vol.. xvm. NO. 3r. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER 



^il 



For Ihe New England Farmer. 



PLYMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL 



SOCIETY. 



Report of the Commitlce on Improrcmtnls. 



Mr Presidfnt: — I'hc welfare of the whole 

 comiminity is very infimately connected with cnn- 

 tinueil improvements in the art of agriculture. In- 

 creasing products of the soil are necessary to sup- 

 ply a growing population with food and raiment ; 

 necessary to furnish ihe means of prosecuting other 

 arts in society, both useful and ornamental, and, as 

 the principal source of that capital, which moves 

 the commerce of a country, the branch of business 

 which presents so many attractions to young niin-Is. 

 The motives of interest to engagement in this 

 work seem vory numerous and strong, yet enlight- 

 ened and serious minds cati discover higher induce- 

 ments than any of mere temporal interest. In the 

 labors and experiments of the field, we become co- 

 operators with the great Author of all things : there 

 we are continually incited to considerations of his 

 doinjs and purposes, there we are abundantly 

 blessed with the means of that acquaintance with 

 our God, which will give peace, and all the good 

 an immortal mind can desire. Notwithstanding all 

 the inducements presented to labors in the field, it 

 is often true that other branches of business obtain 

 a very injurious ascendancy. Numbers of our citi- 

 zens like some of the Israelitisli worshippers, want 

 a mass of gold immediately before them to stimu- 

 late their exertions ; a promised land at some dis- 

 tance, though the assurances he repeated and 

 strong, that it shall "flow with milk and honey," 

 does not prove suthcient encouragement to perse- 

 vering and laborious pursuit. Great haste is made 

 to be rich. This circumstance has heretofore di- 

 verted the attention of many Irom some of the 

 most important objects presented on your lists 'of 

 premiums. Calculations seem to have been made, 

 whether the amount of the offer would prove any- 

 thing like a compensation for the labor and expense 

 attending the proposed experiment. We hope 

 more just and extensive views are now cherished, 

 that competitors are generally seeking, and will 

 receive belter reward than our hands can give. 



We have witnessed with pleasure an increased 

 attention to the renovation of swampy lands ; soti:e 

 of the choicest treasures of this county have long 

 remained useless and dormant in those situations. 

 We rejoice to see the rigid bands broken, and 

 banks of discount opening there. Claims to the 

 premiums payable in 1840, have been entered by 

 four persons, who in the accomplishment of their 

 respective objects, will add a good number of acres 

 to the productive iields in the county. 



Three claims have been entered to Ihe premi- 

 ums offered to encourage the cultivation of nurse- 

 ries of Chinese mulberry trees. Be not alarmed, 

 sir, there is no furnace underneath to force the 

 growth, nor any reckless speculator at your side, 

 who would rille your pockets by the influence of 

 false representations ; who would tell you that 

 every bud in these nurseries, is of equal value with 

 a five dollar bill ; that the leaves of the tree are 

 healing to every disease which afflicts the body ; 

 that they are convertible into a pleasant cheering 

 beverage, and nourishing food ; and that, what may 

 not be required for those important purposes, can 

 be manufactured into fine paper, on which you may 

 write briefs. 



The cultivators of mulberry trees in this county 



have not been rash adventurer.s, and therefore will 

 experience less temptations to resort to falsehood 

 and imposition. Some of thein feed worms propor- 

 tionate to the increase of their tr^'es. This wc 

 think the proper course, especially when the Morus 

 Multicaulii are cultivated, for it is very doubtful 

 whether those trees will ever bo so acclimated here 

 as to endure our winters. 



We rerommond the award of the first premium 

 of .$8 to .Mr Lincoln .lacoh, of Ilinghnm, who has 

 cultivated a nursery of 'ilfid trees. 



The second of $4, to .Mr Franklin Ames, of W. 

 Bridgewater, who has 2150 trees — 1771 more than 

 reported last year. 



We also recommend that two vols, of N. E. Far- 

 mer be given Mr Ames ,• and two vols. Yankee Far- 

 mer to .Mr Benjamin P. Pratt, of Middleboro', who 

 has a nursery of 1700 trees. 



Prichard Stone, of W. Bridgewater, is entitled to 

 $9, having built the past season more than an hun- 

 dred rods of stone wall. The same sum is also 

 awarded to .Austin Keith, of W. Bridgewater, Na- 

 hum M. Triban, John Wood and Isaac Pratt, of 

 M iddleboro'. 



The committee in viewing stone wall, regard 

 chiefly the sufficiency of it to protect fields against 

 the inroads of cattle ; but think the builders would 

 do wisely in giving some attention to appearances, 

 especially on public roads. The traveller will natu- 

 rally conclude that fields enclosed with misshapen 

 and loose walls, are no more than imperfectly cul- 

 tivated. The ranges of wall built by Messrs Keith 

 and Pratt, were distinguished for neatness in ap- 

 pearance, and we recommend that" two vols, of N. 

 E. Farmer be given to each of those persons. 



(n a country where there has been something 

 of tillage more than two centuries, the farmer's suc- 

 cess will depend very much on his attention to the 

 operations of na'ure and his diligence in the collec- 

 tiori and application of those vegetable substances 

 and alluvial soils, which time is continually depos- 

 iting in hollows, on the margin of forests, by the 

 road-side, and wherever the course of the wind 

 meets an obstruction. To encourage labors of this 

 kind, the premiums which we have now to award 

 were framed. The alteration from our former of- 

 fers was not well understood by some of the com- 

 petitors. In consequence of their misunderstanding 

 possibly, the committee have been led into some 

 errors. The arrangement in future years will be 

 better understood. We think the alteration impor- 

 tant and useful :- we cannot think otherwise if we 

 supjiose there is any semblance of truth in what 

 one of our orators said on a former occasion; that 

 " in this county it is no uncommon thing for one 

 town to blow into another." 



The first premium for the collection of materials 

 to enrich fields, $"20, we award to Galen Howard, 

 ofW. Hridgewater, who has collected 528 loads. 



The second, of §15, to Horace Collamore, of 

 Pembroke, who lias collected 344 loads. 



The third, of $12, to Alfred Whitman, of East 

 Bridgewater— .330 loads. 



The fourth, of $10, to Paul Hathaway, of Mid- 

 dleboro', and two vols. N. E. Farmer. 



The statement of iMr Collamore was distinguish- 

 ed for particularity and we believe general correct- 

 ness. We recommend that two vols, of Yankee 

 Farmer be given him. 



As this is a visiting committee, we may be justi- 

 fied in taxing your patience with a few excursive 

 remarks. Every passing season presents to the 



farmer numerous lessons which should be studied 

 and applied. In a strong wind which passed over 

 the country in the mouth of August, and prostrated 

 so iiiucli of the com, we were forcibly admonished 

 of the importance of providing some protection for 

 the fields by planting trees on the bordcr.s. One 

 field was passi.-tj after the gale, v/here the ro.ul w.i^ 

 bordered with trees on the north, and the corn in 

 that field was standing almost perfectly erect. We 

 could not suppress an emotion of regret that the 

 efforts heretofore made by this society to induce 

 the inhabitants <ff the county to plant trees on the 

 road-side, had not received more attention. On 

 the sea coast, raking winds are of more frequent 

 occurrence than in the interior country, the injuri- 

 ous effects of them on [dants and in the impover- 

 ishment of the soil, will be far greater where neither 

 trees nor stone walls are standing as breakers. 



We have been sorry to observe in many instan- 

 ces the remains of former wrong habits in tillage, 

 in the erection of little mounds of earth round corn, 

 potatoes and other vegetable plants. Ridge cul- 

 ture belimgs not to New England, excepting when 

 swamps are cultivated. In this climate there is 

 seldom any redundancy of moisture, but often defi- 

 ciency : our cultivation should therefore be directed 

 with a view to the greatest retention in the soil of 

 dews and rains. 



In our circuits in the county, we have remarked 

 a very prevalent neglect of fields in the last of the 

 season. 'I'he strength of the soil, in many places, 

 is more clearly exhibited in a rank growth of weeds 

 than in useful plants. WCeds. have the same for- 

 bidding aspect in the eyes of the farmer that vices 

 have to the, moralist. But the appearance is the 

 least evil in the case: there is exhaustion of the 

 soil and an aburidant supply of seed to produce a 

 future harvest of hicterness. We regard it impor- 

 tant to direct attention to this subject, and encour- 

 age farmers to keep their fields clean of weeds as 

 possible, through the whole season ; still we are 

 conscious this is one of the subjects on which 

 preaching is easier than practice, and are willing to 

 receive the application of the proverb in the full 

 force that the appearance3y)f our fields will justify 

 — " Physician, heal thyself." 



Respectfully submitted, 



MORRILL ALLEN, 

 JESSE PERKINS, 

 JOSHUA EDDY. 



Bridgewater; Oct. 16(ft, 1839. 



For Ihe New England Farmer. 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF ENTOMOLOGY" IM- 

 PORTANT TO THE FARMER. 

 Mr CoiMAN — The next department of natural 

 science, which as he would succeed, (for success 

 must depend on knowledge,) appears, in an eminent 

 degree to demand the attention of the farmer, is 

 that of entomology, or the science of insects. O 

 how much the labors of husbandry are affected by 

 small subjects, of which this kingdom of nature is 

 composed ! If an army of locusts visit Egypt, they 

 consume every green thing, and a famine ensues. 

 If an host of catterpillars after a night of peregrina- 

 tion, light upon our fruit trees, they exercise an in- 

 fluence which nought but the fire can rival. If the 

 insidious borer finds its way into the choice shade 

 tree, which, perchance, stands as a living memorial 

 of the kindne.-s of a friend, and may have received 

 the nursing assiduities of years, its harsh gratings 



