366 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



rock to rock. The inspiration of the Psalmist 

 did not seem extravagant to us, when he said, 

 "the little hills rejoice on every side. The 

 pastures are clothed with flocks ; and the val- 

 leys are covered over with corn ; they shout 

 for joy, they also, sing.'''' So did we ; and our 

 steeds seemed to catch the spirit, too, and bore 

 us gaily along, as though they were the winged 

 Mercurys of old. 



One of the party, now a farmer, but long 

 accustomed to the harrassing responsibilities 

 of public office, which he discharged with signal 

 promptness and ability, exclaimed, "Isn't this 

 real enjoyment ! There is nothing fictitious 

 about it. The cares of the past and the duties 

 of the future shall not cast a shadow upon to- 

 day. This is real enjoyment ! — this flush of 

 health, these forest or grass-covered hills, fer- 

 tile valleys, running brooks, singing birds and 

 rampant horses ! Now, — as we wind through 

 this sweeping valley, with the bending alders 

 over our heads, — this is enjoyment, pure, ra- 

 tional, and entering into the very soul, to be- 

 come there a permanent fountain of pleasing and 

 grateful recollection." So we had our little 

 episodes of criticism upon the works of the 

 craft, or a flourish of rhetoric, or a tall brag of 

 what certam steeds in the party could do when 

 put to their mettle. It was enjoyment, and 

 would have been almost without alloy, had our 

 sometimes boisterous mirth been attempered 

 and graced by the presence of some of the 

 gentler sex. 



Many of the excellent farmers of Barre, to- 

 gether with some gentlemen of other profes- 

 sions, met us at the Hotel in the evening, 

 ■where many mooted points in agriculture were 

 pleasantly discussed, and many acquaintances 

 formed which I trust will be continued for 

 years. 



The first visit of Tuesday morning was at 

 the cheese factory , situated quite near the cen- 

 tre of the village. About 14,000 pounds of 

 milk were received that morning, the result of 

 which, the next morning, would be about 1,400 

 pounds of cheese. We were too early to wit- 

 ness many of the steps required in the process 

 of making, but as you have occasionally referred 

 to them in the Faijmer they are unnecessary 

 here. 



The next call was to examine Mr. Dullard's 

 Hay Tedder, and two or three horse rakes of 

 different patterns ; one of which he stated he 



raked eighty acres with, last summer, with ra- 

 pidity and correctness. His Tedder is well 

 known among progressive farmers, and ought 

 to be very generally introduced. Where fifty 

 tons of hay are cut upon a farm, I think the 

 use of it would pay its cost in a very few 

 years. I am inclined to think it would in two 

 years. 



The party then passed along to look at one 

 of the Improved Buckeye Mowing Machines, 

 manufactured by A. B. Barnard & Co., of 

 West Fitchburg. It was examined with criti- 

 cul care, and was pronounced to have superior 

 merits, and probably to stand at the head of 

 all contrivances for mowing, by those who had 

 seen it used, but who had purchased other ma- 

 chines before they were aware of the superior 

 excellence of the Buckeye. At the same place, 

 a new pattern of what was known last year as 

 the Bay State Horse Rake, was shown us by 

 the inventor, Mr. S. R. Nye, who resides in 

 Barre. This was also examined with great 

 care, and much confidence was expressed in its 

 becoming an important labor-saving machine — 

 one of scarcely less value than the mower 

 itself. 



The party, attended by several of the Barre 

 farmers, then called at the farm of D. B. Der- 

 RY. They saw only a portion of his stock, 

 which was excellent, and did not go over his 

 farm. 



On the farm of A. H. Holland were found 

 seventeen cows, which as a herd, were excel- 

 lent ; the breed of nearly all we saw being grade 

 Durhams. He is introducing the Ayrshire 

 blood, and had a very fine bull of that breed, 

 one of Mr. Peters' stock. Mr. H. thinks a 

 cow that will dress 700 lbs., when in good 

 flesh, is the right size for the dairy. A por- 

 tion of his pasture was thinly covered with 

 brush, such as apple tree trimmings, and waste 

 bushes from under walls, &c. He stated that 

 it was worth far more, spread in that way, 

 than the ashes would be if the brush were 

 burnt ; . that it partially shaded the ground ; 

 that the feed about it was more abundant, and 

 that it did not obstruct the cattle in feeding. 

 Both theory and practice were new to us. 



INlr. Wm. R. Baruktt had twenty-seven 

 cows, all beyond an ordinary quality, and some 

 of them of great beauty and excellence. They 

 ought to be productive on such pasture as they 

 were grazing. We found them at 12 o'clock, 



