1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



287 



MK. ^WARE'S ADDRESS, 



In our recent acknowledgment of the receipt of 

 a copy of the transactions of the Essex County, 

 Mass., Agricultural Society, we gave an extract 

 from the address by Benj. P. Ware, Esq., a practi- 

 cal farmer, and we give below a few other extracts, 

 regretting that we have not space for the whole 



address. 



ProKress in Farming. 



"Within my remembrance, it was indeed a labo- 

 rious task for a man to conduct the business of a 

 farm successfully. He was expected to turn the 

 double swath in the mowing field, to lead the hired 

 men as they were desired to follow, to pitch on the 

 hay, to hoe the hardest row — in short to bear the 

 brunt of the work. Great physical strength, and 

 endurance, as well as good judgment, were indis- 

 pensable. But now what a change ! To lead the 

 labor of the farm does not require great strength 

 and power of muscle, but brains are called into 

 requisition, and skill in the management of ma- 

 chinery. He can overlook and direct those less 

 skilled than himself, while riding around the 

 fields on some of his machines." 



By the use of machinery, some of which is sim- 

 ple aad can be made by the farmer himself, he 

 thinks all the root cropii can be grown with about 

 one-halt the labor formerly required. He says, 

 that the changing of an inferior variety of apples 

 or pears for a superior one, is now so simplified by 

 the use of a liquid grafting-wax applied with a brush, 

 that no one need be without the best fruit who has 

 healthy trees. But here is the difficulty. Who 

 has healthy trees ? 



Potatoes and other Root Crops. 



"The neighboring State of Vermont, has made 

 such vast strides in the improvement of the potato 

 as to cause those who have lived through the mo- 

 rus mulucaulus, Rohan potato and heu fevers, to 

 stand aghast, waiting for the excitement to abate, 

 to see )f Breeze's No. 4 is really two hours ealier 

 than the Early Rose ! But all may be assured 

 that great improvement has really been made in 

 the potato. And yet there -are persons among that 

 numerous class who, because they lived upon a 

 farm until seventeen years of age — and so, for- 

 sooth, 'know all about farming' — are asking what 

 improvement has been made in agriculture ? 



Whoever heard, until within a few years of 

 seventy-four tons of mangel-wurzel being grown 

 upon one acre of land ; of thirty-six tO'is of car- 

 rots, or 900 bushels of onions per acre ? Such 

 crops as these are facts that can be proved." 



If it be true, then, as some French and German 

 chemists estimate, that 250 lbs. of beet roots equal 

 100 lbs. of hay, "according to this estimate the 

 above crop of mangolds would equal in value 

 nearly thirty tons of hay ; or, supposing the chem- 

 ist's estimate to be only half right, the root crop 

 would then equal fifteen tons of hay per acre !" 



Mr. Ware states that it has been ascertained by 

 actual experiment, that breeding swine can be kept 

 upon raw mangolds alone from October to May, in 

 good, thrifty condition. Can any one do-.ibt, he 

 adds, with such facts, the great advantage of grow- 

 ing this and other root crops ? 



Ayrshire Cows. 



He thinks Ayrshire stock has proved the best 

 adapted to our pastures, and, for milking qualities, 

 heads the list. 



Curculio— Fruit. 

 In speaking of the failure of the apple crop, he 

 says : — 



"By the use of printer's ink and tarred paper, 

 from Nov. 1, to April 1, at a cost of from five to 

 eight cents per tree, our orchards can be protected 

 from the canker worm ; and may again be blessed 

 with abundant crops of that beautiful, delicious, 

 and health-giving fruit. My own experience is 

 that no part of my farm yields greater income for 

 the labor expended than the orchard. If the crop 

 is small, the price is usually large." 



We wish this were so over broader regions. 

 The wood upon thousands of apple trees in New 

 England increases each year, the trees blossom 

 abundantly, and plenty of apples are formed, and 

 yet little or no crop succeeds. 



If the cause of barrenness was the drought of 

 four or five years ago, would the trees grow, and 

 bud, and blossom, and set their fruit ? We think 

 not. 



There is some cause acting upon the trees, as in 

 the case of the button-woods, which we have not 

 yet ascertained, and, perhaps, never shall. "Yet," 

 we say with Mr. Ware, "let us [if we can] take 

 heart, continue to cultivate the apple as a source 

 of profit, of health to our families, and of growth 

 to our social natures." We believe in a good ex- 

 ercise of faith in all things. 



We should be glad to transfer the whole of this 

 admirable address to our columns. Its opinions 

 have been formed on the farm, amidst its multifa- 

 rious duties, in rearing stock, preparing soils, and 

 cultivating them with various crops of roots and 

 fruits as well as grass and grain ; in the use of 

 nearly all the improved machinery and implements 

 best adapted to avert human labor, and, more than 

 all, in what will help the race to become upright, 

 intelligent and industrious people. One or two 

 extracts more will be all we can find room for at 

 present. 



Does Farming Pay? 



"Yet, after all, does farming in Essex county 

 pay ?****! need only to refer to the re- 

 turns of the income tax to find instances where 

 men by farming alone, have in this county re- 

 turned annual incomes amounting to from $3,000 

 to Jfifo.OOO, — enough to buy a good farm, with fair 

 buildings. I could name an Essex County farm, 

 of fifty aci-es, valued at $'10,000, the gross products 

 of which were enough in one year to pay for it. 

 It was an unusual occurrence, but such was the 

 fact for that year. * * * * 1 know of no kind 

 of good farming that does not pay well, while no 

 kind of poor farming will yield more than a poi.r 

 living, — nor should it. Of course, any man wliois 

 a man, and cares for the comfort and happiness of 

 his family, will see that abundance of vegetables, 

 fruits, small and large, milk, eggs, and poultry are 

 grown upon the farm for family use." 



Pleasant and encouraging remarks were made at 

 the dinner by Hon. M. P. Wilder, delegate from 

 the State Board, by John Keeley, Esq., in relation 

 to the decease of Hon. James H. Duncan of Ha- 

 verhill, and by George Foster, on the death of Jo- 

 nas Holt. 



