300 
MASSACHUSETTS FARMING. 
of the cane. There is a difference of nearly 4 
per cent.; but if the water increases in arith¬ 
metical progression from the bottom to the top 
of the cane, the same is true with regard to the 
joints; for there is the same difference between 
the quantity of water in two joints at different 
heights, as there is in the two corresponding in¬ 
ternodes of the stem. 7. That, in future, to esti¬ 
mate the value of a sugar cane, the middle third 
of its length must be analysed, since the quan¬ 
tity of sugar in this third indicates to a great 
degree of accuracy the mean saccharine rich¬ 
ness of the entire cane. 8. That, if a planter 
knowing how to weigh, dry, and boil the sugar 
cane in water, either distilled or condensed in 
the steam engine belonging to the mill, would 
attend so the above rules, he might, by means 
of a simple calculation, consisting of nothing 
but the multiplication and division of decimals, 
always ascertain with sufficient accuracy the 
mean saccharine richness of any cane brought 
before him.— Comptes Rendus. 
MASSACHUSETTS FARMING-.—No. 1. 
As a partial compensation for the benefit I 
have derived from reading your instructive pe¬ 
riodical, I will give, through its columns, a brief 
statement of what some of us have been doing 
in the old Bay State, in the way of reclaiming 
wet meadows, hitherto deemed almost worthless. 
And, by the way, I am glad to see you have not 
been neglectful of this subject from time to 
time. I was no less gratified than amused, by 
Mr. Robinson’s late cyphering up of the debit 
and credit of the “Old Pond Meadow” of a 
neighboring state. He does not spare the task 
at the neglect of ignorant and slothful farmers; 
but the locality might with justice be altered, to 
suit almost ever latitude and longitude of the 
United States. Your waggish correspondent, 
Sergeant Teltrue, I perceive has also “ charged 
bagonets” manfully in behalf of the neglected 
swamps; and among you all, I am of opinion 
that ere long, they will be forced to surrender at 
discretion. 
Much improvement has been effected in Mas¬ 
sachusetts farming of late years, a considerable 
part of this result, being, in my opinion, attrib¬ 
utable to the higher prices of agricultural sta¬ 
ples, and especially fruits, vegetables, milk, 
butter, poultry, eggs, &c., which the large num¬ 
ber of manufacturing establishments among us 
has mainly induced. Our fields are better ma¬ 
nured; many substances formerly thrown away 
or totally neglected, such as the waste of tanne¬ 
ries, woolen and other manufactories, the offal 
of slaughterhouses, seaweed, peat, swamp muck, 
plaster, &c., have been carefully saved, com¬ 
posted, and applied to our crops. A more 
thorough cultivation has been introduced, from 
the use of the best turning and subsoil plows, 
cultivators, and other implements, which have 
pulverised the ground more effectually, and at a 
cheaper rate than formerly. The adaptation of 
crops to particular soils, choice varieties of seed, 
rotation of crops, and other improvements, the 
introduction of some of the best specimens of 
cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry, (the last, no 
inconsiderable item, I assure you, when they 
and eggs bear the high price they usually com¬ 
mand in our markets,) have all had their full 
share in the result. 
There has also been great attention paid to 
fruits of late years; and you would be surprised 
to witness, on our rugged soil and adverse climate, 
the magnificent specimens of almost every vari¬ 
ety of fruit indigenous to the temperate zone, or 
acclimatised in it, which we raise. Dense as our 
population is, and much as we frequently import 
from other states, we yet occasionally send 
choice apples, such as the Baldwin and russet, 
to Europe, the East and West Indies, South 
America, and other countries. We justly boast 
of our choice grapes, some of the finest kinds 
of which we raise in considerable quantities, 
and at a comparative trifling outlay. Many of 
these products may be considered as matters of 
luxury and of no practical value in an econom¬ 
ical or statistical point of view, as they are 
consumed by the producers. But such as have 
money, would probably have otherwise laid it 
out for luxuries from abroad, while, by this 
means, they have distributed it among their 
more necessitous neighbors, mechanics, and la¬ 
borers at home, and such of the farmers as are 
disposed to make it exclusively a money busi¬ 
ness, can, at any moment, convert their finest 
fruits into ready cash, by sending them to a 
quick market, which many of them do with 
great advantage to their purses. 
But I find I have already written you so much, 
though only in a general way, that I must defer 
till my next, some peculiarities in our system, 
which was the main purpose I had in view in 
sitting down to write. F. J. S. 
Middlesex Co., Mass., Sept. 15th, 1850. 
Advantages of Drilling Wheat.— The ad¬ 
vantages claimed for drill culture, in the Trans¬ 
actions of the New-York State Agricultural 
Society, are as follows:— 
1. A Saving of Seed .—Five pecks of wheat 
drilled in is equal to two bushels sowed broad¬ 
cast ; every kernel is neatly covered at a uni¬ 
form depth. 
2. A Saving of Labor. —Any person that can 
manage a team can complete, in the neatest 
manner, from ten to fifteen acres per day. 
3. An Increase of Crop. —Small ridges of earth 
are left between the rows of wheat, which, by 
the action of the frost, slides down and covers 
the roots, thereby preventing “ winter killing.” 
Light and heat are admitted between the rows 
and prevent injury by rust. A vigorous growth 
is given to the young plant, and its position in a 
constantly moist place, prevents injury from 
drouth. 
Fall Plowing.— All stiff, clayey lands, in¬ 
tended for spring crops, may be plowed this 
month, when the earth is neither too wet nor 
too dry. If plowed at the right time, and sub¬ 
jected to the winter frosts, the texture of the 
soil will be greatly improved. 
