i90 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DECKMBRIt 19, IK3S. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, Decehdeb 19, 1838. 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE. 



We had anticipated tlic pleasure tliis week of giving 

 lo our readers the report of the Trustees of the M;issa- 

 chusetts Agrioultural Society on improved machinery and 

 agricultural implements ; but the report has not yet been 

 • made, though it is believed that a decision has been had. 

 Any rem.irks of ours before that shall have been done 

 would be premature. 



The committee on Farms, of the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural Society, have received as many as tliirtecn appli- 

 cations for the prcrniufiis, which they offer for the best 

 cultivated farms ; and others were presented, whicli did 

 not come within the time prescribed for their presentation. 

 T!ic Rev, Morrill Allen of Pembroke, Mass. one of the 

 hist fanners in the state, and highly competent to the 

 duty, was dcjiuted some time since by the Trustees to 

 visit every claimant and his premi.ses, with a view to ob- 

 tain dir^t, explicit, and full answers to the several queries 

 proposetl by the Board, and inquire into other matters 

 pertinent to the subject. Ou account of the number of 

 entries the matter cannot be hastily di?po.=cd of A report, 

 we believe, may be expected in the course of the next 

 month ; and wo shall have the pleasure, as soon as it can 

 be obtained, to lay it before our readers. The sum to be 

 disbursed, six hundred dollars in four premiums, is cer- 

 tainly for this object highly liberal ; and as these premi- 

 ums will in all probability be continued, we cannot but 

 hope they will induce a much more extended and active 

 competition ; and wake up the farmers in every part of 

 the Commonwealth. The agricuJture of Massachusetts 

 is improved and is improving ; but it has not yet g'Vt in 

 sight of the point, which wo are persuaded it may reach. 

 When the brave General Miller, at the battle of Loady's 

 Lane, in the last war, was ordered to advance and JriVe 

 the enemy from their post in the face of many and most 

 formidable difficulties, his answer was " I'll try." He 

 did try, and accomplish what he undertook. We recom- 

 mend this motto for every farmer's coat of arms ; and 

 where this rule is observed and this spirit is felt in its 

 activity and power, only use the means of success, and 

 success is certain, wherever success is practicable If the 

 load seems large and the ascent steep, then, " Farmers ! 

 hitch on more team, put your shoulders to the wheel and 

 go ahead." But don't stay there, knee deep in the slough, 

 at the foot of the iiill, whore your great-grandfather left 

 the team, crying out that you never can get up. Hout ! 

 man, don't let the sun go down upon your sloth. 



II. C. 



INDIAN CORN. 



We have accounts reaching us in every direction, of 

 the abundant and excellent crops of Indian corn raised 

 the last year in every part of the State. Some of our 

 friends we think must feel a little conscience-smitten 

 when they remember what they said last year in dispar- 

 agement of the corn crop, with what disdain they spoke 

 of it, and how many of them pretended that it was time 

 to five it up. Fifty, sixty, eighty bushels are not uncom- 

 mon in various parts of the State ; and si>me we believe 

 have reached a hundred. The season, to bo sure, was 

 highly favor.able to the crop ; but many other seasons 

 have been, and we have reason to believe and hope, will 

 be, as favorable. Let us review now some wholesome 

 truths respecting this crop. 



First, then, it is as certain a crop as can bo cultivated. 



It has failed among us but twice for the last twentytwo 

 years; and then the failure was not universal ; but innu- 

 merable farmers in the State in favorable locations and 

 with early and selected varieties, obtained their usual 

 ciops. 



Secondly, there is no ffoduct that is more valuable ; 

 and that will yield more nutritious food for man and beast 

 than this crop. There is no product of more general use ; 

 none which the ofl'al itself is more valuable. There is 

 no one more permanent in its value. We have in our 

 possession an ear of coin produced in the year 1806, as 

 sound as on the day when it was gathered in the field. 

 We believe there is nothing produced, which, of equal 

 weight, will make more milk, bread, beef, mutton, pork; 

 or that can be cooked in a greater variety of agreeable 

 forms ; or that furnishes more healthful and nutritious 

 sustenance. It is said of revolutions that they never go 

 backward ; and therefore we despair of the return of the 

 blessed days of the good old Indian bannocks, on which 

 as fair children and as bright and healthy and happy and 

 intelligent men and women have been raised as were 

 ever made out of good Dr Alcott's cold buck-wheat flap- 

 jacks, orDr Graham's saw-dust spunge cakes; or your very 

 fine finest superfine Genesee best brand, mixed up with 

 as much alum as the best Parisian baker knows how to 

 put with it, and doubled and twisted and braided accord- 

 ing to the perfection of his art ; and about as substantial 

 as a good slice of soap suds, well beat up. 



Thirdly, We believe that, excepting the fancy crops, 

 broom-corn, beet-sugar, silk, and small fruits, no crop can 

 be raised to greater profit. Pretty extended inquiries 

 fully satisfy us that with labor at one dollar per day, the 

 fodder of an acre of Indian corn well cured, and twenty- 

 five bushels of corn at the average price will pay for the 

 culdvation of an acre, including labor, manure, rent of 

 land and gathering, and such cultivation may be ordina- 

 rily expected to yield fifty to sixty bushels of corn, and 

 more under favorable circumstances. From twentyfive 

 to thirtyfive bushels of Indian corn may be ordinarily 

 calculated upon then as the net profit upon an acre of 

 corn in Massachusetts under good husbandry ; and we 

 believe as much as we live, that in most cases this return 

 mi^ht be much increased. Fifky dollars an acre for land 

 through the State, which would produce this would be 

 considered perhaps a high valuation. 



We might say much more on this subject; but this we 

 shall reserve for another time and place. H. C. 



SUMMARY OF THE WEEK. 



We propose during the sessions of Congress and the 

 Legislature of the Commonwealth, to give our readers 

 some sketch of such public measures and passing events 

 as are of general interest and importance. Whatever 

 may be our own private predilections or opinions, we 

 shall consider it as inconsistent with the character of the 

 New England Farmer to express them in any doubtful or 

 questionable matter through its columns; and our sole 

 aim will be to give a candid and authentic statement of 

 facts. We have been requested to do this by readers, 

 who were gratified with the summaries of the last winter ; 

 and while steering among the hos'.ile fleets of adminis- 

 tration and opposition, of banks and no banks, of aboli- 

 tionism and anti-abolitionism, and as many other isms as 

 can be made out of the alphabet, wc shall regard our- 

 selves only as a humble news-boat and sail always under 

 a white flag. 



Congress assembled on Monday the 3d inst.; and the 

 message was delivered on Tuesday. It justly portrays 

 a condition of national prosperity, which even the most 

 jaundiced eye of party must look upon with grateful and 

 patriotic pride. Diflerences of opinion on all subjects 



are to be expected. The love of power, the ambition of 

 distinction, and the greedy desire of the emoluments of 

 office are probably as strong and prevalent with one party 

 as another. The imputation of corrupt motives to indi- 

 viduals and to parties is one of the deepest of slanders ; 

 and always congenial to minds conscious of their own 

 corruption and venality. Undoubtedly the motives of 

 men are often corrupt and wholly venal ; but there is one 

 consideration, which intelligent and candid minds will 

 not lose sight of in making up their judgment, that it is 

 as much the interest of men in power to govern well as 

 it is of those subject to the power to be well governed ; 

 and that at least in all questionable cases, it is but matter 

 of common justice lo presume upon good rather than cor- 

 rupt designs. Embarked in the same ship, we must sink 

 or swim together ; and the engineer among the machinery 

 is likely to be the first victim of his own folly, or neglect, 

 or misconduct. 



No measures of great importance will be under way 

 until after the appointment of the several committees. 

 Mr Adams has brought forward the project of a law to 

 prevent duelling in the District of Columbia; and a string 

 of resolutions censuring the conduct of the Minister at 

 the Court of St James, in his challenge of Mr O'Connel, 

 the Irish member of Parliament. 



In Congress the last week little has been done excepting 

 the passage of resolutions on the subject of slavery and 

 abolition. These resolutions deny the right of Congress 

 to legislate on the subject in the States, Territories, or 

 even in the District of Columbia; and require that all 

 petitions, resolutions, motions, or memorials in regard to 

 slavery shall be laid on the table without being either 

 read or referred. This being " laid on the table" is a 

 process of inhumation somewhat like being buried alive 

 without benefit of clergy. It certainly does not seem to 

 be regular christian burial. Whether such bodies could 

 be vtsusfpitated, if perchance they should be exhumed, 

 remains to be seen. Perhaps some of the gentlemen af 

 the " Humane Society" may one day try their hands at 

 it. The resolutions in the case were passed by large 

 majorities. 



Pennsylvania. Afl'aiis at Harrisburg remain in asnarl. 

 How the tangled web will be unravelled docs not appear. 

 The presence of the military has very much cooled the 

 fierceness of the belligerents ; and the adverse parties in 

 passing put their elbows in, and take off' theit hats to 

 each other. The Senate is organized, but there are two 

 Houses of Representatives in session ; and the Senate 

 seems as yet undetermined to which it shall off'er its 

 hand. Political bigamy, in Pennsylvania, we .suppose, 

 is no more lawful than in private life ; and in our next 

 we shall probably have the pleasure to announce the 

 selection, and, we hope, auspicious celebration of the' 

 nuptials. H. C. 



Rolling Ridge, or Four and Twenty Chapters, is the 

 title of a new publication of 266 duodecimo pages, which 

 has besn laid upon our table. "The chapters" of this 

 little work have been written to illustrate in an open, fa- 

 miliar manner, the comparative happiness of a life passed 

 in rural scenes and employments, and in the practice of 

 virtuous deeds, over that enjoyed in the scenes of high 

 fashionable dissipation, or in low debasing life. We 

 commend the work to the perusal of our juvenile readers, 

 believing the scenes and characters the writer has aimed 

 to sketch will not fail to interest them. The scenes are 

 principally laid in New York and Brattleboro', Vermont, 

 and well calculated to amuse, as well as instruct, partic 

 ularly those who are engaged in agriculture, and fimd of 

 rural life. The work is for sale by Crocker & Brewster, 

 the publishers, and other booksellers in Boston. 



