146 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



OCT. 33, 1839. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesday, October 23, 1839. 



HARDVVICK CATTLE SHOW. 



The farrners of Hardwick, VVorcesler counly, held a 

 town show on Kriday, the lllh instant. Their princi- 

 pal object was to bring out ihe oxen of the town and 

 compare Iheni with each other. They had an agreeable 

 public dinner on ihe occasion, and an address from the 

 Agricultural Commissioner, in the meeting house. 



The number of oxen presented were not so great as 

 sometimes ; but there were one hundred and thirtien 

 yoke on the common. They were in geni-ral very 

 good cattle and in excellent condition. Sevcial yoke 

 which had been grass fed only, exhibited as beef cattle, 

 did much credit to their owners. Twelve teams con- 

 tested in a drawing malch. One of the loads drawn up 

 hill weighed 4000 lbs , and one 3500 lbs. besides the 

 cart. Only one yoke was employed at a time. They 

 in general touk the load uphill without difficuliy,and 

 showed in drawing and backing, excellent training. — 

 One thing delighted us, vvhicli was, the fixed purpose 

 and evident habit of the drivers lo get along without 

 scolding, goading or blows This was done almost en- 

 tirely. Thi.! is a great gain to humanity ; and we hope 

 the day is gone by when every thing was to be done 

 with children as well as cattle by whipping and re- 

 proaches. 



These annual municipal shows cannot be too much 

 encouraged. They excite a spirited and generous emu- 

 lation ; they promote good neighborhood and kind feel- 

 ings; they show what has been and can be done ; and 

 they strengthen the bondsof friendship and good neigh- 

 borhood. 



We think a ploughing match should have made a part 

 of the show, and that the farmers' wives and daughters 

 should have been induced to send some of their dairy 

 produce for exhibition, and specimens of their needle 

 work, knitting or weaving. No great improvements 

 can be made in any of the valuable arts of life unless 

 the public attention by such occasions as these, is fre- 

 quently and strongly dra« n to them. The premiums 

 (merely nominal) were announced after the address ; 

 and some of the reports abounded in humor. Hard- 

 wick is a hjll town, aneMhe farms almost exclusively 

 devoted to the dairy husbandry. In the quality and 

 quantity of its dairy produce, it h;is long held a high 

 character in the commonwealth. H. C. 



WORCESTER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Ex-Governor Lincoln, the President of the Worcester 

 County Agricultural Society, gave at the meetinghouse 

 before the address, some interesting facts in regard lo 

 ^the history of this society. It was formed twentyone 

 years ago, and the zeil with which its affairs have al- 

 w.iys been [nanaged, is unremitted. At the formation 

 of the Society six individuals gave their notes of hand 

 for five hundred dollars each, njaking a sum of $3000, 

 which it was neiessary should be raised in ■ ider to 

 their drawing the bounty of llie Slate, aojounting to six 

 hundred dollars. They gave ihese notes without know- 

 ing how thoy should be remunerated (or them ; but the 

 subscriptions of individuals in order to become members 

 of the society at five dollars each, discharged these notes 

 in one year, and have put the society upon a firm and 

 liberal foundation. 



The funds of the Society now amount to 7500 dollars, 

 exclusive of three hundred dollars in bad debts, and fif- 

 teen hundred dollars in buildings and furniture, or 



frames for the pens. The entries at the show of the 9th 

 inst were 473 ; and there were one hundred more than 

 had been made on any former occasion. The arrange- 

 ments with the State Society brought 'lul several com- 

 petitors. The entries for ihe Stale premiums amounted 

 tothirtytwo ; and U|ion these two hundred dollars were 

 awarded. It wasleft to the 'County society previously 

 to determine to what objects these premiu its should be 

 applied ; and they were wholly >;iven to stock 



The urrangenient with the State Society was a very 

 judicious one. It was to be regretted that the Society 

 was not more fully represented on the occasion. The 

 President ofthe Worcester Society expressed his hope 

 that some combiijed arrangement between the Worces- 

 ter and State society might become permanenl ; and 

 pledged the ready co-operation of the VVorcesler .'"ociety 

 in such arrangement. This deserves much considera- 

 tion ; but its practicability with the full consent oftlie 

 different sections of tlie State, is queslionable. The 

 farmers in Berkshire, in the thiee river counties, in 

 Plymouth, in Essex, would not find it easy to reach 

 Woicestcr with their stock, notwithstanding the increas- 

 ed facilities of intercommunication ; and an occasional 

 arrangement and co-operation wilh the different counly 

 societies in succession, would probably be more salisfac- 

 tory and quite as useful. Where the Trustees of the 

 Massachusetts Society find it inconvenient to attend, 

 they sliould appoint a deputation of persons not belong- 

 ing to the county, who would attend. 



There is another change which we think should be 

 made. To every society raising a permanenl fund oi 

 three tfiOusand dollars or reaching that amount by an- 

 nual subscriptions, the State grant six hundred dollars 

 annually, to be bestowed in premiums. This is a stand- 

 ing law. Now for this money, as well as for that of 

 the MassachuseliB Society, the competition should be 

 open to citizens from any part ofthe State. The coun- 

 ty has, of course, a right to dispose of its moneys as it 

 may choose ; but the State bounty should be free. No 

 evil could result from this. It would increase the com- 

 petition ", and as excellence and improvement are the 

 only objects, this would greatly conduce to these ends. 

 It would diffuse the knowledge of the different improve- 

 ments made in different counties. It would in the next 

 place be a great advantage to those farmers who, from 

 their p.articular location, find it difficult to attend the 

 cattle show of their own, but could conveniently altend 

 that of a neighboring county. 



Another arrangement seems very di sirable ; which 

 is that the Cattle Shows in the several counties should 

 be so arranged by mulual consent as not to interfere wilh 

 each other. 'J'his might easily be done by taking an 

 earlier week in the season or a different day ofthe week. 

 This year the Middlesex and ihe Berkshire Cattle Shows 

 fell on the same day ; and the Worcester and the Hamp- 

 shire Cattle Shows on the same days. 



It is a very bad arrangement, likewise, to crowd the 

 whole business into one day. Two days are as little 

 time as can be properly given to such a celebration. — 

 Let the first day be for the show of live stock, manu- 

 factures and machinery ; and after the exhibition they 

 con be removed. Let the second day be given to the 

 ploughing match, the address, and the reports. Let 

 there be tws public frugal dinners, which, without wine, 

 need not cost more than fifty cents, so that no faimor 

 need be kept from the table on account of the expense. 

 This is all that is charged at any of the hotels, for as 

 good a dinner as is given at the public table. Wine need 

 not be prohibited to those who choose to call and pay 

 for it. Do away with formal processions, and let the 

 fanners bring iheir wives and daughters to the table, if 

 they choose to share in the innocent festivities of the 



occasion, instead of being lefl in solitude and neglect, li 

 remain wherever they are put down. Let the hours ai 

 ter dinner and iho intermediate evening be passed u. 

 agricultural conversation and discussion among the far- 

 mers. In this way we think great advantages would 

 accrue and much pleasure be obtained. Or, if it be incon^ 

 venient for the ladies to come to the dinner table, than 

 let a levee' be held in some hall, where at a reasonable 

 expense, coffee and cakes may be provided, and the' 

 evening devoted to pleasant and free intercourse. 



Next, let ihe premiums be declared after the address, 

 on the secpnd day, in full assembly ; and delivered pub-, 

 licly in some permanent form to the successHil competi-; 

 tor.s, so ihat the farmer or farmer's wife and daughter, 

 may have a piide in showing it to their friends and chil- 

 dren, and transmit it as an heir loom in the family to 

 those who shall come after them. 



This would be doing things as they should be done, 

 and give the highest interest to such shows. Nothing 

 could be more favorable to agricultural improvement 

 and the general improvement of our rural population, 

 than two days thus spent in the course ofthe year. The 

 farmers in the neighborhood could easily go home at 

 night and carry some distant friends with them ; and aa 

 to ihose who come from afar, they are now obliged to 

 pass one or two nights in the town. Nothing can ba 

 worse than the pre-sent arrangement of crowding every 

 thing into one da}' ; and how the committees get through 

 their duties as well as they do, it is difficult to conceive. I 

 They are debarred all the pleasures ofthe occasion, and 

 their attention must be exclusively and almost painfully 

 confined to the particular objects of their appointment. 



H. C. 



e753aC!fi^Rra5&TKliMiII3a«K!a*:ftJSETSlliaAW"-H "a-Vl*&'3Rlff»SSK«3»ara^ 



DEATH OF JUDGE BUEL. 



Intelligence ofthe decease of this valuable man and 

 distinguished friend of the agricultural interest of the 

 country, reached Worcester on the morning of the Cat- 

 tle Show, and produced profound and sincere regret. — 

 At the dinner an appropriate notice was taken of the 

 event by the President, and resolutions of respectful re- 

 membrance of the deceased and condolence vvith his be- 

 reaved family, were offered by the Agricultural Com- \ 

 missinner, and will hereafter be published. 



Judge BuEL has effected an amount of good in the 

 country which few other men can lay claim to having 

 done, and few ate able to accomplish. To strong pow- 

 eis of mind he added great accuracy of observation and 

 much acquired knowledge and experience ; an extensive 

 acquaintance with men and things ; much practical skill ; 

 a deep sense of ihe importance of agriculture and rural 

 economy to the country, and a most active and hearty 

 interest in the elevation cf the character and the im- 

 provement of the condition of our agricultural popula- 

 tion. His manners were urbane and hospitable ; and 

 his loss must be deeply felt by a moat attached family, 

 to whom we can offer only our most respectful and sin- 

 cere condolence. We hope hereafter to be able to give 

 a more extended notice ofthe lif» and character of this 

 valuable man. H. C. 



[Communicaied ] 



Mr Brhck — Please to publish the following contribu- 

 tions of exceedingly fine fruits, at the Exhibition of the 

 Horticultural Society on the 25th ult., an account of 

 which was omitted in the list sent for publication in 

 your last, through the neglect of Messrs Knowbodie & 

 Twasanty. 



From E. Bartlett, Roxbury, one of the vice presidents; 

 Pears— Napoleon, Roi de Wirtemburg, Calotte de Saiase, 

 Andrews, Bartlett or William's Bon Chretien, Fulton, 

 and Secklu. 



