1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



63 



in relation to the cattle disease, reported, that 

 "the Committee, having had large opportunity to 

 observe the course pursued by the Commissioners, 

 take pleasure in expressing the conviction, that, 

 to the late action of the Legislature, enlarging 

 the powers of the Commissioners and the means 

 at their disposal, followed by their own wise and 

 energetic prosecution of a work attended with 

 much diiBculty and pain, is to be ascribed the 

 probable extermination of an evil of the most 

 threatening aspect to the interests of agriculture, 

 and the common welfare of the country. 



The committee who had the subject in charge, 

 reported, — 



That, after due consideration of the subject, 

 they unanimously decided that the projected pub- 

 lication of an Agricultural Manual by a Commit- 

 tee of the Board is inexpedient at the present 

 time. 



Mr. Sewall, of Medfield, introduced the sub- 

 ject of the flowage of low lands, and suggested 

 that the Board should take some action to arouse 

 public sentiment, and try a remedy for the great 

 evil. 



Mr. Brown, of Concord, debated the matter at 

 considerable length, showing the nature and the 

 great extent of the damage done, and, generally, 

 without the slightest compensation. He cited 

 particular cases of hardship, the wide-spread de- 

 struction of property, and the influences which 

 half-submerged meadows have upon the health of 

 those residing in the neighborhood. He thought 

 it was eminently the province of the Board to in- 

 vestigate the matter, and publish a decided opin- 

 ion upon it, urging that the manufacturer has le- 

 gal privileges that the farmer has never enjoyed ; 

 that no man's land should be taken without his 

 consent to be used for private purposes, or that 

 some tribunal should be created to adjust all 

 cases before the land can be flowed. After pre- 

 senting several other points, he ofi'ered the fol- 

 lowing resolutions : 



Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board, the ag- 

 ricultural interests of the Commonwealth are greatly 

 injured l)y the inundation of large tracts of its best 

 lands, and the rights of a portion of our citizens, for 

 whose prosperity we have a special regard, are invaded 

 and their property constantly depreciated. 



Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board, the law 

 — General Statutes, Chapter 149— "that any person 

 may erect and maintain a dam on a stream not navi- 

 gable, if not to the injury of a prior mill," without con- 

 sent of the otvner of the land, operates greatly to retard 

 the progress of agriculture in the State, and destroys 

 the property of a class of our upright and industrious 

 citizens, and ought to be modified and repealed. 



Resolved, That a committee of three persons be ap 

 pointed bj' the chair to present these opinions of the 

 I3oard to the next Legislature, and ask that the law Ije 

 so modified as to prevent any person or persons from 

 flowing the land of another, without first obtaining the 

 written consent of the owner. 



Mr. Freeman Walker, of North Brookfield, 

 thought the Board should be careful in its action 



on this important subject. Dr. LoRiNG, of Salem, 

 said the resolutions had his entire sympathy, and 

 he had no doubt they had of the whole Board. 

 The resolutions were referred to a select commit- 

 tee consisting of Messrs. Davis, Grennell and 

 Sewall, Mr. Brown declining to act upon it, but 

 would cheerfully labor with them in the cause. 



In the afternoon, Mr. Grennell read a report 

 upon Sheep Husbandry, which, with the discus- 

 sions upon it, occupied most of the session. The 

 report was minute, able, and of a practical charac- 

 ter. 



Mr. Smith, of Middlefield, stated that there 

 should be some legislation by which the societies 

 could protect themselves against peddlers, &c., 

 outside of their grounds, and a committee con- 

 sisting of Messrs. Smith, Davis and Peters 

 was appointed to consider and report on the 

 matter. 



Dr. Bartlett submitted a continuation of his 

 report of last year, on the Diseases of Vegetation. 

 It was listened to with interest and elicited con- 

 siderable discussion. 



Mr. Atwater, of Springfield, presented an 

 elaborate report upon Eoot Crops, which was fol- 

 lowed by a long and animated discussion, and 

 after some changes was accepted. 



Upon the whole, we think this meeting was 

 the most spirited and profitable one the Board 

 has ever had. 



Cranberry Culture in New Jersey.— Much 

 attention is given to the cultivation of cranberries 

 in Burlingtnn county. About 150 acres have been 

 planted this season ; of this, one farmer named 

 Chetwood set out 25 acres ; another, named G. 

 Gowdy, 17 ; and Mr. Allen is planting 10 acres. 

 This patch yields 150 bushel per acre. Mr. Allen 

 is selling his for $4 per bushel, delivered at the 

 house. The whole expense per acre, for building 

 a dam, clearing the ground of roots, and setting 

 out the plants, is only about $100. Allen's patch 

 has cost $25 per acre for merely setting out the 

 plants, but this is unusual. It costs fifty or sixty 

 cents per bushel to gather them, a process which 

 is accomplished simply by scooping up the berries 

 with the hands. The work is mostly done by wo- 

 men and children. — Camden {N. J.) Democrat. 



Rules for Pruning Grapes. — The last num- 

 ber of Hovefs Magazine gives substantially the 

 following general rules for grape pruning, after 

 recommending grape growers to be free in the use 

 of the knife, followed by the remark that where 

 one vine is pruned too severely, nine are not 

 pruned enough. No shoots should be nearer than 

 one foot of each other. Prune back to within one 

 eye of the old wood, every fall and spring, about 

 one half of the annual shoots — the remaining eyes 

 producing canes to be retained for bearing next 

 year — when the old bearing wood is in turn to be 

 cut out to make room for new shoots. Disbud 

 or rub off", as soon as they appear, all shoots not 

 wanted as bearing wood. 



