taste in relatiiui to this matter has 

 undergone a great improvement within a few years, 



One word on tlie use of the grafting composition and that shady forest trees are now consideied a 

 (coiuposed of wax, rosin and tallow,) instead of I useful and ornamental addition to a beautiful vil- 



