VOh. .will. NO. 46. 



AND HORTlCULTUxlAL REGISTER, 



^S^ 



ciety have been defeated, such person shall not 

 only forleit the premiums which may have been 

 awarded to him, but be reiulorod incapable ol' being- 

 ever after a competitor for any of the Society's pre- 

 mium!!. 



The Treasurer will pay all premiums awarded on 

 demand. 



.^11 premiums not demanded within six months 

 after they shall have been awarded, shall he deemed 

 to have been generously given to aid the funds of 

 the Society. By order of the Trustees, 



JOHN' WELLES, ") 



PETER C. BROOKS, 



WILLIAM PRESCOTT, p"""'""'^- 



ELLAS PilLXNEV, \ 



April, 1640. 



iwater, one voliune Yan- 



one vohiine 



Salmon Keith, of Bridj; 

 kee Farmer. 



Peiez Crocker, of N. liridyewatei 

 Yankee Farmer. 



Very respectfully submitted, 



WILLIAM UtJNCAR, Chnhman. 

 Bnilgtiivntn; Oct. Itith, 1S;S). 



PLYMOUTH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT OK cocoons AND SILK. 



There were presented three quantities of co- 

 coons, all of which appeared to be of a good qual- 

 ity. 



The greatest quantity was presented by Mary 

 Eliza G. Niles, for which your committee 

 award a premium of four dollars, $4 00 



'ihe next greatest quantity was presented by 

 Thos. Cushman, of Bridgewater, for which 

 a premium of three dollars is awarded, 3 00 

 The next greatest quantity was presented by 

 Hannah Sparrow, of Middleboro', for which 

 we award a premium of two dollars, 2 00 



Hannah Sparrow also presented twaounces of 

 wrought silk, for which a premium of twen- 

 ty cents is awarded, og 

 Sally Pratt, of Middleboro', also presented a 

 specimen of at least five ounces of wrought 

 silk, for which we award the sum of fit\y 

 cents, 50 

 Mrs Franklin Ames, of West Bridgewater, 

 also presented a small specimen of wrought 

 silk — for which we awarded tweiUy cents, 20 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. 



.lARED WHITMAN, ChcArman. 

 Bridgewakr, Ocl. J(i, 1S31>. 



RKPORT O.V WORKI.NO OXE:t, &c. 



There were 17 yoke of oxen and steers entereil 

 or premium. The first premium of $8 is awarded 

 Col. .'\bram Washburn, of Bridgewater, for the 

 )est yoke of oxen raised and trained in the county. 



The second premium of $7 dollars is avvarded to 

 >Iewton S. Mitchell, of liridgewater, for the best 

 ■oke of working oxen. 



The tliird premium of .$5 is awarded to Philan- 

 ler Wood, of Bridgewater, for the second best 

 oke of working oxen. 



For Steers. 



The first premium of .$5 is awarded to Ebenezer 

 'ratt, of Bridgewater, fur the best yoke of steers. 



The second premium of $3 is awarded to Elias 

 !. Mungo, of Scituate, for the second best yoke of i 

 teers. •» 



Your committee likewise recommend awarding 

 ne volume of the New England or Yankee Far- 

 ler to each of the following persons. 



Thomas Ames, of West Bridgewater, one vol- 

 me New England Farmer. 



Silas Robbins, of Bridgewater, one volume New 

 ingland Farmer. 



RFfORT ON IHK DAIRY. 



The nuuihor of competitors on butter and cheese 

 were about the same as on former occasions, and 

 the quality would not suffer in comparison with any 

 heretofore oifered. In fact, they have seldom met 

 with so many excellent samples of the kind. It 

 was with some difficulty, that they could come to 

 the nice distinction, in some instances, between 

 the first or second premiums, — and in this they 

 may have erred. Hut the excellejit quality of the 

 articles exhibited, serves to show, that with skill 

 and perseverance, as good butter and cheese can 

 be made in the Old Colony, as in any other sec- 

 tion of our country. It gives the committee plea- 

 sure to commemi the handy work of our fair dairy 

 women to the lovers of good living, and to the com'- 

 munity generally. 



They have awarded the first premium on but- 

 ter to Mrs George W. Bates, of Brid^c- 

 «^ater, $4 qO 



'Jd, Mrs Rosnnna P. Fobes, of Bridgewater, 2 00 

 3d, Dyer Robinson, jr. of Bridgewater, 1 00 



Mrs Hannah Crookcr, of Bridgewater, one vol- 

 ume New England Farmer. 



Mrs Lydia Dean, of Middleboro', one volume 

 Yankee P'armer. 



On Cheese. 

 First premium, George Thompson, of Middle- 



l^oro', $5 00 



Second premium, Mrs Methia Bates, of Bridge- 

 water, 3 00 

 Third premiutn, Ezra Phillips, of Hanson, 2 00 

 Mrs Lydia Thompson, of Middleboro', ons Vol- 

 ume New England Farmer. 



Dexter Pratt, of E. Bridgewater, one volume 

 Yankee Farmer. 



Although the majority of your committee have 

 passed the meridian, and are in the downhill of life, 

 and have im occasion themselves to speculate in 

 fancy stocks, — yet they would recommend to the 

 young men, just coming upon the stage of action, 

 who are employed in the useful and hoiiorable oc- 

 cupation of tilling the earth, to keep a good look 

 out foi the best dairies, and endeavor to secure, for 

 their companions, — graduates from the most useful 

 serninarirs. For the co.nimittee, 



HOLMES SPRAGUE. 



For the New England Farmer. 



Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- 

 eth. — Bible. 



I once heard a respectable clergyman observe 

 that in passing a certain dwelling, it so happened 

 that the good woman of the house was on her way 

 to the wood-pile, who certainly not knowing that 

 any one was near, was heard to say, in a tone of 

 voice which indicated not so much anger as dis- 

 couragement, that she wished she could ever have 

 oven-wood provided in a dry and suitable condition. 

 This single observation was like a short index to a 

 large volume. It told a great deal, and suggested 

 more. The simple fact in the case is, Mr R. her 

 husband, was not a poor man, nor an iil'.e man ; 



his barn, granarie.< and ccllrr, were well filled' from 

 year to year ; nor was lii-i family purposely stinted 

 in any of the substnntials of life, but he tlVought too 

 little of the importance of what may be called first 

 in the every day details of life, nor of the labors, 

 perplexities and disappointment which a want of 

 attention to these things occasion. The passage 

 way to hi.s field, through which he must, of course, 

 freequpntly go with his team, often several times a 

 day was stopped by a large heavy set of oak rails, 

 whicli he himself found hard to handle, and in the 

 management of which his younger sons were called 

 to exertions beyond their strength ; and for many 

 years the materials which should have been worked 

 into the great barn doors, were so many loose 

 boards which had to be taken away and put up 

 singly every time there was occasion to have the 

 way opened and closed. 



Mr. R. had abundance of wood and he was wil- 

 ling that it shoulii be used freely, even liberally. 

 But the difliculty \ras, it was not cut and prepared 

 beforehand, and never housed. It might burn tol- 

 erably v/ell on the lage open fire, but seldom could 

 any be found that was in a suitable condition for 

 the oven. His wife when ever she had occasion 

 for some for this purpose, had to search the whole 

 pile over, and after this labor, would, of course, 

 sometimes fail of finding any in a proper state, and 

 perhaps the very morning referred to, among other 

 little cross incidents, had already made some unsuc- 

 cessful efforts to get a fire going in the oven, and it 

 was high time, from the state of those materials pre- 

 pared for baking, that they were in Ihe oven. Is it 

 strange, then, that the expression already quoted, 

 should have escaped from her ? she certainly would 

 not have uttered it, hud she known that any one 

 was bye to have heard. How true it is that our 

 real, every day comfort, or discomlort, is the fruit 

 of what may be called, and by most regarded small 

 things, and as the trifling occurrences of everv' mo- 

 ment. Good dry oven-wood, cut short and split 

 fine, always in readiness, would make no small ad- 

 dition to the actual comfort of many an excellent 

 wife. So also would a bellows that could draw a 

 long breath — tong^ whose feet will not slip by 

 each other, and scatter the coals all around, every 

 time an attem:;t =fB made to take up a little fire — a 

 bucket which ^v^ill not lose half the water during 

 the time it is conMug up the well — a door which 

 from some defect in the lock or catch cannot be 

 either opened or sh.ut without a special rack ob. 

 tained by a long ami provoking experience, and 

 even iheu but half obtained. And so a multitude 

 of other things, little it may be thought individu- 

 ally, but not so in the aggregate, nor in fact indi- 

 vidually, when the frequent use converts these little 

 repetitions of inconvenience, like the small items of 

 the merchant's bill, into a most serious and often 

 appalling account, B. 



Pru.mng Peach Trees. The trees should be 

 headed dowti from the top to witliin soy six feet of 

 the ground every third season j it will then throw 

 out more healthy and vigorous shoots, and produce 

 More fruit. Young wood will be forced out, (if the 

 season is favorable) and the fruit will I'orm upon the 

 aterals, or second years' growth. 



If peach trees are trained high, the lower limbs 

 are exceedingly apt to die ; the top running up, 

 being exposed to high winds are frequently bro- 

 ken or split down to the very bottom of the tree. I 

 consider the best season for pruning, to be from 

 the last week in May to the first in June. — Satem 

 Observer. 



