238 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



mate and soil well suited for them, and where the 

 egg plant can be grown, there is no douht of suc- 

 cess with the sweet potato. 



Our farmers lack only knowledge and experi- 

 ence to enable them to successfully cultivate this 

 A-aluable Southern crop. The method of growing 

 the sweet potato is rather peculiar to itself; in this 

 climate, the tubers must be sprouted in a hot-bed, 

 and when the sprouts or plants are sufficiently 

 grown, weather and soil suitable, they are separat- 

 ed from the potato, and planted in the field, as the 

 seasons are not long enough to admit of their be- 

 ing grown in the field directly from the potato. 

 Select a warm, southern exposure, of dry, mellow 

 soil, plow a shallow furrow, put old, well decom- 

 posed manure in, and throw up a ridge two feet 

 high over it, leaving the ridges three feet apart 

 from the centre of each ridge ; transplant the 

 sprouts on the top 12 to 15 inches apart. 



I think if our farmers who have suitable lands 

 will but try, they will be amply paid by a profita- 

 ble crop. I have raised from a later variety than 

 the Nansemond from four to six quarts per hill 

 "of three plants," and from the Nansemond pota- 

 to I expect a much larger return. 



Salem, April, 1862. John S. Ives. 



AQBICUIiTTJKE OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Through the polite attention of the Secretary of 

 the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture, Ciiahles 

 L. Flint, Esq., we have before us the ninth an- 

 nual report of the Board, it being for the year 

 1861. 



After saj'ing that "it is gratifying to be able to 

 state that the past year has been one of marked 

 prosperity for the agricultural interests of the 

 Commonwealth," and that "various subjects were 

 assigned to special committees for investigation 

 during the year, with the duty of presenting a re- 

 port upon each at the regular annual meeting," — 

 he introduces one from Dr. Bartlett, from the 

 Midddlesex North Society, on the Diseases of 

 Vegetation. Among these the writer speaks of a 

 disease which attacks the bean, and "commences 

 with small brown spots upon the pod, near the 

 back of the pod, and spreading thence toward its 

 front. These spots gradually work their way 

 through to the interior of the pod, the brown col- 

 or changing to black as it progresses. He says 

 all varieties of beans are liable to the attack of 

 this pest, but some are much more susceptible of 

 its influence than others, — the Sieva, Horticultural 

 and Case Knife being most commonly affected 

 among the pole beans. The remainder of the re- 

 port is principally occupied upon the recent fail- 

 ure of the fruit crop and suggestions upon the 

 modes of managing apple trees. 



The next paper is that of Dr. LoniNG, upon 

 Cattle, Breeding and Feeding. This is a long, 

 interesting and valuable i-eport, illustrated by sev- 

 eral excellent portraits of neat stock of various 

 breeds. The writer sustains his positions by ex- 



tracts from the works of the best authors upon 

 stock, and evinces a deep interest in the topics 

 which he handles so well. Upon the subject of 

 steaming food for cattle, he says he is "satisfied 

 from experience and from the testimony of some 

 f our best practical farmers, that steaming is wor- 

 thy of careful consideration." 



Mr. R. S. Fay made a report on the Protection 

 of Sheep and Lambs, from which "it appears that 

 many of the towns have entirely neglected to en- 

 force the 'Dog Law,' while others have been so 

 remiss in their duty as to render it almost inoper- 

 ative." We hope the Board will institute mea- 

 sures that will compel the authorities in our towns 

 to carr}' out fully the just and wise provisions of 

 the law. 



Mr. Gkennell, of the Franklin Society, pre- 

 sents a report on the Wastes of the Farm, in 

 which he dwells, emphatically, upon the loose, un- 

 certain and unsatisfactory manner in which farm- 

 ing is generally conducted. 



Mr. Stockbridge, from the Hampshire Socie- 

 ty, reported upon the subject of Wheat Culture. 

 In speaking of the iacts which the Committee had 

 collected in the course of its investigations, he 

 says, "they abundantly warrant us in the opinion 

 that wheat can be successfully and profitably cul- 

 tivated in this State. A little more than a cen- 

 tury ago, it was one of the common, ordinary crops. 

 Sufficient was raised for home consumption, and 

 it was an article of export." 



The next report is upon the Cattle Disease, by 

 Mr. H. IL Peters, from the Worcester Society. 

 It states that the disease again made its appear- 

 ance in the town of Quincy, last April, breaking 

 out in two herds nearly simultaneously. Some of 

 these animals were killed, and others were lost 

 sight of. 



The Secretary states that constant effort has 

 been made during the past year to enlarge the col- 

 lection designed to illustrate the natural history 

 and material resources of the Commonwealth. 

 Mr. E. A. Samuels, who has made the subject a 

 special study, has an interesting report upon this 

 department. 



In the department of Entomology, extensive 

 contributions have been made, in addition to the 

 collections made by Mr. Francis G. Sanborn. 

 This gentleman is an occasional contributor to our 

 columns, and is an enthusiast in the profession 

 which he has selected. 



Some sixty pages are then occupied by reports 

 from the delegates who attended the exhibitions 

 of the several societies of the State. Then follow 

 extracts from agricultural addresses, essays and 

 reports of committees, wliich contain many prac- 

 tical suggestions and useful thoughts. 



The volume closes with the Agricultural SfO' 

 tistics of Massachusetts, arranged by Towns and 



