132 
THE CULTIVATOR 
April, 
pressed the opinion, that a fine breed of cattle, pecu¬ 
liarly adapted to the combined objects of the farmers 
of New England, might be most readily and extensively 
obtained, by the spirited exertions of substantial farmers 
to improve our native breed.” In support of this opin¬ 
ion, he quoted the late Mr. Lowell of Roxbury, one of 
the most intelligent farmers in Massachusetts, who said, 
u Possessing as we unquestionably do, the materials 
among our own stock, of improving our breeds, by care¬ 
ful selection, we should follow the example of Bakewell 
and other British farmers, who infifty years, have raised 
the stock of Great Britain to a state of perfection little 
short of what it is supposed they can ever reach.” And 
again, ‘ £ more is to be expected from the excited atten¬ 
tion to the improvement of our own stock, than from 
importation.” Col. Pickering further remarks, with a 
liberality of opinion, characteristic of himself, “ Such 
improvements of our native cattle, so important to our 
farmers in general, will also be interesting to those who 
are possessed of fine imported cattle; for if the latter on 
full trial, shall be found to be really of greatly superior 
excellence, improved individuals of our native breed 
will furnish better subjects for coupling with them; and 
enable the owners of the imported animals more expe¬ 
ditiously to improve and increase a superior stock,— 
whether for their own use, or for sale.” 
A highly interesting disscussion on this subject, was 
carried on between Col. Powell, of Philadelphia, and 
Col. Pickering, (see N. E. Farmer for year 1825) in 
which Col. Powell admits, that the short-horns, so called, 
are too large for the ordinary purposes of our farms. 
To whom, Col. Pickering replies, “¥e now have, in 
what are denominated our native cattle, a breed exactly 
adapted to our service, and means of keeping them; 
and may we not, with spirit and resolution, engage at 
once, in the laudable and profitable enterprise, of im¬ 
proving this breed, by a careful selection of the best 
males and females, and thus, in a few generations, raise 
them, not to gigantic size, but to a high pitch of per¬ 
fection, for the primary objects of our farmers,— labor , 
beef, and rich milk for butter and cheese .” 
The constituents of soils, and the manures applicable 
to their improvement, were also, with him, favorite 
themes for discussion. His remarks were practical, not 
theoretical. He would go on, with great minuteness, 
stating all the facts and circumstances connected with 
any experiment, explaining as he went, but never was 
in haste to draw general conclusions—fully impressed 
with the truth of the proverb—“ one swallow does not 
make it summer.” 
The implements of husbandry, too, shared a portion 
of his attention. From the noble plow, that is at the 
foundation of all culture, to the simple brush* for the 
* Col. Pickering’s brush for Caterpillars. See his Letter in N. E. 
Farmer, April 26, 1823, vol. 1, p. 308. 
“ This brush is made of hog’s bristles, introduced between two stiff 
wires, closely twisted; and being convenient in cleaning the inside 
of bottles, is probably familiarly known wherever liquors are bottled. 
For the information of others, I will mention that a piece of wire full 
one-tenth of an inch in diameter, about three feet long, doubled, and 
leaving a small loop in the middle, is closely twisted for the length 
of eight or ten inches from the loop; and then the bristles, being in¬ 
troduce! between the remainder of the branches of the wire, and 
these closely twisted upon them, the bristles are immovably fixed, 
destruction of the meanest insect^—none were too large 
to be above his comprehension; none too small to be be¬ 
neath his notice. Scarcely a subject can be mentioned, 
connected with the culture of the soil, that has not been 
noticed by him. Without presuming to be a writer and 
maker of books,—he was always thinking—always com¬ 
municating his thoughts in such a manner as to be use¬ 
ful. In so doing, he seemed to forget himself, and to 
be moved by a desire to do good. His life was a practi¬ 
cal illustration of disinterested benevolence. We re¬ 
member to have heard from him, addresses to the Es¬ 
sex Society in 1818, 1820, and 1828,* and to the Massa¬ 
chusetts Society in 1828, all of which were published 
among the Transactions of those years. 
There is scarcely a page of the publications of the 
Essex Society, during his presidency, that is not illumi¬ 
nated by his reflections. If this society has gained any 
reputation, or been instrumental of any good, it is main¬ 
ly to be attributed to the impulse he gave it, and to the 
spirit of inquiry awakened by his advice and exertions. 
To attempt to condense his remarks, would be but to 
mar their symmetry, and impair their force. His dis¬ 
criminating observation and comprehensive reflection, 
left nothing to be added; his classic discipline and fine 
taste, admit of no retrenchment. We cannot so well ex¬ 
press what is proper to be said of his productions, as in 
the following condensed paragraph of Mr. Fessenden, 
the learned editor of the N. E. Farmer, when speaking 
of the address to the Mass. Soc., vol. 1, p. 222. “ Al¬ 
though the subjects of the address are not only impor¬ 
tant, but many of them abstruse, forming what may be 
styled the metaphysics of chemistry and physiology; 
still there appears to be nothing in Mr. Pickering’s ob¬ 
servations, which is hard to be understood. Volumes 
after volumes have been written on the food of plants; 
the elements, or chemical constituents of vegetables; the 
mode of operation, the manner of applying, and the be¬ 
nefits resulting from the application of lime; the diffe¬ 
rent kinds of earth necessary to constitute fertile soils; 
the burning of clay for manure; the obstacles which pre¬ 
judice, and a pertinacious adherence to old usages, op¬ 
pose to improvements in agriculture; and the best 
means of overcoming such obstacles; the best methods 
of accumulating and applying manure, &c.,&c.-but we do 
not remember ever to have seen so many and so impor¬ 
tant topics comprehended in even more than double the 
pages containing Mr. Pickering’s remarks on those sub¬ 
jects. We never read a paper, which, in our opinion, 
exhibits so much useful matter in so short a compass .” 
“ We think it should be a subject of congratulation ivith 
every friend to his country, that an eminent statesman, 
and revolutionary patriot, should be induced to exert his 
influence, and devote his talents to promote the interests 
of agriculture, the most noble of the sciences, as well as 
the most useful of the arts.” If further testimony is de¬ 
manded, let the pages themselves be consulted; and 
and thus form a cylindrical brush, about six inches long and two and 
a half in diameter. To fasten this conveniently to a .pole, with a 
small gouge I made a groove about seven or eight inches long, at 
the small end of the pole, in which nearly all the handle of the brush 
was laid, and bound firmly on with three strings.” 
* In Sept. 1828, Col. Pickering met the trustees of the Essex Soci¬ 
ety for the last time. This was shortly after the death of his beloved 
companion, with whom he had lived for sixty years. 
