174 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DECKIUBER 5, lis38. 



grows very rapidly in lijflit sandy soils. It is 

 often sown iin;nediately after barley harvest to be 

 cut in time for the sowing of rye. The produce 

 is trifling, but it costs little, and cows are very fond 

 of it. It is said to giv; their milk and butter a 

 very agreeable flavor. Ten or twelve youiids of 

 seed are sufficient tor an acre. A variety much 

 larger and more productive than tliat which is a 

 more weed in our light soils is sometimes sown in 

 the end of March, and, with llie he]p of liquid ma- 

 nure, produces a tolerable crop in less than two, 

 months ; after which a crop of potatoes may still 

 be had, or at least, a very good crop of turnips. 

 This is sometimes a convenient way of bringing a 

 field into a regular course again, when, from some 

 circumstance or other, the usual rotation has been 

 disturbed. 



Lucerne, which is so higlily prized in sojne 

 countries, is not cultivated to any freat extent in 

 Flanders. The ])oor light s-inds are not very fi- 

 vorable to this plant, which likes a rich deep soil. 

 In western Flanders there are some soils well 

 adapted to its growth, but it ia not so .common as 

 to form any marked feature in Flemish husbandry. 

 Barley Ss sometimes sown to be mown green in 

 spring ; but rye, which is chielly sown for that 

 purpose in England, is seldom cut green. This 

 arises probably from a reluctance to cut down a 

 plant, which, when it comes to perfection, produces 

 the principal food of the people. That this is no 

 sufficient reason the slightest reflection will con- 

 vince us ; for rye cut in a green state does not 

 exhaust or deteriorate the soil, as it would when 

 left to ripen its seed, and it may therefore be sown 

 again on the same land without waiting the usual 

 time allowed for its recurrence. The question is 

 simply as to the value of the seed sown when com- 

 pared with that of the green crop 



Buckwheat is sometimes cut for fodder in the 

 light sands, and helps to make up for a deficiency 

 of clover. — Libranj of Useful Knowledge. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, Decemgeb 5, 1838. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND PREMIUMS. 

 No. VI. 



Wc have already extended this subject nnicb farther 

 than was our first iiitcnlion ; and we shall tlirow into as 

 narrow a compass as wc are abb; our few reinainin" re- 

 marks. 



The premiums of the Massacliuselts Society are pro- 

 posed with great judgment, and embrace a large vari(^ty 

 of subjects. The premiums of the county societies are 

 more restricted m amount and in number of objects. 

 We are not disposed in this place to view tliese subjects 

 critically. There are few subjects named which we 

 uliould wish to exclude ; but there are some which mi^ht 

 be advantageously combined with others ; and the amount 

 of the award might be made much more an object of am- 

 bition by abolishing many of the smaller premiums of, 

 one and two dollars, which are now ijiven in some of 

 tbo county societies, and bestowing the amount to be dis- 

 tributed in larger sums ; or as we have before remarked 

 in an article of usefulness and permanent value. 



We should be glad likewise to see agricultural experi- 

 ments of any and every description mucli more a subject of 

 premium than it now is. In the State society the number 

 of these experiments on wliich a premium is offered is 



quite limited. In some of the county societies no pre- 

 mium is offered for these experiments. There can be no 

 objection to pointing out particular experiments to be 

 tried and the modes of conducting them ; but at the same 

 time we would liave premiums ofiercd upon agricultural 

 experiments gcner.illj leaving it open to any competitor, 

 who might be disposed to offer the result of his inquiries 

 and experience. All that should be required to ensure 

 success should be that the subject of the experiment 

 should be an inipottaiil one, and of a practical and useful 

 character; that it should be conducted in such a manner 

 as to time, continuance, and mode of management that 

 the results should be .is far as possible conclusive; and 

 that the wliole process should be exactly and fully de- 

 tailed. It m.iy be said t!iat all this would be necessarily 

 included in the management of a farm. It might be giv- 

 en under this head we know ; but it is not necessarily 

 included ; and there are many cases in which the history 

 of some particular experiment miffht be given, when the 

 individu.al would not think of entering bis farm for a pre- 

 mium. No conditions beyond those above alluded to 

 being prescribed, it should be left wholly within the dis- 

 cretion of the board to determine whether the premium 

 should or should not be awarded. There is one little 

 matter, not always attended to, but which we believe has 

 in some cases operated to deter some farmers from enter- 

 ing a claim, which is certainly deserving of consideration. 

 Unsuccessful competitors should, if so they chose, be at 

 lit)erty to withdraw their statements. Many individuals, 

 from a pride w hicb we may consider foolish or not, who 

 would be very willing to have their success published, 

 are extremely averse to having their ill-success exposed ; 

 and the liberty to withdraw their communications might 

 be properly accorded to them, especially since the right of 

 the society to these papers, where nothing is paid for 

 them on the part of the Trustees, must be considered at 

 least as questionable. We mention this as a difficulty, 

 which we have known to operate upon some minds. 



We mention another regulation, which we deem rea- 

 sonable, and the adoplion of which would be advanta- 

 geous. The premiums of the State society are of course 

 open to any of the citizens of the Commonwealth, where- 

 ver they may be resident ; and successful competitors at 

 any of the county societies are not on that account ex- 

 cluded from the competition in the State society. What 

 we wish is that competitions for the county premiums 

 should be open to any citizens of the State. We would 

 do this as a matter of convenience fliany individuals 

 resident on the borders of the counties would in many 

 eases enter the list in a county adjoining that which thev 

 belong, because the place of exhibition might be much 

 more accessible than that of their own county society, 

 which ihey do not go to because of its remoteness. Tliis 

 often occurs, but it is not necessary to particularize in- 

 stances. The only point to be fixed is that no individual 

 should become a competitor for tile same article or animal 

 at two diflcrcnt county societies; and this might be c.isily 

 arranged. The objects of the State would be equally 

 well served ; and general convenience would be in some 

 cases essentially served. 



The subject of manures ought in a particular manner 

 to be made a matter of premium. We are very much in 

 this case in the dark. The application of lime, plaster, 

 ashes, leached and unleached, wood, coal, peat ashes, the 

 application of sea manures, of bog mud, the various forms 

 of application, arc all points in which wc .are very much 

 in want of the clear light of experience. It is difficult 

 to prescribe exactly the conditions under which such ex- 

 periment shall be made; but the societies might propose 

 a handsome premium to any well conducted and detailed 

 experiment by which some important and practical truth 

 might he elucidated or established. 



The subject of feeding tattle is one of great importatu 

 to the farmers in this Cimimonwcaltli. Premiums lb 

 this object arc now offered by several of the societies 

 They might be advantageously extended. It is of little 

 importance to exhibit a noble yoke of cattle or a fat hog 

 at the show, compared with knowing liow cattle and 

 swine may be made fat in the shortest time and at the 

 least expense ; compared with knowing whether it be 

 more eligible to give them food raw or cooked, mixed or 

 plain, coarse or ground; whether soiling or pasturing 

 cattle on llie same land be to be preferred ; whether corn 

 or barley or rye or oats or buckwheat be most usel'ul ; 

 whether potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, or beets be 

 the best food. We want experiments to show the com- 

 parative value of bay or straw, or corn-fodder. We want 

 to know the most economical mode, attested by satisfac- 

 tory experiments, of keeping our live-stock, our horses, 

 our working oxen. A well conducted experiment or 

 experiments by wiiicb these matters should be determined, 

 would be of great value to the agricultural community; 

 and a premium sufficiently large should be oHcred to 

 compensate for any extraordinary troulde or expense in- 

 curred in attempting them. 



Among other useful objects of premium we should 

 place well written essays nn any subject of husbandry 

 either of a scientific or a practical character. The 

 says published by the Highland Agricultural Society and 

 induced by the handsome premiums offered by that soci- 

 ety are among the most valuable papers anywiiere to be 

 Ibund. We shall hereafter give some of these communi- 

 cations to the readers of the New England Farmer. The 

 board of Trustees might either prescribe the subjects or 

 leave the subject to the choice of the individual. Wbcib- 

 er the essays be deserving of a premium either for its 

 utility or ability should rest whh them to deteimine In 

 this way science might bo made a direct contributor to 

 agricultural improvement ; and increase that debt, already 

 large, under which agriculture is now laid to her. 



We have by no means exhausted this subject. We 

 have indeed but partially examined it. We throw out 

 these suggestions- for the consideration of those intelli- 

 gent gentlemen to whom the disposal of the bounty of 

 the State and the donations of private liberality is en- 

 trusted. Great good has already been accomplished by 

 these bounties; but wc believe that much more might be 

 effected. The trust is a responsible one. Premiums cer- 

 tainly should not be given merely because they are ofier- 

 cd. They should not be bestowed through mere favor- 

 itism or caprice. The conditions on which they are 

 offered should be absolute as far as they can be made so; ; 

 and rigidly adhered to. Exceptions arc often made in 

 favor of individual cases, which strict right would scarcely 

 justify. This we admit is often done through mere kind- 

 ness and a willingness to give pleasure, or a reluctance 

 to occasion disappointment. Such cases give occasion 

 fbi complaints i n the part of the captious or dissatisfied, 

 which are not always without reason. Tlie aggregate 

 amount distributed is comp.arativcly large ; and we shall 

 deem ourselves happy, if our suggestions will in any 

 measure contribute to render its application more efficient 

 to the excellent purposes for which it is designed. We 

 forbear further remarks for the present ; as we never de- 

 sire to ride a tired horse ; but we mav resume the sub- 

 ject at some convenient season. H. C. 



MAMMOTH CALF. 



We would call the attention of farmers to the great 

 calf Cromwell, now exhibiting in Dock Square, which 

 weighs 700 lbs., and only 7 months old the 29th of 

 November. 



He was raised by Mr Albert Reed 2d, of Abington, 



