1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



23 



while in first bloom, is decidedly in favor of the 

 early cut. No fodder on my farm was so eagerly 

 eaten by horses and battle as our early cut Hun- 

 garian grass last year. This year the same ani- 

 mals hesitate till they find out whether it is hay 

 or straw before they commence eating. I believe 

 many farmers have formed their opinions and 

 prejudices about Hungarian grass from the cir- 

 cumstance of delay in cutting it after it is full 

 seeded ; all except the seed is very little better 

 than rye or oat straw thrashed. Whether the 

 seed is of more or less value than the early cut 

 grass for fodder, I have formed no opinion for 

 want of experience. 



Potatoes on dry or wet land in this vicinity were 

 •inferior in quantity and quality this season. Our 

 early ones, called "crackers," were planted on dry 

 ground in the garden ; though fully supplied with 

 rain, were less than half a usual crop of indiffer- 

 ent eatable potatoes. Our main crop was upon a 

 piece of reclaimed meadow, formerly a duck pond, 

 a most unpropitious season for planting on such 

 land. The «ieadow was plowed on the 24th of 

 Oct., 1S62, with meadow plow, and was planted 

 with the white kidney potato, on the 27th of May, 

 after being well harrowed with the cultivator and 

 dunged in the hill with manure from the horse's 

 stable. The field was hoed onee. On the 26th of 

 August, a great fall of rain submerged the pota- 

 toes for a short time. They were harvested the 

 last of September and proved a better crop than 

 those planted in the garden ; they were free from 

 rot at the time of digging. It is seldom we have 

 too much rain for potatoes planted on dry land, 

 but the present season has proved an exception. 

 During my eighty-four years of sojourn among 

 potato fields, I have never known sandy fields, in- 

 stead of dust transformed into so much "mud and 

 mire," as has been the case the last summer. 

 Our winter wheat was sown Sept. 2, 1862. It 

 came up well, survived the winter and afforded a 

 handsome yield. Thanks to friend Poor, this is 

 the third season we have raised winter wheat 

 enough of good quality to supply our family with 

 that kind of bread. On the 4th of September, 

 1863, our winter wheat was sown on old pasture 

 ground turned up in June ; after a dressing of 

 compost was apalied the seed was plowed in with 

 a horse plow — looks well. 



Our grass crops were much diminished by the 

 winter-kill of 1861-2, but upon newly laid down 

 lots it was uncommonly tall, full of sap, and des- 

 titute of that gummy matter which adheres to the 

 scythes in drier seasons. The summer of 1809, 

 and several seasons since, were remarkable for 

 copious rains and damaged hay; but for more than 

 half a century, such persistency of rainy weather 

 through all the summer months has escaped my 

 recollection, if it ever happened. 



The odd year — reminds me of that good man. 

 Mr. Cole, — has always been the bearing year with 

 our little orchard. This fall, from some cause or 

 causes, our apples and pears have been uncom- 

 monly large and free from scars and worm holes, 

 which go to confirm ideas previously entertained 

 in regard to raising fruit. In the first place, the 

 great abundance of rain has been sufficient to sup- 

 ply the thirsty grass with a competency of mois- 

 ture, and allow the roots of the trees a grudging 

 pittance, which it could not imbibe itself in or- 

 chards where we manage so badly as to let the 



grass grow among the trees. Another cause of 

 fair fruit may be the feeding of the windfalls to 

 the cattle and pigs daily. But I consider the 

 main cause of our fair fruit was owing to manur- 

 ing the trees, and eradicating every intruding 

 trespasser. For some years past, we have been 

 in the habit of conveying our suds and sink 

 water to the trees nighest to the house, and occa- 

 sionally applying a load or two of meadow muck 

 about their roots. 



Whether my opinion is worth anything or not, 

 I ask nothing for it. I think our farmers — some 

 of them — labor under a grand mistake in plant- 

 ing trees in large orchards, unless they are pre- 

 pared with foresight, manure and money enough 

 to cultivate them as they would a garden. With- 

 in my recollection, in numerous instances, I have 

 seen large orchards planted with great pains and 

 accuracy, and for a few years the owner would 

 feel sufficiently interested to give it a start and 

 make a fine show ; but after a while otherVares and 

 hindrances would step in, and of necessity the or- 

 chard would be neglected. A coat of thirsty grass 

 would infest the ground ; the hordes of caterpil- 

 lars and cankerworms, like Goths and Vandals, 

 would make their irruptions the moment care was 

 neglected, and by the help of cattle the victory 

 would be won by the invaders without '-foreign 

 intervention ;" and the poor orchard, besides "go- 

 ing to grass," would display rotten, worm-eaten 

 trunks, dead limbs, and the want of good calcula- 

 tion in the owner. 



Our cranberries are equal to the Cape variety 

 this year ; something like sixty or seventy bushels 

 are the production of our farm. Silas Brown. 



Wilmington, Nov. 14, 1863. 



For the Netv England Furmor. 

 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



In an article quoted in your last paper the ques- 

 tion is asked, "What will become of the Agricul- 

 tural Societies ?" Agricultural Societies were es- 

 tablished to encourage those departments of agri- 

 culture that need improvement. To collect f ;cts. 

 To diffuse information. To promote discussion. 

 To make useful suggestions. To advance all these 

 objects, large premiums have been offered. Lib- 

 eral appropriations have been made by the State. 

 But as agricultural Societies have been managed 

 for some years past have these objects been pro- 

 moted ? Are not premiums now paid for objects 

 that no longer need encouragement? What ad- 

 vantage is now gained by offering premiums for 

 the best apples, squashes, potatoes and beets ? 

 Does not the interest of cultivators afford suffi- 

 cient stimulus in this direction ? What advan- 

 tage now results from premiums on plowing ? 

 This whole matter is now well understood, and 

 competition among the manufacturers of plows is 

 doing all that can be done for the improvement of 

 plows. The object of late has been rather to make 

 a fine show than to promote real improvement, 

 and in too many cases, to induce those who have 

 good articles, to exhibit them at the show. To 

 accomplish this end premiums have been awarded 

 to men rather than to products ; with a certain 

 class, it has now become a mere matter of money- 

 making. Their object is to get the premium, 

 without regard to any real improvement. Is not 

 the raising of a good breed of swine, of good neat 

 stock, whether for the dairy or the shambles, of 



