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UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
LIBRARY

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74

N83N8
1 854-56

i

TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

NORFOLK

AGIIICULTUEAL SOCIETY,

FOR

1854.

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY.

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CONTENTS.

Address, by llev. James Richardson, Jr. 5

Reports : — 43

Of tlie President and Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, 45

On Farms, 47

On Horses, 55

On Ladies' Work, 57

On Wares of Glass, Iron, &c. 59

On Bees, 61

On Hedges, 63

On Roots and Vegetables, 67

On Sheep, 67

On Ploughing — Double Teams, 68

On Ploughing — Single Teams, 68

On Ploughing — Horse Teams, 68

On Bread, 69

On Spading, 69

On Grain Crops, 70

On Straw Manufactures, 78

On Domestic Manufactures, 78

On Carriages, 79

On Improving Meadow and Swamp Lands, 79

On Mixed Crops, 82

On Poultry, 84

On Fat Cattle, 88

On Steers, 88

On Working Oxen, 89

On Heifers, 89

On INIikh Cows, 90

IV CONTENTS.

Reports :— On Bulls, 97

On Swine, 100

On Method of Preserving Apples, 102

On Dairy, 102

On Fruits, 105

On Apple Orchards, 110

On Flowers, 110

On Agricultural Implements, Ill

On Farms, Ill

Treasurer's Report, 122

Order of Exercises on the day of Annual Exhibition, 123

Officers of the Society, 1854, 129

Names of Members, 133

List of Premiums offered for the Year 1855, 147

ADDRESS

ON THE

Jap mh Irligiife 0! fa f ainiiix''^ fife,

AND THE

MEANS OF THEIII ATTAmMENT,

TO THE

NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

AT THEIR SIXTH ANNIVERSARY AT DEDHAM,

September 27th, 1854,

DEDHAM:
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY.

iKMlltilKMI hrflimi I -o.'. •»"'

LIBRARY

universFty of
massachusetts

amherst, mass.

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ADDRESS.

Ladies and Gentlemen !

Or rather and better may I not say, Brother and
sister farmers of my good old native County of Norfolk !
You of the bone and sinew of the land, that gather here
from those beneficent labors that feed alike the prince
and the peasant, the toiling artisan and the singing poet,
and who thus like Atlas of olden fable bear up the great
world on your shoulders ! And ye gentler, fairer ones,
who throng hither from the homes that you bless and
brighten, with tokens of noble usefulness from farm house
and dairy, — with the various attractions of cunning
needlework or the fragrant loveliness of flowers ! You
whose blessed office it is to soothe and aid as help-
meets— present or prospective — the harder sex, and thus
bear full half the burdens ! I rejoice in the honor of
meeting you hero to-day, as you come up from your
weary yet worthy labors to joyful festival, and of con-
gratulating you on the nobility and glory of your calling,
and at the various joys and delights of the farmer's life ;
that it has its feast days as well as its work days, its
fascinations as well as its hardships, its thrilling poetry
as well as its dull and dreary prose. Indeed, the very
word " farm " has music in it to my ears, and, from my
boyhood, there were but few joys that seemed to my

8

mind to equal those of country and farming life. Oh !
in the growing summer time, and in the bountiful
autumn, what a dreary confinement — what a joyless
prison is the great, noisome, tumultuous city, walled up
with brick and mortar, and the close, compact, crowded
town ! Oh, give me the pleasant, open, sunshiny fields,
the grassy lawns with the flowers and the dew drops, and
the woods with their musical leaves, where the shadows
dance in and out and the streams leap and sing on their
gladsome way, where my soul is refreshed with nature,
ever new and beautiful nature, and in whose quiet, lonely
haunts of beauty, I may meet God as it were face to face.
What a pleasure even is it — a pleasure to soul as well as
sense- — to the selfish anticipations of future good living,
as well as to the disinterested heart of philanthropy, to
see these goodly shows of fresh vegetables, and tempting,
luscious fruits, that are to strengthen the stout arm of
labor and paint with new charms the flushing cheek of
beauty ! And what a greater delight still, to wander
over the pleasant farms and through the dear old farm
houses, whence these treasures are gathered. Ripening
in the autumnal sunbeams, there lie the great yellow
pumpkins with their shining faces tantalizing the longing
cows as they stand agaze at their nutricious glories over
the unkind bars, or conjuring up, in the minds of passing
school children, visions of spicy pies and future thanks-
giving suppers. And near by, now" sitting erect, now
lying down or turning their sides to the warmth, like
villages of marmots on the far western prairies, are the
various tribes of crook-neck and bell-neck, of custard,
and marrow, and hardshell. Heaps of golden corn, with
the glowing red ear — that joy of youth and maiden in
the dear old husking frolics — begin to give their light to
the barns, and white turnips, with great sleepy cabbages,
suggestive of the steaming boiled pot and well fed wash-

ing day, are still growing in the fields, while through
the sere leaves, like live coals glow the glossy red apples,
and gleam like bottles of nectar the yellow pears, not to
name the fragrant, juicy peaches, or here and there on
tree and trellis, or half hidden in the more luxurious and
dainty glasshouse, the rich clusters of the bounteous
grapes. It is a pleasure even to hunt through farm
house and dairy ; to count the long rows of glistening
milk pans, their tops coated with gold ; to turn over the
big cheeses, peep into the choice cream-pot and taste the
sweet, fresh flavor of the butter ; and, by and by, after
the ripening frosts have come, the chestnut basket and
the old tub of walnuts and butternuts in the garret under
the eaves, and the wreaths of dried peaches and apples
even, shall not be without their charm, especially for the
sly, mischievous youngsters, in the long winter evenings
and of a Saturday afternoon. But other joys and de-
lights belonging to other seasons, continual, unceasing
and ever varying, greet the farmer as the joyful months
dance their mystic round. The green meadows and the
waving grain, over which with gentle feet and fanning
wings glide the zephyrs, — -the Indian corn, lifting its
green, shining banners in the joyful air, true child of our
blazing suns, decking the face of our hard northern soil
with a very tropical richness, and rejoicing with the rich
dark green of its broad glossy leaf, the eye of every
beholder.

Then the farmer has his music. The distant bleating
of the frolicsome lambs in the mountain pastures ; the
lowing of the well fed cattle, reposing in the shadows of
the old oak by the spring, or reclining with full udders
on the hill side ; the gentle cooing of brooding doves ;
the murmur of the bees that distil his honey ; the trilling
crake of the busy hen, or quack of talkative duck,
mingling with the innocent whistlings of young chicks.

10

interrupted now and then by the startling clarion of
paternal Shanghai, or an authoritative gobbling of pomp-
ous turkey ; and the scent of the apple blossoms ; the
balmy fragrance of clover fields and the spicy perfume of
the new-mown hay ; make an air of paradise for the
farmer, under the dewy shadows of the ancient trees,
that scatter new beauty around them as they bend
lovingly over the old farm house and the Avell filled barns.
There are but few, indeed, who do not cherish with me
in a secret corner of their hearts, a lingering love of the
farmer's life, and of the farm, the fostering mother of so
many of us, and the kind feeder of us all. Even the
great and prosperous merchant there, is glad to look at
times farmward, and rejoices to leave his ships, his
wharves, and his close and gloomy counting room, with
its day book and legerj its cash book and bank book, and
breathe the free country air, and scent the breath of
opening blossoms and new-mown hay ; and often, as he
sits uneasily in his chair, he indulges in visions of a fair
and happy time in the future, when he shall spend the
pleasant summer hours in his own garden, gay with the
flowers he has planted, and stroll beneath the bending
boughs of his richly burdened fruit trees, his own pecu-
liar Eden. And the poorest mechanic, and humblest
laborer, too, in whose heart nature yet throbs, longs for
his little fertile acre, and dreams of a sunny cottage,
garlanded with vines, and of a patch gay Avith fair blos-
soms and bounteous of fruits, sweeter, that his own hands
have tilled the soil, and tenderly fostered and trained the
beneficent trees. This passion for the country and the
fields, and love of dear nature, however scoffed at,
however hidden and buried by worldliness and avarice,
never quite dies out of the heart ; and I heard, lately,
of a hard, severe man, whose whole narrow life had been
worn away in the mere pursuit and accumulation of

11

wealth, who, on being confined to the conch of pain and
sickness, that proved his death bed, begged those around
him to gather from the garden handfuls of sweet spring
violets, that, way back in the simple days of his tender,
innocent childhood, he had so loved, and scatter them on
his pillow, that he might lay his worn and faded cheek
against them, and so — he died.

It is upon these pleasures of field and country, my
friends, that I shall speak to you now. Addressing- you
as a plain, practical farmer, with none of the flowers of
oratory, but bringing forward only some of the humble
fruits of my own observation and experience, mingled, I
hope, with a few grains of good, homely, common sense.

The joys, delights and glories of a farmer's life, and
the means of their attainment, — this is the subject I
would present for your consideration ; hoping, perchance,
to win some one heart not yet awakened to its attractions,
and gain yet a new devotee at the beneficent shrine of
Agriculture, — at least, to arouse a new consciousness of
the farmer's noble calling in those " to the manor born,"
who enjoy the unprized privilege of inheriting paternal
acres and of holding unimproved from their fathers the
broad, productive fields of a New England farm. For,
on the farm, the farm of the North or the South, of the
East or the West, are all things based ; the great ware-
houses of the merchant, the shops of the trader, the
mighty manufactory with its whirling spindles, and the
work-bench of the busy mechanic. It loads with its
various productions the big ships on the sea, it freights
the well filled canal-boat, and the floating palaces of
steam that swim the giant rivers ; the farm, the great
producer, fills them all and feeds them all ! And the
farmer, that owns the world, and from whom its wealth,
its comforts and luxuries come, is its unconscious king ;
scarcely beginning, even in these new days of scarcity

12

and high prices, to u<^ his sceptre or dream of his grow-
ing power. But there is a grand distinction between
the farmer and he who merely owns or lives upon a farm,
or, as I might better say, between the true and real
farmer and the farmer by courtesy, or by calling only.
Between the man who generously and thoroughly tills
his productive, joyful acres, and him, who, with unwil-
ling and begrudging toil, scarcely scrapes from the worn
out surface of his impoverished soil a scanty and miserable
support, and in starving his sorrowful fields also starves
in the end himself. Oh, many such men are there merely
living on farms, a burning shame to the farmer's noble
calling, to his glorious mission of transforming this fair
earth by the power of culture into an Eden, and making
this world a Paradise.

We will suppose ourselves visiting farms, my friends,
and here is one of the kind we mention. We come first
to the barn. It is of mere boards, its great cracks open
to the winds of heaven, or perhaps shaky and rickety
when in winter the poor cows shiver as they devour a
double portion of the sedgy hay, striving in vain to
supply undue warmth ; and underneath it there is no
commodious paved cellar, where the well-fed swine may
fatten, and in which to economize the manures, both
liquid and solid. But there it lies, thrown out in slov-
enly heaps, through storm and sunshine, heat and cold,
sending a stench up into the pure air as its precious
gases are swept away by the robber winds, while the
rains wash its rich fertilizing juices into the roadside
gutter, whence tall pestilent weeds and great burdocks
shall by and by flourish in a useless and shameful luxu-
riance, while our friend, the farmer, by courtesy and
name only, carts mere refuse straw and useless stubble
out into his fields, under the pretence of manuring his
starving farms. The fertile phosphates and the fruitful

13

ammonia have taken to themselves wings and left the
poor man, and the soluble portions of the lime and mag-
nesia, the soda and the potash, have all run away. And
then the swine, that would have grown so fat and com-
fortable housed in the warm cellar, suffer in growth as
well as beauty, as they wallow in the half built open
stye. Sometimes rooting a hole under the loose dilap-
idated boards, out rush the eager, hungry pigs into the
garden, while over the fence bounds the gaunt, haggard
mother, and round races the farmer and the expostulating
farmer's wife, while sticks and stones and hogs complete
the destruction commenced by the oxen, who came
through the rotten rails after the last storm. His tillage
lands have only been scratched by a dull and ancient
horse-plough, his pastures are worn out years ago, and
have never been turned, and over and over again have
his fields been carried to mill. His mowing lands, never
blessed Avith any rotation or change, and never at first
plowed to any depth, or manured through those long ex-
hausting years, have completely run out, and in much
shorter and less pinching droughts than that of the last
summer, crisp and sere, crumple under your feet, and
almost blaze as they ineffectually try to grow. And the
pale-leaved corn, early parched and curling, makes you
groan in spirit for the spindling, impoverished crop ; for
one loves the beautiful maize crop — above all other grains
the Indian corn, the peculiar grain of our clear native
skies, and the hot native suns to which we too belong !
The swamps, in place of being cleared and trenched and
drained, saving abundant stores of mud as a basis of pro-
lific composts, and absorbents of fertilizing juices, are a
wild tangled waste, with stagnant water rotting the
coarse sedgy grass among the useless alders, and tainting
the sweet air of heaven. His ill-fed cattle, diminutive
and mangy, with here and there a great rack of bones

14

among them, wander among the bushes, licking with a
melancholy, subdued air the innutritions mosses, and
cropping, here and there, resignedly, the rough wild
grasses ; — the walking frames merely of what, if cared
for and nourished, might have been goodly cows. And
sadly the winds sigh through the miserable old apple
trees, whose upper boughs bear only the foul nests of un-
heeded caterpillars in their broken and moss-grown tops ;
while the woodpecker listens and taps for the busy worm
as he hungrily circles their decaying trunks. And as we
pass with a sigh his languishing hens, we say this fellow
is only living or perhaps dying on a farm. Would that
some real farmer could have them to redeem from
destruction !

For there are three thing's essential to make the true
farmer, and to attain the joys of a farmer's life, viz.,
Love, Labor, and Science. Li the first place, a man
who lives on a farm, if he would be a successful agricul-
turist, a real farmer, must be inspired with an earnest,
hearty love of this noble profession. How I pity the far-
mer, who is so contrary to his tastes and inclinations,
who is a farmer only by necessity, who don't well know
how to be any thing else, and yet hates to be that. Oh !
poor and meagre and weary and miserable is a life on a
farm, with its hard labor and incessant toils, where there
is no attraction to sweeten it, no fondness for its pursuits,
no earnest, manly devotion to the noble calling. Li every
profession, and especially in this, is it necessary that a
man should have a native affmity, a strong loving attach-
ment for its peculiar cares and duties.

Every man that is born on the earth's surface, has,
doubtless, somewhere on the globe, a location, to which
he is particularly suited ; where the soil, scenery, atmo-
sphere, climate, every thing is especially grateful to him,
— harmonious with his own system, — to which he pecu-

1

r;

liarly belongs, — his natural sphere, as it may be well
termed. One rejoices in the far extending sea of the
rolling and luxuriant prairies ; others seek the rich moist
valleys of the fertilizing rivers ; and while some climb
the heights of the mountains, and revel in the clear,
celestial air, the strong rocky soil, and green springy
pastures of the highland vales, — others, like the great
statesman and farmer of Marshfield, — peace to his won-
derful ashes ! — belongs to the sublime yet desolate shores
of the melancholy and complaining ocean. One lan-
guishes away from the bracing breezes of our northern
sky, another sighs for the softer zephyrs and the richer
luxuriance of a southern paradise. And thus, in the soil
and atmosphere, that seems native to the soil, and which
is harmonious and attractive to the spirit, every man is
happy, and, without this, a something essential and fun-
damental is wanting to the enjoyment of life. And so,
every man that breathes has his own especial and native
calling, — an employment or business for which he has a
natural attraction — if he could only know always what it
was. One is naturally a merchant ; and, before his
father sent the eager boy to serve his time in the ware-
houses of the great city, he was always trading with his
playmates and schoolfellows, and made money out of
them. Another is a born mechanic, and, when he was
but a child, he filled the little brook, that ran by the
door, with cunning mill-wheels, whittled of pine, and
fastened with pins, prophetic of the great machines and
larger manufactories of his manhood. Another lives in
the sweet melodies and rich harmonies of music, and
travels over the world, charming the souls of men and
women every where with his song ; while still another
has the heavenly vision, and, from the far heights of the
ideal world, sends down sublime and living thoughts to
quicken the hearts of men every where, and to advance

16

the world. For nothing is ever done well — no calling,
profession or employment is ever prosperous or success-
ful, without a man's w^hole heart is in it ; — without he
goes into it, as the Italians say, ' con amore^' — from the
love of it. This, indeed, is the grand secret of all great
noble success on the farm or elsewhere. Whatever a man
loves to do, that he does with life, earnestness and zeal.
On the contrary, whatever is distasteful to him he will
engage in with indifference, and that which is done with
true zeal and earnestness is alone done thoroughly and
well. With what ardor and enthusiasm does the true
farmer enter into his various plans for improvement ;
with what zeal does he approach and go through his va-
rious labors ; — labors that with him are but play, and
have all the fascination and enchantment of pleasure in
them. And how he delights and revels in his fertile and
prolific acres — what order, what neatness, what verdure,
what rich luxuriance of growth almost magical is there !
What bounteous harvests, what plentiful and magnificent
fruits, what glorious and remunerative results do you see
around you, of his earnest, joyful labors ! For such a
man has his heart on his work and loves it. Men who
take up any employment or profession, as I fear too many
of those do who happen to be born and live on a farm
through accident, or convenience, or for the sake of get-
ting a living, without any special predilection for it, any
particular interest in it, and thus without any peculiar
fitness for such employment, are not only never at ease
or happy in it but seldom, if ever, are really success-
ful. For it is only this inclination, interest and love for
any pursuit or calling that gives an especial fitness for
such calling. It is the heart in it, that makes the mind
clear, earnest and active, and that inspires the busy
hands and cunning fingers with skill and quickness in the
chosen work. And it is this native fitness alone, that

17

prepares and adapts a man to any peculiar trade or pro-
fession. If this, the only true principle, should be
applied to society, what sudden and often laugliable
changes Avould take place in the occupations and positions
of men. Here is a toiling blacksmith, who would be-
come a counsellor, or a judge ; there a poor counsellor, who
would make a first rate blacksmith. The boy in the col-
lege, beating his dull brains over Latin and Greek,
Algebraic formulas and conic sections, which he can
never understand or make any use of, would be meta-
morphosed into a smart, alacrious hack driver, or an en-
terprising, useful express man. The good parson, droning
there to his dozing congregation, would make an excel-
lent farmer, a most scientific agriculturist, and do more
good to mankind in the advancement of agricultural
science in a season, than he would in the pulpit during
a lifetime. And no one thing has done so much towards
retarding the advancement of the science of agriculture ;
towards making poor farms and miserable farmers ; to-
wards degrading the glorious occupation of husbandry,
and making it mean and contemptible in times past, as a
want of hearty love and inclination for the fiirmer's life,
and a consequent want of fitness for its manly and noble
pursuits, especially in those who have been placed on a
farm by the mere accident of birth, while they would
rather have been born any where else. And it is mainly
by the introduction of new and more living, life-giving
elements — by the accession of intelligent, earnest men,
filled wdth the love and devotion to the cause, that the
science of culture is being quickened to a glorious pro-
gress, till at length it shall take the high and command-
ing position among the various professions and callings,
to which it rightfully belongs.

Behold there the true cultivator ! How his soul revels
in farm and garden ! How his genius expands itself

18

among fruits and flowers, — amid the waving fields, em-
bowering trees, and the fair glories of the landscape that
have sprung up and arranged themselves into new beauty
at the magic of his touch, till we feel that among men of
greatest power and noblest intellect, none have a diviner
mission to their country and their race than he. For his
office is to restore again to man the banished Eden, and
to make tliis outward world of ours a Paradise of beauty
and delight. Richer and greener grow the fields at his
coming. New fruits hang their shining clusters filled
with delicious juices lovingly over his head ; new flowers
open to him in grateful joy their dewy, sparkling eyes,
and for him " the wilderness and solitary place shall be
glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the
rose." Need I mention, in illustration, the loved and
lamented Downing ! Need I turn here, my brothers ! to
the illustrious head, that crowns with a living grace and
glory the Norfolk County Agricultural Society ; — a grace
and a glory every way to the annals of American culture,
an honor and a blessing to our advancing New England.
It is this noble fervor, this love and devotion to a pursuit
that soothes its cares, that lightens its labors, and makes
the severest effort seem easy — and a love of work, of
hard work, is absolutely essential in the true fiirmer.
He must be a laborer, both with his head, and with his
hands. All his senses must be on the alert, all his ener-
gies aroused to persevering, laborious action. And this
is another reason why there are so few good farmers, and
so many who only live on a farm, and are glad to get off
of it when and as they can. They don't love their work,
and so 'won't work. The boys leave the laborious country
for the specious and showy city ; they forsake the busy,
toilsome fields for the idle streets. It is getting to be
too much the custom among us, to despise labor, to be
ashamed of work, and this, especially with the young in

19

our fanning comminiities, with the new generations rising
up ill our midst. And so there is a stronger tendency
than ever before to avoid labor, to get rid of toil, to shift
the burden of work on to the shoulders of other people ;
to shirk and fold the useless hands and act the gentleman
in gloves. Our young men seem too anxious to leave the
healthful, manly farm, as well as the forgo and workbench,
to measure out ribbons and sell muslins in the lazy shops ;
and young women, from the same cause, are growing up
about us, fearful of staining their hands with toil, ashamed
of cheese-press and churn, wash tub and moulding board,
and preferring the life of a useless, gilded sporting butter-
fly to that of a more industrious, worthy and noble type.
And so the God appointed sweat, and clean dirt of honest
labor is becoming more and more despised, and the earnest
toil of life is looked upon as degrading ; while the base
tinsel of luxury and idleness, which deck a life of sense-
less frivolity, is growing every where to be admired and
envied. And yet " work," my friends, in some depart-
ment of duty and action, is the great business of life.
This calls out and developes all the various faculties and
energies of the nature, that make the man ; and all things
that are worth having, whether in the physical, mental
or moral world, are gained by labor, — by this hard work.
From labor springs all capital, all art, science, and cul-
ture. The grand cities, the splendid temples and monu-
ments of art, the broods of busy commerce, whose wings
whiten the seas ; the civilization that like the verdure of
early spring, is gradually stealing over the earth and
clothing it with a living robe of joy and beauty ; the
comforts, the luxuries, the various elegancies and delica-
cies of refined society ; — these are all the ofCspring of
bright-eyed, hard-handed labor. So, too, the breathing
marbles of the sculptor, the glowing canvas of the painter,
the inspired creations of the poet, — the great thoughts.

20

the burning, prophetic words that flash forth from the in-
tellect of the mighty genius, — the great living books of
the world, are all conceived and brought forth with pain
and labor, and the burning brain toils as toils the earnest
hand. No work of mind, no immortal production of poet
or artist, prophet or sage, comes forth in its perfection
from the busy forge of the mind, except it be hammered
by the vigorous blows of patient industry, on the anvil of
thought. So too, the greatly good man, the true philan-
thropist, the pure, just and noble soul, is the gradual
result of toil and discipline in the man to improve and
perfect himself; and thus all worth, distinction and true
glory in this world, thus a noble illustrious character,
and heaven itself is the recompense only of the true
worker. Doubtless, there is here and there over toil ; so
many do-nothings as there are now-a-days, some must,
as a natural consequence, be overworked. Where pau-
pers are numerous, — and by paupers I mean people of
any class, however fashionable, or however elevated in
social position, who do no work themselves, and are there-
fore supported by the work of others ; — those that labor
to support such paupers must be weighed down by a
double burden. Without question, there are many, too,
who work to a disadvantage, from poor tools, or no tools.
And now, as a new and more earnest interest has been
awakened in the noble art of agriculture, that lies at the
basis of all other arts, every day brings out some better
invention or some fresh improvement. And blessed be
every improvement that tends to lighten labor. All
praise and glory be to the authors of those beneficent in-
ventions of latter days, that are facilitating the various
operations of the farm, and softening the toils, severe at
best, of the humble laborer's life ; — the numerous im-
proved implements, and labor-saving machines that are
beginning to work a revolution, at least on our large

21

farms, in the whole system of agriculture ! Easier and
easier runs the gliding plough, the earth is more finely
pulverized, and deeper and deeper is tilled the cold hard
subsoil, astonished to feel the warmth and see the new
light of day. The cultivator drives the old hand-hoe
from the great fields ; quickly the improved cultivator
succeeds ; and now the new horse-hoe outstrips them all,
and my good farmer in a neighboring State, assures me
that in his stony inountaln soil even, by planting corn,
potatoes, and other hoed crops in rows each way, he can
by the horse-hoe clean it, and keep it clean of weeds ;
and that, in this way, one man can do, and with greater
ease, the work of several men ; and so the old toiling with
the hand-hoe, in the broiling sun of the torrid midsummer,
grows oat of date. And then comes the great reaping
machines, giving a new glory to the American name
abroad ; and the grand threshing machines. And swift
falls the affrighted grass, as the mighty mower of wood
and iron, with steeds and driver, rolls magnificently over
the hay fields. And still the laborers' wages rise buoyant
and upward ; still there is work, and still there is room.
Let no mistaken economy withhold the saving farmer from
displacing with deep tillers that give him a continually
new and unspent soil, the miserable, old-fashioned, worn-
out plough, that scratched of yore the impoverished sur-
face of his thin exhausted acres, or from adopting any
new invention that has been proved to save the farmer's
time and labor. For by saving time and labor, he not
only saves his money, but more and better than his
money, he saves himself.

Besides the requisites of labor and earnest love of his
calling. Science is a third essential to the true farmer,
although of Scientific Agriculture we are free to confess
there is as yet next to none among us. England itself,
though a century before us, has vast tracts of moors and

4

90

waste lands, and the world elsewhere is only a great wil-
derness. And to Science, Intelligence, Information and
Method are necessary. And, that he may be continnally
advancing in intelligence, let the farmer, especially the
young fixrmer, seek to gather new information from every
quarter — read every thing he can find that can shed any
clearer, brighter light upon the pursuits and labors of his
calling. Let him devote a few dollars to the selection of
a small choice Library of thorough standard scientific
works. Let him also assist in the formation of a farmers'
club, where each may receive and impart the benefits of
their personal observation and experience ; and, what is
quite as important, let him subscribe for a few agricul-
tural periodicals, edited by men of practical science, at
least one weekly and one or two monthly. To this end,
if need be, let him banish from his fireside the useless,
and often scurrilous and debasing political journals, and
especially the sickly sentimentalisms, the mawkish love
tales and pamby namby verses, that sometimes gain en-
trance into the farmer's house under the name of Literary
and even Religious Magazines. And here, I find myself
very gruffly set upon, perhaps by some good old friend
and brother farmer, who never had much opinion of books
and reading any way, with the query, " Whether I was
coming here to uphold book-farming ; " f^irming, which,
in his dictionary, is only another word for " Humbug."
Well ! my friend ! suppose we first see what " Book-
Farming " is. Our intelligent and distinguished brother
farmer, Rev. Charles C. Sewall, plants a piece of corn,
highly manured in some new way, in rows three feet
apart, the hills a foot apart, and turns out a hundred and
odd bushels to the acre ; that is farming, experimental
farming. He tells his neighbor Jones, who tries the ex-
periment next year ; that is talk farming. My friend
King, of the Journal of Agriculture, or Brown, of the

23

New England Farmer, records it, and other people try
the experiment, and that is book-farming. AgoAn —
Friend Sewall of Medfield, Breck of Milton, Marsh of
Dedham, or some other good enterprising farmer of Old
Norfolk, reclaims a miserable alder swamp, and causes it
to yield bountiful crops ; the farmers round want to hear
about it, and see it ; so to save his time and trouble, he
prints an account of it ; his neighbors ditch, drain and till
their swamp as he directs in this account ; and again,
that is book-farming. By and by, you or I, or some one
of us who has had a wide field of observation and expe-
rience in agricultural matters for a term of years, jots
down what he has seen and done in the farming line, and
makes a book of it. People follow the various hints and
suggestions, and good practical advice contained in it,
and thus become — book-farmers ; and nothing so foolish
or terrible after all. Book-farming then, is merely the car-
rying out of the experiments , and practising the advice
given in agricultural vmrks and periodicals, and thus im-
proving on the old ways and methods. And this is vastly
better, I take it, than going on in the same old beaten
path, unwilling to try any thing new, and never making
any improvement on our farms, any progress in agricul-
ture— a stone in one end of the bag and corn in the other.
Of course, the farmer must use his own reason and com-
mon sense in carrying out the experiments and receiving
the advice of such books and periodicals. He will re-
member, that on the farm, as elsewhere, " circumstances
alters cases ; ' ' that in any experiment, difference of soil,
climate, position, &c., must always be taken into the
account. For example, a farmer, about to plant an or-
chard, reads the advice of a writer, whose soil is a heavy
clay, not to set trees in the Ml, as the frosts will be liable
to heave their roots out of the earth. But his soil is a
sandy loam and doesn't heave at all, and by waiting till

24

spring, before planting on liis light land;, the trees do not
get sufficiently established in the ground before the dry
weather comes, and they thus, perhaps, suffijr and die for
lack of moisture. In like manner another, whose hot dry
land has a gravelly subsoil, reads an article by a grape
grower, whose land is cold with a hard pan underneath
it, on planting vines Avith an under drainage of cobble
stones in the dryest, warmest spot. He does so, and his
vines fail to grow, and yet it was very good advice for a
cold clay soil, though fjuite the opposite for a quick light
land, well underdrained. And so, many other similar
failures. Let it be remembered in making any experi-
ments, that climate, soil^ position and circtimstances of va-
rious kinds, must be taken into account as modifying the
result. It is from a neglect of these elements, that so
many failures occur in carrying out experiments ; — that
men come to such different and opposite opinions and re-
sults, and that so much undeserved odium is cast on book-
farming. But we should by no means on these accounts
refuse to make experiments,^ — for the only way to advance,
progress and improve upon the old is to try the new. Let
the farmer, then, seek continually to acquire information,
to get new ideas ; remembering that behind every thing
are those living creative ideas ; that out of them come
every new improvement, every great invention, every
grand and noble work. Thus are information, intelli-
gence, and thought necessary to all scientific, progressive
farming. And not less essential to any science are order
and method ; and there can be no good farming, no pro-
fitable farming, certainly no scientific farming, without
some system. There is yet, I fear, very little methodical
farming among us. Every thing is belter skelter. Con-
fusion, and not order, rules as yet almost every where, in
barn, field and orchard. Farmers too often go to work
Avithout laying down any exact plans, or making any cal-

25

dilations. Sometimes they hardly know till the day
comes what they are going to plant, or how or where they
are going to plant it. So every thing is at hap-hazard,
and they would stare in surprise should you ask them at
time of sowing, what was the precise number of bushels
of various products they should gather without fail at
harvest. Farmers, especially young farmers, would find
their labors greatly facilitated, if they went into exact
calculations, made plans, and kept a strict account of their
farm and firm work ; putting down on paper, how many
and what acres they would turn up, and what fields they
would lay down CA^ery year ; what and how much manure
each field should have ; how many cords of compost, as
well as of manure they would make, and to what uses it
should be applied ; how much corn, potatoes, grain, &c.,
should be raised on the ground appropriated to each, and
see that it luas done. This at first sight perhaps looks
visionary, but such visions have been realized, and found
to produce very blessed results, making the science of
farming almost worthy to be classed with " the exact
sciences." I have known instances of scientific, method-
ical men, determining in this way that their corn-fields,
wheat and potato-fields should yield a certain average
crop year after year, and compelling them to do so. And
more than this, I can name one instance at least of a far-
mer, who made it his business for many years, to raise a
certain number of apples for the foreign market ; and he
managed so as to raise nearly the same average crop year
after year for many years.

And here I might predict the abolition of droughts by
restoring through science the equilibrium of moisture to
the lower and insulating stratum of the atmosphere, — the
prevention of the too early and late frosts, by protecting
screens and belts of trees and other means ; the importa-
tion of gardening and farming Chinese by the myriads.

26

and other events of the future. I might prophecy too of
agricultural schools and colleges to come, of a generation
of farmers versed in the principles of chemistry, learned
in geological formations, familiar through personal analy-
sis, with the nature and elements of different soils, and
testing the experiments they have read, in the winter
laboratory and study. I might censure the folly of teach-
ing the children of our common schools in the farming
districts, (a part of a curious system prevailing in our
schools of dwelling on the distant, the nominal, and the
useless, and neglecting the vital and the real near at
hand,) the productions of Cuba or China, and never in-
structing them in the productive qualities of their own
native farms ; — the sheer vanity of learning from gram-
mars to analyze the elements of language — mere words
— while they are left in total ignorance of the elements
of the soil whence they are to derive their subsistence.
I might sing to you in exultant strains of the good time
coming, in the glorious blessed future of our fertile and
happy land, when the dignity and grandeur of the far-
mer's work shall be fully recognized, and his high rank
in the body politic shall be universally felt and acknow-
ledged ; and when great, deep-thinking, far-seeing states-
men shall drive off the hungry horde of selfish politicians
and the rabble of desperate demagogues, and legislate for
the benefit and advancement of agriculture, — the interests
of that primitive and glorious art that feeds, sustains and
bears up the great world ! ! But the flying hour hurries
me on. Inspired by love of his calling, with an ardent
devotion to its labors ; armed and equipped with intelli-
gence, sound information, and scientific method, the farm-
er is now prepared to achieve a permanent victory over
the unwilling soil, and to win and enjoy the various de-
lights and glories of the farmer's life. And first among
these delights come great and abundant crops, to feed his

27

household and help to feed the world ; for these bring joy-
to the farmer's eyes, to his mind and soul, and — ^in these
days I am glad to say it — to his pocket. And to secure
this first grand desideratum, this prime joy and glory of
the farmer's life and foundation of all its other glories —
great crops — two essentials are especially to be men-
tioned, viz : deep ploughing and sufficient and appropriate
manures. And, I confess here, that I am, and ever have
been, in all situations and soils, and under all possible
conditions, a strenuous, unfaltering, uncompromising ad-
vocate for deep ploughing. Especially in this land where
droughts, if nothing else, are unfailing, in this climate of
dry seasons and wet seasons — for I consider this distinc-
tion of season to be as definitely marked here as in any
tropical portion of the continent, — I regard deep tillage
as an indispensable necessity — a sine qua non ; and, as
my limits do not permit me here to repeat at length,
what I have so often had to say in various papers and
Agricultural Reports upon the subject, I will endeavor to
condense the whole matter into a nutshell. First : deep
ploughing turns up and exposes to the action of the at-
mosphere a new substratum of virgin soil for the use of
vegetation, that has never before seen the light — a great
advantage in fields long tilled, and where, years ago, the
top soil has been carried to mill. Secondly : it makes a
deeper bed, pulverized and enriched, in which the roots
of plants may descend for nutriment ; where the subsoil
is gravelly, it displaces barren stones by fertile earth and
manures ; and, in clayey lands, it breaks up the cold,
hard pan, mixes it with the warm nutritious soil of the
surface, and allows the stagnant dampness to drain away.
Thirdly : deep ploughing covers up the manure, prevents
the escape of its volatile and nourishing gases, and, in
uneven localities, forbids the rains from washing it away.
And here let me say, that there is no fear of the manure

28

leaching downward ; there is far more fear of its leaching
upward by evaporation into the air. It can never go too
deep for the use of plants ; that is an old, and as I had
hoped, a completely exploded agricultural superstition, —
a superstition that I trust deep ploughing will soon bury
so completely that it shall never be brought up again.
Fourthly : deep, thorough tillage, by lightening up the
soil, allows the warm sun to thrust down his quickening
rays into its bosom. Fifthly : it thus invites the air to
circulate among its particles, and impregnate them with
nutritious elements ; and when we reflect that the air
not only holds in its embrace all the various gases that
supply food to the vegetable world, such as carbonic acid,
phosphoric acid, &c., — but that it is, in a very large
measure, made up of nitrogen, the principal element of
that essential of all manures, ammonia — for ammonia is
nothing but the nitrogen of the air with a little hydrogen
from the water — we shall see what a vastly important part
the air plays in feeding plants. Indeed, it is their ca-
pacity for taking up ammonia and other stimulating and
nourishing gases, that gives to lime and absorbent earths
generally, very much of their value ; thus we have the
sulphates, carbonates, phosphates, nitrates, ascetates of
lime, &c. Sixthly : in severe droughts, such deep til-
lage not only prevents the earth from baking hard, but
as the air always contains moisture, as seen in the drops
condensed even in the dryest weather on stones and ves-
sels of cold water, — its circulation through the soil de-
posits the moisture among the particles of earth and
sand and gravel ; — and thus, in times of long protracted
droughts, as you well know, a light soil of sandy loam
suffers far less than one of heavy clay. The second grand
essential to bountiful crops is the preparation and the ap-
plication of manures. I remember my old grandfather —
peace to his ashes ! used to tell his gardener to take good

29

care of " the jewel box," a good name that, for his barn
cellar, out of which his farm and garden were to be made
rich and decked in beauty and in glory. And yet how
many farmers are there still about us without this farmer's
"jewel box," this chest of treasure, this deposit of riches,
this bank of present and future wealth. And here per-
haps some niece or grand-daughter of a fsirmer — certainly
no true daughter — a little over delicate and squeamish in
her tastes, begins to unclasp her costly vinaigrette, and
turn towards me expostulating eyes that beseech me to
avoid the distasteful topic. But let her remember that
the luscious peach that pressed her envied lips but yester-
day, drew its juices from a garden rich in ammoniacal
manures — that the queenly rose, v;hose blow and sweet-
ness fain would rival the flush of her cheek, is "a gross
feeder," and flourishes best in the strongest sweepings of
the stable ; while out of the black, ill-flavored mud, the
delicate lily weaves her snowy petals, and opens her
chalice of celestial odors. That all the various manures,
however coarse and offensive, are but pure chemical ele-
ments compounded together, — a little carbon, a little
nitrogen and hydrogen and sulphur and phosphorus, and
so on ; nice things enough when taken separately and
apart.

Treasure up every particle of liquid or solid matter that
can enrich and nourish your lands ; let nothing escape
you. Forest leaves, wash of the streets in the wayside
gutter, turf and sods, decayed wood and brush, chips and
shavings, earth from the wood-shed and barn-yard, the
drip and cleanings of stables, hog-pen, vault, pigeon-
house, poultry-yard, and ash-bin ; and on the coast, the
precious kelp, and even the seaweed, with the choice
bones, oyster shells and clam shells, waste of woolen fac-
tories, scraps of leather, and even coal ashes ; all have
their uses, — all are to be considered manures, or matter

5

30

capable of enriching in some way the soil, and all are to
be carefully economized. I have known a coarse, sedgy
marsh to be reclaimed and brought to yield good English
hay, by the mere application of coal ashes. And care
must be taken in the proper preparation, as well as sav-
ing of these materials. See to it that your stables, vaults,
poultry houses, &c., are filled with proper absorbents — •
or materials to hold the liquid and volatile portions of the
manure,— such as clay, plaster, charcoal, and especially
peat earth and ditch mud mingled with leaves, chips,
that also contain a valuable supply of carbon, &c. The
manure of a dozen fowls, well saved and mixed, is suffi-
cient dressing for a large garden ; and that from a goodly
flock of hens and pigeons properly composted, will abun-
dantly enrich a small farm. The inhabitants of the Ce-
lestial Empire, or as they name it, " the Central Flowery
Land," the most famous agriculturists and horticul-
turists of all the world, in whose territory from reverence
to our primitive, fundamental, and right royal art, the
Emperor himself holds the annual plough, — whence come
the floral splendors of Azalea and Camillia, Aster and
Peony, and choicest roses, — employ as their only manures
the excrements, solid and liquid, that have been allowed
among us of the Occident for centuries to escape and
taint the household air from long, fetid and pestilent
vaults, and that we have in past ages discarded as use-
less. And, had I the direction of the Agricultural Soci-
eties in our land, I would offer the first, and by far the
largest premium, for the best mode of saving, preparing,
and applying this manure ; and the second for the econ-
omy and preparation of each and every kind of nutritious
compost. Then fill up your barn-cellars, and vaults, and
sink drains with clay, peat, mud, &c., that shall absorb
every particle of the liquid and gaseous elements, and
vihus fulfil the scripture precept, " that nothing be lost,"

31

and remember to keep always a barrel to dissolve your
bones and shells in moistened ashes !

Next comes the proper application of manure ; and here,
what the envious hour forbids me to speak, that I shall
ask you, brother farmers, to read in print at your homes.
And with the application of manure, rises the considera-
tion of the analysis of soils, the doctrine of specifics, and
so on. And here, I catch again a faint muttering in the
corner, from my gruff old friend, to whom book-learning
and book-farming w^ere so distasteful, in which, however,
I am able to distinguish the phrase ' ' new-fangled hum-
bugs." Allow me, however, to say, my friend, there is
no humbug about it. How are you to know, I pray you,
"what elements your soil needs unless you have ascertained
by analysis what it already contains. I grant you there
may be careless examinations by unscientific men. But,
would you forever be carrying coals to Newcastle, the
mother of coals, — or ship lime to Thomaston ? What
would you think of a farmer, who was carting ashes on to
a tract of new land just burnt over, spreading gypsum
on a calcareous soil, or teaming ditch mud on to a peat
meadow ? It may be, that a certain piece of land only
requires one single additional element, lime or potash,
carbon or ammonia, perhaps, and has a surplus of the
other elements necessary to vegetable growth ; what use
then, of wasting your time, labor and manure in adding
to that surplus, when a little plaster, a little superphos-
phate, or a little ashes perhaps, would be amply sufficient,
and the only thing required. Some elements, such as the
phosphates for example, that abounding in virgin soils,
have been well nigh exhausted in lands long tilled. What
marvellous tales they tell of the prolific character of the
new soil of California. Wheat fields producing at the rate
of seventy-five bushels to the acre — potatoes, one of
which makes a meal for a large family ; beets, bigger

32

than babies ; carrots, the length of tall men ; with cab-
bages of sufficient size to take the place of a farmer's
family dinner table ! What equally wonderful stories,
and all true — they told, a quarter of a century ago, of
Ohio, and the West ! And what wheat crops, what great
healthy potatoes were raised by our fathers here in New
England formerly, which we can't raise now ; and that,
at an era too, when they despised all manure, and that it
was poison to the land. And where is it gone, this land,
that yielded of yore the rich harvests of wheat ? Over
the back of old roan, or the bay mare, our grandsires car-
ried it in bags. It has all gone to mill, years and years
ago. Out of it have been manufactured the heavy oxen,
the bones and the bodies of milk-giving cows ; from it the
strong stalwart forms of our fathers were well knit to-
gether, and the rounded, seemly shapes and glowing
cheeks of fair matrons and gentle maidens ! Gone to
mill, ground and ate up has the land been, long ago ! —
those elements of it, at least, strong for wheat, and pro-
ductive of the rich full ears of heavy grain ; and none of
it was ever carried back and replaced. And the question
arises, how shall we bring back this scattered soil ?
Plainly by ascertaining what these lost elements are, that
have thus been carried away and consumed, and return-
ing them or their like again to the soil. An old farm is
like an old wagon, or an old house. I don't know that
it is ever quite so good as when it first comes from the
maker's hand.

But we have got the old house, and what shall we do
with it ? Let us examine it thoroughly, and see. It is
strongly built, and the sills are still good, but the old roof
may have to come off, and the clapboards be renewed, or
perhaps a good coat of paint is all that is needed, to make
it quite as spruce and genteel as the little light framed
thing there over the way. Some grand old houses do I

33

know, here and there, made over and a little modernized
perhaps, that, ten to one, you would call splendid new
mansions ! And so my friends with our old farms. We
must look them over, and examine them thoroughly, and
see what is wanting ; the old sills, the foundation, rocks
and subsoil, there is no fear of. On some places the
shingling of vegetable mould has been washed away. But
the paint that makes them fresh and new — the elements,
that touch them with hues of deep and living green, that
give the bright, rich, luxuriant aspect, are wanting.
Perhaps a mixture of a little lime and carbon, or ammo-
nia and phosphate, will furbish up the ancient farm, and
make the old acres look up bright and shining again.
Don't be afraid of modernizing the old house, the old
land, making continually new improvements, and return-
ing the lost elements of the once virgin soil, that shall
bring back to it its early paradise. It is through such
examination and analysis of the old soil, alone, that we
can make the proper, necessary and economical applica-
tion of manures to our well-worn fields, and reap again
luxuriant, bountiful crops.

The whole subject of specifics we are driven to pass
here, with the single remark, — from which may easily be
gathered the whole philosophy and its application, — that
every member of the vegetable kingdom has its own pe-
culiar soil, in which it best flourishes ; some belong to
the marshes ; some revel in the mountains ; others love
the sands ; and still others the rich intervals of the fer-
tile rivers. And, while certain elements contribute to the
growth and ripening of fruits, others tend only to leaves
and wood. The principle is true in regard to vegetables
and animals, it is also true in regard to man.

Again : to the attainment of bountiful crops, the far-
mer should see to it that he has no waste land, no neg-
lected spots, no holes and side places where pestilent

34

weeds may riot ; and no headlands for brush and vines.
The more the ground is covered with cultivated vegeta-
tion, the longer does it retain its moisture through the
drought, and the less room is there for weeds to grow.
Years ago, among the German farmers near the Quaker
city, I learned a lesson of economizing the soil. Among
the lettuces were the cucumber and melon vines growing,
when the spring first came, under their glass boxes, —
underneath the early peas, flourished a later crop of abun-
dant potatoes ; and, in the early potato fields, between
the rows, throve luxuriant celery or great cabbages.
Another secret of good farming is to take as many crops
off the land per annum, after feeding it well, as you can.
And here, our friends, the market gardeners of Roxbury,
can teach us a lesson. Manure yonder level and beauti-
ful field, with its orchard of pear trees and peach trees,
in the late autumn ; plaster it in the spring, and it shall
have a coat of vivid green before its neighbors ; ere the
July suns begin to burn, mow its sweet luxuriant growth
for your milch cows, and on the sod plant your corn.
Your corn shall ripen in time to sow your wheat or rye,
with a dressing of superphosphate or ashes, as the nature
of the soil shall dictate, — which dressing shall help your
now ripening fruit — and the next summer you shall reap
your grain, in season for a goodly crop of great turnips,
to grow from the not yet exhausted phosphates. I know
this is a personal hobby, — but five crops in two years of
grass and corn, and fruit and wheat, and turnips, is an
object worth riding for on any hobby ; and then drill in
your carrots in November, as we did last year, and have
them growing the spring after, out of reach of drought
and winds. It saves time and weeds, and injury of
drought, to sow in the fall. I should like to show you, a
few rods from here, a half acre of excellent carrots we
have been pulling from, sowed at the suggestion of my

35

sagacious frientl, Hon. Thomas Motley, late last fall. By
and by, doubtless, we shall plant our potatoes mostly in
November.

And here, as we come to an end, we can only has-
tily catalogue a few of the other noble delights and
glories of the farmer's life. Among these, most of us
farmers, doubtless, enumerate a good natural soil as an
essential to great crops, the rich alluvial interval, or
the fruitful mineral debris of the green and springy
mountains. But any soil, however fertile, without pro-
per culture, is soon exhausted, as the once famous lands
of Western New York and Ohio give proof. Remember
that the true farmer makes a good soil ivherever he is^ and
the poor farmer ought never to have anything but poor
soil, for his wretched tillage would soon exhaust the best
soil in the world ! I sometimes fear that rich, strong soil
is a premium to laziness, encourages a lack of enterprise
and energy, and makes a great deal of poor farming
among us.

And I must pass by here the splendor of fine horses,
and the glories of good stock of various kind ; the im-
portance of selecting and breeding cattle, not from the
fame of their name, but the excellency of their nature ;
and thus originating prime American or Massachusetts
breeds. And I must leave, too, to the Committees, the
enchantments of the poultry-yard, lest cattle detain us
till the cows come home, and poultry keep us till cock-
crow. A bountiful supply of good fresh vegetables of
all kinds, and at all seasons, is one of the most obvious
elements in the enjoyment of life on the farm. What so
nourishing 1 what has a greater air of luxurious comfort
and plenty than the dinner table, loaded with these and
set off by fruits ? Who misses then, the questionable
stimulus of the meat cart 1 A fanner that doesn't culti-
vate a garden, has no right to complain of butcher's bills

36

and store bills, and doctor's bills, of pnny children and
sickly women folks, and deserves to toil hard all his life
long and lay up nothing. Why, man ! there is more than
half your fjimily's living in a good garden ! Then there
is the beauty and glory, the refreshing delight, that comes
of vines and fruit trees, that farmers ought to enrich and
cultivate and till round as they would their corn, and not
merely suffer them to grow as it happens, as they now so
often only do ; but as I have the honor to be Chairman of
the Fruit Committee, and shall inflict on you a Report on
Fruits, I will spare you the discussion of this topic here
and noiv — like the man in the story, who forgave his ene-
mies, at priestly suggestion, on the sick bed, with the
reservation that if he ever recovered he should have ' ' a
lick at them."

The farmer has also the delight of a pleasant landscape
about him. It has been said that to a denizen of the city
' ' a single tree and a little grass plat is a beautiful land-
scape," and a farmer is never without these. For the
enjoyment and health of the senses, as well as for the
delight of mind and soul to them that live on it, I would
always make scenery one of the first elements in selecting
a farm ; — the fine extensive prospect enlarging to the
thoughts, the picturesque view, the pleasant lay of the
land, the romantic grove, the artistic grouping of the
trees ; — I would pay a good price for these things to cul-
tivate and rejoice my own soul, and the souls of my chil-
dren after me. To some, this food of beauty to the inner
man is more than nourishment and clothing to the body.
And here let me utter my love and my prayer for the
beautiful trees, that should fleck with their shadows the
pleasant walks and roadsides ; that should delight the
dewy valleys, and wave gracefully their flitting branches
over the hills. A new mansion, in the finest architectural
style and coloring, seems 0 ! so stiff, hard and desolate.

37

without the protecting trees ! While the plain old clumsy
farm-house on the other side, with the great elm sweep-
ing over the fresh, green yard before it, fanning the
scented breezes through the open windows, — how pic-
turesque, how beautiful it is ! llow all the dear home
faiiies, that we remember in childhood, seem to be clus-
tering there ! I know a great ancient thick-settled town,
wealthy, and full of taste and cultivation, with many fine
houses, yet that is almost wholly destitute of trees, and
my eye grows weary, and my mind and soul are sad and
lonely and dried up within me, it is so ugly, so desolate
a scene to look upon, — even to ride through ! I wouldn't
live there for the price of the town ! But, I know another
village, through the musical shadow of whose dear old
elms I first looked up to the glancing sunlight, the an-
cient village, I greet again to-day, and, despite its sim-
ple dwellings and all, how fair and pleasant and homelike,
nestling and slumbering among the shadows, is old Ded-
ham, now and forever. And Deerfield, her child, that
wandered away to plant herself in the far Connecticut
valley, it is worth a long journey only to visit her mar-
vellously magnificent elms and maples ! Oh, how every
sense and soul itself sighs among the barren, denuded
hills and shadeless roads, for the fzesh waving branches
of the kindly trees. Over the bare dusty streets and toil-
some ascents, the weary steed looks round with sad, be-
seeching look, as he panis for the cooling shade ; the
melancholy oxen, with lolling tongues, gaze sorrowfully
on the burning ground, and the patient cow, as she drops
her heated milk, m her hurried homeward march, lows
for some umbrageous shelter from the August sun. Then
plant the elm with its waving, fanning tresses, and the
maple with its leafy, beneficent branches ; let the walnut
and linden flourish, and the old oak, the pride of centu-
ries, stand ! And the lover of dear nature and the beau-

6

38

tiful, shall' speak your name with praises ! The birds in
their boughs shall sing to you their joyful thanksgivings ;
sweetly shall humming insects lull you with their mur-
murs ; even the zephyrs shall fan you with cooler, softer
wings as they revel among the shadows, while the worn
and exhausted traveller calls down earnest blessings on
him who planted the beneficent trees. But wrath and
woe to the man, who, with impious hand, strikes a blow
at the root of the ancient shade trees that his fathers have
planted and fostered.

I know hardly a greater blessing, a sweeter delight,
than that of living out of doors in the pure, healthy, in-
vigorating, open air ; and this is a blessing, peculiar al-
most to the farmer's life. I Avould pray for nothing
earthly, more delightful, than the precious privilege of
thinking, writing, sleeping, breathing and living during
the leafy time of year, in the glad sunshine and free air
of heaven. And it is thus the farmer drinks in freedom,
and is inspired with the noble love of liberty, so that
while the denizens of cities, walled up in narrow streets
and enslaved by still narrower custom and usage, too
often exalt merclaandise above humanity, the man of the
free air and open fields is the uncompromising foe of op-
pression, the stanch friend, the fearless and determined
advocate of freedom and Wmanity. It is a glory also of
the farmer's life, that it teaches him to value things —
realities above all mere forms and shows and empty names.
He is called upon, not merely to think, but to do ; not to
plan only, but to accomplish ; not to fancy, but to create ;
not to talk or write, but to live. He leatns to understand
the uses and beauties of all things in nature on the earth
about him. Every thing confers on him a peculiar pleas-
ure, ministers to him its own peculiar delight. There is
a charm to the intelligent farmer in the grass fields, in
the waving grain, in the bending fruit trees, in the great

39

forests, in good cattle, in fine horses, in fowls, in the
very stones and rocks of his farm, and the soil which they
create, that none beside the farmer can appreciate ; and
which, it takes years, especially for mere cits and book-
men to learn, even one by one ; but the husbandman has
a peculiar eye, a peculiar appreciation of each, so that
corn and hay, and cow and sheep, and oak, have far more
meaning to him than to another. This is the best of all
learning that comes only from life and experience. And
this knowledge of realities, this command of things, is
one element in that noble independence, which, perhaps,
is the chief glory of all in the farmer's life. For who so
independent as the farmer ? He stands firm on his own
soil and cannot be dislodged ! He OAvns down to the very
centre of the round world, and up to the starry zenith, a
foothold on the earth which cannot be shaken — a little
kingdom, where he is supreme ! And he can live if all
the world starves. For his acres feed him, from the
maple sugar of the March thaw, through the well-filled
granary of autumn, to the pork, potatoes and apples of
the winter cellar. He snaps his fingers at the rise of
flour. Thus he can defy want and changes, and the
threats of tyranny, and though he be too modest to claim
the sceptre, he knows he is king, and that if he should
stop fiirming to-day, the world would starve to-morrow.
It is this habit of learning things, rather than mere words,
and of developing the various faculties and energies of
the nature by contact with things, and by continual em-
ployment and hard work, that makes the farm such a
glorious place to rear and educate children, and to pro-
duce strong, powerful men of the truest knowledge, of the
highest capacity and energy of character. And thus it
happens that most of the great men of the tvorld have
sprung up on farms. It was the genial influences of the
farm that nurtured the mighty energies of a Webster,

40

which, unfolding in their gigantic proportions, lifted him
lip, despite his defects of character, above the level of
princes and potentates, and made him world-renowned ;
and so he loved the farm through life, and at length re-
tired to its peaceful bosom to lay down his great head
grown weary, and died there. And, from the fresh
green fields and the sweet sylvan haunts of the farm,
breathing in the inspiring breeze and catching the wild
free notes of the woodland songsters, sprung our own
Whittier, the minstrel of freedom, the bard of humanity !
For the power such men develope comes of their early
wrestling with the forces of nature,' and laboring to sub-
due this hard Northern earth. And it is the cheerful
labor, and the all embracing glory of the farmer's life, to
conquer and subdue nature, to bring its wild chaos into
smiling order, to civilize the savage waste, to make two
blades of grass grow where only one grew before, till
plenty take the place of want, and barrenness and deso-
lation give way to culture and beauty. And what de-
light to the heart of the husbandman to see the dry sand
hill covered Avith vines and fruit trees, and green with
the waving corn ! What joy and exultation to gaze on
the meadow, fdled a few short months ago with useless
alders and coarse sedge rotting in the stagnation of the
pestilent waters — now rejoicing with the nodding heads
of nutritious herds-grass, or rich with the luxuriance of
growing crops ; and all the work of his own hand, the
achievement of his own genius ! And in this is summed
up the labors and the glories of the farmer's life, the hus-
bandman's noble mission. The civilization and the cul-
ture of the earth ; the development of nature into order
and beauty ; the transformation of the world into an
Eden, a garden of loveliness and delight ; the bringing
back to man the ancient prophetic Paradise.

41

" For Paradise is jot to come, and in the future )cars
With unimagined splendors crowned, the golden age appears."

And thus, while with one hand the earnest cultivator
takes hold of the rough work of life, the other is lifted up
to heaven, and clasped with that of angels, and the ra-
diant holy spirits that have lived and wrought in all the
ages past, that still live and labor for humanity ; and in-
spired with high hope and joyful faith, the true farmer
feels that he is the humble helper of God in the sublime
work of advancing and perfecting the earth.

And how serene and blessed a retreat is the farm to old
age. In the peaceful shadow of the trees, that, in his
glowing youth, he had planted with his own hand ; the
fertile acres stretching out before him, that he for so
many years has tilled, rests the patriarch farmer, gazing
at the declining sun, that gilds with lingering ray the
Paradise that with thought and care and labor, he had
formed to bless his peaceful old age. Perchance, as
around the brow of the venerable scholar, statesman and
farmer of Quincy,* the patriot wreath, won in his coun-
try's service, twines with the laurels of the academcian,
and the flowers still fresh with Castalian dews ! And, as
he gazes on the pleasant scene of cares and labors past,
his heart rises in grateful incense of joy to heaven, that
he has achieved through the Divine aid such worthy ends,
and has done something, by his life, towards improving,
beautifying and blessing the world. And even while he
gazes, dull grows his heavy ear to earthly sounds, his
mortal eyes are dimmed and glazed, and as they close in
pious faith upon the outward Paradise of his love, in pure
celestial radiance, the fairer Paradise of his hopes unfolds
its splendors to his quickened and immortal vision. And,
as in its genial air he expands in the fresh beauty of

* Hon. Jobiah Quini y. Sen.

42

eternal youth and vigor, there beams through his awak-
ened mind the subUme law of perpetual growth and pro-
gress that pervades all things, while he reaches upward
forever and forever to still higher and grander labors, to
more wide and ennobling usefulness.

Errata.— Ill the absence of the author of the foregoing address, the following errors
occurred in the printing : — Page 12, line 20, for "when" read where ; p. 12, line 22, for
"undue" read the needed; same p , last line, for "farms" read farm ; p. 14, line 11, for
"hens" read fields ; p. 15, line 14, for "soil" read soul ; p. 16, line 22, tor "on" read in;
p. 21, line 11, for "it" (twice) read them ; p. 25, last line, for "myriads" read myriad ; p.
29, line 14, for " blow" read bloom; p. 30, line 21, for "Camilha" read Camellia; p. 31,
line 30, for "abounding" read abound; p. 32, line 8, for "that" read thought; p. 33, line
15, insert "of" between land and making; same p., line 6, leave out comma alter "foun-
dation"; p. 34, line 24, for "own" read now; p. 36, line 14, for "a" read another.

REPORTS

KEPOIIT OF THE PHESIDENT AKD SECRETARY.

To THE Secretary of the Board of Agriculture.

Sir: — In obedience to the Laws of the Commonwealth, the
President and Secretary of the Norfolk Agricultural Society here-
with make return of the doings and expenditures of said Society,
for the year 1854.

The long and severe drought, which prevailed during the season
although not so destructive as anticipated at the period of its con
tinuanco, was still to a considerable degree, unfavorable to the de
velopments of Agriculture, and had, to some extent, an adverse
influence on the success of the exhibition, but notwithstanding, wo
liave the satisfaction to state, that industry, skill and enterprise
were enabled to accomplish much that was praiseworthy, and
to exhibit results in the highest degree satisfactory.

The varieties of soil under cultivation ; its different grades and
exposures ; and the different degrees of dryness or moisture which
pervade it, operate favorably in the average of dry and wet sea-
sons, and secure against the evils of a total failure of crops from
an extreme prevalence of either cause.

The exhibition was in general superior to that of last year, and
in some respects superior to all that have preceded it. The
Avcather havhig been propitious in a remarkable degree, afforded
every opportunity for the transportation and display of Articles
and Animals, and contributed also to the number and satisfaction
of the spectators.

The entire Hall, which belongs to the Society, with the excep-
tion of the space allowed to the offices, was thrown open to the
accommodation of articles and spectators, affording much more
space than last year.

There were not quite so many entries for Ploughing as usual, but
enough, and the work was well enough performed to make a fine
and animating picture, and to gratify the numerous spectators.

7

40

The Spading Match, from the circumstance, among others, that
it took place in a basin, or hollow, surrounded by elevated land,
constituting an amphitheatre, gave unbounded satisfaction and in-
terest to the vast throng, and presented a scene of the most
picturesque description.

The number of Horses -was larger, and their quahty superior to
those of former exhibitions, and the mode of displaying them
vastly increased the attraction of this part of the Show.

The department of Neat Stock, especially of foreign breeds,
and Swine, were fully equal, if not superior, to former years ; and
the Show of Poultry was peculiarly attractive. We have never
seen that department more worthy of notice.

The Vegetable department contained a great variety of remark-
ably fine specimens. There was more Butter exhibited than at
any former exhibitions, indicating an usual interest in that depart-
ment.

The Ladies' Work was of a superior order, although not very
abundant ; and on the whole, the Show was excellent, considering
the season, and afforded general pleasure and satisfaction. More
than seven hundred dollars have already been awarded — a larger
amount than usual — indicating the increasing merit of the articles
exhibited. An able Address, which accompanies this Report, was
delivered by Rev. James Richardson, Jr., of Kingston, a native
of this County — from which much valuable information and many
important suggestions may be obtained. We respectfully refer to
the Reports of the Committees for the evidence of the increasing
interest manifested in the Society, and of its continued success
and prosperity.

MARSHALL P. WILDER, President.

EDW'D L. KEYES, Secretary.

4T

IIEPORT OF COjMMITTEE ON FARMS.

The Committee appointed to ascertain the general condition and
prospects of agriculture in this County, make the following report :

The object of this commission has not seemed to be fully under-
stood. It has been blended with that of the Committee on Farms ;
and as some individuals are members of both, there may be a con-
fusion in their respective reports. Mr. King, from whose charac-
ter, acquirements and position, great advantages might have been
expected, has not been able, by reason of the multiplicity of his
engagements elsewhere, to be present on several occasions when
we have visited different sections of the county. We lamented
this circumstance, as we had anticipated much assistance from so
distinguished a friend of agricultui-e.

Another member of this Committee, a man of great practical
knowledge of farming operations, and deeply interested in the
progress of our Society, has been prevented by sickness from
taking such a share in the work assigned us as he would gladly
have assumed, — until the larger portion of the season had passed
away. The presence of both these gentlemen was indispensable to
the proper performance of our duties, and to the fulfilment of the
Society's expectations.

Notwithstanding these discouragements, enough has been seen
and done to justify the appointment of this or some similar com-
mission. It furnishes the means of seeing many of the best farm-
ers in the County; learning their success and the methods by
which it was attained ; witnessing their experiments and results ;
collecting and diffusing a knowledge of various practices and opin-
ions ; forming an acquaintance with the different soils, capacities
and productions of different portions of the County ; studying the
relations between agriculture and the mechanic arts, in which so
many of our population are engaged ; all of which objects are vital
to the farming interests of the County. To be visited by such a
Committee gratifies many persons, who from choice or by necessity
seek retirement and are seldom seen from home, — men deserving;
of encouragement and capable of imparting much sound agricul-

48

tural information. Distant from the busier scenes of life, tlicy not
only foster the virtues essential to manly character, but they also
often attain great practical skill in their profession. To them we
are indebted for many valuable suggestions. Such a commission
brings to many information respecting the Society, which they
would else not have, interests them in its objects and operations,
gives opportunities for inquiries, explanations, and inducements to
join us, and to make themselves and their doings known b}'- coming
to the Society's meetings and exhibitions. It sometimes enables us
to remove prejudices that have been formed against the Society,
through misapprehension of its purposes. In many obvious ways
it adds to the Society's strength, benefits and general prosperity.
We have only made a beginning ; and would recommend that
another Committee be appointed for the ensuing year, charged to
commence operations in the spring and continue them to October,
— to make dihgent and minute inquiries and report them in detail.

This Committee visited a number of the best farms, — especially
in the north and west portions of the County ; — and gained valua-
ble information respecting the cultivation of grains, potatoes, grass,
fruit and vegetables. Wherever we went we were courteously
welcomed and hospitably entertained, and everywhere found facil-
ities for acquiring the knowledge we sought. Our limited ability,
arising from the circumstances mentioned above, prevents us from
making such a detailed report as Ave could wish ; but we saw abun-
dant evidences of the improving condition of Agriculture in the
County. We saw a general disposition on the part of farmers to
avail themselves of the agricultural information diffused by the
Society's Reports, and by weekly papers devoted to this subject ;
a willingness in many to overcome traditional prejudices, and to
accept the improvements suggested by modern science ; — a desire
to experiment with new manures and to test the expediency of new
crops ; — a better appreciation of the importance of deep ploughing
and thorough cultivation, and of the superior advantages of high-
bred stock for the dairy ; — and a growing conviction that under
suitable conditions, — conditions within the reach of most, — farm-
ing may be a profitable business.

In some parts of the County less land is under tillage than for-
merly, much having |been suffered to run up to wood. In poor
soils this may be good policy. But, as an offset, a good deal has

40

been cffcctcil in the recovery and cultivation of boi];s and meadows,
■which often prove the most productive and pi-ofitable j)arts of the
farm. jNIore than ordinary attention is paid to the pUmting and
care of orchards, as the farmers find a ready and remunerating
sale of their products. Our notice has been called to several in-
stances of eminent success in this department. It seems difficult,
if not impossible, to overstock the market with good fruit. Fruit
trees yield cheap and abundant increase of the common food for
cattle and swine. Sweet apples, in particular, are nutritious and
wholesome. Milch cows are benefited by them ; and wo have seen
beef of the greatest excellence, which had been fattened entirely
upon them. Farms well stocked with fruit trees are always more
saleable, and at much higher rates, than others. Indeed, instances
are not wanting of farms in this County, which have been enhanced
in value from ten to thirty per cent, by the addition, within a few
years, of a well-cultivated and thrifty orchard of grafted fruit. A
remarkable example is furnished on the farm of Mr. Grant, in
Wrentham, which we mention because that whole farm is a mem-
orable instance of what may be accomplished by industry and
economy. Ten years ago it was exhausted and scarcely worth
cultivating. Mr. Grant has brought it into a highly flourishing
condition ; and every stranger notices the orchard as one of the
most striking improvements. The improvement of pastures is
going on extensively. A prejudice formerly existed against
ploughing up old pastures, however mossy and miserable. But
the impulse given to the manufacture of butter by continued high
prices, has induced an extensive and favorable change. Old pas-
tures are ploughed, manured, cultivated and laid down, furnishing
abundant feed where once were only moss and weeds. Farmers
are not so easily satisfied as formerly, with the amount taken from
the land. They have become better acquainted with the capabili-
ties of the soil and with improved methods of working it, — and,
instead of thirty, they look for sixty bushels of corn, at least, from
the acre, and other things in proportion. Of corn this is especially
true. Besides those fields that were entered for premiums, we
have seen many that promised remarkably large yields. Of these,
we will specify (on account of its size and excellence) that of T.
Motley, Jr. Esq., of West Roxbury. INIr. Motley had ten acres
in corn, which, it was thought, late in September, would yield at

50

least eighty bushels to the acre. This, however, is only in keep-
ing with other things on that farm, which in almost every respect
challenges competition.

We also find that more than usual attention is given to the cul-
tivation of roots, carrots, ruta bagas, &c., as food for cattle.
Farmers, like other men, experience difficulty in changing their
course ; and although practical men had learned that roots could
be raised at the rate of from thirty to fifty tons per acre, and sci-
entific men had proved that carrots, from one acre, would make
more beef than hay from three, perhaps four acres, still farmers
hesitated at making the experiment. This was natural and right.
The growing of roots is expensive. It was something to which
farmers were not accustomed ; and until the experiment was suc-
cessfully performed under their eyes, they were justified in going
forward Avith great caution in the new path. From the success
that has attended the efforts of several of our most distinguished
cultivators, it may reasonably be expected that more attention will
be paid to this branch of agriculture, and that it will prove emi-
nently profitable.

In this connection we would mention Mr. Motley's last year's
crop of ruta bagas, twenty-four hundred bushels from three acres.
We have also seen the same land devoted to the same root this
year. From its appearance in September, we judged it might
yield an equal amount. We have observed good fields of ruta
bagas elsewhere ; but for extent, for evenness and thoroughness of
cultivation, for its clean and beautiful appearance, none that
equalled this.

We are gratified to notice the increasing patronage of agricul-
tural papers, and the multiplication of books treating of farming,
gardening, implements and education. Farmers understand, that,
if they wovild improve their business, they must first improve them-
selves, and learn to cultivate the soil on principles established by
science. The time has gone by, when men laughed at book-farm-
ing. Agriculture, as an Art, cannot be improved without a com-
petent knowledge of its theory. The practical sagacity that ac-
complishes so much in difficult conditions, has no insight into the
mysteries of science. If a soil is exhausted by repeated crop-
pings, practical sagacity does not know how best to restore its
fertility. There must be a higher culture of the intellect, under

n

1

the guidance of principles established by an accpiaintancc with the
powers of nature. We must consent to be taught by those who
are wiser than ourselves. In our circumstances, especially, this is
the only course that can render farming profitable. With a soil
but moderately fertile, with high-priced and incompetent farm-
laborers, with the continued emigration of enterprising young men
to cities, or to the West, the farmer must avail himself of all the
resources of science, so that, with the same labor and outlay, he
may largely increase his crops. Observation teaches that the best
cultivated farms are the most profitable ; that the land resents ill-
treatment ; that money invested in manure, in deep ploughing, in
minute pulverization of the soil, in repeated stirring of the soil de-
voted to grain crops and potatoes, comes back with interest.
Similar remarks might be made respecting the choice and treat-
ment of cows and cattle. Great light has been thrown on all these
topics by papers and books, and the farmers of this County begin
to appreciate the value of their instructions.

We have noticed that farming flourishes most in connection with
the Mechanic Arts. These introduce a numerous population,
who furnish a home market for the productions of the farm. In
places where there is no such population, the number of agricul-
turists diminishes by emigration ; the mimber of farms diminishes
while their size increases ; landed property accumulates in fewer
hands ; foreign laborers supply the place of natives ; the number
of persons profitably interested in agriculture becomes smaller, and
the towns lose both wealth and influence. We consider it an ad-
vantage to the farmers to have so many flourishing, mechanical
and manufacturing estabhshments as now exist in this County.
They furnish the farmers with inducements to cultivate the land in
a better manner, to keep stock of a superior quality, and to increase
the amount of fruit and vegetables, of milk and butter, for home
consumption. A dense population tends to sustain prices, and to
counterbalance the present increased expense of farming opera-
tions.

We cannot but notice great improvements in the construction of
farm-buiidmgs in different parts of the County. We regard this
as an indication of increased interest as well as success in agricul-
ture, and of more study and reflection upon the best methods of
conducting its operations. Among those recently erected we

52

might specify the barn of B. V. French, Esq., in Braintree, as for
convenience and labor-saving an almost faultless model. Fe^Y
farmers, it is true, need or could afford so expensive a structure ;
but, we would advise all, of whatever means, who intend to build,
to examine Mr. French's barn, because, in our opinion, it is excel-
led bj none in the County.

We would also call the attention of farmers to the improved im-
plements of husbandry and labor-saving machines. This is a mat-
ter of vital consequence. While the price of labor is so high and
the necessity of more thorough cultivation so apparent, it is of the
first importance to obtain the best implements for performing the
work of the farm, and the most approved machinery for saving the
cost of it. The Horse-rake, which, but a few years ago, was re-
garded with ridicule, is now almost indispensable. The Mower
and Reaper, though not yet fitted for common use, will, in an im-
proved form, be of invaluable benefit and saving to every large
farmer. The Sub-soil or Sub-sod Plough, once having small favor,
is now fast gaining friends and advocates by its usefulness, Otlier
improved implements are brought into notice by the inventors or
sellers of them ; and we recommend the examination and trial of
them wherever they can be had.

We believe that a new impulse has been given to agriculture
among us by the formation of our Society. By its meetings,
shows, premiums and reports, — by the intelligence it combines
and diffuses, — by the enterprise of its leading members, — by the
improvements it has suggested or made in the quality of stock and
swine, it has fully justified its existence and merited the encomiums
it receives from every quarter. It is instrumental in inducing men
of wealth and energy to remove from the cities into the country, —
men, who by their means and efforts, contribute largely towards
carrying forward the noble Art which feeds the world. It is doing
much in redeeming agriculture from the charge of empiricism, and
advancing it, through its transitional states, towards the character
of a perfected science.

Such are some of the reflections suggested by our recent obser-
vations. There is no evidence that the value of agricultural pur-
suits in Norfolk County has depreciated. On the contrary, it
may safely be asserted, that, taking the whole body of farmers
together, there has been no time, within our remembrance, when

58

their labor was better paid, or enabled them to enjoy more of the
comforts of life, or to give a better education to tlicir children.
A very few get rich ; fe^ver still absolutely fail ; while the many
support themselves and families in all the essentials of comfort and
respectability. Can more be said of any other calling ?

We consider it to be within the scope of our commission to point
out errors and deficiencies as well as excellencies. It was our
design to do both more minutely and specifically than we are now
able to do. One or two instances have attracted our particular
notice, and are of common occurrence.

Farmers here, as elsewhere, attempt the cultivation of too many
acres with inade(iuate means. Large farms cannot be profitably
cultivated without large capital. Both labor and fertilizing mat-
ters are lost by expanding them over too large a surface. IMany
an acre in this County might be made to yield double the returns
now obtained from two acres cultivated in the usual way, and at
much less expense. No error is more common, and none is, at
this time, more hurtful to the farmer, than the endeavor to realize
greater "profits from many, than from few, acres.

Comparatively few farmers hnoiv the value of their business, or
the amount bestowed upon and taken from the land. This results
from the fact that they do not keep full and accurate accounts ;
and, of course, do not know what farming costs nor what it yields.
A manufacturer of cotton cloth knows, to a mill, what a yard of
cloth costs. Where the profits are small, it concerns him all the
more to know this. Few farmers know what a pound of pork or
butter costs, or what amount of hay and grain is required to make
a hundred Aveight of beef. They can make a tolerably good
guess ; but an exact system of farm accounts would go a great way
towards determining such questions ; and, of course, towards set-
thng the matter of the profitableness or unprofitableness of their
business. Indeed, there is no other way by which a farmer can
tell whether his plan of operations is judicious and profitable, and
wherein it is defective. As the merchant, at the close of the year,
takes an account of stock, charges himself with the interest of his
capital, expenses, bad debts, losses, &c., and credits his business
with goods on hand, profits, debts due, &c., so should the farmer,
if he would understand precisely the value of his operations. Such
a practice would tend to establish habits of order and economy,

54

and furnish an additional source of interest in every operation
connected with farming.

"We have in mind an instance of such method and exactness of
farm accounts by a young farmer in this County, -which revealed
to us, at once, the secret of his apparent success. His example
affords a rebuke to many, and an incitement to all. So important
to the farmer is the habit of keeping exact accounts, that we re-
commend to the Society to withhold any premium, which would
otherwise be given to an individual, whose accounts do not show the
cost of the article presented for premium.

In connection with the cost of agricultural productions, the ques-
tion is suggested, why do we so seldom hear of apprentices to
farmers ? Is it because a knowledge of farming comes by nature ?
Or, because young men think that the time spent in apprenticeship
would be lost ? The present unusually high prices paid for igno-
rant and inefficient help would seem to indicate a different conclu-
sion. We pay too much for what life and interest our common
foreign laborers exhibit, — too much for what is actually done, — too
much in proportion to the (prices of what we sell from the farm.
And as in all departments of manufacturing and mechanical pur-
suits, skilled labor is found to be most profitable to the employer,
may we not presume that such would be the case in farming, most
profitable and most satisfactory to all parties ? If this presump-
tion is just, it would justify some of our enterprising young men in
apprenticing themselves to the best farmers and gardeners, with a
view to become thoroughly acquainted with the business as both
an art and a science. We believe that ultimately they would be
gainers by this course, — would find steady and remunerating em-
ployment. Calls are now occasionally made for well quahfied
young men to manage market-gardening estabhshments and large
farms. And if such calls could be satisfactorily answered, no
doubt they would be multiplied. With the increased interest now
felt in agriculture in this vicinity, and the number of wealthy men
engaged in it, there must be a growing demand for skilled labor.
And would not such labor on a farm be as honorable as selhng
tape from behind a counter, and as profitable, in the long run, as
mining in California ? Besides, it would tend to raise and improve
the character of all farming labor, — to make it as reputable as it
is indispensable. By the example and success of a few leading

r>o

men, school teaching has been elevated to the rank and pay of a
learned profession, and the eminent teacher takes his position
among the foremost classes of society. Farming demands learning
and talents, and will reward them. They will convert it from an
empirical trade to a noble and dignified pursuit ; and it will crown
them with riches and honor. Our Society will have gone a great
way towards fulfilUng the wishes of its enlightened founders, when
it shall persuade young men to devote to agriculture years of
earnest and serious study, — when thought shall be wedded to
labor, — Avhen science appUed to the cultivation of the soil shall
redeem from immerited contempt one of the most useful of human
employments.

For the Committee,

JOHN M. MERRICK.

REPORT ON HORSES.

The Committee have the pleasure to report, — That a much

larger number of horses have been offered for exhibition than any

previous year, and that there is a manifest improvement in the

quality of the stock exhibited.

They have awarded the following premiums, &c. : —

To E. C. Brooks, of Dedham, for the best stallion, . $10.00
Messrs. Gilson, of West Cambridge, Lawrence, of
, and a stranger from Vermont, exhibited su-
perior stallions, but not being residents of the County
were not entitled to awards.

To Joseph Fisher, of West Dedham, for a pair of horses,
combining the properties of carriage and work horses, a
premium of ....... . 6.00

To Thomas Adams, of Roxbury, for a pair of carriage

horses, a gratuity of . . . . . . . 6.00

To Charles Sampson, of West Roxbury, for a pair of car-
riage horses, a diploma.

To J. W. Clark, of Dedham, for a pair of carriage horses,
a diploma.

56

To E. B. Parker, of Wrentliam, for a pair of excellent team

horses, a diploma.
To Joseph H. Bilhngs, of West Roxbury, for the best single

carriage horse, a premium of .... . 3.00
To Leonard Ware, of Roxburj, for a superior brown mare,

a gratuity of ....... . 3.00

To Wm. M. Stedman, of Needham, for a fine white geld-
ing, a gratuity of . . . . . . .2.00

To Dr. Henry F. Spear, of Dedham, for a five year old

black mare, a diploma.
To Thomas Adams, of Roxbury, for a bay Morgan gelding,

a diploma.
To Joseph H. Billings, of West Roxbury, for the best four

year old colt, a premium of .... . 6.00
To Dr. S. S. Whitney, of Dedham, for the best three year

old colt, a premium of . . . . . .6.00

To James W. Hucldns, of Squantum, for the best two year

old colt, a premium of ..... . 3.00

To John Fussell, of Roxbury, for a superior two year old

colt, a gratuity of 2.00

To B. W. Worley, of West Roxbury, for a two year old

colt, a gratuity of 1.00

To Joseph H. Billings, of West Roxbury, for a two year

old colt, a diploma.
To Joseph H. Bilhngs, of West Roxbury, for the best one

year old colt, a premium of 2.00

To John Fussell, of Roxbury, for a superior one year old

colt, a gratuity of 1.00

To A. W. Austin, of West Roxbury, for the best brood

mare and colt, a premium of 7.00

To C. L. Cunningham, of Milton, for the second best brood

mare and colt, a premium of .... . 5.00
To E. T. Everett, of Wrentham, for a brood mare and colt,

a diploma.
To Thomas Adams, of Roxbury, for a brood mare and colt,

a diploma.
Mr. John Fussell, of Roxbury, exhibited an excellent

brood mare, 19 years old.

57

To John Morgan, of West Dcdham, for the best farm liorsc,

a premhim of . . . . . . . . 6.00

To C. L. Cunningham, of Milton, for a good farm horse, a

diploma.

Our venerable friend, Elijah Tucker, of Milton, exhibited his
venerable sorrel farm horse, now 32 years old, looking even more
vigorous than last year, and apparently renewing his youth.

For the Committee,

JOSEPH L. BRIGHAM.

Iloxhury^ Oct. 2d, 1854.

REPORT ON LADIES' WORK.

The Committee on Ladies' Work have attended to the duty as-
signed them, and report : —

That the articles offered for exhibition and premium are very
much handsomer than those offered the preceding two years. They
would particularly mention the worsted embroidery of Miss Whit-
tier, of Dorchester, and award her a gratuity of $2.

To Amanda M. Thompson, of Dedham, for an embroidered
blanket, a gratuity of 75 cts.

To Hannah Endicott, of Canton, and Master E. W. Colburn, of
West Dedham, a gratuity of 75 cts. each, for embroidery.

To Mrs. Crawshaw, of Roxbury, a premium of $2.00 is awarded
for a beautifully made pair of ladies' gaiter boots.

To Miss M. J. Hobson, of Milton, for a silk patch quilt, the
Society's diploma.

To Mrs. Mary Farmer, of Roxbury, Mrs. Stevens, of Medway,
and Mrs. Richardson, of do,, each a gratuity of 50 cts.

To Miss Mary Quincy, of Dedham, for stockings neatly darned,
a premium of $2.00.

The Committee regi'et that but one specimen of mending should
have been offered, and they award a high premium for that, hoping
to induce ladies to exercise their taste and ingenuity m future more
equally between useful and merely ornamental articles.

To Miss Hannah Endicott, of Canton, a gratuity of 75 cts. for

58

one boy's cap and several pairs infants' shoes, they being the only
ones of the kind ofifered.

To Miss Gallagher, of Canton, aged seven years, a premium of
50 cts. for pencil drawings.

To Mrs. Marchant, of Needham, a diploma, for wax flowers.

To Miss A. E. Drayton, of Dedham, a gratuity of 50 cts. each,
for two embroidered skirts.

The Exhibition was indebted for a variety of contributions to
Mrs. Geo. Alden, Mrs. Sumner, Mrs. Wood, and Miss M. E.
Fisher, of Dedham ; Mrs. Atherton, of Dorchester ; Miss C. L.
Smith, of Sharon ; Miss Chandler, of Canton ; Mrs. Ludden, of
Braintree, and Miss Atwood, of Franklm.

The knit socks of Mrs. Farrington, of South Dedham, would
have obtained a premium had they been sent in on Tuesday, the
day before the fair ; and in this connection your Committee would
say, that several articles were brought in on Wednesday, the
morning of the fair, some of which were very beautiful and de-
serving premiums, but being too late to come within the prescribed
rule, no awards could be made for them.

The Committee have decided, however, to allow a gratuity of
|1.00 to Miss Clarissa Eaton, of Dorchester, for a monochromatic
drawing, and four leather work picture frames, one of which was
the most beautiful of the kind exhibited.

The Committee have great pleasure in noticing several articles,
both of utility and beauty, contributed by venerable ladies of from
80 to 90 years of age, and they regret that it was not in their
power to award premiums for the same, none having been oflfered
for that particular description of work in the list of awards.

Your Committee beg leave to refer to the following instructions
from the Board of Directors, for the future guidance of contribu-
tors : —

" It should be understood that in this department of ladies'
■^york — while other things will receive due consideration — the pre-
miums are intended solely for new made articles, w^hich are really
useful or particularly beautiful, such as Garments of every de-
scription, Bonnets, Caps, Children's Clothes, Knitting, Mending,
Patching, Darning, &c.. Painting, Drawing, and Desigmng,
Models in wood, plaster or marble, &c. &c."

Your Committee Avould also remind contributors that " all arti-

59

cles entered for premium should be delivered to the Committee
on the day before the fair."

It cannot be expected that all will receive premiums, as it
should be borne in mind, that in many instances several articles of
the same description are oflcred, and it by no means follows that
because an article fails to receive an award, it w^as not worthy of
consideration, as your Committee were often at a loss to decide
between the diflferent points of merit presented.

For the Committee.

REPORT ON WARES OF GLASS, IRON, &c.

The Committee report, that their attention was called to sundry
entries, which they dispose of as follows, viz. : —

No. 1. John C. Hewins, of Dorchester, offered Horse-Shoes
and Ox-Shoes, of good workmanship ; two sets of Horse-Shoes
were creased and punched in the ordinary manner. One shoe, of
fine form, was punched with oval countersunk holes for the nails,
a peculiarity which we were happy to notice here ; having long
since proved the superiority of that mode of nailing, in its retention
of the shoe to the foot, under the most unfavorable circumstances.

The Ox-Shoes were of the wide or full-soled variety, having
nail holes of similar construction, and being in accordance with the
mode now adopted in the veterinary estabhshments of England and
the continent. We feel a satisfaction in presenting these to the
notice of the community, and award a premium of $1.00.

No. 2. G. W. Corbett, of Jamaica Plain, offered one Horse-
Shoe, of very fine form and workmanship. Gratuity of 50 cts.

No. 3. E. C. Wilder, of Dorchester, a set of Horse-Shoes, too
highly pohshed.

No. 4. J. R. Paine, of Dover, two fine Husk Collars, good
and useful articles ; should be more used. A gratuity, 50 cts.

No. 5. J. R. Welcome, of Dedham, sLx Stoves ; neat, useful,
and ornamental articles, combining the cooking with the parlor
arrangements. A premium, $2.00.

No. 6. H. L. & W. C. Clapp, of Sharon, Patent Crockery

60 a

Ware, made by C. Cartllclge & Co., Long Island, N. Y., at prices
less than imported Ware of equal quality. Messrs. Clapps, the
Agents, exhibited Tea and Table Sets, Door Plates, Escutcheons, ■
Bell-Pulls, Knobs, Letters and Figures for Signs, and other use-
ful and ornamental articles of elegant workmanship and extraor-
dinary strength and tenacity. Diploma.

No. 7. Timothy Walker, of HoUiston, a Washing Machine of
superior construction ; besides the rubbing board, it has the wiper
of the fulling mill, operated by a hand lever acting on a toggle-
joint ; simple — efficient. Price ^10. Diploma.

No. 8. Martin C. Forest, Foxborough, a Gold-mounted Hick-
ory Cane, a beautiful crooked stick. Gratuity, 50 cts.

No. 9. James Daniels, East Medway, a lot of plain and
mounted walnut Whip Stocks. Although Mr. Daniels is blind,
your Committee must have been more than blind had they not no-
ticed the fine proportion and the beautiful curvilinear taper of those
Stocks, wliich would put to the blush many who had served their
time at the bench. The finish also was such, that we finish with —
a diploma.

No. 10. Chase, Brothers, Boston, exhibited Iron Railing,
Fence, Settees, Posts, Tree Guards, Busts, Images, Vases, Ani-
mals, &c., useful and ornamental — well executed. A diploma.

No. 11. Timothy Phelps, Dedham, Hats ; of a quality worthy
the heads of taller men than we are.

No. 12. Boyden & Co., South Dedham, Cabinet Work ; had
it been offered in season, it would have been more distinctly no-
ticed.

No. 13. Perforated, or Lace-work Mahogany Veneers — well
done.

No. 14. John Mears, of Dorchester, exhibited a Machine for
wringing Clothes, applicable to any tub, with which a child of ten
years can wring a sheet or blanket. Price $1.25. Has been
used and approved.

No. 15. John Mears, Dorchester, exhibited a lot of Cast Mal-
leable Iron Horse-Shoes, new, and in various stages of wear, as
taken from the hoof, designed for frosting, sharp all round — pre-
vent balling, and give the horse a firm tread — having counter-
sunk nail holes, and may be bent to the form of the foot. Price,
per set, 75 cts. Have been used and approved.

Gl

Your Committee urge the expediency of contributors making
the entries, and exhibiting their articles on or before 12 o'clock,
M. of the first day ; being present with the Committee during the
afternoon, and handing in to them a written description of each
article, its peculiarities and advantages, its cost or selling price —
thus aiding the Committee in making up their report in a satisfac-
tory manner — advancing the interest of the contributor, and
affording information to the community.
Respectfully submitted,

JOHN HEARS, Per Order.

Dorchester, Sept. 28, 1854.

REPORT ON BEES.

Your Committee on Bees report : —

That owing to the want of a premium, or some other cause to
us unknown, there is a great apathy among bee ow^ners in present-
ing any thing for our consideration. And yet agriculturally,
pomologically, scientifically, or si(/7iCologically considered, we
might suppose many would ivax warm upon the subject. The
raising of buckwheat or white clover in preference to other gi^ains
or other grasses, may depend on the prior question, whether one
intends to keep bees or not. And this gives the subject its agri-
cultural aspect.

The raising of thin-skinned peaches and juicy pears in prefer-
ence to such as are woolly as serge, or have a skin like the rhi-
noceros, may depend on whether one keeps bees or not. And
that gives it i\ie pomological aspect. The celM^r membrane of a
hive, for the secretion of honey, gives it the scientific aspect.
And the looking for a heavy produce in the cells, and discovering
simply the depredations of the bee-moth, presents the sif/hcological
aspect, not to mention certain regrets incident to an awkward
handling of the insects. A full and candid treatise on the bee is
a desideratum yet. We want to know all the facts. Our friend,
Dr. Eddy, has not discussed the subject in reference to the injury
of fruit, on which the pubhc's mind is distressingly divided. It has
been declared bees tvill tiot injure fruit, and we verily believe they

9

62

will not injure the shagbark nor the watermelon, any more than
they would hurt a horseshoe or a gutta percha walking-stick. But
if the fellows will not revel in a Bolmar Washington Plum, or a
Bartlett Pear, then our eyes and ears, and fingers too, have de-
ceived us. We might as well say (some of us think) that a cow
will not meddle with vegetables in the garden, because she does
not graze tomato plants ; or that a yeoman does not like fruit be-
cause he refuses olives, as that a bee does no mischief because it
does not do every conceivable kind of mischief, on every conceiv-
able kind of fruit.

But we are not writing a prize essay, and therefore return to
the exhibition itself, to express our opinion of what we saw in your
exhibition hall.

We saw Dr. Eddy's Protective Beehive and Dr. Eddy himself,
and Mr. W. S. Damrell's bees in the hive, and some beautiful
drawers of honey, belonging either to the bees or Mr. Damrell, as
sound ethics may determine. We heard the statements of the
Doctor concerning the hive, and are prepared conscientiously to
say, that we believe he has accomplished a work in which all
others have failed, that of protecting the bee from the moth. No
intelligent miller would attempt an invasion. Every joint is se-
cured— or, if by an inadvertence one little crevice is exposed, he
could penetrate no further than a Jew can penetrate the mosque
of Omar. He might perchance smell the honey, but to reach it is
a stubborn impossibility. Furthermore, the Doctor has provided
for a most judicious ventilation, and equalizing the temperature of
the hive, well adapted to preserve the operatives in an amiable
spirit and excite them to an exemplary diligence, — two objects to
be attained in respect to other hives.

We think Mr. Damrell's bees did creditably and profitably, and
presented an interesting feature of your exhibition, and we think
also that the whole subject of raising honey is yet open to discus-
sion, experiment, and the estabhshing of facts. We have not
altered, however, but rather cling more tenaciously to our opinion,
that ambitious fruit-growers may observe caution in regard to the
bee enterprise.

We make these strictures, however, as applicable to Norfolk
County and those around Boston particularly, and not applicable
to our Central or Western Counties.

63

The bee loves tlie clover field (the white clover) as the hum-
ming bird loves the honeysuckle, and will forsake many a fruit
and many a flower for a sip out of the chalice of the clover. It
loves also the buckwheat, and when the field is fair and beautiful
with its blossoms, your ear may catch the constant hum of the bee
in drowsy sweetness, lulling the senses into quietude and peace.
Raise your honey where the clover and the wheat fields abound,
and it will have amber clearness and save your Bolmars, your
Gages, your Bartletts, and your patience.

For the Committee,

L. B. BABCOCK, Chairman.

Dedham, October 6, 1854.

-*-

REPORT ON HEDGES.

The desire to combine the pleasing with the useful, to surround
one's self with objects which are agreeable to the eye and gratify
a refined taste, naturally springs up and strengthens in the breast,
as man advances in intellectual culture. A perfectly plain edifice
may answer the bare wants of natiu'e, may keep out wind and
rain ; but if a little architectural beauty can be secured, or a
little ornament be added, without a sacrifice of convenience,
something is gained in point of rational enjoyment. So in the
disposition and management of grounds, — grace, proportion, har-
mony, and variety of beautiful forms, secured by the introduction
of clumps of well-chosen trees and shrubs, and in other ways, arc
deserving of attention, not only as furnishing an innocent plea-
sure, but as tending to refine and elevate the mind and feelings.
The arrangements of a farm, even, should give evidence of a
regard to something beyond and above the mere coarser wants of
existence.

A well set and well kept hedge combines, in an eminent de-
gree, the two elements of utility and beauty. To an American,
the green hedges of old England constitute one of the most pleas-
ing features in the landscape of that country, so fresh and beau-
tiful. Your Committee rejoice to believe that there is a growing

64

appreciation of their advantages, and an increased attention to
their culture among ourselves.

The abundance and cheapness of materials suitable for walls
and fences, with other considerations, will long prevent our farms
from exhibiting the tasteful appearance of those of the mother
country, which have enjoyed the benefits of centuries of culture
and improvement. Still we have ornamental grounds, and wealth
will seek more and more to diffuse itself over the surface of our
soil in creations of beauty as well as of utility. The taste for rural
occupations and enjoyment of the pleasant airs of the country,
will lead to improvements both attractive to the eye and dear to
the affections. There is no reason why the beauty of a green and
well cut hedge, taking the place of ugly walls and fences, should
be overlooked, and it will not be. Foliage is always beautiful,
and the eye seeks it and rests upon it Avith delight.

In the discharge of the duty assigned them, your Committee
have visited the grounds of two gentlemen, — Capt. Daniel C.
Baoon, of Jamaica Plain, and C. B. Shaw, Esq., of Dedham.
The hedges on these grounds have been all under the care of Mr.
Robert Watt, and bear evidence of his peculiar taste and skill.
Your Committee took great pleasure in visiting both these places.
On both, the hedges exceed the length of one thousand feet, re-
quired for a premium.

The materials used by Capt. Bacon for his hedges, are the
buckthorn, the privet or prim, and the arbor vitae. For divis-
ion lines between lots, or contiguous grounds, the privet forms a
very pretty and graceful hedge. Its small, delicate leaves, often
thickly set, are pleasing to the eye, and have the advantage of
remaining on the stem and preserving their verdure longer than
those of most plants or shrubs. In parts of England the privet is
an evergreen, and even here it is not uncommon for branches
which lie near the ground, Avhere they are well protected, to re-
tain their verdure unimpaired through the winter. In setting the
hedge to Avhich we refer, Capt. Bacon used alternately a plant of
the privet and one of the buckthorn. But notwithstanding the
vigorous and hardy character of the buckthorn, the privet now
prevails, and at the time of the visit of your Committee, (the 16th
of October,) very httle of the fohage of the buckthorn was visible,

65

but the leaves of the privet clothed the whole surface -with a soft,
delicate green. The hedge, Avhich is extensive, is five years old.

The plants of the privet maj be obtained at very little expense
from England, or may be raised from the seed, or from slips, —
the better method of the two. The only objection, of which Ave
are aware, to the use of this material for hedges, is, that, in cer-
tain positions, the plant, though in the main very hardy, is, from
some cause, subject to occasional blight or injury. It thrives in
almost any soil ; but dry, hot situations are least friendly to its
healthy growth and vigor.

Very fine specimens of buckthorn hedges may be seen in Ded-
hara and elsewhere in the County ; but to give a detailed notice
of them Avould be impossible Avithin the limits prescribed for this
report. The attention of your Committee has been directed par-
ticularly to hedges of the arbor vitte, which possess some very
decided advantages over all others. They are beautiful through
the year. In Avinter, it is true, they lose their decidedly green
color and assume a slightly broAvnish tint. But still they are
beautiful, Avhile the buckthorn, with the loss of its foliage, loses
its whole beauty. There are fcAv objects in ornamental grounds
on which the eye lingers with more pleasure than on the thick,
massive, and seemingly impenetrable foliage of a Avell cut arbor
vitae hedge.

It is an advantage attending this material, too, that the plants
can be readily trained to any height almost one chooses, from that
of the common hedge, to fifteen or twenty feet, or more, Avhen a
screen of that height is needed to conceal objects unsightlj^ to the
eye. Careful and proper clipping, however, is necessary, whetlier
the plants stand alone, or are grouped in clusters, or arranged in
the line of a hedge, else the branches will grow straggling and
lose a great part of their beauty.

A hedge of arbor A^itse, is, of course, subject to injury from
cattle, Avhich must be carefully kept from it. From its delicacy
and susceptibility to injury, too, it does not ansAver Avell on the
road-side, Avhere passers by are liable thoughtlessly to pluck
branches from it, thus making holes, or giving it a ragged appear-
ance, from Avhich it may be some years in recovering.

There is no particular difficulty in rearing an arbor vitae hedge,
if it can be secured against depredation from the horns of cattle

6Q

and from human hands. The tree is very tenacious of life, and
the expense of setting and rearing the hedge is very httle greater
than is required to rear one of other materials, the buckthorn or
prim for example. It was formerly thought that the plants,
which may be obtained in abundance from the forests of New
Hampshire and Maine, must be transferred from the forest to the
nursery before being used for a hedge. But experience shows,
that if taken up and packed Avith due care, this is unnecessary.
Hedges formed from plants brought directly from the forest, will
succeed very well Avith proper treatment.

Capt. Bacon has a large extent of arbor vitae hedge reared
from plants, brought, we believe, directly from the forest six
years ago. It borders on an avenue, from which it is separated
by a bank wall, which secures it against depredation or injury, and
on approaching the residence of the proprietor, it forms a very
attractive object to the eye. Captain Bacon has in all 1,949 feet
of hedge.

To the beauty of Mr. Shaw's hedge of arbor vitae, all who have
seen it will bear testimony. It Avas begun five years ago, the
plants being taken from a nursery ; and nothing could be more
successful. It stands on the edge of a beautiful laAvn which
spreads before his house, and is graceful in its form, presenting
easy curves, on which the eye dAvells Avith peculiar satisfaction.
Mr. ShaAv's hedge, in a continuous hne, consisting of arbor vitae
and buckthorn, is 1,100 feet, besides Avhich he has another piece
of arbor vita3 hedges of some length.

Your Committee can bestoAV unqualified commendation on both
these hedges. But the task of assigning a premium in the case,
is a someAvhat invidious one ; and as the Society offer a first
premium of $10.00 and a second of $5.00, your Committee
Avould recommend that these premiums be divided, and $7.50 be
aAvarded to Mr. Shaw, and the same sum to Capt. Bacon.

Your Committee have a high opinion of Mr. Watt, as a practical
gardener. His taste and skill in the management of hedges of
different kinds, are indisputable ; in testimony of Avhich your
Committee recommend that he receive a diploma of the Society,
All Avhich is respectfully submitted.
For the Committee,

DedJiam, Nov. 16, 1854. EBEN WIGHT, Chairmmi.

67

kp:port on roots and vegetables.

The collection of roots and vegetables was not so large as on
some former occasions, caused probably by the long and unusual
drought of the past summer ; still some of the finest individual
specimens of vegetable growth were exhibited. No applications
were made for premiums on root culture that Avould come within
the rules laid down by the Society. Some very fine carrots were
exhibited by Mrs. Wood, of Dcdham. Your Committee awarded
the premium of $5.00, for the best conducted experiment in
raising autumnal marrow squashes and winter crooked necked
squashes, to E. Stone, Esq., of Dcdham. There were very hand-
some specimens of squashes from Wm. Davenport, and also from
David A. Baker, of Dedham, and B. N. Sawin, of Dover ; also a
remarkable variety exhibited by INIr. Amos W. Stetson, being a
cross of the mari-ow and Cuba sipiash ; fine Valparaiso squashes
from Mr. Silas Gay, of Sharon, and four varieties from A. C.
Kollock, of Canton.

Two very large, various and excellent collections of vegetables
were exhibited by B. V. French, Esq., of Braintree, and by Mr.
C. A. He-wins, of West Roxbury. Your Committee awarded to
Mr. French, for the best variety of garden vegetables, the first
premium of the silver cup, and the second premium to Mr.
Hewins.

For the Committee,

JAMES M. BOBBINS, Chairman.

REPORT ON SHEEP.

The Committee on sheep having attended to the duty assigned
them, award to A^Taiting Grant, of Wrentham, the first premiinn
of $5.00, for his flock of six sheep, his being the only flock
offered for premium.

TRUMAN CLARKE, Chairman.

68

REPORTS ON PLOUGHING.

DOUBLE TEAMS.

L. & J. E. Eaton, of Declham, first premium, . . $10.00

B. V. French, of Braintree, second premium, . . 8.00

H. & M. Whiting, of Dedham, third premium, . . 6.00

Timothy Tucker, of Milton, fourth premium, . . 4.00

KALPH SANGER, Chairman.

SINGLE TEAMS.

Henry Goulding, of Dover, first premium, . . . $8.00
L. & J. E. Eaton, of Dedham, second premium, . 7.00

Benjamin V. French, of Braintree, third premium, . 6.00

For the Committee,

LUTHER EATON, Chairman.

HORSE TEAMS.

The Committee on ploughing mth Horse Teams respectfully sub-
mit the following report : —

There were six teams entered ; but one of the competitors, not
owning his team, was struck from the list, as the regulations of
the Society require competitors to own their teams, and enter
them in their own names. And in awarding premiums, your
Committee consider it to be their duty to conform strictly to the
rules of the Society ; and after a careful examination of the
ploughing, which was all done well, they award the premiums as
follows : —
To Hiram W. Jones, of Dover, with Ruggles, Nourse &

Mason's plough, the first premium of . . . $8.00
To Benjamin V. French, of Braintree, with Prouty k

Mears's plough, the second premium of . . . 6.00

60

To E. B. Parker, of Wrentbam, -with Ruggles, Noursc &

Mason's plough, the third premium of . . . 4.00
To D. F. INIann, of Dover, with Ruggles, Nourse & Ma-
son's plough, the fourth premium of . . . 2.00
To Wm. S. Damrell, of Dedham, with lluggles, Nourse

& Mason's plough, a gratuity of . . - . 2.00
For the Committee,

HORATIO N. GLOVER, Chairman.
Quincy^ Nov. 12, 1854.

REPORT ON BREAD.

The Committee on Bread respectfully report, that they have
attended to the duty assigned them, and have awarded the follow-
ing premiums : —

For the best loaf of Wheat Bread, the first premium of three
dollars, to Mrs. Wm. Jameson, of West Roxbury.

For the second best Wheat Loaf, the second premium of two
dollars, to Mrs. B. Newell, of Dover.

For the Bread made of Wheat and Indian offered, they have
awarded a second premium of two dollars, to Mrs. A. Newell, of
Needhara.

For the best loaf of Rye and Indian Bread, they award the first
premium of three dollars, to Mrs. A. ISTew^ell, of Needham.

For the next best loaf of Rjq and Indian Bread, the second
premium of two dollars, to Mrs. Sarah S. KoUock, of Canton.
All which is respectfully submitted.

EDMUND QUINCY, Oliairman.

REPORT ON SPADING.

The Committee on Spading, report : —

The number of entries were nuic. Your Committee see decided
improvements from year to year in the execution and finish of the
work, and consider thaft of the present year very well done.

10

70

They award the

1st premium to Patrick Igoe, Dorchester,

2d " Peter Ford, North Wrentham,

3d " Timothy Hickey, Dorchester,

4th " David Gleason, Dedham,

5th " Dennis Doody, Dorchester, .

6th " David Scanlan, Dedham,

7th " Wm. Hickey, Dorchester,

8th " Thomas Smith, North Wrentham,

SAM'L DOWNER, of Dorchester, Chairman.
SAMUEL ELLIS
A. D. WELD, \ Committee.
JON. FRENCH,

$8.00
7.00
6.00
6.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00

REPORT ON GRAIN CROPS.

The Committee on Grain Crops report only five entries of In-
dian corn. Many excellent fields of this staple production have
been grown in various parts of the County, but the severe drought
BO discouraged the farmers as to deter them from entering their
fields for premium. We know of several lots that yielded, with
one exception, crops fully equal to those to which premiums were
assigned, that were not entered. We are happy to state that the
drought was less injurious than had been anticipated. The crop,
though smaller than that of last year, is fully an average one ;
and on good land well cultivated, amply repays the labor and ex-
pense bestowed upon it. We are aware of diversities of opinion
respecting the profitableness of Indian corn, some farmers having
discontinued raising it on account of its small returns, — others
afiirming that it is less profitable than grass, — others that it is the
best crop they raise. A distinguished farmer grows no corn, be-
cause in former trials he could get no more than sixty bushels from
an acre ! Others are satisfied with forty as a remunerating yield.
We believe that on this subject most farmers have yet much to
learn, especially in regard to what the yield may be when the
land is properly prepared and cultivated. We apprehend that
few knoiv what their grain crop costs ; at least their knowledge is

71

so indefinite as to furnish no satisfactory opinion of its profitable-
ness. By this we mean that they keep no exact account of their
expenditures. The corn in the bin speaks for itself; but how
much the land is worth, how much is spent for labor, how much
for manure, what is the value of the stover ; these have scarcely
ever been accurately ascertained. And without this knowledge it
is impossible to determine what the corn costs. One farmer says
that corn may be raised in Norfolk for fifty cents a bushel ; another
that a dollar will hardly cover the expense. But neither know
what it does cost for want of a system of farm accounts. The dif-
ference in their opinions looks very much as if they contented
themselves with guessing. Some of our most judicious farmers,
however, assure us in general terms, that nothing pays better than
corn, both in the crop itself and in the preparation of the land for
grass. We have found the most favorable opinion on this subject
in men who have taken the most pains, who have expended the
most labor and money, who have ploughed deep and manured well,
who have kept their land in the best condition. They certainly
are the most competent judges. They observe that method of
cultivation, which in other thmgs pays a good interest. No satis-
factory inference against the profitableness of this crop can be
drawn from the results of careless or superficial culture.

We are happy to observe that the spirit of improvement notice-
able in other departments of agriculture, has reached the cultiva-
tion of corn ; that more inquiries are made as to the best methods
of proceeding ; that greater attention is paid to the selection of
seed ; a very important point, and one that hitherto has been much
neglected ; that the relative values of difierent varieties are care-
fully considered ; that manure is more generally spread and
ploughed in, while the quantity is increased and the quality im-
proved ; that high hilling is more discountenanced ; that frequent
stirring of the land by the cultivator and hoe is behoved to be the
surest preventive against the effects of long-continued drought ;
and that the old prejudice in favor of the widest distance between
the rows is abating. The consequence is, that greater crops are
raised from the same extent of land, and the question of profitable-
ness is brought nearer to a definite solution. Some of the most
rigidly conservative farmers admit that probably the highest results
are not yet attained, and that the time may comQ, when with bet-

72

ter knowledge applied to the culture of corn, eighty bushels may
be grown upon the acre that now yields forty or fifty. It will
then be found that no more profitable field crop is raised in New
England. J. M. MERRICK.

Premiums awarded as follows, viz. : —

To Philemon Ruggles, of Milton, the first premium of $8.00

To B. N. Sawin, of Dover, the second premium of . 5.00

To WilHam Pierce, of Needham, the third premium of 3.00

MR. SAWIN'S STATEMENT.

The field entered by me for premium measures one acre and
three quarters. Though lying in one lot, jet for purposes of cul-
tivation it may be considered as divided into two parts, one contain-
ing an acre, the other three quarters of an acre. The acre lot
was in corn in 1853. In December last, I carted on to it 3J
cords of compost manure from the barn-cellar, and ploughed it in.
In May, I carted on 3| cords of unfermonted manure, spread and
ploughed it in, — putting no manure in the hill. The other lot was
ploughed in November last, with Prouty k Mears' No. 36 plough.
In May, I harrowed across the furrows. I used 4| cords of un-
fermented manure, putting it all in the hill. On the whole field
the furrows for planting were two feet six inches apart each way
from the centre. Commenced planting the small, eight-rowed,
yellow corn, on the 24th of May, putting four or five kernels in a
hill. A cultivator was passed between the rows before hoeing.
The corn was hoed twice. The surface of the ground was left
level. I should have said before, that the ground was ploughed
eight inches deep. The stalks were cut the first week in Sep-
tember. On the 7th of October, Messrs. Sawyer and Merrick
selected one rod, which was considered a fair sample of the field.
The corn when shelled measured sixteen quarts, and weighed
twenty-seven pounds. At 56 pounds to the bushel (the Society's
standard) this would give 77f bushels per acre.

The expense of the crop was as follows, riz. : —

73

Interest on value of land, .

$5.25

Taxes, ....

54

3| cords of manure, at $4.00 .

14.00

8 " " " 5.00 .

40.00

Carting and applying manure, .

14.12

Piougliing and harrowing,

4.50

Furrowing and i)lanting, .

4.75

Seed, 21 quarts.

84

Crow line round the field.

12

Cultivating and hoeing.

7.17

Cutting and binding stalks,

4.00

Harvesting,

9.00

Cost,

. S104.29

The value of the crop is as follows, viz. :-
Stalks,. .... $11.44
Husks, .... 13.50
Half of the manure unspent, 27.00
135 bushels of corn, . . 135.00

Subtract the cost.

186.94
104.29

Leaves as profit, . . $82.65 or $47.24 to the acre.

Yours, respectfully,

B. N. Sawin.
Dover, Oct. 21, 1854.

Mr, Sawin afterwards modified his statement by saying, —
" since my statement was made I have finished husking, and find
by actual measurement 232 baskets of sound corn. I have shelled
several baskets, and found them to yield twenty quarts each of
shelled corn, — which result gives 145 bushels on the one acre and
three fourths." B. N. S.

We have examined IMr. Sawin's farm-account books, not only
in reference to this crop but to all his operations, and have the sat-
isfaction of saying that he has the means of knowing exactly what
he expends upon his farm, and what he receives from it. His
practice in this is worthy of imitation by every farmer in the
County.

74

MR. WILLIAM PIERCE'S STATEMENT.

The acre of corn entered by me for premium was in corn last
year. The soil is a light loam. It was ploughed about the first
of May, ten inches deep. On the 20th, spread six cart-loads of
green manure, from 25 to 30 bushels to the load ; ploughed it in
six inches deep, furrowed one way with the plough. The rows
were three feet apart. Put one shovelful of compost manure in
the hill. Planted the corn 2| to 3 feet apart in the rows, four or
five kernels to the hill. Ploughed twice between the rows and
hoed twice. Harvested about the middle of October. One rod
was selected by the Committee, which was considered as a fair
sample of the acre. This rod yielded 26} pounds of shelled corn.

Expense of cultivation :

Interest on land, at $80.00,

Ploughing,

Half the manure.

Carting and spreading manure and planting,

Ploughing and hoeing.

Cutting Stalks and harvesting,

Cr. 76| bushels of Corn, at $1.00,
Stalks and Husks,

Needham, Oct. 25, 1854.

•

$4.80

•

3.00

•

15.00

d planting

;, 5.00

•

4.00

•

7.00

$38.80

76.87i

90.871 crop

14.00

38.80 cost

90.871-

$52,071 profit,

Wm. Pierce.

MR. BRECK'S STATEMENT.

The Committee on grain crops have received the following
letters from Mr. Charles Breck, which are considered worth pub-
lishing, inasmuch as they show an extraordinary yield of corn, that
was raised without special efibrt, and with no view to a premium.

Mr. Merrick,

Sir — I promised to send you an account of two extra pieces of
corn, which were raised in my vicinity the present year. The

M

75

first was raised by Messrs. E. and J. Sias on a farm formerly
belonging to II. Inches, Esq. As the land -was rough and rocky,
and as nothing extra "was expected, no particular account was
kept. Noticing that it was more than a usual crop, I requested
Mr. Sias to keep an accurate account of the quantity, which he
did. There were 178 baskets of ears. On the 25th of October
I assisted in weighing some of the shelled corn, and found that a
basket full of cars gave SQ^ lbs. of corn, and lOJ lbs. of cobs.
We then took the same weight of corn on the ear (47 lbs.) and
laid it by itself to dry more, if it would. November 14th I
weighed this same basket of ears and found that it had lost three
pounds. We then shelled the corn, and there were 37 lbs. of
corn and 7 lbs. of cobs, the latter having lost 3| lbs. while the
corn had gauied f lb. I have measured the land, — one acre and
28 rods. At 56 lbs. to the bushel, the yield is 117i-^^, — a frac-
tion over 100 bushels to the acre. The corn was the Plymouth
County, or smutty white. Mr. Sias says, that last year, as the
land was very rough, with many fast rocks, and a part covered
with slate ledge, it was manured very hghtly and yielded a very
small crop ; or as Mr. S. expressed it, " We shghted the corn
and the corn slighted us."

This year we put on seven cords of manure, part from the pig-
gery and part from the barn-yard. The rows were about three
and a half feet apart, hills two and a half feet apart in the rows.
Before we had finished planting, our old manure was gone, and on
one eighth of the field we put into the hills manure green from
the barn-windows. On that part the corn did not come up. We
planted a second time, which greatly reduced the yield, as, being
later, it was more affected by the dry weather, and did not fill out
half as well as the rest. A part of the field for several rods was
a slate ledge, upon which we carted several loads of loam to
cover the corn with. This portion was also much injured by the
dry weather. Considering both of these things, and also that the
dry season must have had a bad effect upon the whole field, and
that the whole field was measured and the whole corn in the field
instead of that from a single rod, and the calculations made from
actual weight, the crop must be regarded as an extra one.

The other field belonged to ]\Ir. J. F. Twombly, and, as you
saw, Avas on the southerly side of Milton Hill. I did not see the

76

corn until after it was harvested. As it lay on the floor it ap-
peared to me so large a crop that I offered to assist in measuring
it and the land. On the 25th of October we measured the whole
except six or eight baskets that were in another place, weighing
one basket in everj ten or fifteen. There were 202 baskets,
which weighed on an average 38| lbs., the basket we used being
a small one. We put one by itself to dry. November 14th I
shelled it and found that the corn weighed 28J lbs. and the cobs
6^ lbs, — the whole having lost 3| lbs. in drying. Adding the
other six baskets, we have 208, which, at 28| lbs. each, would
give 105-ixyis bushels of shelled and dry corn. The land measur-
ing 186 rods, gives 91 bushels to the acre. Of this piece no
particular account was kept, as nothing extra was expected. A
fair lot of manure was used, part in the hill, part ploughed in.
The corn Avas planted in drills, rows from 3 to 3| feet apart, the
kernels about 6 inches apart in the drill; The manure falling
short, a cord of green manure from the j)iggery was put in the
drills on a part of the field. This manure was so strong that the
corn did not come up, and had to be planted over again, and some
of it a third time, which made it late, and consequently there was
a large quantity of pig-corn, 1 should judge 20 or more baskets.
But for this circumstance, the field would, without doubt, have
yielded more than 100 bushels to the acre. If after these, and
the still greater report which you will make of Mr. Ruggles' corn,
any person doubts that 100 bushels can be raised on an acre, I
hope that the next time I have 202 baskets to pick up and move
in one afternoon, he may not only " be there to see," but to help
do the work, and he will probably be satisfied.

Respectfully yours,

Charles Breck.

3Illton, Nov. 15, 1854.

MR. RUGGLES' STATEMENT.

The acre of land entered by me for premium was surveyed by
Mr. Charles Breck. The land was cultivated in one direction
only, tiie seed having been planted in drills, the kernels dropped
six inches apart, alternately on each side. I have found by sev-

77

eral years' experience that tliis is a profitable mode of planting,
provided you have the same nmnber of stocks as if the seed Avere
planted in hills. The rows nm north and south, three and a half
feet apart. I cut out the suckers as food for coavs. I have not
found that cutting the suckers affects the crop materially, unless
the corn is very stout, and then it improves the crop by letting in
more sun. Some farmers imagine that Avhen the sucker is fully
grown, its nutriment returns to the main stock, and so to the ear.
No experiment has satisfactorily proved this point, any more than
that the nutriment which supported a limb, returns to the trunk
when the Umb has decayed. Three fifths of the acre were in corn
last year, the remainder in peas and potatoes. That part which
Avas in corn did as well this year as last. The Avhole was ploughed
in the spring. I spread and ploughed in six cords of common
barn-yard manure, made chiefly by coavs. Then harroAved. After
a fcAv days ploughed again, and let it remain in the fui-row, that it
might lie more loose than it would be if harroAved after the last
jiloughing. I put four cords of manure in the drills, — two of
piggery manure and tAvo of barn-yard mixed together by shovel-
ling over tAvo or three times. Planted on the 18th and 20th of
May, leaAing the soil as Hght as possible over the seed. The seed
Avas soaked three days, and if the corn was sprouted a little, so
much the better. It would get up the sooner. Hoed twice, —
the first time I ploughed, — the last time I only Avent through Avith
the hoe. I cut the suckers soon after the silk appeared, and the
stalks after the corn turned hard. The corn Avas the vaiiety
called smutty white.

Expenses.

Interest on cost of land.
Taxes, .....
Manure, two thirds exhausted, .
Seed, .....
Drawing and spreading manure,
Ploughing and manuring in drills,
Planting and hoeing, eight days, .
Cutting suckers and stalks.
Husking and getting in fodder,

$9.00

1.00

31.67

75

4.00

8.00

10.00

5.00

7.50

11

$76.92

78

Value of Or 02?.
170 baskets of corn, each -weigliing 45 lbs., cobs 6| lbs., corn
381 lbs., equal to 116 7-8 bushels, at $1.00, $116.87|

Suckers, ........ 8.00

Two tons of stalks, ...... 15.00

Two tons of stover and husks, ..... 10.00

$149.87i
Subtract cost, . . 76.92

Profit, . . $72.95

Philemon Ruggles.
Milton, Nov. 8, 1851.

REPORT ON STRAW MANUFACTURES.

Your Committee on Manufactured Straw beg leave to report : —
That they award to Miss Staples, of Dedham, the first premium
of three dollars, for the best specimen of 100 yds. straw braid.

Also, award to Mrs. J. R. Cushman, of Medfield, the second
premium of two dollars, for a specimen of 100 yds. straw platt.

Also, a gratuity of eight dollars to Miss Juline Pond, of Frank-
lin, for a new and beautiful specimen of a Grass Bonnet, manu-
factured from native grass, in imitation of Leghorn platt.
In behalf of the Committee,

H. C. FISHER, of Franklin, Chairman.

REPORT ON DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

Timothy Phelps, of Dedham, for best specimen of Moleskin
Hats, $1.00.

Monotiquot Mills, East Braintree, for specimens of Tapestry
Carpeting, $2.00, and for Wilton Rug, a diploma.

Ehzabeth Bigelow, Dover, for specimens of Woollen Hose and
half Hose, a diploma.

79

Thomas Draper, of Canton, for beautiful specimens of Iloods,
Scarfs, Muifs, kc, manufactured of German Worsted and
Silk, $3.00.

For the Committee,

ISAAC FISKE, Chairman.

-«.-

REPORT ON CARRIAGES.

Your Committee on Carriages are happy to report, that the ex-
hibition for the present year was superior to any preceding year.
The whole number of entries for exhibition and premium was six,
consisting of two family Carriages, one of which was contributed
by Cushman & Baker, of INIedfield, the other by C. Morse, of
South Dedham ; also, two covered Wagons, one hght Express, and
one open Buggy, (which was admired by aU who viewed it) con-
tributed by Cushman & Baker, of Medfield.
Your Committee would award : —
The first premium for the best family carriage, of $5.00

" second " " " " covered wagon, . . 4.00
" third " " " " open carriage, . . 3.00
To Cushman & Baker, of Medfield.

All of which is most respectfully submitted.
HENRY PARTRIDGE, Jr.,
FREEDOM GUILD, \ Committee.

E. T. EVERETT,

REPORT ON IMPROVING MEADOW AND SWAMP

LANDS.

The Committee of the Norfolk County Agricultural Society, upon
improving Meadow and Swamp Lands, respectfully report : —

That B. F. Dudley of Milton, has requested their attention to a
lot of land vipon his farm in that town, wliicli he has reclaimed,
and for his results desires a premium. Mr. Dudley requested the
Chairman to visit the land, which he accordingly did on the 29th

80

of June last, whilst tlie crop of grass was on the land, after it was
cut. It appeared of fine quality and in great abundance ; and if
Mr. Dudley can succeed in more thoroughly effecting his drain-
age through the adjoining piece not belonging to him, there is
reason to believe that his improvement may be rewarded with
permanent returns hereafter quite as great as those of the present
year. His statement is subjoined. In view of the success of Mr.
Dudley, and of the pains he has been at, as well as of the fact that
this is the first application that has been made for two years in
the County for a premium on this account, your Committee recom-
mend that the premium of fifteen dollars be awarded.
In behalf of the Committee,

C. F. ADAMS, Chairman.

STATEMENT OF B. F. DUDLEY, OF MILTON, ON RECLAIMED

MEADOAV.

The lot of Land to which this statement refers, contains 1^
acres 24 rods ; it is situated in the midst of the most valuable part
of the farm, at the base of a steep hill ; it was completely satu-
rated with water oozing from numerous springs.

The subsoil was clay, covered with a soil which appeared to be
composed of nearly equal parts of earth and vegetable matter,
averaging about one foot in depth.

The natural products of this land were brake, meadow cabbage,
moss, &c. ; it w^as free from stumps, bushes, and stones.

In September, 1852, it was ploughed nearly a foot deep, in
some places reaching the subsoil ; owing to a press of work, the
drains were not made until after the first ploughing. A margin
drain was cut along the base of the hill, of sufficient depth to cut
off the springs, also a centre drain three feet wide and eighteen
inches deep ; two cross drains were opened from the margin to
the centre.

The centre drain was left open, the margin and cross drains
were covered. About one third of an acre of this land lying on
the side of the centre drain opposite the hill, was so situated that
a margin ditch could not be cut, and it Avas therefore laid down
in beds.

81

The meadow received no further attention until June, 1853,
Avhcn it was cross-ploughed, and the remains of the turf piled and
burnt. In August, the large (luantitj of ashes remaining on the
ground Avas spread, the land manured, harrowed, and on some
portions of it the cultivator was used.

About the loth of August it was sown with herdsgrass, red-
top and English turnip, bushed and rolled.

The crop of turnips was gathered the first of November. June
28th, 1854, commenced cutting the grass ; that which was mowed
first remained in the field until the 3d of July, protected from the
dew at night by hay covers.

The remainder was in the field five days, and the weather being
fine, the hay was thoroughly made.

September 1st, the second crop Avas cut, and on the 8th it was
put into the barn.

The following is a statement of the expenses and value of the
crops : —

Expenses.

First ploughing.
Second do. .

Draining, ....

Pihng and burning turf,
2>\ cords pig manure, and carting.
Spreading turf ashes and manure,
Grass and Turnip Seed,
SoAving, Harrowing, &;c., .
Harvesting Hay, at ^5.00 per ton,
" Turnips, .

$30.00

14.00

IG.OO

6.00

21.00

1.50

3.12

5.00

32.50

6.00

^35.12

Value of the Crops.

307 bushels Turnips, at 20 cts $61.40

4 tons (1862 lbs.) first crop Hay, at $21.00 per ton, 103.46
1 ton (1140 lbs.) at $19.00 per ton, .

29.8.3

Total value.
Expense brought up,

Net profit,

104.69
135.12

$59.57

82

REPORT ON MIXED CROPS.

The onlj entry for a premium was by Mr. Cheever Newliall, of
Dorchester. We consider Mr. N.'s experiment to be eminently
successful, and award to him the Society's first premium of $6.

J. M. MERRICK,
C. C. SEWALL,
C. BRECK.

To the Trustees of the Norfolk Agricultural Society .

Gentlemen : — Among the premiums offered by your Society
the present year, is one for the best conducted experiment in the
cultivation of mixed crops of grains and vegetables, in alternate
rows.

In order to ascertain whether or not Indian corn and cabbages
could be grown together in this way profitably, I selected what I
supposed to be one acre of good clayey loam, which had been in
grass seven years, and had been mowed and pastured every year.
This was ploughed in the month of May, nine inches deep, with a
Michigan plough ; eight loads of night soil, after being thoroughly
mixed with about four cords of loam from the same field, were
spread evenly over the surface and well harrowed in. On the
first day of June, the land was marked out with a plough exactly
six feet apart, and cabbages set in the furrow two feet apart,—
three or four days afterwards, corn was planted between each row
of cabbages, in hills twenty-two inches apart, five or six kernels in
a hill ; at the first hoeing it was thinned out, leaving four stalks in
each hill. Both the cabbages and corn were hoed twice only.

The cabbages were marketed in September and October, and
sold for one hundred and fifteen dollars.

In the month of August, twelve barrels of the corn were gath-
ered green and sold in Boston for fifteen dollars ; the remainder
of the crop was cut up near the ground about the 15th of Sep-
tember, and shocked upon the field. The first week in October it
was husked, and produced eighty-eight baskets of corn on the
ear. On the eleventh of November, one basket was shelled and
weighed thirty-eight and one half pounds, making 3388 lbs.,
which, divided by 56 lbs., the standard for a bushel, gives sixty
and one half bushels, which, together with the twelve barrels sold

83

green, supposed to be equal to one and one quarter baskets of
ears to each barrel or fifteen baskets of 38| lbs. each shelled com,
makmg 577 lbs. of corn, divided by 56 gives 10^ bushels, or sev-
enty and three fourths bushels on 38,484 square feet of land,
being a fraction over eighty bushels per acre, or more properly a
half acre, as the corn occupied but one half of the land.

Since the crops have been taken off', the land has been sur-
veyed ; a certificate of the measurement is herewith submitted.

CIIEEVER NEWHALL.

Dorchester ^ Nov.lo, 1854.

The Estimated cost of Croj).

Ploughing the land,

$7.00

8 loads of night soil, ....

24.00

Composting, carting out, spreading and harrowing.

16.00

Planting corn, ......

2.50

Setting out cabbage plants,

3.00

Cost of cabbage plants and seed corn,

3.37

Marking out, .......

75

Cultivatmg and hoeing twice,

. 10.00

Cutting up and housing com,

4.00

Husking corn,

4.00

INIarketing cabbages and green corn, .

. 21.67

Interest on laud,

18.00

JLu/X(./o« •••••••

1.50

Net profit on 141^ rods, ....

$115.79

. 89.71

$205.50

Value of Crop.

60| bushels of corn,

$60.50

12 bbls. of corn, sold gi-een, ....

15.00

Corn fodder,

15.00

2,476 cabbages, ......

115.00

$205.50

84

This certifies that I assisted in gathering and husking Mr.
Ncwhall's crop of corn, raised upoli the 38,484 square feet of
land, measured by Ebenezer Tolman, Esq. ; that said land pro-
duced eighty-eight baskets ; that I shelled one basket, filled as all
the others were, and it weighed 38| lbs. exclusive of cobs, I
further certify that I sold the cabbages and green corn raised
upon the same piece of land for one hundred and thirty dollars.

Richard Howard.

Dorchester^ Nov. 13, 1854.

Cheever Newhall, Esq., Sir — Agreeably to your request,
I have measured the piece of land upon which you raised corn
and cabbages this season ; and it contains thirty-eight thousand
four hundred and eighty-four square feet, or three quarters of an
acre, twenty-one rods and ninety-seven square feet.

Eben Tolman, Surveyor.
Dorchester, Nov. 9, 1854.

-*-

REPORT ON POULTRY.

The Committee on Poultry report as follows : —
For the best pair Black Spanish, T. B. Calder, Dedham, $2.00
" " " " Black Shanghges, H. H. Martin, East

Stoughton, .... 2.00

" " " " White Shangh^es, T. H. Sullaway, Canton, 2.00
" " " " Marsh or Forbes' Shanghaes, Sebrina Smith,

Dedham, ..... 2.00

For the best pair Bantams, T. Shapleigh, Dedham, . 2.00

" " White Guineas, James S. Drayton, Dedham, 2.00

" " Live Fowls, Humphrey Smith, W. Roxbury, 4.00

" 2d best live Fowls, Dr. W. T. G. Morton, W. Needham, 3.00

" 3d " " " Lewis Simonds, Dedham, . . 2.00

" the best Ducks, Dr. W. T. G. Morton, West Needham, 2.00

" Geese, " " " " " • 3.00

" Turkeys, Lemuel Kingsbury, Needham, 3.00

" " 2d best Turkeys, Dr. W. T. G. Morton, W. Needham, 2.00

a u

85

For the best experiment in raising, keeping and fattening
any breed of Fowls, with a statement thereof, Dr. T. W.
G. Morton, . . . . . . . 6.00

We recommend the Society's Diploma to II. S. Ballou, of
Blackstone, for his Spangled Bramas.

To Lemuel W. Burrill, Robert Martin, Thomas Fagan, Charles
Small, George F. Richards and Reuben IloUis, a gratuity each

of $1.00.

ROBERT MANSFIELD, Chairman.

STATEMENT OF MR. MANSFIELD.

I send you the following statement of the income from five
fowls the present season. There was a daily memorandum kept,
of eggs laid, of the time of three of the hens' setting, the number of
chickens raised, &c. My fowls Avere not entered for premium, but
this statement is submitted for publication, if w^orthy. I believe
the equal to the production of these foivls has never been published.
They have averaged more than three eggs in four days, to each
hen, when not setting or going with the chickens. Here is the
result : —

March 28, 1854.

To one rooster, half game, half native, ... 50

To four hens, half Spanish, half Poland, . . . 2.00

To four dozen eggs to set, ..... 72

To five bushels Com, ...... 5.00

Credit.

By 441 eggs.

By one rooster, used at home, .

By two chickens used,

By eight chickens, .

By sixteen chickens.

By four hens, at 50,

^8.22

6.61
50

80
3.20
3.20
2.00

16.31

8.22

12

$8.09

86

This account commenced the 28th of March, 1854, and closed
the 26th of September, 1854.

Robert Mansfield.

STATEMENT OF DR. WM. T. G. MORTON.

1853.

Poultry.

Br.

March

16-

-To 25 hens, . . . .

12.50

a

u

a

1 rooster, . . . .

1.00

a

u

a

6 geese, . . . .

6.00

a

a

a

5 ducks, . . . .

4.00

u

u

u

1 peacock, . . . .

3.00

2 pair wild geese,
5 Hong Kong geese.

20.00
15.00

u

a

a

8 Bremen "

16.00

a

a

u

5 China

15.00

(4

a
a

3 pair Aylesbury ducks,
1 " Java "

15.00

5.00

a

a

u

3 White Poland " .

6.00

a

3 Turkeys, .

3 white China geese,
1 pair Caribbean geese, .
1 " Egyptian "
9 Brama Pootra, .

88 bushels Corn, .

27 " Meal, .

4.50

123.00
45.00

30.00
30.00
18.00
92.80
29.22

245.02

$368.02

1853

Poultry.

Cr.

Aug. 1, by 900 eggs, from March 16, 1853, to Aug. 1,

1853, 15.00

March 1, 1854, by 2200 eggs, from Aug. 1, 1853,

to March 1, 1854, .... 36.00

July 22, by 1568 eggs, from March 1, 1854, to July

22,1854, 26.00

Sept. 23, by 470 eggs, from July 22, 1854, to Sept.

23, 1854, 7.90

87

Aug. 1, 1853, to 2 pair ducks,
" " " to " geese,
" " " to 25 chickens,

Dec. 23, " to 6 " .

June 1, 1854, to 8 Bremen Geese,

to 3 Hong Kong gee«e,
to 3 China "

to 1 pair wild "

to 3 Aylesbury ducks,
to 3 white Poland "
to 3 Muscovy "

u a

a
a
u
u
a
a

July 1,

July 11,

a u

a li

ii a

a a

a a

"13,

"27,
Aug. 17, "
Sept. 2, "

" 15,"

(( u u

" 16, "

a u u

u
a
a
u
a
u
a
a
a
a

25, "

to 3 white turkeys,

to 25 chickens,

to 1 pair Bremen geese,

to 1 " Hong Kong "

to 1 " China "

to 1 " Muscovy ducks,

to 1 " Brama Pootra,

to 1 " red Shanghai,

to 50 chickens,

to 40 " .

to 22 " .

to 12 " .

to 75 " .

to 1 goose,

to 7 chickens,

to 2 pair ducks,
to 4 chickens,

Stoek on hand, Sept

31 ducks,

33 hens, Shanghai,

7 Brama Pootra,

3 white China geese,

1 pah' Egyptian "

1 " Caribbean "

2 " wild "
1 " China, "

25.

10.00
20.00
12.50
3.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
10.00
15.00
15.00
15.00

230.40

15.00

11.00

10.00

10.00

10.00

10.00

10.00

10.00

23.00

16.00

8.80

6.00

30.00

2.00

3.25

4.00

1.87

31.00
16.50
14.00
45.00
30.00
30.00
20.00
10.00

■175.05

88

5 pair Bremen geese, .

20.00

3 " Aylesburj ducks,

7.50

1 " Java " . . .

5.00

1 peacock, . . . . .

3.00

1 rooster,

1.00

238.87

$644.32
Sept. 22 — I hereby certify that the above account is correct.

G. H. P. Flagg.

REPORT ON FAT CATTLE.

The Committee on Fat Cattle, report : —
That they award the first premium of eight dollars to George
Babcock, of Brookline, for his pair of Oxen, weighing 4200 lbs.

For the Committee,

WM. FAIRBANKS, Dedham.

REPORT ON STEERS.

The Committee on Steers have attended to the duty assigned
them, and offer their brief report : —

The whole number offered for premium, or found in the pens,
was three pair, none under three years old.

To Robert Porter, of Stoughton, the Committee award the first
premium of five dollars, for his twin Steers of three years and
three months, of Durham and native breed, natives of Vermont.

To Oliver Dean, of Canton, for his Steers three years and five
months old, native and Durham, the Committee av^ard the second
premium of four dollars.

For the Committee,

D. KIMBALL, Chairman.

89

REPORT ON WORKING OXEN.

Tlie Committee on Working Oxen regret exceedingly that not
more attention is given by the farmers of the County of Norfolk,
in bringing out more of those fine Oxen which the County is known
to possess, for exhibition, and for a trial of skill in drawing.

There were but four entries, two of which were made by the
venerable Josiah Quincy, of Quincy.

We have awarded the premiums as follows, viz. : —

To Josiah Quincy, of Quincy, for a fine pair of faur-year old
Steers, who handled their load of two tons admirably, the first
premium of ....... . $8.00

To Timothy Tucker, of Milton, the second premium of 6.00
To Josiah Quincy, of Quincy, the third premium of . 5.00
To Henry Goulding, of Dover, the fourth premium of 3.00

The Committee w^ould say in conclusion, that the place selected
for the trial is very unfavorable for such a purpose ; and if the
same is to be hereafter used, they would suggest that it be graded
and gravelled.

CALVIN RICHARDS, Chairman.

o*

REPORT ON HEIFERS.

The Committee on Heifers award the following premiums : —

To J. H. Billings, W. Roxbury, for a Heifer, 3 years old, Ayr-
shire breed, a gratuity of $2.00, there being none offered worthy
of the Society's premium.

To S. J. Capen, Dorchester, for a Heifer, 2 years old, Ayrshire
breed, 1st premium, ...... $3.00

To E. W. Bray, Canton, for a Heifer, 2 years old, Ayrshire
breed, 2d premium, ...... 2.00

To S. J. Capen, Dorchester, for a Heifer, 1 year old, Durham
breed, 2d premium, ...... 2.00

To Wm. Pierce, Needham, a Heifer, 17^ months old, grade,
1st premium, ....... 3.00

90

To Seth Blake, Dover, for a Heifer, 15 months old, grade,
2d premium, ........ 2.00

To Mark C. Hoyle, S. Dedham, for a Heifer, 17 montlis old,
native breed, 1st premium, ..... 3.00

To D. D. Hammant, Medfield, for a Heifer, 28 montlis old, na-
tive breed, 2d premium, ...... 2.00

To Lewis Bullard, Dedham, for best Heifer Calf, under one
year, a premium of ...... 3.00

To B. V. French, Braintree, for a Heifer, 16 months old. North
Devon breed, 1st premium, ..... 3.00

To " " " " " " 2d premium, 2.00

To Aaron D. Weld, West Roxbury, for two Heifers, grade, 2
years old, a gratuity of . . . . . . 4.00

To Dr. Morton, of Needham, a gratuity of $5.00 on 2 Heifers
and 3 Calves, they being the best specimens of Alderney stock
presented, but not coming under the Society's rules, could not
compete for premium.

The Committee would say that several fine specimens of stock
■would have been entitled to premiums, had they been owned long
enough in the County.

A. S. DRAKE, Chairman.

REPORT ON MILCH COWS.

The Committee on Milch Cows have the satisfaction to report
at this time that the contribution of stock, both in numbers
and in point of excellence, has been superior to that of any
former year. The whole number entered for premium was
twenty-one. And although in this respect we may not suffer in
the comparison with older Societies, still we cannot but feel that it
is not what it should be, nor what we have a right to expect from
Norfolk County. For considering the ability and means that we
so largely possess, together with the great inducements in a pe-
cuniary point of view, it is but fair to say, that we should equal
at least, if not excel, any other County ; for by our near proximity

91

to the Boston market, together Avith those m our own immediate
neighborhoods, we are enabled to reahzc as large, if not a larger
profit from the dairy, cither by the sale of butter or milk, than
almost any other section of the State. And coupled, too, with
this, is another important consideration, which is, the high price
of good, selected stock in our vicinity, enabling thereby the farmer
to go extensively and profitably into the rearing of blood and na-
tive stock, of the vevy best that this or any other country affords.
The supply of choice milch cows for sale, never equals the de-
mand. We are now importing from abroad blood stock at a cost
of from $200 to $300 per head, not a whit better than can be
bred at home for half that money. It is with pleasure, however,
that we can say that an interest is being awakened in this behalf,
both as a matter of profit, as well as for the gratification it affords.
Much valuable stock is now being introduced that will be a credit
to our county.

In the report of last year, the Committee endeavored to show
the great importance attached to the care and keeping of stock ;
inasmuch that by a proper regard to these, in the way of gentle
itreatment and judicious feedmg, an ordinary quality of stock
even, may be so benefited and improved as to become profitable ;
while, on the other hand, by neglect of these, a stock possessing a
high degree of excellence naturally, may be so impaired and in-
jured, as to render them not only unattractive to the taste, but,
as a matter of business, unprofitable and disastrous in its results.

As has been before stated, the exhibition in point of excellence,
as a whole, may be considered superior to that of any former
year. Very fine specimens were presented of the Jersey, Devon,
Ayrshire, Durham and native stock. But it would perhaps be
presumptuous, at any rate hazardous, to venture a decision,
as to which particular breed is entitled to the largest share of
credit and confidence, inasmuch as each has its pecuhar charac-
teristics, so each has its ardent admirers. We wiU be content to
give a passing notice of some of the most prominent.

And, first, it may be said that the Jerseys are growing very
much in favor in this vicinity. And although hi quantity their
yield of milk may fall below the average of any other breed, yet,
in quality, it probabl;/ vastly excels all. So that this alone, other
things being equal, must give this breed a commanding promi-

.1

92

nence with stock growers. Some verj fine specimens were pre-
sented by Mr. Edward King, of Dorchester, and Dr. Morton, of
West Needliam, and Mr. C. L. Cimningliam, of Milton ; those
owned bj Dr. Morton had not been in his possession long enough
to entitle him to the Society's premium, but in view of their beau-
tiful proportions and apparent merit, the Committee have awarded
a gratuity. A very good representation of his stock will appear
in the cut.

Of the Devons, there is much to be said in their favor. They
are good feeders, of hardy constitution, and generally very hand-
some in their proportions. For the yoke, this breed is probably
unequalled by any other, and for the dairy, particularly in the
product of butter, they may be said to take a high stand ; but
their yield of milk in quantity, as a general thing, will fall be-
low either that of the Ayrshire or. Durham. Benjamin V.
French, Esq., of Braintree, exhibited a fine specimen of the
Devon, and also a grade cow of great apparent excellence, both
of which, from the representations given, entitle them to a very
high rank in the class to which they respectively belong.

Of the Ayrshire, some very fine specimens were exhibited by
Mr. Samuel J. Capen, of Dorchester. It may be said perhaps
with great truth of this breed, that, as a whole, they are probably
not excelled in their yield of milk by any other ; they are
hardy, easy to keep, and generally docile and of good proportion.

The Durhams presented by Mr. Capen were also possessed of
much excellence. This is a breed of large growth, and generally
require, to produce an equal quantity of milk, a more generous
feed than perhaps any other breed ; but by attention and liber-
ality in this respect, they may be made to yield in full proportion
to their extra cost of keeping. Appended is a statement from
Mr. Capen, of the yield of one of his cows, to which we have
awarded the first premium. Enoch Train, Esq., of Dorchester,
presented a Durham cow and calf of high apparent rank ; but as
no written statement was submitted as to her yield, she was ne-
cessarily placed under another list of the Society's premiums.
Of the native and grades, some very fine animals were on
exhibition.

Thus the Committee have passed upon the different breeds,
without, as before said, feeling that they are called upon to give

, 93

ail opinion as, to ^Y]^ich, all things considered, is entitled to the
highest rank. Each have their peculiarities, and what by some
would be considered a defect, would, by others, be overlooked as
of no importance or objection ; but that some breeds, taken as
a whole, do possess substantial advantages over others, is a
fact that in the opinion of the Committee cannot be denied, and
hence grows the necessity of a judicious selection, not only of a
particular breed, but the most desirable and valuable animal in
each of its respective breeds ; for upon this, in a great measure,
depends the success of the stock grower or milk producer.

Competitors should be reminded that under the head of " Milch
Cows," where the product of milk or butter is the criterion upon
which to decide of their merit, that by the rule of the Society, a
written statement is required in relation thereto, and in no case
have the Committee awarded a premium where a compliance
with this rule has been neglected. So that of the twenty-one on
exliibition, only four were put into this list, from the fact that only
four statements in Avrlting were submitted, excluding, undoubt-
edly, stock of high rank, and that, but for this omission, Avould
have been placed in competition under this head for the Society's
premiums. It is to be hoped that this will be remedied in
future.

For stock, under the head of the diiferent breeds, no certificate
is required ; but here even it would be of great service, inasmuch
as the Committee are obhged to rely almost entirely upon their
own judgment and observation ; and, in very many cases, where
the stock to be passed upon would seem' to be of nearly equal
worth, it must be obvious that to discriminate and judge justly, is a
most difficult undertaking. The number and amount of premiums
at the disposal of the Committee may be said to be liberal ; yet
we have indulged somewhat largely in the award of gratuities, —
it is believed, however, only in proportion to the amount of ex-
cellence of the stock exhibited.

There are other points that might be dwelt tipon with profit in
connection with this subject, but which perhaps would be more
proper to come from some other source, and in some other form. It
is to be hoped that an elaborate and well defined theory may be pre-
sented at some future time by the Society, upon the selection of
breed, rearing, and mode of keeping milch cows. At present

13

94

there is so much difFerence of opinion upon these points among
even our most prominent and well-informed stock owners, that the
conclusions to be arrived at are confused and unsatisfactory.
There is also the subject of the comparative value of roots for
winter feed, with that of corn or other meal. It would be doing
good service to have these, and other points that might be named
in connection with the subject, considered and reported upon to
the Society.

Appended are the premiums awarded and the statements that
have been submitted.

The following premiums have been awarded by the Committee on
Milch Cows :—

For cows not less than three years old, as follows,

Jersey, 1

st premium

to Edward King, Dorchester,

$5.00

do. 2d

" C. L. Cunningham, Milton,

3.00

Ayrshire

,1st

" S. J. Capen, Dorchester,

5.00

do.

2d

" S. J. Capen, "

3.00

Durham,

1st

" S. J. Capen, "

5.00

do.

2d

" Enoch Train, "

3.00

Devon,

1st

" B. V. French, Braintree,

5.00

do.

2d

" E. W. Bray, Canton,

3.00

Grade,

1st

" B. V. French, Braintree,

5.00

do.

2d

" S. J. Capen, Dorchester,

3.00

On milch cows, witb certificates of the product of milk and
butter from each.

1st premium to S. J. Capen, Dorchester, . . . $10.00

2d " " Edward King, " ... 8.00

3d " " C. C. Sewall, Medfield, . . . 6.00

4th " " Ebenezer Richards, Dedham, . . 4.00

The Committee would also recommend the following gratuities.

To Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of West Needham, for his Jersey
cow, (not having been in liis possession long enough to
entitle him to a premium,) a gratuity of . . $3.00

To M. P. Wilder, Dorchester, for his grade cow, . 3.00

To A. D. Weld, West Roxbury, for his cow " Beauty," 3.00

95

To M. P. "Wilder, Dorchester, for liis native cow
" Brindlc," the Society's diploma.

To C. S. Cunningham, Milton, for his grade cow, a gra-
tuity of ....... . 3.00

To Joseph H. Billings, West Roxbury, for his grade cow,

a gratuity of ....... 3.00

For the Committee,

JOHN H. ROBINSON, Chairman.

STATEMENT OF MR. CAPEN.

The cow oifered for premium by me, is of the Durham breed,
— ^nine years old. She calved on the 30th of September, 1853.
From the 15th to the 25th of the next October, she averaged 24
qts. of milk per day, weighing 51 lbs. She was fed on grass and
2 qts, of meal and 4 qts, of shorts per day. From the 15th to
the 25th of January, she averaged 16 qts. of milk per day.

Samuel J. Capen.

Dorchester, Sept. 26, 1854.

STATEMENT OF MR. KING,

Gentlemen — The Alderney heifer exhibited by me I imported
in July, 1853, She had a very long passage, (over 55 days,)
and was extremely low in flesh on her arrival. She dropped her
calf February 1st, 1854, which is also on exhibition. I think,
from observation, she is a fine specimen of the breed ; the quan-
tity of milk which she has produced from February 1st to Septem-
ber 25th, averages a fraction over 9| qts. per day. I am not
able to state the quantity of milk to make one pound of butter,
but this will vouch, that a quart of her milk will yield much more
cream than any cow I ever owned or ever knew.
Very respectfully yours,

Edward Kma.

Dorchester., Sept. 26, 1854.

96

STATEMENT OF MR. SEWALL.

Hon. E. L. Keyes, Dear Sir — Please enter for premium my
spotted cow " Belle."

This cow was three years old last July. Her first calf is now
three weeks old. The calf was removed from the cow September
15th. We have since made seven pounds of butter from seven
days' milk of this cow. The butter is on exhibition.
Yours respectfully,

Chaeles C. Sewall.
Medfield, Sept. 26, 1854,

Mr. Ebenezer Richards contributes a heifer 4 years and 6
months of age, of three-quarters blood Ayrshire. Calved 5th of
November, 1853. For five months from calving she averaged
11 qts. per day. And has averaged 7 qts. ever since, and still
gives milk. She Avill calve 15th of October, 1854. Raised in
Dedham by Mr. Richards.

Attest, F. A. Baker.

REPORT ON BULLS.

The Committee are happy to report, that there was, in the
present exhibition, a marked increase, over that of any former
year, in the number, as well as improvement in the character, of
this class of animals. By a rule of the Society, only such animals
as are of pure blood are allowed to be competitors for a premium.
Of the wisdom and justice of such a rule, there are, undoubtedlj'-,
different opinions. This rule was not adopted, however, without
deliberate consideration, and an adherence to it, at least for the
present, seems to be justified by the character of the stock exhib-
ited to-day. Our pens were never before filled so largely, with
fine specimens of the Ayrshire, Devon, Durham and Jersey breeds.
Of the Devons and the Jerseys, in particular, there were several
animals which attracted the notice, and commanded the admiration
of every visitor.

97

An impulse has now been given to the improvement of stock in
this County, which it is of the greatest importance to encourage.
Whctlicr this can be clone most effectually by introducing exten-
sively the best foreign breeds, or by causing a more careful and
judicious selection from our native breeds, — though not a matter
of doubt with the majority of the Committee — is questioned by
many intelligent farmers. Certainly, there arc instances enough
in proof of the benefit of judicious crossing of the native and
foreign breeds, to authorize continued endeavors, on the part of
the Society, to enlarge their number, by awarding premiums only
to the best bulls of strictly pure blood. Where such crossing is
practised, as well as where only animals of pure blood are kept,
improvement is observed at once, both in the character of the
dairy, and of the calves fattened for slaughter ; and this improve-
ment is sufficient to show the absurdity, on the score of profit, of
the common mode of selecting and rearing stock. Whether it
may not be expedient to encourage, at a future day, the crossing
of different breeds, upon a 7nore extended scale, by offering pre-
miums for the best grade Bulls, is a point worthy of discussion.
To many, there seems to be no good reason why a race may not
be propagated, by careful selection from our native breeds, or by
judicious crossings, which shall be better adapted to our climate,
soil, and keeping, than is any purely foreign breed. No good
reason why, if England has her Devons, Durhams and Herefords,
and Scotland her Ayi'shires, and Ireland her Kerrys, and Jersey
her Alderneys, u'hich are worth importation at enormous cost,
America may not have a breed of peculiar form, size, beauty and
excellence, adapted to her peculiar climate and soil ; — liome-bred,
and, therefore, better fitted for liome-keeping . We hope that
profitable suggestions upon this whole subject, may, hereafter, be
given to the Society, by some one whose experience and study
shall lend authority to his words.

Meanwhile, we would encourage the rearing of the best classes
of stock upon the farms of Norfolk County, confident that such
stock may be kept here, more easily and with better results, than
any which is purchased elsewhere.* At the same time, we would

* Animals are wont to tlirive better at home, than from home. The most
celebrated foreign breeds are said to " do much better in their own locality,
than when removed."

98

insist that the titmost care and attention should be bestowed on
the selection and rearing of all stock. We sometimes hear it said
that a hull is a bull, and that any chance offspring is as good for
the farmer's stock, as that of the best selected breed, whether of
pure or mixed blood. Such a behef, and the practical conclusions
drawn from it, must forever prevent the improvement of the dairy,
and the comfort and profit of farming.

Mr. Colman remarks, in his European Agriculture,! that " the
South Devons," which he distinguishes by very marked differences
from the beautiful " North Devons," " are animals identical with
the great mass of cattle to be found in New England." " In re-
spect to them, as far as I could learn, no particular pains have
been taken to improve their breed, and to see what could be made
of them, as in the case of the Short Horns, the Herefords and the
North Devons." May not this last remark be made, with equal
fitness and force, respecting the mass of the cattle now in New
England ? And in the beauty and excellence of the fine North
Devons, Durhams, Ayrshires, and Jerseys, exhibited to-day, have
we not sufficient encouragement to attempt the improvement of oiir
native breeds, in a rational way ?

Among the several animals on exhibition, we mention a Jersey
bull, owned by the Hon. J. Quincy, senior, and to him presented
by the late Hon. T. H. Perkins, — to whom the friends of agricul-
ture owe many obligations. We take pleasure in commending so
good an animal to the notice of the farmers in this County. To
Mr. Quincy we return our most grateful acknowledgments for the
interest he has manifested in our Society, and for his generous
endeavors to advance the cause of agriculture both here and
elsewhere.

Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of West Needham, offered a pm-e blood
Devon bull, and one of the finest of his class. This animal had
received the highest premium of the Society at a former exhibi-
tion, and was, therefore, excluded from competition for a similar
premium at the present time.

N. S. Dexter, Esq., of Dedham, offered a fine native bull ; —
Mr. Eliphalet Kingsbury, of Dedham, a bull, three fourths Dur-
ham ; — Mr. H. Leeds, of Milton, a bull, half Devon and half Al-

t Vol. 2, page 316.

99

derncy. All these animals were possessed of good points and
highly promising character. But, by the rules of the Society,
Averc not competitors for any premium. To encourage the exhi-
bition of such animals, we award to each of their owners — to
Messrs. Dexter, Kingsbury and Leeds, the diploma of the Society.

Lyman Kinsley, Esq., of Canton, exhibited an Alderney bull,
which is of the highest character, in all respects. We can now
only mention this animal with favor, having before awarded to him
the highest premium of the Society. To Mr. Kinsley we return
our acknowledgments for the considerate regard which he has
manifested for the interests of our Society.

John P. Jones, Esq., of Medway, exhibited a bull, twenty
months old, — the offspring of the Society's Ayrshire cow by a
Devon bull. We consider this animal one of the most promising
character, and award to Mr. Jones a gratuity of $3.00.

C. Loring Cunningham, Esq., of Milton, exhibited a bull calf —
the offspring of a fine native cow, by an Alderney bull from the
celebrated stock of the late Hon. Daniel Webster. We consider
this animal worthy of particular mention and favor.

BULLS.

Devon — To B. V. French, the 1st premium of $5.00, and the
second of 3.00.

Calf— To B. V. French, the 1st premium of $3.00.

Ayrsliire — To Richard Richardson, Medway, the 1st premium
of $5.00 ; S. J. Capen, the 2d of $3.00 ; and to B. Hawes, of
Wrentham, a diploma.

DurJiam — To James A. White, of Wrentham, the 1st premium
of $5.00 ; T. N. Woodward, of Brookline, the 2d of $3.00.

Alderney — To C. L. Cunningham, of Milton, the 1st premium
of $5.00 ; to E. W. Bray, of Canton, the 3d of $3.00.

Calves — To Edward King, of Dorchester, the 1st premium of
$3.00 ; to A. D. Weld, of Roxbury, the 2d of $2.00.

We have endeavored to do justice to all who contributed to this
part of the exhibition, and shall claim only the merit of honest in-
tentions— if it be thought, by any, that our judgment is at fault.

For the Committee,

CHAS. C. SEWALL.

100

REPORT ON SWINE.

The display of SAvine at the Norfolk Agricultural Fair, was the
finest ever seen in Massachusetts.

The attention of farmers in Norfolk County seems to have been
especially directed to the subject of swine. The Suffolk breed in
particular, is regarded with much enthusiasm.

The first annual Report of the Secretary of the Board of Agri-
culture of Massachusetts, 1854, says, page 92, " We see that the
Suffolk, or rather a cross of the Suffolk with some other breed,
holds the highest place in public estimation in all parts of the
State."

It is claimed and coincides Avith the views of your Committee,
that in point of economy, this breed of hogs is much easier kept,
and take on fat faster at less expense, than any other known.
There is much less waste in cutting up for the barrel ; the pork is
sweeter, and more dehcate. They are docile, thrifty, and mature
early, weighing at twelve to eighteen months, two hundred to four
hundred and fifty pounds, and occasionally as high as five hundred.
The extent to which these weighty considerations have a bearing
upon the Massachusetts farmers, cannot be better conveyed than
by instancing the fact that the Committee saw a few days since, at
the farm of Dr. Morton in West Needham, a pair of pure Suffolks,
imported from the yard of Prince Albert for the sole purpose of
getting a different strain of blood into his herd of Suffolks, which
have already carried more prizes from the Norfolk County Show
than any others in it, and from which a boar and a sow each took
your Society's first premium at their last exhibition. {^See cut.')

Mr. B. V. French, of Braintree, whose efforts for the promo-
tion of agriculture are well known, exhibited an imported boar of
superior merit.

Mr. Franklin King, of Dorchester, exhibited an imported Essex
boar, fifteen months old, which the Committee considered worthy
of high consideration.

Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, filled six pens with pure
Suffolks from his herd, which elicited much attention, and were a
great credit to the Society as well as the owner ; great care and
expense having been bestowed in importing and breeding from the

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choicest specimens. The profit in raising swine by the New Eng-
land farmer, is not in the breed alone ; there should be warm
comfortable piggeries, with conveniences for manufactm-ing ma-
nure. This is one of the largest sources of profit, and one which
is entirely lost sight of by many. The best piggery for embracing
these considerations, which the Committee are acquainted with, to
which they would recommend all to examine previous to building,
is at West Ncedham, Mass., on the farm of Dr. IMorton ; a hun-
dred cord of manure is annually made by his process at a very
small expense.

The Committee on Swine have awarded premiums as follows, viz. :
To Franklin King, of Dorchester, for his imported Essex Boar,

15 months old, the Society's diploma.
To B. V. French, of Braintree, for his imported Suffolk Boar,

2 years old, the Society's diploma.
To Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of West Needham, for the best Boar,

not less than 6 months old, the 1st premium of . $6.00
To Charles Sampson, of West Roxbury, 2d premium of 5.00
To S. J. Capen, of Dorchester, 3d premium of . . 4.00
To N. Dunbar, of Canton, a gratuity of . . . 2.00
To H. L. Stone, of Grantville, a gratuity of . . 1.00
To W. T. G. Morton, of West Needham, for the best

breeding Sow, with or without pigs, the first premium of G.OO
To Dr. Eben Wight, of Dedham, 2d premium of . 5.00
To Richard Richardson, of Medway, 3d premium of . 4.00
To M. P. Wilder, of Dorchester, for the best fitter of

weaned Pigs, not less than four in number, from 2

to 6 months old, the 1st premium of . . . 5.00
To William Flagg, of West Needham, 2d premium of 3.00
To Augustus Stevens, " " 3d " 2.00

To G. W. Billings, of Dorchester, a gratuity of . . 1.00
To C. C. Sewall, of Medfield, for the best fat Hog, the

first premium of . . . . . . 6.00

To H. L. Stone, of Grantville, 2d premium of . . 5.00

HIRAM W. JONES, Chairman.

14

102

MR. CHARLES C. SEWALL'S STATEMENT.

Hon. E. L. Keyes : — I enter for premium two hogs, weighing,

together, 656 pounds. These hogs are of SuiFolk breed, sixteen

months old, and have been fed chiefly on swill and milk until

within four weeks ; since then, thej have had meal in their swill

three times daily.

Yours, respectfully,

Chas. C. Sewall.
Medfield, Sept. 26, 1854.

CHARLES SAMPSON'S STATEMENT.

A Suffolk boar, 2 years old , — he has served several sows the
past year, and I know of no sow having less than 11 pigs that he
has served, and some have had 13.

In reference to what kind of stock the above sow and boar pro-
duce, I respectfully refer you to Eben Wight, Esq., one of the
Society's Committee on Swine for the year 1853.

Very respectfully,

Chas. Sampson.

H. L. STONE'S STATEMENT.

One Suffolk sow, 3 years old, live weight 573 pounds, fed on
bran and weeds through the summer, with another sow of about
the same size, and kept in a cool barn cellar. The two sows have
had one peck of corn meal between them during this month of
September, and a few weeds daily, with an occasional handfuU of
shelled corn. The other sow has a Utter of pigs, and has eat
more than half the food.

G-rantville. H. L. Stone.

METHOD OF PliESEKVmG APPLES.

The fruit must be taken from the tree by hand, wrapped in
paper, (common "tea-paper" is preferable,) and put in cork
dust, Avhich costs about $1.25 per barrel. One barrel of cork
dust is sufficient for four barrels of fruit. It is not necessary to

103

head the barrel. By this method, apples will retain their flavor
for six or eight weeks longer than by the ordinary way. It is
perhaps unnecessary to say that the fruit must be sound, and not
over-ripe when put in. The fruit, when barrelled, must be kept
in a cool place ; but, from my experiments, it is a matter of in-
difference whether it is damp or dry. I have tried this method of
preserving my apples for three years, and have, from time to
time, exhibited them at the Horticultural Rooms. The cork dust
will retain its efficiency for some years.

A. W. STETSON.

REPORT ON DAIRY.

For the best produce of butter for four months, from the 20th
of May to the 20th of September, quantity as well as quality
being taken into view, two samples of 20 lbs. each were offered
for premiam.

The Committee award to the Rev. C. C. Sewall, of Med-

field, the first premium of ... * . $10.00

To Mr. Edmund T. Everett, of Wrentham, the second

premium of ....... 8.00

Appended to this report will be found letters giving an account
of the quantity produced, the number of cows, and general man-
agement of the dairy in these two cases.

For the best 40 lbs. of butter, — that drawing the premium to
be placed on the dinner table for consumption, — three lots were
offered. The Committee found it a very nice matter to decide
in regard to the premiums in this case. After mature dehber-
ation they award

To Mr. George Crosby, of Medway, the first premium of $20.00

And they recommend that to the Rev. C. C. Sewall, of

Medfield, there be given a gratuity of . . . 10.00

The Committee take pleasure in noticing a very extraordinary

produce of butter, in a forty pound lot, from the AldeiTiey heifers

recently imported from Jersey, England, offered by Dr. W. T. G.

Morton, of West Needham, and they recommend that he receive

a diploma from the Society. The ages of the heifers, as Dr.

104

Morton states, are one 20 months, one 2 years, and one 3 years.
They were received direct from England ten days ago, and the
forty pounds of butter were made from them within the last nine
days.

Six boxes of butter, of not less than 12 pounds, were offered.
The Committee assign to

Mr. Benj. N. Sawin, of Dover, the first premium of $6.00

To Mr. John Mansfield, of W. Needham, the 2d premium of 4.00
To Mr. Robert Mansfield, of " " the 3d premium of 2.00

No specimens of Cheese were offered.
For the Committee.

A. LAMSON, of Dedham, Chairman.

September 27, 1854.

Hon. E. L. Keyes — Dear Sir : — I enter, for premium, 40 lbs.
butter, made upon my farm,- this day, for use at the dinner
table.

Also, 20 pounds butter, as a specimen of 943 pounds made
from the milk of 5 cows and 2 heifers, since the 20th of May last.

The feed of these cows and heifers has been, chiefly, grass and
corn fodder. To this was added, a few weeks ago, 1| bushels of
meal and pumpkins for a week past.

We have before stated our method of keeping the milk and

making the butter, and having made no change in the management

of the dairy, refer to past volumes of transactions of this Society

for more minute statements.

Yours, respectfully,

Chas. C. Sewall.
Medfield, Sept. 25, 1854.

To the Committee on Dairy.

Gentlemen : — I offer for premium a box of butter, containing
twenty pounds.

This butter is a part of 660 pounds made on my farm between
the 20th of May and 20th of September. I have kept eight cows,
which have received no other keeping than they found in the pas-
ture (no extra feed). The milk was strained into tin pans, and

105

stood from 24 to 3G hours in a cool room, then skimmed, the
cream put in stone jars and kept cool till churned.

Churned twice a week, salted with ground rock salt. The fam-
ily since July 1st has embraced fifteen persons.
Churn used Avas a common barrel churn.
No coloring put in the butter.

Yours, respectfully,

Edmund T. Everett.
Wrentham, Sept. 25th, 1854.

REPORT ON FRUITS.

In the last annual report of the Fruit Committee of this Society,
the vast importance of fruit culture was urged on the ground of
economy in hving, of health, of refreshment, and of enjoyment, in
hopes to stimulate to an increased planting and cultivation.

It has been found by observation and experience,

1st. That fruit is a very economical article of food when com-
pared with meats and mixed dishes, even at its present scarcity
and consequent high price.

2d. That it is not only the most conducive of any other article
of diet to the general health of famihes, particularly of the young,
but that it is a panacea in many diseases, and that it is the most
salutary and strengthening medicine for invaUds.

3d. That to all, young and old, and of every condition and stage
of life, fruit of various kinds, forms a dehcious refreshment, and
that it is a universal delight.

4th. That it is a diet most of all favorable to mental activity,
and contributing, m a high degree, to liveliness of spirits and se-
renity of mind.

And besides these reasons for its more extended culture and
use, it should be observed, that, as fruit is thus the prmcipal food of
a highly cultivated, refined and paradisical state of society, it will
be more and more in demand continually ; and the wise agricul-
turist and thrifty farmer will find his account in making large
plantations of various fruits. In New England, fruits of all kinds,
save apples, are still extremely scarce and high ; and even this

106

more common fruit, the year preceding, was beyond the reach of
the great mass of people. During the last year, and in fact, we
may say in most years, peaches, in this part of the country, are to
the many, wholly unattainable as an article of regular common
food, hoAvever it may be in New Jersey and its highly blessed
neighborhood ; and at no time can eatable pears be purchased in
our market, save at most exorbitant prices. And yet, there is no
reason why, in heavy, clayey soils, properly drained and manured
— for such soils doubtless are most desirable, being native and
specific to the pear — or in any well-tilled soil that is retentive of
moisture, orchards of this so various and delicious fruit might not
be grown as easily and as universally as those of the apple, and
made to bear more regularly and abundantly, as is the nature of
the pear to do. And we believe that a large orchard of Bartletts,
Andrews' and Flemish Beauties, or a plantation several acres in
extent of Onondagas, (Swan's Orange,) Lawrences and Colum-
bias, would be one of the grandest and most glorious horticultural
experiments that could be tried in New England, and would in the
end bless the originator Avith the richest golden harvest. And Ave
hope speedily to see encouraging prizes offered by our various
Agricultural Societies, for such orchards and plantations of pears.
We have space hoAvever in this report to dAvell only upon one point
in fruit culture, suggested partly by the past season, Avhich has
been so peculiarly distinguished by the excessive coldness of its
winter, and the severe long protracted and extensive drought of
its summer; and this is the subject of "Mulching" our fruit
trees.

There are three grand difficulties that beset the common farmer
in his efforts for the groAvth and perfection of his fruit trees and
fruit, from Avhich, indeed, the most learned, skilful and accomplished
fruit-groAver cannot wholly escape.

1st. The labor, expense, and difficulty of properly enriching
and tilling the soil around his trees.

2d. The great severitj'" of our Avinters — or, more correctly, the
violent changes from AA'armth to cold, and the sudden and alter-
nate freezing and thaAving that distinguish the Avet season, or the
winters and springs of our climate, and that often prove so de-
structive to trees and vines of various kinds.

And the 3d, and perhaps greatest trouble of all, the frequent

107

Icnf^tli of our dry seasons, and the excessive severity of our
droughts.

It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to name any one thing
that would prove a perfect panacea for all these evils, and that
could cure them all by one and the same application. And yet,
we will venture to assert that the practice of thoroughly mulching
our trees will approach nearer to such a panacea, and will prove
more effectual in the removal of these difficulties than any thing
else that could be devised. As much as we ourselves have said,
as much as has been written in regard to the matter, we think the
subject is by no means exhausted, and that the various benefits of
mulching are but very little understood in regard to its action
upon fruit trees and fruits.

1st. In regard to its effect upon the tillage of the soil. If the
farmer has little time and means to expend in enriching the ground
about his trees, let him cover the surface above their roots with
fresh mown grass or leaves — the best mulching — or with hay,
straAV, shavings, chips or sawdust, and he will find not only that
the moisture that contains the food of the tree will be preserved,
but that the earth is kept as light, as friable, and almost as pulver-
ulent, as though it was continually tilled. And when the mulching
has become sufficiently decayed, he can increase its beneficial effects
by turning it under, previous to applying new. A gentleman whom
I have long known as a very intelligent, skilful and highly suc-
cessful arboriculturist — I allude to Henry L. Penniman, Esq., of
Dedham — makes no other application than that of new mown
grass to his thrifty and productive trees. Nature herself m her
fresh green waving groves and gigantic forests often growing out
of the bed of decaying rocks, ahvays thus mulches and nourishes
her trees and keeps them flourishing and vigorous. This kind of
nourishment, though deficient doubtless in exhausted soils in cer-
tain necessary elements of growth, has the advantage of never
being injurious to trees by its overstimulating qualities, as is the
case sometimes with stable manure, superphosphate, guano, &c.

2d. The protection afibrded to the roots of trees in winter by
mulching, is such as to prevent the violent action of heat and cold,
that so often proves fatal to the peach especially, and not infre-
quently, in high northern latitudes, to the quince and pear. In-

108

deed, few peacli orchards or pear orchards ■will be allowed to
remain in coming times without this protection.

3dly. Mulching in times of drought prevents evaporation, and
thus secures sufficient moisture and a consequent abundant supply
of the gaseous elements, contained in the moisture, which composes
the food of plants and trees. For deprived of the nutritious ele-
ments thus held in solution in water by the drying up of the soil,
the young tree, recently planted, withers, fades and dies ; the
larger trees languish, the leaves grow yellow, the fruit is either for
the most part knerly and imperfect, or drops prematurely from
the tree, while that which remains and matures goes swiftly to de-
cay after it is gathered. Of these evils, mulching is the greatest
cure yet discovered, and its effect always is to produce a healthy,
thrifty, generovis growth, with fair, juicy, abundant and lasting fruits.

Your Committee have awarded the following premiums for the
most staple fruit of New England : —

Ajjples. — For the best collection of Apples, to William Clapp, of
Dorchester, 1st premium, ..... $5.00

Hon. Benjamin V. French, of Braintree, 2d, . . 3.00

Moses Kingsbury, of Dedham, 3d, .... 2.00
For the best dish of Apples, not less than one dozen specimens :

To Mrs. Amos Wood, of Dedham, .... 2.00

Your Committee also awarded diplomas to the following per-
sons, for the beautiful specimens, and in many cases valuable col-
lections presented by them, — the Committee having exhausted the
premiums within their gift.

To Edward M. Richards, of Dedham, collection of Apples and
Pears ; A. W. Stetson, of Braintree ; Thomas Barrows, of Ded-
ham ; Calvin Bigelow, of Dover ; Richard Richardson, of Med-
way ; A. Richardson, of Medway ; Jesse Farrington, of Dedham ;
Wm. Whiting, of Dedham ; Francis Guild, of Dedham ; Dr. Fran-
cis Howe, of Dedham ; Dr. Eben Wight, of Dedham ; Ira Cleve-
land, Esq., of Dedham ; John Drayton, of Dedham ; J. W. Page,
of West Roxbury.

Also, to Lewis Bullard, Esq., of Dedham, for the "Honey
come eat me " Apple, from a tree 200 years old, planted by the
Rev. John Allin, the first minister of Dedham, with the request
that Mr. Bullard furnish the Secretary an inscription to insert in
the Diploma.

109

The Committee also recommend a gratuity of $2.00 to the lion.
President of this Society, for a splendid assorted basket of fruit ;
also to E. M. Richards, Esq., for a basket of assorted fruit.
Pears. — There were but few contributors. The specimens pre-
sented being generally inferior, owing no doubt to the very dry

season.
For the best collection of Pears, the first premium is

awarded to Hon. M. P. Wilder, .... $5.00

Samuel Downer, Esq., of Dorchester, 2d, . . . 3.00
Edward S. Rand, Esq., of Dedham, 3d, . . . 2.00
To Samuel Downer, Esq., of Dorchester, for the best dish

of Pears, ........ 2.00

To Lewis Wheeler, a diploma.

Peaches. — But few Avere offered ; those presented being

mostly late Crawfords, with one exception.
Henry Goulding, of Dover, presented 46 kinds, mostly

seedlings, and is entitled to the first premium of 5.00

John D. .Bradley, of Milton, 2d, 3.00

Thaddcus Clapp, of Dorchester, 3d, .... 2.00
Also, diplomas to Willard Lewis, of Walpole, Curtis &

Lincoln, and John Baker, of West Dedham.

Grapes. — To C. S. Holbrook, of East Randolph, for the
greatest variety of splendid foreign Grapes, 8 kinds,
the Committee recommend a premium of . . . 5.00

To Charles Sampson, of West Roxbury, for the largest and

best collection of foreign grapes, .... 5.00

To Mrs. George Ilallet, of West Roxbury, 2d, . . 3.00

Diplomas to Chas. B. Shaw, of Dedham, and Joseph W. Clarke, of
Dedham, for very fine specimens.

Native Crrapes. — Amos W. Stetson, of Braintree, presented four
varieties of native grapes, some of which the Committee con-
sider valuable — they therefore award him the highest premium
of $3.00.

Also, diplomas to Richard Richardson, of ^ledway, G. F. Thayer,
of Quincy, Francis Marsh, of Dedham, and G. & C. Craft, of
Brookline. For the Committee,

JAMES RICHARDSON, Jr., Chairman.
November, 1854.

15

no

REPORT ON APPLE ORCHARDS.

The Committee on Apple Orchards report that only one or-
chard has been presented for exammation.

This belonged to Mr. Whiting Grant, of Wrentham, consisting
of Baldwins, Greenings and Russets, principally of the former
variety. One half of the trees Avere planted three years since ;
the other portion four years. The trees are very thrifty and well
taken care of, and evince good cultivation and judicious manage-
ment. The land has been cultivated with corn and potatoes, and
the soil well tilled.

This being the only orchard which the Committee were called
to examine, they award the first premium of fifteen dollars to
Whiting Grant, of Wrentham.

For the Committee,

E. M. RICHARDS, Chairman.

REPORT ON FLOWERS.

First premium to Mrs. Amos Wood, of Dedham, for a

large, round bouquet, ...... $2.00

Second premium, for 20 handsome hand bouquets, and a

collection of fine verbenas, to E. S. Rand, of Dedham, 2.00

Third premium, for 20 varieties of verbenas, to J. W.

Clark, of Dedham, ...... 2.00

Fourth premium, for a large bouquet of asters, to Miss

Mary B. Morse, of Medfield, .... 2.00

Fifth premium, for a large collection of dahlias, asters
and roses, to Mr. Kelley, of Forest Hill, the only con-
tributor of dahlias, ...... 1.00

Sixth premium, for a very handsome bouquet of assorted

flowers, to Miss Rebecca ScAvall, of Medfield, . . 1.00

Seventh premium, for bouquets, to Myra Smith, of Need-
ham, Mrs. Elhs Bacon, of Walpole, and Mrs. Mcin-
tosh of Dedham, each 1.00

Ill

Elegant specimens of Cryptomcria japonica, by E. S. Rancl,
of Dedhani.

The Committee regret to say that the finest flowers, and the
most tastefully arranged bouquets, were entered too late to secure
premiums. They were contributed by M. P. AVildcr, of Dor-
chester, and E. S. Rand, of Dedham. Also a cotton plant, by
Charles Breck, of Milton.

All these contributions are worthy of special notice, for the
beauty of the flowers and the taste displayed in the arrangement.

J. M. MERRICK, Chairman.

■*-

REPORT ON AGRICULTURAL LIIPLEMENTS.

The Committee on Agricultural Implements, award as follows :
For the best and largest assortment of agricultural

implements, to Henry Partridge, Jr., of Medfield, $15.00

For the best specimens of agricultural implements manu-
factured in the county, to the same, first premium of 6.00

E. L. KEYES, Chairman.

-*-

REPORT ON FARMS.

The Committee on Farms announce with regret that but a
single farm in the County was presented for their examination.
This fact would seem to indicate an absence of laudable pride
among the farmers of Norfolk. Scores of men shoAv fine bulls,
and cows, and calves, horses, poultry and pigs, and receive, as
they deserve, commendation therefor ; but the possession of a
fine animal, is, too often, a mere matter of accident, — a for-
tunate purchase, — the happening in the neighborhood of a fine
bull or stallion, or the like, — and too seldom the effect of sys-
tematic and judicious breeding. In fine, a man wa?/ sweep the
show of prizes on stock, and yet be a very indifferent farmer ;
but when he exhibits a well-tilled and economically managed

112

farm in proof of his claim to the honorable title of a good farmer,
its every acre of ploughed land and meadow, orchard and forest,
hill-side and plain, — its snug farm house and kitchen garden,
out-houses and yards, — its vehicles and farm implements, — the
farm horses, or oxen, in good condition for labor, — the cows clean
as cats, carrying home daily gallons of good milk, — the swine,
examples of contentment and obesity, — the very house dog, in his
happiness, giving to his tail a hospitable wag, — all these declare
in lanfi:ua";e that cannot be mistaken, and cannot deceive, the
home of the thriving farmer.

Are there none such in Norfolk ? This volume of the Trans-
actions of your Society is your accredited ambassador to other
Counties, States and countries, charged, it is presumed, to give as
fair and favorable an account as facts will justify. The silent
but eloquent envoy points with pride to the thriving condition of
your Association, — to the immense concourse of persons who are
annually attracted to your shows, — to the noble array of live
stock exhibited, — the groaning tables heaped with luscious and
tempting fruits, coaxed from an unfriendly soil, or forced during
an intemperate season, — the many and varied evidences of female
taste, and skill, and perseverance ;■ — but what is said concerning
the farms of Norfolk ? Scarcely a syllable !

Now it is not the fact that there are no longer farms in Nor-
folk County creditable to her farmers and worthy of commen-
dation. There are many such, but their proprietors,' Ave fear, are
determined to keep them profoundly secret.

FARM OF DR. W. T. G. MORTON, AT WEST NEEDHAM.

The only farm presented for examination belongs to Dr. W. T. G.
Morton ; and it happened, unfortunately, that it was not presented
within the time specified by the rules of the Society ; the Com-
mittee, in consequence, are unable to award any premium.

They award to Dr. Morton a gratuity of $20.

The farm gave evidences of continued and well-directed labor ;
the buildings were all good and in good condition ; the neat-
cattle were of excellent quality and in fine order ; the swine,
which are well and widely known in the United States, made good
their claim to their high reputation ; and the poultry, in many

113

varieties and in immense numbers, did great credit to the Doctor's
" selection, breeding and management."

A full account of Dr. Morton's form, with its expenses and
receipts, is appended. The minuteness of this account, and the
careful manner in which it has been kept, reflect great credit
upon Dr. Morton, and Mr. G. H. P. Flagg, by whom it is prepared.

For the Committee,

WILLIAM S. KING, Cliairman.

STATEINIENT OF DR. MORTON.

To the Committee on Farms : —

Gentlemen — In consequence of the prevalent idea among
farmers, that none but large and decidedly model farms are con-
sidered worthy of premium, I feel a good deal of reluctance in
calling vour attention to the small number of acres which I culti-
vate. But experience and observation having taught me that
small famis make the largest relative dividend, I shall, in con-
formity with these views, submit a sketch of my agricultural ope-
rations for the past season.

My fai"m now contains sixty-six acres, and was the parsonage
of this parish before it came into the hands of my family. Our
first purchase included but six acres, whereon was a beautiful site
for a building. This land was covered with bushes, and the low
ground was miry. We immediately cleai'ed and planted it. The
gi'ound was elevated in the centre, and on its highest point a
thrifty oak, a foot in diameter, stood " solitary and alone." Here
a two story gothic cottage was erected, of convenient size and
shape. At the top of this cottage is a large reservoir, supplied
with water by a hydraulic ram, raised thirty feet, from a running
stream of spring water on the premises. This reservoir supplies
with water the different rooms in every story of the house, and
also a fountain in front of the mansion ; it irrigates the flower and
vegetable garden ; supplies the tenant's house and horse stable,
and by the use of hose, can throw a stream of water over nearly
all the buildings, (which, besides the above, consist of two tene-
ments, a barn, horse stable, carriage house, tool house, piggery.

114

lienery, ice house, &c.) Some rods from the cottage, and on the
north side, he erected tlie barn, fronting south, into a basin-
shaped yard, connected, with a roof over it, of sufficient height to
allow the sun to strike under. On the south side of this yard is
the piggery, with sliding doors to connect with the barn-yard.
On the east and west sides of this yard, are gates, by which we
pass into one and drop the material for composting, and drive out
of the other. It will be seen, by the annexed statement, that a
good stock of hogs are kept through the year ; and we manage, by
scattering corn among the mud and manure, to make them per-
form most of the labor of composting. If they do not sufficiently
mix muck and manure, we shut up the hogs by the sliding doors,
and open both gates and plough through and through, and then
let them on again. The shed is covered, and no liquid but
urine being there, any deficiency of moisture is made up by
letting in Avatcr from a four thousand gallon cistern, supplied
from the roofs of the out-buildings. These are so arranged, that
the water is conducted from all of them into the cistern, which is
of wood, and stands above ground, at a sufficient height to dis-
charge water through a pipe into a trough in front of the cattle-
stalls ; and, also, when desirable, into the swill boiler.

These improvements have all been so uniformly done in the
summer months, that but for the stock, no help would have been
re(|uired during the winter. There not having been, formerly,
stock enough on the place to fully occupy one man's time, a lot
of twenty acres (about half in wood) was purchased, with the
view of the laborer's time being employed in winter, and culti-
vating the other half, which was done with great success, which I
think wull be conceded by the Committee, when they examine the
annexed account of the results of the agricultural operations on
the hmited scale of the two pieces of land above mentioned.

With the view of arriving at definite conclusions, as to the
profit of cultivating the different crops, I have caused to be en-
tered, every night, the labor and expense of each day, in a Farm
Record. From this book, I put the entries under the separate
heads, and have struck a balance, and transmit herewith a copy
of the same, embracing every entry in detail, which the Committee
are at liljerty to make such use of as they see fit.

115

We have not, until this fall, come into possession of the other
part of the parsonage, — embracing forty acres, a part, of deep
sandy loam ; the other part, meadow, with plenty of muck, adjoin-
ing the six acre plot ; with mansion house surrounded with old
elms, a barn and out-buildings suitable for occupation by a fore-
man, and at a convenient distance from the cottage.

The first step, this fall, on the forty acre parcel, was to plough
one half of it thirteen inches deep, (with three yoke of cattle,)
and dig 500 cords of mud ; which amount we ascertained by
measuring the ditches. This sufficiently drained the low land. We
are now carting it on to the light upland, which has been literally
shinned for years ; and the returning carts convey sandy gravel
from under the barn, which will help reclaim the meadow, and
leave a large manure and root cellar under and adjacent to the
barn.

Although I have and intend in future to devote much attention
to the manufacture of composts, yet I have been, also, endeavor-
ing to test the more recently introduced fertilizers. In this
connection, I beg leave to introduce the following.

Hay Experiments.

Designed to test the comparative value of cow and concen-
trated manures as top dressings for mowing lands, 1\ acre was
selected that had been laid down to grass three years, cutting, in
ordinary seasons, from one and a half to two tons per acre.
There is a fair subsoil ; the surface is black loam, the subsoil
yellow loam, gravel below. The land was divided into plots, and
extended from moderately high to low ground.

No. 1 was dressed with coarse compost, at the rate of 15 cords
per acre. The expense in carting and spreading was $3.75 for
24,070 feet, or $6.75 per acre.

No. 2 was dressed while the snow was on the ground -with
176 lbs. of guano, costing $5.28, or $12.00 per acre ; being at
the rate of 400 lbs. per acre.

No. 3 was left without dressing, to show the natural yield of
grass, and to give a standard of comparison.

nc

Results.

In the fore part of July, the grass from each plot was cured
and weighed.

The grass from the manure plot shrunk 42 per cent.
" " guano " " 49 "

" " nothing " " 52 "

The hay from each plot was weighed separately.

No. of plot. — Application to.

No. 1. 15 cords compost, one half remain-
ing unspent,

No. 2. 400 lbs. guano,

No. 3. Nothing,

Cost per
Acre.

$30 00
12 00

lbs.

Hay per

Acre.

lbs. I
Gain per Loss
Applica. per Acre.

4,200
4,310
3,200

1,000
1,110

$22 00
3 12

Expenses of Corn. — One Acre.

1.5 cords compost manure,

Carting out and spreading,

Ploughing and harrowing,

Dropping manure, furrowing and planting

Ashing corn,

Cultivating,

Hoeing first time.

Guano, super-phospate lime and applying

Cultivating,

Hoeing second time,

" third
Turnip seed and sowing, .
Harvesting,
Interest on land,

X 3X63) ■ • •

Products.

71 bushels of corn, at $ 1.00,

Husks and stalks,

One half of manure unspent,

60

00

10

50

6

62

11

25

50

1

50

4

00

3

00

1

00

3

00

2

50

62

7 00

4

41

56

71

00

10

00

30

00

$116 46

$111 00

Loss,

$5 46

117

Expenses of Potatoes. — Half Acre

5 cords manure,

Carting' out and spreading,

Plougliing- and harrowing,

Dropping manure, furrowing and planting

Seed,

Cultivating,

Hoeing first time,

Cultivating,

Hoeing second time,

Harvesting,

Interest on land,

Products.

98 bushels potatoes,

One half of manure unspent.

20

00

3

50

5

00

5

75

5

00

1

25

5

00

1

00

3

00

7

50

2

20

28

$59 48

147

00

10

00

$157 00
59 48

Profit,

$97 52

Expenses of Fodder Corn. — Half Acre.

G cords compost manure,

Carting out and spreading.

Ploughing and harrowing.

Dropping manure, furrowing and planting.

Seed,

Cultivating,

Hoeing first time,

" second time,
Harvesting,
Interest on land.
Taxes,

Products.

5% tons corn, (Green,)
One half manure unspent,

Profit,

Expenses of Carrots.

10 cords compost manure,
Carting out and spreading,
16

-Half Acre,

24 00

2 00

3 50

5 25

2 00

1 50

2 00

3 75

1 00

2 20

28

$47 43

50 00

12 00

$62 00

47 43

40 00
3 75

14 57

118

Plougliing and harrowing,

Dropping manure and preparing drills,

Sowing seed by hand,

Cultivating,

Weeding first time,

" second time.
Thinning out.
Harvesting,
Interest on land,
Taxes,

Products.

350 bushels carrots, at 37^ cts..

Tops,

One half of manure unspent.

4 00

14 00

4 00

1 00

6 00

8 50

1 50

7 00

2 20

28

$92 23

131 25

3 00

20 00

$154 25

92 23

Profit,

$62 02

Expenses of Sauce Garden

4 cords compost manure,

50 lbs. guano, 50 lbs. super-phosphate lime,

Ploughing,

Preparing ground and planting,

Transplanting,

Weeding and hoeing,

Harvesting,

Products.

One half manure unspent,

1 bushel peas,
3J bushels beans,
58 ears sweet corn,
3,126 cucumbers,
290 tomatoes,
1,081 peppers,
3 bushels potatoes,

2 bushels parsnips, beets and carrots,

1 bushel turnips,
260 lbs. corn stover,

2 bushels melons,

Profit,

16 00

3 00

2 50

2 50

2 62

5 00

2 00

$33 62

8 00

1 68

7 00

58

15 63

2 13

5 40

4 50

1 00

50

1 00

2 00

$49 42
33 62

$15 80

119

The Number and Value of my Stock and Expenses is .

Jan. 1, 1854.

1 horse,

2 cows, at $7ri,
9 breeding sows, at $25,

16 pigs, at $ 10,
15 pigs, at $6,

4 boars, at $ 50,
35 hens,

2 roosters,

5 turkeys,
27 geese,

4 wild geese,
15 ducks,

1 peacock,

1 pair Caribbean geese, imported,

1 pair Egyptian geese,

1 pair white China geese,

1 pair Java ducks,

1 pair grey China geese,

1 Devon bull, 2 Devon heifers, 1 Devon calf, G Jersey
heifers, 4 Jersey calfs, 1 Jersey bull, 3 yoke oxen
and 1 stag,
Amount paid for labor, at $ 1.25 per day,

4 tons hay, purchased at $20,

5 " " " at $10,
H tons of straw, purchased,
Taxes,
Grain for horse,

" " poultry,
" " oxen,
" " cows,
" " hogs, .
Scraps for "

$150

00

150

00

225

00

160

00

80

00

200

00

18

00

3

00

10

00

81

00

20

00

30

00

1

50

30

00

30

00

30

00

10

00

10

00

2,019

00

368

00

80

00

50

00

21

00

35

00

55

00

83

90

78

77

86

50

438

90

80

76

$4,635 33

1854.

The Produce is as follows ,

71 bushels corn,

$71 00

5| tons fodder corn.

50 00

98 bushels potatoes,

147 00

350 bushels carrots.

131 3«

Carrot lops, .

3 Oe

Vegetables from sauce garden,

41 49

8 bushels potatoes among nursery trees,

12 00

Husks and stalks,

11 00

120

120 bushels turnips,
Pumpkins, ....
3^ tons hay, ....
1 veal calf, ....
3,263 quarts milk,

54 sows served by boars, $2.00 each,
3,400 nursery trees,
Use of bull, ....
May 9. By 2 pigs sold to Hon. F. P. Stanton, Tenn., 75 00
27. " 1 " Augustus Stevens, Mass.,
30. " 2 " Joseph Garrett, " .

(I

" 31. " 1

June 1. " 3 " Hon. John Wentworth, 111.,
20. " 2 " " James Hillyer, Geo.,
22. " 1 " John Cameron, Mass., .
July 11. " 2 " Samuel Sands, Esq., Md.,
" " " 2 " Hon. A. G. Brown, Miss.,
" " " 3 " " J. C. Clements, Ala.,

" " " 1 " " F. P. Stanton, Tenn.,

20. " 2 " F.Tyler, N. Y.,
25. "3 " Hon. A. P. Edgerton, Ohio,

" 2 " A. Hyatt Smith, Wis.,
31. " 2 " Samuel Sands, Esq., Md.,
" 3 " Hon. L. D. Campbell, Ohio,

" " " 2 " Tyson, N. Y.,

Aug. 22. " 37 " Joseph Garrett, Mass., .
" " " 1 " John Cameron, "
" " "1 " George T. Caswell, Mass.,

" " " 1 " Watson, "

Oct. 26. " 2 " Hon. A. Rencher, N. C,
" " " 2 " " Jackson Morton, Fla.,
" " "2 " " I. P. Walker, Wis.,
" 2 " J. A. Lamar, Ala.,
"2 " May Webb, Ohio,
" 2 " Dr. E. V. Dickey, Pa., .
" " " 2 " E. B. Powell, Esq., D. C,
" " " 3 " New York,
Sept. 27. " 3 Jersey heifers, 3 Jersey calfs, 1 Jersey
bull, 1 Durham cow, 2 Devon heifers,
1 yoke oxen, . . . 1,580 00

" " " 11 geese, sold to Hon. John Went-
worth, 111., . . . 55 00
" " 9 ducks, sold to do. do. do. 45 00
" 3 turkeys, " do. do. do. 15 00
" 6 geese sold to Hon. F.P.Stanton, Tenn., 30 00
" 2 ducks " " " " " 10 00
" 4 hens, &c., " " " " 30 00

(( ii

30

00

1

50

70

00

7

50

97

86

108

00

170

00

21

00

75

00

14

00

26

00

15

00

45

00

30

00

7

50

30

00

30

00

75

00

30

00

30

00

45

00

30

00

30

00

45

00

30

00

200

00

4

00

35

00

35

00

30

00

30

00

30

00

30

00

30

00

20

00

125

00

150

00

121

Sept. 27. By 201 chickens, sold to market,

" " " 18 ducks sold to market,
Nov. 17, *' 3,152 eggs,

Keeping cattle.

Slock on hand.

1 horse,

4 breeding sows, at $25,
12 pigs, at $ 10, .

2 pigs, at $ 15, .

2 boars, at $ 50,

3 Jersey heifers, 1 Jersey calf, 1 Devon bull, 1 Devon

cow, 2 yoke of oxen and 1 stag,
1 pair Egyptian geese,
1 pair white China geese,

1 pair Caribbean "

2 pair wild "

5 Bremen "
1 pair grey China "

89 hens and chickens,

3 roosters,
15 ducks,'

1 peacock,

1 pair of Java ducks,

84 30

9 00

52 54

30 00

150

00

100

00

120

00

30

00

100

00

1,110

00

30

00

30

00

30

00

20

00

15

00

10

00

44

50

4 50
30 00

I 50
10 00

$

0,045 37
4,635 33

Net profit,

$1,410 04

122

TREASURER'S REPORT.

Henry W. Richards, Treasurer, in account with the Norfolk

Agricultural Society.

Dr.

Balance in Treasury, Nov. 30, 1853,

Cash received, admission fees of 51 new members,

" " donation from Lyman Kinsley, Esq.,

" " for sale of grass,

" " from the Commonwealth, .

" " at Cattle Show, 1854, in part.
Cash borrowed,

$1,123

51

237

00

50

00

10

00

600

00

247

75

. 1,300

00

,568 26

Cr.
Cash paid for printing and incidental expenses,

premiums, .....

balance expenses of Cattle Show, 1853,

balance for erecting hall and fixtures,

Secretary's salary,

insurance on hall for seven years,

" interest,

Cash returned, amount borrowed,
Balance in Treasury, Nov. 29, 1854,

The Society own real estate, occupied by them, valued at S6,129 89,
including the pens, furniture, &c., attached to the premises. They owe
Si, 000 for cash borrowed.

HENRY W. KICHAEDS, Treasurer.

S586

76

567

00

147

38

384

97

50

00

47

50

• 53

32

1,294

50

436

83

$3,568

26

Dedham, Nov. 29, 1854.

123

ORDER OF EXERCISES AT CHURCH,

ON THE OCCASION OF THE

SIXTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION

OF THE .

NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

At Dcdham, Sept. 27, 18§4.

At half past eleven o'clock, A. M., a procession was formed on
tlie Society's grounds, consisting of the officers and members of
the Society and invited guests, under the direction of Col. Thomas
Adams, of the city of Roxbury, and marched, escorted by the
Dedham Band, to the church of the Rev. Dr. Lamson, where the
following exercises were performed. Hon. Marshall P. Wilder,
President of the Society, presided, and introduced the services by
the subjoined remarks : —

Farmers and Friends,

Again the earth hath yielded her increase and the trees of the field their
fruit. Again we assemble in this consecrated place to receive instruction,
and to render thanks to the Giver of all good for the blessings with which
He has rewarded industry and enterprise in the arts of life, and to cele- ,
brate, by these and other appropriate services, the Sixth Anniversary of the
Norfolk Agricultural Society.

To Him our gratitude is especially due for the uninterrupted harmony
and prosperity of our Association, and particularly for the preservation of
the life and health of its members, this day living witnesses of the divine
goodness.

Fellow Laborers — By your presence and counsels our Society has
been elevated to its present flourisliing condition, and upon your examples
and cooperation will depend much of its future usefulness. Let us rejoice
in the progress which has been made since the organizatior» of our Society.
This is apparent in better cultivated farms and in the great increase of crops,

124

as seen by the premiums awarded, particularly in five fields of Indian corn
offered tlie last year, and yielding, on an average, more than one hundred
bushels to the acre.

The report of the Visiting Committee on Farms this year also assures us
of decided and gratifying improvement in the arts of cultivation and in rural
taste and architecture. Tlie enterprise of our members in the breeding of
domestic animals has greatly improved the chai-acter of our stock, and
promises, ere long, to place this department of husbandry on a par with that
of any other part of New England ; especially is this noticeable in our
Devon, Jersey and Suffolk breeds, and in the improvement of our horses.
Let us also rejoice in the completion of our new Agricultural Hall, which
offers not only conveniences for our exhibitions and entertainment, but com-
fortable shelter from the inclemency of the weather, and secures to us many
other important advantages, in the possession of our show grounds and in
their convenient arrangement for our exhibitions.

While we acknowledge our obligations for these accommodations, we
would not forget our indebtedness to the citizens of Dedham, who have,
since our last meeting, placed a belfry, spire, and an apjDropriate emblem on
our hall. Neither would we cease to remember the kind cooperation of the
ladies of Norfolk from the day of the organization to the present hour.

But while we review the evidences of past success and consider the cheer-
ing prospects before us, let us remember that our prosperity and advance-
ment depend upon efficient action and untiring perseverance.

Friends and Associates — Let us continue to extend to each other
the right hand of fellowship, — to work in harmony and love, and to fulfil
our high mission until the cause we seek to promote shall attain its sublime
and glorious object, ever remembering that the history of a prosperous
people is inscribed, not on the roU of mihtary fame or political preferment,
but it is read in the peaceful triumphs of the jjlough.

Farmers — Advance in your glorious career, — persevere in this noblest
of all arts until the vision of jjrophecy is fulfilled, " when your threshing shall
reach unto the vintage, and the vintage unto the sotving time, and ye shall eat
old store, and bring forth the old because of the abundance of the new"

At the conclusion of these remarks, prayer was offered bj Eev.
Charles C. Sewall, of Medfield.
The following hymn was then sung

ORIGINAL HYMN.

BY A LADT OP DEDHAM.

Again with magic wand
Has Autumn touched our land,
And changed the scene ; —
The woods, in farewell dress,
. Delight us not the less,
In fading loveliness.

Than Summer sheen.

125

And now, as oft before,
The fruits, a plenteous store,

Salute our eyes ;
And for the golden corn,
Through welcome rain new-born',
Shall fervent thanks each moi'n

Like incense rise.

With cheerful heart we toil,
We plough, we plant the soil,

Of bounteous earth :
Knowing each tree and flower,
Cherished by sun and shower,
Shall yield an ample dower,

Of priceless worth.

O God, our praise and prayer,
Unceasing as Thy care.

Would rise above ;
Thy hand is ever near
To bless and crown the year ;
Then we will never fear.

But trust Thy love.

The Annual Address was then delivered by Rev. James
Richardson, Jr., of Kmgston. (See p. 5.) At the conclusion of
the address, a voluntary was performed by the choir, and the
benediction pronounced by the Rev. Dr. Lamson. The Society
and their guests then reassembled in procession and marched
with spirited music to the hall, where an agricultural banquet had
been prepared, and of which about nine hundred ladies and gen-
tlemen partook.

EXERCISES AT DINNER.

The company being seated, a blessing on the feast was invoked
by the Rev. Mr. Merrick of Walpole. When the busy play of
knife and fork had ceased, the premiums awarded by the several
Committees were announced by the Secretary, Hon. E. L. Keyes.

The President then introduced the intellectual part of the en-
tertainment by some brief and well-chosen remarks, and proceeded,
by the announcement of appropriate sentiments, to elicit responses
from the guests i)rescnt on the occasion.

17

126

The first sentiment was complimentary to the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts. The foUowmg letter from His Excellency the
Governor was then read.

Worcester, Sept. 25, 1854.

Dear Sir, — After consultation ■with my friends here, I have concluded
that I cannot leave here to accept the honor of your invitation to be present
at the Norfolk Cattle Show.

Our own takes place on Wednesday and Thursday. I am a member of
the Society, and am to make the address on Thursday, and have reluctantly
yielded to the suggestion that I ought not to be absent on either day.

Do express to any one who may take the trouble to inquire, my regret in
not being able to be present. And I can assure you personally, that few
things could give me more pleasure than to meet you, and share with you
the interesting incidents of the occasion.

If I were present, I nnight venture to offer as a sentiment at your dinner
table :—

The Norfolk Agricultural Society — Though it may not boast of
its years, in the wisdom of its Head and the strength of its Members, it may
challenge comparison with the oldest branches of the Agricultural family of
the Commonwealth.

Very truly and respectfully yours,

Emory Washburn.
Hon. M. P. Wilder.

In the absence of the Governor, the Secretary of State, Hon.
E. M. Wright, responded in an appropriate manner.

The Chair then read the following letter from Hon. Charles
Sumner, Senator in Congress.

Boston, Sept. 25, 1854.

My Dear Sir, — I am grateful for the honor done me by the invitation
of your Society, and also for the kind manner in which you have conveyed
it. But another engagement promises to occupy my time so as to deprive
me of the pleasure thus kindly offered.

From the mother earth we may derive many lessons, and I doubt not that
they will spring up abundantly in the foot-prints of the Norfolk Agricultural
Society. There is one which comes to my mind at this moment, and which
is of perpetual force.

The good farmer obeys the natural laws ; never does he impotently at-
tempt to set up any statute of man against the great ordinances of God,
determining day and night, summer and winter, sunshine and rain. The
good citizen will imitate the good farmer ; never will he impotently attemjjt
1» set up any statute of man against the great ordinances of God, which de-
termine good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice. Let me

127

express these correlative ideas in a sentiment, which I trust may be welcome
at your festival : —

The good Farmer and the good Citizen — Acting in conformity
with the laws of God rather than the statutes of man, they know that in this
way only, can true prosperity be obtained.

Believe me, dear sir, with much respect.

Very faitlifully yours,

Charles Sumner.
Hon. Marshall P. Wilder.

Mr. Wilder then introduced lion. Josiali Quincy, by remark-
ing, That the Society were honored by the presence of its eldest
member, the Farmer op Quincy, not like Cincmnatus from the
military camp, but like Cincinnatus from the field, and even more
noble than he, has brought his plough and his team with him. I
give you —

Our Octogenarian Farmer — Unlike that plant which blossoms but
once in a hundred years, he bids fair to bloom and bear fruit through the
whole century.

To this' sentiment Mr. Quincy replied in a very happy and in-
structive speech, referring to his long experience as a Norfolk
farmer, having been for fifty-seven years a cultivator of the soil
in that County. His speech was received with much approbation
and applause.

The next toast was —

Our Representatives in Congress — May they remember that all
which is worthy of legislative care springs from the soil. In lavishing their
appropriations on the sword, may they not forget the plough and the spade.

To this, Hon. J. Wiley Edmands, Representative in Congress
from this District, and the Hon. S. P. Benson, M. C. from Maine,
responded in appropriate speeches. The latter gentleman urged
the yeomanry of the country to ask Congress for such aid as
might be needed for the cause of Agriculture, assuring them that
if they were united in the request, and would march boldly up
with their petition, it would not be refused.

The following was then announced —

The Orator of the Day — His labors to-day afford ample proof that
what he preaches he is able to practice.

Rev. James Richardson, Jr., rephcd to this sentiment in his
eloquent and usually happy style.

128

A sentiment was then offered alluding to the Judiciary, which
called up His Honor Justice Mellen, who made a learned and
well digested speech, evincing much research and practical know-
ledge, and it is to be regretted that we have not a report of it for
these pages.

The exercises were then closed by the singing of the following

AUTUMN HYMN.

BY DR. T. \V. PARSONS.

Tune—" Auld Lang Syne."

Should Autumn's golden days depart,

And never leave behind
A lesson to the grateful heart —

A harvest for the mind ?

For Autumn and his golden days,

For all his goodly things.
We'll sing a cheerful song of praise,

For all that Autumn brings.

Dear God ! who gav'st the kindly rain

On summer's drouth to fall,
Thy sun and rain made strong the grain,

But Autumn ripened all.

For Autumn's glad and golden days,

For all his blessed things,
We'll sing a cheerful song of praise,

For all that Autumn brings.

c^

Though Autumn suns more coldly shine.

Earth's glory is not lost :
Night bears the Pleiad's radiant sign !

Morn shows the silver frost !

And though his fields be bare and brown.
Old Autumn's praise we'll sing :

October's gold shall be his crown,
And Autumn shall be kins; !

^ffjttrs of tj)t Sttcictj.
1854.

President,
MARSHALL P. WILDER, of Dorchester.

Vice Presidents,
BENJAMIN V. FRENCH, of Bramtree.
SAMUEL D. BRADFORD, of West Roxhury.
CHEEVER NEWHALL, of Dorchester.
JOHN GARDNER, of Dedham.
RALPH SANGER, of Dover.
CHARLES C. SEWALL, of Bledfield.

Corresponding and Recording Secretary,
EDWARD L. KEYES, of Dedham.

Treasurer,
HENRY W. RICHARDS, of Dedlmju.

Executive Committee,
MARSHALL P. WILDER, of Dorchester.
OTIS GARY, of Foxhoro\
THOMAS MOTLEY, of Dedham.
AARON D. WELD, of West Boxhury.
HENRY PARTRIDGE, Jr., of Medfield.

130

Finance Committee and Auditors,
EBEN WIGHT, of Dedham.
CHARLES B. SHAW, of Dedham.
LEWIS H. KINGSBURY, of Dedham.

Board of Trustees.

BELLINGHAM.

ASA PICKERING, PAUL CHILSON.

BKAINTREE.

EDWARD POTTER, DAVID N. HOLLIS,

JONATHAN FRENCH, CALEB HOLLIS.

BROOK LINE.

MARSHALL STEARNS, SAMUEL HENSHAW,

JAMES BARTLETT, TIMOTHY COREY.

CANTON.

ELISHA WHITE, JOHN ENDICOTT,

WILLIAM TUCKER, ELLIS TUCKER.

C O II A S S E T .

JAMES C. DOANE, SOLOMON J. BEAL,

LABAN SOUTHER, WILLIAM B. JOHNSON.

DEDHAM.

WILLIAM KING GAY, COLBURN ELLIS,

JESSE FARRINGTON, LUTHER EATON.

DORCHESTER.

EDWARD KING, ELI W. ROBINSON,

JOHN H. ROBINSON, HENRY LIVERSIDGE,

AARON D. CAPEN, SAMUEL J. CAPEN.

DOVER.

HIRAM W. JONES, BENJAMIN N. SAWIN,

CALVIN RICHARDS, AARON BACON.

131

F O X H O R O ' .

FREEDOM GUILD, SIMEON BURR,

ALFRED HODGES, JEREMIAH M. SHEPARD.

FKANKLIN.

WARD ADAMS, ARCHIBALD DE WITT,

GEORGE W. MORSE, MAXCY FISHER.

JI E 1> FIELD.

THOMAS T. RICHMOND, GEORGE DAVIS,
JACOB R. CUSHMAN, ISAAC FISKE.

M E D W A Y .

HORATIO MASON, JOHN P. JONES,

ABIJAH R. WHEELER, JAMES P. CLARK.

MILTON.

CHARLES BRECK, JOHN ARNOLD, Jk.,
LEWIS COPELAND, ELIJAH TUCKER.

N E E D H A JI .

WILLIAM FLAGG, DANIEL KIMBALL,

WILLIAM PIERCE, GARDNER G. HUBBARD.

Q U I N C Y .

HORATIO N. GLOVER, JOSEPH W. ROBERTSON,

JOSIAH BRIGHAM, WILLIAM S. MORTON.

RAND O L PH .

ROYAL W. TURNER, ADONIRAM WIHTE,

JOSEPH LEEDS, C. S. HOLBROOK.

RO XB UR Y.

AxVRON D. WILLIAMS, GEORGE DAVENPORT,

CHARLES ELLIS, JAMES GUILD,

AVILLIAM B. KINGSBURY, JOHN FUSSELL.

132

SHARON.

OTIS JOHNSON, WILLIAM R. MANN,

CALVIN TURNER, ASAHEL S. DRAKE.

STOUGIITON.

LUCIUS CLAPP, ROBERT PORTER,

LUTHER PORTER, ASAHEL SOUTHWORTH.

W A L P O L E .

TRUMAN CLARKE, JOHN A. GOULD,

FRANCIS W. BIRD, SHADRACH S. PIERCE.

WEST ROXBURY.

STEPHEN M. WELD, THOMAS MOTLEY, Jr.,

JOSEPH H. BILLINGS, JOHN J. LOW.

WEYJIOUTH.

LEMUEL HUMPHREY, NATHANIEL SHAW,

JAMES JONES, JAMES TIRRELL.

W R E N T TI A INI .

CALVIN FISHER, Jr., BENJAMIN HAWES,

ARTEMAS ALDRICH, HARVEY E. CLAP.

133

t(^iiic,s of tl ciif)5cKs.

BELLmGHML

Chilson, Paul
Pickering, Asa

BRAINTREE.

Arnold, John B.

Arnold, Joseph A.

Bowditch, Ebcnezer C.

Chace, George

Djer, Isaac

Djer, Joseph

Fogg, Charles M.* 1854.

French, Benjamin V.

French, Mrs. B. V.

French, Jonathan

Ilollis, Caleb

Hollis, David N.

Hollis, John A.

Holhs, Josiah

Ludden, Joseph T.

Mansfield, John

Mansfield, Warren

Morrison, Alva

Niles, Daniel H.

Penniman, Ezra

Perkins, Oliver

Potter, Edward

Randall, ApoUos

Stetson, Amos W.

Stetson, Caleb

Thayer, Ebenezer C.

ITiayer, Ilezekiah* 1854

Vinton, Thomas B.

Wales, George

Willis, George W.* 1852 30.

BROOKLINE.

Amor J, James S.

Babcock, George

Bartlett, James

Bird, Jesse

Blake, George Batj

Craft, Samuel

Crafts, George

Corey, Elijah

Corey, Timothy

Dane, John* 1854

Dane, John H.

Ferris, Mortimer C.

Fisher, Francis
Frazar, Amherst A.

Griggs, Thomas
Henshaw, Samuel
Howe, Frank E.
Howe, James JMurray
Howe, John
Jameson, William H.
Kellogg, Charles D.
Lawrence, Amos A.
Parker, Montgomery D.
Sampson, George R.
Shaw, G. Howland
Stearns, Charles, Jr.
Stearns, Marshall
Thayer, John E.
Trowbridge, John H.
Turner, John N.

CAA^TON.

Abbott, Ezra
Billings, Uriah
Billings, William

30.

* Deceased.

18

134

Bowditch, J. I.

Bray, Edgar W.

Capen, Samuel

Deane, Francis W.

Deane, Thomas

Downes, George

Draper, Thomas

Dunbar, James

Dunbar, Nathaniel

Eldridge, John S.

Endicott, John

Everett, Leonard* 1852

Fenno, Jesse, Jr.

French, Charles H.

French, Thomas

Fuller, Daniel

Guild, Horace

Howard, Lucius

Huntoon, Benjamin

Kinsley, Lyman

Kollock, Jeremiah

Lincoln, Frederic W.

Mansfield, Wilham

Mcintosh, Adam

Mcintosh, Roger S.

McKendry, Wilham

Messinger, Vernon A.
Messinger, Virgil J.
Morse, William
Shepard, James S.
Spare, Elijah
Spaulding, Corodon
Stetson, Joseph
Sumner, James T.
Tilt, Benjamin B.
Tucker, Edmund
Tucker, Ellis
Tucker, Jedediah
Tucker, Nathaniel, Jr.
Tucker, Phineas
Tucker, William
Wentworth, Edwin
Went worth, Nathaniel
White, Ehsha
White, Nathaniel S.

48.

COHASSET.

Beal, Solomon J.
Beal, Mrs. S. J.
Doane, James C,
Johnson, William B.
Sohier, WiUiam D.
Souther, Laban
Tower, Abraham H.

DEDHAJVI.

Adams, Benjamin H.
Alden, Abner
Alden, Francis
Alden, George
Alden, Leonard
Alden, Samuel F.
Ames, Wilham
Babcock, Samuel B.
Bacon, Silas D.
Baker, David A.
Baker, Joel M.
Baker, Obed
Baker, Timothy
Balch, Benjamin W.
Barrows, Thomas
Bates, Martin
Bosworth, Isaac C.
Boyden, Addison
Boy den, Benjamin
Brooks, Edward C.
Bryant, Austin* 1851
Bullard, Elijah
Bullard, John* 1852
Bullard, Lewis
Burgess, Ebenezer
Capen, Charles J.
Capen, Oliver
Carroll, Sanford
Chase, James M.
Chickering, Horatio
Clapp, Edward
Clapp, Nathaniel
Clark, Joseph W.
Clarke, Horatio
Cleveland, Ira

135

Cleveland, Stephen II.
Cobb, Jonathan II.
Colburn, Allen
Colburn, Nathaniel* 1853
Colburn, Waldo
Coolidgc, Geoi'ge
Cormerais, Henry
Crane, Ebenezer P.
Crocker, Amos H.
Crossman, Charles B.
Cushing, Henry W.
Damrell, William S.
Daniell, Ellery C.
Day, Joseph
Deane, John
Dixon, Rufus E.
Doggett, John
Donahoe, Patrick
Downing, James
Drayton, John
Duff, John
Dunbar, -Thomas, Jr.
Eaton, John
Eaton, John Ellis* 1854
Eaton, Luther
Elhs, Cahdn F.
Ellis, Charles
EUis, Colburn
Elhs, George
Elhs, Merrm D.
EUis, Oliver
Fairbanks, William
Farrington, Charles
Farrington, James
Farrington, Jesse
Farrington, John B.
Field, William
Fisher, Alvan
Fisher, Alvan J.
Fisher, Ebenezer S.
Fisher, Freeman
Fisher, James R.
Fisher, Joseph
Fisher, Thomas
Fleming, Douglas
Foord, Enos
French, Abram

Fuller, George
Gardner, John
Gay, Ebenezer F.
Gay, Jeremiah W.
Gay, Lusher
Gay, William King
Glcason, David
Green, Elisha
Guild, Francis
Guild, Henry
Harnden, Harvey
Hartshorn, Richard D.
Haynes, Edward, Jr.
Hildreth, Henry 0.
Holmes, Edward B.
Houghton, William A.
Howe, Francis
Howe, Josiah D.
Hoyle, Mark C.
Inches, Martin B.
Jackson, Marcus B.
Johnson, Edwin
Keyes, Edward L.
Kingsbury, Lewis H.
Kingsbury, Moses
Lamson, Alvan
Mann, Henry A.
Mann, Herman* 1851
Mann, Samuel C.
Mann, WiUiam H.
Marsh, Martin
Marsh, Mrs. IMartui
Mason, William
Mitchell, Francis N.
Morgan, John
Morse, John
Morse, John L.
Motley, Thomas
Noyes, Nathaniel
Otis, Benjamin H.
Patterson, Albert C.
Phelps, Timothy
Phillips, Freeman
Quincy, Edmund
Rand, Edward S.
Rand, Edward S., Jr.
Rand, William T.

136

Rice, John P.
llichards, Abiathar
Richards, Edward M.
Richards, Henry White
Richards, Jeremiah F.* 1852
Richards, Mason
Richards, Reuben
Richards, Reuben A.
Richards, Wilham B.
Rodman, Alfred* 1853
Russell, Ira
Sampson, Ezra W.
Scanlan, David
Scott, Joel
Shaw, Charles B.
Sherman, Charles B.
Sherwin, Thomas
Sigourney, Henry H. W.
Slafter, Carlos
Smith, Henry
Smith, Lyman
Smith, Nathaniel
Smith, Nathaniel, Jr.
Smith, Thomas
Spear, Henry F.
Stimson, Jeremy
Stone, Enphalct
Sumner, William R.
Sutton, Enoch* 1853
Taft, Ezra W.
Thompson, Joshua P.
Thompson, Robert* 1854
Tubbs, Benjamin H.* 1854
Vose, George H.
Wales, Samuel, Jr.
Washburn, Alexander C.
Waters, Joseph W.
Weatherbee, Comfort
Weatherbee, Jesse
Weatherbee, John E.
Webb, Moses E.
AVebb, Seth, Jr.
Wellcome, Jacob H.
White, John* 1852
Whiting, Hezeldah
Whiting, Horace
Whiting, Moses

Whiting, William

Whitney, Samuel S.

Wight, Ebenezer

Wilson, John F.* 1853

Winslow, George

Wood, Mrs. Amos 182.

DORCHESTER.

Abbott, Wilham E.
Adams, Benjamin W.
Ago, Patrick
Austin, William R.
Bacon, Charles H.
Baker, Edmund J.
Baker, Walter* 1852
Baldwin, Enoch
Barnes, Parker
Barry, Michael 0.
Bass, Seth B.
Billings, Lemuel
Bispham, Eleazer J.
Bradlee, James B.
Bramhall, Cornelius
Breck, Henry, Jr.
Brewer, Darius* 1854
Brooks, Noah* 1852
Brooks, Williams B.
Brown, Augustus
Browne, George M.
Capen, Aaron D.
Capen, Samuel J.
Capen, Thomas W.
Carruth, Charles
Carruth, Nathan
Childs, Nathaniel R.
Clapp, John P.
Clapp, Richard
Clapp, Thaddeus
Clapp, William
Codman, John
Codman, Robert
Copenhagen, Arnold Wra.
Crane, Nathaniel
Curtis, Ebenezer
Gushing, Abel
Gushing, Abner L.

137

Gushing, Benjamin
Davis, Barnabas
Dearborn, Axel
Dennj, Daniel
Dorr, James
Downer, Samuel
Follansbec, Isaac W.
Foster, William H.
Fowler, M. Field
Gilbert, Samuel, Jr.
Gleason, Moses
Gleason, Roswell
Gleason, Sewall* 1854
Grew, Henry
Groom, Thomas
Hall, Oliver
Hall, Samuel
Hammond, Horatio
Hardy, Alpheus
Hewins, John C.
Hickey,, Timothy
Hickey, WiUiam
Holbrook, Nathan
Holmes, Ebenezer
Hooper, Franklin Henry
Hooper, Robert C.
Hooper, Robert C, Jr.
Houghton, George A.
Howe, Charles
Humphrey, Henry
Hunt, Charles
Jacobs, Benjamin
Jones, Nahum
King, Edward
King, Franklin
Lee, James, Jr.
Leonard, Joseph
Liversidge, Stephen* 1852
Marshall, William
May, John J.
Means, James H.
Mears, John
Mears, John, Jr.
Miller, Erasmus D.
Minot, John
Moseley, Flavel
Nazro, John G.

Newhall, Chcever
Newhall, John M.
Payson, Thomas
Perrin, Augustus W.
Peters, Henry H.
Pierce, Charles Bates
Pierce, Edward L.
Pierce, Jesse
Pierce, Lewis
Pierce, Robert
Pierce, William
Pierce, William B.
Pierce, William P.
Pope, Alexander
Pope, William, Jr.
Preston, Edward
Preston, John
Preston, John, 2d
Prince, WiUiam G.
Prouty, Lorenzo
Rice, George Woods
Richardson, George
Richardson, Wilham H.
Rideout, Asa
Robie, John

Robinson, Mrs. Di^ntha A.
Robinson, Eli W.
Robinson, John H.
Robinson, Stephen A.
Ruggles, Edward H. R.
Safford, Nathaniel F.
Scudder, Horace* 1851
Spear, Luther
Spooner, John P.
Sumner, Clement
Swan, James
Temple, Hannaniah
Temple, WUliam F.
Thayer, Benjamin W.
Tileston, Edmund P.
Tileston, Samuel
Tolman, Ebenezer
Tolman, William
Train, Enoch
Tremlett, Thomas
Trull, John H.
Trull, Mrs. J. H.

138

Trull, John W.
Tuttle, Joseph
Vose, Robert
Vose, Robert, Jr.
Welch, John II.
Welch, Mrs. J. H.
Whipple, John L.
Wilder, Marshall P.
Wilder, Mrs. M. P.* 1854
Wilhams, Sidney B.* 1854
Woodman, James
Worthington, William
Worthington, William F.

Wright, Edmmid
Wright, Mrs. Edmund
Wright, Otis

DOVER.

Allen, Jared
Allen, Timothy
Bacon, Aaron
Baker, Jabez
Battelle, John
Battelle, Ralph
Bigelow, Calvin
Bigelow, Wilham A.
Chickering, Daniel
Chickering, Otis
Cleveland, Wilham
Fearing, Perez L.
Goulding, Henry
Jones, Hiram W.
Mann, Daniel
Mann, Daniel F.
Mann, Hollis
Newell, Jesse
Perry, Elijah
Perry, Mrs. Mehitable
Richards, Calvin
Richards, Luther
Sanger, Ralph
Sawin, Benjamin N.
Shumway, Amos W.
Shumway, John W.
Smith, Abner L.
Tisdale, William

148.

Upham, Walter W.
Wall, Patrick
Wilson, Ephraim

rOXBORO'.

31.

Aldrich, Henry D.* 1854

Belcher, Lewis W.

Burr, Simeon

Capen, James

Carpenter, Daniels

Carpenter, Erastus P.

Cary, Otis

Fisher, Albert

Foster, James W.

Guild, Freedom

Hersey, David

Hodges, Alfred

Kingsbury, Joseph

Leonard, Samuel B.

Leonard, Sanford

Pettee, David

Pettee, Joseph G.

Pettee, Simon E.

Shepard, Jeremiah M.

Sherman, Job

Sumner, Charles C.

Torrey, Martin

Wyman, David 23.

FRANKLm.

Adams, Peter
Adams, Ward
Baker, David P.
Bullard, Piam
Daniels, Albert E.
DeWitt, Archibald
DeWitt, Mrs. Mary Ann
Fisher, Herman C.
Fisher, Maxcy
Fisher, Walter H.
Green, Martin
Harding, Lewis
Hills, Theron C.
Knapp, Alfred
Metcalf, Alfred G.

139

Mctcalf, Erasmus B.
Metcalf, William
Miller, John W.
Miller, Philip W.
Morse, George W.
Morse, Joseph
Nason, George W.
Ray, James P.
Raj, John P.
Rockwood, Erastus
Thayer, Davis, Jr.
Wads worth, Joseph H.
Whiting, Joseph
Whiting, Joseph M.
Whiting, William E.

MEDFIELD.

Adams, George F.
Allen, Noah
Allen, William C.
Baker, Joseph H.
Balch, Albert
Billiard, John E.
Carson, Joseph
Chenery, Wilham
Cheney, Nathaniel H.
Cheney, Seth
Cushraan, Jacob R.
Davis, George
Ellis, Caleb
Ellis, John
EUis, Samuel
Fisher, Hinsdale
Fisher, Wm. Quincy
Fiske, George
Fiske, Isaac
Hamant, Caleb S.
Hamant, Charles
Hamant, Daniels, Jr.
Harding, Nathan
Hartshorn, Joseph
Hartshorn, Warren
HcAvins, William P.
Partridge, Mrs. E. A.
Partridge, Henry, Jr.
Richardson, Simeon

30.

Richmond, Thomas T.
Roberts, Mrs. Helen M.
Roberts, Robert
Salisbury, William
Sewall, Charles C.
Smith, George M.
Stedman, Cyrus
Thayer, Elijah
Turner, John A.

MEDWAY.

Adams, Edward
Adams, Ehsha
Adams, Lyman
Adams, Wyman
Barber, George* 1851
Cary, Wilham H.
Clark, James P.
Clark, Willard P.
Crosby, George
Daniels, Adams
Daniels, Jas. Willard
Daniels, Paul
Daniels, WilHam
EUis, James H.
Fisher, Milton M.
Harding, Theodore
Henderson, Wilham
Hurd, Julius C.
Jones, John P.
Kingsbury, Gilbert
Lovell, Asahel P.
Lovell, Zachariah
Levering, Warren
Mann, James
Mason, Horatio
Metcalf, Luther
Morse, Asa D.
Partridge, Clark
Partridge, George
Richardson, E. F.
Richardson, Jeremiah D.
Richardson, Joseph L.
Richardson, Moses
Richardson, Richard
Slocumb, Christopher

38.

140

Walker, John S.
Walker, Timothy
Wheeler, Abijah R. 38.

IVIILTON.

Adams, Samuel
Amor J, Francis
Arnold, John, Jr.
Babcock, Josiah
Babcock, Lemuel Whiting
Babcock, Samuel
Baldwin, Edward
Beal, Jonathan
Bradlee, John D.
Breck, Charles
Bunton, Jesse
Cook, Samuel
Copeland, Charles L.
Copeland, Lewis
Cornell, Walter
Cunningham, C. Loring
Cunningham, Francis
Davenport, Lewis
Davenport, Nathaniel T.
Davis, William H.
Dow, John B.
Dudley, Benjamin F.
Emerson, Joshua
Fenno, Rufus P.
Forbes, Robert Bennett
Hall, George W.
Hinckley, Thomas H.
Hobson, Miss Martha J.
Houghton, Jason W.
Hunt, Charles K.
Hunt, George
Kent, George W.
Pope, Ebenezer* 1853
Raymond, George
Robbins, James M.
Rodgers, Octavius T.
Rogers, Henry, Jr.
Rowe, Joseph
Ruggles, Philemon
Thayer, Jason
Thompson, George

Todd, Robert M.
Tucker, Ehjah
Tucker, Timothy
West, Henry

45.

NEEDHAM.

Alden, Otis
Ayling, Isaac
Buck, Charles
Buck, Miss Frona P.
Buck, Miss Mary M.
Bullen, Ichabod
Carter, Josiah H.
Daniell, George K.
Dewing, Warren
Eaton, George E.
Emmons, Charles P.
Flagg, Solomon
Flagg, William
Gardner, Elbridge
Gilbert, Luther
Harris, John
Harris, John M.
Harvey, Stephen F.
Holland, John
HoEis, Elisha P.
Howland, George
Hubbard, Gardner G.
Hunnewell, Horatio H.
Hunting, Israel
Kimball, Benjamin G.
Kimball, Mrs. Betsey G.
Kimball, Daniel
Kingsbury, Lauren
Kingsbury, Lemuel
Kingsbury, Thomas
Kingsbury, William A.
Longfellow, Nathan
Lovewell, Charles B.
Lyon, Wilham
Mansfield, John
Mansfield, Robert
Mansfield, Mrs. Robert
McCrackin, Jolm
Mcintosh, Mrs. Hannah P.
Mills, John

141

Mills, Matthias

Morton, Otis, Jr.

Morton, William T. G.

Newell, Artemas

Newell, Benjamin

Newell, Mrs. Martha S.

Noves, Josiah

Peabody, Ezekiel

Pierce, William

Revere, George

Robinson, Henry

Sawver, Otis

Scudder, Marshall S.

Seagrave, Saul S.

Shaw, George W.* 1862

Snelling, Nathaniel G.

Stedman, Francis

Stedman, William M.

Stone, David

Stone, Henry L.

Sumner, Lewis

Ware, Dexter* 1851

Ware, Reuben

Wells, John

Whitaker, Edgar K.

Wood, Henry m.

QUINCY.

Adams, Charles Francis
Adams, Ebenezer
Bartlett, Ibrahim* 1853
Bass, Josiah
Bass, Lewis
Baxter, Daniel
Baxter, Elijah
Baxter, George L.
Beale, George W.* 1851
Beals, Nathaniel H.
Billings, Lemuel
Brackett, Lemuel
Brigham, Josiah
Carr, John J.
Curtis, Noah
Eaton, Jacob F.
Emmons, N. H.
Fellows, Ensign S.

19

Frederick, Elcazcr

Glover, Horatio N.

Green, John A.

Greenleaf, Daniel

Crecnleaf, Thomas* 1854 ''"

Horton, Lloyd G.

Miller, Charles E.

Morton, William S.

Munroe, Israel W.

Newcomb, James

Newcomb, John B.

Quinc3^ Josiah

Richards, Lvsander* 1852

Robertson, Joseph W.

Rodgers, Clift

Savil, John

Spear, Charles A.

Stetson, James A.

Thayer, Gideon F.

Torrey, William

Walker, William

White, Nathaniel

Willard, Solomon

Williams, Francis 42.

EANDOLPH.

Alden, Ebenezer
Alden, Horatio B.
Belcher, Allen A.
Belcher, J. White
Buck, Nathan* 1853
Burr ill, David
Holbrook, C. S.
Holbrook, Ehsha
Leeds, Joseph
Maguire, James
Maguire, James F.
Mann, Ephraim
Niles, Jacob
Snow, Zenas
Stevens, Richard
Tower, Isaac
Turner, Royal W.
Turner, Seth
Wales, Apollos
Wales, Eplu-aim

142

Wales, John, 2d

Wales, Jonathan

Whitcomb, Alfred W.

White, Adoniram

White, Jairus

White, Jonathan 26.

KOXBURY.

Adams, Thomas

Andrews, Alfred A.

Appleton, Charles T.

Bacon, William, Jr.

Bartlett, Henry

Blake, S. Parkman

Bowditch, Azell

Bray, Charles F.

Brigham, Joseph L.

Bryant, Charles W.

Chandler, John G.

Clarke, John J.

Codman, Henry* 1853

Comins, Linus B.

Copeland, Benjamin P.

Copeland, Charles* 1853

Copeland, Franklin

Cotting, Benjamin E.

Crawshaw, Joseph

Crosby, Benjamin H.

Davenport, George

Davis, Oilman

Dearborn, Henry A. S.* 1851

Ellis, Charles

Ellis, Charles M.

Eustis, Wilham

Fisher, Warren

Fiske, George A.

Francis, Ebenezer

French, Jonathan

French, Mrs. J.

Fuller, H. Weld

Fussell, John

Gardner, Francis

Gray, Henry D.

Guild, Frederic

Guild, Henry

Guild, James

Hendee, Charles J.

Hewes, John M.

Hewins, Whiting

Hickling, Charles

Huston, Wilham R.

Keene, James

Kidder, Frederic

King, William S.

Kingsbury, Wilham B.

Kittredge, Alvah

Lee, Wm. Raymond

Lemist, Edwin

Lewis, Daniel

Lewis, Franklin H.

Lewis, Samuel S.

Lowell, John A.

Mann, Benjamin

Mathes, Albert R.

McBurney, Charles

Mcintosh, William H.

Parker, Augustus

Parker, George J.

Pickering, Henry W.

Pike, Charles S.

Putnam, Allen

Rich, Naphtali D.

Ritchie, James

Robinson, Jonathan P.

Ropes, Joseph S.

Sargent, Epes

Seaverns, F. W.

Shed, Henry P.

Simmons, David A.

Skinner, Elias

Sleeper, John S.

Stevens, Amos

Stone, Ebenezer W.

Sturgis, James

Thwing, Supply C.

Tolraan, James

Trescott, Elijah, Jr.

Vinson, Cornelius M.

Walker, Samuel

Way, Samuel A.

Whiting, Wilham (Montr. Av.)

Williams, Aaron D.

Wilhams, Aaron D., Jr.

143

Williams, David W.
Williams, Mrs. D. W.
Williams, Dudley
Williams, G. Foster
Williams, George H.
Williams, Stedman* 1852
Williams, Thomas B.
Wilson, Granville W.
Winslow, Edward
Wiswall, Samuel 95.

SHARON.

Bullard, Benjamin

Drake, Asahel S.

Gay, George W.

Hewins, Elijah

Johnson, Lucas

Johnson, Otis

Lothrop, Howard A.

Mann, George R..

Mann, William R.

Morse, Harvey

Sanger, John M.

Smith, Lewis

Turner, Calvin 13.

STOUGHTON.

Atherton, James
Atherton, William
Belcher, Orin
Belcher, WiUiam S.
Capen, Samuel
Clapp, Lucius
Curtis, Samuel W.
Gay, Lemuel
Goldthwait, Daniel A.
Hodges, Leonard
Hodges, Samuel W.
Littlefield, Charles
Page, Frederick A.
Porter, Luther
Porter, Robert
Southworth, Amasa
Southworth, Asahel
Southworth, Consider A.
Sumner, Francis C.

Swan, Elisha
Talbot, Newton
Tolman, Ebenezer W.
Tucker, Wales 23.

WALPOLE.

Allen, Jeremiah

Allen, Lewis

Bacon, WilUam

Bird, Charles

Bird, Francis W.

Boy den, Horatio

Clap, Edmund W.

Clap, Warren

Clarke, Mrs. Betsey M.

Clarke, Truman

Ellis, James

Elhs, Joseph* 1851

Gould, John A.

Gray, Smith

Guild, Charles

Hawes, Joseph* 1849

Hyde, George B.

Lewis, Willard

Merrick, John M.

Neal, Benjamin

Pierce, Shadrach S.

Plimpton, Calvin G.

Shepard, E.

Smith, Metcalf

Stone, Ebenezer

Thompson, Edwin

Wilson, Edwin 27.

WEST EOXBURY.

Allen, Stephen M.
Arnold, Joseph
Austin, Miss Florence
Austin, WilUam Percy
Bacon, Daniel C.
Bacon, WilHam B.
Bailey, Luther C.
Balch, Joseph* 1849
Balch, Joseph W.
Billings, Joseph H.
Billings, Mrs. J. H.

144

Billings, Miss Mary
Blake, William
Bond, George William
Bradford, Samuel D.
Bradisli, Levi J.
Brown, Benjamin
Browne, Horace E.
Butters, J. A. C.
Cabot, Stephen
Cass, Aaron
Cass, Francis W.
Cass, Henry W.
Curtis, Joseph H.
Dabney, Charles W., Jr.
Davis, Francis
Dixwell, John J.
Dudley, Ephraim M.
Dunn, Theodore
Enslin, Wilham
Farrington, Ebenezer T.
Gooding, George
Gould, Joseph D.
Greenough, David S.
Hall, David P.
Head, Francis C.
Henchman, Nathaniel H.
Hewins, Charles A.
Keith, William
Lamb, Reuben A.
Lawrie, Andrew B.
Low, John J.
Mackintosh, Charles G.
March, Andrew S.
Mcintosh, William
Meserve, Andrew T.
Meserve, Isaac H.
Minot, George R.
Morse, Charles
Motley, Thomas, Jr.
North, George G.
Orange, Thomas
Page, Kilby
Parkinson, John
Pratt, John C.
Prichard, Jeremiah
Richards, Edward
Russell, George R.

Sampson, Charles
Shaw, Francis G.
Smith, Joseph M.
Smith, Melancthon
Spaulding, Solomon R.
Sturgis, Russell
Swett, Samuel W.
Taft, Reed
Ticknor, William D.
Townsend, David
Tufts, James
Weld, Aaron D.
Weld, Mrs. A. D.
Weld, Aaron D., Jr.
Weld, Miss A. K.
Weld, Stephen M.
Westcott, Stephen
Whytal, Thomas G.
Williams, Henry H.
Wilhams, Moses
Wilhams, Nehemiah D.* 1852

79.

WEYMOUTH.

Burrill, Ansel
Fifield, Noah
Howe, Appleton
Humphrey, Ebenezer
Humphrey, Lemuel
Hunt, Atherton N.
Hunt, Ehas
Jones, James
Kingsbury, Fisher A.
Loud, Joseph, Jr.
Nash, Abner P.
Richards, Ehas
Shaw, Nathaniel
Shaw, Theron V.
Tirrell, Albert
Tirrell, James
Tirrell, AVilson
White, James

White, Thomas

WRENTHAM.

Aldrich, Artemas
Cheever, Otis G.

19.

145

Clap, Harvey E.
Clay, Nehemiah
Everett, Edmund T.
Everett, Mclatiah
Faxon, Francis G.
Fisher, Calvin, Jr.
Fisher, Hiram B.
Fisher, Silas P.
Ford, Peter
Fuller, Chauncy G.
Gassett, Henry, Jr.
Grant, George

Grant, Whiting
Hawes, Benjamin
Ide, Edwin S.
Larkin, Lyman B.
Mann, Howard
Parker, E. B.
Pond, Jabez E.
Pond, Lucas
Starkey, Gardner H.
Stone, Curtis
Ware, Asa
White, James A.

26.

MEMBEES RESIDING OUT OF THE COUNTY.

De Reynoso, Bernard
Edmands, J. Wiley, Newton,
Goddard, Thomas, Boston,
Gould, George, Newton,
]\Iinot, George W., Boston,

Slade, Robert, Boston,
Smith, George W., Boston,
Tappan, Lewis W., Boston,
Wheeler, Lewis, Cambridge,

9.

Members admitted,
Members deceased,

1,077
43

LIST OF PREMIUMS FOR THE YEAR 1855.

PROGRESSIVE HUSBANDRY.

For the best conducted and most improved Farm during five
consecutive years, commencing in the year 1850, — of which the
occupant shall present annually to the Trustees a satisfactory ac-
count of the whole management of the Farm, — of the crops pro-
duced, of the improvement made, and the cost of the same, — of
the stock kept and the capital employed, — a premium of One
Sundred Dollars, to be paid in 1855.

Note. Whenever any Farm shall be entered for this premium, the Secretary of the
Society shall give notice thereof to the Trustees in the Town in which such Farm is
situated; and the said Trustees, in conjunction with the Committee on Farms, will be
required to examine the Farm from time to time, and to certify the genera] manage-
ment of it, and the mode of keeping the cattle, particularly in regard to their comfort
and cleanliness.

]\IANAGEMENT OF FARMS.

For the most valuable and economical improvements in the cul-
tivation and management of Farms entire, during the year, in-
cluding lands, crop, stock, and all other appendages.

First premium, $25.00

Second " 15.00

Third premium, $12.00
Fourth " 8.00

Competitors for these premiums must give notice of their inten-
tion to the Secretary, on or before June 15. Farms offered for
inspection will be viewed by the Committee from the 20th June to
lOtli July, and also in September. Any extraordinary field crop
will, on notice, be visited by the Committee, and a report of the
same be made to the Society.

148

IMPROVING MEADOW AND SWAMP LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment in reclaiming wet meadow
or swamp lands, by drainage or otherwise, on not less than one
acre, with a statement, in detail, of the course of management
and the produce, &c.,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

OLD PASTURE LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment in restoring and improving
old pasture lands, with an account of the means employed and the
expense of the same.

First premium, $8.00 | Second premium, $6.00

For the best written report given by any member of the Soci-
ety, and worthy of publication, of any improvement observed in
any meadow, or swamp, or old pasture lands in the County, —
other than those lands for which the above mentioned premiums
may be claimed,

A premium of $10.00

CLEARING AND ENCLOSING UNIMPROVED LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment of clearing unimproved
lands, on not less than one acre ; conditions and specifications the
same as in meadow and swamp lands,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

PLOUGHING.

Double Teams. For the best performance in ploughing, at
least one-eighth of an acre — within one hour — not less than eight
inches in depth. The Michigan double plough may be used,

First premium, $10.00

Second " 8.00

Third premium, $6.00

Fourth " 4.00

Single Teams. For the best performance in ploughing, at
least one-eighth of an acre, not less than six inches deep,

Fifth premium, $4.00

Sixth " 3.00

Seventh " 2.00

First premium, $8.00

Second " 7.00

Third " 6.00

Fourth " 5.00

149

Horse Teams. For the best performance in ploughing mih
horses,

Third premium, $4.00

Fourth " 2.00

First premium, $8.00

Second, " 6.00

Note. A Double Team will consist of two yokes of oxen, with or without a driver ;
or a team of one yoke of oxen and a horse also, with or without a driver. Single
Team, one yoke of oxen without a driver. Competitors must own their teams and
ploughs, and enter the same in their own names. JNotice to compete must be given to
the Secretary on or before the Saturday previous to the Exhibition. In awording
premiums, one hour will be allowed for the performance of the work, regard being had
to the width and the depth of the furrow-slice, and the evenness, ease and quiet with
which the work is performed.

EXPERIMENTS IN SUBSOIL PLOUGHING.

For the most satisfactory experiment, on not less than one acre
of land, of the effect of subsoil ploughing, to be determined by the
difference in the value of the crops, raised on equal portions of
equally manured land, of equal quality, one-half of which having
been subsoil ploughed, the other half ploughed in the usual man-
ner,— statements of the depth of ploughing, in each instance,
together with all the particulars of culture required.

First premium, $10.00 | Second premiima, $7.00

SPADING.

For the best performance in spading, not less than ten inches
in depth, on a piece of not less than one hundred square feet of
sward land ; due regard being had to time, the thoroughness of
the pulverization of the soil, and the state in which it is left for
the reception of seed, —

First premium, $8, and diploma ; second do., $7 ; third do.,
$Q ; fourth do., ^5 ; fifth do., $4 ; sixth do., ^3 ; seventh do.,
^2 ; eighth do., $1.

EXPERIMENTS ON MANURES.

For an exact and satisfactory experiment in the preparation
and application of manures, either animal, vegetable or mineral,
due regard being had to economy, a premium of $15.00.

For an exact and aatisfactor}^ experiment in the application ahne
of manures, in the best manner, and with the greatest economy,

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $5.00.

20

160

TURNING IN CROPS AS A MANURE..

For the most satisfactory experiment of turning in crops as a
manm-e, either green or dry, on not less than one-half acre of land,
a detailed account of the whole process to be given in writing,

First premium, $8.00 | Second premium, $6.00

COMPARATIVE VALUE OF CROPS AS FOOD FOR

CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment upon a stock of cattle, not
less than four in number, in ascertaining the relative value of the
different kinds of fodder used, with a statement in detail of the
quantity and value of the same, as compared with English hay,
the experiment to be made in the three winter months.

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

FATTENING CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment in feeding cattle, with a
statement in detail of the process and the result.

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $5.00

FATTENING SWINE.

For the most satisfactory experiment in feeding swine, with a
statement in detail of the process and the result,

First premium, $8.00 | Second premium, $5.00

SOILING OF CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment of the soiling of cattle,
■with a detailed statement of the process and the result, — regard
being had to the saving of manure, and to the comparative ex-
pense of pasturing,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

GREEN FODDER.

For the best conducted experiment in raising corn fodder or
other succulent feed to be used green, — on not less than one-half
acre of land, — with a statement, in detail, of the mode and cost of
cultivation, a premium of $7.00

151

HAY.

For the largest quantity and best quality of English Hay per
acre, not less than two acres, produced on any farm in the County,
regard being had to the mode and cost of cultivation, a premium
of $6.00

CULTIVATION OF GRAIN CROPS.

1. For the best conducted experiment in Wheat, on not less
than one-haJf acre of land, first premium, $6 ; second do., $4.

2. For the best conducted experiment in Mye, on not less than
one acre of land, first premium, $4 ; second do., $2.

3. For the best conducted experiment in Oats, on not less
than 07ie acre of land, first premium, |4 ; second do., $2.

4. For the best conducted experiment in Barley, on not less
than one acre of land, first premium, $4 ; second do., $2.

5. For the best conducted experiment in Indian Corn, on not
less than* one acre of land, first premium, $8 ; second do., %b ;
third do., $3.

6. For the best conducted experiment in raising White Beans,
on not less than one-half acre of land, a premium of $6.

Claimants for premiums on Grain Crops are required to notify
the Chairman of the Committee on Grain Crops on or before the
15th of November, by a written statement, containing the follow-
ing particulars : — a description of the soil ; the value of the land ;
the interest on that value ; the amount of taxes ; the value of
manure, or ashes, or plaster used ; the cost of seed ; the expense
of preparing the ground, of sowing or planting ; of cultivating and
harvesting the crop, and the total value of the crop raised ; that
by a single glance the net profit of the production may be seen.

Note. Applications for premiums on Small Grains to be made on or before the first
of July, and on Indian Corn on or before the fifteenth of August; not less than a half
bushel of each kind to be shown at the annual exhibition. The quantity to be ascer-
tained by weight, as follows: — Corn, 5G lbs. to the bushel; Rye, 3G ; Barley, 46 ;
Buckwheat, 4G ; Oats, 30; Wheat, GO.

MIXED CROPS.

For the best conducted experiment in the cultivation of mixed
crops of grains and vegetables, in alternate rows— fii-st premium,

152

$G ; second premium, $4. This must be made on not less than
one acre of land, and a statement in detail of the expense and
product will be required.

ROOT CULTURE.

1. For the best conducted experiment in raising Potatoes, a
premium of $6.00

2. For the best conducted experiment in raising Sugar Beets,
a premium of $8.00

3. For the best conducted experiment in raising Carrots, a
premium of $8.00

4. For the best conducted experiment in raising Parsnips, a
premium of $8.00

6. For the best conducted experiment in raising Ruta Bag a,
a premium of ' $8.00

6. For the best conducted experiment in raising Mangel
Wurtzel, a premium of $8.00

7. For the best conducted experiment in raising ^Zai( Turnips,
a premium of $5.00

8. For the best conducted experiment in raising Onions, first
premium, $5 ; second do., ^4.

Samples of one bushel to be presented at the annual exhibition.

These crops must be raised on not less than one-half acre of
land, except Parsnips, \Yhich may be on one-quarter of an acre,
and the quantity ascertained by weight, as follows : — Carrots, 55
lbs. ; Sugar Beets, 60 ; Mangel Wurtzel, 60 ; Ruta Baga, 60 ;
Parsnips, 45 ; Round Turnips, 50.

Note. Application for premiums on Root Crops to be made on or before the lOth
of Sept. It shall be the duty of the several Committees on these experiments, to take
into consideration the character of the soil on which the crops have been raised, the
capital employed, the whole management and cost of the experiment, and to award the
premiums with particular regard to the general merits of the applicant, who shall be
required to make a detailed statement on or before the '20th of JNovember.

VEGETABLES.

Autumn and "Winter Squashes. For the best conducted
experiment on raising the Autwnnal 3Iarroio and Winter CrooJc-
neck Squash, on not less than one-fourth of an acre of land, at
least one dozen to be exhibited at the Exhibition, a premium
of $5.00

153

Cabbages. For the best conducted experiment in raising Cal-
hages, on not less than one-half acre of ground, a premium
of $5.00

Foil THE BEST COLLECTION AND VARIETY OP GaBDEN VEG-
ETABLES, regard being had to the quantity as well as quality ex-
hibited— first premium, a Silver Cup of the value of $10 ; second
do., $5 ; third do., $4 ; fourth do., $3 ; fifth do., $2 ; sixth
do., $1. $10 may be awarded at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

Potatoes. For the best new variety of Seedling Potatoes,
superior to any kind now in cultivation, a premium of $20.00

For the best collection of Potatoes, not less than a 'pech of each
variety, a premium of $5.00

KITCHEN GARDEN.
For the best kitchen garden, on not less than one quarter of an
acre of ground, — regard being had to the quantity, variety and
excellence of the vegetables therein, and the mode and expense of
cultivation, — a premium of $5.00

ANIMALS.

To he entered in the 7iames of their proper Owners, who must have
had them six months before Exhibition.

Note. In all cases where it is found that animals entitled to the first premium,
have before received the same at any former exhibition of the Society, a Diploma,
certifying that said animal is the best, shall be awarded instead of the premium. The
Diploma of the Society shall be awarded at the discretion of the several Committees,
for animals exhibited from without the limits of the County.

Fat Cattle. For the best beef animal, fattened within the
County, regard being had to the manner of feeding, and the ex-
pense thereof, — first premium, $8 ; second do., $5 ; third do., $3.

Bulls. For the best Bull, not less than one year old, on satis-
factory evidence being given that he shall be kept for use in the
County for nine months from the day of exhibition, — Jersey, first
premium, $5 ; second do., $3. Ayrshire, first premium, $5 ;
second do., $3. Durham, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.
Devon, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.

For the best Bull Calf of* any of the above classes, under one
year old, — ^first premium, $8 ; second do., $2 ; third do., $1.

154

Cows. For Cows not less than three years old, — Jersey, first
premium, $5 ; second do., $3. Ayrshire, first premium, $5 ;
second do., $3. Durham, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.
Devon, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3. Grade, first pre-
mium, $5 ; second do., $3. Native, first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3.

Heifers. For Heifers from one to three years old, — Jersey,
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2. Ayrshire, first premium,
$3 ; second do., $2. Durham, first premium, $3 ; second do.,
$2. Devon, first premium, $3 ; second do., $2. Grade, first
premium, ^3 ; second do., $2. Native, first premium, $3 ;
second do., $2.

Best Heifer under one year old, — first premium, $3 ; second
do., $2 ; third do., $1.

Milch Cows. For the best Milch Cow, not less than three
years old, with satisfactory evidence of the quantity and quality
of her milk, and the manner in which she has been fed, certificates
of Avhich must be filed in writing, of the product of her milk and
butter made from the cow during two periods of ten days each.
Three months, neither more nor less, shall elapse between the two
periods of trial aforesaid, and the last trial shall be completed be-
fore the date of the Annual Exhibition. In cases where the milk
is not made into butter, the quantity and weight of the milk must
be stated, time of the cow's calving, and quality of the calf. Ver-
bal statements cannot be depended upon or received. First pre-
mium, ^10 ; second do., $8 ; third do., $6 ; fourth do., $4.

State Society's Premiums. For the best dairy, of not less
than six cows, which shall be owned by the exliibitor, and kept
within the County not less than five months previous to the Cattle
Show, — first premium, $75 ; second do., $50 ; third do., $25.

Produce of Milk for the entire year. For the best con-
ducted experiment with a stock of Milch Cows, not less than ten
in number, and yielding, each Cow, not less, on an average, than
eight quarts per day, for a period of one year, — with a statement,
in detail, of the character, age and breed of the cows, and of the
method and expense of feeding them, a premium of $25.

For a similar experiment, with a stock of not less than six cows,
and with same conditions, a premium of $15.

155

For a similar experiment, with a stock of not less than four
cows, and with same conditions, a premium of $10.

Heifers in Milk. Not more than three years old, — first
premium, $G ; second do., $5; third do., $4.

WORKING OXEN.

For the best pair of Working Oxen, not less than four years
old, regard being had to their size, strength, docility, training and
appearance. In testing their power, the load is not to exceed two
tons, — first premium, $8 ; second do., $G ; third do., $5 ; fourth
do., $3. In case the oxen are raised and owned by the exhibitor,
50 per cent, shall be added to the premium.

Steers. For the best pair of three years old Steers, and
under four, broken to yoke, — first premium, $5 ; second do., $4;
third do., $3. Same as in the case of oxen.

Two YEARS OLD AND UNDER THREE, — ^first premium, $5 ;
second do., $4.

One year old and under two, — first premium, $3 ; second
do., $2.

Town Teams. For the largest and best team of Oxen from
any town or city in the County, — first premium, $20 ; second do.,
$15 ; third do., $10.

THOROUGH BRED AND PART THOROUGH BRED

STOCK.

Stallions, with same guarantee as preceding.

For the best StaUion of 4 years old and upwards, a pre-
mium of $15.00
do. 2d best do. do. do. do. 10.00
do. 3d best do. do. do. do. 8.00

Thkee years old colts.

For the best 8 years old Colt, a premium of $6.00

" 2d best " " " 4.00

" 3d best " " " 3.00

156

Two YEARS OLD COLTS.

For the best 2 years old Colt, a premium of
" 2d best " " "

" 3d best " " "

One year old colts.
For the best 1 year old Colt, a premium of

a

2d best "

u

a

u

3d best "

a

<(

((

4th best "

a

u

$5.00

3.00

2.00

|5.00

3.00

2.00

1.00

Brood mares and colts.

For best Brood Mare and Colt by her side, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " " 8.00

" 3d best "

((

ii

((

6.00

" 4th best "

ii

C(

ii

4.00

Carriage horses 15 to 16 hands high, open to all de-
scriptions.

For the best pair of Carriage Horses, a premium of $20.00

" 2d best" " " 15.00

" 3d best" " " 10.00

Single horses, open to all descriptions.

For the best Buggy or Chaise Horse, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " « « 6.00

" 4th best" " " 4.00

Saddle horses, open to all descriptions.

For the best Saddle Horse, a premium of $8.00

" 2d best " " 6.00

" 3d best " " 4.00

Horses of all work.

For best Stallion of 4 years old and upward, a premium of $15.00

" 2d best " " " " 10.00

" 3d best " " " " 8.00

No Stallion to be entitled to a premium without a guarantee of

his remaining in the County six months.

ir,7

Brood mares op all work, avitii colts at side.

For the best Brood Mare and Colt, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " " 6.00

« 4th best " « " 4.00

Three years old colts of all work.

For the best 3 years old Colt, a premium of $0.00

" 2d best " " " 4.00

" 3d best " " " 3.00

Two years old colts of all work.

For the best 2 years old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

One year old colts of all work.

For the best 1 year old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

« 4th best " " " 1.00

SiXGLE FARM HORSES, OR HORSES OF ALL WORK.

For best Farm Horse, or horse of all work, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " « " 8.00

" 3d best " « " « 6.00

" 4th best " • " " " 4.00

Pairs of farm or team horses.

For the best pair of Farm or Team Horses, a premium of $10.00
" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " « " 6.00

The premiums proposed to be oifered by this hst amount to the
sum of $333.

Assurances are given from several gentlemen, members of the
Society, that if necessanj to carry out this recommendation, the
sum of $200 shall be furnished the Treasurer for that purpose.

21

158

Every entry for premium must be made before 12 o'clock of
the first day of the exhibition, and the Stock must be present the
second day.

It must be distinctly understood, that premiums will not be
awarded to any animal that does not in the opinion of the Com-
mittee possess decided merit.

In behalf of several gentlemen belonging to the Society, I
hereby guarantee that the sum of two hundred dollars shall be
placed at the disposal of the Treasurer, should it be found neces-
sary in order to carry out the premiums proposed to be offered

for Horses.

Joseph L. Brigham.
November 21, 1854.

SWINE.

For the best Boar, not less than six months old, — first premium,

$6 ; second do., $5 ; third do.,

For the best Breeding Sow, with or without Pigs, — first pre-
mium, $6 ; second do., %b ; third do., $4.

For the best litter of Weaned Pigs, not less than four in num-
ber, and from two to six months old, regard being had to their
age, — ^first premium, |5 ; second do., $3 ; tliird do., $2.

For the best fat Hog, with statement of the method of keep-
ing,— ^first premium, $6 ; second do., $5.

SHEEP.

For the best flock, not less than six in number, — ^first premium,
$5 ; second do., $3.

LIVE FOWLS.

For the best pair of Black Spanish, $2 ; do. do. Black Shang-
haes, $2 ; do. do. White Shanghaes, $2 ; do. do. Marsh or
Forbes Shanghaes, $2 ; do. do. Dorkings, $2 ; do. do. Poland,
$2 ; do. do. Bolton Grays, $2 ; do. do. Barn-yard Fowls, $2 ;
do. do. Fowls, $2 ; do. do. Guinea Fowls, $2 ; do. do. Bantams,
$2 ; do. do. Ducks, $2.

For the best conducted experiment in raising, keeping and fat-

169

tcning any of the various breeds of fowls, Avith a statement, in de-
tail, of the method, expense and profit of the same, particularly of
the amount of eggs produced from a given number of hens, in
order to determine their laying properties, and also their condition
in flesh and market value, — no premium to he awarded without
such statement, — first premium, $6 ; second do., $4.

For the best lot of Geese, $3 ; do. Turkeys, $3 ; second best
lot of Turkeys, $2.

For the best lot of Live Fowls, not less than twelve, $4 ; second
best lot, not less than six, $3 ; third best lot, not less than six, $2.

No Fowls entered after nine o'clock shall be entitled to a pre-
mium.

DAIRY.

For the best produce of Butter, on any farm within the County,
for four months, from the 20th of May to the 20th of September,
a sample of not less than twenty pounds to be exhibited, — quantity
as well as quality/ to be taken into view, with a full account of the
manner of feeding the Cows, and the general management of the
milk and butter, — first premium, $10; second do., $8; third
do., $5 ; fourth do.,

Note. It will be seen that these premiums are offered for the best produce on the
Farms, and not simply for the best specimens exhibited. Competitors will therefore
be particular in keeping an account, and preparing a statement of the entire produce
within the time mentioned. Each lot presented for premium must be numbered, but
not marked ; any public, or known mark, must be completely concealed, nor must the
competitors be present at the examination.

For the best 40 lbs. of Butter, that drawing the premium to be
placed upon the dinner table for consumption, a premium of $20.

For the best box of Butter, of not less quantity than 12 lbs., —
first premium, $6 ; second do., $4 ; third do., $2.

JNoTE. Butter to be presented on the morning of the second day.

Cheese. For the best specimen of Cheese, of not less than 50
lbs., — first premium, $5 ; second do., $3 ; third do., $2.

Butter. For the best and most satisfactory statement at the
Annual Exhibition in 1855, of the quantity produced from the
milk of any number of Cows, not less than four nor more than
seven, from January 1st, 1855, to the day of exhibition, in the
fall, including a description of the character, age and breed of the

160

Cows, and a particular account of the feeding and general man-
agement,— first premium, ^8 ; second do., $6.

For any number of Cows more than seven, — first premium, ^10 ;
second do.

BREAD.

For the best loaf of Wheat and Indian, of two to four lbs.
weight, — first premium, $3 ; second premium, $2.

For the best loaf made of Unbolted Wheat, which shall be
grown in the Countj, of two to four pounds' weight, — first pre-
mium, $3 ; second do., $2.

For the best loaf of Rye and Indian, of four to six lbs. weight, —
first premium, ^3 ; second do., $2.

For the best loaf of Wheat Bread, of two to four lbs. weight, —
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2.

The bread presented for premium must be made on the day
previous to the Exhibition, by some female member of a family,
exclusive of hired persons, in whose name the entries shall be
made, and to whom the premiums shall be awarded. The bread
shall be baked in the oven commonly used by the family in which
it shall be made. A written statement of the process of making
the bread shall accompany each loaf.

There shall be Committees appointed to judge of the several de-
scriptions of bread, to whom the names of the contributors shall
not be known, and no person shall serve on said Committees if any
member of his family shall be a competitor.

FOREST TREES.

For the best plantation of Forest Trees, of either of the follow-
ing varieties, viz. : — White Oak, Yellow Oak, Locust, Birch,
White Ash, or Walnut, Scotch Larch, Norway Spruce, Pitch Pine
and White Pine, or other varieties, not less than three years old,
and not less than one thousand trees, a premium, to be awarded in
1855, of $20.

For the best Plantation, to contain not less than five hundred
trees, a premium of $10.

161

Ornamental Planting. To any city or town of Norfolk
County, for the largest number and best growth of ornamental
trees, wliicli shall be planted in a public square or on the roadside,
— first premium, $30 ; second do., $20.

To any individual or Society, regard being had to the number
of persons associated, for the largest number and best growth of
ornamental trees, which shall be planted in a public square or on
the roadside, — first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

These premiums to be awarded in the autumn of 1855, and if
awarded to a city or town, to be gi'aduated by the population
according to the census of 1850.

FRUIT TREES.

Apple Orchard. For the best Apple Orchard, of not less
than seventy-jive trees, which shall have been set out since 1850,
and which shall be in the best and most thriving condition in
1855, — ^first premium, $15 ; second do., $10 ; third do., $7.

Pear Trees. For the best engrafted or budded Pear Trees,
set out since 1850, and which shall be in the most thriving con-
dition in the autumn of 1855, not less than twenty-five trees, —
first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

Renovation of old Apple Orchards. For the most satis-
factory experiment in the renovation of old Ajjple Orchards, not
less than ten trees, on any one farm, which, being reclaimed, shall
in 1855 be in fine productive fruit, — first premium, $10 ; second
do., $6.

Peach Orchards. For the best Peach Orchard, of not less
than fifty trees, set out since 1850, and which shall be in the
most thrifty bearing condition in the autumn of 1855, — first pre-
mium, $10 ; second do., $5.

For the Peach Orchard, of not less than fifty trees, grown from
pits planted since 1851, on the spot where the trees stand, which
shall be in the best condition in 1855, — first premium, $10 ;
second do., $5.

Seedling Apples or Pears. For the best variety of new
Seedling Aj^ples or Pears, of decidedly superior quality, one

162

dozen speoimens to be exhibited, together with a history of its
origin, a description of its growth, and the bearing character of
the tree, — first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

SEEDLING GRAPES.

For a new variety of Native or Seedling Crrape, equal or su-
perior to the Isabella, ripening, in this County, in the open air, by
the middle of Sejjtember, prolific and suitable for the table, — first
premium, $20 ; second do..

CRANBERRY VINES.

For the most successful experiment in transplanting Cranberry
Vines, or raising them from the seed, which shall be in the most
flourishing and productive state on the firgt of September, 1855.
Competitors will be required to give a particular account of their
several operations.

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

HEDGES.

For the best live Hedge Fence, of not less than one thousand
feet in length, premium to be awarded in 1854.

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $5.00

DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

Fancy Articles, — including Needlework, Crotchetwork, Shell-
work, Millinery, DraAvings, Paintings, &c.

For such articles in this department as may be deemed worthy,
a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Note. It should be understood that, in this department of Ladies' work, — while
other things will receive due consideration, — the premiums are intended solely for
newly made articles which are really useful, or particularly beautiful. For well made
garments of any kind ; for stocking knitting of wool, cotton, or silk ; for bonnet and
cap making; for all articles of children's wear, well made or tastefully embroidered ;
for neat and thorough mending, patching, and darning ; for drawing, designing, or
painting in oil or water colors; for models in plaster, wood, or marble, &c.

Children under 12 years of age, attending the public schools, are not invited to offer
any thing for premium, except such articles as will show their docility, diligence, and
good behaviour at school, and shall be accompanied with a certificate of approbation
from their school teacher. To such articles particular attention will be given, and
premiums at the discretion of tlie Committee.

163

Manufactures of Straav. For the best Straw Bonnet, —
first premium, $8 ; second do., $6.

For the best specimen of Straw Braid, — not less than 100
yards, — first premium, $3 ; second do., $2.

Manufactures of Cloth, Flannels, Hosiery, &c. Cotton
Cloth. For the best specimen of Cotton Cloth, of any descrip-
tion, not less than twenty-eight yards in quantity, a premium or
gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Woollen Cloth. For the best specimen of Woollen Cloth, of
any description, not less than twenty yards in quantity, a premium
or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Cotton and Woollen mixed. For the best specimen of Cotton
and Woollen Cloth, of any description, not less than twenty yards
in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

Flannels. For the best specimen of Flannel, not less than
twenty yards in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion
of the Committee.

For the best specimen of Cotton Flannel, not less than twenty
yards in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the
Committee.

For the best pair of Woollen Blankets, a premium or gratuity,
at the discretion of the Committee.

Hosiery, ^e. For the best specimen of Silk Hose, a premium
of $1.50.

For the best specimen of Silk Half Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Woollen Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Woollen Half Hose, a premium of 50
cents.

For the best specimen of Cotton Hose, a premium of 50 cents.

For the best specimen of Cotton Half Hose, a premium of 25
cents.

For the best specimen of Worsted Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Worsted Half Hose, a premium of 50
cents.

For the best specimen of Sewing Silk, not less than one pound,
a premium of $2.

For the best specimen of Knitting Yam, not less than one
pound, a premium of %1.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

164

For the best specimen of Spool Thread, not less than one
pound, a premium of ^1.

For the best Fleece of Wool, a premium of $1.

For the best dozen Grain Bags, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of neat and thorough mending, patching,
or darning of garments, hose, &c., a premium of $1.

Carpetings, Rugs and Floor Cloth.

For the best " Common " Ingrain 2 plj Carpeting ;
do. do. "Fine" do. do. do.

"Superfine" do. do. do.
" Common," "Fine," or " Superfine" Ingrain 3

plj Carpeting ;
Brussels Floor Carpeting ;
Tapestry do. do.
Velvet Carpeting.
For each of these descriptions of Carpeting, a premium or the
Society's Diploma, at the discretion of the Committee.

Note. Ingrain 2 ply Carpetings will be judged by the comparative merits of pieces
of similar weight; or, disregarding weight, by the quality of colors, the taste of
shading, and the evenness in spinning and weaving.

For the best piece of Stair Carpeting, the Society's Diploma.

For the best Hearth-Rug, the Society's Diploma.

For the best specimen of Painted Floor Cloth, a premium or
the Society's Diploma, at the discretion of the Committee.

Counterpanes. For the best Counterpane, — regard being
had to quahty and expense of materials, — first premium, ^3 ;
second do., ^2.

Note. Any article, in either of the foregoing departments, which shall have been
manufactured in the family of the person presenting it, will receive the particular con-
sideration of the Committee, and, if worthy, a suitable premium.

Glass, Earthen, Stone and AVooden Ware. For the finest
collections and best specimens of articles in each of these depart-
ments, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Brass, Copper, Tin, Iron and Britannia Ware. For
the finest collections and best specimens of articles in each of
these departments, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the
Committee.

Cabinet Work. For the best specimen of Cabinet Work, a
premium, or the Society's Diploma.

165

Iron Fencing, Gates and Posts. For the best specimens
of each, — regard being had to cost and utility, as well as oraa-
ment, — a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Stoves. For the best Farmer's Cauldron Stove ;
do. do. Cooking do.

do. do. Parlor do.

— a premium of $2 each.

Horse and Ox Shoes. For the best specimens of Horse
and Ox Shoes, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Horse Shoes for meadow land, a pre-
mium of $1.

India Rubber Goods. For the finest collection and best
specimens of India Rubber goods, a premium or gratuity, at the
discretion of the Committee.

Brushes, Combs, Hats, Caps and Gloves. For the finest
collection and best specimens of each of these articles, a premium
or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.
Leather, and Articles manufactured therefrom.
For the best specimen of Thick Boots, a premium of

Calfskin,
Thin Boots other
than Calfskin,
Kipskin,
Thick Brogans,
Fine Brogans,
Ladies' Boots,

For the best specimen of Upper or Sole Leather, or Morocco, a
premium or gratuity, each, at the discretion of the Committee.
For the best single Carriage Harness ;
do. do. double do.

do. do. Cart Harness, — a premium or gratuity, each, at
the discretion of the Committee.

For the best Riding Bridle, a premium of $1.00

do. do. do. Saddle do. 2.00

do. do. Carriage or Cart Whip, a premium of 1.00

Carriages, Wagons, Carts, &c.

For the best specimen of Family Carriages, for one horse or
for two horses ;

22

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

mium of

$2.00

do.

3.00

do.

2.00

do.

2.00

do.

1.00

do.

1.00

do.

1.00

166

For the best Covered Wagon ;
do. do. Open do.

do. do. Farm do.

do. do. do. Cart ;

do. do. Farm Wheelbarrow, — a premium or gratuity, each,
at the discretion of the Committee.

Jellies, Preserves, Pickles and Ketchups. For the
finest collection and best specimens of each, made of articles of
domestic growth, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the
Committee.

New Inventions. For any new invention of decided superi-
ority and usefulness to the farmer, a premium or gratuity, at the
discretion of the Committee.

Note. It is to be understood that all articles presented for premium, in each of the
foregoing departments, shall liave been manufactured or produced within the County
during the last year, and by the person presenting them. Also, that, in every case, the
Examining Committee shall have the right to substitute the Society's Diploma for a
premium or gratuity, or to give it where no premium or gratuity has been awarded, at
their discretion.

Articles in either of the above departments, contributed to the exhibition by persons
not resident in the County, shall receive suitable attention from the Committee, and,
if worthy, be awarded the Society's Diploma.

FRUITS AND FLOWERS.

Accommodations will be provided for the exhibition of Fruits
and Flowers, and Committees will be appointed to examine and
report on such as may be presented. Whoever may present, is
requested to furnish a minute, in writing, of the name of the
owner, and a list of his contributions.

FRUITS.

For the best collection of Apples, — first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3 ; tliird do., $2.

For the best collection of Pears, — first premium, $5 ; second
do., P ; third do., ^2.

For the best collection of Peaches, — ^first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3 ; third do., $2.

For the best dish of Pears, not less than one dozen specimens,
a premium of $2.

1G7

For the best dish of Apples, not less than one dozen specimens,
a premium of $2.

Grapes. For the best collection of Foreign (Jrapes, — first
premium, $5 ; second do., $3.

For the best collection of Native Grapes, a premium of $3.

Floavers. Premiums will be awarded on Flowers and Bou-
quets, in amount not exceeding $15.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

For the most extensive and finest collection of Agricultural
Implements, — first premium, $15 ; second do., $10 ; third do., $5.

For the best Agricultm-al Implements manufactured within the
County and exhibited by the manufacturer, — first premium, $6 ;
second do., $4.

For the best report, by any member of the Society, of any new
or improved Agricultural Implement, — describing its construction
and operation, its cost and its benefit, and, in particular, its appli-
cability to the soil of Norfolk County, — a premium, if worthy of
record, in proportion to the value of such report, at the discretion
of the Committee.

AGRICULTURAL LABORERS.

For a certificate, — signed by his employer, and countersigned
by any two Trustees of the Society residing in the same town, —
of the superior character and qualifications of any man or boy, in
the employment of a member of the Society for a period, next
preceding, of not less than two years, attesting the industry, in-
tegrity, respectful demeanor, and general good habits, during that
time, of the bearer of such certificate,

A premium of Membership of the Society, and a Diploma.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

For the best Essay on either of the following subjects, which
may be considered by the Trustees worthy of pubHcation : —

Forest Trees. For the best Essay on the raising and culti-
vation of Forest Trees, a premium of $10.

168

Insects. For the best Essay for the destruction of Insects in-
jurious to vegetation, such as Curcidio, Borer y Canker- Worm y
Caterjnllar, Cut- Worm, Squash-Bug, Striped-Bug, Bose-Bug,
^c, cj'C, a premium of $20.

Potato Disease. For the best Essay on the prevention of
the Potato Disease, a premium of $10.

Preservation of Winter Fruit. For the best Essay on
the preservation of Apples and other Winter Fruits, $10.

Preservation oe Vegetables. For the best Essay on the
preservation of Vegetables, a premium of $10.

Agricultural Education. For the best Essay on Agricul-
tural Education, a premium of $10.

Farm Accounts. For the best Essay on a system of Farm
Accounts, $10.

For the most valuable Essay upon the comparative value and
adaptation to the climate and soil of Norfolk County of the several
foreign and native breeds of Cows and Oxen, $10.

For the best Prize Essay on Domestic Poultry, $25.

For the best Essay on Fences for Farms, uniting economy,
strength, and appearance, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the extermination of Weeds and Plants,
destructive to crops, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the preservation and application of Liquid
Manure, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the introduction of new Fruits and new
articles of Field Culture, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the best manner of subdividing farm cul-
tivation with reference to Economy and Profit, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the value and application of Phosphate
of Lime, as a fertilizer of the soil, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on Bees and structure of Hives, with par-
ticular reference to feeding Bees, and guarding against the spoli-
ations of the Bee Moth, a premium of $10.

For an Essay on any subject connected with Agriculture, Hor-
ticulture, Manufactures, or Mechanics, which the Trustees may
consider worthy, a premium of $10.

169

For the best plan for a Barn and Barn Yard, with regard to
the keeping of the Hay, the comfort of the Cattle, the ease and
convenience of tending them, and the making and preserving the
Manure, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the proper time and manner of cutting
the trees on wood land, a premium of $10.

These premiums will not be awarded unless the Essays offered,
shall, in the judgment of the Committee appointed to decide upon
them, be deemed in themselves worthy of an Award without refer-
ence to theu' comparative merit.

170

EULES AND GENERAL REMARKS.

It is understood that all premiums will be restricted to articles
of the growth and manufacture of the County, unless otherwise
specified in connection with it. Essays and agricultural imple-
ments being excepted from this rule, are open to general com-
petition.

Any gentleman, not a member of the Society, entitled to a pre-
mium of five dollars, or upwards, shall receive the amount exceed-
ing the sum of five dollars, and shall thereafter become a member.

The stock and articles intended for exhibition and premium,
butter excepted, must be on the ground at or before 12 o'clock on
Tuesday, the first day of the Exhibition. Animals will not be
allowed to be removed from the pens before 3 o'clock on Wednes-
day, the second day, and all other articles not until 5 o'clock,
without the permission of the Committee.

The animals while on the ground will be fed at the expense of
the Society.

No person serving on any of the Committees shall have a vote
in any case, when he shall be personally interested as a competitor.

All other Entries for premiums must be made in writing, and
shall be placed in the hands of the Recording Secretary, on or
before the 15th of November.

Premiums awarded, and not called for within six months, will
be considered as given to the Society, in aid of its funds.

After the objects for Exhibition are arranged, they will be
under the care of the Committees, and cannot be removed without
their consent.

No object or article will be entitled to a premium, unless it pos-
sesses points of superiority ; and the Committees have the discre-

171

tionary power of withholding premiums, if, in their opinion, the
articles or objects are not deemed Avorthy to receive the same.

The Trustees have carefully revised and approved of the fore-
going proposals for Premiums. The respective Committees, ap-
pointed to award the same, arc required to enforce a strict
conformity to all of the rules in relation to Entries and Certificates.

In the appomtment of Committees^ the Trustees will seek for
the most judicious and skilful individuals in the various towns in
the County, to award the Premiums; but should they fail to
secure the aid of the ablest and most experienced men in the
above capacity, they Avill rely upon the forbearance which, they
believe, will be generously extended towards sincere and un-
wearied efforts.

As it will become the duty of the Society to make to the Legis-
lature an exact report of its doings, the Trustees deem it of the
highest Importance, that earnest and persevering efforts should
be made by the citizens of every town in the County, to bring out
the results of their skill and industry.

MARSHALL P. WILDER, President.
EDWARD L. KEYES, Secretary/.

TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

NORFOLK

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

FOR

1855.

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY.

CONTENTS.

Address, by Rev. J. M. Merrick, 7

Reports, — 27

Of the President and Secretary of the Massachusetts Board

of Agriculture, 29

On Hedges, 32

On Flowers, 34

On Grain Crops, • 3G

'Of Visiting Committee, 4G

On Fruit Trees, 51

On Enclosing Unimproved Lands, 52

On Vegetables, 54

On Spading, 55

On Dairy, 57

On Milch Cows, GO

On Root Crops, 62

On Fat Cattle, G3

On Fruits, 64

On Bees, GG

On Straw Manufactures, C 7

On Domestic Manufactures, G 7

On Preserves, 68

On Carriages, 68

On Horses, 69

On Swine, 71

On Heifers, 72

On Steers, 72

On Bulls, 73

On Working Oxen, 73

On Ploughing — Double Teams, 74

On Ploughing — Single Teams, 76

VI CONTENTS.

Reports,— On Ploughing — Horse Teams, 76

On Ornamental Trees, 76, 93

On Poultry, 77

On Bread, 77

On Ladies' Work, 78

On Mowing Machines, 82

On Agricultural Implements, 82

On Dairies, 91

On Farms, 92

To the Committee on Grain Crops: — Statement of Cheever Newhall, • • 81

Recapitulation of Premiums, • 96

Treasurer's Report, 98

Order of Exercises on the day of the Annual Exhibition, 99

Officers of the Society, > 106

Names of Members, 110

List of Premiums offered for the Year 1856, 125

ADDRESS,

BY

REV, J. M. MERRICK

ADDRESS.

I WAS somewhat surprised recently by the remark of a
farmer, who sneered at Agricultural Societies, intimating
that in his opinion they were little better than collections
of quacks, boasting also that he had fair crops, although
lie belonged to no such fraternity. He holds but a mod-
erate rank as a farmer in regard to the extent and thor-
oughness of his operations. Yet within five or six years
his farm has increased in value. He has a new and
flourishing orchard, improved stock and enlarged build-
ings, and exhibits unmistakable evidences of progress.
Behold the proofs of his error ! He has caught the
spirit he disowns, is borne along by the stream he op-
poses. He is too intelligent not to profit by the impulse
given to his business by men wiiose efforts he would ridi-
cule. He breathes an atmosphere wdiich they have dif-
fused. In agricultural improvements wealthy amateurs,
— call them fancy farmers if you like, — must take the
lead. It is fortunate for others that they are willing to
do so. By experiments conducted w4th more or less wis-
dom, and at great expense, they eventually stand upon a
higher level. Through success and failure their general
course is onward to superior methods of tillage, to larger
crops, to better shaped animals, to more convenient tools ;
and, through the agency of the press and the power of

10

sympathy others share in these results and occupy the
same higher position. It is a generous enthusiasm lead-
ing to noblest benefits. Why does an acre that once
yielded forty bushels of corn now yield a hundred ? Why
are eight hundred bushels of roots raised upon an acre
instead of three hundred ? Why is the average produce
of butter nearly doubled ? Why do mowing fields yield
two tons to the acre instead of one ? How is it that
oxen of the largest size are well fatted at three years of
age ? or that pigs of improved forms and properties are
fit for slaughter at nine or ten months, when it formerly
required two years to reach that condition ? Because
theorists have theorized, and experimentalists have ex-
perimented, and rich men have freely spent their money,
and fancy farmers have carried out their fancies, and
book farmers have diligently studied tlieir books, and
agricultural chemists have investigated the qualities of
soils and manures, and skilful mechanics have embodied
the principles of natural philosophy in better machines
and tools than our fathers dreamed of ; and then all have
brought their contributions into a common stock, and
formed Agricultural Societiesj and these again have dis-
tributed the accumulated gains into a thousand channels,
and the practical farmer has reaped the result of the
whole operation in additions to his knowledge and skill.
The individual theorists and chemists and fanciers and
book men may not always increase their wealth ; they are
not an eminently selfish race. But the community gains,
and even they who ungenerously depreciate the enter-
prise, come in for their share of the profits.

Here then is the justification of our Association. And
yet I have not mentioned all the elements that enter into
the result. In scarcely any other art do improvements
advance so slowly as in agriculture, when not impelled
by associated activities. The farmer works alone, and

11

misses the impetus of society. Why does the Italian
peasant scratch the ground with a wooden plough drawn
by a donkey and a woman ? — or the Egyptian fellah par-
tially disturb three inches of soil with a crooked stick ?
Partly because in their countries there is no common sen-
timent in which they and their fellow-laborers can sym-
pathize ; no associations to create that sentiment ; no
free thought to stimulate it ; no sufficient intelligence
for its basis ; no means of diffusing it were it created.
An enlightened public opinion does not quicken their
minds to reflection or animate their labors by the hope of
larger gains.

I think, however, I may be excused from pressing
upon this audience the grounds that justify associations
like ours. The existence of this and similar societies is
vindicaterd by the fruits they have produced.

It is right that we should celebrate the Annual Ingath-
ering of the Harvest. No other interest better deserves
such a commemorative service; for agriculture " is a
spring that sets in motion the grand machine of business,
manufacturing and commercial ; nor can a sail be spread
without the assistance of the plough. Every other
source of independence or of plenty is perishing or cas-
ual ; this is the great Art, which every enquirer into na-
ture ought to improve."

The end of agriculture is to multiply food ; and abund-
ant food multiplies men and advances civilization ; for,
' ' nations are not populous in proportion to the land they
occupy, but to the food they produce." To produce the
greatest amount of food at the least expense is the prob-
lem for farmers to solve. It is evident that to do this
requires the combination of intelligence and labor ; for
agriculture is an actual producing, and a theory to account
for, and increase the produce. The practical occupa-
tion precedes the theoretical system. Farmers composted

12

mfinure before science explained the philosophy of the
operation ; and knew that wheat demanded lime before
they understood the reason. Men cultivate the earth to
live, ages before they learn the best methods of cultiva-
tion, before the principles that lie beneath rules are as-
certained. Then comes the wise man, who through his ac-
(jutdntance with science leads the way to better methods.
But we must not suppose that the system of agricul-
ture pursued in this community was unwisely adopted,
or has been blindly followed by successive generations,
because they could not justify it on scientific principles.
It is its own justification ; because the system grew out
of the soil and climate of New England, and out of the
circumstances of our people. No theory can prove it in-
appropriate. Hence we deprecate radical changes.
With eyes open to defects, with candor enough to ac-
knowledge them, we would improve the system, by higher
culture of the farmer himself. Our worst enemy is per-
sistent ignorance. AYe cannot hope to maintain our re-
lative position, nor to gain the highest success, against
our formidable rivals of the west, unless we make a
greater effort to combine labor with scientific knowledge.
In practical sagacity our farmers are unrivaUcd ; but
agriculture "is a complicated business, embracing a Avidc
range of subjects connected with the soil, the atmosphere,
manures and their application, tools and their use, and
the various methods of operation. It requires a ready
wit, mechanical invention, power to adapt means to ends,
wise judgment and calcuhition. These are qualities that
distinguish the genus Yankee, qualities produced and fos-
tered by our position in a new country, by common school
education and by poverty. Our young men are trained
to reason and discriminate, and he who has not had the
discipline which brings out these qualities stands a small
chance of success.

But much more ihaii this is demanded by our condi-
tion. School learning is rather a prepnration for special
training than a substitute for it. We admit this in re-
ference to every branch of business except agriculture, in
which the highest skill is thought to come as reading and
writing did to Dogberry — by nature. The boy who is
destined to Law or Medicine goes from the town school
to the liigh school, from the high school to college, from
college to the school of hiw or medicine, and after fifteen
or twenty years' study is deemed qualified to commence
the practice of liis calling. But the farmer's son has no
special instruction ; with the imperfect education of the
common school he undertakes a task that might employ
the best talents amply developed by culture. The con-
sequence is that he is apt to walk implicitly in the beaten
track, to believe that his father employed and exhausted
all wisdom, and that the practical sagacity acquired by
experience furnishes a sufficient pledge of success. But,
how can an art be properly improved without a knowl-
edge of its theory 1 Practical sagacity has no insight
into the mysteries of science. If the soil be exhausted
by repeated croppings, it does not know the best means
of restoring its fertility. It may hit upon a lucky guess,
or it may lose time and money for nothing. If we would
not forever blunder along in the dark we must banish our
foolish cant about book-f;irining, recognize our ignorance
and consent to be taught by men wiser than ourselves.
We must get rid of the idea of the all-sufticiency of
practice and the worthlessness of theory. Let us state
in a few words what we mean by practical and theoreti-
cal. " A mere practical ftuuner is a man who knows how
to manage his ground to advantage. His natural abili-
ties and the education of his circumstances enable him to
do this. A theoretical farmer, on the other hand, is a
man wlio understands the principles on which agricultural

14

operations depend." He may not have acquired dex-
terity in their application. He may be less successful at
first than the other. That is no reason against his ulti-
mate success. For the best farmers that I know are in-
telligent book-farmers, not brought up to the business,
but having adopted it in mature life and conducting it on
just principles, make it profitable. Such men may fail at
first ; and the man of routine who dreads or dislikes in-
novations may be diverted by their mistakes. We
have enjoyed a laugh at the blunder of the farmer, who,
in attempting for the first time to trim his apple-trees,
placed his ladder against the limbs he sawed off and
gained knowledge through nrtificial bumps upon his fore-
head. Such blunders are fair game. Put the mere
practical farmer and the man of science in a new posi-
tion ; let them be required to determine on the cultiva-
tion of a new article, or the use of a new manure, or
the renovation of a worn-out soil, or the probable result
of a new method, and there can be little doubt whose
judgment would be safest. There can be little doubt
which would be most likely to foresee what part of a pro-
posed system is erroneous and what correct. The man
of routine is then at sea without compass. The man of
science has a guide in his knowledge and his intellectual
discipline, not infallible, but of inestimable advantage.
The merely practical man is apt to look at proposed
changes through the spectacles of prepossessions engen-
dered by habit, — forgetting that there is nothing so de-
structive as unreasoning conservatism, nothing so unnat-
ural as an effort to counteract the laws of the world's on-
ward movement. No man can originate improvements,
however Avell he may perform specific tasks, unless he
understands the principles on which the processes depend.
The end of life will find him in the place he occupied at
its beginning. The man of science has liberalized his

15

mind by the study of first principles and is not hampered
by his experience. Practice not directed by science can
do something, but it works at great disadvantage ; for
general principles impart the inclination as well as
quicken the capacity for improvement, make its progress
more rapid and prevent the adoption of error.

It is a truth recognized in every department of indus-
try that intelligent labor is always the most successful
labor. The agent of a cotton mill speaking of the money
value of mere reading and writing says, " the best mill
in New England worked by operatives who are unable
to write their names, would never yield the proprietor a
profit." If knowledge is so desirable in manufacturing,
in which guidance of nicely arranged machinery is a
chief employment, how essential is it to men, who are
perpetually in contact with natural forces, now more, now
less active, — men who are required to decide questions
of the rotation of crops, of the application of manures
to various soils, — to make accurate and long-continued
experiments in feeding and fattening cattle 1 Manufac-
turers employ the best scientific knowledge and skill in
the production of a yard of calico. Is it less important
that a farmer should know the cost of a gallon of milk or
a bushel of grain, or a pound of beef ? Manufacturers
and mechanics work on dead materials, and their labors
are consequently less liable to be affected by causes be-
yond their control than those of the farmer. He deals
with living growths, that are modified by light, heat,
moisture, electricity and chemical afiinities, — and hence
he needs knowledge both to facilitate his operations and
to multiply indefinitely the productions of the soil ; — in
other words, to grow the largest crop with the least ex-
pense, at the same time improving the condition of his
land. The manufacturer would soon be ruined, who
should persist in using machinery and employing meth-

IG

ods in fasliion fifty years ago. Why should the farmer
close his eyes to the progress of the world ? Surely the
art of fanning is not wliat it was in the days of the
Pharaohs. Why should we think that wisdom will die
with us ! Is it too much to hope that the time will come
when farming shall not be altogether a tentative, experi-
mental, and therefore uncertain art, but that principles
shall be established corresponding to the innneuse inter-
ests involved in agricultural operations ?

Wliy are some whom I see before me recognized, as emi-
nently successful farmers, held up as examples honorable
to Norfolk County ? Because they know how to employ
tlieir means judiciously, and because they endeavor to
bring, and so far as themselves are concerned, have
brought farming into good repute as an exact science and
a profitable art. The farmer must work. That hap|)y
necessity is laid upon him. Is it not better that he
should work intelligently than ignorantly ? — adding to
his own experience the results of ages of experimenting,
the improvements that successive generations have made
upon the rude attempts of the savage ?

Let the farmer consider that his first duty is self-cul-
ture. If his early education was imperfect, there is so
much more need of increased activity in manhood. Per-
haps there is no calling in w^hich appropriate knowledge
is so sure of contributing to immediate success as agri-
culture. Hitherto none has suffered more from the lack
of it.

And here I am reminded that most of the education
our young farmers receive is merely elementary and pre-
paratory, and that no school of agricultural science yet
furnishes the necessary specific instruction. Shall this
deficiency remain ? Will not our wealthy men, whose
munificence is proverbial, endow a school in which young
men may be taught the theory and the practice of farm-

17

ing, ill connexion with a farm on which experiments
shall be conducted with all the skill and discrimination
which present knowledge and experience can suggest ?
With such a school we might hope that some certain prin-
ciples would be established as guides to practice instead
of our ever-varying, unreliable rules. A series of ex-
periments upon manures and soils, on a large scale, con-
ducted with rigid accuracy for a dozen or a score of
years, might reasonably be expected to furnish a clue to
practices that would ensure success. Is there any other
industrial pursuit that better deserves the encouragement
implied in such an enterprise ?

Or, if we cannot establish a public school, can Ave not
induce some intelligent farmers to open private schools
for students in agriculture ? Farm schools are common
in Great Britain, and are not only well attended, but at
some of them crowds of applicants wait for admission.
The scholars study and work, learn theory and practice,
and in a few years become capable of superintending a
large farm. They obtain so much information and such
practical skill that they have only to ask for employment
in order to obtain it. I can scarcely imagine a better
method of improving our agriculture or of interesting
our young men in so noble and manly a calling.

But where are the pupils ? Are not our young men
leaving farming for what they esteem easier and more
profitable callings ? Certainly. The more reason for
doing something to detain them, something to rescue
farming from its ill name and to place it on a level with
the most favored pursuits ? The soil of Norfolk County
presents a great variety of character, but much of it is
excellent. Under good management it is abundantly
productive. Its average crops are larger than those of
Ohio. Sufficient and well directed tillage will bring re-
munerating returns. Perhaps there never was a more

18

favorable time to invest money and labor in farming. I
am persuaded that for some years to come agriculture
will be the leading interest of the country — not only in its
extent and the amount of its productions, for that is al-
ways the case, but in regard to profit. There is no prob-
ability that the prices of produce will ever rule as low
as they did years ago. Money being more abundant will
be Avorth less, and all that money buys worth more. He
who takes the flood tide in the present state of affairs
and guides his bark by knowledge, will be carried on to
fortune.

In considering the profitableness of farming in this
vicinity we should remember these things ; first, — that
no farmers live so well and spend so much on themselves
and families as New England farmers, — none that make
the soil contribute so much to the soul and character, —
none who use such excellent implements, — none who
have more convenient buildings, better furniture and
houses, — none who educate their children better and
contribute more to those religious and moral institutions
that perpetuate their blessings, — none that identify them-
selves more intelligently with the government and laws
of their country, — none whose real manhood is more
purely developed in all the important relations of life, —
none whose character inspires more confidence and re-
spect. Even the common laborers earn three times as
much as in the most prosperous countries of Europe, and
have every facility which such men can have of rising
into the class of land-holders and employers. We would
not have it otherwise. No money is better spent than
that which multiplies the comforts and conveniences of
home and secures the maintenance of institutions, which
so largely promote the virtue and happiness of the peo-
ple. Out of the farmers' homes come the men whose
character dignifies our social life, and the women whose

19

pure hearts and cultivated intellects constitute its most
attractive grace. All this outlay comes from labor ex-
pended on the land, and leaves, it must be confessed,
only a small portion as profits or surplus. But may we
not do better ? Is not this labor employed in many, per-
haps in most instances, without that amount of intelli-
gence and skill, which would render it remunerating on
a nmch larger scale ? While the comforts of the farmers
surpass those of most other laborers, may they not be
increased by a wiser use of the means at their disposal ?
As now conducted, farming demands too continuous labor
and leaves too little time for literary pursuits and social
intercourse, for the development of intellect and the for-
mation of character. It is well that there is a great deal
left for us to know and to do ; and there is reason to be-
lieve that Ave have not yet arrived at the most economical
methods of operation ; that we have scarcely begun to
apply the resources of science and the principles of me-
chanics to the cultivation of the earth. There is no wis-
dom in remaining satisfied with any state of things that
we can improve, nor ought our energies to be paralyzed
by the magnitude of difficulties to be overcome.

2d. That we always speak of the profits of farming
comparatively — not of what is necessary to the com-
fortable and respectable support of a family, — but we
compare the pecuniary success of the fiirmer with that
of the merchant and manufacturer. When we see the
fortunes they sometimes accumulate, our sympathies are
excited for the farmer, who after a life of toil, leaves
only a farm worth three or four thousand dollars. We
omit many qualifying circumstances that might be re-
garded as compensations, — the farmer's diminished anx-
ieties, his fewer risks, his peaceful life, the habits of
economy he is obliged to form, and the greater security
he enjoys from extreme vicissitudes ; and more than all.

20

tho fact that farmers seldom wholly fail and come to
nothing. While they are generally sure of a living, and
many add to their stores, only a very few engaged in
commerce acquire fortunes, and in one of the largest and
most important branches of manufactures in New Eng-
land, scarcely a man has failed to fail. I have no expec-
tation that the majority of young men will be influenced
by this consideration, or that they will cease to be excited
by the magnificent results that occasionally attend mer-
cantile adventures, but I am none the less convinced
tliat, takhig all things together, and in the long run, the
intelligent cultivation of the soil offers a most reasonable
prospect of success, a sure path to competence if not to
wealth.

3d. For this additional reason, the system of farming
among us is in a state of transition from the established
routine of practice to a better order founded upon the
diffusion of science and upon the greater employment of
machinery. The sturdiest conservative must admit the
increase of knowledge and its increased application to
agriculture. It diffuses itself slowly yet surely from the
studious mind to the laboring multitude, suggesting im-
provements in every department of the business. There
is an active spirit of research, of enquiry, of experiment.
Science, and especially the science of chemistry, is suc-
cessfully applied to the analysis of soils and the compo-
sition of manures. Prejudices are conquered, doubts
solved, light let in upon darkness, and the effect is seen
in more thorough culture and in annually increasing
crops. The process advances, and its blessings reach even
those who set themselves defiantly against it.

Machinery is destined to work an immense change in
farming. The ingenuity of our mechanics is unbounded.
Already they have discovered valuable applications of
great principles to the facilitation of labor ; and there is

21

every reason to believe that the machines now in use will
be simplified and furnished at smaller cost and employed
with less expenditure of power, and that others will be
invented that shall shorten many processes and lighten
the burden and enlarge the products of toil.

On the prnries of tlie west, mowing and reaping ma-
chines are now indispensable, and owing to the high price
of labor will be brought into use here. This will compel
a better cultivation of the soil, its more thorough plough-
ing and pulverization and rolling, which are great bene-
fits in themselves, while they render the use of machines
easier. Add to these, corn-droppers and shellers, seed-
sowers, sub-soil ploughs, horse-hoes, improved harrows
and rakes, threshers and winnowers, and perhaps one of
these days steam threshers and ploughs, and we have fa-
cilities for saving labor that will more than balance the
high price of hand-labor by enabling the farmer to dis-
pense Avith a large portion of it. These and similar
things are producing a revolution in farming, that will
render it more attractive and more productive. By their
means we shall be able to cultivate more land with less
labor and expense than at present, or to cultivate the
same amount of land better, and with a corresponding
augmentation of productions. This conviction has taken
strong hold of the minds of the best farmers of Europe,
who receive with enthusiasm and employ to great advan-
tage the inventions of our countrymen in this department.
We ought not to be behind them in enterprise.

We may add to these the reclaiming of meadows,
deeper ploughing and drainage, less dependence on poor
pastures and more green soiling, more careful selection of
farm stock, more roots for fodder, good barn cellars, the
more general use of guano, lime, bones, salt and other
concentrated manures solid and liquid, greater economy
in the application of manures, more frequent taking up

99

of lays and less top-dressing, — in short, a constant refer-
ence to the principles on which a rational tillage of the
soil ought to be founded. By these and similar means we
may hope to inaugurate a new era in agriculture, which
shall combine intellectual progress and pecuniary profit.

•4th. Another thought should have some weight with
the young farmers of Norfolk County before they aban-
don farming as unprofitable. They live near a great
centre of population demanding to be fed, and if the old
routine of grass and corn proves unprofitable, may they
not enquire whether vegetables and fruits may not be
substituted in their place ? These are so perishable that
they cannot be brought from a greut distance, and there-
fore competition w^ith more fertile regions is avoided. It
seems nearly impossible so to supply the market as mate-
rially to reduce the price of these things. Ten or a
dozen acres cultivated garden-fashion may be made to
support a family better than many large farms do now.
The orchard too, is a source of profit, when managed with
judgment. The nearer farmers approach to the practices
of the gardeners, the more likely will they be to succeed,
whether they supply the daily markets or not.

I might extend this thought further and say that the
farmers of Norfolk County have not only the advantage
of Boston market, but also of that near and profitable
market which is furnished by the mechanics and the
manufacturing population of our villages. The artisan
is placed side by side with the farmer, the consumer with
the producer, an arrangement the most advantageous so
far as the distribution of agricultural productions is con-
cerned, and the general prosperity and morality of the
people. I do not say that this arrangement leads to the
maximum of production. For that much land and a free
use of capital are necessary, and it tends to the depopu-
lation of a country and the separation of its various in-

23

terests. Happily for us our farms are generally small,
and their productions, instead of one or two great staples,
consist of hay, grain, vegetables, pork, butter, milk,
poultry, eggs, &c. These must be marketed often and
with little expense. In forming our ideas of farming as
a profession, we are apt to overlook these, and yet in the
aggregate they amount to more than all the cotton, rice
and sugar raised in the United States. Our forming in-
terests are closely connected with those of mechanism
and manufacturing. No civilization approaches towards
perfection that does not present this union, and the more
thorough the union, the more does each pursuit contribute
to the prosperity of the others.

Every mechanic's shop, every steam engine at work,
every stream occupied by a mill, yields something to the
farmer's profit by furnishing a ready market for his pro-
duce, Avhile the perception of mutual dependence and
support benefits his moral nature. When one interest pre-
dominates the body suffers. There are in Massachusetts
towns in which there are no mechanics, no mills, scarcely
any trades. Farming is the sole business. The young
men remove to the west or to cities. The population
diminishes. The farms become fewer in number and of
larger size. The property is concentrated in few hands.
The social and moral condition of the town and usually
its interest in education deteriorates. But the gross
amount of agricultural productions is increased, and the
profits still more increased in consequence of the easier
control of capital. I consider this unfortunate. So far
as it extends, it approaches a social condition in which
the community is divided into classes with opposing in-
terests. It tends to lessen the number of small farmers
living on their own property, and to multiply laborers
who cannot hope to become land-owners. Were it not
for the unbounded territories of the west such a state of

24

things might be perpetuated, and the time would come
when multitudes of dependent men would beg for the
privilege of toil, — the poor privilege of keeping body
and soul together. Whatever tends permanently to lower
the wages of labor is an injury to the State. Whatever
is lost to the wasres of the laborer is added to the wealth
of the land-owner, without a corresponding compensation
for the unequal distribution of profits, in an increase of
social benefits.

There is hardly another circumstance that adds so much
to the value of land and labor as a near and easily ac-
cessible market, where the productions of the soil may
be exchanged for other necessaries of life. This market
the farmers of Norfolk County have in the capital, and in
numerous manufacturing and mechanics' villages. They
have intelligence and enterprise enough to avail them-
selves of its advantages. There is scarcely a limit to
the demand for their productions, while facilities for
reaching the consumer are unequalled. Let them aban-
don the idea of fortune making in the west, and adhere
to the incomparable blessings of education, religion and
social refinement at home. Let them remember that for
generations agriculture in this country has supported tens
of thousands of excellent citizens, — supported them, I
venture to say, in as high a state of civilization as the
tillers of the land ever reached on this earth. With
every year the inducements to cultivate the soil are mul-
tiplied,— high prices, ready markets, increasing knowl-
edge, improved machinery, and the examples of success-
ful individuals.

It may be said that the soil is hard and the struggle
unceasing. Does not history teach us that agricultural
prosperity is usually proportioned to the difficulties to be
overcome ? Is it not so in every department of human
activity ? Compelled to honorable toil we gain things

25

that more than compensate for fertile fields and milder
skies, — energy, enterprise, aptitude for business, a habit
of industry, and all the manly virtues that flourish in the
farmer's home. "We may have failed in Norfolk County
to raise the greatest crops of corn and grass, though I
think rarely ; but we have never failed to raise a crop of
fair women who adorn and bless our homes, and men who
cherish " constitutional freedom and that passion for lib-
erty which are the great and earliest glories of our Eng-
lish race. Poor as our soil may be compared with others,
ungenial as our climate may be, it is precisely in conse-
quence of these, that, under Providence, our flirms are
tilled by free men;" that the products of labor are so
widely distributed, maintaining so large a number of
families in the enjoyment of almost unequalled blessings.

The moralist looks with satisfaction upon the growing-
disposition and ability of the dwellers in cities to indulge
that love of rural life, " that affection for green fields,
that strong desire for country pleasures, of which at one
time or another almost every one is conscious. To till
the earth is a kind of natural instinct, outliving many
others, carrying men back when wearied with the toils of
other callings to their paternal farms, — or, where no an-
cestral acres tempt them, making them toil the more ear-
nestly that they may at length become the possessors of
fields of their own, to which they may in peace retire."
To what better use can the rich devote their wealth than
to multiply the means of human support while surround-
ing themselves with the beauties and comforts of a high-
ly cultivated farm, creating out of rude materials the
loveliest paradise ?

To the young men of our County, who have been edu-
cated by institutions that teach them to place the highest
value upon character, we commend agriculture for its moral
tendencies as the great conservative element of society.

26

Amid the agitations and excitements that occasionally
sweep over the country the farmers stick to the soil and
increase its value by their labor, giving it in fact by that
labor all the value it has. Their calm pursuits moderate
popular phrenzies, and fit them to fulfil the highest du-
ties to society. They may be slow, cautious, discrimi-
nating, averse to sudden movements, perhaps too conser-
vative, too timid in adopting ideas and plans, the impor-
tance of which others clearly discern ; but they are the
men to be relied on for substantial efforts, for the per-
formance of their social obligations. You know where
to find them. They are necessarily tied to their homes,
which are for them realities around which their affections
cluster. Others may lead the movements of the age as
light skirmishers, but the heavy masses that are to secure
the ultimate victory will be found among the cultivators
of the soil. Men who pay taxes, maintain schools and
churches and impress their character permanently upon
the country, can never be unfaithful to the great inter-
ests of social life. In their retired homes, with leisure
for the agricultural newspaper or the scientific treatise,
surrounded by the fruits of honest labor amid the grand
or lovely scenes of nature, the ever-freshly uttered words
of God, they may enjoy as large a share of earthly hap-
piness as falls to the lot of mortals.

EEPOliTS.

rvEPOKT OF THE PRESIDEI^T AND SECRETAllY.

To THE Secretary op the State Board of AGRicur/riJiu;.

Sir, — In obedience to the Laws of the Commonwealth, the
President and Secretary of the Norfolk Agricultural Society
herewith make return of the doings and expenditures of said
Society for the year 1855.

The Society, since its last annual exhibition, has added to its
grounds, by purchase, eight acres of land, at a cost of $2500,
which has been enclosed by a tight board fence, at a cost of
S750.

This addition was required, to afford room for a course or track
in which animals might be displayed and their qualities of beauty
and speed tested, in presence of the numerous spectators which
are accustomed to attend the annual exhibition.

An increased amount of Premiums, guaranteed in part by the
pubhc spirit and liberahty of members of the Society, in order to
increase the attraction and add to the interest and usefulness of
the Horse department of this ShoAV. The experiment proved to
be highly successful, affording an agreeable and wholesome pas-
time to a large and inteUigent concourse of citizens from this and
the neighboring counties, including ladies, who were accommo-
dated with seats, elevated and commodious, enabling them to
overlook the entire enclosure devoted to the display of horses,
Avithout danirer, and out of the reach of annovance from the crowd.
The income produced by this addition to the attraction of the
Show, will undoubtedly compensate for the additional outlay for
the land.

The number of entries for Ploughing and Spading were not

30

quite so numerous as on former occasions, but the performances
were very creditable in each department, and seemed, as usual, to
attract the attention of a large number of visitors. These de-
partments form an essential feature in the business of Agricul-
ture, and should not be permitted to lose their proper rank in the
exhibition, on account of their frequent repetition ; and we trust
that there will be no falling-oflf hereafter in the interest of compe-
titors for the premiums offered.

The show of Stock was not quite so extensive as on some
former occasions, owing in some measure to the drought that con-
tinued for several weeks previous to the exhibition, affecting the
feed and pastures. There was a good display, however, of Milch
Cows, which constitute an important feature in our exhibitions,
as they do in the success and profit of the farmers of the
county.

There was an excellent display of the various kinds of Fruit,
such as Apples, Pears, Peaches, Grapes, &c., for the cultivation
of which this section of the State has long been famous.

The Flower Show surpassed any of our previous exhibitions, in
the arrangement, the variety, and in the fine and animating effect
they produced.

The State Society's Premium of one hundred and fifty dollars
for the best experiment in the Dairy department, was awarded
(the first premium of $75.00,) to Dr. Morton, of Needhara.

The Address was delivered by Rev. J. M. Merrick, of Wal-
polc, and is contained in this volume, and will amply repay peru-
sal, as the production of a mind devoted to the great cause of
Agriculture, fully conscious of its importance, and skilled in the
knowledge of its general traits, necessities, and demands.

The Dinner was satisfactory to the numerous company of
gentlemen and ladies Avho partook of it, and was honored and
enlivened by the presence and eloquence of his Excellency the
Governor of the Commonwealth, the venerable Josiah Quincy, the
Norfolk Farmer, several members of Congress, the Secretary of
the Board of Agriculture, whose pleasant countenance and har-
monious fusion with the farmers constitutes him a most agreeable
guest on all such occasions.

A letter from the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, Avho was prevent-
ed from being present, indicated a most lively and generous in-

31

terest in tlie affairs of Agriculture generally, and especially in the
welfare and prosperity of this Society.

The reccij)ts of the exhibition were liberal, amounting to the
sum of two thousand dollars, which affords a foundation for the
belief that the prospects for the future are hopeful and encour-
aging.

MARSHALL P. WILDER, President.

Edward L. Keyes, Secretary.

32

REPORT ON HEDGES.

The Committee on Hedges have a very agreeable duty assigned
them. One needs not ask for a more pleasant occupation on one
of our sunshiny days, in the bright month of October, when the
rich hues of autumn begin to tint the foliage, than occasionally to
pass an hour in wandering over grounds well disposed in gardens
and lawns, with clumps of trees and flowers and a border of green
hedge.

There are hedges of buckthorn, presenting, in the summer
months, a dense and impenetrable mass of leaves, "on which the
eye pauses to gaze with peculiar delight, unwilling to turn away.
Of these no better specimen can be any where found, than one
belonging to Dea. Martin Marsh, of Dedham, though not of suffi-
cient length to compete for a premium of the Society. No hedge
of buckthorn has this year been entered for examination, and only
one of arbor vitse.

Your Committee, last year, dwelt at some length on the beauty
and advantages of hedges composed of different materials, and
they will now only express the wish that they may be extensively
cultivated, both for ornament and use. It is well to bestow some
thought on the embellishment of grounds, thus opening new
sources of pleasure of a pure, tranquil and elevating character.
Let the air, if possible, come to us loaded with fragrance, and
while we inhale its invigorating draughts, let the eye rest on colors
and forms of beauty, exhibiting all the delicate pencillings of light
and shade which mark the seasons and hours, and the perpetually
occurring changes in the surrounding atmosphere.

Last winter, in this vicinity, proved somewhat unfriendly to hedg-
es, particularly the arbor vita). It is singular that a plant, Avhich
is indigenous so far north — which is found in perfection in the for-
ests of New Hampshire and Maine — should not be hardy enough
to bide the severity of our winters. But some of our winter or
spring winds, the latter especially, as observation teaclies, prove
terribly blighting, even to trees which are native to our soil, pai'-
ticularly such as stand on the borders of woods, or where tliey are

33

exposed to strong currents and receive the full force of the sweep-
ing blast. Both the pine and tlic common red cedar, hardy as
they are esteemed, frequently suffer, exhibiting in spring a blight-
ed appearance, though occupying their natural position. Trans-
planted trees are more likely to suffer in this way, because gene-
rally more exposed. The arbor vitse, though taken from a more
northern latitude, is, when standing alone, unprotected by other
trees, peculiarly subject to injury among us, from the blighting
winds referred to. Many were lost last winter or in early spring.
In a compact hedge they are less subject to injury from the above
mentioned cause, though for some reason not fully explained, a
peculiar blight, last winter, fell partially on hedges — confined in
some instances to a single plant, in others extending to several in
succession. Some of these plants afterwards recovered, while
others, though seemingly possessing life at the root, lost all ap-
pearance of vitality above the surface of the ground, thus pro-
ducing ugly gaps. The only remedy seemed to be to remove the
blighted plants and substitute others. In two or three years, it is
supposed, the beauty and uniformity of the hedge may be thus
restored. This peculiar bhght, however, is rare ; we have no
account of its previous occurrence, and the experience of last win-
ter even, does not destroy our general confidence in the value of
the arbor vitae as a material for hedges.

The arbor vitre hedge, entered for premium this year, belongs
to Horatio Chickering, Esq., on East Street, Dedham, and has
from the first been under the care of Mr. Robert Watt, who, at
the recommendation of the Committee, last year received the
diploma of the Society for his peculiar skill and taste in the ar-
rangement of hedges. It consists of two parts, one of 757 feet,
planted by Mr. Watt in 1851, four years ago last spring ; the
other of G72 feet, planted in 1853, two years ago ; in all 1429 ft.
The plants were brought directly from the woods of Maine, and
were set in the hedge without having had the benefit of nursery
planting. The result has proved entirely satisfactory. Few, if
any, plants have been lost, though for the space of a rod, or per-
haps half a rod, near one of the buildings, the effect of a strong
current of wind is visible. The part of the hedge which has been
lonsrest set — that bordering on East and Walnut Streets — is now
about two or two and a half feet in height, perfectly wedge-shaped,

34

and exhibits a beautiful and uniform appearance. It is protected
from depredation or injury on the side next the street by a hght,
open fence, which is needful, where a hedge of this material is
planted at level on the borders of a highway.

For the hedge above described, which does so much credit to
the proprietor, and to Mr. Watt, who has had the entire charge
of it, your Committee recommend that the Society grant the first
premium of f 10.00.

For the Committee,

EBEN WIGHT, Chairman.

DedJiam, October 17, 1855.

REPORT ON FLOWERS.

The Committee on Flowers report the following premiums :

Finest collection of cut Flowers, to Parker Barnes, of Dor
Chester .......

Second best — to A. I. Washburn, of South Braintree
Third best — to B. V. French, of Braintree

BOUQUETS.

Finest — to Marshall P. Wilder, of Dorchester
Second best — to Mrs. A. B. Hall, of West Roxbury

And the following gratuities :
To B. Stone, of Dedham, for cut flowers
To James Nugent, of Roxbury, for pansies and dahhas
To Miss Ehsabeth Sewall, of Medfield, basket of flowers
To Myra Smith, of Needham, for floral monument .
To Hannah Mcintosh, of Needham, for asters and dahlias

Also, a diploma to each of the following :
Marshall P. Wilder, of Dorchester, for cut flowers.
Mrs. Russell, of Dedham, for vallota purpuera.
Mary Wiggin, of West Roxbury, for prickly pear.
E. S. Rand, Jr., of Dedham, for fine seedling petunias.
A. I. Washburn, of South Braintree, for bouquet.
James Nugent, of Roxbury, for bouquet.

$3.00
2.00
1.00

2.00
1.00

1.00
1.00
2.00
1.00
1.00

35

Maccy RandcU, Jr., of Sharon, for bouquets.

Mrs. Dr. Spear, of Declham, for fine basket of flowers.

Parker Barnes, of Dorchester, for splendid display of dahlias.

The Committee regret that a fine display of verbenas, from J.
W. Clark, of Dedham, and a beautiful collection of lilies stocks
and asters from M. B. Williams, of Brookline, should have arrived
too late to compete for premium.

The Committee are happy to be able to state that a table eighty
feet long has been fitted up with bottles for the proper exhibition
of cut flowers, and that thus a want, long felt by the Society, has
been supphcd.

Suitable arrangements have also been made for the exhibition
of pot plants, bouquets, &c. ; and it is confidently hoped that
Norfolk county, always noted for the beauty of its flowers, will at
this exhibition, peculiarly its o^vn, not only sustain its acquired
reputation, but gain new praise and honor.

The Cotamittee would recommend the following prizes for the
year 1856 :

For the best collection of cut flowers . . . $4.00

Second best ....... 2.00

Third best 1.00

For the best bouquets, or tastefully arranged baskets

of flowers, not less than four, .... 4.00

Second best ....... 2.00

Third best 1.00

For the best collection of twenty named dahlias, re-
gard being had to colors and symmetry of flower, 3.00
Second best . . . . . . . 2.00

For the best single bloom, . . . . . 1.00

For the best collection of twelve pot plants, regard
being had to new and rare varieties and well-grown

specimens, ....... 3.00

Second best ....... 2,00

For the best single specimen, .... 1.00

For the best collection of new seedling verbenas, . 2.00

For the best new seedling, ..... 1.00

To be awarded in gratuities, at the discretion of the

Committee, ....... 12.00

36

Exhibitors will bear in mind, that all articles for premium, must
be entered and arranged before four o'clock on the afternoon of
the first day of the Show.

For the Committee,

ED. S. RAND, JR., Chairman.

October 20, 1855.

REPORT ON GRAIN CROPS.

The Committee on Grain Crops report five entries of Indian
corn, one of wheat, two of rye, one of corn and cabbages, and one
of corn and potatoes.

The season was generally considered favorable to small grains ;
and from several parts of the county we hear of good crops, and
have seen many fields apparently equal to any that were entered
for premiums. The high price of bread-stuffs has induced many
to try the cultivation of wheat, and they have found it profitable.
From twenty to twenty-five bushels have been grown upon an
acre with but little more trouble or expense than would have been
incurred for a crop of rye. The general prejudice against the
cultivation of wheat begins to wear out, where it is found that fail-
ures do not result from our climate, nor from the fact that our
lands have been long under the plough, but mainly from over
stimulation with rank manure. Wheat sown on turned-in clover,
or on good land, well manured and cultivated the previous year
with potatoes, yields a fair return. Strong manure, applied
directly to wheat, causes the stalk to grow rank and tender, and
to be easily blasted. Numerous instances of success the present
year, justify the belief that our farmers will turn their attention
more and more to this crop.

The season has been peculiarly unfavorable to corn. That
which was planted early and well attended to, yielded about an
average crop ; but nearly all was attacked by the early frosts so
severely as to diminish the amount of sound corn to a large ex-
tent. The smallest estimate we have heard is that of Mr. L. Clapp

37

of Stougliton, who reckons his loss at ten per cent.* Others con-
sider that the frost injured their corn to the extent of a quarter or
even a third of an average yield. This experience ■will probably
suggest the importance of early planting. We know that the time of
planting depends on so many circumstances, such as the weather,
the condition of the land and the general forwardness or back-
wardness of the season, that no rule can be laid down applicable
in all cases. We have usually noticed that those who plant as
early as the season Avill permit, are most sure of a crop. There
is less danger from the late frosts of spring than from the early
frosts of autunui. Though the early-planted corn may seem to
grow slowly at first, yet it is then striking its roots into the ma-
nure and preparing for a vigorous start whenever the hot weather
shall come.

The early frost also renews the question of what kinds of corn
should be planted. There is no uniformity of practice among the
farmers in this respect. There ought not to be. The smutty
white, the brown, the large eight-rowed j^ellows, and the small so-
called Canada, are the favorite varieties. Each man consults the
records of his experience, the nature of his soil, the amount
and quality of his manure, and selects for planting that kind
of seed which he thinks (taking these things into consideration,)
most likely to yield the largest crop. So uncertain, however,
is our climate, that the largest crop may not always be safest,
and common prudence would dictate that in the selection of seed,
a farmer should remember the possibiUty of an early frost. He
can afford to make some deduction from the yield, to ensure its
early ripening.

It Avill be seen from the interesting report of Mr. Clapp, that
guano may be used under corn to advantage. If all our farmers,
who are able, would conduct their experiments with equal care,
and note the res.ults with equal minuteness, a large amount of use-
ful knowledge would soon be obtained. What we want is certainty
— at least definite statements of experiments accurately conducted

* Some farmers have assured us that their corn was not injured at all by
frost. Indeed, we saw several fields apparently as green as in July, while
adjoining fields were white as in November. No doubt the frost obeys a
law of operation ; but it has so many seeming freaks and vagaries, and ca-
prices, that no human judgment can anticipate its actions.

38

— including all the elements of the operation. Then if the ex-
periment is a failure, we should know ivhy it failed ; if successful,
we can profit bj it. In either case, a positive addition is made
to our agricultural knowledge.

Every year we have the same question propounded and discuss-
ed as to the profitableness of Indian corn. On no other subject
do opinions vary more widely. On no other do farmers more
nearly agree in practice. We do not beheve they would continue
to grow corn and to enlarge their fields according to their ability,
unless there was good reason for the common opinion that it pays
for cultivation. The average yield in this county is about thirty
bushels to the acre. Farmers can better afford to raise fifty bush-
els than thirty. Is it too much to hope that the time is coming
when, in consequence of increased knowledge and facihties of ope-
ration, fifty bushels to the acre will be the average production in
this county ?

The Committee award to Mr. E. N. J. Sias, of Milton, $8.00
To Mr. J. F. Twombly, of Milton, the second premium of 5.00
To Mr. P. Ruggles, of Milton, the third premium of . 3.00

J. M. MERRICK, Chairman.

STATEMENT OF MR. P. RUGGLES.

I planted one acre and a half of ground, wanting five rods, as
measured by Mr. C. Breck. I applied compost manure at the
rate of eight cords to the acre, Avhich is as good as more, if the
land has been well cultivated before. My method of cultivation
has been the same as stated in my communication last year. On
two thirds or more of the field the frost has reduced the crop one
fourth ; on the other third, less. One acre was measured ofi" — of
which the proceeds were as follows :

147 baskets of corn, each weighing 43 lbs. The shelled corn
weighs 35 lbs. — cobs, 8 lbs. Also, 8 baskets of poor corn. The
whole at 56 lbs. to the bushel, equal to 96| bushel.

96| bushels at $1,
Suckers, .
Two tons of stalks,
Stover and husks,

$96.87
10.00
16.00
12.00

$134.87

?i

39

Amount brought up,

Expenses — Interest, .

,^9.00

Taxes, . . . . .

1.00

Manure, two thirds.

30.00

Seed, ....

.75

Drawing and spreading manure, .

4.00

Ploughing and manuring,

8.00

Planting and hoeing.

10.00

Cutting suckers and stalks, .

5.00

Ilarvestmg, ka.

7.50

$134.87

Profit,

^r or

$59.62

On the whole field (one acre and seventy-five rods) there were
135 bushels. P. Kuggles.

Milton, JSovemher 10, 1855.

Our only criticism on this statement is, that Mr. R. seems to
reckon his poor corn at a rather high figure, calling eight baskets
equal to six good ones.

MR. L. CLAPP'S STATEMENT.

The kind of corn raised by me, is the brown corn, originally
from New Hampshire. Its weight, when dry, is 60 lbs. to the
bushel. My piece of land contains by measurement just an acre.
Soil a fight, gravelly loam. Planted last year to potatoes in the
sward, with a shovelful of manure in the hill — hills four feet apart
each way. Crop 200 bushels. Ploughed this year the second
•week m May, seven inches deep. Spread on eight cords stable
manure, harrowed and ploughed in. Furrowed one way in rows
four feet apart. Planted 17th and 18th of May, in hills two feet
apart in the row. Put a table-spoonful of guano in each hill ;
covered it Avith about an inch and a half of loam before dropping
the seed. Planted four kernels in each hill. Hoed three times,
the last time without plougliing. Cut stalks the 10th of Septem-
ber ; harvested the 15th and 16th of October. Finished huskino-
the 24th of October. Had 135 baskets, weighing, when shelled.

40

35 lbs. to the basket, and making 84| bushels, at 56 lbs. to the
bushel.

To ascertain the weight of the cobs, I shelled, November 8th,
two bushels of ears. The first weighed in the ear 38 lbs. 10 oz. ;
the corn weighing 29| lbs., and measuring nearly 17 qts. The
cobs 9 lbs. 2 oz. The second bushel weighed in the ear 39 lbs.

Corn 29| lbs. — cobs 9| lbs. ; corn measuring 17

qts.

Expense — Interest on land.

• •

$3.00

JLclXCS^ • • • • ■

1

.30

8 cords manure spread,

48.00

Guano, 275 lbs. . . . .

8.00

Ploughing and planting, .

Seed, ......

10.00
.50

Hoeing, .

9.00

Cutting and binding stalks,

4.50

Harvesting, ....

9.50

Crop, stalks and husks.

Manure unspent,

84| bushels corn, at $1.04,

$33.00
25.00
88.05

$92.80

$146.05
92.80

Profit,

^Oo.^O

The frost on the night of Aug. 31, injured some late planted
corn in this neighborhood, to the estimated extent of nearly one
half. My own, I think, was injured from the same cause at least
ten per cent.

You will see by my statement, that I have used some guano.
To test its value, four rows were planted without guano. These
were harvested separately, and compared with four rows adjoin-
ino-. The result Avas at the rate of ten bushels to the acre in
favor of guano, the corn being also sounder. In another experi-
ment on sward land, where a table-spoonful of guano was put in
each hill without any other manure, the result was nearly a total
failure, yielding only at the rate of ten bushels to the acre of
sound corn ; while the corn adjoining, planted with a shovelful of

41

compost manure in the hill, yicklcd at tlie rate of 3S ])ushels.
The corn treated with guano, although planted first, was behind
the other through the season, and of course was more injured by
the frost.

I have used guano with potatoes, when a table-spoonful was
put in the hill ; the result, as compared with a shovelful of ma-
nure in the hill, was as six bushels with guano, to seven with
manure, the potatoes being of equal quality. Soil a light gravelly
loam. I have also tried an experiment on grass land, 150 lbs.
being sown on half an acre of low, moist land. The guano was
sown at the commencement of a heavy rain, about the 20th of
April. In this case the result Avas highly satisfactory, the crop
being double of last year, while all around it was lighter. In
another experiment on grass, made about three weeks later, on
higher land and in fair weather, no perceptible difference Avas
noticed. Squashes, turnips, beans and peas Avere raised success-
fully with guano. Onions a total failure ; beets nearly so. It
Avas also used with barley and a small piece of Avheat ; but as no
comparison Avas made with other manures, its value in these cases
could not be ascertained ; the crops, hoAvever, Avere good.

I have often heard the opinion expressed, that a hundred bush-
els of corn could not be raised on an acre ; but I am satisfied that
if on a rocky, thin soil, 84 bushels can be raised in an unfavorble
season, 100 may easily be raised on a suitable soil in a favorable
season. In fact, the opinion was often expressed, that had the
season been favorable, 100 bushels Avould have been raised on
the acre offered by me for premium. I have no doubt that Avith
high manuring and high cultivation, corn may be made a profita-
ble crop. Without these conditions, no crop can be made profit-
able. Lucius Clapp.

StougJiton, Nov. 10, 1855.

MR. A. L. SMITH'S STATEMENT.

The field of wheat which I enter for premium contains one half

acre by measurement. Planted AAith corn last year, and manured

with a shovelful of compost in the hill — all the manure the field

has had for tAventy years. Soil a gravelly loam. The 28th of

(i

42

April I ploughed the land seven inches deep. On the 29th sowed
one bushel and two quarts of Scotch Fife wheat. Before harrow-
ing, I spread four bushels of ashes and one bushel of air-slacked
lime, which were harrowed in with the wheat. Ilarvested the first
week in August, and produced nine bushels and two quarts. The
seed Avas not soaked in any preparation. The field was free from
rust and smut during the season. The kernel plump and sound.

Expense.

Interest and taxes,

. $1.66

Ploughing and sowing,

1.62

Seed,

3.72

Ashes and lime.

.50

Harvesting and threshing, .

2.00

$9.50

Crop.

Nine bushels and two quarts wheat, .

. $18.12

Straw, ......

4.00

$22.12

9.50

$12.62

Yours, &c.

A. L. Smith

Dover, Novemler 10, 1855.

MR. TWOMBLY'S STATEMENT.

Dear Sir — The field of corn entered by me for a premium,
was measured by Mr. Charles Breck, and contains one acre, one
quarter and eight rods, and is the same field which was planted
last year with corn, (with a few rods added,) an account of which
was reported through you to the Society. This spring it was
ploughed with a horse, after spreading about 3| cords of manure
to the acre. It was then marked out with a plough one way, and
manure put in the drills at the rate of about 3| cords per acre,
making in the whole about 7 cords per acre. The field was planted
about the middle of May, in drills, the kernels about six inches

43

apart in the drills, with the Plymouth county or smutty white
corn, the rows from 3^ to 4 feet apart. It was ploughed and
hoed twice. The last of September and the first of October the
whole was cut up at the bottom, carried to the barn and husked,
and we had 240 baskets of good corn and 8 of pig corn, which I
think is equal to 4 of good, which would make 244 baskets. I
have shelled and weighed several baskets, and found them to
average 29.75 lbs. each, equal to 129.62 bushels of 66 lbs. each
on 1 acre 1 qr. 11 rods of land, being at the rate of 98.29 bushels
per acre. The land on which the corn was raised is a strong
loamy soil, sloping to the v,'est. I think that it was not injured
by the frost, but a part of it was, very probably, by the dry weather,
and the whole of it was very much, as you saw, by the high wind,
which nearly levelled the whole field. Had I selected the best
acre, I have no doubt that it Avould have produced over 100 bushels.
The value of the crop I estimate as follows :
129.62 bushels of corn, at $1 per bush. $129.62
4| tons'of corn fodder and stalks, $9, 40.50

15170.12

Expense of cultivation I have estimated as follows :
Interest on the land, at $200 per ann. $16.00
Taxes supposed to be about . . . 1.30
Carting manure, ploughing, hoeing, &c. . 27.00
8:1: cords of manure, at $6, less -^, . 33.00

Harvesting and husking corn, . . 10.00

87.30

Profit, $82.82

from 1 acre 1 qr. 11 rods, or at the rate of $62.80 per acre.

I have estimated the value of the corn fodder at $40.50, from
the fact that last year the fodder from a smaller piece of ground,
which was saved by salting down with five or six hundred pounds
of barley straw, kept my cow through the Avinter without any grain
in as good order as she could have been kept on two tons of Eng-
lish hay. JosiAH F. Twombly.

Milton, Nov. 9, 1855.

44

STATEMENT OF E. & J. SIAS.

Dear Sie — The field of corn entered by ns for a premium,
was measured bj Mr. Charles Breck, and contained in the whole
one acre and thirty-four rods. Our method of cultivation was as
follows : The land, which was in grass, was ploughed with a double
mould-board plough the 24th of April. On the 28th of April about
4| cords of piggery manure was spread and harrowed in. The
field was marked out with a plough only one way, in rows three
feet apart, and manured in the hill with about 4h cords of com-
post barn manure. It was planted from the 8th to the 11th of
May with what we call the Plymouth county or smutty white corn,
in hills about 2| feet apart, four kernels making a square of six
inches, with one in the centre. AVe are of the opinion that we
can raise as much corn by planting three feet apart each way, as
in any other. The field was cultivated three times and hoed
twice ; hilled up but very little. The stalks were cut from the
8th to the 12th of September ; sunned one day, and then hung
up under the roof of the barn until perfectly dry. We think that
the corn was injured very much by the dry weather, and also by
the high winds, which injured most of the corn in this vicinity very
much. It was not injured much, if any, by the frost. We prefer
planting early ; we had rather be cut by the frost in the spring,
than in the fall. The corn was harvested the last of September
and the first of October, and there were 213 baskets of sound
corn and 11 of refuse (considered equal to five of good corn) —
making 218 baskets from 1 acre and 34 rods, being at the rate of
109.15 per acre. We had selected what we thought before har-
vesting to be the best acre, which we kept by itself, and carefully
Avcighed, and there were 109.89 bushels.

Value of the Crop.

109.89 bushels of corn, at $1, . . $109.89

1| tons of stalks, .... 18.00

2 " of husks and butts, . . 12.00

$139.89

Cost of Crop.

Interest on land, $200 per ann. . $12.00

Taxes, about . . . . . 1.30

8| cords manure, 2-3ds exhausted, . 31.00

45

Ploughing,

5.00

Spreading manure and harrowing,

5.00

INIanuring in the hill and planting,

6.50

Iloeing, ......

9.50

Cutting and houscing stalks,

5.25

Harvesting and husking, .

7.75

$83.30

Profit per acre, $56.59

In the above statement we have put the value of the corn at $1
per bushel, which is about 8 or 10 cents below the present value.
But of this, as well as the other estimates, the Committee can
judge for themselves. The labor, although higher than many re-
ports that we have seen, we think is as low as we should be willing

to do the same for any other person.

E. &. J. SiAS.

P. S. Our butts and husks, which were moist at the time of
husking, ^ye have salted down with thin layers of fresh hay, in
which way they make valuable fodder, especially for young cattle.

Milton, Nov. 9, 1855.

First premium of $8, to Messrs. E. & J. Sias, of Milton.
Second premivim, of $5, to Mr. Josiah F. Twombly, of Milton.
Third, of $3, to Mr. P. Ruggles, of Milton.
First premium on wheat, $6, to Mr. A. L. Smith, of Dover.

The Committee regret that several other statements which were
expected, Avere not received in season. Many fields of corn, not
entered for premiums, have come under the notice of the Commit-
tee, and of others they have heard the most flattering accounts.
A gentleman in Doi-chester, has probably 500 bushels of shelled
corn from five acres. In another town in that vicinity, five acres
are thought to have yielded four hundred bushels. In several
towns we have seen fields estimated at from forty to seventy bush-
els per acre. When we remember that the average crop in the
county is not over thirty bushels, these results are extremely grat-
ifying. They encourage new efforts on the part of farmers — not
to gain premiums only, but to get from their land the largest crops
with the least comparative expense ; at the same time leaving
their soil in best condition.

46

REPORT OF VISITING COMMITTEE.

The Committee upon the general condition of Agriculture in
the countj, are obliged, from circumstances beyond their control,
to make a limited and imperfect report.

The high prices of all agricultural productions last spring, in-
duced the farmers to bring into cultivation as much land as their
means would allow. Some went beyond this limit, and reaped
disappointment. Nothing is harder than to convince men that the
course they and their fathers have long followed, may not be the
best in the present circumstances ; or that the profit from three
acres may be equal to what they have usually received from five.
No theory of farming, however cunningly framed, can disturb the
convictions of education and experience. It is only by noticing
the results of their neighbor's efforts, that they can appreciate the
importance of a method different from that to which they have
been accustomed. We have seen this season two fields separated
only by a road — the situation and soil of both the same. One
produced seventy-five bushels of corn to the acre ; the other was
judged by its appearance before harvest likely to yield twenty-five
bushels. The former belonged to a man whose whole land com-
prised but a few acres ; the latter to a farmer who counts his
acres by the hundred.

This is a specimen of what is seen in every part of the county ;
although it would be wrong to deny that a manifest improvement
is in progress. There is no doubt that a hundred bushels of corn
can be raised on one acre with no more expense and labor than
are originally laid out to raise the same amount on three acres.
Intelligent farmers Avho see this, are not slow to appreciate the
advantages of a process that saves so much labor. The same or
a similar remark may be made of other crops. The pith and
marrow of the improvement now most desirable, and now in fact
beginning to be made, consists in concentrathig all the energies
and means of the farmer upon narrow limits and practising the
highest and most thorough kinds of culture. In other words, the
nearer farmers approach to the practices of gardeners, the greater
probability of success.

In our intercourse with farmers, we have usually found a ready

47

acknowledgment of the coiTectncss of this doctrine. When the
truth is seen and felt, it will not be long in finding a practical ap-
plication. Such facilities exist for the diffusion of information,
that experiments successfully tried soon reach every portion of the
comnuuiity interested in them. We are reminded by this remark,
of the extended use of guano. But a fcAv years ago it was looked
upon with distrust by many of our best farmers, who could not
imagine how so small a quantity of manure could contain fertiliz-
ing elements sufficient to supply the demands of the growing crops.
Such scepticism was natural, and wise in man, whose means would
not allow of expensive experiments upon doubtful conditions. By
gradual advances, guano has made its way into every town in the
county, and during the past season large quantities have been
used. How large we cannot tell ; but we know of towns in which
scores of persons have employed it, with various results, as might
have been expected. So powerful an agent, used by persons un-
acquainted with its nature, must necessarily, in some instances,
have been unwisely managed, and of course disappointed the ex-
pectations formed of it. This is the price paid for wisdom. But
from nmnerous in(|uiries we learn that in most cases it has been
attended with satisfactory results ; especially upon dry and loose
soil. We anticipate a rapidly growing demand for this article,
not only because it is more condensed and therefore more easily
and uniformly applied than other manures, but also because it will
be found cheaper than any other, taking into account the duration
of its influence. It is earnestly to be desired that farmers will
keep minute records of their experiments with guano, phosphates,
and other concentrated manures, and publish both successes and
failures for the public instruction. More questions have been
asked of this Committee for information in regard to the character
and method of using guano, than in regard to any other, perhaps
all other agricultural topics, indicating a wide-spread interest.

The increased attention paid to farming implements and build-
ings, is very noticeable in almost every direction. The saving of
labor and manure, the comfort and growth of cattle, the amount
and quality of hay, the preservation of roots, are all facilitated by
good farm buildings, to say nothing of what might justify extended
notice, the gratification of a pure taste.

In farmers' families also is seen the influence of good and bad.

48

of convenient and inconvenient buildings — their influence upon the
amount of labor, the comfort and happiness and health of the vari-
ous individuals. We often hear from the housewife, " this kitchen
is well contrived to do work in ; or badly adapted to that end."
What a world of difference is here ! And how surely must it tell
upon the temper and character of those who spend so large a
portion of their lives there ! Whatever facilitates labor in the
house promotes order, neatness and comfort. How these react
upon the taste and feelings of the family, does not need to be
shown. We have sometimes thought that farmers, Avhose chief
business is out-of-doors, did not always sympathize so much as
they should with their wives and daughters, whose labor is full as
severe as their own. We hope we mistook. At any rate, it is
not amiss in us to invite the attention of farmers to such an
arrangement of their houses and other buildino;s as will render
domestic labor as easy and pleasant as possible.

The barn cellar commends itself so powerfully that no new barn
is found without it ; and the farmer who sets himself defiantly
against it as a needless innovation upon old usages, finds his neigh-
bors going beyond him in all the elements of prosperity. One
man assured us that he could not be persuaded of its necessity,
until he saw that those who had cellars, in a few years began to
sell hay. The manure heap is a bank that never refuses liberal
discounts.

We have seen in several places a new interest in raising horses.
This is a business that has not heretofore been much practised in
this county. But in almost every direction we observe fine young
horses, that will soon pay a handsome profit. The late exhibition
in Dedham, in connection with our annual fair, showed the feeling
that exists in reference to horses, and has served to stimulate the
efforts of our farmers in this direction.

It may also be observed, that notwithstanding the objections
brought against fine high-bred stock on the score of expense and
Avant of adaptation to our climate and soil, yet the number of such
cattle has largely increased during the past year. Not perhaps
with the design of maintaining entire herds, so much as the im-
provement of our native breed by judicious crossings. But cattle
require food ; and scarcely any subject presses more closely upon
our farmers than that of the summer keeping of their stock.

4!J

Many old pastures are abandoned to wood and bushes, and otbei'S
are grown over with moss. Farmers icll us that they must reduce
their stock, or improve their pastures, or find a substitute for grass.
Many are sceptical as to the expediency of renovating a worn-out
pasture, and others think they cannot afford the expense. Some
experiments have been made probably in every town, which show
that to break up, manure and seed down old pastures is as profit-
able an investment of money as a farmer can make ; especially if
he lives within a milkman's route. It would be a benefit to the
agricultural community if those, who have done most and best in
this line, would send the detail of their operations to the news-
papers, or incorporate them with the transactions of our Society.

We find but one opinion among farmers as to the profitableness
of corn-fodder as a supplement to the pasture. It comes just
when the pasture begins to fail, and furnishes a grateful and valu-
able food. It is believed that an acre of good land well cultivated
will yield twenty-five tons of green fodder or seven tons of dry.
Every year the culture of this article is extending itself. We
would observe that the sweet corn furnishes the most profitable
fodder ; not so large and heavy as some other kinds, but more
tender and nutricious, and so agreeable to cattle that they eat it
with little waste.

It would require too much space to detail the numerous in-
stances of reclaiming bogs and meadows, that deserve to be men-
tioned. In every direction we see this Avork going on, from small
lots to acres ; and in every case, the particulars of which have come
to our notice, with decided profit. One farmer has reclaimed and
improved ten acres within two years, at an expense of ^1,500,
and this year has cut thirty tons of good hay. This is an illustra-
tion, on a somewhat large scale, of what is done in hundreds of
instances on a smaller scale. Several individuals have observed
to us, that they had just discovered they had hitherto been neglect
ing the most valuable part of their farms.*

* We cannot help referrini; particularly to the improvements efiected by
Capt. Asa Pickering of Belliiifrham. This gentleman's valuable farm was
sixteen years ago wholly uncultivated, covered with bushes and bogs. By
almost incredible labor, with his own hands he has made a beautiful and
profitable farm — beginning the enterprise after his fiftieth year. Using the
hand hoe, he turned over five or six acres of bogs and hassocks, then carted

n

0

At the commencement of the season, the prospects of farming
were very promising; but the promise was not realized. The
crop of hay was considerably less than usual. In most places po-
tatoes yielded a fair crop, of good quality and tolerable amount.
The rot was less extensive than for several years past. We look
with satisfaction upon the efforts of farmers to multiply and prove
new varieties. Experience shows that the tendency of all sorts
of potatoes is to degenerate in quality by long cultivation. Hence
the necessity of frequent change of seed and change of locahty.
The early frosts damaged the corn to a large extent, and proved a
serious loss in this most important crop.

In our visits to the farmers, we everywhere meet a cordial wel-
come, and receive abundant information of the details of their
operations. Every where we found gratifying evidences of the
benefits conferred upon the agriculture of the county by this So-
ciety. We are convinced that a powerful impulse has been given
to the labors of the farmer by the information it imparts, by the
spirit it diffuses, and by the annual Fair, which brings together
the yeomanry of the county to compare notes, and to exhibit the
results of the year's work. Although the productions of the farm
have not this season reached their usual amount per acre, yet in
consequence of the cultivation of a larger number of acres, the
total value of agricultural produce is probably as large as ever.
It would gratify us to go into details upon several topics included
in this Report ; but we should find it difficult to make such dis-
criminations as would be satisfactory to our numerous friends, un-
less we protracted this notice to an unreasonable length. We
have seen much to encourage the efforts of those who would bring
farming into the best repute, as an exact science and a profitable
employment.

In the course of their observations, the attention of the Com-
mittee was directed to a fine bed of carrots, on the grounds of

in gravel and manure. These mowing fields are now in admirable order.
He has also built a large covered drain across his farm, besides almost fabu-
lous quantities of stone wall. This labor has been well directed, and is
every way creditable to Mr. P.'s ability and judgment. He is still in a vig-
orous old age, and in walking over his farm, and showing with honest pride
his extensive improvements, can without difficulty tire out much younger
wen.

61

Hon. Marshall P. "Wilder, of Dorchester, — some notice of which
wc deem worthy of record in the Transactions of the Society.

These carrots were in rows — with alternate rows of Nursery
pear trees intervening — at the distance of four feet apart. Half of
them were of the White Belgian variety, and half of the Orange
Red. The whole space occupied by the trees and the roots was
8,200 square feet of ground. The soil had been entirely exhaust-
ed by the previous use of it ; and, in order to restore it to the
highest tilth, was dressed, last fall, with 800 lbs. guano and six
cords stable manure. It was then ploughed deeply six times, and
again, four times in the spring. The trees, of which there are
3,600, had made vigorous growth ; and of carrots there have been
harvested 180 bushels, weighing, on the public scales, 9,000 lbs.
This is equal to 956 bushels, or more than 21 tons to the acre.
Had the carrots been sown in the usual manner — ^in rows two feet
apart — the yield would have been more than 40 tons per acre ;
and at the present price of these roots, would aiford the handsome
return of'$600.

If we add to the actual yield of carrots, the value of the Nurse-
ry trees grown upon the same soil, we shall readily imderstand
the propriety of such heavy manuring and frequent ploughing as
this small plot of ground has received. We shall learn, too, again,
the often disregarded fact, that a liberal outlay alone ensures,
under ordinary circumstances, a large return.

J. M. MERRICK,
C. C. SEWALL.

REPORT ON FRUIT TREES.

The Committee on Fruit Trees have made the following awards :
For the best Apple Orchard, to Silas Smith, of Foxboro',

the 1st premium, ....... $15.00

To S. B. Sumner, of Needham, the 2d premium, . . 10.00
To Henry Goulding, of Dover, the 3d premium, . . 7.00
For renovation of old Apple Orchards, &c., the 1st pre-
mium to Henry Goulding, of Dover, the only applicant.

For the Committee,

EDWARD M. RICHARDS.

52

REPORT ON ENCLOSING UNIMPROVED LANDS.

The Committee on Clearing and Enclosing Unimproved Lands,
would report :

There has been but one field entered for premium this year,
that of Cheever Newhall, Esq., of Dorchester, Avhich the Commit-
tee visited the 25th of Julj, and again on the 30th of August.
The Committee feel that they cannot do better than to let Mr.
Newhall tell his own story, which is done very satisfactorily in his
report. The Committee regret that there are no more applicants
for these premiums, which are annually offered by the Society.
Many of our farmers are every year clearing up land, which, if
entered for a premium, would be entitled to receive it, and the
account thus furnished would be very useful to the public ; and
yet this premium, as well as the one for Improving Meadow and
Swamp Lands, have but very few competitors for them. Those
few experiments which are made pubhc, like Mr. Newhall's and
Mr. Weld's, show that they not only pay well in a long run, but
that they almost pay for themselves as they go along, and in the
end add much to the value of the farm. A person who travels
over the back land, as I am in the habit of doing, will find very
much, even in old Norfolk county, which might be reclaimed at a
small expense in comparison to the value of them afterwards. And
at a time like the present, when all kinds of produce find a ready
market at a large price, may we not hope that a fcAV more of our
enterprising farmers will report their doings, and thus, by giving
their experience to the public, many others may be induced to go
and do likewise.

While the Committee cheerfully award to Mr. Newhall the first
premium of $15, they cannot but hope that another year there
may be more competitors.

For the Committee, CHARLES BRECK.

STATEMENT OF MR. C. NEWHALL.

The land I present to the notice of the Committee, is that ex-
amined by them on the 25tli of July last. The lot contains six
acres, and came into my possession about seven years ago, and

63

had not been cultivated -within the memory of the oldest person in
the vicinity, and was covered over with forest trees, consisting of
pitch-pine, red cedar, white birch and poplar, together with blue-
berry, barberry and fern bushes. It remained in this condition
until the winter of 1<S54, when I commenced cutting down the
forest trees and mowing the bushes, leaving about fifty of the red
cedars standing on the borders of the field ; about three fourths
of the lot was ploughed in the spring, and about one half of the
whole planted with potatoes, Indian corn, cabbages and early peas.
They grew as well as could be expected on land but partially sub-
dued and in a rough state. The wood and crops Avere sold ; the
proceeds fell short of the sura expended on the lot about one
hundred dollars.

This year the whole of the land was ploughed twice, and well
harrowed ; manure to the value of $24 per acre apphed, spread
evenly over the land and ploughed in ; in addition to which,
manure to the value of $16 was applied to two acres of squashes
in the hills, which W'Cre placed eight feet apart each way — making
the whole cost of the manure this year $160.

My man has rendered

an account of

the sales of the produce

for the year, as follows :

Potatoes,

$115.35

Squashes,

176.00

Green peas, .

51.87

Sweet corn, .

27.23

Cabbages,

75.47

$445.92

Estimated value of

ruta baga.

• ■

15.00

a a

corn fodder, .

• •

9.00

$469.92
I have kept no exact account of the expenses, but believe they
will amount to about the same, this year, as the value of the pro-
duce, leaving a balance in the two years against the lot of land of
one hundred dollars. One acre of the foregomg was sowed the
first week in September, with herds grass and red top, and now
promises to produce a large crop next year ; the other five acres
are in perfect order for any crops. Cheever Neutiall.

Dorchesler, October 31, 1855.

54

REPORT ON VEGETABLES.

The Committee on Vegetable and Root Culture, respectfully
offer the following Report :

The number of exhibitors in this department was thirty-seven.
The specimens of vegetables and roots exhibited, made a very re-
spectable appearance, and were of superior character. This is
true, whether we do or do not consider the severe drought of the
season. It is true of potatoes, squashes, pumpkins, beets, carrots,
turnips, &c. &c., which formed a very creditable portion of the
exhibition.

The Committee regret that they had not, at the day of exhibi-
tion, and that they have not had since that time, statements of the
modes of their culture, or of " the best conducted experiments in
raising them." Premiums for the best experiments, in this re-
gard, they consequently are not prepared to award.

To Mr. Cheever Newhall, of Dorchester, for the best
collection and variety of vegetables, regard being
had to the quantity as well as the quality exhibited,
the Committee award the first premium — a silver
cup of the value of . . . . . . |10.00

To Mr. B. V. French, of Braintree, they award the

second premium of . . . . . . 5.00

To Mr. J. W. Clarke, of Dedham, the third premi-
um of ....... . 4.00

To Mr. T. G. Whital, of West Roxbury, the fourth

premium of ...... . 3.00

To Mr. William Whiting of Dedham, the fifth premi-
um of ....... . 2.00

To Mr. Charles Breck, of Milton, for the best collec-
tion of potatoes, 18 varieties, not less than a peck
of each variety, the Committee award a premium of 5.00

To Rev. C. C. Sewell, of Medfield, for 10 varieties,

a gratuity of 5.00

To Mr. S. b. Mann, of Dedham, for 12 varieties, do. 5.00

For the Committee,

D. KIMBALL, Chairman.

55

The following notes, from Messrs. Mann and Colburn, were
passed to the Committee at the time of the exhibition :

Mil. MANN'S NOTE.
If your attention is called to twelve varieties of potatoes, ex-
hibited by me, I desire to state that they were sent mainly for the
purpose of showing the result of light seeding. They were all
grown from small potatoes, not large enough for cooking, and
were all cut so that not more then two eyes remained on a piece.
Two pieces were put in a hill. They were planted about the first
of June, in different locations, and where they escaped the effect
of the late drought, the crop was good. The crops not yet being
gathered in, I only measured the produce of one variety, namely,
that kind grown from bits cut from the seed end, taking not over
one eighth part of the potato, and this I often cut in two pieces,
the remaining seven eighths of the potato being used for the table.
This gave me one bushel from eighteen hills. It was not an ex-
periment with me this year ; I risked this manner of planting from
the result of former trials.

I also exhibit a sample of potatoes grown from bits cut from the
seed end two months previous to planting, — the principal part of
the potato having also been used for the table. The seed in all

cases was limed immediately after cutting.

Samuel C. Mann.

MR. COLBURN'S NOTE.
I have presented a bushel of " Jenny Lind " potatoes. I plant-
ed one peck of seed and raised three bushels from thirty-two hills.
The bushel is a fair sample of the whole of them. They were
raised on low land, on rich, deep soil. Respectfully submitted by

Charles Colbuen, of Dedham.

RErORT ON SPADING.

The Committee of the Norfolk Agricultural Society for the
award of premiums on Spading, having attended to their duty,
beg leave to report :

56

The Spading Match has become one of the most interestmg fea-
tures of our exhibition, whilst the great improvement manifested in
this department shows that our farmers have profited bj the les-
sons of previous years, and are fully aware of its importance.

It would be useless, here, to repeat the benefits of thorough
spading ; but it may be of advantage to state the plan on which
your Committee made their decisions.

It is difficult to convince competitors that time is not the main
point ; and although there was a decided improvement in this
respect over previous years, yet there is room for still more.

Not only time, but the deftli, fineness of pulverization, and
general finish presented by each lot at the conclusion of the work,
are to be taken into account.

On the outside, at the head of each lot, a stake was driven,
with a number marked on it plainly, and the men then drew for
the choice of numbers.

Each lot contained on^e hundred square feet, and before com-
mencing, it was distinctly cut round and marked out.

The shortest time occupied in performing the work was sixteen
minutes, and the longest twenty-four. The recipient of the first
premium did not perform his work in the shortest time, but excel-
led in the above-mentioned requisites of good spading.

The following premiums were awarded by your Committee :

1st premium, for best spading, to Peter Ford, of North

Wrentham, diploma and $8.00

" Dennis Doody, Dorchester, . 7.00

Timothy Ilickey, " . 6.00

Thomas Barber, W. Medway, 5.00

Dan McColoff, Dorchester, . 4.00

Wm. Hickey, " . 3.00

Charles Ford, Eockville, . 2.00

Michael Kelly, Roxbury, . 1.00

For the Committee,

AARON D. WELD, Chairman.

2d

next

3d

4th

6th

6th

7th

8th

57

REPORT ON DAIRY.

The duty of the present Committee on " Dahy," is confined to
a consideration of the two articles of butter and cheese, of wliich
specimens may be exhibited, — several subjects, which might re-
ceive attention under the general head of Dairy, being very pro-
perly assigned to special committees, as those on " Milch Cows,"
on improving " Old Pasture Lands" (very important), on " Food
for Cattle," " Soiling," &c. ; and the Committee for the State's
premium on Dairy.

Of the value of butter and cheese, as articles of food, and their
economical importance in the management of farms, your Commit-
tee need not speak. It is desirable that growing attention be
given to them by American farmers, care being taken to produce
those of the best quality, whether for the foreign or domestic mar-
ket. No American farmer should be satisfied, till he can produce
butter and cheese Avhich will bear comparison with the best product
of foreign lands.

Butter has been known from a remote, though not the remotest
period of antiquity. The Jews do not appear to have been ac-
quainted with it, at least in its solid and concrete state. It is
true, the term occurs several times (ten, we believe,) in our Eng-
hsh common version of the Old Testament. But the best critics
now pronounce the translation erroneous. In recent critical ver-
sions the Hebrew word is translated " milk " — thick milk or cream,
perhaps. Thus, Job xxix. 6 : " When I washed my steps in milk,"
instead of " butter." Again, in the celebrated passage, Isa. vii. 14,
" Milk and honey shall he eat," instead of " butter and honey."
Some may fancy that they find express mention of butter in Pro-
verbs XXX. 33 — in King James's version, " Surely the churning
of milk bringeth forth butter." But the translation — " The press-
ing of the milker bringeth forth milk," certainly comports better
Avith what follows — " the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood."
One distinguished critic renders the line thus : " the pressing of
milk brings forth cheese," more likely than " butter."

'i'hc Greeks and Romans were not originally acquainted with
butter. The Greeks derived a knowledge of it from the Scyth-
ians, or Thracians, and the Romans from the Germans. Milk and

8

58

cheese are spoken of by the old Greek writers from the time of
Homer, but not butter. Hippocrates, in the fifth centurj before
Christ, is the first Grecian Avriter who mentions it, referring its
origin to the Scythians. Herodotus, the father of history, in the
same century, describes the process of making it among the same
people. The Scythians probably owed the discovery to accident.
The milk, which in their frequent wanderings they took with them
in skins, would by agitation exhibit particles of butter, and this sug-'^
gested the process of churning, a process originally rude and simple.

Butter was very little known, however, either among the Greeks
or Romans, till a comparatively late period. The first recom-
mendation of it as an article of food, is by Dioscorides, a little be-
fore the time of Christ. He mentions its medicinal or healing
virtues, on which Galen, who wrote two hundred years later, is
more full. Galen affirms that he had seen it made of cow's milk,
though Dioscorides makes mention only of sheep and goat's milk.
Pliny ascribes its invention to the " barbarous nations," that is,
as he generally uses the term, the ancient Germans and Britons ;
and says, that it Avas made from the milk of the sheep, the goat,
and the cow.

Still it was little, if at all, used as an article of food, the recom-
mendation of Dioscorides notwithstanding. It was used in medi-
cine, and as an ointment in baths, and sometimes, as among the
Egyptian Christians, was burned in lamps instead of oil. In the
ancient Roman Cathohc churches its use in lamps was sometimes
permitted, when oil failed. The ancient butter, however, appears to
have been a very inferior article ; it was not solid, or concrete, like
ours, but liquid, and is always referred to as poured out, and not cut.

Butter is mostly used in the more northerly countries of Europe.
In the southern, where olive-groves abound, its use is, in a great
measure, superseded by that of oil.

The making of good butter is an art. Its good or bad quality
is sometimes attributed to food or pasturage ; and this has an
effect, no doubt. Certain it is, that particular plants fed upon by
cattle, impart a flavor, sometimes disagreeable, to butter. But
more, we believe it is now admitted, depends on the making.
Speaking of Great Britain, a writer, whose opinion is entitled to
great respect, says : " In every district where fine butter is made,
it is universally attributed to the richness of the pastures, though

59

it is a well-known fact, that, take a skilful daiiy-maid from that
district into another, where no good biittcr is usually made, and
where, of course, the pastures are deemed very unfavorable, she
will make butter as good as she used to do ; and bring one from
•this last district into the other, and she will find that she cannot
make better butter there, than she did before, unless she take*
lessons from the servants or others whom she finds there." The
" peculiarly rich and delicate flavor" of the butter of the High-
lands of Scotland, this writer ascribes not to the " old grass on
which the cows feed in those remote glens," but to the process of
working. He observes in this connection, that cream from the
milk last drawn from the cow, is as superior in quality to that
from the milk first drawn, as in quantity — an argument for tho-
rough milking, if there were no other.

" The particular nature of Bretagne butter, whose color, flavor
and consistence, are so much prized, depends," says a French
waiter, " neither on the pasture, nor on the particular species of
cow, but on the mode of making."

It is not, of course, meant to be asserted by your Committee,
that there is no difference in animals, nor in food or pasturage,
affecting the quality of the butter produced by them, but they are
desirous of drawing attention to. improved modes in the making,
for which there is certainly room.

Of the best produce of butter on a farm, for four months, with
accompanying statements, quantity as well as quality being taken
into view, the Committee regret to say, that there was this year
no presentation.

Only one specimen of a lot of 40 lbs, was offered,
for which the Committee award to Dr. W .T. G.
Morton, of Needham, a premium of . . $20.00

For the best box of butter, of not less than 12 lbs.
to James R. Fisher, of Dedham, the 1st premi-
um of ....... G.OO

To Mrs. E. Clapp, of Stoughton, 2d premium of 4.00

To Francis Gay, of Dover, 3d premium of . 2.00

Only one lot of Cheese, of not less than 50 lbs.,
Avas offered, for which the Committee award to
Mrs. E. Clapp, of Stoughton, the 1st premium of $5.00

For the Committee,

A. LAMSON, Chairman.

60

REPORT ON MILCH COWS.

The Committee have to report, that the whole number entered
for premium was twenty-three ; the most of which would rank
high in the several breeds to which they respectively belong.
There were some very fine Jerseys — a greater proportion than at
any former exhibition. The show of Blood stock of other kinds was
good; taken as a whole, it was very creditable. It is to be regret-
ted, that greater care is not taken to keep and render in to the
Committee statements of the yield of Milk or Butter, as required
by the rules of the Society. Only one written statement was pre-
sented, that from Dr. Morton, of Needham, some extracts from
which are appended to this report, which, for precision and mi-
nuteness of detail, is entitled to great credit.

The exhibition of Milch Cows is one of the most interesting fea-
tures in our annual Cattle Show, and it is to be hoped that more
pains will be taken in the future to make this department as at-
tractive as it is important. There is the material in Norfolk
county to do it ; all that is required, is the effort.

The Committee award the following premiums for cows not less
than three years old :

Jersey, 1st premium to Dr. W. T. G. Morton, Need-
ham, for his cow " Beauty,"
Dr. Morton, for his cow " Dai-

$5.00

ii

2d

u

Yj Maid," ,

3.00

Ayrshire

,1st

a

Edward King, Dorchester, .

5.00

(C

2d

a

Dr. Morton, Needham, for his
cow " Hornet,"

3.00

Durham,

1st

u

Dr. Morton,

5.00

Devon,

1st

(I

B. V. French, Braintree.

5.00

Grade,

1st

a

David P. Hale, W. Roxbury,

5.00

«

2d

u

Dr. Morton, Needham, for his
cow " Blossom,"

3.00

Native,

1st

u

John Fussel, West Roxbury,

5.00

((

2d

^i

David P. Hale, W. Roxbury,

3.00

For Milch Cows, with written statements, —

1st premium to Dr. Morton, Needham, for his cow

"Woodbine," .

$10.00

61

2d premium to Dr. Morton for his cow " Fanny," $8.00
3d " Dr. Morton for his cow "Nonesuch," 6.00

4th " Dr. Morton fo his cow "Challenn-c," 4.00

The Committee also recommend the following gratuities :
To S. W. Welch, of Dedham, grade cow, . . . $2.00
To John Fussel, of West Roxbury, native do. . . 2.00
To Edward King, of Dorchester, the Society's diploma
for his Jersey cow, which is excluded from a pre-
mium this year, having taken the 1st last year.
For the Committee,

JNO. II. ROBINSON, Chairman.

STATEMENT OF DR. IMORTON.

The Committee in this abstract omit much of the detail of state-
ment submitted, and present only the aggregate yield of the seve-
ral periods of seven days each of butter, as required by the rules
of the Society, as follows :

" Woodbine" made in 7 days from May 2, .

May 26,
June 15,

Sept. 7,

a

((

((

a

a

((

" Fanny "

Total in 28 days, .

made m 7 days from INIay 2, .

May 26,
June 15,
" Sept. 7,

Total in 28 days, .

u

il

ii

ii

" Nonesuch" made in 7 days from May 2, .
" « " May 26,

" « " June 15,

" " " Sept, 7,

Total in 28 days.

lbs. oz.

11 5

13 8

14 4
10 4

49 5

10 8

11 8
11 11

9 3

42 14

10 0

10 8

11 4
8 5

40 1

62

" Challenge " made in 7 days from May 2, .

May 26,
June 15,

Sept. 7,

u
a

a

Total in 28 days,

lbs.

oz.

11

8

10

12

12

3

7

13

42

4

IIEPORT ON HOOT CROPS.

STATEMENT OF MR. JNO. li. ROBINSON.

Herewith I send you a statement of the yield of my Carrot
crop, grown on one acre and a twelfth of land, as per annexed
certificate of measurement.

Thev are all the orange carrot, and were sown about the 25th
of May, upon ground carefully prepared by good dressing, with
good manure, and ploughing twice before ridging ; the manure
spread after the first ploughing. The entire cost of labor and
manure I estimate as follows :

Ten cords manure from barn cehar, and spreading,

Ploughing twice, ....

Ridging, and preparing for seed, .

Sowing with hand-sowing machine,

First hoeing, .....

Second do., and hand weeding,

a

a

Third do.

Fourth, hoeing only

Labor, digging, topping and putting into cellar.

Total,

The entire yield (26 tons 1375 lbs.) estimated at

$12.00 per ton,

Deduct cost of crop, .....

$55.00

10.00

5.00

5.00

6.50

15.00

12.00

3.75

30.00

$142.25

$320.25
142.25

$178.00

Net profit of crop on 1 1-12 acres, .

They Avere all weighed upon town scales ; and, estimating 43
bushels for the ton, would make the measurement 1,148 bushels,
or about 1,059| bushels to the acre. The dry weather in July

63

and August checked their growth and materially lessened the
yield ; but for that it -would, I think, have been much gi-eater.

Annexed are certificates of contents of lot and weight of carrots.
Respectfully submitted, JNO. H. ROBINSON.

Dorchester^ November 26, 1855.

CERTIFICATE OF CONTENTS OF LOT.

I hereby certify, that the carrot patch, entered for competition
at the Norfolk County Agricultural Society's Show of 1855, at
Dedham, by Mr. J. II. Robinson, of Dorchester, was surveyed by
me, and has an area of 1 l-12th of an aero.

Chas. L. Light, Surveyor.

Dorchester, Novemher 10, 1855.

CERTIFICATE OF WEIGHT.

Weight of carrots for Mr. John II. Robinson, 26 tons 1375 lbs.

Jas. T. Dalrymple, Weigher.
Dorchester, Novemher 23, 1855.

The Committee consider Mr. John II. Robinson entitled to the
first premium of $8.00, for the best conducted experiment in
raising carrots.

For the Committee, D. KIMBALL, Cliahniian.

REPORT ON FAT CATTLE.

The Committee on Fat Cattle report :

That they award the first premium of eight dollars to George
Crosby, of East Medway.

It was the opinion of the undersigned, that Mr. Crosby was
entitled to the second premium also ; but a majority of the Com-
mittee thought otherwise, on account of his oifcring two cattle in
one pen.

There were no others offered for premium, except two, -which
■were entered, but were not on the ground.

Two others Avcre on the ground, but not entered.

MAXCY FISHER, Chairman.

64

REPORT 01^ FRUITS.

Your Committee beg leave to submit the following report :

On account of the past unfavorable season for the maturing of
Fruit, the display is not as good as on former exhibitions, although
the number of varieties exceeds that of any previous exhibition ;
and your Committee are happ}'" to perceive an increasing interest
in this very important branch of horticulture.

A]jples. For the best collection of apples, your Committee,
without hesitation, award Thaddeus Clapp, of Dorchester, the 1st
premium of $5.00.

For the second best collection, B. V. French, of Braintree, the
2d premium of $3.00.

For the third best collection, Aaron D. Weld, of West Rox-
bury, $2.00.

For the best dish of apples, not less than one dozen specimens,
John Drayton, of Dedham, for his display of the Cogswell apple,
$2.00.

To Job. S. Whipple, of Washington, D. C, for contribution of
the Washington apple, a new and beautiful variety, the Society's
diploma.

Pears. For the best collection of pears, M. P. Wilder, of
Dorchester, is awarded the 1st premium of $5.00. Mr. Wilder's
contribution consisted of one hundred varieties.

For the second best collection, Aaron D. Weld, of West Rox-
bury, the 2d premium of $3.00.

For the third best collection, B. V. French, of Braintree, the
3d premium of $2.00.

For the best dish of pears, your Committee are authorized to
award a premium of $2.00 ; which would have been given to Mr.
Lewis Wheeler, of Cambridgeport, for his dish of Bartletts, had
the contribution been made within the county ; and as the Com-
mittee could not decide between a dish contributed hy Mr. M. P.
Wilder, of Dorchester, and one from C. S. Holbrook, of East
Randolph, the premium was withheld.

Peaches. For the best collection of peaches, Henry Goulding,

65

of Dover, is awarded the 1st premium of $5.00. Mr. Goulding
exhibited ninety varieties.

For the second best collection, Warren Dewing, of Needham,
the 2d premium of $3.00.

For the third best collection, F. II. Clark, of Dedham, the 3d
premium of $2.00.

Grapes. For the best collection of foreign grapes, the 1st pre-
mium of $5.00 is awarded to C. S. Holbrook, of East Randolph.

For the second best collection, J. W. Clark, of Dedham, $3.00.

For the best collection of native grapes, Richard Richardson, of
Medway, a premium of $3.00.

Also, your Committee would respectfully recommend, that Mrs.
Crehore, of Milton, be presented with the Society's diploma, for
her contribution of Diana grapes. Also to E. A. Bracket, of
Winchester, the Society's diploma for contribution of the Diana
grape.

Plums'. A very fine contribution of plums, from E. Morse, of
Medfield, attracted your Committee's particular notice ; but as no
provision was made, the Committee awarded a gratuity of $3.00.
The liberal use of lime to prevent the working of the curculio was
given as the reason of this superior collection.

Also, baskets of assorted fruit, from M. P. Wilder, of Dorches-
ter— C. S. Holbrook, of East Randolph — and E. M. Richards, of
Dedham, were considered meritorious by your Committee ; but as
no provision was made for them, they were necessarily passed
over.

In conclusion, your Committee make honorable mention of
Fruits, contributed by the following parties :

Capt. G. I. Van Brunt, J. W. Clark, E. M. Richards, E. Stone,
W. H. Mann, of Dedham ; Stephen Baker, Dorchester ; Warren
Dewing, Needham ; Cheever Newhall, Dorchester ; Samuel B.
Scott, Franklin ; I. Cleveland, Dedham ; Henry Goulding, Dover;
Francis Sumner, Edmund Crosby, Dedham ; J. W. Page, Aaron
D. Weld, West Roxbury ; Supply Clapp, Wm. Whiting, Mrs. M.
Fairbanks, Mrs. Eben Fisher, Francis Marsh, Dedham.

For the Committee,

ELIPHALET STONE, of Dedham.

9

66

ON BEES.

Gentlemen — Permit me to offer an extra-official report con-
cerning one of the industrial departments, taken under the foster-
ing wing of your Institution.

While on the grounds to-day, I was accosted by several Bee-
fanciers, who supposed your humble servant to be still in office,
and some of whom supposed there was yet a premium on Honey
and Hives.

Mr. Cyrus Bullard, of Medway, holding the copyright for Nor-
folk county, of an invention of Sylvester Davis, of Claremont, N. H.,
presented a model Hive, for inspection and a premium. Premium
there is none, and Committee none. As a volunteer, I exam-
ined its structure, heard the narrative of its claims, and promised
to state the representations to the proper authorities. It is called
the Platform Beehive ; has arrangements for swarming, and divid-
ing swarms, and transferring swarms ; has arrangements for feed-
ing the bees, ventilating the bees, and recreating the bees ; is
furnished with a manufactory, kitchen and parlor ; has a trap to
catch the bee-moth ; and, over and above all, and all other hives
with which I am acquainted, has provision for locking up the
bees, when the Coolidge's Favorites, and Gages, and Bartletts
are ripening for the harvest — thereby acknowledging that bees
are thieves ; a concession to which all men are not converted.

The objection thereto, in my extra-official judgment, is, that an
arrangement combining so many desiderata, will require great
watchfulness. It requires vigilance at all seasons of the year,
which can be given only by a few particularly fixed in their habits.

The Hive, as such, certainly possesses great merits, and we
commend it to all who design to keep bees. Of three or four pa-
tent rights I have the honor to own, this offers the best advantages
for feeding and restraining these little humming birds.

I learn there will be several competitors at future exhibitions, if
inducing premiums can be offered.

S. B. BABCOCK, Ex-Committee
on Bees and Honey.
Dedham, September 26, 1855.

67

REPORT ON STRAW MANUFACTURES.

Your Committee on Straw Manufactures respectfully report : —
That the exhibition for the present year is superior to that of last ;
but the contributors are far less in number than might reasonably
be expected in a county which takes the lead in this branch of
manufacturing of all others in this vicinity. They award to Her-
man C. Fisher, of Franldin, a premium of $6.00, and a diploma,
for the best Bonnet. There was a very beautiful bonnet contrib-
uted by Miss Jedida Staples, of Dedham.

For the best specimens of Straw Braid, not less than 100 yards,
a premium of $3.00, and a diploma, to Mr. Sanford Leonard, of
Foxboro'. There were some very excellent specimens of Straw
Braid contributed by L. C. Baker, of Dedham, and Mrs. J. R.
Cushman, of Medfield.

CHARLES HAMMANT, of Medford, ) n '^
' NATHANIEL CLAPP,o/i)g^Aaw, i

REPORT ON DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

The Committee on Manufactures of Cloth, Flannel, Hosiery,
Yarns, Hats, &c., have attended to the duties assigned to them,
and respectfully report :

That they award to Timothy Phelps, of Dedham, for

a fine specimen of moleskin hats, the Society's

diploma.
To Messrs. Tuck & Hodges, of Stoughton, for the

best specimen of wooUen yarn, a premium of . 1.00

Also, to the same gentleman, for hose, socks, and

shirts, the Society's diploma.
To Messrs. Kaley, Smith & Co., of Canton, for good

specimens of knitting cotton and carpet twine, a

diploma.
To Messrs. Eames k Mayo, of Needham, for beautiful

specimens of glue, a premium of . . . 1.00

68

Messrs. Winslow & Lord, of Needham, presented a
good article of glue.

To Henry B. Baker, of South Dedham, for a bird-
cage, a gratuity of ..... . .50

To William E. Eamsdell, of Medway, for some finely
arranged curtain fixtures, on a new plan, the Soci-
ety's diploma.

Jesse Fairbanks, of West Dedham, presented some
very heavy, well-finished milk cans.

To Dr. Morton, of Needham, for two specimens of
hand drills, a new invention, and a beautiful arti-
cle, the Society's diploma.

To James Daniells, of Medway (a blind man), for

some finely wrought whip stocks, a gratuity of . .50

For the Committee,

,j E. W. TAFT, of Dedham.

REPORT ON PRESERVES.

The Committee on Jelhes, Preserves, and Pickles, award to
Juha A. Lyon, of Needham, on twenty-two jars of JeUies

and Preserves, a premium of $3.00

To Mrs. Eliza A. Wight; Dedham, for two jars of Pickles .50

To Parker Barnes, of Dorchester, for four jars of Tomato
Ketchup, put up in 1850, a diploma.
For the Committee,

WM. H. DAVIS, of Milton, Chairman.

REPORT ON CARRIAGES.

The Committee on Carriages and Wagons award to ElHs
& Bestwick, of Dedham, for two single horse four-
wheel carriages, a premium of ... . $4.00

To Baker k Cushman, of Medfield, for one covered and

one open wagon, ....... 4.00

FREEDOM QmU), of Foxhoro\ Chairman.

69

REPORT ON HORSES.

For thorough bred mid part thorough bred Stock.
To Frederick Boyden, of Topsfield, the Society's dixjloma

for his superior thorough bred stallion "Tricolor,"

and a gratuity of ......

To Joseph H. Billings, of West Roxbury, for the best

three year old colt, a premium of .
To Joseph H. Billings, of West Roxbury, for the best

one year old colt, a premium of ... .
To G. Howland Shaw, of Brookline, for the best brood

mare and colt, a premium of ....

To Arthur W. Austin, of West Roxbury, for the second

best do., a premium of .....

To B. P. Williams, of West Roxbury, for the third best

do., a premium of ......

To J. L. Brigham, of Roxbury, for a mare and colt, the

Society's diploma.

For Single Buggy or Chaise Horses.
To William B. Bacon, of West Roxbury, 1st premium,
To Wm. B. Kingsbury, of Roxbury, 2d premium.
To EUis Tucker, of Canton, 3d premium, .
To John H. Robinson, of Dorchester, 4th premium,
To Leonard Ware, of Roxbury, the Society's diploma,
for a superior brown mare.

Carriage Horses.

To Thomas Adams, of Roxbury, 1st premium,
To John W. Wolcott, of Roxbury, 2d premium, .

Horses of all work. — Stallions.

To Lambert Maynard, of Boston, the Society's diploma
for his superior trotting stallion, " Trotting Childers,"
and a gratuity of ......

To French Morrill, of Danville, Vt., the Society's di-
ploma, for his Bullrush Morgan stallion, a horse of
remarkable power and speed — and a gratuity of

$15.00

6.00

.00

10.00

8.00

6.00

$10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00

$20.00
15.00

$15.00

15.00

70

To William Lawrence, of Maine, the Society's diploma

for a superior stallion — and a gratuity of . . 10.00

To H. K. AVhite, of West Roxbury, for the best stallion,

a premium of ...... . 15.00

To G. W. Briggs, of Dorchester, for the second best

stalHon, a premium of . . . . . . 10.00

To E. C. Brooks, of Dedham, the Society's diploma, he

having received the first premium last year.

Brood Mares and Colts.

To S. J. Capen, of Dorchester, for the best brood mare

and colt, a premium of . . . . . . f 10.00

To Lowell Mann, of Walpole, for second best do., a pre-
mium of ....... . 8.00

To C. Loring Cunningham, of Milton,- the Society's
diploma for a superior mare and colt, she having re-
ceived the 2d premium last year.

To John Fussel, of Roxbury, 4th best do., a premium of 4.00

To Benj. Neal, of Walpole, a gratuity for mare and colt, 4.00

Three years old Colts.

To James Huckins, of Roxbury, for the best three year

old colt, a premium of . . . . . $6.00

To John Fussel, of Roxbury, 2d best do., a premium of 3.00
To B. M. Worley, of West Roxbury, 3d best do., do. 3.00

To J. L. Brigham, of Roxbury, Society's diploma for
three year old colt.

Two years old Colts.

To James Huckins, of Roxbury, for best two year old

colt, a premium of ..... . $5.00 .

To Samuel Bradstreet, of Dorchester, for second best

do., a premium of ...... 3.00

To Benjamin Neal, Walpole, third best do., premium of 2.00

To H. K. White, of Roxbury, and John Fussel, of Rox-
bury, each a Society's diploma for two year old colts.

One year old Colts.

To S. J. Capen, of Dorchester, for best one year old

colt, a premium of ..... . $5.00

71

To C. Loring Cunningham, Milton, for second best do.,

a premium of ...... . 3.00

To J. L. Morse, of South Dcdham, for third best do.,

a premium of ...... . 2.00

To Benjamin Hawes, of Wrentham, for fourth do., a

premium of . . . . . . . 1.00

To II. K. White, of Roxbury, for a superior one year

old colt, the Society's diploma.

Farm Horses.

To Cheever Newliall, of Dorchester, for the best farm

horse, a premium of ..... . ^10.00

To W. T. G. Morton, for the best pair of farm horses,

a premium of ...... . 10.00

P. S. It would be well to note, that the gratuities to Messrs.
Boyden, Maynard, Morrill, and Lawrence, were given them for
exhibiting their fine animals ; the rules of the Society not allowing
premiums to stock owned out of the county.

For the Commitee,

J. L. BRIGHAM, of Iloxhury.

-*-

REPORT ON SWINE.

For the best Boar, —

To Benjamin V. French, of Braintree, 1st premium of $6.00

To W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, 2d do. of . . 5.00

To William. P. Snow, of Dorchester, 3d do. of . . 4.00

For the best Breeding Sow, —

To W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, 1st premium of . $6.00

To Benjamin V. French, of Braintree, 2d do. of . 5.00

To Samuel S. Seagraves, of Needham, 3d do. of . 4.00

For the best weaned Pigs, —

To W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, 1st premium of . $5.00

To Marshall P. Wilder, of Dorchester, 2d do. of . . 3.00

To Henry Goulding, of Dover, 3d do. of . . . 2.00
For the Committee,

GEORGE K. DANIELL, of Needham.

72

REPORT ON HEIFERS.

The Committee on Heifers award the following premiums :
To W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, on Jersey heifer, 18

months old, the 1st premium of ... . $3.00
To S. J. Capen, of Dorchester, on best Ayershire heifer,

1 year old, 1st premium of .... . 3.00

Durhams, — not any worthy of premium.
To B. V. French, of Braintree, on best Devon heifer, 1

year old, 1st premium of ..... 3.00

To Edward King, of Dorchester, on best grade heifer, 22

months old, 1st premium of . . . . . 3.00
To William Palmer, of West Roxbury, on the best grade

heifer and calf, 2 years 5 months old,- 2d premium of 2.00

To WiUiam Goward, of Dorchester, on the best native

heifer, 2 years 6 mos. old, 1st premium of . . 3.00

To Lewis Bullard, of Dedham, on the next best native

heifer, 15 mos. old, the 2d premium of . . . 2.00
To W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, on the best heifer

under 1 year old, Alderney, 1st premium of . . 3.00
To Thomas Smith, of Dedham, on 2d best heifer under

1 year, native, the 2d premium of . . . . 2.00
To S. J. Capen, of Dorchester, on 3d best heifer under

1 year, Ayershire, the 3d premium of . . . 1.00

A. S. DRAKE, of Sharon, Chairman.

REPORT ON STEERS.

The Committee on Steers report, that but three pair of Steers
were exhibited to them. First premium for the best pair of one
year old steers to Robert Porter, of Stoughton, $3.00.

The Committee thought that two pair were not worthy of a
premium.

NATH'L TUCKER, of Canton, Chairman.

73

REPORT ON BULLS.

The Judges on Bulls, report, that the entries were not so large
as usual, but were more select. In Aldcrneys it required their
nicest consideration to determine in regard to their superiority.
The grades were as fine as have ever been exhibited.

Durhams — The 1st premium they award to Daniel C.
Bacon, of W. Roxbury, for his Durham bull, three years old, $5.00

The 2d premium to Enoch Train, of Dorchester, for his
Durham bull, fourteen months old, .... 3.00

Devons — The 1st premium they award to B. V. French,
of Braintree, for his Devon bull " Monatiquot," two and a
half years old, ........ 5.00

Alderneys — The 1st premium they award to D. C. Ba-
con, of W. Roxbury, for his Alderney bull, two years and
four months old, ........ 5.00

The 2d premium they award to Edward King, of Dor-
chester, for his Alderney bull, nineteen months old, . 3.00

And the Judges recommend gratuities of $2.00 each to
A.D. Weld, of Roxbury, and Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of
Needham, for their fine Alderney bulls.

The Committee further award to S. J. Capen, of Dor-
chester, the 1st premium for his Ayrshire bull, of .

B. V. FRENCH, of Braintree,
CHEEVER NEWHALL, Dorchester,
FREEDOM GUILD, Foxhoro\
LEWIS PEIRCE, Dorchester,

5.00

Judges.

REPORT ON AVORKING OXEN.

The Committee on Working Oxen, having attended to the duty
assigned them, submit the following report :

They would agam urge upon the farmers of Norfolk the impor-
tance of presenting their oxen to contend for the premiums oifered
by the Society ; for, by comparison, trial and consultation between

10

74

the several owners, that spirit for improvement will be obtained,
which is the object of the Association.

There were seven pairs entered, six of which contended for the
premiums ; one very fine pair, belonging to the Hon. Benjamin
V. French, of Braintree, w^ere not presented at the trial.

The premiums were awarded as follows :

To Josiah Quincj, of Quincj, from his team of three

yokes, for a pair five years old, the first premium of $8.00

To Benjamin N. Sawin, of Dover, 2d premium of . 6.00

To Cyrus Harmon, of Needham, 3d premium of . . 5.00

To Mrs. E. G. Edson, of Dedham, 4th premium of . 3.00

CALVIN RICHARDS, Chairman.

REPORT ON PLOUGHING.

DOUBLE TEAMS.
Your Committee submit the following Report :

That five claims were presented for premiums ; and although
the ground, on which the work was done, was less favorable, in
some respects, than in some former years, yet the performance of
each claimant was so good, that your Committee would be happy,
did the means of the Society warrant, to award a premium to each.
But the great expenses incurred, during the past season, by the
enlargement of the Society's grounds, in connection with the usual
demands on its funds, preclude the gratification of their wishes in
this respect.

Your Committee were unanimous in recommending, that the
Society's premiums be awarded as follows, viz. :

To E. "VV. Robinson, of Dorchester, 1st premium, . $10.00

To Horace and Moses Whiting, of Dedham, 2d do. 8.00

To Luther Eaton, of Dedham, 3d do. . . . 6.00

To Josiah Quincy, of Quincy, 4th do. . . . 4.00

Your Committee add, that it afibrds them no small satisfaction
to witness the interest manifested in the " Ploughing Match."
They consider this as an indication of the interest felt by the pub-

75

lie on this subject — as an indication of the growing conviction in
the community at large, of the great benefits resulting from deep
and tJwrough ploughing. It is extremely desirable that every
farmer should understand how much both the qualitg and quantity
of crops are affected by rightly 2)reparing the soil for the recep-
tion of the seed. When it is considered, for example, that instead
of twenty or thirty bushels of corn to the acre, as was the common
crop under the former method of shallow ploughing, there can be
raised upon the same ground, under the present improved mode
of cultivation, forty, sixty, eighty, and in some cases even an hun-
dred bushels to the acre, the great advantage of the latter method
must be apparent to every candid and reflecting mind. And al-
though all do not adopt it, it is nevertheless a pleasing considera-
tion, that the number of those Avho do adopt it, is increasing.

The former Lieutenant Governor Robbins, on a public occasion,
remarked, " that it was the work of an age to establish a princi-
pled It is the work of an age to introduce and establish a new
principle 'and practice in agriculture. We are now doing such a
work. Our Society, by its public exhibitions, by its annual re-
ports, and in various other ways, is affording essential aid toward
the accomplishment of this important object.

Your Committee add, in conclusion, that it was to them a plea-
sant circumstance that the venerable Farmer of Quincy, although
he has seen more than fourscore years, was present on the ground
at the " Ploughing jMatch." He told us in the Hall, as it will be
remembered, that fifty years ago he was made a trustee of the
Massachusetts Agricultural Society. For a longer period he has
felt and manifested a deep interest in the advancement of this
cause. He has been a friend not only of this cause, but of every
cause that tends to ameliorate the condition of his fellow men.
And whether in the councils of the State or of the Nation, at the
head of the oldest University in the country, or in the walks of
private life, he has shed around him a good influence. His ex-
ample has been a benediction to this Society and the community.
Let the Society and community imitate that example, and all sim-
ilar examples. Then agriculture, and all the best arts and vir-
tues of life, will be cultivated and adorned.
Respectfully submitted,

RALPH SANGER, Chairman.

Dover, November, 1855.

76

SINGLE TEAMS.
The Committee on Single Teams report one entry for Ploughing :
Benjamin N. Sawin, of Dover ; and they award him the first
premium of $8.00. Plough, Prouty & Mears, No. 154.
For the Committee!^

BENJ. G. KIMBALL, of Needham, Chairman.

HORSE TEAMS.

The Committee on Ploughing with Horse teams, respectfully
report. There were but three teams entered, and they award as
follows : —

To Benjamin V. French, of Braintree, with Prouty &

Mears' plough, the 1st premium of . . . $8.00
To Charles Buck, of Needham, with Buggies, Nourse

and Mason's plough, the 2d premium of . . G.OO

To Joel Morse, of Medfield, with Buggies, Nourse and

Mason's plough, the 3d premium of . . . 4.00

For the Committee,

H. N. GLOVER, of Quincy, Chairman.

-*-

REPORT ON ORNAMENTAL TREES.

The Committee on Ornamental Trees, set by the road-side,
award to Cheever Newhall, of Dorchester, the first premium of
$10.00. The streets on which these trees are set out, are wide,
nearly or quite 100 feet, aifording ample room to do justice to the
enterprize. The trees are elm, rock maple, and thorned acacia.
Most of them have done well, and do great credit to Mr. New-
hall.

The whole number set out, are — elms, 134 ; rock maple, 50 ;
three-thorned acacia, 5 ; ash, 63 ; horse chestnut, 3 ; and 8 of
oiher varieties.

For the Committee,

B. V. FRENCH, Chairman.

77

KEFORT ON POULTRY.

The Committee on Poultry report as follows :

To J. B. Calder, for the best pair of black Spanish, . $2.00

To Zebrina Smith, best pair jMarsh stock, . . . 2.00

To I. C. Russell, for Bolton Greys, .... 2.00

To Hobart Smith, best pair barn-yard fowls, . . 2.00

To Daniel Fernandez, best pair Bantams, . . . 2.00

To Albert Coburn, best pair ducks, , . . . 2.00

To Dr. W. T. G. Morton, best lot of geese, . . 3.00

To Lemuel Kingsbury, best lot of turkeys, . . 3.00

To Dr. Morton, second best turkeys, .... 2.00

To Dr. Morton for best lot of hve fowls, . . . 4.00

To S. Sampson, second best lot of live fowls, . . 3.00
To William Reed, Charles Small, A. G. Baker, and T.

S. Hubbard, a gratuity each of . . . . 1.00

To Williaiji W. Worley, a gratuity of ... .50

ROBERT MANSPIELD, of Needliam, Chairman.

REPORT ON BREAD.

The Committee on Bread ask leave to report, that there were
nine specimens of Wheaten Bread offered for competition ; and
they award the 1st premium of $3.00 to Mrs. J. D. Howe, of
Dedham, — and the 2d premium of $2.00 to Mrs. R. D. Page, of
Jamaica Plains.

There was but one specimen of Wheat and Indian Bread offer-
ed, which was by Mrs. A. Newell, of Needham, to whom the
Committee award the 2d premium of $2.00.

There was but one loaf of unbolted Wheat Bread offered, for
which the Committee award the 2d premium of $2.00, to Mrs.
EUis Bacon, of South Walpole.

Of Rye and Indian Bread there were three loaves offered ; and
the Committee award the 1st premium of $3.00 to Mrs. Ellis
Bacon, of South Walpole.

All which is respectfully submitted, for the Committee, by

EDMUND q^mQY, of Dedham.

Dedham, September 25, 1855.

78

REPORT ON LADIES' WORK.

The Committee on Ladies' Work have attended to the duty
assigned them, and report :

That the number of articles offered for exhibition and premium
is smaller than on preceding years, but generally of better quality.

Seven counterpanes and quilts were offered, neither of which
were worthy the first premium.

To Mrs. Lucretia Fuller, of West Dedham, the 2d premium of
^2.00 was awarded for a knit quilt.

To Mrs. Prescott, of Quincy, a gratuity of $1,00 ; and to Mrs.
Newell, of Dover, a gratuity of 50 cents, for a wrought counter-
pane.

Several rugs were offered ; but however much they may have
contributed to the interest of the exhibition, they were not deem-
ed worthy of premium or gratuity.

Several beautiful specimens of crochet work were presented ;
no premium being offered for that description of work, the Com-
mittee award a gratuity of $1.50 to Bridget Harkin, of Dedham,
for crochet collars ; a gratuity of $1.00 to Miss Turner, of Rox-
bury, for a crochet tidy ; a gratuity of $1,00 to Miss Henrietta
Spaulding, of Dedham, for crochet work ; and a gratuity of 50
cents to Miss Crehore, of Dedham.

For the best specimen of woollen hose, a premium of $1,00 to
Mrs. J. P. Clark, of Medway ; for the best specimen of woollen
half-hose, a premium of 50 cents to Mrs. J. P. Clark, Medway.

For a beautiful specimen of knit cotton hose, a premium of 50
cents and a diploma, to Miss E. B, Conant, of Randolph,

For the best specimen of woven cotton hose, 50 cents, to J.
Bestwick, Dedham.

Many beautiful specimens of needle-work were offered.

To Miss H. A, Barnes, of Dorchester, the Committee aAvard a
gratuity of $2,00, for an exceedingly beautiful handkerchief and
collar.

To Mrs. Frederick Taft, of Dedham, a gratuity of $1.00 for
very ingenious and beautiful specimens of needlework.

To Miss Mary Emerson, of West Dedham, a gratuity of $1.00
for an embroidered collar.

79

To Miss S. J. Alden, of Dcdham, $1.50 ; and to Mrs. Reuben
Farrington, of Dcdham, $1.00, for embroidered cape, collars and
sleeves.

To Miss Bailey, of Dorchester, a gratuity of $1.00, for an em-
broidered blanket ; to Miss Endicott, of Canton, 75 cents, for an
embroidered blanket.

To Mary L. C. Smith, of Readville, $1.00, for a fine specimen
of worsted embroidery.

To Mrs. Susan Barrett, of S. Weymouth, the Society's diploma,
for a beautiful chair-coverinir, wrought on hair cloth.

To Mrs. C. J. Capen, of Dedham, a gratuity of $1.00, for a
lady's work basket.

To Mrs. H. Sinclair, of Canton, for pressed flowers, a gratuity
of 50 cents and a diploma.

To Alfred Fuller, of Walpole, the Society's diploma for an oil
painting, the only one offered for premium.

To Mrs. Billings, of Canton, for colored crayon drawings, 50 cts.

To Miss 0. C. Guild, of Dedham, for Grecian painting, 50 cts.

To N. C. Baker, of West Dedham, for monochromatic drawing,
a gratuity of 50 cents.

To Mrs. Gordon, of Dedham, for Grecian painting, $1.00.

To Miss Helen King, of Dorchester, a gratuity of 75 cents,
for a well-executed map of North America.

To Miss Eaton, of Dorchester, the Committee award a gratuity
of $1.00 for the finest specimen of leather work.

To Mrs. Merrill, of Dedham, 50 cents, for a shell box.

To Miss Martha A. Newell, of East Needham, a premium of
$2.00, for two neatly made bonnets.

To Mrs. Polly Richards, of Dedham, a gratuity of 50 cents, for
straw baskets.

Two embroidered collars were offered by Misses under twelve
years of age. That of Miss Annie Clark, of Dedham, was most
worthy of notice.

To a lady, aged 77, for a beautifully embroidered skirt, con-
tributed by Mrs. J. W. Clark, of Dedham, a diploma.

To ^Irs. Burnham, of Canton, a gratuity of 50 cents, for fine
specimens of hair work.

To Mrs. Kingman, of Dorchester, 75 cents for a piece of spun
cloth.

80

To Miss Emily Mann, of Dedham, 75 cents for crochet work.

But one specimen of mending was offered, and that not worthy
of premium.

To Miss Fales of Wrentham, Mrs. Hill of Foxboro', Mrs. Leon-
ard Billings of Canton, Miss Harriet E. Fisher of Medfield, Miss
Harriet F. Kendall of Stoughton, Mrs. L. Johnson of Walpole,
Miss Flannah Endicott of Canton, Mrs. B. E. Blood of Dedham,
Mrs. Martha Elhs of Medfield, Mrs. B. V. French of Braintree,
Miss Myra Smith of Needham, Miss Carrie Titcomb of Dedham,
Miss Frances C. Taft of Canton, Miss Evan of Needham, Mrs. R.
Morton of Needham, Mrs. Sally Fisk of Dedham, Mrs. F. F.
Stedman of Needham, and Mrs. W. E. Fuller of Needham, the
exhibition is indebted for contributions.

For the Committee,

L. B. KEYES, of Dedham.

81

TO THE COMMITTEE ON GRAIN CROPS.

STATEMENT OF CIIEEVER NEWHALL.

Dorchester, November 30, 1855.

Bear Sir — The land I planted with corn this year, and which
you examined in July last, has since been measured by Ebenezcr
Tolraan, Esq., Surveyor, and found to be 5yVV acres. The corn
upon 2xViy acres of this land was planted in rows six feet apart,
with a row of cabbages between each row of corn on one acre, and
a row of potatoes between each row of corn on Iy^jV acres. The
other portion of the corn was in rows three feet apart, the hills
in the row 2 to 2-| feet apart, and generally four stalks in a hill.

As one half of the land planted with the mixed crop, was occu-
pied by potatoes and cabbages, it is proper to deduct the part thus
occupied, .from the whole lot ; the remainder will show the quan-
tity of land in corn to be ^^-f^X) acres, on Avhich was raised 796
baskets of ears, each basket yielded 35 lbs. of shelled corn, mak-
ing 497^ bushels on the lot, besides 40 baskets small corn, which
I put down at one half the value of the sound corn, say 12^ bush-
els, making 510 bushels, or 109 bushels and a fraction to the acre,
and this too without any extra manure or labor, except ploughing
twice to the depth of ten inches each time, with the usual harrow-
ing afterwards.

I would further remark, that at least one-tenth of the hills on
the whole lot was destroyed by the wire-worm, and replanted on
the eleventh day of June.

I do not offer my crop of corn for premium, but to do my part
towards convincing the farmers of our county, that one hundred
bushels of com can be raised on an acre.

Very truly yours,

CHEEVER NEWHALL.
Rev. J. M. Merrick.

11

82

REPORT ON MOWING MACHINES.

The Committee appointed to witness the trial of Mowing Ma-
chines, entered in this comitj, for the premium of six hundred
dollars, offered bj the " State Society for the Promotion of Agri-
culture," report :

That inasmuch as it was found impracticable to carry out the
design of the State Society completely, and having no opinions to
give affecting the award of the premium, propose to offer simj)ly
a statement of their action in the premises. An exhibition for
the trial was duly advertised, and held in Dedham, on a track of
about ten acres ; at which nine machines were operated. A
large concourse of citizens were present to witness the exhibition,
who seemed to take a lively interest in the experiment of a ma-
chine so powerful, and heretofore so rare in New England. An
account of that exhibition, by one of the Committee, was publish-
ed in a county paper, the Dedham Gazette, which was supposed
to give substantially the views of the Committee at the time, a
portion of which, as containing a record of the doings of the Soci-
ety, is annexed to the Report of the Committee on Agricultural
Implements, which follows.

MARSHALL P. WILDER, Chairman.

REPORT ON AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

The Committee on Agricultural Implements have to report
nothing new as on exhibition at the Cattle Show, in this depart-
ment, although there were quite a number of specimens of those
long-famiUar implements — the most essential in the work of Agri-
culture— which serve to illustrate the improvement and progress
made in this branch of the science.

The Committee, in former reports, have remarked on the pecu-
liarities of our condition, in New England, in regard to Agricul-
tural Implements, as contrasted with the Middle and Western
States. Our uneven and rocky soil, as a general characteristic,
forbids the use of many of those labor-saving machines, which in-
ventive genius is ever ready to ci-eate to the demand of necessity

83

and profit ; and hence the narrower limit to which our show of
implements is confined, so different from the extensive variety and
the constant multiplication of new designs, adapted to the execu-
tion of almost every description of agricultural labor-, as is seen,
for example, at the exhibitions in the State of New York.

This statement is not made in the spirit of complaint at the
scantiness of the articles exhibited at our exhibitions, although we
believe that a public spirit, which should afford an extensive dis-
play of those splendid specimens of mechanical skill and ingenuity,
which in our day — so Avidely different from former times — are
displayed in agricultural implements, would be amply rewarded,
even if new models and machines were rare, and the spectator
was called to view only those with the uses and importance of
Avhich he was already familiar.

The character of our people for inventive genius and skill, is too
well established in the records of the country, to allow the suspi-
cion that the mechanics of New York and Pennsylvania surpass
them in ingenuity and skill, because they do in the number of their
inventions in the department of agricultural implements recorded
at the Patent Office at Washington. Human ingenuity is at the
command of want and necessity, which are always allied with the
overpowering stimulus of profit ; and it is the character of the
soil that is to be cultivated in the Middle and Western States,
that inspires the genius of the mechanics in those States. Our
variety of implements, although meagre compared with some other
sections, is probably fully equal to the demand of the times, and
has kept pace with the spirit of intelligence and general improve-
ment which prevails so universally at the present time. The
difference in ploughs, rakes, shovels, hoes, axes, forks, carts, and
all other ancient implements, as they appear at the present day,
in contrast with the past, attest sufficiently the attention and skill
bestowed on this branch of science ; and the onlv enigma left to
excite the wonder of the economist, is, that they seem to have
had no other effect than to enliance the price of the crops they
help to bring forth and were intended to multiply.

There seems to be a principle at work, which requires that in
proportion as the fruits of the earth are aided in their production
by beautiful and superior implements, the more costly they shall
become. When the wooden ploughshare, with scarcely metal

84

enough to grow bright by the friction of the earth, as the slow-
moving oxen dragged it along — stimulated more by the whip of
the driver than the vigor of their bodies — was the only instrument
to break the glebe, the potato, that staple commodity of the mil-
lion, was supplied for one-eighth of a dollar per bushel, while the
superb instrument, which has now become an object of attraction
and almost veneration in the crystal palaces of the world, with the
Koohinoor and Minnie rifle, cannot do the same work without the
exaction of a whole dollar, or eight times as much.

It would not seem to be the policy of the agriculturist to com-
plain at the extravagant prices of his productions ; but what is
the pecuhar blessing of improvements so greatly extolled, if the
result of their introduction is chiefly seen in the enhancement of
the price of the necessaries of life, to such an extreme, as to drive
the people from the homes of their childhood to a country where
the boasted civihzations of our section have but just commenced
to dawn ?

With all our commerce, and such manufactures as produce, as
if by enchantment, the cities of Lowell, Manchester, Lawrence, &c.,
were it not for the mechanical industry of our shoemakers, who
with their lapstones and waxed ends extort, by the employment
of all their time and energies, their sustenance from the West,
would not our towns become depopulated, and our hill-sides and
valleys suSer the atrophy of neglect ?

If some one, who relies more on the vain boastings of the press
and the assumptions of the present generation, than on facts and
figures, feels inchned to question the suggestions we have made,
let him give the Avorld the solution of the enigma we have present-
ed, in a manner that will convey the truth to the people, and we
then shall have gained something more by this report than we
expected when we took up the pen.

There was, however, one j)ecuUarity Avhicli distinguished the
Implement Show of this year, and that was, that most of the arti-
cles were manufactured in the county.

There were seven ploughs, which is, after all, the chief, as it is
the most ancient of agricultural implements — which, with their
polished coulters and their graceful curves, suggested the idea of
a greyhound that is anxious to leap to the conquest of his prey ;
one " improved " cultivator, which indicates that up to the present

85

year genius had not entirely exhausted itself on that Instrument ;
one "horse hoe," whose form and shape Ave have not retained in
our memoiy, strange as it may seem that we should forget the
implement which was apparently designed for the use of man, had
been given into the possession of that noble animal, the liorse, who
is destined, perhaps, soon to surpass his human rival in the use of
an instrument which the latter has monopolized from the days of
Nineveh ; one " ox yoke," to which but a single objection could
be made, which Avas, that it seemed made to break or to bow the
necks of the faithful animals Avho Avere destined to Avear it. There
were a number of smaller implements, in the class of shovels, hoes,
forks, &c., which were creditable to the manufacturers, and are
famous throughout the country — the shovels of Ames, and the
forks of Patridge.

In passing through the enclosure devoted to agricultural imple-
ments, at the shoAY of the State Society, held at Elmira, Ncav
York, the writer of this report Avas obliged to inquire not only
the names, but the uses of a considerable number of formidable
looking implements that constituted the vast display. They plant,
they sow, they dig, they pull up A^^eeds, they reap, they moAV,
they cut, and they cover, and they do almost every thing that is
required in the great business of cultivation. They formed a
most pleasing part of the exhibition, and seemed to encourage the
idea that the time was fast approaching Avhen the combined ele-
ments of wood, Avater and iron might be sent into the field, to
perform all the labors which the Deity imposed, according to the
Scriptures, on the human husbandman, Avhile the latter might be
reposing in the shade of trees, planted by machinery, indulging in
siestas, made more profound by the aroma of the pipe, and dream-
ing of that millenium of ease and luxury, Avhen the farmer shall
eat his bread, as well as the merchant and the lazy lord, Avithout
any accompaniment of " the sweat of the brow."

The Committee aAvard a gratuity of $10.00 to jNIr. J. H. D.
Blake, of South Braintree, for the lai-gest display of agricultural
implements. It Avas thought that there Avere not enough to enti-
tle the exhibitor to the first premium.

An exhibition of moAving machines Avas held at Dedham durin'''
the siunmer, under the auspices of the Society and of a committee

86

appointed at the request of " The State Society for the Promotion
of Agriculture," on its offer of a premium of six hundred dollars
for the best experiment of a mowing machine, on fifty acres, within
the State. It was found impracticable to carry out the design
completely, in consequence of the great labor and expense of su-
perintending the numerous trials, in various places, that would be
requisite to a proper understanding of the merits of the various
machines entered for premium.

The single trial, however, was well conducted, and afforded an
interesting and useful spectacle to a large company of visitors,
many of whom had never before witnessed the operation of that
invention, which is to cause a revolution in the mode of hay gath-
ering in all parts of the country, and especially in those States
where the fields are extensive, and unobstructed by stones and
stumps, and other impediments that would interfere with the wide
and rapid sweep of the instrument.

A report of the trial, by one of the Committee, was published
at the time, in one of the county newspapers, the " Dedham Ga-
zette," which, being supposed to convey, in brief, the general
impressions of the Committee, is inserted, as follows, as a part of
this report.

THE MOWING EXHIBITION.

The first public trial, or contest, for the premium offered by the
Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture, for the
best experiment in mowing wdth machines worked by horse or ox
power, was held at Dedham on Tuesday last. A very respecta-
ble concourse of people assembled to witness it, but not half as
large as the rarity of the exhibition and the importance and value
of the invention warranted. Something of this deficiency was
owing probably to want of information. A few small circulars
had been distributed among distinguished farmers, which amount-
ed to almost nothing, as public notice, and the advertisements and
communications in the county papers, so far as a considerable por-
tion of the inhabitants were concerned, might have as well been
printed in Kamschatka. Some gentlemen from Worcester and
Essex, interested in agricultural pursuits, were present, and con-
tributed much to the interest of the occasion. The following are
the entries for the premium of the Massachusetts Society :

87

W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, S. Allen's patent.

Fiske Russell, of Boston, his own patent.

James A. Howe, of Boston, Kctchum's patent.

John Dean, Declham, Ketchum's patent.

Alvau J. Fisher, Dcdham, same patent, single horse.

J. P. Adriance & Co., Worcester, Manny's patent, four feet
cutter.

J. P. Adriance & Co., Worcester, Manny's patent, single horse.

J. P. Adriance & Co., Manny's patent, four feet eight inch
cutter.

Hiram W. Jones, Dover, Ketchum's patent.

Mr. Eaton, of Dedham, entered and operated one of Kctchum's
machines, for exhibition, and not for premium.

The lot selected was a level plain of about ten acres, the sur-
face being somewhat uneven in many places. The soil was light,
and poor from long neglect. The crop was a thin one, of May
grass or Bhode Island rcdtop. It was such as would have been
diflScult to be mown by a scythe in a dry time.

The first scene consisted of six machines put upon half-acre
lands, numbered from one to six. The time occupied was from
twenty to twenty-five minutes.

Allen's machine had lot number one, and was the first to com-
plete the work. It is a simple machine of about 525 pounds
w-eight. It seems to have been an old one, considerably used,
and somewhat out of repair. It did not mow as close as the other
machines, although the bar w^iich held the knives appeared to run
very near the surface. Mr. Morton, the possessor, was not pre-
sent, and the general impression appeared to be that the machine
had not enjoyed quite a fair trial, even for a single field ; and it
is clear that the machine which may do best execution in one kind
of grass, may utterly fail, in comparison with others, in a field of
a different kind.

A subsequent trial of Allen's machine Avas witnessed by a
portion of the Committee at the farm of ]Mr. A. D. Weld, in West
Roxbury, which gave much better satisfaction. One of the pro-
prietors ■. "^ present, who understood its management, and the
work w-as performed as well as by any machine in the list that
has been exhibited to the Qommittee.

88

Russell's came next, and it was also the next in time. It is a
wood frame, (and rather heavy for wood, weighing abovit 780
pounds,) with a wheel in addition to the driving wheel, aflfording
the means of travelling without cutting — an advantage of an es-
sential character in the convenience and economy of a farm. It
is thought to be best adapted, from its weight and steady motion,
to heavy grass, but the appearance of its half acre was hardly
surpassed by that of any other. This was one of the machines
which had the fortune to enjoy a double test of its capacity on the
same day. With a heavier crop and different kind of grass, in
the park of the Court-house, it turned out very beautiful work.
The reputation of this machine improved as the hours of the day
passed, and it is not improbable that some who were inclined to
slight it in the morning, turned towards it with different views at
the close of the exhibition.

The three following lots were occupied by machines muaufac-
tured after Ketchum's patent.

This machine, we have reason to believe, has heretofore held
precedence. It has been longest in the field, and, to some ex-
tent, occupies the position of general favorite. It is iron, and
without any wheel but the driving one, which, together, augment
the burdens of the team. It cut a wider swath than any other
machine engaged in the half acre contest. It cut a smooth, and
comparatively even swath, and spread the grass well. It preserv-
ed its ancient reputation very well in the trial, although the im-
pression very generally prevailed, that it had been surpassed in
several points ; for example, by the Manny machine, in the light-
ness and facility of its motions, and by the Russell machine, in
the closer shaving and the more even surface of stubble, after the
passage of the knives. This supposition Avas confirmed by the
operation of a machine of this patent on the west of the Court-
house, while the Russell was performing on the east side. It mow-
ed imperfectly, as if the knives had become dull. The gentleman
who had purchased the hay, that was to be, was led, by the cir-
cumstance, to intimate that he should not obtain quite as much as
legitimately belonged to him. It is not our purpose to intimate
that the Ketchum patent suffered in general reputation on the
occasion, "as accidents will happen in the best-regulated families,"
The mowing machine, although it was known in England a cen-

89

tury and a quarter ago, is still but a new and imperfect thing in
our country to-day. Its lever power is yet to be vastly multii)lied ;
locomotive fticilitics are yet to be greatly increased, before
it will become that perfect blessing which some, and especially
those engaged in their manufacture, claim it to be. Vaucanson,
the silk-loom inventor and improver, of Lyons, was a greater man
than Jacquard, who distinguished himself in the same line, but it
was necessary for the perfection of his instrument that the latter
should live and labor after him.

The sixth half acre lot was occupied by a machine of Manny's
patent, manufactured and entered by J. P. Adriance & Co., of
Worcester. It was a medium size — between the single horse ma-
chine of three feet cutter, and the largest of their manufacture,
which has a cutter of four feet nine inches. This machine, like
all, we believe, of the same patent on the ground, was made with
a reel. It moved with such facility, and with such comparative
ease, at the tread of the beautiful and finely trained horses attach-
ed to it, t£at it appeared more like an ancient war chariot — mov-
ing at a peaceful triumph where the victories of Ceres instead of
Mars were celebrated — than a simple weapon of the farmer. The
spectators seemed at once to be charmed Avith its performances,
and for a time, at least, it took the lead in the popular estimation.
The machine, great as are its real merits, was fortunate in its
proprietors and managers, who were gentlemen both in appear-
ance and manners, and were thoroughly trained to their business.
So, too, were those beautiful animals which, after performing an
extra quantity of labor on and off the field, were permitted to be
attached to all the other machines that had entered for premiums,
and to be guided by strange drivers, in order that a system of
trial might be adopted which would prevent them and others from
gaining credit to their machines, on the ground of the efiiciency
and training of their teams and drivers. On a close examination,
however, of the work after raking, it was found that it was just
about on a parallel with the work of the machines of the Ketchum
patent, when on their good behavior, but with a narrower cut, in
two swaths of about eight inches.

SCENE THE SECOND.

Each of the teams and machines as above, one after another,

12

90

proceeded to cut a double swatli through the field, a distance of
more than forty rods. The general characteristics exhibited at
this trial were not Avidely diiferent from those presented in the
former trial. It may, however, be stated, that it was in this ex-
periment that the Russell machine, although unfortunate at the
start, made the best work of any machine on the ground during
the day.

THIRD SCENE.

A trial of the Single Horse 3Iachines. — Machines of this char-
acter were present, of the Ketchum, Manny and Russell patents.
The cutters, being more limited than those attached to the two-
horse machine, served to obstruct, to some extent, that easy play
and freedom of action, which characterized the larger machines.
Although they did not seem to execute much more than half as
much as the larger machines, they seemed to require two-thirds
as much power to drag them. The result was, according to our
observation, that while, previous to the trial of the single machines,
there was a general desire to see their performance, after it was
concluded there was an equally general disappointment. When
the machines shall have become perfected, as they will be in the
course of years, a single horse will be able to manage them in a
manner that will satisfy such expectations as were last Tuesday
aroused, only to be disappointed.

FOURTH SCENE.

The beautiful and well-trained horses of Adriance & Co. were
successively harnessed to the several competing machines, and
made a bout under the hand of the various drivers who had offi-
ciated when their own horses were employed.

The whole affair was impromptu. The conditions of the pre-
mium were broad and unrestricted. A full half of the spectators
had probably never seen a mowing machine before, and not one
in five ever before saw one in operation, and it was doubtful, at
one time, if the grass would be visible when the day of trial came.
But a kind Providence, with its rains and numerous merciful in-
terpositions, caused a result which should satisfy all the wise and
moderate who were present on the occasion.

91
REPORT ON DAIRIES.

STATEMENT OF DR. W. T. G. MORTON.

To the Committee appointed to award the Premiums for Dairies offered by
the Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture.

" I offer for your examination, six cows, Avhose breed, and
names, are as follows ; together with their product of milk for
the period specified.

The names and breeds of the cows are as follows :

Hornet, Ayrshire.

Challenge, Durham.

Fanny, Part Ayrshire.

Mystery, do.

Nonesuch, do.

"Woodbine, do.

The trial commenced April 25th and 26th, and the following
statement contains the number of quarts of milk given, and the
pounds of butter made therefrom. The cows were kept in pas-
ture, but fed with fresh grass once per day, until July 16th, when
they were fed with corn-fodder. In addition to the product spe-
cified, the sum of $28.00 was received for calves, and of course
there was a considerable value in their product which went to the
swne."

According to the statistics given, it appears that the six cows
above named, have had made from their product of milk, an
amount of butter equal to ten pounds and one ounce per week
each cow for five months, being 1,331 pounds. The price of the
butter was about 33 cents at that period, and the amount of the
product which went to the support of the swine may be duly esti-
mated.

Sufficient information was obtained as regards the cows and the
quantity and the quahty of the milk given and butter made, to
induce the Committee to award the first premium of the State
Society, of $75.00, to Dr. Morton, of Needham.

WM. S. KING, Chairman.

92

REPORT ON FARMS.

The Committee on Farms were called upon to visit but one
farm, during the present year. This fact is far from reflecting
credit upon the pride and public spirit of Norfolk County farmers.
That there are many farms within our county limits, worthy of
note, and creditable to the agricultural skill and knowledge of the
tillers, Ave are, from personal observation, well aware ; but, offi-
cially, we are compelled to ignore their existence. The Commit-
tee appeal to the patriotism of the farmers of Norfolk, to come
forvt^ard another year, and compete, in the spirit of generous
emulation, for the palm of supei^iority.

In the absence of applications for premiums, the Visiting Com-
mittee of the Society have examined and reported upon several
fine farms, which appeared to them worthy of such notice.

Members of our Committee visited the farm of Dr. W. T. G.
Morton, at W. Needham. The statistics, and a very full descrip-
tion of the Doctor's estate, were published in the Transactions of
last year, and Dr. Morton has evidenced his energy and public
spirit by the improvements that he has made upon his place, — by
the fine stock that he has purchased and bred, — by the conve-
nient and comfortable stables and other farm edifices that he has
erected, and by the unsurpassed contributions that he makes to
our annual exhibitions.

In view of the improvements that he has planned and executed
upon his farm during the last year, the Committee award to Dr.
W. T. G. Morton, of W. Needham, a gratuity of $20.00.

WILLIAM S. KING,
CHEEVER NEWHALL,
C. C. SEWALL,
TRUMAN CLARK.

93

OimAi\IENTAL TREES.

For the Committee on Ornamental 2'rees.

Gentlemen — By the publications of your Society I have
learned that the subject of encouraging the planting of Forest
Trees has engaged the attention of its members from its forma-
tion ; that in the year 1852, the very liberal premiums of thirty
and twenty dollars were offered to any city or town in the county,
for the largest number and best growth of ornamental trees, which
shall be planted in any public sqiiare, or on the road-side. Sub-
sequently a premium of ten dollars was offered to the individual
"who should plant in like "manner the largest number. No appli-
cation, I understand, has hitherto been made for either premium.
I respectfully request the Trustees to examine those I have
planted on the road-side for shade and ornament, part of them
bordering my own lands, and part in front of the lands of others,
in the immediate vicinity ; they are mostly from two to three rods
apart, and are all in a thrifty condition, in number and variety as
follows :

134 elm, 3 tulip,

63 ash, 2 mulberry,

50 majile, 1 poplar,

5 three-thorned acacia, 1 oak,

3 horse chestnut, 1 beech. — Total 203.

When it is considered that a beautiful tree, overarching the
road-side or bordering some broad avenue where it can grow and
develope itself on all sides, is one of the finest pictures of symme-
try and proportion that the eye can any where meet with, I am
astonished at the indifference and neglect prevailing in nearly
every part of the country.

Should this communication have even a remote tendency to
awaken in the County an interest in the subject, my object in
making it will be attained.

CHEEVER NEWHALL.

Dorchester, November 10, 1855.

94

STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO APPLE ORCHARDS

AND RENOVATED APPLE TREES, OFFERED FOR PRE-
MIUMS 1855.

The following statements have relation to the report of the
Committee on Fruit Trees. See page 51.

FoxBORO', Nov. 28, 1855.
To the Committee on Fruit Trees :

Gentlemen — I take this opportunity to inform you about my
orchard. The trees were set out in the spring of 1851 ; the dis-
tance from each other is about 25 feet ; the number of trees is
121. About one half are Baldwins, 15 Seaver Sweetings, 15
Greenings ; the remainder are Russets, Porters, Hubbardston
Nonesuch, Northern Skies, Gilliflowers, &c., a few of each sort.

As to the management, I dug the holes 1| feet deep and from
3 to 4 feet broad, and I then mixed about one bushel of fine ma-
nure with two bushels of the top of the soil ; then took a coarse
wire sieve and sifted some of the manure in the hole — then placed
the tree, taking great care to spread the roots in every direction ;
then sifted on the rest of the manure and dirt — then filled the
hole with a shovel. I have planted corn amongst the trees every
year since, and have not failed having a good crop, say from 30
to 40 bushels per acre. The spring after they were set out, I
washed them with potash water ; since that I have done nothing
to them but throw a shovelful of manure to a tree when I manur-
ed my corn in the hill at planting, and to keep them well hoed.

Yours, &c. SILAS SMITH.

To the Committee on Fruit Trees :

Gentlemen — The apple orchard which I ofier for premium
contains 123 trees ; 91 were set out in 1851 and 1852, except a
few, that have died and did not grow well, I have dug up, and
set others in their places. I set the trees 30 feet apart, and set
a row of peach trees between them each way. I have raised corn
and potatoes every year since the trees were set out. I manured
in the hill, putting two shovelsful to each tree when planting.
The trees are Baldwins, Greenings, Hubbardston Nonesuch, and
Porters. HENRY GOULDING.

Dover, Sejjtember 25, 1855.

95

To the Committee on Fruit Trees :

Gentlemen — The apple trees, which I offer for premium, were
engrafted since 1845, and the most of them since 1840. I have
grafted on 88 large trees and 1300 nursery trees, for which I
paid out $52.00, and worked myself with the men while grafting.

The fruit is principally Baldwins, Porters, and Hubbardston
Nonesuch. The fruit that grew on twelve trees, in 1855, is as

follows :

HuhbanUton Nonesuch.

No. 1, Grafted 1847, Yielded 35|- bushels 10 barrels market apples.

2,

((

1847,

u

19

11

H

3,

K

1848,

((

15^

11

5

4,

((

1850,

((

8^

11

3

5,

a

1851,

11

7^

11

H

Baldwin.

No.

1,

a

1848,

11

18

11

H

0

-»

((

1848,

11

17

11

5

3,

((

1850,

(I

18^
Porter.

(1

3

No.

1,

u

1847,

11

15

11

H

2,

(1

1846,

(1

14

11

4

3,

u

1847,

11

I'l

(1

5

4, " 1847, "

Respectfully yours,
Dover, October 25, 1855.

14

HENRY GOULDING.

Grantville, Oct. 16, 1855.
To the Committee on Fruit Trees :

The orchard, which I offer for premium, contains 150 apple
trees, set out since 1850. Many of them appear to have doubled
in size within three and a half years. They have always been
supplied with meadow muck, and one season I applied liquid ma-
nure, composed of suds and chamber slops, to the extremities of
the roots, trenching a few inches deep for the purpose. This was
done in the fall.

I have never seen a single borer, and but few canker-worms
about them. The earth has always been kept open at the roots,
and the weeds kept down. The location is elevated, and the soil
is strong gravelly loam. S. B. SUMNER.

96

RECAPITULATION OF PREMIUMS

AWARDED BY THE

NOEFOLK AGIIICULTURAL SOCIETY

FOR THE YEAR 1855.

PLOUGHING.

K. W. Robinson, Dorchester, $10

H. & W. Whiting, Dedham, 8

Lntlier Eaton, " 6

Josiali Ciiiincy, Quincy, 4

Beiijaiiiln i\. Sawin, Dover, 8

Benjamin V. FiencI), Bniiiitree, 8

Charles Uuck, Needhnm, ti

Joel Morse, Aledtield, 4

SPADING.

Peter Ford, Wrenthani, $8

Dennis Doody, Dorchester, 7

Tim Ilickey, " fi

Thomas Barher, Medvvay, 5

Daniel Mc.Colofl", Dorchester, 4

William llicltey, " 3

Charles Ford, Medway, 2

Michael Kelley, Koxbiiry, 1

CLEARING AND ENCLOSING UNIM-
PROVED LANDS.

Cheever Newliall, Dorchester, $15

ORCHARDS.

Silas Smith, Foxborouph,
Samuel B. Sumner, Needham,
Henry Guulding, Dover,

ORNAMENTAL TREES.
Cheever Newhall, Dorchester,

HEDGES.
Horatio Chickering, Dedham,

BULLS,

Daniel C. Bacon, West Roxbury,
Aaron D. Weld, "

Benjamin V. French, Braintree,
Enoch Train, Dorchester,
Edward King, "

Samuel J. Capen, "
Wm. T. G. Morton, Needham,

WORKING OXEN.

Josiah Quincy, Quincy,
Benjamin N. Sawin, Dover,
Cyrus Harmon, Needham,
Mrs. E. G Edson, Deilham,
Robert Porter, Stoughton,

MILCH COWS.

William T. G. Morton, Needham,
Edward King, Dorchester,

$15
10
17

$10

$122
5

Benjamin V. French, Braintree,
David P. Hall, W. Roxbury,
John Fussel, Roxbury,
S. W. Welch, Dedham,

HEIFERS.

William T. G. Morton, Needham,
Samuel J. Capen, Dorchester,
Edward King, "

William Goward, "

I'eiijaiiiin V. French, Braintree,
William Palm r, West Roxbury,
Lewi.-' Bullaid, Dedham,
Thomas Smith, "

FAT CATTLE.
George Crosby, Medway,

HORSES.

Frederick Boyden, Topsfield,
Joseph H Billings, West Roxbury,
Arthur W. Austin, "

Heujamin P. Williams, "
William B. Bacon, "

G Howland Shaw, Brookline,
Henry K. White, "

William B. Kingsbury, Roxbury,
Thomas Adams, "

John W. Wolcott, "

Jolin Fussel, "

James Huckins, "

Bartholomew VV. Worley, "
Ellis Tucker, Canton,
John II. Robinson, Dorchester,
Samuel J. Capen, "

G. W. Briggs, "

Samuel Bradstreet, "
Cheever Newhall, "

Lambert Maynard, Boston,
French Morrill, Granville, Vt.
William Lawrence, Me.
Lowell Mann, Walpole,
Benjamin Neal, "
C. Loring Cunningham, Milton,
J. L. Morse, Dedham,
Benjamin llawes, Wrentham,
Wm. T. G. Morton, Needham,

SWINE.
Benjamin V. French, Braintree,
Wm T. G. Morton, Needham,
Saul S. Seagrave, "

William P. Snow, Dorchester,
Marshall P. Wilder, "
Henry Goulding, Dover,

$1.5

11

8

ti

10

10

15

8

20

15

8

11

.3

6

4

15

10

3

10

15

15

10

8

G

3

2

1

10

$11
10
4
4
3
2

97

POULTRY.

William T. G. Morton, Needham,
Lemuel Kitifisbiiry, "

Jaiiios U. Calder, Dedham,

Zebrina Sniilh, "

Jra C. Uiissell, "

Hobart II. Sniilli, "

Daniel Fcriiandez, "

Albert N. (,'obiirn, "

Sylvanus iSaiiipson, "

VVilliani Reed, "

Charles Small, "

A. G. Haker, "

T. S. Iliihbard, "

Wm. W. VVorley, "

GRAIN CROPS.

E. S. Sias, Milton,
J. F. Twoinbly, "
Fliilemun Ruggles, Milton,

ROOT CROPS.
John n. Robinson, Dorchester,

VEGETABLES.

Cheever Newhall, Dorchester,
Benjamin V. French, Braintree,
Joseph W. Clark, Dedham,
William Whiting, "
Samuel C. Mann, "
Thomas G. Whytal, West Roxbury,
Charles Breck, Milton,
Charles C. Se*all, Medfield,

FRUITS.

Thaddeus Clapp, Dorchester,
Marshall P. Wilder, "
Benjamin V. French, Braintree,
Aaron D. Weld, West Roxbury,
Joseph W. Clark, Dedham,
John Drayton, "

Henry Goulding, Dover,
Warren Dewing, Needham,
Caleb S. Holbrook, Randolph,
Richard Richardson, Medway,
E. Morse, Medfield,

2
2
2

3
1
1
1
1
50 cts.

FLOWERS.

Parker Barnes, Dorchester,
M. P. Wililer, •'

A. J. Washhurn, Braintree,
Benjamin V. French, "
Eliphalet Stone, Dedham,
James Nugent, West Uoxbury,
Mrs. A. B. Hall, "

Miss E. Sewall, Medfield,
Miss Myra Smith, Nee<lham,
Miss Hannah Rlclnlosh, "

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

W. T. G. Morton, Needham,
James R. Fisher, Dedham,
Mrs. E. Clapp, Stoughton,
Francis G. Gay, Dover,

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
Jos. H. D. Blake, Braintree,

BREAD.

Mrs. J. D. Howe, Dedham,
Mrs. A. Newell, Needham,
Mrs. Ellis Bacon, Walpole,
Mrs. R. D. Page, West Roxbury,

$20
(i
9
2

$3
o

5

JELLIES AND PRESERVES.

Julia A, Lyon, Needham, $3

Mrs. Eliza W. Wight, Dedham, 50 cts.

CARRIAGES.

Ellis & Bestwick, Dedham, $4

Baker &, Cushman, Medfield, 4

STRAW MANUFACTURES.

Herman C. Fisher, Franklin, $5

Sanford Leonard, Poxboro', 3

DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

Tuck & Hodges, Canton, !^l

Eames & Mayo, Needham, I

Henry B. Baker, Dedham, 50 cts.

James Daniels, Medway, 50 cts.

LADIES' WORK.
(See pages 78-80)

$30

13

98

TREASURER'S REPORT.

Henry W. Richards, Treasurer, in account with the Norfolk

Agricultural Society.

Dr.

Balance in Treasury, Nov. 29, 1854,

Cash received for admission fees of 60 new members,

" " for grass,

" " from the Commonwealth,

" " at Cattle Show of 1854, balance,

" " at Cattle Show of 1855, in part, .

Cash borrowed, ......

$436

83

297

00

13

50

600

00

432

07

281

46

1,150

00

S3,210 86

Cr.

Cash paid for printing and incidental expenses,

' premiums,

■ • •

' expenses Cattle Show of 1

854,

' for making road, &c..

• •

' for repairs of hall,

' Secretary's salary, .

' for glass bottles,

' for interest.

Borrowc

d money returned.

Balance

in Treasury, Nov. 30, 1855,

S629

56

565

50

507

26

69

93

92

04

50

00

62

57

90

08

1,150

00

3

92

$3,210 86

The debt of the Society is $1,000, incurred for the erection of their

Hall ; — which, with the land and fixtures attached to the same, is valued at

$6,129 89.

HENRY W. RICHARDS, Treasurer.
Dedham, Nov. 30, 1855.

Note. — Purchases have been made by the Society, during the past
year, of about eight acres of land, which has been fenced and put in order
for the accommodation of the Exhibitions, a portion of the expense of
which has been paid. The above-mentioned purchases are not included in
the reported amount of funds of the Society ; the deeds of conveyance not
having been yet executed.

99

ORDER OF EXERCISES AT CHURCH,

ON THE OCCASION OF THE

SEVENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION

OP THE

NOllFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

At Dedham, Sept. 26, 185§.

At twelve o'clock, A. M., a procession Avas formed on the
Society's .grounds, under the direction of Col. Thomas Adams,
Chief Marshal, which marched, escorted by the East Stoughton
Band, to the church of the Rev. Dr. Lamson, where the following
exercises were performed. The President, Hon. Marshall P,
Wilder, introduced the services by the following remarks : —

Fellow Laborers and Fellow Citizens :

That Divine Providence, which gives food to all flesh, causing grass to
grow for cattle, and herb for the service of man, has again blessed the labor
of our hands. In grateful acknowledgment of these mercies, we assemble
in this temple of praise, to present our thank-ofiferings, and by the services
and ceremonies of the day to celebrate another anniversary of our Asso-
ciation.

This is the Seventh Exhibition of the Norfolk Agricultural Society, and
truly it is an auspicious beginning of a new era in its history. We have
occasion for special rejoicing. A plentiful harvest has relieved our fear of
scarcity and filled our barns and store-houses with abundance. The dark
cloud which overshadowed the commercial world at the commencement of
the year, has passed away, and the sun of prosperity again pours its ra-
diance upon all the arts of industry. AVe have also been mercifully spared
from the pestilence which in other sections has walked in darkness and
wasted at noonday, and from the desolating wars, with which the Almighty
is scoursintr most of the nations of the old world.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Society — On this occasion, I con-
gratulate you upon the flourishing condition of our Institution, and its
cheering prospects for the future. We have recently added to its Show

100

Grounds several acres of land, ■which has been inclosed with a perma-
nent fence, thus rendering them more convenient for the exhibition of the
various departments of domestic animals, and ample for the present demands
of the Association. The funds to make this purchase have been generously
offered by a worthy member of this Society, who has kindly consented to
wait its convenience for repayment.

The progress of agriculture and rural economy in our county received a
new impulse with the establishment of this Society, and has advanced
simultaneously with it. The evidence of this is apparent in the general
interest now manifested by the public in agricultural and horticultural
pursuits — in improved arts of cultivation — in the rapid multiplication of
fruits and the increase of crops — in the introduction and rearing of the
best breeds of stock, especially of milch cows, swine, and fine horses — and
in the better construction of buildings, as farm-houses and barns. Among
the causes which have produced these favorable results, we recognize the
enterprise, union and devotion of the members of the Society.

Fellow Associates — I have cheerfully. labored with you; but it is
these, it is your own harmony and energy which have given efficiency to
our efforts. For all these I most sincerely thank you, and most earnestly
desire that they may continue to reflect honor upon you, and to advance
the interests of our Association. Let us, however, remember that our ex-
hibitions are not mere holidays, but should be occasions for mutual instruc-
tion. Here the results of labor are exhibited ; here mind acts on mind —
experience is compared with experience — emulous resolutions are formed —
personal exertion is stimulated, and a laudable ambition is encouraged.
To accomplish the objects for which this Association was formed, you have
only to persevere in the praiseworthy course which you have so honorably
commenced. But the time allotted to these exercises demands of me great
brevity, and therefore on these topics I cannot enlarge.

In conclusion, — let union, energy, and progress be your motto. Thus
shall you develope the natural resources of our wealth, advance the cause
of agriculture and rural art — improve the social condition of the present
generation, and transmit to posterity the richest of all temporal blessings —
fruitful fields, abundant harvests, and domestic happiness.

At the conclusion of the address by the President, prayer was
offered by the Rev. Abijah R. Baker, pastor at West Needham.
The choir then sung the following

ORIGINAL HYMN.

By MI39 ANNE S. TILESTON, OF DORCHESTER.

AVhile Autumn her rich gifts imparts,
And grateful pleasure fills our hearts,
O, let us bow before His shrine.
And humbly thank the Power Divine.

101

Spring's living green that decks the fields,
The golden glow the harvest yields,
And sun and rain that earth expand,
Are gifts from Ilis all-bounteous hand.

Still Peace her angel-wing outspreads,
And o'er our land her influence sheds ;
From other climes compelled to roam.
Here Truth and Freedom find a home.

May Plenty smile on all around,
And labor with success be crowned ;
And while these blessings we implore,
O, may our hearts Thy name adore.

And when Life's Autumn comes at last —
Seed-time and harvesting all past.
May deeds we've sown in faith and love.
Ripen to glorious fruit above.

The Annual Address was then delivered by Rev. J. M.
Merrick, of Walpole. He treated his subject in an able and
interesting manner, evincing much practical knowledge. It may
be found in the preceding pages. At the conclusion of the
address, a voluntary was performed by the choir, and the bene-
diction pronounced by the Rev. Dr. Lamson. The Society, with
the invited guests, were formed in procession again, and marched
to their Agricultural Hall, to partake of the banquet which had
been prepared for the occasion.

EXERCISES AT THE DINNER.

The assembly being seated, the blessing of Heaven was invoked
by the Rev. Dr. Hitchcock of Wrentham. After a suitable time
had been devoted to discussing the products upon the dinner-
tables, which had been prepared by Mr. J. B. Smith of Boston in
his usual good style, the President introduced the intellectual part
of the entertainment with some brief congratulatory remarks on
the progress and success of the Society. He then announced the
first sentiment as follows :

Old Massachusetts, the nurser)- of industr}-, enterprise, talent and
patriotism ; her plants have been widely disseminated, and have been found
to flourish and bear fruit in every soil and every clime.

102

His Excellency Governor Gardner responded to this sentiment,
substantially as follows :

He was present at considerable personal inconvenience, but he felt as a
citizen, by birth, of Norfolk County, as a farmer of Norfolk County, that he
had a right as well as a true pleasure in being with them that day. He felt,
after the promise he had given, that it would be treachery and desertion to
leave them ; and whatever other faults he had, and he had many, it should
never be written on his tombstone that he would desert his friends. He
presumed that, in the dim vista of past ages, all of us had derived our names
from some peculiarity of occupation or looks, or something of that nature.
We all of us know that Rufus meant red, and also that Mary, that most
beautiful of names, was derived from its most beautiful prototype. So he
thought it probable, that in those middle ages his ancestors derived their
name from their fondness for the pursuits of horticulture. Whether it was
so or not, was apocryphal ; but this he knew, that some of their descendants
in the present day were not entirely and utterly forgetful of that most
beautiful occupation. He had felt, as he looked over the exhibition of agri-
cultural industry that day, how much we had to be thankful for ; that we
were placed here, in this country, where we are not confined to a single
staple of production, but where, though our soil is sterile and the climate
cold, almost every thing that enters into the necessity or comfort of man-
kind can be produced in all their abundance and beauty. In the process
of education there were all grades of school — the infant school, the jjrimary
school, and college.

Now we here in America, in regard to agriculture, were raised in the
primary stage of instruction — it was useless to deny it — but we looked for-
ward to the day (and occasions like this would hasten It) when we should
have graduated with all the degrees.

He concluded with a compliment to Mr. Wilder, the Presi-
dent ; and gave the following :

May Massachusetts long continue to retain her proud preeminence among
her sister States, and may Norfolk County continue to sustain her preemi-
nence among her sister counties of Massachusetts.

The next regular sentiment was in compliment to the Judiciary,
and Judge Sanger was called on to respond. Failing to do so,
his father, Rev. Ralph Sanger, was called up, and happily re-
sponded.

The President here announced that he had received a letter

from Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, delegate from the State Board of

Agriculture, which was read by the Secretary as follows :

Boston, Sept. 24, 1855.
My Dear Sir — It is with real regret that I find myself unable to repre-
sent the State Board of Agriculture at the Norfolk County Cattle Show

103

and dinner on Wednesday next. But the engagement, of whicli I fore-
warned you some weeks ago, is imperative and inexorable, and it involves
an absence from the State on Tuesday and Wednesday both. Supposing
that your festival was on Thursday, I had cherished the hope of attending
it, until a late moment. I can only now beg you to offer my apologies
wherever they may be needed, and to accept for yourself the assurance of
my sincere sorrow at such a conflict of duties.

I have too of"ten, my dear Sir, had the privilege of being present at festi-
vals, both Agricultural and Horticultural, under your Presidency, not to be
sensible that the loss is wholly my own. I remember particularly the rich
treat I was permitted to enjoy as an humble guest at the very first Norfolk
Show — when you were surrounded by the Websters and Everetts, and Lin-
colns and Dearborns, and Adamses and Manns, who made that occasion
more memorable as an intellectual exhibition, than it was even for its strik-
ing specimens of the animal and vegetable kingdom. Some of these noble
voices have been silenced forever ; but you have a peculiar art of summon-
ing to your side those who can say " a word in season," and no dessert at
which you preside ever fails to be furnished with " apples of gold set in
pictures of silver."

Meantime the great staples of such an occasion, the cattle and the corn,
the fruits of the field and of the garden, the products of the dairy, and better
than either, the honest yeomanry to whom we are indebted for them all —
will be sure to be on hand ; and nobody will miss the holiday rhetoric of so
mere an amateur as myself. Yet I have a deep interest in the success of
Agriculture, and more especially of Norfolk Agriculture ; and, were I able
to be present on this occasion, I should watch for the performance of a cer-
tain Michigan plough, with my good friend and excellent farmer Robinson
for its driver, with something of personal concern. But I am for " speed-
ing the plough," by whomsoever it is driven, and will not, therefore, detain
you longer than to subscribe myself.

Respectfully and faithfully, your friend and servant,

ROCEKT C. WiNTHROP.
Hon. M. P. Wilder, President Norfolk Society.

P. S. Pardon me for playing on your name in the following sentiment :

The Agriculture and Horticulture of Norfolk County — They have pre-
sented for many years past this striking paradox : that the higher and more
successful the cultivation, the more every just observer has been compelled
to exclaim, " Wilder, and Wilder ! "

The next regular sentiment was in compliment to Mr. Charles
L. Flint, the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, to -which he
responded in an appropriate and interesting manner.

The President then gave as a sentiment :

The Venerable Farmer of Quincy — Once more we bid him wel-
come, as the eldest and most honored member of our Society. His name

104

will need "no storied urn or animated bust" to preserve its memory fres
in the hearts of the farmers of Norfolk.

Mr. Quincy responded to tins toast in a felicitous and happy
manner. He contrasted the present state of agriculture in New
England with that of the last century — alluded to John Adams,
Thomas L. Winthrop, and others with whom he was associated in
the State Society for the promotion of this cause more than fifty
years ago. He felt it to be his duty to sustain agricultural soci-
eties, not only by sending his stock and the products of his farm,
but by being present as a competitor himself.

Mr. Quincy's remarks were received with much applause, and
when he sat down, the band played " Auld Lang Syne."

Other sentiments were offered by the President, which called
up the Orator of the day, Rev. J. M. Merrick, Hon. William S.
Damrell, and Hon. Linus B. Comins, members of Congress, Hon.
James Ritchie, Mayor of Roxbury, Deacon Samuel Greele of
Boston, and Rev. Dr. Hitchcock of Wrentham. Eloquent
speeches were made by these gentlemen, which contributed much
to the interest and utility of the occasion.

The Premiums were then announced by the Secretary of the
Society, Hon. E. L. Keyes.

The following Ode was then sung by the assembly, which con-
cluded the exercises of the Seventh Anniversary of the Norfolk
Agricultural Society.

ODE,

BY MISS ANNE S. TILESTON, OF DORCHESTER.

Tune — "Auld Lang Syne."

Here gathered round the social board,

We'll heart and voice combine ;
And for the blessings on us poured,

In grateful praises join.
Then let the joyous strain resound,

And loud the chorus sing ;
While mirth and plenty here abound,

And "we our offerings bring.

We bring the fruits of vine and tree,

The treasures of the soil ;
And honored midst Earth's children be

The hardy sons of toil ;

105

No cares of wealth their thoughts engage,

But with a manly heart,
On Nature's wide and ample stage

They nobly act their jjart.

By Spring's mild showers and Summer's heat,

The seed is gently nursed ;
And, fostered by their influence sweet.

Will into beauty burst.
And when o'er us no ray doth shine,

And adverse fortunes lower.
Remember sun and shade combine

To form the perfect llower.

And as the seasons circle round

With each succeeding year,
Long, long may we, in concord bound.

Again assemble here.
And though Old Time should plant " Crows' Feet,"

And leave a " frosty pow,"
Yet may our hearts still warmly beat,

As joyous then as now.

14

ittXB of tht Sotidir.

0 ^

18 5 5.

President,
MARSHALL P. WILDER, of Dorchester.

Vice Presidents,
BENJAMIN V. FRENCH, of Bramtree, *
SAMUEL D. BRADFORD, of West Roxhury,
CHEEVER NEWHALL, of Dorchester,
JOHN GARDNER, of Dedham,
RALPH SANGER, of Dover,
CHARLES C. SEWALL, of Medfield.

Corresponding and Eecording Secretary,
EDWARD L. KEYES, of Dedham.

Treasurer,
HENRY W. RICHARDS, of Dedham.

Executive Committee,
MARSHALL P. WILDER, of Dorchester,
OTIS CARY, of Foxhoro\
THOMAS MOTLEY, of Dedham,
AARON D. WELD, of West Roxhury,
HENRY PARTRIDGE, Jr., of Medfield.

107

Finance Committee and Auditors,
EBEN WIGHT, of Dedham,
CHARLES B. SHAW, of Dedham,
LEWIS H. KINGSBURY, of Dedham.

ASA PICKERING,

Board of Trustees.

BELLINGHAM.

PAUL CHILSON.

BRAIN TREE.

EDWARD POTTER, DAVID N. HOLLIS,

JONATHAN FRENCH, CALEB HOLLIS.

B R O O K L I X E .

MARSHALL STEARNS, SAMUEL HENSHAW,

JAMES BARTLETT, GEORGE CRAFT.

ELISHA WHITE,
WILLIAM TUCKER,

JAMES C. DOANE,
LABAN SOUTHER,

CANTON.

ELLIS TUCKER,
CORODON SPAULDING.

COHASSET.

SOLOMON J. REAL,
ABRAHAM H. TOWER.

DEDHAM.

WILLIAM KING GAY, COLBURN ELLIS,

JESSE FARRINGTON, LUTHER EATON.

DORCHESTER.

EDWARD KING, ELI W. ROBINSON,

JOHN H. ROBINSON, SAMUEL J. CAPEN,

AARON D. CAPEN, NATHAN CARRUTH.

DOVER.

HIRA3I W. JONES, BENJAMIN N. SAWIN,

CALVIN RICHARDS, AARON BACON.

108

FREEDOM GUILD,
SIMEON BURR,

F O XB O R O .

JEREMIAH M. SHEPARD,
JAMES CAPEN.

FRANKLIN.

WARD ADAMS, MAXCY FISHER,

GEORGE W. MORSE, SHADRACII ATWOOD.

MEDFIELD.

THOMAS T. RICHMOND, GEORGE DAVIS,
JACOB R. CUSHMAN, ISAAC FISKE.

HORATIO MASON,
JOHN P. JONES,

M E D W A Y .

JAMES P. CLARK,
RICHARD RICHARDSON.

MILTON.

CHARLES BRECK, ELIJAH TUCKER,

LEWIS C OPEL AND, BENJAMIN F. DUDLEY.

WILLIAM PIERCE,
DANIEL KIMBALL,

N E E D II A M .

GEORGE K. DANIELL,
WILLIAM T. G. MORTON.

Q U I N C Y .

HORATIO N. GLOVER, JOSEPH W. ROBERTSON,

JOSIAH BRIGHAM, WILLIAM S. MORTON.

RANDOLPH.

ROYAL W. TURNER, ADONIRAM WHITE,

JOSEPH LEEDS, CALEB S. HOLBROOK.

R O X B U R Y.

AARON D. WILLIAMS, GEORGE DAVENPORT,

CHARLES ELLIS, JAMES GUILD,

WILLIAM B. KINGSBURY, JOHN FUSSELL.

109

SHARON.

OTIS JOHNSON, ASAHEL S. DRAKE,

WILLIAM R. MANN, HARVEY MORSE.

STOUGHTON.

LUCIUS CLAPP, ROBERT PORTER,

LUTHER PORTER, ASAHEL SOUTHWORTH.

W A L P O L E .

TRUMAN CLARKE, EDWIN WILSON,

JOHN A. GOULD, JOHN M. MERRICK.

WEST ROXBURY.

STEPHEN M. WELD, DANIEL C. BACON,

JOSEPH H. BILLINGS, JOHN PARKINSON.

AV E Y M O U T H .

LEMUEL HUMPHREY, NATHANIEL SHAW,

JAIVIES JONES, JAMES TIRRELL.

W R E N T H A M .

ARTEMAS ALDRICH, HARVEY E. CLAP,

BENJAMIN HAWES, EDMUND T. EVERETT.

no

11 i] In c ,s of ^Jf e h] 5 e i^ § .

BELLINGHAM.

Chilson, Paul
Pickering, Asa

9

BRAINTREE.

Arnold, John B.

Arnold, Joseph A.

Blake, Joseph H. D.

Bowditch, Ebenezer C.

Chace, George

Dyer, Isaac

Dyer, Joseph

Fogg, Charles M.* 1854

French, Benjamin V.

French, Mrs. B. V.

French, Jonathan

Hollis, Caleb

Holhs, David N.

Hollis, John A.

Hollis, Josiah

Ludden, Joseph T.

Mansfield, John

Mansfield, Warren

Morrison, Alva

Niles, Daniel H.

Penniman, Ezra

Perkins, Oliver

Potter, Edward

Rand, William T.

Randall, Apollos

Stetson, Amos W.

Stetson, Caleb

Thajer, Ebenezer C.

Thayer, Hezekiah* 1854

Vinton, Thomas B.

Wales, George

Willis, George W.* 1852 32.

BROOKLINE.

Amory, James S.
Babcock, George
Bartlett, James
Bird, Jesse
Blake, George Baty
Bramhall, William
Craft, Charles
Craft, George
Craft, Samuel
Corey, Elijah
Corey, Timothy
Dane, John* 1854
Dane, John H.
Ferris, Mortimer C.
Fisher, Francis
Frazar, Amherst A.
Griggs, Thomas
Henshaw, Samuel
Howe, Frank E.
Howe, James Murray
Howe, John
Jameson, William H.
Kellogg, Charles D.
Lawrence, Amos A.
Parker, Montgomery D.
Sampson, George R.
Shaw, G. Howland
Stearns, Charles, Jr.
Stearns, Marshall
Thayer, John E.
Trowbridge, John H.
Turner, John N.
White, Henry K.

CANTON.

Abbott, Ezra
Billings, Uriah

33.

* Deceased.

Ill

Billings, William
Bowditch, J. IngcrsoU
Bray, Edgar V(.
Capen, Samuel
Dcanc, Francis W.
Deane, Oliver
Downcs, George
Draper, Thomas
Dunbar, James
Dunbar, Nathaniel
Eldridge, John S.
Endicott, John* 1855
Everett, Leonard* 1852
Fenno, Jesse, Jr.
French, Charles H.
French, Thomas
Fuller, Daniel
Guild, Horace
Howard, Lucius
Huntoon, Benjamin
Kinsley, Lyman
Kollock, Jeremiah
Lincoln, Frederic W.
Mansfield, William
Mcintosh, Adam
McLitosh, Roger S.
McKendry, William
Messinger, Vernon A.
Messinger, Virgil J.
Morse, William
Shepard, James S.
Spare, Elijah
Spaulding, Corodon
Stetson, Joseph
Sumner, James T.
Tilt, Benjamin B.
Tucker, Edmund
Tucker, Ellis
Tucker, Jedediah
Tucker, Nathaniel, Jr.
Tucker, Phineas
Tucker, William
Wentworth, Edwin
Went worth, Nathaniel
White, Elisha
White, Nathaniel S.

48.

COHASSET.

Beal, Solomon J.
Beal, Mrs. S. J.
Doane, James C.
Johnson, William B.
Sohier, William D.
Souther, Laban
Tower, Abraham H.

DEDIIAM.

Adams, Benjamin H.
Alden, Abner
Alden, Francis
Alden, George
Alden, Leonard
Alden, Samuel F.
Ames, William
Babcock, Samuel B.
Bacon, Silas D.
Baker, David A.
Baker, Joel M.
Baker, Obed
Baker, Timothy
Balch, Benjamin W.
Barrows, Thomas
Bates, Martin
Bean, Albion
Bickner, Samuel R.
Blaney, Henry
Bosworth, Isaac C.
Boy den, Addison
Boyden, Benjamin
Brooks, Edward C.
Bryant, Austin* 1851
Bu'llard, Elijah
Bullard, John* 1852
Bullard, Lewis
Burgess, Ebenezer
Burgess, Edward P.
Capen, Charles J.
Capen, OHver
Carroll, Sanford
Chase, James M.
Chickering, Horatio
Clapp, Edward
Clapp, Nathaniel

112

Clark, Joseph W.
Clarke, Horatio
Cleveland, Ira
Cobb, Jonathan H.
Colburn, Allen
Colburn, Nathaniel* 1853
Colburn, Waldo
Coolidge, George
Cormerais, Henry
Cox, John, Jr.
Crane, Ebenezer P.
Crocker, Amos H.
Crossman, Charles B.
dishing, Henry W.
Damrell, WiUiam S.
Daniell, Ellery C.
Day, Joseph
Deane, John
Dixon, Rufus E.
Doggett, John
Donahoe, Patrick
Downing, James
Drayton, John
Duff, John
Dunbar, Thomas, Jr.
Eaton, John
Eaton, John Elhs* 1854
Eaton, Luther
Ellis, Calvin F.
, Ellis, Charles
Ellis, Colburn
Ellis, George* 1855
Ellis, Merrill D.
Ellis, Ohver
Endicott, Augustus B,
Fairbanks, William
Farrington, Charles
Farrington, James
Farrington, Jesse
Farrington, John B.
Field, William
Fisher, Alvan
Fisher, Alvan J.
Fisher, Ebenezer S.
Fisher, Freeman
Fisher, James R.
Fisher, Joseph

Fisher, Thomas

Fleming, Douglas

Fogg, David S.

Foord, Enos

French, Abram

Fuller, George

Gardner, John

Gay, Ebenezer F.

Gay, Jeremiah W.

Gay, Lusher* 1855

Gay, William King

Gleason, Daniel

Gould, George

Green, Elisha

Guild, Calvin, Jr.

Guild, Francis

Guild, Henry

Harnden, Harvey

Hartshorn, Richard D.

Haynes, Edward, Jr.

Henck, John B.

Hildreth, Henry 0.

Holmes, Edward B.

Houghton, William A.

Howe, Francis
Howe, Josiah D.
Hoyle, Mark C.
Liches, Martin B.
Jackson, Marcus B.
Johnson, Edwin
Keyes, Edward L.
Kingsbury, Lewis H.
Kingsbury, Moses
Lamson, Alvan
Mann, Henry A.
Mann, Herman* 1851
Mann, Samuel C.
Mann, WilUam H.
Marsh, Francis
Marsh, Martin
Marsh, Mrs. Martin
Mason, William
Mason, William H.
Mitchell, Francis N.
Morgan, John
Morse, Curtis G.
Morse, Otis

113

Morse, John
Morse, John L.
Motley, Thomas
Noyes, Nathaniel
Onion, Ilenrj
Otis, Benjamin 11.
Patterson, Albert C.
Phelps, Timothy
Phillips, Freeman
Quincy, Edmund
Rand, EdAvard S.
Rand, Edward S., Jr.
Rice, John P.
Richards, Abiathar
Richards, Edward M.
Richards, Henry White
Richards, Jeremiah F.* 1852
Richards, Mason
Richards, Reuben* 1855
Richards, William B.
Rodman, Alfred* 1853
Russell, Charles
Russell, Ira
Sampson, Ezra W.
ScaiJan, David
Scott, Joel
Shaw, Charles B.
Sherman, Charles B.
Sherwin, Thomas
Sigourney, Henry H. W.
Slafter, Carlos
Smith, Edwin
Smith, Henry
Smith, Lyman
Smith, Nathaniel
Smith, Nathaniel, Jr.
Smith, Thomas
Spear, Henry F.
Stimson, Jeremy
Stone, Ehphalet
Simmer, W^illiam R.
Sutton, Enoch* 1853
Taft, Ezra W.
Thompson, Joshua P.
Thompson, Robert* 1854
Tower, William B.
Tubbs, Benjamm H.* 1854

15

Van Brunt, Gershom J.
Vose, George H.
Wakefield, Thomas L.
Wales, Samuel, Jr.
Washburn, Alexander C.
Waters, Joseph W.
Weatherbee, Comfort
Weatherbee, Jesse
Weatherbee, John E.
Webb, Moses E.
Webb, Seth, Jr.
Weld, Joseph R.
Wellcome, Jacob H.
White, John* 1852
Whiting, Hezekiah
Whiting, Horace
Whiting, Moses
Whiting, William
Whitney, Samuel S.* 1855
Wight, Ebenezer
Wilson, John F.* 1853
Winslow, George
Wood, Mrs. Amos 200.

DORCHESTER.

Abbott, Wilham E.
Adams, Benjamin W.
Austin, Wilham R.
Bacon, Charles H.
Baker, Edmund J.
Baker, Walter* 1852
Baldwin, Enoch
Barnes, Parker
Barry, Michael 0.
Bass, Seth B.
Billings, Lemuel
Bispham, Eleazer J.
Bradlee, James B.
Bradstreet, Samuel
Bramhall, Cornelius
Breck, Henry, Jr.
Brewer, Darius* 1854
Briggs, G. W.
Brooks, Noah* 1852
Brooks, W^illiams B.
Brown, Augustus

114

Browne, George M.
Capen, Aaron D.
Capen, Samuel J.
Capen, Thomas W.
Carruth, Charles
Carruth, Nathan
Chilcls, Nathaniel R.
Clapp, Frederick
Clapp, Lemuel, 2d
Clapp, John P.
Clapp, Richard
Clapp, Thaddeus
Clapp, William
Cleveland, Stephen H.
Codman, John
Codman, Robert
Copenhagen, Arnold Wm.
Crane, Nathaniel
Curtis, Ebenezer
Cushing, Abel
Cushing, Abner L.
Cushing, Benjamin
Davis, Barnabas
Dearborn, Axel
Denny, Daniel
Doody, Dennis
Dorr, James
Downer, Samuel
FoUansbee, Isaac W.
Foster, William H.
Fowler, M. Field
Gardner, Henry J.
Gilbert, Samuel, Jr.
Gleason, Moses
Gleason, Roswell
Gleason, Sewall* 1854
Grew, Henry
Groom, Thomas
Hall, Oliver
Hall, Samuel
Hammond, Horatio
Hardy, Alpheus
Haven, John A.
Hewins, John C.
Hickey, Timothy
Hickey, William
Holbrook, Nathan

Holmes, Ebenezer
Hooper, Frankhn Henry
Hooper, Robert C.
Hooper, Robert C, Jr.
Houghton, George A.
Howe, Charles
Humphrey, Henry
Hunt, Charles
Igoe, Patrick
Jacobs, Benjamin
Jones, Nahum
King, Edward
King, Franklin
Lee, James, Jr.
Leonard, Joseph
Liversidge, Stephen* 1852
Marshall, William
May, John J.
Means, James H.
Mears, John
Mears, John, Jr.
Miller, Erasmus D.
Minot, John
Moseley, Flavel
Nazro, John G.
Newhall, Cheever
Newhall, John M.
Pay son, Thomas
Perrin, Augustus W.
Peters, Henry H.
Pierce, Charles Bates
Pierce, Edward L.
Pierce, Henry L.
Pierce, Jesse
Pierce, Lewis
Pierce, Robert
Pierce, William
Pierce, William B.
Pierce, Wilham P.
Pope, Alexander
Pope, William, Jr.
Preston, Edward
Preston, John
Preston, John, 2d
Prince, Wilham G.
Prouty, Lorenzo
Ftice, George Woods

115

Richardson, George
Richardson, WiUiam 11.
Ridcout, Asa
Robic, John

Robinson, Mrs. Diantha A.
Robinson, Eli W.
Robinson, John H.
Robinson, Stephen A.
Ruggles, Edward 11. R.
Safford, Nathaniel F.
Scudder, Horace* 1851
S})ear, Luther
Spooner, John P.
Sumner, Clement
Swan, James
Temple, Hannanlah
Temple, William E.
Tluijer, ]]enjamin W.
Tileston, Edmund P.
Tileston, Samuel
Tolman, Ebenezer
Tolman, Wilham
Train, Enoch
Tremlett, Thomas
Trull, John H.
Trull, Mrs. J. H.
Trull, John W.
Tuttle, Joseph
Vose, Robert
Vose, Robert, Jr.
Welch, John H.
Welch, Mrs. J. H.
Whipple, John L.
Wilder, Marshall P.
Wilder, Mrs. M. P.* 1854
Williams, Sidney B.* 1854
Woodman, James
Worthington, WiUiam
Worthington, William F.
Wright, Edmund
Wright, Mrs. Edmund

157.

Wright, Otis

DOVER.

Allen, Jared
Allen, Timothy

Bacon, Aaron
Baker, Jabez
Battclle, John
Battelle, Ralph
Beatie, Thomas
Bigelow, Calvin
Bigelow, William A.
Chickering, Daniel
Chickering, Otis
Cleveland, William
Fearing, Perez L.
Gannett, William W.
Gay, Francis G.
Goulding, Henry
Jones, liiram W.
Mami, Daniel
Mann, Daniel F.
ISIann, Hollis
Newell, Benjamin
Newell, Jesse
Perry, Elijah
Perry, Mrs. Mehitable
Richards, Calvin
Richards, Luther
Sanger, Ralph
Sawin, Benjamin N.
Shumway, Amos W.
Shumway, John W.
Smith, Abner L.
Tisdale, Wilham
Upham, Walter W.
Wall, Patrick
Wilson, Ephraim

FOXBORO'.

Aldrich, Henry D.* 1854
Belcher, Lewis W.
Burr, Simeon
Capen, James
Carpenter, Daniels
Carpenter, Erastus P.
Cary, Otis
Dickerman, Lemuel
Fisher, Albert
Foster, James W.
Guild, Freedom

35.

116

Heraey, David

Hodges, Alfred
Kingsbury, Joseph
Leonard, Samuel B.
Leonard, Sanford
Pettee, David
Pettee, Joseph G.
Pettee, Simon E.
Shepard, Jeremiah M.
Sherman, Job
Smith, Silas
Sumner, Charles C.
Torrey, Martin
Wyman, David

FRANKLIN.

Adams, Peter
Adams, Ward
Atwood, Shadrach
Baker, David P.
Bullard, Piam
Daniels, Albert E.
DeWitt, Archibald
DeWitt, Mrs. Mary Ann
Fisher, Herman C.
Fisher, Maxcy
Fisher, Walter H.
Green, Martin
Harding, Lewis
Hills, Theron C.
Knapp, Alfred
Metcalf, Alfred G.
Metcalf, Erasmus B.
Metcalf, William
Miller, John W.
Miller, Phillip W.
Morse, George W.
Morse, Joseph
Nason, George W.
Ray, James P.
Ray, John P,
Rockwood, Erastus
Thayer, Davis, Jr.
Wadsworth, Joseph H.
Wales, Otis, Jr.
Whiting, Joseph

25.

Whiting, Joseph M.
Whiting, William E. 32.

MEDFIELD.

Adams, George F.

Allen, Noah

Allen, William C.

Baker, Joseph H.

Balch, Albert

Barney, Thomas L.

Bullard, John E.

Carson, Joseph

Chenery, William

Cheney, Nathaniel H.

Cheney, Seth

Cushman, Jacob R.

Davis, George

Ellis, Caleb

EUis, John

EUis, Samuel

Fisher, Hinsdale

Fisher, Wm. Quincy

Fiske, George

Fiske, Isaac

Hamant, Caleb S.

Hamant, Charles

Hamant, Daniels, Jr.

Harding, Nathan

Hartshorn, Joseph

Hartshorn, Warren

Hewins, William P.

Partridge, Mrs. E. A.

Partridge, Henry, Jr.

Richardson, Simeon

Roberts, Mrs. Helen M.

Roberts, Robert

Salisbury, Wilham

Sewall, Charles C.

Shumway, Benjamin F.

Smith, George M.

Stedman, Cyrus

Thayer, Elijah

Turner, John A. 39.

MEDWAY.
Adams, Edward

117

Adams, EHsha

Adams, Lyman

Adams, Wyman

Barber, George* 1851

Barber, Thomas

Gary, William II.

Clark, James P.

Clark, Willard P.

Crosby, George

Daniels, Adams

Daniels, James Willard

Daniels, Paul

Daniels, William

Ellis, James II.

Fisher, Milton M.

Harding, Theodore

Henderson, William

Hurd, Julius C.

Jones, John P.

Kingsbury, Gilbert

Lovell, Asahel P.

Lovell, Zachariah

Lovering, Warren

Mann, James

Mason, Horatio

Metcalf, Luther

Morse, Asa D.

Partridge, Clark

Partridge, George

Richardson, E. F.

Richardson, Jeremiah D.

Richardson, Joseph L.

Richardson, Moses

Richardson, Richard

Slocumb, Christopher

Walker, John S.

Walker, Timothy

Wheeler, Abijah R. 39.

MILTON.

Adams, Samuel
Amory, Francis
Arnold, John, Jr.*
Babcock, Josiah
Babcock, Lemuel Whiting
Babcock, Samuel

Baldwin, Edward

Beal, Jonathan

Bradlec, John D.

Breck, Charles

Bunton, Jesse

Cook, Samuel

Copcland, Charles L.

Copeland, Lewis

Cornell, Walter

Cunningham, C. Loring

Cunningham, Francis

Curtis, Daniel T,

Davenport, Lewis

Davenport, Nathaniel T.

Davis, William II.

Dow, John R.

Dudley, Benjamin F.

Emerson, Joshua

Fenno, Rufus P.

Forbes, John M.

Forbes, Robert Bennett

Hall, George W.

Hinckley, Thomas H.

Hobson, Miss Martha J.

Houghton, Jason W.

Hunt, Charles K.

Hunt, George

Kent, George W.

Pope, Ebenezer* 1853

Raymond, George

Richards, Reuben A.

Robbins, James M.

Rodgers, Octavius T.

Rodgers, Henry, Jr.* 1855

Rowe, Joseph

Ruggles, Philemon

Thayer, Jason

Thompson, George

Todd, Robert M.

Tucker, Elijah

Tucker, Timothy

Twombly, Josiah F.

West, Henry 49.

NEEDILy^I.

Alden, Otis

118

Ayling, Isaac

Buck, Claries

Buck, Miss Frona P. H.,* 1855

Buck, Miss Mary M.

Bullen, Ichabod

Carter, Josiah H.

Daniell, George K.

Dewing, Warren

Eaton, George E.

Eayrs, William C,

Emmons, Charles P.

Flagg, Solomon

Flagg, William

Gardner, Elbridge

Goss, Daniel J.

Harmon, Cyrus

Harris, John

Harris, John M.

Harvey, Stephen F.

Holland, John

Holhs, Elisha P.

Howland, Georcce

Hubbard, Gardner G.

Hunnewell, Horatio H.

Hunting, Israel

Kimball, Benjamin G.

Kimball, Mrs. Betsey G.

Kimball, Daniel

Kingsbury, Lauren

Kingsbury, Lemuel

Kingsbury, Thomas

Kingsbury, William A.

Longfellow, Nathan

Lovewell, Charles B.

Lyon, William

Mansfield, John

Mansfield, Robert

Mansfield, ]\Irs. Robert

Mansfield, William

McCrackin, John

Mcintosh, Mrs. Hannah P.

Mills, John

Mills, Matthias

Morton, Otis, Jr.

Morton, William T. G.

Newell, Artemas

Newell, Mrs. Martha S.

Noyes, Josiah

Peabody, Ezekiel

Pierce, William

Revere, George

Robinson, Henry

Sawyer, Otis* 1855

Scudder, Marshall S.

Seagrave, Saul S.

Shaw, George W.* 1852

Snelling, Nathaniel G.

Stedman, Francis

Stedman, Wilham M.

Stone, David

Stone, Henry L.

Sumner, Lewis

Sumner, Samuel B.

Ware, Dexter* 1851

Ware, Reuben

Webber, Aaron D.

Wells, John

Whitaker, Edgar K.

Wood, Henry 70.

QUINCY.

Adams, Charles Francis
Adams, Ebenezer
Bartlett, Ibrahim* 1853
Bass, Josiah
Bass, Lewis
Baxter, Daniel
Baxter, Elijah
Baxter, George L.
Beale, George W.* 1851
Beals, Nathaniel H.
Billings, Lemuel
Brackett, Lemuel
Brigham, Josiah
Carr, John J.
Curtis, Noah
Eaton, Jacob F.
Emmons, N. II.
Fellows, Ensign S.
Frederick, Eleazer
Glover, Horatio N.
Green, John A.
Greenleaf, Daniel

119

Greenleaf, Thomas* 1854
Ilorton, Lloyd (ir.
Miller, Charles E.
Morton, William S.
Munroe, Israel W.
Newcomb, James
Newcomb, John B.
Quincy, Josiah
Richards, Lysander* 1852
Robertson, Joseph W.
Rodojers, Clift
Savil, John
Spear, Charles A.
Stetson, James A.
Thayer, Gideon F.
Torrey, William
Walker, WiUiam
White, Nathaniel
Willard, Solomon
Williams, Francis 42.

RANDOLPH.

Alden, Ebenezer
Alden, Horatio B.
Belcher, Allen A.
Belcher, J. White
Buck, Nathan* 1853
Bvu-rill, David
Ilolbrook, Caleb S.
Holbrook, Elisha
Leeds, Joseph
Maguire, James
Maguire, James F.
jNIann, Ephraim
Niles, Jacob
Snow, Zenas
Stevens, Richard
Tower, Isaac
Turner, Royal W.
Turner, Seth
Wales, Apollos
Wales, Ephraim* 1855
Wales, John, 2d
Whales, Jonathan
Whitcomb, Alfred W.
White, Adoniram

White, Jairus
White, Jonathan

26.

ROXBURY.

Adams, Thomas

Andrews, Alfred A.

Appleton, Charles T.

Bacon, William, Jr.

Bartlett, Henry

Blake, S. Parkman

Bowditch, Azell

Bowditch, Azell C.

Bray, Charles F.

Brigham, Joseph L.

Bryant, Charles W.

Chadwick, Joseph H.

Chandler, John G.

Clarke, John J.

Codman, Henry* 1853

Comins, Linus B.

Copeland, Benjamin F.

Copeland, Charles* 1853

Copeland, Franklin

Getting, Benjamin E.

Crawshaw, Joseph

Crosby, Benjamin H.

Davenport, George

Davis, Gilman

Dearborn, Henry A. S.* 1851.

Ellis, Charles

Ellis, Charles M.

Eustis, William

Fisher, Warren

Fiske, George A.

Francis, Ebenezer

French Jonathan

French, Mrs. J.

Fuller, H. Weld

Fussell, John

Gardner, Francis

Gray, Henry D.

Guild, Frederic

Guild, Henry

Guild, James

Hendee, Charles J.

Hewes, John M.

120

Hewins, Whiting* 1855
Hickling, Charles
Huckins, James
Huston, Wilham R.
Keene, James
Kidder, Frederic
King, Wilham S.
Kingsburj, William B.
Kittredge, Alvah
Lee, William Raymond
Lemist, Edwin
Lewis, Daniel
Lewis, Frankhn H.
Lewas, Samuel S,
Lowell, John A.
Mann, Benjamin
Mathes, Albert R.
McBurney, Charles
Mcintosh, Wilham H.
Parker, Augustus
Parker, George J.
Pickering, Henry W.
Pike, Charles S.
Putnam, Allen
Rich, Naphtah D.
Ritchie, James
Robinson, Jonathan P.
Ropes, Joseph S.
Sargent, Epes
Shed, Henry P.
Simmons, David A.
Skinner, Elias
Sleeper, John S.
Stevens, Amos
Stone, Ebenezer W.
Sturgis, James
Thacher, Thomas, Jr.
Thwing, Supply C.
Tolman, James
Trescott, Elijah, Jr.
Vinson, Cornelius M.
Walker, Samuel
Ware, Leonard
Way, Samuel A.
Weston, Lycurgus B.
Whiting, Wm. (Montr. Av.)
Williams, Aaron D.

Williams, Aaron D., Jr.
Williams, David W.
WiUiams, Mrs. D. W.
Wilhams, Dudley
Williams, G. Foster
Wihiams, George H.
Williams, Stedman* 1852
Williams, Thomas B.
Wilson, Granville W.
Winslow, Edward
Wiswall, Samuel
Wolcott, John W. 101.

SHARON.

BuUard, Benjamin

Drake, Asahel S.

Gay; George W.

Hewins, Elijah

Johnson, Lucas

Johnson, Otis

Lothrop, Howard A.

Mann, George R.

Mann, Wihiam R.

Morse, Harvey

Sanger, John M.

Smith, Lewis

Turner, Calvin 13.

STOUGHTON.

Atherton, James
Atherton, William
Belcher, Orin
Belcher, William S.
Capen, Samuel
Clapp, Lucius
Curtis, Samuel W.
Gay, Lemuel
Goldthwait, Daniel A.
Hodges, Leonard
Hodges, Samuel W.
Littlefield, Charles
Page, Frederick A.
Porter, Luther
Porter, Robert
South worth, Amasa

121

South worth, Asahel
Southworth, Consider A.
Sumner, Francis C.
Swan, Elisha
Talbot, Newton
Tohiian, Ebenezer W.
Tucker, Wales 23.

WALPOLE.

Allen, Jeremiah

Allen, Lewis

Bacon, William

Bird, Charles

Bird, Francis W.

Boy den, Horatio

Clap, Edmund W.

Clap, Warren

Clarke, Mrs. Betsey M.

Clarke, Truman

Conant, George

Ellis, James

Ellis, Joseph* 1851

Gould, John A.

Gray, Smith

Guild, Charles

Hawes, Joseph* 1849

Hyde, George B.

Lewis, Willard

Mann, Lowell

Merrick, John M.

Neal, Benjamin

Pierce, Shadrach S.

Plimpton, Calvin G.

Shepard, E.

Smith, Metcalf

Stone, Ebenezer

Thompson, Edwin

Wilson, Edwin 29.

WEST KOXBURY.

Allen, Stephen M.
Arnold, Joseph* 1855
Austin, Arthur W.
Austin, Miss Florence
Austin, William Percy
Bacon, Daniel C.

16

Bacon, William B.

Bailey, Luther C.
Balch, Joseph* 1849
Balch, Joseph W.
Billings, Joseph H.
Billings, Mrs. Joseph H.
Billings, Miss Mary
Blake, William
Bond, George William
Bradford, Samuel D.
Bradish, Levi J.
Brewer, Otis
Brown, Benjamin
Browne, Horace E.
Butters, J. A. C.
Cabot, Stephen
Cass, Aaron
Cass, Francis W.
Cass, Henry W.
Curtis, Joseph H.
Dabney, Charles W., Jr.
Davis, Francis
Dixwell, John J.
Dudley, Ephraim M.
Dunn, Theodore
Enslin, William
Farrington, Ebenezer T.
Gilbert, Luther
Gooding, George
Gould, Joseph D.
Greenough, David S.
Hall, David P.
Head, Francis C.
Henchman, Nathaniel H.
Hewins, Charles A.
Keith, William
Lamb, Reuben A.
Laurie, Andrew B.
Low, John J.
Mackintosh, Charles G.
March, Andrew S.* 1854
Mcintosh, William
Meserve, Andrew T.
Meserve, Isaac H.
Minot, George R.
Morse, Charles
Morse, Robert M.

122

Motley, Thomas, Jr.
North, George G.
Orange, Thomas
Page, Kilbj
Parkinson, John
Pratt, John C.
Prichard, Jeremiah
Richards, Edward
Richmond, Thomas T.
Russell, George R.
Sampson, Charles
Seaverns, Thomas W.
Shaw, Francis G.
Smith, Joseph M.
Smith, Melancthon
Spaulding, Solomon R.
Sturgis, Russell
Swett, Samuel W.
Taft, Reed
Taylor, Horace B.
Ticknor, William D,
Townsend, David
Tufts, James
Watt, Robert
Weld, Aaron D.
Weld, Mrs. A. D.
Weld, Aaron D., Jr.
Weld, Miss A. K.
Weld, Stephen M.
Westcott, Stephen
Whytal, Thomas G.
Williams, Benjamin P.
Williams, Henry H.
Williams, Moses
Williams, Nehemiah B* 1852

88.

WEYMOUTH.

Burrill, Ansel
Fifield, Noah
Howe, Appleton
Humphrey, Ebenezer
Humphrey, Lemuel
Hunt, Atherton N.

Hunt, Elias

Jones, James

Kingsbury, Fisher A.

Loud, Joseph, Jr.

Nash, Abner P.

Richards, Elias

Shaw, Nathaniel

Shaw, Theron V.

Tirrell, Albert

Tirrell, James

Tirrell, Wilson

AVhite, James

White, Thomas 19.

WRENTHAM.

Aldrich, Artemas

Cheever, Otis G.

Clap, Harvey E.

Clay, Nehemiah

Everett, Edmund T.

Everett, Melatiah

Faxon, Francis G.

Fisher, Calvin, Jr.

Fisher, Hiram B.

Fisher, Silas P.

Ford, Peter

Fuller, Chauncy G.

Gassett, Henry, Jr.

Grant, George

Grant, Robert P.

Grant, Whiting

Hawes, Benjamin

Ida, Edwin S.

Larkin, Lyman B.

INIann, Howard

Parker, Ebenezer B.

Pond, Jabez E.

Pond, Lvicas

Starkev, Gardner H.

Stone, Curtis

Ware, Asa

White, James A.

Wiggin, James S. 28.

123

MEMBERS RESIDING OUT OF THE COUNTY.

Balch, Wesley P., Jr., Boston
Copeland, R. McClearj, Boston
De Rcynoso, Bernard
Edmands, J. Wiley, Newton
Goddard, Thomas, Boston
Gould, George, Ne^Yton

Members admitted
Members deceased

Minot, George W., Boston
Slade, Robert, Boston
Smith, George W., Boston
Tappan, Levis W., Boston
Wainwright, Peter, Boston
Wheeler, Lewis, Cambridge

12.

1,149

57

^urfflHv Agricultural §mit^.

LIST OF PREMIUMS FOR THE YEAR 1856.

PROGRESSIVE HUSBANDRY.

For the best conducted and most improved Farm during five
consecutive years, commencing in the year 1856, — of which the
occupant shall present annually to the Trustees a satisfactory
account of the whole management of the Farm, — of the crops
produced, of the improvement made, and of the stock kept, — a
premium of One Hundred Dollars, to be paid in 1860.

Note. Whenever any Farm shall be entered for this premium, the Secretary of the
Society shall give notice thereof to the Committee on Progressive Husbandry,
annually in September, who will be required to examine the Farm, and to certify the
general management of it.

MANAGEMENT OF FARMS.

For the most valuable and economical improvements in the
cultivation and management of Farms entire, during the year,
including lands, crop, stock, and all other appendages.

First premium, $25.00 Third premium, $12.00

Second " 15.00

Fourth " 8.00

Competitors for these premiums must give notice of their inten-
tion to the Secretary, on or before June 15. Farms offered for
inspection will be viewed by the Committee from the 20th June to
10th July, and also in September. Any extraordinary field crop
will, on notice, be visited by the Committee, and a report of the
same be made to the Society.

126

IMPROVING MEADOW AND SWAMP LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment in reclaiming wet meadow
or swamp lands, by drainage or otherwise, on not less than one
acre, with a statement, in detail, of the course of management,
and the produce, &c..

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

OLD PASTURE LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment in restoring and improving
old pasture lands, with an account of the means employed and the
expense of the same,

First premium, $8.00 | Second premium, $6.00

For the best written report given by any member of the Soci-
ety, and worthy of publication, of any improvement observed in
any meadow, or swamp, or old pasture lands in the County —
other than those lands for which the above-mentioned premiums
may be claimed,

A premium of $10.00

CLEARING AND ENCLOSING UNIMPROVED LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment of clearing unimproved
lands, on not less than one acre ; conditions and specifications the
same as in meadow and swamps lands,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

PLOUGHING.

Double Teams. For the best performance in ploughing, at
least one-eighth of an acre — within one hour — not less than eight
inches in depth. The Michigan double plough may be used,

First premium, $10.00
Second " 8.00

Third premium, $6.00

Fourth " 4.00

Single Teams. For the best performance in ploughing, at
least one-eighth of an acre, not less than six inches deep.

First premium.

$8.00

Fifth premium,

$4.00

Second "

7.00

Sixth "

3.00

Third "

6.00

Seventh "

2.00

Fourth "

5.00

127

Horse Teams. For the best performance in ploughing with
horses,

First premium, |8.00

Second " 6.00

Third premium, $4.00

Fourtli " 2.00

Note. A Double Team will consist of two yokes of oxen, with or without a driver ;
or a team of one yoke of oxen and a horse also, with or without a driver. Single
Team, one yoke of oxen without a driver. Competitors must own their teams and
ploughs, and enter the same in their own names. JNotice to compete must be given to
the Secretary on or before the Saturday previous to the Exhibition. In awarding
premiums, one hour will be allowed for the performance of the work, regard being had
to the width and depth of the furrow-slice, and tlie evenness, ease and quiet with
which the work is performed.

EXPERIMENTS IN SUBSOIL PLOUGHING.

For the most satisfactory experiment, on not less than one acre
of land, of the effect of subsoil ploughing, to be determined by the
difference in the value of the crops, raised on equal portions of
equally manured land, of equal quality, one half of which having
been subsoil ploughed, the other half ploughed in the usual man-
ner,— statements of the depth of ploughing, in each instance,
together with all the particulars of culture required.

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $7.00

SPADING.

For the best performance in spading, not less than ten inches
in depth, on a piece of not less than one hundred square feet of
sward land ; due regard being had to time, the thoroughness of
the pvdvcrization of the soil, and the state in which it is left for
the reception of seed,^

First premium, $8, and diploma ; second do., $7 ; third do.,
; fourth do., $5; fifth do., $1; sixth do., $8; seventh do.,
; eighth do., $1.

EXPERIMENTS ON MANURES.

For an exact and satisfactory experiment in the preparation
and application of manures, either animal, vegetable, or mineral,
due regard being had to economy, a premium of $15.00.

For an exact and satisfactory experiment in the application alone
of manures, in the best manner, and with the greatest economy,

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $5.00

128

TURNING IN CROPS AS A MANURE.

For the most satisfactorj experiment of turning in crops as a
manure, either green or dry^ on not less than one-half acre of land,
a detailed account of the whole process to be given in writing,

First premium, ^8.00 | Second premium, f 6.00

COMPARATIVE VALUE OF CROPS AS FOOD FOR

CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment upon a stock of cattle, not
less than four in number, in ascertaining the relative value of the
diiferent kinds of fodder used, with a statement in detail of the
quantity and value of the same, as compared with English hay,
the experiment to be made in the three winter months,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

FATTENING CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment in feeding cattle, with a
statement in detail of the process and the result,

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $5.00

FATTENING SWINE.

For the most satisfactory experiment in feeding swine, with a
statement in detail of the process and the result.

First premium, $8.00 | Second premium, $5.00

SOILING OF CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment of the soiling of cattle,
with a detailed statement of the process and the result, — regard
being had to the saving of manure, and to the comparative ex-
pense of pasturing,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

GREEN FODDER.

For the best conducted experiment in raising corn fodder or
other succulent feed to be used green, — on not less than one-lialf
acre of land, — with a statement, in detail, of the mode and cost of
cultivation, a premium of $7.00

129

HAY.

For the largest quantity and best quality of English Hay per
acre, not less than two acres, produced on any farm in the county,
regard being had to the mode and cost of cultivation, a premium
of $6.00

CULTIVATION OF GRAIN CROPS.

1. For the best conducted experiment in Wheats on not less
than one-half sxcYO of land, first premium, $Q ; second do. $4.

2. For the best conducted experiment in Mi/e, on not less
than one acre of land, first premium, $4 ; second do., $2.

3. For the best conducted experiment in Oats, on not less
than one acre of land, first premium, $4 ; second do., $2.

4. For the best conducted experiment in Barley, on not less
than one acre of land, first premium, $4 ; second do., $2.

5. For the best conducted experiment in Indian Corn, on not
less than one acre of land, first premium, $8 ; second do., $5 ;
third do., $3.

6. For the best conducted experiment in raising White Bea?is,
on not less than 07ie-half slcyg of land, a premium of ^6.

Claimants for premiums on Grain Crops are required to notify
the Chairman of the Committee on Grain Crops on or before the
15th of November, by a written statement, containing the follow-
ing particulars : — a description of the soil ; the value of the land ;
the interest on that value ; the amount of taxes ; the value of
manure, or ashes, or plaster used ; the cost of seed ; the expense
of preparing the ground, of sowing or planting ; of cultivating and
harvesting the crop, and the total value of the crop raised ; that
by a single glance the net profit of the production may be seen.

Note. Applications for premiums on small Grains to be made on or before the first
of July, and on Indian Corn on or before the fifieenth of August; not less than a half
bushel of each kind to be shown at the annual exhibition. The quantity to be ascer-
tained by weight, as follows: — Corn, 56 lbs. to the bushel; Rye, 56; Barley, 4-6 ;
Buckwheat, 46 ; Oats, 30; Wheat, (10.

MIXED CROPS.

For the best conducted experiment in the cultivation of mixed
crops of grains and vegetables, in alternate rows — first premium,

17

130

$6 ; second premium, ^4. This must be made on not less than
one acre of land, and a statement in detail of the expense and
product will be required.

ROOT CULTURE.

1. For the best conducted experiment in raising Potatoes, a
premium of $6.00

2. For the best conducted experiment in raising Sugar Beets,
a premium of $8.00

3. For the best conducted experiment in raising Carrots, a
premium of $8.00

4. For the best conducted experiment in raising Parsnips, a
premium of $8.00

5. For the best conducted experiment in raising Ruta Baga,
a premium of $8.00

6. For the best conducted experiment in raising 3Ia7igel
Wiirtzel, a premium of $8.00

7. For the best conducted experiment in raising Flat Turnips,
a premium of $5.00

8. For the best conducted experiment in raising Onions, first
premium, $5 ; second do., $4*.

Samples of one bushel to be presented at the annual exhibition.

These crops must be raised on not less than one-half acre of
land, except Parsnips, which may be on one-cpiarter of an acre,
and the quantity ascertained by weight, as follows : — Carrots, 55
lbs. ; Sugar Beets, 60 ; Mangel Wvirtzel, 60 ; Ruta Baga, 60 ;
Parsnips, 45 ; Rovmd Turnips, 50.

jVote. Application for premiums on Root Crops to be made on or before the 10th
of September. Jt shall be the iluty oC the several Committees on these experiments?
to take into consideration the character of the soil on which the crops have been raised,
the capital employed, the whole management and cost of the experiment, and to award
the premiums with particular regard to the general merits of the applicant, who shall
be required to make a detailed statement on or before the 20th of JNovember.

VEGETABLES.

Autumn and Winter Squashes. For the best conducted
experiment on raising the Autumnal 3Iarrow and Winter Crook-
neck Squash, on not less than one-fourth of an acre of land, at least
one dozen, to be exhibited at the Exhibition, a premium of $5.00.

131

Cabbages. For the best conducted experiment in raising
Cabbages, on not less than one-half acre of ground, a premium
of $5.00

For the best Collection and Variety of Garden Veget-
ables, regard being had to the quantity as well as quality ex-
hibited— first premium, a Silver Cup of the value of $10 ; second
do., $5 ; third do., $4 ; fourth do., $3 ; fifth do., $2 ; sixth
do. $1. $10 may be awarded at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

Potatoes. For the best new variety of Seedling Potatoes,
superior to any kind now in cultivation, a premium of $20.00

For the best collection of Potatoes, not less than a j;ec7c of each
variety, a premium of $5.00

KITCHEN GARDEN.

For the best kitchen garden, on not less than one quarter of an
acre of ground — regard being had to the quantity, variety and
excellence of the vegetables therein, and the mode and expense
of cultivation — a premium of $5.00

ANIMALS.

To be entered in the names of those persons icho have had them in
their possession in the County six months before Exhibition.

NoTK. In all cases where it is found that animals entitled to the first premium,
have before received the same at any former exhibition of the Society, a Diploma,
certifying that said animal is the best, shall be awarded instead of the premium. The
Diploma of the Society shall be awarded, at the discretion of the several Committees,
for animals exhibited from without the limits of the County.

Fat Cattle. For the best beef animal, fattened within the
County, regard being had to the manner of feeding, and the ex-
pense thereof — first premium, $8 ; second do., $5 ; third do., $3.

Bulls. For the best Bnll, not less than one year old, on satis-
factory evidence being given that he shall be kept for use in the
County for nine months from the day of exhibition — Jersey, first
premium, $5 ; second do., $3. Ayrshire, first premium, $5 ;
second do., $3. Durham, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.
Devon, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.

For the best Bull Calf of any of the above classes, under one
year old — first premium, $3 ; second do., $2 ; third do., $1.

132

Bulls and Heifers raised in the County, two years old and
under, fifty per cent, more than the regular premium.

Cows. For Cows not less than three years old — Jersey, first
premium, $5 ; second do., 3. Aysrhire, first premium, $5 ;
second do., $3. Durham, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3 ;
Devon, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3. Grade, first pre-
mium, $5; second do., $3. Native, first premium, $5; second
do., $3.

Heifers. For Heifers from one to three years old — Jersey,
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2. Ayrshire, first premium,
$3 ; second do., $2. Durham, first premium, $3 ; second do.,
$2. Devon, first premium, $3 ; second do., $2. Grade, first
premium, $3 ; second do., $2. Native, first premium, $3 ;
second do., ^2.

Best Heifer under one year old — first premium, $3 ; second
do., $2 ; third do., $1.

Milch Cows. For the best Milch Cow, not less than three
years old, with satisfactory evidence of the quantity and quality
of her milk, and the manner in which she has been fed, certificates
of which must be filed in writing, of the product of her milk and
butter made from the cow during two periods of ten days each.
Three months, neither more nor less, shall elapse between the two
periods of trial aforesaid, and the last trial shall be completed be-
fore the date of the Annual Exhibition. In cases where the milk
is not made into butter, the quantity and weight of the milk must
be stated, time of the cow's calving, and quality of the calf. Ver-
bal statements cannot be depended upon or received. First pre-
mium, $10 ; second do., $8 ; third do., $6 ; fourth do., $4.

Produce of Milk for the entire year. For the best con-
ducted experiment with a stock of Milch Cows, not less than ten
in number, and yielding, each Cow, not less, on an average, than
eight quarts per day, for a period of one year — with a statement,
in detail, of the character, age and breed of the cows, and of the
method and expense of feeding them, a premium of f 25.

For a similar experiment, with a stock of not less than six cows,
and with same conditions, a premium of $15.

For a similar experiment, with a stock of not less than four
cows, and with same conditions, a premium of $10.

133

Heifers in Milk. Not more than three years old, — first
premium, $G ; second do., $5 ; third do., $4.

WORKING OXEN.

For the best pair of Working Oxen, not less than four years
old, regard being had to their size, strength, docility, training and
appearance. In testing their power, the load is not to be less
than 3,000 pounds, — first premium, $8; second do., ^6 ; third
do., $5 ; fourth do., $3. In case the oxen are raised and owned
by the exhibitor, 50 per cent, shall be added to the premium.

Steers. For the best pair of three years old Steers, and
under four, broken to yoke, — first premium, $5 ; second do., $4 ;
third do., $3. Same as in the case of oxen.

Two YEARS OLD AND UNDER THREE, — first premium, $5 ;
second do., $4.

One year old and under two, — first premium, $S ; second
do., $2.

Town Teams. For the largest and best team of Oxen from
any town or city in the County, — first premium, $20 ; second do.,
$15 ; third do., $10.

THOROUGH BRED AND PART THOROUGH BRED

STOCK.

Stallions, with same guarantee as preceding.

•

For the best Stallion of 4 years old and upwards, a pre-
mium of $15.00
do. 2d best do. do. do. do. 10.00
do. 3d best do. do. do. do. 8.00

Three years old colts or fillies.

For the best 3 years old Colt, a premium of $(3.00

" 2d best " " " 4.00

" 3d best " " " 3.00

134

Two YEARS OLD COLTS OR FILLIES.

For the best 2 years old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

One year old colts or fillies.

For the best 1 year old Colt, a premmm of $5.00

" 2d best " " " ' 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

" 4th best " " " 1.00

Brood mares and foals.

For best Brood Mare and Colt by her side, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " " 8.00

" 3d best

u

a

((

((

6.00

" 4th best

a

a

u

a

4.00

Carriage horses 15 to 16 hands high, open to all de-
scriptions.

For the best pair of Carriage Horses, a premium of $20.00

" 2d best" " " 15.00

" 3d best" " " 10.00

Single horses, open to all descriptions.

For the best Buggy or Chaise Horse, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " « 6.00

" 4th best " ' " " 4.00

Saddle horses,»open to all descriptions.

For the best Saddle Horse, a premium of $8.00

" 2d best " " 6.00

" 3d best " " 4.00

Horses of all work.

For best Stallion of 4 years old and upward, a premium of $15.00

" 2d best " " " " 10.00

" 3d best " " " " 8.00

No Stallion to be entitled to a premium without a guarantee of
his remaining in the County six months.

135

Brood mares of all work, avitii foals at side.

For the best Brood Mare and Colt, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " " 6.00

" 4th best " " " 4.00

Three years old colts or fillies of all work.
For the best 3 years old Colt, a premium of fG.OO

" 2d best " " " 4.00

" 3d best " " " 3.00

Two years old colts or fillies of all work.

For the best 2 years old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

One year old colts or fillies of all work.

For the best 1 year old Colt, a premium of $5.00

3.00
2.00
1.00

Single farm or draught horses of all work.

For the best Farm or Draught Horse, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " " 6.00

" 4th best" " " 4.00

Pairs of farm or team horses.

For the best pair of Farm or Team Horses, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " " 6.00

The premiums proposed to be offered by this hst amounts to the
sum of $333.

Assurances are given from several gentlemen, members of the
Socictv, that if necessary to carry out this recommendation, the
sum of $200 shall be furnished the Treasurer for that purpose.

(;

2d best "

ii.

ii.

((

3d best "

a

a

(.i

4th best "

u

a

136

Every entry for premium must be made before 12 o'clock of
the first day of the exhibition, and the Stock must be present the
second day.

It must be distinctly understood, that premiums will not be
awarded to any animal that does not, in the opinion of the Com-
mittee, possess decided merit.

In behalf of several gentlemen belonging to the Society, I
hereby guarantee that the sum of two hundred dollars shall be
placed at the disposal of the Treasurer, should it be found neces-
sary in order to carry out the premiums proposed to be offered

for Horses.

Joseph L. Brigham.
November 21, 1854.

-5

SWINE.

For the best Boar, not less than six months old — first premium,
$6 ; second do., $5 ; third do., $4.

For the best Breeding Sow, with or without Pigs — first pre-
mium, $6 ; second do., $5 ; third do., $4.

For the best litter of Weaned Pigs, not less than four in num-
ber, and from two to six months old, regard being had to their
age — first premium, |5 ; second do., $3 ; third do., $2.

For the best fat Hog, with statement of the method of keep-
ing— first premium, $(3 ; second do., ^5.

SHEEP.

For the best flock, not less than six in number — first premium,
^5 ; second do., $3.

LIVE FOWLS.

For the best pair of Black Spanish, $2 ; do. do. Black Shang-
gaes, $2 ; do. do. White Shanghaes, $2 ; do. do. Marsh or
Forbes Shanghaes, $2 ; do. do. Dorkings, $2 ; do. do. Poland,
$2 ; do. do. Bolton Grays, $2 ; do. do. Barn-yard Fowls, $2 ;
do. do. Fowls, $2 ; do. do. Guinea Fowls, ^2 ; do. do. Bantams,
; do. do. Ducks, $2.

For the best conducted experiment in raising, keeping and fat-

137

tcninp; any of the various breeds of fowls, Avitli a statement, in
detail, of the method, expense and profit of the same, particularly
of the amount of eggs produced from a given number of hens, in
order to determine their laying properties, and also their condition
in flesh and market value — no premium to he awm'ded ivithout
such statement — first premium, ^G ; second do., $4.

For the best lot of Geese, $3 ; do. Turkeys, $3 ; second best
lot of Turkeys, $2.

For the best lot of Live Fowls, not less than twelve, $4 ; second
best lot, not less then six, $3 ; third best lot, not less than six, $2.

No Fowls entered after nine o'clock shall be entitled to a pre-
mium.

DAIRY.

For the best produce of Butter, on any farm within the County,
for four months, from the 20th of May to the 20th of September,
a sample of not less than twenty pounds to be exhibited — quantity
as well as qualltij to be taken into view, with a full account of the
manner o^ feeding the Cows, and the general management of the
milk and butter — first premium, $10 ; second do., $8 ; third do.,
; fourth do., $3.

Note. It will be seen that these premiums are offered for the best produce on the
Farms, and not simply for the best specimens exhibited. Competitors will therefore
be particular in keeping an account, and preparing a statement of the entire produce
within the time mentioned. Each lot presented for premium must be numbered, but
not marked ; any public, or known mark, must be completely concealed, nor must the
competitors be present at the examination.

For the best box of Butter, of not less quantity than 12 lbs. —
first premium, $10 ; second do., $5 ; third do,, $3.

Note. Butter to be presented on the morning of the second day.

Cheese. For the best specimen of Cheese, of not less than 50
lbs. — first premium, $5 ; second do., $3 ; third do., $2.

Butter. For the best and most satisfactory statement at the
Annual Exhibition in 1856, of the quantity produced from the
milk of anv number of Cows, not less than four nor more than
seven, from January 1st, 1856, to the day of exhibition, in the
Fall, including a description of the character, age and breed of the
18

138

Cows, and a particular account of the feeding and general man-
agement— first premium, $8 ; second do., $6.

For any number of Cows more than seven — ^first premium, $10 ;
second do., $8.

BREAD.

For the best loaf of Wheat and Indian, of two to four lbs.
weight — first premium $3 ; second premium, ^2.

For the best loaf made of Unbolted Wheat, which shall be
grown in the County, of two to four lbs. weight — ^first premium,
$S ; second do., $2.

For the best loaf of Rye and Indian, of four to six lbs. weight —
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2.

For the best loaf of Wheat Bread, of two to four lbs. weight —
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2.

The bread presented for premium must be made on the day
previous to the Exhibition, by some female member of a family,
exclusive of hired persons, in whose name the entries shall be
made, and to whom the premiums shall be awarded. The bread
shall be baked in the oven commonly used by the family in which
it shall be made. A written statement of the process of making
the bread shall accompany each loaf.

There shall be Committees appointed to judge of the several
descriptions of bread, to whom the names of the contributors shall
not be known, and no person shall serve on said Committees if
any member of his family shall be a competitor.

FOREST TREES.

For the best plantation of Forest Trees, of either of the follow-
ing varieties, viz. : — White Oak, Yellow Oak, Locust, Birch,
Y/"hite Ash, or Walnut, Scotch Larch, Norway Spruce, Pitch
Pine and White Pine, or other varieties, not less than three years
old, and not less than one thousand trees, a premium, to be
awarded in 1856, of $20.

For the best Plantation, to contain not less than five hundred
trees, a premium of $10.

139

Ornamental Planting. To any city or town of Norfolk
County, for the largest number and best growth of ornamental
trees, which shall be planted in a public square or on the road-
side— first premium, $80 ; second do., $20.

To any individual or Society, regard being had to the number
of persons associated, for the largest number and best growth of
ornamental trees, which shall be planted in a public square or on
the roadside — first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

These premiums to be awarded in the autumn of 1856, and if
awarded to a city or town, to be graduated by the population
according to ^le census of 1850.

FRUIT TREES.

Apple Orchard. For the best Apple Orchard, of not less
than seventy-jive trees, which shall have been set out since 1851,
and which' shall be in the best and most thriving condition in
1856 — first premium, $15; second do., $10 ; third do., $7.

Pear Trees. For the best engrafted or budded Pear Trees,
set out since 1851, and which shall be in the most thriving con-
dition in. the autumn of 1856, not less than tiventy-jive trees —
first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

Renovation of old Apple Orchards. For the most satis-
factory experiment in the renovation of old Apple Orchards, not
less than ten trees, on any one farm, which, being reclaimed, shall
in 1856, be in fine productive fruit — first premium, $10 ; second
do., $6.

Peach Orchards. For the best Peach Orchard, of not less
than fifty trees, set out since 1851, and which shall be in the
most thrifty bearing condition in the autumn of 1856 — first pre-
mium, $10 ; second do., $5.

For the Peach Orchard, of not less than fifty trees, grown from
pits planted since 1852, on the spot where the trees stand, which
shall be in the best condition in 1856 — first premium, $10 ;
second do., 5.

Seedling Apples or Pears. For the best wariety of new
Seedling App>lcs or Pears, of decidedly superior quality, one

140

dozen specimens to be exhibited, together with a history of its
origin, a description of its growth, and the bearing character of
the tree — first premium, ,^10 ; second do., $5.

SEEDLING GRxiPES.

For a new variety of Native or SeecUiiig G-rape, equal or supe-
rior to the Isabella, ripening, in this County, in the open air, by
the middle of September^ prolific and suitable for the table — first
premium, $20 ; second do., |10.

CRANBERRY VINES. •

For the most successful experiment in transplanting Cranberry
Vines, or raising them from the seed, which shall be in the most
flourishing and productive state on the first of September, 1856.
Competitors will be required to give a particular account of their
several operations.

First premium, |15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

HEDGES.

For the best live Hedge Fence, of not less than one thousand
feet in length.

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $5.00

DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

Fancy Articles — including Needlework, Crotchetwork, Shell-
work, Millinery, Drawings, Paintings, &c.

For such articles in this department as may be deemed worthy,
a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Note. It should be understood that, in this department of Ladies' work — while
other things will receive due consideration — the premiums are intended solely for
neivly made articles which are really useful, or particularly beautiful. For well made
garments of any kind ; for stocking knitting of wool, cotton or silk; for bonnet and
cap making; for all articles of children's wear, well made or tastefully embroidered ;
for neat and thoroug-h mending, patching, and darning; for drawing, designing, or
painting in oil or water colors ; for models in plaster, wnod, or marble, &c.

("hildren under 12 years of age, attending the public schools, are not invited to offer
anything for premium, except such articles as will show their docility, diligence and
good behaviour at school, and shall be accompanied with a certificate of approbation
from their school teacher. To such articles particular attention will be given, and
premiums at the discretion of the Committee.

141

Manufactures of Straw. For the best Straw Bonnet —
first premium, $8 ; second do., $6.

For the best specimen of Straw Braid, not less than 100 yards
— first premium, $o ; second do., $2.

Manufactures of Cloth, Flannels, Hosiery, &c. Cotton
Cloth. For the best specimen of Cotton Cloth, of any descrip-
tion, not less than twenty-eight yards in quantity, a premium or
gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Woollen Cloth. For the best specimen of Woollen Cloth, of
any description, not less than twenty yards in quantity, a premium
or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Cotton and Woollen mixed. For the best specimen of Cotton
and Woollen Cloth of any description, not less than twenty yards
in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

Flannels. For the best specimen of Flannel, not less than
twenty yards in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion
of the Committee.

For the best specimen of Cotton Flannel, not less than twenty
yards in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the
Committee.

For the best pair of Woollen Blankets, a premium or gratuity,
at the discretion of the Committee.

Hosiery^ Sj-c. For the best specimen of Silk Hose, a premium
of $1.50.

For the best specimen of Silk Half Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Woollen Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Woollen Half Hose, a premium of 50
cents.

For the best specimen of Cotton Hose, a premium of 60 cents.

For the best specimen of Cotton Half Hose, a premium of 25
cents.

For the best specimen of Worsted Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Worsted Half Hose, a premium of 50
cents.

For the best specimen of Sewing Silk, not less than one pound,
a premium of $2.

For the best specimen of Knitting Yarn, not less than one
pound, a premium of $1.

142

For the best specimen of Spool Thread, not less than one
pound, a premium of $1.

For the best Fleece of Wool, a premium of $1.

For the best dozen Grain Bags, a premium of |1.

For the best specimen of neat and thorough mending, patching,
or daining of garments, hose, &c., a premium of $1.

Carpeting, Rugs and Floor Cloth.

For the best " Common" Ingrain 2-ply Carpeting ;

do. do. " Fine " do. do. do.

do. do, " Superfine " do. do. do.

do. do. " Common," " Fine," or " Superfine" Ingrain 3

ply Carpeting ;

do. do. Brussels Floor Carpeting ;

do. do. Tapestry do. do:

do. do. Velvet Carpeting.

For each of these descriptions of Carpeting, a premium or the
Society's Diploma, at the discretion of the Committee.

Note. Ingrain 2-ply Carpetings will be judged by the comparative merits of pieces
of similar weight; or, disregarding weight, by the quality of colors, the taste of shad-
ing, and the evenness in spinning and weaving.

For the best piece of Stair Carpeting, the Society's Diploma.
For the best Hearth Rug, the Society's Diploma.
For the best specimen of Painted Floor Cloth, a premium or
the Society's Diploma, at the discretion of the Committee.

Counterpanes. For the best Counterpane — regard being
had to quality and expense of materials — first premium, $3 ;
second do., $2.

NoTK. Any article, in either of the foregoing departments, which shall have been
manufactured in the family of the person presenting it, will receive the particular con-
sideration of the Committee, and. if worthy, a suitable premium.

Glass, Earthen, Stone and Wooden Ware. For the finest
collections aud best specimens of articles in each of these depart-
ments, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Brass, Copper, Tin, Iron and Britannia Ware. For the
finest collections and best specimens of articles in each of these
departments, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

148

Cabinet Wohk. For the best specimen of Cabinet Work, a
premium, or the Society's Diploma.

Iron Fencing, Gates and Posts. For the best specimens of
each — regard being had to cost and utihty, as Avell as ornament
— a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Stoves. For the best Farmer's Cauklron Stove ;
do. do. Cooking do.

do. do. Parlor do.

— a premium of $2.

Horse and Ox Shoes. For the best specimens of Horse and
Ox Shoes, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Horse Shoes /or meadow land, a pre-
mium of %1.

India Eubber Goods. For the finest collection and best
specimens of India Rubber goods, a premium or gratuity, at the
discretion of the Committee.

Brushes, Combs, Hats, Caps and Gloves. For the finest
collection and best specimens of each of these articles, a premium
or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Leather, and Articles manufactured therefrom.

For the best specimen of Thick Boots, a premium of $2.00

Calfskin, do. 3.00

Thin Boots other

than Calfskin, do. 2.00

Kipskin, do. 2.00

Thick Brogans, do. 1.00

Fine Brogans, do. 1.00

Ladies' Boots, do. 1.00

For the best specimen of Upper or Sole Leather, or Morocco,

a premium or gratuity, each, at the discretion of the Committee.

For the best single Carriage Harness ;

do. do. double do.

do. do. Cart Harness — a premium or gratuity, each, at
the discretion of the Committee.

For the best Riding Bridle, a premium of $1.00

do. do. do. Saddle, do. 2.00

do. do. Carriage or Cart Wnip, a premium of 1.00

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

144

Carriages, Wagons, Carts, &c.

For the best specimen of Family Carriages, for one horse or

for two horses ;

For the best Covered Wagon ;

do. do. Open do.

do. do. Farm do.

do. do. do. Cart ;

do. do. Farm Wheelbarrow — a premium or gratuity,
each, at the discretion of the Committee.

Jellies, Preserves, Pickles and Ketchups. For the finest
collection and best specimens of each, made of articles of domes-
tic growth, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

ISTew Inventions. For any new iilvention of decided superi-
ority and usefulness to the farmer, a premium or gratuity, at the
discretion of the Committee.

Note. It is to be understood that all articles presented for premium, in each of the
foregoing departments, shall have heen mainiractured or produced within the County
during the last vear, and by the person presenting them. Also, that in every case, the
Examining Committee shall have the right to substitute the Society's Diploma for a
premium or gratiiity, or to give it where no premium or gratuity has been awarded, at
their discretion.

Articles in either of the above departments, contributed to the exhibition by persons
not resident in the County, shall receive suitable attention from the Committee, and,
if worthy, be awarded the Society's Diploma.

FRUITS AND FLOWERS.

Accommodations will be provided for the exhibition of Fruits
and Flowers, and Committees will be appointed to examine and
report on such as may be presented. Whoever may present, is
requested to furnish a minute, in writing, of the name of the
owner, and a list of his contributions.

The following premiums will be awarded :

For the best collection of cut flowers, $4 ; second best, $2 ;
third best, $1. For the best bouquets, or tastefully arranged
baskets of flowers, not less than four, ^4; second best, $2 ; third
best, $1. For the best collection of twenty named dahlias, regard
being had to colors and symmetry of flower, $3; second best, $2.
For the best single bloom, $1. For the best collection of twelve
pot plants, regard being had to new and rare varieties and well

r.

146

grown specimens, $3 ; second best, $2. For the best single
specimen, $1, For the best collection of new seedling verbenas,
$2. For the best new seedling, $1. To be aAvarded in gratui-
ties, at the discretion of the Committee, |;12.

FRUITS.

For the best collection of Apples — first premium, ^5 ; second
do., $3 ; third do., $2.

For the best collection of Pears — first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3 ; third do., $2.

For the best collection oi Peaches — first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3 ; third do., $2.

For the best dish of Pears, not less than one dozen specimens,
a premiiim of $2.

For the best dish of Apples, not less than one dozen specimens,
a premium of $2.

Grapes.' For the best collection of Foreign Grapes — first
premium, $5 ; second do., $3.

For the best collection of Native G-rapes, a premium of $3.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

For the most extensive and finest collection of Agricultural
Implements — first premium, ^15 ; second do., $10 ; third do., $5.

For the best Agricultural Implements manufactured within the
County, and exhibited by the manufacturer — first premium, $6 ;
second do., $4.

For the best Report, by any member of the Society, of any new
or improved Agricultural Implement — describing its construction
and operation, its cost and its benefit, and, in particular, its appli-
cability to the soil of Norfolk County — a premium, if worthy of
record, in proportion to the value of such report, at the discretion
of the Committee.

AGRICULTURAL LABORERS.

For a certificate — signed by his employer, and countersigned
by any two Trustees of the Society residing in the same town —
of the superior character and qualifications of any man or boy, in
the employment of a member of the Society for a period, next

146

preceding, of not less than two years, attesting the industry, in-
tegrity, respectful demeanor, and general good habits, during that
time, of the bearer of such certificate,

A premium of Membership of the Society, and a Diploma.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

For the best Essay on either of the following subjects, which
may be considered by the Trustees worthy of publication : —

Forest Trees. For the best Essay on the raising and culti-
vation of Forest Trees, a premium of $10.

Insects. For the best Essay for the destruction of Insects
injurious to vegetation, such as CiircuUo, Borer, Canker- Worniy.
Caterpillar, Cut- Worm, Squash-Bug, Striped-Bug, Rose-Bug,,
^c, cfc, a premium of $20.

Potato Disease. For the best Essay on the prevention of
the Potato Disease, a premium of $10.

Preservation of Winter Fruit. For the best Essay on
the preservation of Apples and other Winter Fruits, $10.

Preservation of Vegetables. For the best Essay on the
preservation of Vegetables, a premium of $10.

Agricultural Education. For the best Essay on Agricul-
tural Education, a premium of $10.

Farm Accounts. For the best Essay on a system of Farm
Accounts, $10.

For the most valuable Essay upon the comparative value and
adaptation to the climate and soil of Norfolk County of the several
foreign and native breeds of Cows and Oxen, $10.

For the best Prize Essay on Domestic Poultry, $25.

For the best Essay on Fences for Farms, uniting economy,
strength, and appearance, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the extermination of Weeds and Plants,
destructive to crops, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the preservation and application of
Liquid Manure, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the Introduction of new Fruits and new
articles of Field Culture, a premium of $10.

147

For the best Essay on the best manner of subdividing farm cul-
tivation -with reference to Economy and Profit, a premium of ^10.

For the best Essay on the value and application of Phosphate
of Lime, as a fertilizer of the soil, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on Pees, and Structure of Hives, Avith par-
ticular reference to feeding Bees, and guarding against the spoli-
ations of the Bee Moth, a premium of $10.

For an Essay on any subject connected with Agriculture, Hor-
ticulture, IManufactures, or Mechanics, which the Trustees may
consider worthy, a premium of $10.

For the best plan for a Barn and Barn Yard, with regard to
the keeping of the Hay, the comfort of the Cattle, the ease and
convenience of tending them, and the making and preserving the
Manure, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the proper time and manner of catting
the Trees on woodland, a premium of $10.

These premiums will not be awarded unless the Essays offered,
shall, in the judgment of the Committee appointed to decide upon
them, be deemed in themselves worthy of an Award without refer-
ence to their comparative merit.

148

EULES AND GE^^ERAL REMARKS.

It is understood that all premiums will be restricted to articles
of the growth and manufacture of the County, unless otherwise
specified in connection with it. Essays and Agricultural Imple-
ments being excepted from this rule, are open to general com-
petition.

Any gentleman, not a member of the Society, entitled to a
premium of five dollars, or vipwards, shall receive the amount
exceeding the sum of five dollars, and shall thereafter become a
member.

The stock and articles intended for exhibition and premium,
butter excepted, must be on the ground at or before 12 o'clock
on Tuesday, the first day of the Exhibition. Animals will not be
allowed to be removed from the pens before 3 o'clock on Wednes-
day, the second day, and all other articles not until 5 o'clock,
without the permission of the Committee.

The animals, while on the ground, will be fed at the expense of
the Society.

No person serving on any of the Committees shall have a vote
in any case, Avhen he shall be personally interested as a com-
petitor.

All other Entries for premiums must be made in writing, and
shall be placed in the hands of the Recording Secretary, on or
before the 15th of November.

Premiums awarded, and not called for within six montJis, will
be considered as given to the Society, in aid of its funds.

After the objects for Exhibition are arranged, they will be
under the care of the Committees, and cannot be removed without
their consent.

149

No object or article will be entitled to a premium, unless it
possesses points of superiority ; and the Committees have the dis-
cretionary power of withholding premiums, if, in their opinion, the
articles or objects are not deemed worthy to receive the same.

The Trustees have carefully revised and approved of the
foregoing proposals for Premiums. The respective Committees,
appointed to award the same, are required to enforce a strict
conformity to all the rules in relation to Entries and Certificates.

In the appointment of Committees, the Trustees will seek for
the most judicious and skilful individuals in the various towns in
the County, to award the Premiums ; but should they fail to
secure the aid of the ablest and most experienced men in the
above capacity, they will rely upon the forbearance which, they
believe, will be generously extended towards sincere and un-
wearied e^brts.

As it will become the duty of the Society to make to the Legis-
lature an exact report of its doings, the Trustees deem it of the
highest importance, that earnest and persevering efforts should be
made by the citizens of every town in the County, to bring out
the results of their skill and industry.

MARSHALL P. WILDER, President.

Edward L. Keyes, Secretary.

/

TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

NORFOLK

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

FOR

1856.

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY.

BOSTON :

John M. Hewes, Printer,

81 Coinhill.

CON T E NTS

Address, by Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, 9

lleports : — 27

Of the President and Secretary to the Mass. Board of Agri-
culture, 29

Of the Visiting Committee, 32

Of Committee on Farms, 49

On Forest Trees, 58

On Fruit and Fruit Culture, ''9

On Fruit Trees, 82

On Flowers, 84

On Dairy, 88

On Grain Crops, 89

On Meadow and Swamp Lands, 110

On Bulls, Ill

On Milch Cows, 112

On Heifers, 114

On Working Oxen, 115

On Steers, 116

On Fat Cattle, 116

On Swine, 117

On Poultry, 117

On Horses, 118

On Ploughing, 121

On Double Teams, 121

On Single Teams, 122

On Si^ading, 122

IV CONTENTS.

Reports : — On Ladies' Work, 123

On Domestic Manufactures, 126

On Straw Manufactures, 126

On Bread, 127

On Hedges, 128

On Essays, 129

Remarks on the Cultivation of Cranberries, 101

Letter on Carrots, 109

Recapitulation of Premiums, 131

Treasurer's Report, 133

Order of Exercises on the day of the Annual Exhibition, 135

Officers of the Society, 1856, 141

Names of Members, 145

List of Premiums for the Year 1857, 159

ADDRESS,

BT

HON. MARSHALL P. WILDER

ADDRESS.

Gentlemen of the American Pomological Society : *

The official position in which your suffrages have
placed me, renders it my duty to address you at this
time. Were I to consult my own inclination, I should
listen with great pleasure to some of the distinguished
cultivators whom I see around me, and whose scientific
attainments and practical knowledge well quolif}^ them
for this service. But in the discharge of this trust, I
am inspired with the hope that you will indulge me in
the privilege of sharing in your discussions, and in the
treasures of your ripe experience.

Amidst the rapid strides of the arts and sciences in
our time, it is gratifying to know that Pomology has not
been stationary. Few subjects exhibit so remarkably
the progress of civilization and improvement as the culti-
vation of fruit. It is now only about a quarter of a
century since the establishment of the oldest horticultu-
ral society in America. Then, these associations were

* The Annual Address before the Norfolk Agricultural Society was
delivered by Hon. Josiah Quincy, Jr., but as he was disinclined to have it
published, the Trustees, at a regular meeting, unanimously passed a vote
requesting their President to permit the publication, in lieu of it, of this
ddress, delivered about the same time, before the National Pomological So-
ciety, at Rochester, New York, which request was complied with on the
part of the author.

2

10

few and feeble ; now they are numerous and influential,
extending from the British Provinces to the Gulf of
Mexico, and from ocean to ocean, — all working together
in harmony with each other, and aiding our association,
whose field is our national domain. Then the fruit crop
of the country was not deemed worthy of a place in our
national statistics ; now it exceeds thirty millions of dol-
lars annually, and is rapidly becoming one of the most
valuable and indispensable products of our Republic.
Then the sales of fruit trees were numbered by hundreds,
now by hundreds of thousands. Then choice fruit was a
luxury to be found only in the palace of the opulent ;
now it helps to furnish the table of the humble cottager,
and comparatively few are the hamlets which are with-
out their fruit tree or grape vine.

It is only eight years since the organization of this
Pomological Society ; now kindred associations exist in
various districts and States, and are exerting a power-
ful and salutary influence. Their delegates and repre-
sentatives I am most happy to welcome to a participa-
tion in the privileges of this occasion.

This improvement is full of promise, and encourages
us to greater perseverance. When we look back to the
days of Duhamel, Miller and Forsyth, we perceive that
we have made laudable progress. When we compare
those numerous splendid varieties which we have obtain-
ed with the limited catalogues of the first part of the
present century, we may well be proud of our actual
knowledge. From the days of Henry Fourth of France,
when his favorite Bon Chretien was almost the only good
pear ; from the time of Queen Elizabeth, who sent to Hol-
land to obtain lettuce for her royal table, down to the
present century, there has been a gradual advance, but in
our day it has indeed been astonishing, and still our
course is onward and upward.

11

We have long since discarded the inferior fruits of Lu
Qiiintinye, the skilful gardener of Louis the XlVth.
We have few pears left of the celebrated catalogue of
the Royal Garden of Versailles, and by the action of our
OAvn association we have rejected more than one hundred
varieties as unworthy of perpetuation. At present, who
Avould give a place in his garden to such pears as the
Chatbrule, the Martin Sec, the Messire Jean, the Bour-
don, the Lansac, the Cassolette, and a host of other
worthless sorts ? Some good fruits have survived, as the
White Doyenne, Madeleine, Jargonelle, and others, but
a part of these only are suited to general cultivation ; —
yet how limited their number, and how inferior their
quality, when compared with our choice modern seed-
lings, and the royal profusion of fruits which now crown
our tables !

When Van Mons, the patient and skilful observer, was
successfully experimenting in Europe, our Coxe, Prince,
Lowell, Dearborn, Manning, and others, had commenced
their course, and obtained some good results. Then
most of our pears were propagated on suckers taken from
the forest ; now we see millions of young vigorous trees
cultivated, sold, and planted in all parts of the Union,
and where twenty years since not a single specimen of
the Pyrus was to be found. The public no longer ridi-
cule the man who plants a tree with the hope of gather-
ing its fruit with his own hands, or the saving of seeds
to improve the quality of his fruits. True, Von Mons
was ridiculed all his life, and only appreciated by such
pioneers as Davy, Poiteau, Diel and Drapiez. His
nurseries were thrice destroyed, as wild, worthless thorn-
bushes, under the false pretence of "public utility,"
This was an irreparable loss, for however much his sys-
tem be discussed and distrusted, it is still true that the

12

results of his experience have been most beneficial to the
world.

An honorable member of this association and myself
have in trust many of the seedlings of that great master
of pomology, which have not yet fruited. We have
those of the eighth generation, which, from vigor, beau-
ty and signs of refinement, give promise of superior char-
acter, and seem to confirm his doctrine of improvement
by successive reproduction. And while we are anx-
iously awaiting the further and ultimate results of his
theory, others on this side of the Atlantic are zealously
engaged in hybridization and experiments which cannot
fail to be of immense advantage to the scientific and
practical cultivator.

This progress should cheer us onward. No other
country, in extent and variety of soil and climate, is so
well adapted, or offers so great advantages to the pomol-
ogist. Not only does our correspondence from abroad
testify to the truth of this statement, but our rapidly
extending domain continually developes new facts in
confirmation of this sentiment.

By the reports from individual fruit growers, and from
associations, it appears that some varieties of the pear
succeed equally as well in the extreme south part of our
Union as in the north. A gentleman from Oregon Ter-
ritory recently informed me that settlers there had
already provided themselves with extensive orchards,
and from which they gather fruits of great size and ex-
cellence. He also makes a similar report in relation to
Washington Territory, and instances among others an
orchard of one hundred acres, which is now yielding a
large annual income to its proprietor.

A letter from the Vice President of this Society for
Utah, on the borders of the Great Salt Lake, expresses
the hope that it will not be long before that region shall

13

be a successful rival of other jjarts of the Union in vari-
ety and excellence of its fruits. Similar accounts are
received from the district of Santa Clara.

Another communication, from an officer of this Society
in California, assures me of the great progress in our
cause in that State, and pledges a full report of its Hor-
ticultural Exhibition for our Transactions. One of my
neighbors who went to California in 1854, and now re-
siding in Napa city, whites : " Such is the rapid growth
of vegetation in that district, that apple trees, from seed
planted in the spring of 1853, and budded the same year,
yielded fruit in the autumn of 1855." He says, "I
wish you could take a look at our peach orchard, loaded
with three to four thousand baskets of fruit. You could
hardly believe that the trees had made all their growth,
and were most of them raised from seed, since I came
to California, February 1, 1854. The crop from this
orchard is now (July 18, 1856,) going to market, and
we expect will amount to between ten and twenty thou-
sand dollars." The proprietor of that crop has called
on me within a few days, confirms these statements, and
reports that the crop and prices fully realized all antici-
pations.

Such is the zeal now manifested in the cause of Po-
mology, and such are the facilities for intercommunica-
tion, that we are continually receiving valuable contri-
butions from all parts of the country and the world.

When we consider the progress of the grape culture
in the single State of Ohio, and its great increase in
other States, amounting now to more than two millions
of dollars annually — the immense quantities of peaches
and strawberries brought to our markets, the rapid
multiplication of the apple, the pear, and other fruits
throughout our land, and the millions of trees annually
sent out from this vicinity and other parts, it is not easy

14

to calculate the future importance of fruit culture,
whether viewed as a means of furnishing luxuries for our
table, or articles of domestic and foreign commerce.

In my last address, I called your attention to the im-
portance of raising new and improved varieties from seed
as the best method of increasing and preserving our sup-
ply of choice fruits. Whether the theory of the running
out of varieties be true or false, so thoroughly am I con-
vinced of the great practical utility of this recommenda-
tion, that I feel especially desirous, while I have the
opportunity, of encouraging you to perseverance, and of
guarding your minds against exposure to failures.

A false doctrine prevails among some, although found-
ed on the theory of Van Mens, " that scions taken from
seedlings, and grafted i?ito stocks, however strong and
healthy, will not yield fruit earlier than it may be obtained
from the mother plant." Adopting this theory as true,
many cultivators have been discouraged on account of the
length of the process. Whatever may have been the ex-
perience which called forth this theory from its learned
author, in the localities where it originated, or where it
has been advocated, my reading and personal observation
constrain me to question its truthfulness ; certainly its
application to our own country. For instance, the fact
is familiar to you all, that scions of the pear come into
bearing, when grafted on the quince, earlier than on the
pear stock. This is believed to result from the early
maturity of the quince, which, while it does not change
the variety of the pear, imparts its own precocity there-
to. We realize a corresponding hastening to maturity
when the scion is grafted into a pear tree which has also
arrived at maturity ; especially is this to be expected
when the stock is in itself one of a precocious character.
If any facts seem to oppose this doctrine, they may be

15

regarded either as exceptions to the general law, or as
the results of locality and cultivation.

The physiological principle of the vegetable kingdom
under which this doctrine obtains is, that the bud con-
tains the embryo tree, and that the strong or precocious
stock constrains it to elaborate more material into wood
and foliage, and thus promotes both growth and fruit-
fulness.

Common sense, as well as common observation, confirm
this statement. Witness the pear, which we have known
to fruit the fourth year from seed, when grafted on the
quince. AVe know a seedling from the Seckel pear,
grafted on the Bartlett, which bore the present season,
and is only four years from the seed. The Catharine
Gardette, raised by Dr. Brinckle, was brought into bear-
ing by grafting on the quince in five years, while the
original seedlings, in all these instances, are only three
to five feet in height, and will require several additional
years to bring them into bearing. Is it reasonable to
suppose thit a seedling pear, which, in two years, in a
given location, attains the height of one or two feet with
but few branches, will fruit as early as a scion from the
same seedling, when grafted on a strong tree, which
elaborates and assimilates through its abundant branches
and luxuriant foliage, ten times the amount of all the
elements constituting growth and maturity ?

Hence, enforcing a former suggestion, in respect to
raising new varieties, I respectfully urge you to continue
and increase your eflbrts, and, in order to hasten matu-
rity and to multiply the chances of success, I confidently
recommend the grafting of seedling fruits at the earliest
possible moment.

In respect to the best method of obtaining choice vari-
eties from seed, I urged you " to plant the most mature
and perfect seed of the most hardy and vigorous sorts.''

IG

Additional experience has confirmed my faith in this
doctrine ; for, where seed have been obtained from cross
fertilization of healthy and strong growers, the progeny
has partaken of the same character ; but, where the pa-
rents have been of slender habit or slow growth, the off-
spring have exhibited corresponding qualities. If this
fact may be relied upon, though the process of artificial
impregnation be difficult and tedious, yet, pursued with
skill and perseverance, it will ultimately secure a rich
reward. We should not be disheartened by the poor
success of Duhamel, or of Mr. Knight, with his hybrid-
ized pears ; for the failure of the latter is attributable to
the selection of inferior varieties, from which his seed-
lings were raised. In reliance upon natural fertilization,
I would still encourage the continual planting of the
seeds of choice varieties of all kinds of fruit, in the belief
that new and valuable varieties may thus be obtained.
By these various processes we shall have continual acces-
sions to our collections of such choice fruits as the Beurre
Clairgeau, Beurre d'Anjou and Doyenne Boussock pears.
Let nothing discourage you in this most hopeful depart-
ment of pomology. Go on, persevere ;

" Give uew endeavors to the mystic art,
Try every scheme, and riper views impart ;
Who knows wbat meed thy labors may await ?
What glorious fruits thy conquests may create ? "

These are triumphs worthy of the highest ambition,
conquests which leave no wound on the heart of memory,
no stain on the wing of time. He who only adds one
really valuable variety to our list of fruits is a public
benefactor. I had rather be the man who planted that
umbrageous tree, from whose bending branches future
generations shall pluck the luscious fruit, when I am
sleeping beneath the clods of the valley, than he who has

17

conquered armies. I would prefer the honor of intro-
ducing the Bahlwin apple, the Seckel pear, Hovey's
Seedling strawberry, aye, or the Black Tartarian cherry
from the Crimea, to the proudest victory which has been
won upon that blood-stained soil.

But the production of new and choice varieties of fruit
is not the only labor of the pomologist. The great an-
nual loss from decay constrains me to say a word more
on the preservation of fruits. Probably twenty-five per
cent, of our summer and early autumn fruits either rot, or,
to prevent loss, are forced upon the market at very low
prices. In the hot season of the year, and with certain
species of fruit, this evil cannot be entirely overcome ;
but that it may in a great measure be controlled by suit-
able fruit-rooms and other expedients ; and that we may
thus prolong the season of fruits beyond their usual
duration, we entertain no reasonable doubt. What we
especially need is valuable late autumn and winter sorts.
These, however, will not supersede the necessity of suit-
able storehouses, without which the heat of our warm
autumnal months is liable to start the ripening process,
and compel us to dispose of them.

The proper construction and management of these is,
therefore, commanding the attention of pomologists, both
in this country and in Europe. Their success is found
to depend on a perfect control of the temperature, mois-
ture and light. After having built and managed four
fruit-rooms, upon different plans, I am of opinion that a
proper equilibrium of temperature and moisture cannot
ordinarily be obtained without the use of ice. The pre-
servation of the apple is less difficult than that of most
other fruits, and is tolerably well understood by our
farmers. Still how few specimens, even of this fruit,
are brought to our spring market in a fresh and perfect
condition ! The art of keeping the pear, and fruits

3

18

of delicate texture, is mucli more difficult ; and it is to
these I jDarticularly refer.

Having heard of the great success of Mr. Schooley, of
Cincinnati, Ohio, by his celebrated discovery for the pre-
servation of meats, I opened a correspondence with him
with respect to the application of the same process to the
preservation of fruits. He subsequently visited me at
Boston, and advised as to the construction of a fruit-room
upon his principle. This I have found, during the last
winter and the present summer, to operate in accordance
with his statement, as illustrated by Professor Locke, in
his " Monograph upon the Preservation of Organic Sub-
stances," By his plan, the temperature and moisture of
the fruit-room, and consequently the ripening of the fruit,
may be perfectly controlled. One gentleman informs me
that he kept strawberries in a. fruit-room constructed on
this plan from June 1st to the 20th, in perfect condition
for the table ; and he entertains no doubt of its complete
success in the preservation of apples and pears indefi-
nitely. Mr. Schooley writes me that, in the month of
June, he received several barrels of Bellflower apples,
which had been kept for eight months, that were sold in
that market at two dollars and twenty-five cents per
bushel. The remainder out of eight hundred bushels
was sold at home at three dollars per bushel. These
apples were purchased at random from the strolling
wagons passing through the streets of Dayton, and were
more or less bruised by careless picking and transporta-
tion. My own experience corresponds with these state-
ments. 4

The construction of these rooms is simple. All that is
required are walls made of non-conducting materials, Avith
an apartment for the ice above the fruit-room, and with
Mr. Schooley's descending flues for the cold air, so as to
preserve an equable temperature and moisture, and to

19

hold the ripening process in suspense. The air, by pass-
ing; over the ice, is deprived of its moisture, and, being
cokl, and specifically heavier than the surrounding at-
mosphere, falls through his descending flues, and, by a
ventilator, escapes on one side of the room, thus creating
a temperature not only cool, but dry. This principle, I
am informed by a distinguished member of the medical
faculty, may be applied to the construction of hospitals
with great advantage, so that the air may be kept at a
uniform temperature and degree of humidity. For a
more particular account of this process, I refer you to

«

Professor Locke's Monograph, and to the inventor's let-
ter.

In these remarks, our object has been to provide
against the maturing of fruits until the season when they
are wanted for use. Care should, however, be exer-
cised, especially with the pear and more delicate fruits,
not to reduce the temperature much below 45 degrees of
Fahrenheit, lest the vital principle of the fruit be de-
stroyed, and the flavor lost.

Time admonishes me to be brief, but I cannot refrain
from alluding to the appropriate location, soil and treat-
ment of fruit trees. These are subjects surrounded with
mystery, and which can be relieved only by study and
personal experience. The importance of thorough drain-
ing, and perfect preparation of the soil, have not receiv-
ed the consideration they deserve ; especially where its
silicious character does not furnish a ready natural con-
ductor to superfluous moisture. Thorough draining lies
at the foundation of all successful cultivation. In cold,
wet, undrained grounds, the disease of trees commences
at the root, which absorbs injurious substances, and the
tree ceases properly to elaborate its nutritious matter.
Wherever there is an excess of water, and consequently

20

too low a temperature, and the soil is not properly drain-
ed and thoroughly worked, the vital energies of the plant
are soon impaired and its functions deranged. I am in-
clined to think that death by drowning is quite as com-
mon in the vegetable as in the animal kingdom, with this
difference, that it is not so sudden. How many of the
diseases, such as the spotting of the leaf and fruit, the
cancer, fnngi and decomposition of the bark, are attrib-
utable to this cause, it is not easy to determine. Perfect
drainage, which should always be accompanied with
subsoiling or trenching, permits the air and light to pen-
etrate and sweeten the soil, warms it, and prepares its la-
tent fertilizing properties for the nourishment of the plant.

A writer in the Journal of the Koyal Agricultural So-
ciety of England says : "I have frequently found the
soil of a well-drained field higher in temperature from
ten to fifteen degrees than that of another field, not so
drained, though in every other respect the soils were
similar." Another advantage is, that vegetation seldom
or never suffers from the drought, where the soil has
been properly drained and worked.

The necessity of thorough drainage and perfect pulver-
ization of the soil, is not less for fruits in open cultivation
than for the grape under glass, where one of the prerequi-
sites has ever been the perfect drainage of the border.

In relation to locality^ some succeed best in one place,
while others flourish well in several districts, and are
elsewhere nearly worthless, and a few are adapted to
general cultivation.

The affinity of the stock to the graft is of immense
importance to the happy union and success of both.
Some unite as though ordained by Heaven to be joined,
while others resist all the appliances of art. We have
seen trees made sick by the insertion of an uncongenial
scion, and finally destroyed. Well does a writer remark

21

that "it is from the analogy of the stock and graft that
healthy vigor results, and unless this analogy is suffi-
ciently close, it is impossible to obtain fruits in perfection.
Not only does this influence manifest itself in the vigor
and hardiness of the tree, but also in the quality of the
fruit and the time of ripening." We must, therefore,
learn on what kind of stock, in what soil and aspect, and
with what treatment each variety will flourish best. As
I have before remarked, every tree, plant and herb, from
the cedar of Lebanon to the flag of the Nile, from the
loftiest oak of the forest to the humblest daisy of the
meadow, from the fantastic parasite luxuriating in solsti-
tial air to the little flower that peeps from Alpine snows,
every thing endowed with vegetable life, requires its
own peculiar element and treatment, to sustain its vigor
and secure its highest possible perfection. However
varied this sustenence may be, and whether derived from
earth, air or water, if it be uncongenial, deterioration
and decay are inevitable. Every branch, twig and bud,
every leaf that flutters in the breeze, is an organized and
living body. Each has its correlative part, and any in-
jury done to the one will be felt in the other.

Under these general laws, each variety requires a par-
ticular treatment, and should be nurtured with a wise
reference to its peculiarities and habits. I am inclined
to believe that the most valuable treatise on pomology
would be one descriptive of the wants of each sort. The
pomologist must, therefore, study the constitution and
natural tendencies of each variety, as a father would
those of his children : —

" Each tree a child, your aid their weakness rears,
Directs their youth, and tends their drooping years,
Their different bents you mark with studious eye,
Their laws you give, their manners you supply ;
Directing thus their flowrets, fruits and leaves,
Your potent hand Creation's work achieves."

• 22

My experience lias so often been solicited hy private
communication in relation to the pear upon the quince
stock, tliat I deem it proper to introduce it in this con-
nection, with the reasons on which it is founded. Many-
varieties of the pear thus grafted grow vigorously and
bear abundantly. I am aware that an impression has
prevailed in the minds of some unfavorable to the culti-
vation of the pear on the quince stock, an impression
which must have arisen from an injudicious selection of
varieties, or improper cultivation. In this opinion I am
happy to know that I am sustained by Mr. Barry, in his
address before the North Western Association of Fruit-
Growers in Iowa, and by other distinguished pomologists.
Pears upon the quince should be planted in a luxuriant
deep soil, and be abundantly supplied with nutriment
and good cultivation. They should always be planted
deep enough to cover the place where they were grafted,
so that the point of junction may be three or four inches
below the surface. The pear will then frequently form
roots independently of the quince, and thus we combine
in the tree both early fruiting from the quince, and the
strength and longevity of the pear stock. For instance,
of trees of the same variety, standing side by side in my
own grounds for ten years, and enjoying the same treat-
ment, those on the quince stock have attained a larger
size, and have borne for seven years abundant crops,
while those upon the pear stock have scarcely yielded a
fruit. We have also others, on the quince, which twen-
ty-five years since were obtained at the nursery of Mr.
Parmenter, where now is the most populous part of the
city of Brooklyn, N. Y., and which have borne good
crops for more than twenty years, and are still produc-
tive and healthy.

That the introduction and cultivation of the pear upon
the quince has been a great blessing, I entertain no

23

doubt, especially in gardens and in the suburbs of large
towns and cities. And as to its adaptation to the or-
chard, I see no reason why it should not succeed well, if
the soil, selection and cultivation be appropriate. A
gentleman in the eastern part of Massachusetts planted,
in the years 1848 and '49, as many dwarf pear trees as
he could set on an acre of land at the distance of eight
by twelve feet, and between these rows he planted quince
bushes. In the fifth year from planting he gathered one
hundred and twenty bushels of pears and sixty bushels
of quinces. Of the former he sold seventy bushels at
five to six dollars per bushel, and he now informs me that
he has lost only three per cent, of the original trees, and
that the remainder are in healthful condition.

Gentlemen of the Society: —

These suggestions relative to the progress of po-
mology, and the means of its additional advancement,
together with the motives to future improvement, present
a cheering prospect to American fruit-growers. Won-
ders have been achieved by private enterprise ; but still
greater wonders are to be realized from associated effort.
How great the advantages which have resulted to our
country from the action of pomological societies, espe-
cially from their lists of fruits ! Look, for example, to
that prepared by this society. Who can estimate the
amount of labor and treasure already saved to nursery-
men and fruit-growers by its list of rejected varieties, by
preventing the purchase and cultivation of worthless
sorts ! Its other lists are equally useful. It should there-
fore be one great object of these biennial meetings, to
revise and perfect the Society's Catalogue of Fruits, and
to render it as reliable as possible, that it may embody
and transmit to posterity the ripest experience of the

24

present generation, and become a standard in pomology
with those who shall come after us.

I anticipate that at no remote period we shall feel the
necessity of a National Pomological Institute, with an
Experimental Garden, where all the varieties true to
name may be obtained, where all sorts may be thorough-
ly tested and distributed to the members of the society,
and thus relieve the pioneers in American pomology from
large expenditures and much personal inconvenience.

But I must not trespass further upon your indulgence.
Yet I should not do justice to my own sense of propriety
did I not signify to you my earnest desire to be relieved
from the responsibilities devolving upon me as your pre-
siding officer. These, by the aid of your fraternal coun-
sel and cooperation, I have cheerfully sustained for six
years, yielding my own convenience to your expressed
wishes. I beg, however, to assure you that, whatever
may be my future relation to you, it will ever be my
endeavor to promote your individual happiness, and the
welfare of this association.

Gentlemen of Rochester and Vicinity: —

We have come up here not merely to gratify our
curiosity, or to share your hospitality, but to witness your
improvement, and to be instructed by your experience.
How astonishing your progress ! Within the recollection
of some who now hear me, this thriving city had scarcely
a beginning. The surrounding territory was then what
we of New England regarded as the Great West, which
has since journeyed on, and is stayed only by the rolling
waters of the Pacific. From a reliable source I learn
that the first nursery in this vicinity was begun in the
year 1833. As late as 1840, there were only two small
nurseries in Rochester, of about ten acres each, with

25

here and there a few patches of apple trees in other parts
of the country. Now pomology is here gathering some
of her choicest fruits, and witnessing some of her most
extensive operations.

It is estimated that in the nurseries of Munroe county
there are thirty millions of trees, and that, in the whole
of the nurseries of western New York, commencing at
Onondaga county, there cannot be less than fifty millions,
beside the great number which have already been sent
out to adorn your valleys and crown your hill-tops.
These are the precious fruits which have been gathered
in this locality. Add to them the progress of this sci-
ence in various other sections of our Union, and what a
charming prospect does our fair land present !

Fellow Associates : —

In view of this auspicious progress, let us compare
our experience and results ; let us stimulate each other
to yet greater exertions for the advancement of our com-
mon cause. Let us endeavor to disseminate the knowl-
edge of the few among the many, that we may improve
the public taste, add to the wealth of our republic, and
confer on our countrymen the blessings of our favorite
art. Thus shall we make other men happy, and keep
them so, — render our own homes the abodes of comfort
and contentment, and hasten the time when the garden
shall feel no blight, the fruitful field laugh with abund-
ance, and rivers of gladness water the earth.

REPOETS.

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY.

To THE Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture.

Sir, — Notwitstanding the annual return of the Transac-
tions and Expenditures of the Society may be made, agreeably to
the requirements of the law, by filling out a blank received from
your office, it may be advisable to state more particularly than
such a form affords an opportunity to do, the spirit which prevails
in the Society, in reference to improvements in Agriculture, and
what has been done for the cause for which the Commonwealth
bestows its bounty on it, as well as upon all similar Associations.

Since our last Annual Report, the Society has still further
added to its grounds by another purchase, which affords many
additional advantages in the exhibition of animals, and especially
of horses, affording a much more commodious track for the dis-
play of their qualities and beauties than heretofore. These ex-
penditures in improvements serve as an indication of the spirit
and liberality which animate the members of the Society with the
determination not to lag behind other Societies in the work in
which they are all engaged.

The days of exhibition were the last of September and the fii'st
of October, the first of which was unpleasant and prognosticated
a storm on the following day, yet the numerous pens on the Socie-
ty's grounds for Cattle and Horses were all filled, and for the first
time since the Society was organized, were found inadequate to
the demand.

It was feared from the lowering aspect of the first day of the
exhibition, and the few entries that had been made up to that time
for the Ploughing and Spading Matches, that there would be a failure
in those parts of the programme which have heretofore been among
the most attractive parts of the exhibition. The " bright rosy morn-

30

ing" of the second day, suddenly, as if by the -wand of an en-
chanter, dissipated all these fearful apprehensions. Not one of
the ploughing matches, from the commencement to the present
time, has been better or more fully represented, and the scene on
that glorious morning presented a picture like a festival of happy
people met to enjoy a holiday that would not soon again return.

One hour before the time appointed for the spading match, but
one entry had been made ; but at the expiration of the time, every
lot that had been staked out was occupied by the heroes of the
spade, most of whom had their homes across the ocean wave.

The place where the spading matches are held is formed like
an amphitheatre. The contestants have their place in the centre,
while the spectators look down on them from standing or sitting
positions, elevated one above another, and as the sound of music
calls to action, and ceases not until the contest is decided, the
scene, from its picturesqueness, becomes at once interesting and
exciting. This Society was the first, we believe, in Massachusetts,
to introduce the trial of the spade, that important instrument in
husbandry.

The exhibition of " Thorough Bred " stock in cattle and horses
was an indication of the happy results of that care and liberahty,
on the part of the Commoawealth, which has contributed so much
to the cause of agriculture. It shows not only that the wealthy
men of cities, but the farmers of the country towns, are equally en-
gaged in propagating those pure breeds of animals, which are not
only profitable to wealthy proprietors, but to farmers in moderate
circumstances and to the people at large. The following towns
and cities were represented by Thorough Bred stock in cattle, which
received premiums in number as follows : — Roxbury 5, Canton 2,
Needham 3, Dedham 3, Braintree 3, Dover 1, West Roxbury 3,
Quincy 2, Dorchester 1. These do not constitute but a small part
of those that were exhibited.

The exhibition of horses was not quite up to the show of
last year, owing to the circumstance that not so many were
present from beyond the limits of the county ; but the display
added much to the interest of the occasion, and was witness-
ed by a large concourse of spectators. The exhibition of swine
and poultry was very commendable, but neither of them would
compare with the same department in the early days of the

31

Society. The contributions of the products of female taste and
skill were as numerous and beautiful as on former years, showing
the attention of the sex is devoted to the cause of agriculture by
their mode of adorning its exhibitions with such specimens as at-
tract a crowd of admirers. The display of flowers far surpassed
that of any former exhibition. The Society was much indebted to
a new contributor in that department, Mr. Hunnewell of Need-
ham, whose display of exotics, in great variety, seemed to sur-
pass in beauty any one ever before presented in this section of
the country. The day of the exhibition turned out to be as per-
fect as could be for the comfort of the spectators and the purposes
of the show, and we are happy to state that the result was seen
in the acknowledgment of the treasurer as to the receipts of the
day.

MARSHALL P. WILDER, President.

EDWARD L. KEYES, Secretanj.

^9

KEPOKT OF THE VISITING COMMITTEE.

The Committee appointed to visit as many of the towns in the
county as practicable, and report their observations for the ben-
efit of the Society, submit the following report : —

In almost every town in the county are a few farmers, who are
men of wealth and taste. Their large farms are well tilled, well
managed, and supphed with the finest stock. They make valua-
ble experiments in agricultural operations, introducing new meth-
ods, new implements, new seeds, new manures, new breeds of
cattle. If their experiments fail, they easily sustain the loss ; if
they succeed, the community shares in the benefit. These men
give a higher character to the business, and a large portion of the
improvements in farming, within the last few years, is due to their
enterprise and public spirit. One of these farms, that has never
been mentioned in the Society's transactions, and is well worthy
of honorable notice, is that of Mr. H. H. Hunnewell, in West
Needham. It includes two hundred acres-, and is beautifully situ-
ated upon both sides of Wabun Lake, in one of the most delight-
ful portions of the county. A vast amount of money has been
expended, with consummate taste and skill, upon the ornamental
part of the estate. The walls and hedges are substantial and
handsome ; many varieties of native and foreign trees and shrubs
have been planted ; hot and cold houses contain grapes and flow-
ers ; the buildings are models of neatness and convenience ; stock
of the best breed is kept ; and ditches and meadows supply to the
barn-yard great quantities of mud ; artificial manures are freely
used ; the mowing machine has been employed on the place for
three years, to the entire satisfaction of the proprietor ; wood is
sawed, corn ground, and water supplied to the house, stables and
garden by a steam-engine : the land appropriated for farming pur-
poses appears to be thoroughly cultivated and to yield large crops ;
productive mowing grounds have been made out of worthless
meadows ; and in every department are evidences of good judg-
ment and practical skill. Orchards of apple and pear trees have
been planted with excellent success. Within six years thousands
of trees of various kinds have been successfully transplanted : many

a

33

acres of barren land brought into cultivation, and a pitch-pine plain
converted into an elegant farm. These results testify to the
owner's enterprise, and to his intelligent interest in the pursuits of
rural life. We must also add that his readiness to exhibit both
the methods and the results of his operations, and to encourage,
by the most liberal display, the exhibitions of this Society, together
with his courtesy and hospitality, renders a visit to this farm as
agreeable as it is instructive. There is scarcely any way in -which
a man of wealth and of refinement can be more useful to the com-
munity than by "■ blending a liberal display of elegance and taste
with a skilful and profitable husbandry." The introduction of
new fruits, new seeds, new trees and improved methods of culti-
vation is a boon not likely to be over estimated.

Another more numerous class of farmers consists of those, who,
in addition to ordinary farming pursuits, derive from the sale of
wood the means of cultivating their land. Or they have a cran-
berry-meadow, or some other special object of interest and profit,
from whicli they gain a living, independently of the farm. In
some cases, the farm is neglected on account of this extra source
of income.

Another class, quite common in this country, consists of men
partly farmers and partly mechanics. They cultivate a few acres,
and pursue some other calling during a part of the year. We
have often observed that the lands of these men are extremely
well tilled, their gardens and orchardsin fine order, — examples of
neatness, and producing large returns.

A fourth class, not farmers, but deriving their support from
labor apphed to land, is that of the gardeners and fruit-growers, a
large and important body of men. No workers on the soil bring
their capital and labor to so good a market as these. They are
limited in territory, obliged to do their work thoroughly, cultivate
their land up to the extent of its capability, grow several crops in
succession, and realize from a few acres a larger income than
most farmers from ten times as many. Many parts of the county
are favorably situated with reference to this business, nor is there
the least danger that it can be overdone. Boston and large man-
ufacturing and mechanic villages furnish unfailing markets for
produce. The price is always high and the supply below the de-

34

mand. The wonder is that more enterprising young men do not
engage in this business.

Next come the farmers proper, who constitute the majority of
all that live upon the soil. These are the most deeply interested
in agricultural experiments and in the success of agricultural
societies. Others have various sources of income, but the farmer
must look to his land and labor. Whatever tends to make his
land more productive, or to diminish his labor, or to apply it more
judiciously, should arrest his attention, and gain at least a patient
hearing. The creating of food is a business that can never wear
out, and must always furnish employment to the great mass of
mankind. Whatever renders that employment easier or more
attractive or more remunerative, deserves the consideration of
those engaged in it ; for every thing having these results will tend
also to elevate and improve the character of the farmer. Small
farms, cultivated by the owners, should be objects of special inter-
est ; for they are the secret means of developing the resources
of the country and of raising up hardy and industrious men, the
true conservative element of society.

Although in every quarter we found but one opinion, namely,
that there is an increasing interest in agriculture, the proofs of
which were improved methods of tillage and larger crops, yet
from hundreds of farmers our Society and its objects receive little
favor or sympathy. Very few, considering the whole number,
attend its annual fair, or send in contributions of their produce or
stock, — partly, perhaps, because they have not made themselves
familiar with its design, Avhich is simply to improve the agricul-
ture of the county, by exciting competition, by disseminating
knowledge, by preserving and recording facts, and by bringing
the experience of all to bear upon the operations of each, — partly
because they are isolated from each other, and have few occasions
of mutual conference, to compare notes, and to learn from their
common successes and failures. This is a cogent reason why they
should belong to the Society and attend its meetings. A man who
lives by himself, and walks his beaten round, and repeats again and
again the same experiments, is apt to become unreasonably satisfied
with himself and his course. And however intelhgent a man may
be, it is not to be supposed that he cannot learn from the results
of others' activity. It is believed by this Committee that actual

35

contact with our Society, and participation in its objects and labors,
would promote the interest of every individual farmer. Its en-
couragements and rewards are distributed with impartiality, and
its sole aim is to repay with large increase the time or money that
each person contributes.

Hitherto our fairs have been supplied with valuable and beauti-
ful articles from the field, the stall and the Avorkshop, but chiefly
contributed by a few towns. Now in every town we have found
good farmers, who might add to the pleasure and the profit of the
occasion, by bringing something of their own growth or raising, or
by detailed statements of particular crops. A great amount of
useful knowledge respecting the best methods of conducting vari-
ous processes in draining, seeding, manuring, reclaiming meadows
and other details, is lost to the community by the backwardness
or indifference of those who conduct these operations.

In several towns in this county agriculture is but little attended
to. In these towns the people are mostly devoted to mechanical
pursuits. ' Much land that was formerly ploughed is now grown
over with young wood, probably the most profitable use that could
be made of it. It is a common remark that there is more wood-
land and less wood than there was twenty years ago. The rail-
roads and manufacturing and mechanic villages have rapidly in-
creased the value of wood, Avhich has risen from three to six dol-
lars a cord. This rise has induced some sowing of wood seed and
setting out of young forest trees. We would refer the reader, for
further information and examples, to the Report of the Committee
on Forest Trees, contained in this volume, the author of that Re-
port being a member of the Visiting Committee.

These and several other instances, on a smaller scale, show that
the growth of wood may be made profitable on poor land.

No part of this county is exclusively agricultural. There are
not more than one or two towns in which the produce of agricul-
tural labor equals in value the products of manufactures. In
most towns the latter exceed the former from three to ten or
twelve times in value ; and where the difference is greatest, the
progress of agriculture is slowest. We may take a single article
as an illustration. In the southern and south-eastern towns there
is very little corn fodder raised, an article which the farmers in
the northern and western towns consider indispensable to success,

36

the introduction of which is justly considered among our most
decided improvements. In a wet season, like the past, there was
less necessity for corn fodder than usual. But in our average
summers, with their intense drought and scorching heat, our old
pastures, good for little at best, are almost worthless. Examples
are not wanting, of great success in renovating old pastures. We
will mention one that came to our notice this season :

A well known farmer, in Stoughton, had a worn-out, mossy
pasture, which he broke up and manured two years ago, and from
four acres of which he has, this summer, cut eleven tons of good
hay. Another farmer, noted for the amount and excellence of his
butter, has, within seven or eight years, broken up, manured and
cultivated more than twenty acres of good-for-nothing pasture,
and laid it down again in so productive a condition, that he main-
tains, in excellent order, more than double the amount of stock
that was ever kept on that farm before.

There is a growing conviction among farmers, that they must
either expend money in improving pastures, or abandon them, or
supply the deficiencies of the pasture by an increased amount of
green fodder. There can be little doubt of the indispensableness
of the latter course, if the object is to produce milk ; for nothing
excels, in milk production, the tender, succulent leaves and stalks
of young corn and recently-grown grass.

We have now in mind a farmer, in this county, who keeps
seven or eight cows in the stable through the summer, and feeds
them on green fodder, chiefly corn. We asked him the reasons
for it. His answer was : 1 . That he gets more milk than he can
by any other method. 2. That he gets more manure, especially
liquid manure. 3. That he saves it all by keeping a supply of
mould or mud under the stable, to be taken out and renewed as
often as necessary. 4. That it is less troublesome than to drive
his cows to pasture ; that they are less vexed by flies, and have
equally good health. 5. That his mowing land is every year
growing more productive without the expense of artificial manure.*

* Aa English farmer says : — " Wliere milch cows are allowed to range
abroad for their food, they will never produce that quantity of milk that
they will when confined, let their food be ever so plenty ; when they are
not hungry, they will be searching after the sweetest spots of herbage, and
thereby deprive themselves of rest. There is economy, also, in land.
Thirty acres of land would be sufficient to produce food enough for forty

37

He estimates that on an acre of good land, twenty tons of
green fodder ma}'- be raised. That which is dried is cut fine and
mixed with meal or shorts, and eaten with profit. He behoves
that a reduced and partially worn-out farm, supposing the land
to be naturally good, could be brought into prime order in five
years, without extra outlay of money for manure, by the use of
green fodder in connection with the raising and keeping of pigs.*
Not fattening them, but selling at the age of four or five months.
Ilis own success certainly offers great encouragement. He traces
it chiefly to making a large quantity of manure ; large, that is, in
proportion to the size of his farm, which is small. Most of his
cultivated land is in grass. He keeps it down from eight to ten
years, practising top-grassing.

Now "we naturally entertain great respect for a man who makes
money by his business, and improves his farm at the same time.
However theoretically wrong his opinion may appear, it is justified
by the results of the practice that grows directly out of it. When
by following out his idea, he increases the value of his land and
puts money in his pocket for a series of years, w'e must beheve in
such an infallible logic.

There is not a town in the county that does not show an
increased growth of carrots or ruta bagas, as supplementary arti-
cles of food for cattle. They are, perhaps, more desirable than
common, in consequence of the damage done to the quality of
the grass by the heavy rains, especially in the meadows, where
much was lost and all injured. May it not be questioned whether
hay is not generally more impaired in value by standing too long,
than when cut early ? Be this as it may, roots form a valuable

dairy cows, (if properly managed,) including for bay ; whereas, in the
common mode of feeding, twice that number of acres would not do, and
they would not produce above half the quantity of milk and butter."

* Mr. D. finds that one breeding sow will turn over and thoroughly mix
with the droppings of cattle, one ox-cart load of mud or loam per week,
making the best top-dressing' for grass. This is his practice, and he manu-
factures in this way, great quantities of manure to keep his mowing lands
in the most productive state. When we consider that the first want upon
a farm is that of manure, and that very few farmers supply as much as they
might; when we remember what a waste there often is of privy manure,
of the drainings of the sink, of the leaves and stalks of plants, we shoukl
be stimulated by every such example as the one before us, to studv the
strictest economy in the production and application of manure.

38

addition to the food of cattle, both as nutrhnent and as an altera-
tive in promoting health. No one article of dry food contains
the variety of nutritive principles required by the constitutions of
cattle. For working horses hay distends the stomach too much,
and makes labor and travelling difficult, to say nothing of the fact
that much hay is musty or mixed with weeds. The exclusive use
of hay food induces constipation. A judicious mixture of carrots
with hay, is probably the very best fodder for working horses.
Their value for milch cows was well understood long since. Our
acquaintance with the farming of the county has not brought to
our knowledge any other way in which so large an amount of food
can be raised upon the same quantity of land, and with so little
labor. The idea is famihar enough in England, where land is
dear and economy of space to be considered. Indeed, it was
said long ago, that " the foundation of good agriculture was the
raising of roots, as winter food for cattle." As land becomes
more valuable here, the more clearly will it be seen that the crop
which yields from thirty to forty tons of nutritious food per acre,
must take precedence of others, especially in a community where
there is a growing demand for horse fodder, and where new butter
and milk bring the highest prices. The cultivation required is
attended with a large outlay, but that is of no importance pro-
vided the income is in a far greater ratio. The crop pays for all,
to say nothing of the pleasure of seeing such great and decided
improvements. " Half the diseases from which cattle suifer, pro-
ceed from obstructions occasioned by dry food."

Several of our acquaintances have failed to raise large crops
of carrots, from forgetfulness of the necessity of deep ploughing
and high manuring. Carrots require both, and will handsomely
repay all the manure and cultivation they receive.* The land
should be ploughed three times to bring it into fine tilth, and not
harrowed, but simply brushed smooth, that it may be light. The

* An account of one of the largest growths of carrots in this county may-
be found in Transactions of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society, Vol.
1, p. 83. The crop amounted to one hundred and sixty bushels, on one-
eighth of an acre, or at the rate of more than thirty tons per acre. The
only peculiarity we can discover in the proceeding was, that the manure,
three ox-cart loads, was ploughed in, in November. As soon as the frost
was out, the land was ploughed again, and a third time in May. The most
thorough culture is generally rewarded with the most remunerating crop.
The tendency of men to attend to their own or their fathers' ways makes
it hard for this truth to be believed.

39

largest and proportionately cheapest crop that -we have seen, was
manured with guano at the rate of over a ton and a half to the
acre. In a poor and poorly tilled soil, the roots will not only
be small, but irregularly shaped. The white Belgian variety
grows very large, and is much esteemed.

To avoid weeds, some farmers plant carrots on land that has
been kept clean, with one or two crops of corn. Others plough
an old pasture very deep, with a Michigan plough, use fine manure
and harrow lightly.

It is impossible for us to say how much guano has been used
this 3^ear, only that large quantities have been employed in some
towns, scarcely any in others, and that its use is rapidly increas-
ing. Men begin with a bag or a few hundred pounds, experi-
menting cautiously, feeling their way along, and usually with
decided success and encouragement.* One neighbor after another

* We have received tlie following note from Mr. Charles Breck, of
Milton, one of our most accurate and intelligent experimenters : —

" I have been conducting a small experiment with guano as a top dress-
ing for worn-out grass land, for the last three years, with very good success.
In 1840, a crop of rye was taken off the land, after which the stubble was
ploughed in, and grass seed sown ; the scattering rye again came up, and
grew well, and, could it have been easily separated, would probably have
yielded a good half crop. It was mowed with the grass early, and used for
fodder, since which time the field has been constantly mowed and fed,
without any top dressing. From this you may conclude, that the land was
as nearly run out as it could be, although it is naturally a mellow, pro-
ductive soil.

" In the spring of 1854, I staked off two square rods, which, to appear-
ance, were as nearly equal as they could be, and lying side by side. On
one rod I put twelve cents worth of guano mixed with one and a half peck
of sand from the road-side. On the other rod nothing was put. In July,
the grass was mowed, well dried, and carefully weighed. On the rod which
had no manure, there were six pounds of hay. On the rod on which the
guano was used, were twenty-six pounds of hay.

" In 1855, on the first rod were only three pounds of hay, and on the rod
with guano there were nine pounds. In 1856, I mowed and dried the grass
carefully. On the first rod I had three jiounds of liay, and on the second
nine pounds, making, in three years, a gain of thirty-two pounds, equal to
5,120 pounds to an acre, by the use of guano, that would have cost nineteen
dollars and twenty cents, with a fair prospect of its continuing some time
longer, besides improving the quality of the hay very much.

" In answer to your enquiries about plaster, I would observe, that I have
never seen any good effects from its use as a manure, although I have seen
it tried many ways."

40

hears of the experiment, and imitates it. One farmer mixed a
ton of guano with fiftj loads of meadow mud, put it in the hill,
and got a large crop of corn, but a larger one of stalks. Another
informs us that he mixed in the same way, spread and ploughed
in, and his crop came forward a little slower than the other, but
was about equally good.

Another broke up four acres of pasture overgrown Avith moss
and huckleberry bushes, used six hundred pounds of Peruvian
and twelve hundred weight of Mexican guano, laid the land down
to grass without grain, and at the first mowing had at least one
ton of good hay to the acre.

Another spread six hundred pounds of Peruvian on two acres
of exhausted mowing land, and cut between two and three tons.
Several repeated this experiment wdtli similar results. In one
case, the farmer, with less than his usual good judgment, scattered
the guano unmixed, and without crushing the lumps. There was
a good deal of waste and loss, but still he was more than paid for
the cost of the guano, by the increased crop of grass. It is
commonly thought advisable to mix guano with rich mould or mud,
several weeks before using, and to shovel it over three or four
times, keeping it well covered.

Another farmer laid down his land with winter rye, used three
hundred pounds of guano to the acre, and had a very large crop.
Others lay down their land with grass, and for four years get
from a ton and a half to a ton of good hay per acre, without fur-
ther dressing. A case of this kind was reported in our Trans-
actions two years ago. The writer of that report laid down three
acres Avith grass last fall, using three hundred pounds of guano
per acre, with the very best success. For six years he has used
it with corn, grass and garden vegetables, and always, as he
believes, profitably, although there are but few men in the county
who have so large a quantity of barn-yard manure.

During the past summer, T. Clarke, Esq., of Walpole,
reclaimed two acres of wet meadow. One acre was manured
with three hundred pounds of guano, the other with five cords
of the best stable and barn-yard manure. The grass seed has
come up equally well in both. There is no perceptible difierence
in their appearance. But the manure in one case cost about ten
dollars, in the other about twenty-five dollars. »

41

Similar instances, too numerous to be detailed, seem to show
that guano is available in many different soils, and for various
crops ; that if its effects are less permanent than those of other
manures, their duration may be proportioned to the expense,
"while the comparatively small amount of labor required for its
application, furnishes an argument in its favor, easily appreciated
by those who pay the present wages of farm help.

In those places where the least attention is paid to agriculture,
of course the least interest is felt in this or any other manure.
But where guano is most used it is most highly prized. In one
town, two public spirited individuals introduced a large amount of
guano, a few years ago, which was used with satisfactory results,
but Adthin a year or two several experiments have been made
with super-phosphate of lime, in that place, with results still more
satisfactory to the parties interested.

In one town almost wholly devoted to mechanical pursuits, we
could not hear of any person who had used guano. We found,
however, an excellent farmer, whose only reason for not using it
was a very good one, namely, that he had a plenty of barn-yard
manure.

Not a few are puzzled to understand how three or four hundred
pounds of guano can maintain land in as good order as the four
or five cords of stable manure Avhich they have been in the habit
of using. It is of comparatively little consequence whether the
fertihzing properties of manure are distributed through a large or
small quantity of matter, provided they are distributed uniformly.
If the essential elements of six cords of stable manure could be
compressed into one cord, and evenly distributed and buried in
the field, the advantages of the manure would be secured at less
expense. The mud, straw, hay, leaves, roots, corn-stalks and
weeds that compose the bulk of the manure, are comparatively
inert as fertilizers, and in the most favorable view, require a long
season of fermentation to develop their quahties. They are
receptacles of ammonia and other fertilizing agents contained in
the solid and liquid animal excrements. Hence, if guano con-
tains these fertilizing properties in a concentrated form, and if it
can be furnished and ai)pHed cheaper than an equivalent amount
of barn-yard manure, it will be used in preference.

The barn-yard manure contains all the properties that the

42

crops require. The farmer is satisfied with its operation, and
wants nothing better. But he cannot, in ordinary cases, make
enough of it to answer his purpose. It is a costly article to man-
ufacture, and, at the present price of labor, it can be carried out
and applied to the land only at great expense. Hence he uses
guano, not as a substitute for barn-yard manure, but as an aux-
iliary. The time may come, under judicious management, when
the land shall yield such crops as will, in their consumption and
in the consequent production of manure, render guano unneces-
sary.

Of course all experiments will not be successful. Guano is a
new and powerful fertihzer. People forget or do not know its
strength, employ it too lavishly and kill thedr seed, or scatter it in
dry weather and its ammonia evaporates, or cover it too lightly or
not at all, and the same result follows, or neglect to mix it thor-
oughly with mould or mud before using it, and thus lose part of
its virtue. There is no remedy for this but increased knowledge
and experience. In England, where it has been most used, it is
prized more highly each succeeding year. There, and in some of
our middle and southern States, where it is extensively employed
in restoring worn-out land, it is found to be a cheap, profitable
and lasting manure. There is not a subject connected with farm-
ing, about Avhich so many inquiries are made of this committee,
as about guano.*

We are obhged to report a general failure in the potato crop.
Many ingenious theories have been proposed, to account for the
rot, but no preventive has yet been found. Perhaps none will be
found short of an entire renewal of the stock from seed grown in

* From a series of very carefully made experiments by Mr. William
Fleming, of Barochan, Scotland, he came to these conclusions : — " Par-
ticular attention should be paid when guano is used, that it be well mixed
with the soil, as this is of the greatest importance to the health of the plants
and tBe bulk of the crop, especially in the case of potatoes and turnips. It
has also been found, after many trials, that the best and most economical
way of using guano for the potato crop, is by adding two or three hundred
pounds per acre to half the usual quantity of farm-yard dung, which Avill
be found to give at least as good a crop as double the quantity of dung
alone, whilst it is much cheaper in the first cost, and saves much cartage.
For hay crops, the most profitable way of using salt, ammonia, nitrate of
soda and guano, is to make a compost, &c."

43

the original liomc of the potato. Potatoes that grow Avild in
Chili, -where the disease is not known, may revive the reproductive
energies of the plant now greatly impaired by over cultivation
and strong manure. New varieties from seed raised here, may
do well a few years in some instances, though not always, and
then submit to the general fate. We have had seedlings which
rotted worse than almost any. The early dug crops fared the
best, but the intense heat and heavy rains developed the disease
of the others to a lamentable extent. And in fields where the rot
was not excessive, the crop is small ; probably the average is
much under a hundred bushels per acre.

This fact shows a great falling off in the yield as in the quality.
By reference to the proceedings of the Agricultural Society of
Massachusetts, from thirty to forty years ago, it appears that
premium crops ranged from four hundred to six hundred and
fifty bushels per acre, while the average was about two hundred.
There has been a gradual tendency to degeneration in the princi-
pal varieties for several years, that has discouraged farmers and
led them to apply their means to more productive crops. The
uncertainty of the yield deters them from making a large outlay,
while the consequent high price of good potatoes prevents them
from being used as food for stock.

Within two or three years, the farmers in this county have
gone more largely than ever before into raising of horses and
cattle. In almost every town we find breeding mares and colts,
and calves from stock of the finest quality. High prices have
given a new impulse to this business, which promises to be prof-
itable on one condition, namely, that only the best breeds are
raised. By this we do not mean that the full-blooded foreign
breeds should be perpetuated exclusively, but that by their aid,
with the best specimens of our native cattle, a breed may be
formed that shall be expressly adapted to our climate, soil and
feed.

The farmers hardly did themselves justice at our last fair.
Although there were many excellent cows and bulls present, yet
the exhibition fell far below what the county might and ought to
have done, and we hope will do another year.

In more than half of the towns in the county there is not a
mowing machine, and there is quite a common prejudgment

44

against its introduction, a fact by no means creditable to the intel-
ligence and enterprise of our people. In this respect, however,
it meets the usual fate of improvements. The same man who
determined not to use the roller, and horse-rake, and corn-shel-
ler, and afterwards used them, now condemns before hand the
mowing machine. It was said that it could not be used in our
fields ; that it would be too heavy, and always out of order ; that
it would ruin the horses, who, in their turn, would ruin the grass
by tramphng it down. A great amount of cheap wisdom was
employed to prove that it could not be used ; and Avhen it was used
successfully, then the objection was that the expense was ruinous,
that small farmers would be excluded from its benefits. This
objection is now removed, as we shall presently show by this year's
experience. The mower has triumphantly established itself, and
may be regarded as a fixed fact until something better shall dis-
place it. No doubt it will be improved, will be cheaper, lighter,
and capable of doing more work at less expense. That it will
do it better, seems hardly possible. Enough has been done to
show that the principle of its construction is sound, and that,
with more or less modification, it may be profitably employed on
small farms. Several instances of its successful operation have
fallen under our observation, but, inasmuch as the Committee of
the State Society are preparing a detailed report upon this sub-
ject, we forbear to mention them. A single case may be given
as an example.

Mr. W. Salisbury, of Medfield, informed us that Mr. Joel
Morse, with one of Allen's machines, moAved for him twelve acres
of grass in a day. The grass made twelve tons of hay. Mr.
Salisbury said that he was perfectly satisfied with the manner in
which the work Avas done. The grass Avas cut more uniformly
smooth than the best mower could have done it with a scythe.

We have heard many farmers express a determination to use the
machine next hay-time. As full statements of the comparative
excellence of the different machines may be expected in the
Report already alluded to, we do not consider it expedient to be
more particular in this notice.

The late Hon. John Lowell relates an experiment which he
made with plaster, with very satisfactory results. " I had a field
which had been laid down to grass more than seven years, and

45

was very much sward-bound. I began on the worst part of the
ground, and the person employed to sow it with plaster, instead of
three bushels on an acre, as I directed, put the three bushels on a
fourth of an acre. The cftect was so surprising, that when the
Trustees of the Society were at my house, I asked them separately
to say where the plaster began and where it ended, and no one
failed to point out the precise limits. The crop was double that
of the rest of the same piece of ground, quadruple that of the pre-
ceding year.

" It is now rendered certain, by the experience of many, that
the neighborhood of the salt water forms no obstacle to its use." —
Agr. Bepos.for 1816, vol. 4, p. 272.

In the generations before ours, the leading farmers of this
country used plaster largely, and with satisfactory results. But
lately little attention has been paid to it, and it is difficult to find
men whoso testimony is decisively in its favor. It is possible
that it deserves the praises which our predecessors bestowed upon
it, and that it has been supplanted by guano and other new ma-
nures. If it is thought Avorth while to continue its use, two things
should be kept in mind : first, that it will answer better on dry,
light or gravelly loams than on other soils ; secondly, that its
effects must be waited for patiently, because it is not soluble in
less than five hundred times its weight of water. Hence, if ap-
plied to grass land or pastures, it should be spread in the fall or
winter, that the melting snow and early rains may dissolve it, and
thus bring it in contact with the roots.

On no manure, not even guano, is there such a variety of opin-
ions as to the mode of its operation. Nothing but numerous and
long continued experiments can determine the vexed questions,
both of its value and of the manner in which it produces its
results.

Farmers continue to use plaster, both in hills and as top dress-
ing ; yet there are few substances employed as manure that are less
satisfactory. We have asked many farmers whether they knew
aoii/ results to follow from its use. Most of them replied, none,
either good or bad. Some thought it might have fixed the am-
monia in the manure or the atmosphere. Others had reclaimed
old pastures by a liberal use of plaster. In the State of New
York, a farmer believes that he saved his potatoes from rot in

46

1846, 7, 8, by two or three liberal dressings of plaster and ashes.
No such result has occurred, to our knowledge, in this vicinity.
In parts of England it is the practice of farmers to apply 150 to
200 weight of plaster per acre to their grass lands every year.
On dry, open land, in a wet season, or on other land, at a greater
distance from the sea shore than our county reaches, it may be
found advantageous. It is sometimes thought to increase the ac-
tivity of barn-yard manure, by being mixed with it when turned
over.

The curious reader ayHI find in the second volume of the Massa-
chusetts Agricultural Repository for the year 1805, an Essay
upon the Nature and Uses of Plaster, in which it is highly extolled.
The writer says, " It seems to comprise in itself more virtues as a
manure than almost any other manure of equal bulk, or even of
equal weight, which is known in common practice. It will restore
to good heart the old farms to which it is suited, with little ex-
pense and in a short time. It begins by turning into manure
various useless substances found upon the ground, and thus pre-
pares the way for an increase of stock. The grass obtained
through plaster is peculiarly acceptable to cattle, who always
single it out from other grass. It is, indeed, distinguishable to
the eye and touch, and the hay from it is perhaps ahke valuable.
Plaster likewise appears to have a direct power in stimulating the
sprouting of seeds and the growth of plants."

After a great deal more laudatory than this and more indefi-
nite, the author adds, "It is commonly supposed to be useless
near the sea."

It is gratifying to notice, in every part of the county, the in-
creased attention given to reclaiming of meadows. The instances
are too numerous to be specified, in which wet, boggy, bushy
meadows, that yielded nothing whatever of value to man or beast,
have been converted into excellent mowing fields, by draining, by
gravel and manure. Farmers have found such meadows to be the
best land they owned ; that is, yielding the largest returns in pro-
portion to the money expended upon them. Instead of poor hay,
nearly worthless, and which animals will eat only to keep from
starving, the reclaimed meadow furnishes from two to three tons
per acre of the best hay, and hay brings milk, butter and meat.

47

Meadows so treated require but little labor or expense for several
years.

The high price and increasing demand for cranberries have
given a new impulse to their cultivation. We refer both to the
improvement of natural meadows, by removing whatever hinders
the growth of the vines, and by a systematic course of flooding,
and to the planting of vines in meadows, expressly prepared for
that purpose. Some experiments on a large scale have been com-
menced, but sufficient time has not yet elapsed to warrant an ex-
pression of opinion upon the results. Suffice it to say, those most
interested are satisfied that they shall reap a good harvest. We
have had frequent inquiries about the methods adopted, the kinds
of vines, the time of setting out, the preparation of the land, &;c.,
by parties bent on experimenting on a small scale. But our own
stock of practical knowledge is small, and we can only refer in-
quirers to men already engaged in the business, or to various con-
tributions in previous volumes of our transactions. In the volume
entitled "'Agriculture of Massachusetts, by C. L. Hunt," for
1853, will be found several excellent communications, Avhich go
into the details of growing cranberries, xilso a E,eport upon
Cranberries by the Secretary himself, which is full and complete,
abounding in practical suggestions. Very few persons are aware
of the extent of the cranberry culture, the demand for the fruit, or
the interest recently awakened in the details of various methods.
On these and various other topics, Mr. Hvmt's Report affords
much instruction. The market is never glutted with this arti-
cle. There is no probability that it can be. The price is always
high, and the demand steadily increases. We beheve that in a
few years many a now unproductive meadow will be worth more
than all the rest of the farm. This is already the case in several
instances that have come to our knowledge. We know men who
have received from one hundred to five hundred dollars for their
cranberries this season ; and the natural meadow of Captain W.
Tucker of Canton, does not probably yield a net annual profit of
less than two thousand dollars. Perhaps no man in this vicinity
has had more experience in this business, or is better qualified to
give the necessary information to persons about commencing it.

Our principal cereal crop, Indian corn, has been remarkably
large and sound this season. We have found a most gratifying

48

disposition, on the part of farmers, to increase the average yield,
and to prove that the largest crops are proportionablj the cheap-
est,— that fifty bushels per acre cost less per bushel than thirty.
Many farmers listen with incredulity to the statement that a hundred
bushels can be raised on an acre ; but it has been done before,
and it has been done this year, in one instance at least. We refer
to the crop of the Messrs. Sias of Milton, an account of which
will doubtless be furnished by the Committee on Grains.

From an experiment made in Dorchester two years ago, it was
found that a mixed crop of corn and some lesser vegetable, as
cabbage, which does not shade the land, and which lets in light
and air, was more profitable than corn alone. Our farmers some-
times substantially adopt this method, Avhen they alternate four or
five rows of corn with as many of potatoes. May we not suggest
that the experiment should be repeated by many individuals ?
From a comparison of results, it might be seen whether the plan of
mixed crops ought to be gradually adopted.

As a matter of literary curiosity, we quote a few lines from one
of the earliest European navigators who ever saw Indian corn.
They will show that we follow the Indian method of cultivation to
a great extent, — that we do, in fact, merely perpetuate fashions
set by the first cultivators. In 1607, the Sieur de Champlain,
captain in the French navy, touched at the mouth of the Kenne-
bec river. In his Journal he says, " Here we saw Indian corn,
which they sow, three or four grains in a place, covering them
with earth. At a distance of three feet they plant as much more,
and so on. In each hill of corn they plant three or four beans
of various colors. They plant their corn in May and gather it in
September." At the Saco river, " the savages told us that all
who inhabited this region cultivated and sowed the land like those
we had seen." At Cape Cod, July 21st, " we landed and passed
through a field of corn, planted like those we had seen before.
The corn was in blossom and about five and a half feet high.
There was also other less advanced, having been planted later.
There were also several fields not cultivated, being left to recruit
in fallow." After having passed round Cape Cod, they " found
much land well tilled in corn and other grains. All the people of
this place are industrious and make provision of Indian corn for
the winter, which they preserve in the following fashion. On the

49

declivity of the hills they make trenches in the sand, five or six
feet deep, more or less, and having put the corn into sacks made
of grass, they deposit it in these trenches, and cover with sand
three or four feet deep. The grain is as well kept as in our gran-
aries." " Arrived again at Saco, September 21st, and found
that the Indians had gathered their corn." From these extracts
it will be seen that we only pursue the methods which the aborigi-
nes invented, at a time when their civilization had reached a
higher point than we usually assign to them.

We take this opportunity to return our thanks to numerous in-
dividuals, who have forwarded our objects by their readiness in
furnishing the desired information. Wherever we have been we
have met Avith a welcome reception and generous hospitahty. We
have formed a higher opinion of agriculture from our more inti-
mate acquaintance with those engaged in it. Foremost in impor-
tance among industrial pursuits, it will be foremost in its pecu-
niary returns, when the same accurate knowledge and careful
oversight ai*e applied to it, which are found indispensable in man-
ufactures and commerce.

For the Committee,

JOHN M. MERRICK,
CHARLES C. SEWALL,
EDWARD L. KEYES.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FARMS.

The Committee on Farms are happy to have it in their power
to state that they have not been permitted, during the past year?
to be idle or unoccupied in their official capacity. They have
been invited to visit two farms. They complied with the request-
that were made. They attended with pleasure to their official
duties ; and will now proceed to give a brief account of their
doings.

On the 8th July, the Committee, or a part of them, at the re-
quest of Hon. S. D. Bradford of West Roxbuiy, visited his farm.

7

50

They had the pleasure of meeting, on that occasion, the President
of the Society, the Hon. M. P. Wilder, some of the Yice Presi-
dents, and other gentlemen, friends of the cause of agriculture.

For a brief history of the farm and an account of its manage-
ment and productions, -we refer to the communications of Mr.
Bradford, addressed to the Chairman, and appended to this
Report.

The Committee, therefore, in this connection, remark generally
that the principal production of Mr. Bradford's farm is hay, for
which the soil seems peculiarly well adapted. At the same time,
valuable crops of grain are raised. One field of rye was re-
markable, both for quantity and quality. As a particular account
of this may be given by the Committee on Grain Crops, we refer
to the Report of that Committee, for the purpose of showing what
we consider an important fact, namely, that grain crops may he
made profitable m Norfolk county.

The fine mowing lands on Mr. Bradford's farm had received no
-top dressing for six or eight years. But the after crop was per-
mitted to remain, to serve the double purpose of guarding the
roots from the winter frost and enriching the ground the following
season. The Committee remark, in conclusion, that an elegant
simplicity and taste characterized the premises of Mr. Bradford ;
and we hope he may receive a reasonable profit in addition to the
great and constant pleasure which the possession and intelligent
cultivation of such a beautiful farm will naturally furnish him.

The Committee award to S. D. Bradford of West Roxbury, the
Society's premium of $25.00.

The other farm, visited by a part of the Committee, is situated
in the town of Wrentham, and is owned by James S. Wiggin, Esq.
In the communication of Mr. Wiggin, addressed to Rev. Mr.
Sewall of Medfield, and annexed to this Report, will be found a
detailed account of his various operations upon the farm since he
has taken possession of it. These operations appear to have been
conducted with characteristic energy. Great improvements have
already been made on the premises of Mr. Wiggin during the short
period of two years. But great as they are, they are only the
hegimiing of a series of improvements, which it is the purpose of
Mr. W. to carry forward to full completion. With this statement
and with a reference to the full communication of Mr. W., al-

51

ready mentioned, the Committee award to James S. Wiggin of
Wrentham the Society's premium of $15.00.

The Committee beg leave to express the earnest wish that
others would follow the example of Mr. Bradford and Mr. Wig-
gin, and offer their farms for examination and premium. There
are, doubtless, in our county many farms which would do honor to
their proprietors, and the knowledge of which would be beneficial
to the community. One of the important advantages resulting
from associations like ours is, to have the knowledge possessed by
individiiah, communicated to the ^public, and thus become the
comynon property of all. Our county is highly favored in having
within its limits not a few distinguished agriculturists and horticul-
turists who have spared no pains nor expense to add interest to
our public exhibitions, and to promote the advancement of the
great cause in which we are engaged.

Respectfully submitted,

RALPH SANGER, Chairman.

Dover^ November, 1856.

STATEMENT OF S. D. BRADFORD OF WEST ROXBURY.

The farm, which once belonged to my father, and which I in-
herited at his decease in 1825, was purchased by him in 1789,
and consisted of thirty acres, a part of which was wood land, and
all in a very rough and uncultivated condition. A great part of
it was so covered by stones, and even by large rocks, that had
any one made the attempt to sow seed upon it, very little would
have fallen upon the soil or produced any return. In 1795 an
addition was made to the farm by the purchase of twenty acres
more, called " Abbott's pasture," which remains to-day in nearly
the same state as when it was bought, sLxty-one years ago, and
is used for the pasturing of cattle.

In 1854, I purchased another farm adjoining my paternal
estate, and containing about 100 acres, of which about 30 acres
consist of wood laud and what is called swamp, containing large

52

deposits of muck, now so much used in the compounding of ma-
nure. My whole farm, therefore, consists at present of say 150
acres. Its length is 1756 paces by 600 paces broad, and is all
joined together and very compact.

The land mowed over this year was about seventy acres. I
put into the barns 138 loads of hay, most of which was of the
very first quality, besides eight to ten tons of rye straw and sev-
eral loads of second crop hay. I suppose the loads to average
about a ton in weight, but it is possible they may be less. Some
were double loads, drawn by oxen, and some packed on what is
called " the hay rigging," drawn by one horse only. I have
gathered corn from about six acres, of the kind called " Pem-
broke," and have two acres of carrots, which I hope may yield
thirty to forty tons of that useful vegetable.

I have sent to Mr. Wilder an account of the field of winter rye
which attracted so much attention the day you and the other gen-
tlemen favored me with a visit, and was not a little surprised
when I received an account of the weight of the straw. The
reapers remarked in the field " that they had never seen any
thing to equal it even in the old country."

You are so familiar with the nature of the soil in West Rox-
bury, and so much at home upon all the subjects of agriculture,
that I doubt my ability of saying any thing more, which is not
known to you already. No one can doubt the fertility of the
land in this vicinity, and by using a sufiiciency of manure I
could make each acre give a very large return,especially of grass,
and of a superior kind. Land which, with only a small quantity
of manure, will produce forty to forty-five bushels of rye to the
acre, must be admitted to be of good quality, and ought to pay a
profit.

I have said nothing of the ancient house in which I continue to
dwell, at a considerable sacrifice of comfort, especially during our
long and severe winters. I have attempted, in vain, to discover
the year in which it was built. In looking over, however, " Dr.
John Elliot's Biographical Dictionary of the settlers of New
England," I find a statement by him that it was built by Colonel
William Dudley, who was the grandson of Thomas Dudley, one
of the first settlers of Massachusetts, and who came over in the
Arabella. His father was Governor Joseph Dudley, and he died

53

1743. Dr. Elliot, in his life of him, says : " he graduated at
Harvard College in 1704, applied himself to the study of the
law, but did not incline to enter upon the business of his profes-
sion. In a retired spot of the town of Roxbury, he built an ele-
gant house, and cultivated his farm." From this we may conjec-
ture the house was built from 1710 to 1720, and, of course, is
now about 146 years old. Several parts of the interior work,
tradition says, were made in London, particularly the stairs and
banisters, which are still in a good state of preservation.

S. D. Bradford.

SECOND STATEMENT OF S. D. BRADFORD.

I beg leave to report, that the quantity of land planted with
corn this season, upon my farm, was about sLx acres. The spring
being wet, it Avas planted very late, and part of the seed having
failed, two large fields had to be planted a second time, with the
Canada yellow corn, which ripens sooner than some other kinds.
The weather was so cold in August, fears were entertained at
one time that the corn would not ripen at all, but the subsequent
warm and dry weather soon removed these apprehensions, and
we gathered four hundred and fifty-three baskets in the ear.

I have grown, this season, about eighteen tons of carrots, (the
large orange,) on two acres which had been sown with this veg-
etable in 1854 and 1855, and had produced a large return. I
expected thirty to thirty-six tons, and impute the diminished pro-
duction, in part, to having used on one acre C. B. De Burgh's
sujjer pJiospJiate of lime, instead of barn-yard manure. Some
other vegetables, also, to which it was appHed, did badly, whereas
the carrots, which were manured in the usual way, gave a satis-
factory return.

The season being so late and cold, I planted only about ten
bushels of potatoes. A quantity rotted, and some, when dry,
were not much larger than walnuts. In former years, I have
planted Chenangos as early as the 14th of April, and had a
very good crop.

I have grown a few tons of ruta bagas this season, which have

54

done quite well. I grow, of other vegetables, only sufficient to
supply my own table. In ordinary years, I have a fair supply of
apples. Last year I had 139 bushels of cider apples, and 50
barrels of selected fruit gathered by hand, and fit for table
desert.

In pears, I have only a moderate supply ; but of the best kinds,
the seckel, in particular, does well in West Roxbury. Some
years I have a great abundance of peaches.

I have two farm horses, one yoke of oxen, three cows, and
seldom vary from this number.

I have used upon my farm, this year, about one hundred cords
of manure, all of which was taken from the barn-yard or stable,
except about twenty cords of muck taken from a part of my farm,
where there are large deposits of the very best quality. I have
also used 3,450 lbs. of phos|)liate of lime.

S. D. Bradford.

J. S. WIGGIN'S STATEMENT.

In regard to my crops, I shall speak generally. I have kept
no detailed account the present year, but have gone on making
improvements, cultivating my land, purchasing implements, adding
to my stock, furnishing my house, and charging all to the cost of
the farm ; probably, another year, I may open a profit and loss
account with the farm.

Two years since found me in possession of a farm containing
about twenty-three acres, entirely run out — buildings in shocking
condition. I sent my carpenter from Boston, with orders to make
certain repairs and alterations, which he did to my entire satisfac-
tion, at a cost of $3,000 to 4,000, during the fall of 1854.

The first of May, 1855, I came to the farm with my family,
and passed six months. During that period, I added to my
stock three cows, one yoke of oxen, one farm horse, twenty-
one swine, some of which were fatted and sold. I purchased
implements as fast as they were required, until I found my farm
amply supplied withe very essential, with no occasion to trouble
my neighbors with borrowing. During this period, I added to

55

my farm sixty acres, consisting of wood land, pastm'age and
mowing, which now makes it consist of eighty-three acres.

I also built a long range of substantial stone Avail, four feet
high, and trenched below frost. I also built an avenue to my
house, leading from the road, across a pond, in which I had con-
structed a flume, partly of wood, the balance stone. Having a
large supply of water at the head, which is constantly kept sup-
plied from boiling springs, induced me to put in a hydraulic ram,
and convey the water to my buildings, which has proved invalu-
able ; yielding an abundance, saving much labor, and enables us
to have the same facilities for bathing and water closets, as the
Cochituate does our residence in Boston, besides all other pur-
poses for which the element is needed.

During this period, I caused to be planted several acres of the
serial crops, using only one ton of Mexican guano, which proved
to be of little value, and some ashes, which I caused to be made
from sods and brush, which was scraped together for the better
improvement of the farm, wintered the stock before enumerated.

In October, I laid down three to three and one-half acres of
winter rj^e, and two or more of winter wheat, from which I had
a fair yield. Had these crops been put in at the usual season of
the year, they would have been large, particularly the wheat, but
circumstances would not admit of getting the seed in earlier. The
ground for wheat was prepared with barn manure, made during
the summer, and slacked hme. The seed, before sowing, was
immersed in strong brine, all foreign substances skimmed off, and
then shaded over in a trough, adding slacked lime, until the seed
separated, and every kind Avas encased, and better fruit I never
have seen.

After spending the winter in the city, the first of May found
me again upon the farm, and I found my stock, of every kind,
had not been idle. The barn yard and cellar were full of manure,
and together with my former experience of the past season, I had
something to do with, and could really begin the business of
farming. The flume before noticed, enables me to draw down
the pond, in which is deposited a rich, vegetable substance known
as muck. I caused to be taken out 50 cords. Two good hands,
Irish Avheel-barrows, will take out six cords a day. It hav-
ing had the action of the winter, I caused it to be combined,

56

tliorouglilj, with one ton of Peruvian guano. On land thus pre-
pared, I planted eight acres of corn — different varieties : Canada,
King Philip, old fashion eight-rowed, and Webster, manuring in
the hill about four acres of potatoes — different varieties, one acre
of white beans, one-half acre of carrots, besides the usual quan-
tity of sweet corn, garden vegetables, pole beans, &c., &c., say
one and a half acres, and my neighbors are astonished at the
result of the muck and guano. The cost of the two ingredients
when prepared, I calculate at |3.50 per cord.

In addition to the crops named, I caused to be sowed about
four acres of barley and two of oats, which has given me good
crops ; this ground was manured from the barn yard ; all my
crops are upon sward land, broke up this spring.

My fruit trees, which consist mostly of grafted apples, have
received my personal attention. Last year they were much
injured by caterpillars. I have conquered them this year, —
scarcely a tree with a nest upon it, and more or less of fruit. I
dug around them, transplanted some, scraped all that were worth
preserving, took up those that were not, washed them twice
with oil soap suds, and very soon shall make a paste of the same
material, add to which, green corn manure and tobacco steeped,
and paste it around the trunk, about twelve inches in height,
which I apprehend will not only destroy, but prevent their future
ingress.

Upon my farm are about seven acres of meadow, which I caused
to be ditched through the centre, four feet in width and three
feet deep, preparatory to reclaiming them into English grass. In
my stone wall, when required, I have erected gates instead of
bars, as they are more secure and saving of labor. I am now
constructing a cement drain from the house to the barn cellar,
through which could be conveyed, for useful purposes, all the
drainage of sinks and water closets. Finding that my old barn
was too small, I have added two wings, one for a stable, 23 by
36, the other 36 by 36, with two hnters and tie upon which, makes
a building 87 by 36, with paved and cemented cellar under the
whole, divided into pens for hogs, with drive way from end to
end ; also a cemented cellar for roots, under a building which
adjoins the barn, in which will also be set kettles for boiling food
for the swine. My pens are made of spruce plank, five feet

57

high, let into grooves, so as to take out easy. The troughs, set
half in and out with swing doors, so that they cannot trample
while feeding, nor waste food — besides, the troughs are always
kept clean, being raised upon a platform two and a half feet.

Out of a building upon the farm I constructed an ice-house,
which holds 50 tons, which is taken from my pond at very small
cost, giving a supply for all purposes, of that now almost indis-
pensable luxury. An open shed, 40 feet long, will soon be
finished facing the barn yai'd ; also, upon the other side of the
yard, a pen for poultry in connection with a house for the same,
' of which I have of different species, young and old, about 200.

I have added to ray stock this year a pair of carriage horses,
one cow, four sheep, (cossets,) and hope to raise my own lamb
for the table next year. My swine number upwards of forty,
young and old. Have sold some shoats and pigs this summer,
and expect to slaughter ten fatted hogs this fall and winter.

Soon as time will permit I shall continue enclosing my farm with
stone wall,, a part of which has already been done during the
year. I took out a buttonwood stump, which was in the centre
of the wall, at a cost of $25.00. The modus operandi by which
it was accomplished was equal to an old fashioned hauling, and
created quite as much excitement among our neighbors.

The expenditures this year upon barn and out-buildings, not far
from $3500.00. The cost of the ram $26.00 ; pipe laying and
plumbing $175.00. My farm is bounded upon three roads ;
therefore am not much troubled with division fence.

My farm is now stocked and furnished with five cows, one yoke
of oxen, five calves, (to be raised,) four horses, four sheep, forty
head of swine, one chaise, one two-horse buggy, one wagon, one
ox cart, one horse cart, one hay cart, one roller, and most all
other approved implements used upon thrifty farms. My poultry
consists of turkeys, hens and chickens, of the old barn yard stamp,
which I think is the best breed for eating.

Thus, my friend, I have given you, in as brief a manner as the
subject would admit, the information you desired. If it will be
of service to you individually as a committee man or agricultural
board of Norfolk county, you are at liberty to use it ; and although
I feel that it is of little worth, still if I have or can do any thing
that will inspire new vigor and cause to be rejuvenated the old

8

58

neglected farms in Massachusetts, then I shall have been amply
rewarded for what little I have done or may hereafter do in the
service of the cause of agriculture.

Yours truly,

James S. Wiggin.

-*-

REPORT ON FOREST TREES.

We are surprised that, notwithstanding the liberal premiums
offered by this Society, and the strong inducements otherwise
presented to farmers, the growth of forest trees has received^so
little attention in Norfolk county. The cost and consumption of
fuel and timber is already creating serious apprehension for the
future, and would justify any reasonable measures to remove it.
True, it is said that the amount of wood land in the county is
greater now than it was twenty-five years ago, although the
quantity of merchantable wood and timber is smaller. But we
believe that this statement rests mainly on the fact that the value
of wood land has increased so much, within the given period, that
many acres are now suffered to remain in their natural state,
which otherwise would have been cleared up and devoted to til-
lage or pasturage, and that many pastures are now covered with
scattered pines, birches or other trees, where otherwise the brush-
wood would have been extirpated. On the slightest survey of the
county, one is struck with the great number of acres to be seen
where the soil is light, capable of affording only the scantiest
herbage, — often covered with moss, — or yielding occasionally a
meagre crop of rye or corn, — scantily repaying its cost, which
might be covered with beautiful and productive forests, and thus
add, every way, to the attractiveness and value of the homestead.
But while few systematic attempts have been made, within our
knowledge, to cultivate forest trees on any extensive scale, we
are happy to notice the instances of successful endeavor, in this
direction, to which our attention has been called ; and we cannot

69

but hope that others may be incited by them to give to the sub-
ject all the consideration it deserves.

Mr. Whiting Metcalf of Franklin, presented for our inspection
a plantation of pines and birches, covering three and a half acres.
This plantation was begun about twenty years ago, — when its pro-
prietor was nearly three score years old, — and he now lives to
reap the mental satisfaction, as well as the pecuniary returns, of
an entirely successful experiment. Upon the western border of his
large and valuable farm, a swell of land, with a soil of light, sandy
loam, and a subsoil of pure sand had been sown, for many alternate
years, with rye and grass seed, without any fair equivalent for the
labor and expense of it. This land was now sown, — one half of
it with seeds of the pitch pine tree, which grew rapidly, and en-
couraged the attempt to sow the other half, some years after-
wards, with seeds of the white pine tree. For some reason these
did not germinate as uniformly as the others had done, and seeds
of the birch tree Avere then sown in every vacant spot. The re-
sult is that Mr. Metcalf now has, on the half of this land first
sown, one acre and three-quarters of pitch pine trees, from among
which he has thinned out, last spring, ten cords of small wood,
leaving, on a careful estimate, not less than fifteen cords per acre
of good merchantable wood. Probably these trees have grown
more rapidly than usual, in consequence of the previous cultiva-
tion of the soil. But, judging from their past growth and present
vigorous appearance, we think they will increase at the rate of a
cord per acre, at least, for every year until they are of sufficient
age and size to be felled. Allowing this to be not less than forty
years from the time of sowing, there will then be thirty cords per
acre on the ground. The increased value of the wood, at that
time, will probably bear due proportion to the increased quantity
of it. If the price of such wood in the market to-day is four
dollars per cord, it may then be seven dollars, and the whole lot
would be worth two hundred and ten dollars per acre.

This may appear, at first sight, to be no very large return for
so long an investment of money. We have heard it said that it
were far better to abandon such acres, and seek a more profitable
investment of capital in the fertile prairies of the West. And
we confess that, for an immediately gainful return, the prospect at
the West may be far more inviting ; but, in addition thereto, must

60

be taken all the discomforts and disadvantages of the change of
residence, in comparison with the familiar comforts and advantages
of a New England home. But it is idle to start the question of
comparative remuneration in the case. Here are three acres of
light and almost barren soil, and the question is, whether they
cannot be made productive and converted to some profitable use.
We cannot abandon them. The farms and homesteads of New
England cannot be deserted. We must adopt better methods of
cultivation, and make better use of light and unimproved lands.
We must renew and enlarge our forests, by a judicious planting
of different sorts of trees for fuel, building and the arts. We
must adorn and beautify spots now barren, with the growth they
are best capable of sustaining, and thus increase their capacity of
use to the generations that may succeed us here. In this way,
we may do much to lessen the inducements which are now carry-
ing so many of the young and active yeomanry away from their
homes.

Besides, if we look closely at the mere profit of the investment,
in the case before us, we may be led to regard it in a very differ-
ent light. Here are three and a half acres of very light land,
worth perhaps, in their present condition, fifteen dollars per acre,
the interest and taxes of which would be, say (for we do not in-
tend an exact calculation,) one dollar. They are sown with rye
one year, and planted or pastured the next. But this cultivation,
it is stated, yields no greater return than would cover the cost.
They would remain, therefore, unprofitable acres unless converted
to some better use. They are now sown with seeds of the pine
tree. These germinate well and their growth is rapid ; and at
the period of twenty years we find these acres covered with a bur-
den of fifteen cords per acre of good merchantable wood, worth in
the market say one one hundred and twenty-five dollars ; and it
has cost nothing more than the planting and protecting of the trees.
But it will yield its owner an interest of more than thirty per
CENT, per annum on his original investment. No doubt we have
estimated the original value of the land above what its actual or
its market is worth. If so, there is of course an equally large ad-
dition to be made to the annual interest which the investment will
yield. May we not ask if, — all things considered, — the prairie
lands of the West are more to be desired in a pecuniary point of

61

vieAV ? But this pecuniary profit from the investment is not all.
There is a mental satisfaction derived from the cultivation and im-
provement of one's paternal acres, — from beautifying the spot
where it has been our happiness to own our nativity, — where are the
civil and religious institutions and the social advantages we most
value, and where we trust our children will make their pleasant
homes, — which no money can purchase.

Of the remaining half of Mr. Metcalf 's lands, "we shall only
say that it was sown some years later, with the seeds of the white
pine and birch trees, as may be seen by his statement annexed,
and that it now bears an equally flourishing growth of valuable
wood.

Another plantation of forest trees was examined by your Com-
mittee, belonging to Mr. Alfred H. Metcalf of Franklin.

This plantation is upon land of similar light soil, and adjoining
that of which we have before spoken. On the 12th of June,

1850, Mr. Metcalf transplanted to this spot, from scattered points
in the open field near by, four hundred young white pine trees.
These all lived and grew thriftily. In May of the following year,

1851, he transplanted four hundred more, making the whole plan-
tation cover about two-thirds of an acre. For the precise manner
in which this was done, we shall refer to Mr. Metcalf 's statement,
annexed. But one tree has failed to take root and flourish ; and
there stands a fine, thrifty grove of trees, presenting to the eye a
beautiful prospect, exciting in the breast of its owner emotions of
satisfaction and honest pride, and promising a liberal return in
money for his investment and his labor.

We commend both these instances to the consideration of the
members of this Society, with the assurance that, if any one is
disposed to examine these plantations, his visit will be received
with pleasure by Messrs. Metcalf, and rewarded with ample grati-
fication.

We unanimously award to Mr. Whiting Metcalf the Society's
first premium of $20,00.

To Mr. Alfred H. Metcalf, the Society's second premium of
$10.00.

Having spoken of the growth of forest trees in the county as a *
subject of great importance, and of this in only one of its bear-
ings, it may be expected that we should proceed to a fuller and

62

more elaborate discussion of the whole matter. But we have
neither the time to devote to it, before this Report must go to the
press, nor the means at hand for pursuing those investigations,
without which this object could not be accomplished. Happily,
no discussion of ours is necessary, as none could approach that
already before the public, in the admirable Report on the Trees
and Shrubs of Massachusetts, by the Hon. Commissioner of the
Commonwealth, George B. Emerson, Esq., of Boston. We earn-
estly invite attention to this Report, which offers at once the most
extensive and reliable information, and the most gratifying occu-
pation to every reader. It is greatly to be desired that a new
edition of this work should be published, at a cost which will en-
able every farmer and every citizen in the Commonwealth to pos-
sess and examine it.

For the Committee,

CHARLES C. SEWALL, Chairman.

Note. Since completing this Report, we have learned from a perfectly
reliable source, facts which lend much support to the encouragement there
is for greater attention to the growth of forest trees in our county.

A member of the Societj', who has devoted a long life to the labors of the
farm, and whose good judgment and industry are proved by the result of
his labors, has informed us that, just forty years ago, he planted a field of
two acres upon his father's farm with corn and potatoes ; that since that
time there have been cut from the same field two separate growths of ex-
cellent birch wood, of at least twenty cords per acre, and that there is now
standing upon it a third growth of the same kind of wood, for part of which
he has just been offered six dollars per cord for mechanical uses. The field
had received little care and attention after the cultivation mentioned above.
Around the walls of it white birches were suffered to remain at that time,
from the seeds of which, scattered by the winds and the birds, the whole
grove, it is supposed, has sprung.

The same gentleman also states that he once had in possession another
field, of like soil and dimensions, which was overgrown with small brush-
wood of birches, which he wished to destroy. He attempted to accomplish
his purpase by cutting down the young trees, in the month of June, — a
process which, he had been assured, would certainly kill the roots. The
attempt was given over, after cutting down the growth on one half the field.
But, in the month of September following, he found there, to his astonish-
ment, a new growth of young birch trees, nearly or quite as large as that
which had remained untouched on the other half of the field. He is now
done with cutting young birch trees, in the month of June, in order to kill
their roots.

63

MR. WHITING METCALF'S STATEMENT.

Mj plantation of forest trees contains three and a half acres.
The soil is a light sandy loam, and the subsoil sand. About one
half of it is of pitch pine ; the other half of -white pine and birch
trees. I raised rye upon the land about every other year for sev-
eral years, but found that it would not pay the expense. I then
procured some pitch pine seeds and sowed them on the rye stub-
ble, and harrowed them into the ground, which Avas the only ex-
pense of the whole. This was done about twenty years ago. The
seeds came up too thickly, in some places, but I suffered them to
take their course until last spring, when I thinned out of the lot
about ten cords. This left the remainder good room to grow, and
it is the opinion of competent judges that there are now fifteen
cords to the acre upon the ground.

The other half of the lot was sown three or four years after-
wards with white pine seeds ; but the seed did not come up well,
and the nejct year I sowed birch seed to fill all the vacancies. I
now have a handsome lot of white pine and birch trees.

Whiting Metcalf.

Franklin, September, 1856.

MR. A. H. METCALF'S STATEMENT.

The land on which my plantation of forest trees stands, consists
of a poor sandy loam, and was considered nearly worthless. In
the year 1850, on the 12th of June, I set out upon it four hun-
dred white pine trees. In the following spi-ing, about the last of
May, I set out nearly the same number. The plantation now
contains about eight hundred trees, and occupies two thirds of an
acre of ground.

I transplanted these trees from an old pasture near by, when
they averaged about two feet in height, and with a sod around
them six or eight inches square. I ploughed furrows in the land
eight feet apart, and placed the trees four feet distant from each
other, in each furrow. Then with a hoe I drew the earth over
them, as far as was necessary to cover and protect the roots, and
the work was done.

64

The whole expense did not exceed four dollars, and for this I
now have a beautiful and thrifty grove of pine trees, averaging
from eight to ten feet in height.

Alfred H. Metcalf.

Franklin^ September^ 1856.

In connection with the foregoing Report on Forest Trees, the
Trustees have thought it would subserve the purposes of the Society
to reprint a portion of the admirable Report therein referred to,
" On the Trees and Shrubs growing naturally in the Forests of
Massachusetts."

" The object of this Report," says its author, George B. Emer-
son, Esq., "is to describe the trees and forests of Massachusetts,
to set forth their importance, their general and particular rela-
tions, uses and properties, and the modes by which they may be
preserved, propagated and improved."

It would be fitting to our purpose to reprint the whole of Mr.
Emerson's Introductory Essay on the uses and improvements of
the forest. But the space it would require forbids. We have,
therefore, taken the liberty to select such parts of it as best com-
port with our design ; while we again urge upon every one who
can obtain it, the careful study of the whole.

It will readily be seen that the value and usefulness of this
Report are in no degree diminished by the natural and social
changes which have taken place since its pubhcation in 1846.
The only material difference between its applicabihty to that peri-
od and the present, is in the statistics by which the author mea-
sures the worth and the uses of the forests. The increase which
has accumulated in the quantity of wood consumed for fuel and in
manufactures and the arts, is truly astonishing ; and the fact
should serve to impress most strongly upon the mind of every
farmer the importance of attending to his forest trees.

We shall present a table of statistics, showing the present use
and value of wood, drawn from a source similar to that of the one
made use of by Mr. Emerson, in the preparation of his Report,
exhibiting the facts, in part at least, as they existed at the close of
the year ending June 1, 1855.

65

Mr. Emerson describes the uses of forests as follows : —

1. Forests create, or gradually but constantly improve a soil.
The roots penetrate deeply into the ground, and thus let in the
air, to produce its slow but sure effects. The radicals decompose
the grains of sand, and extract from them some of the elements
essential to a soil ; they drink in moisture and the carbonic acid
gas, which has been formed beneath or brought down from the
atmosphere above the surface ; and from these several elements,
acted on by heat, light and air, in the leaves and by that un-
known influence, vegetable life, are formed the various substances
which compose the plant. The annual deposit of leaves and the
final decay of the branches and trunk, go to constitute the mould
upon which other plants grow. And the soil thus formed is kept
by the thick matting of the roots from washing away.

2. Another use of forests is to serve as conductors of elec-
tricity between the clouds and its great reservoir, the earth, thus
giving activity to the vital powers of plants, and leading the

clouds to di'scharge their contents upon the earth The

forests also coat the earth and keep it warm in winter, shutting in
the central heat, which would otherwise more rapidly radiate into

space and be lost Forests act not less favorably as a

protection against the excessive heat of the summer's sun, which
rapidly evaporates the moisture and parches up the surface. . . .

3. Forests protect a country from the violence of winds

The laws of the motion of the atmosphere are similar to those of
water. A bare hill gives no protection. The wind pours over it
as water pours over a dam. But if the hill be capped with trees,
the windy cascade will be broken as into spray. Its violence will

be sensibly diminished A garden, surrounded by tall

trees, admits the cultivation, even in our severe climate, of plants
almost tropical.

Forests not only protect from Avinds ; they must prevent their
formation. The air, resting over a broken surface, cannot be
rapidly heated to a uniformly high temperature, so as to rise up-
wards in great masses and create a violent wind.*

* A writer in the sixth volume of the New England Farmer says : — " It is
indeed astonishing how much better cattle thrive in fields even but moder-
ately sheltered, than they do in an open, exposed country. In the breeding
of cattle, a sheltered farm, or a sheltered corner in a farm, is a thing much

9

66

4. As adding to the beauty of a country, the forests are of the
utmost importance. A country destitute of them cannot be in the
highest degree beautiful.

5. In a country so much exposed as ours is, in consequence
of the remarkable clearness of the atmosphere, to the burning heat
of the sun, the use of trees for shade is not one of the least impor-
tant A tree which furnishes a cool shade to the inhabi-
tants of a house is, at the same time and on that account, its best
ornament Trees should be planted not only by dwel-
ling-houses and along roads ; they should be in every pasture
and by watering places, and near every barn — wherever cattle,
horses or sheep are to be provided for. All these animals suffer
from the burning sun ; and to say nothing of their enjoyment,
the cost of shade trees will be many times paid back in the saving
of the milk, fat, fleece, and strength which will be the conse-
quence of their being protected from the heat of the sun.

6. The importance of the forests as furnishing materials for
shipbuilding, housebuilding, and numerous other arts, is so obvi-
ous that it must occur to every one ; and yet there is danger that,
in many places, from false views of immediate economy, no pro-
vision will be made for the wants of future generations. It is not
easy to estimate the pecuniary value of the wood used in house-
building. A vast deal of this is continually going on ; the aspect
of the State is annually improving by the erection of large, better
finished and more commodious houses, barns and out-houses.
And almost all the materials have been, hitherto, except for the
seaport towns, furnished by our own woods. But no returns of
these improvements are published. The thousands of tons of tim-
ber, boards, clapboards and shingles, are not put on record. It
is manifest, however, that the difference against us would be great,

if we had to look elsewhere for our materials The effects

of the wasteful destruction of the forest trees are already visible.

piized ; and in instances where fields are taken by the season, for the pur-
pose of fattening cattle, those most sheltered never fail to bring the highest

rents Dr. Deane has observed, he continues, pasture lands

should be well fenced in small lots, and these lots should be

bordered, at least, with rows of trees. It is best that trees of some kind or
other should be growing, scattered in every point of the pasture, so that
cattle may never have far to go, in a hot hour, to obtain a comfortable
shade."

67

A very large proportion- of the materials for shipbuilding, house-
building and manufactures, in the towns along the coast, are now

brought from other States Every mechanic who works

in wood, looks every year more and more out of the State for his
materials. Every year we are more dependent on Maine and
New York and some of the Southern States, not only for ship-
timber and lumber for housebuilding, but for materials for tanning
and dyeing, for carriagemaking, basketmaking, planemaking, last-
making, and for furniture and the implements of husbandry.

Even these foreign resources are fast failing us. Within the
last quarter of a century the forests of jNIaine and New York,
from which we draw our largest supplies, have disappeared more
rapidly than those of Massachusetts ever did. In a quarter of a
century more, at this rate, the supply, in many places, will be en-
tirely cut off.

7. Another special use of the forests of the State is in the
production of maple sugar. Great quantities are already made,
and the manufacture might be much more generally introduced.

In many favorable situations the cultivation of the maple

tree would cost only forethought. The labor of planting the trees
might be performed late in the year, when the fall work was over,
and the making of sugar be attended to early, before the spring
work had begun.

Of minor importance, but of much more than is usually given to
it, is the production of nuts of various kinds, the fruits of forest
trees. The produce of the shellbark, chestnut, beech, hazel
and acorn, already valuable, might be increased in value almost
indefinitely, by selecting the best native varieties, and improving
them by processes similar to those to which we owe the fine varie-
ties of apple and pear, and the cultivated varieties of European
nuts, and by introducing similar trees, such as the pecan nut, the
English walnut, and the European hazel.

8. The most extensive and important use of the forest is in the
fuel it furnishes. Most of the fires through the State are still
cliiefly fed from this source

[Thus far we have quoted the language of Mr. Emerson, the
author of the Report. We now offer data, by which it may be seen
how large a quantity of fuel is consumed, every Avhere, by the fam-
ilies in the State, and in the locomotives on the several railroads.]

68

The population of the State, according to the last ceusus, is
about 1,100,000. Suppose each family to consist, on an aver-
age, of five persons, and we then have 220,000 famihes in the
State. Suppose the quantity of fuel required for the use of each
family to be, on an average, six cords every year, and the aver-
age price of all kinds of wood to be $5.00 per cord. Then the
annual cost of wood consumed for fuel in our houses is $6,600,000.

By the last Annual Reports of the several railroad corpora-
tions, Ave learn that the expense of wood for fuel consumed in the
locomotives, during the year, was . . . $1,288,838

which, added to the amount above, . . . 6,600,000

makes an aggregate of .... . 7,888,838
as the annual expense of wood for fuel in the State. Much wood
is, undoubtedly, supplied from foreign sources. But, regarding
our estimate of the home consumption as within moderate bounds,
and connecting it with the statements in the railroad reports, we
are compelled to believe that a much greater quantity of wood is
annually prepared for market than what appears in the returns
of the assessors ; that instead of being estimated, as it is, at
$2,960,915, its value should be at least $4,000,000.

From a valuable work on the Industry of Massachusetts, re-
cently prepared by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, from
returns by the assessors of the several cities and towns, we learn
that the annual value of Avood consumed for fuel, and of manu-
factured articles of which wood is a material, was, in the year
ending June 1, 1855, as follows : —

Firewood, prejmred for marlcet,

Charcoal, " " " . . .

Lumber, including shingles, clapboards, &c.,

Chair and cabinet ware, ....

Sashes, doors and window blinds.

Musical instruments, (cases, legs and other wood,)

Boxes of all sorts,

Casks,

Wooden ware, .......

Lasts and shoe pegs, .....

Making an aggregate of

$2,960,915
237,460
3,664,462
3,969,982
936,959
361,150
997,783
802,374
745,711
192,350

14,869,146

(39

The materials of these articles are drawn almost entirely from
the forests. There are other articles, of -which wood forms one of
the materials, estimated as follows : —

V UooClb* • • • • •

Masts and spars, ....
Blocks and pumps, ....
Railroad cars, coaches and other vehicles,
Ploughs and other agricultural implements.
Shovels, spades, forks and hoes,
Saddles, harness and trunks,
INIechanics' tools, ....

$4,643,450

130,166

247,638

314,510

2,352,955

707,175

894,515

1,220,049

1,142,614

Friction matches, ...... 95,750

Making an aggregate of .... 11,748,822

We omit several articles, such as brooms, brushes, clocks, fire
engines, and the bark used in tanneries and fencing materials, all
of "which would add not a little to the quantity and value of wood
consumed in the State. And it should be observed, too, that the
returns of the assessors, from which these facts are derived, are
pronounced, in the Report, very imperfect, and that if full and
exact, might swell the aggregates we have stated above.

We have, then, one aggregate of $14,869,146, from which,
only, the expense of labor is to be deducted ; and another of
$11,748,822, from which the expense of labor and of the diflfer-
ent materials used, is to be deducted. How large these several
deductions should be, we are not able to state with any precision.
Allowing them to equal seven-tenths of the whole amount, and
this we regard a large allowance, the net value of wood jDrepared
for market, and of Avooden materials used in different manufac-
tures, in the year ending June 1, 1855, would be $7,985,396.
And this labor and manufacturing has given employment to at
least 125,000 persons, and support, doubtless, to five times as
many.

We proceed, now, to make further extracts from Mr. Emerson's
Report, and present his remarks on the Continuation and

Improvement of the Forests Planting trees on a

large scale, has been seldom attempted in New England. The
inhabitants of each town have been content with the kinds of

70

wood growing in tlieir neighborhood ; or, where particular kinds
not to be found there, were necessary for the manufactures
already established, they have been satisfied to import them from
a distance. In very few instances, have systematic efforts been
made to provide a future supply of the best materials, in their
own immediate vicinity. This is to be done. The individuals
interested in a particular branch of manufacture may say, that
when materials fail them in one place, they will go to another.
The owners of the land ought not to rest satisfied with this view
of the case. True patriotism and enlightened views of economy,
ought to prevent any one from consenting to it.

Massachusetts must necessarily continue to be a manufacturing
State, and the manufactures in wood are among the most import-
ant branches of industry, and must be not only continued but
enlarged. They cannot even continue, unless pains are taken to

plant forests which shall furnish the necessary materials

One by one, the workers in wood will have left the State, when
the old forests shall have been all cut down. A prudent foresight
may prevent this, by planting in season, the kinds of trees ne-
cessary for these various demands, — for fuel, and for all branches
of manufacture. For this end, we have extraordinary resources.
Among the native trees, we have great choice, from the number,
variety, and excellence of the species. In the narrow breadth of
Massachusetts, the species of native timber trees are more numer-
ous than are found in any kingdom of Europe. We have nine
large oak trees, four hickories, five birches, three large maples,
three ashes, three pines, two walnuts, two elms, two spruces, two
cedars, besides the beech, the chestnut, the horn beam, the lever
wood, the tupelo, the hoop ash or nettle tree, the tulip tree, the
plane, the bass, the locust, the hemlock, the fir, the hackmatack,
the cherry, the holly, several poplars, many willows, and a large
number of smaller trees. Besides these, it is found that all the
valuable trees of middle and northern Europe flourish here as if
they were native.

It thus appears that our soil and climate are perfectly well
adapted to all kinds of trees which are found in temperate coun-
tries. It is only necessary to understand the character and habits
of each, and to choose suitable soil and situation.

It will not be considered foreign to our purpose, to enumerate

71

some of the more important of the objects •which should be kept
in view in the cultivation and extension of our forests, and the
native and foreign trees best suited for those purposes.

The first want, as has been shown, is fuel. The trees best
suited to the purpose, are the hickories, the oaks, the beech, the
birches, the maples, and the pines, particularly the pitch pine ;
and the chestnut and hemlock for close furnaces. If fuel is to
be used in the form of charcoal, the hard woods only arc of great
value, particularly chestnut, the birches, alders, oaks and maples.
As materials for house building, the pines, the spruce and the

hemlock, are generally employed Chestnut resists

decay and is more in use. Flooi'S are sometimes made of beech,
of birch, and of ash. The best materials, probably, are oak,
white pine, chestnut and spruce.

For shipbuilding, oak is considered absolutely necessary, as
being preferable to any other wood. The best kinds are white

oak, and black or yellow bark oak In the construction

of most of the ships of Europe, great quantities of larch are
used. This tree might be profitably planted on thousands of
acres which are now unproductive. Small vessels, remarkably
light and durable, have been wholly made of pitch pine. This
tree grows well on sands so barren as to furnish nourishment for
no other tree. Pitch pine is also used, in preference to other
timber, for the upper works of large vessels, and for top-masts.
"White pine is also used, especially for decks, as it retains the
oakum in its seams ; and for the knees, hackmatack and spruce ;

and rock maple for keels Spruce and pine are also

used for the upper spars. For boats, cedar and oak are neces-
sary.

For fencing materials, chestnut and cedar are found most dura-
ble. The former is remarkable for its rapid growth. White
cedars grow most luxuriantly in wet swamps, where nothing else
will flourish. The various native and foreign thorns, the hemlock
and cedar, and numerous small trees, furnish fit materials for
hedges, which, in many parts of the State, must ultimately take
the place of other fences.

Furniture, of the most ornamental Idnds, is now made of our
beautiful maples, birches, cherries and beech. Tables of extreme
beauty are sometimes made of the root of oak, or maple, or birch.

72

These four trees, with the oaks and pine, must continue to be in-
dispensablj necessary for the manufacture of chairs, tables, bod-
steads, and other kinds of furniture.

For implements of husbandry, the ashes and hickories, the lever
wood, the hornbeam and the oaks, must always be wanting. The
carriagemaker and Avagonbuilder will want ash for springs and
frames, oak for spokes and shafts, elm for hubs, and white wood
or bass for pannels. The basketmaker will want young white
oaks, ash and willow ; the planemaker, beech ; the lastmaker,
maple ; the pumpmaker, oak and pitchpine ; the bucketmaker,
white and red cedar.

The tanner will continue to want the bark of the black, the
white, and the chestnut oak, the hemlock and the birch ; in regard
to all which there has hitherto been great wastefulness. And the
dyer will want quercitron, sumach, bayberry root, in addition to
foreign stuffs, for some of which he might substitute the bark of
alder, birch, and some other native trees.

Many acres now under cultivation, and poorly re

paying the labor spent on them, might be advantageously sown or

planted with pines Several oaks, birches and pines

are often found growing_among rocks, where no soil can be seen.
The rock chestnut oak, the black birch, the red cedar, and the

hackmatack, rejoice in such situations Of sedgy marsh

and swamp, too wet and cold to be cultivated, without extensive
and costly draining, many acres, in the eastern part of the State,
have been sown, by a natural process, with the seeds of the white
cedar. The seeds, when shed, float upon the water, and are car-
ried by spring tides and freshets, and left upon the surface of the
ground. In the summer, they spring up in countless multitudes.
What has been done, in these instances, by nature, in-
dicate the process by which similar grounds may be reduced or
restored to the condition of forest.

Much is to be done for the improvement of the woodlands now
existing. In some cases, they are managed with great care.
The best means of thinning, pruning and felling are studied and
practised. But, in many cases, indeed in most instances, they are

left in utter neglect The principle on which thinning

and pruning should be conducted, is a very plain and intelligible
one. It is that every tree and branch should be allowed to have

73

an ample supply of air and light. When, therefore, two trees are
so near that their branches extensively intermingle, one should be
removed ; and, generally, it should be that one which is much
taller or shorter than the neighboring trees. In pruning, that
branch should be shortened which encroaches on other branches of
its own, or another tree

In many hard wood trees, shoots spring vigorously from the
stool or stump, after the tree is cut down ; and this mode of re-
production is chiefly rehed upon in most of the woodlands of
this State. It becomes, then, of great importance to ascertain
what are the best modes of felling, whether by thinning it out the
forest or cutting it entirely down ; in what period a wood, so cut
down, will renew itself, so as to be profitably cut again ; at what
age of the tree the stump will shoot most vigorously ; at what age,
if any, trees cease to shoot from the stool ; what trees will not
thus shoot ; what season of the year is found best for felling a
forest, when the object is to have it renew itself speedily ; and
what season', when the object is to destroy the forest

In felling for timber, the practice is to select suitable

trees, from any part of the forest In felling for fuel ....

it has now become nearly a universal practice to cut clean and
close. Experience has uniformly shown this to be the most eco-
nomical.

The white or grey birch is of most rapid growth, and

springs at once from the stump. This may be profitably cut in
from ten to twenty years ; a growth of maple, ash and birch,
black, yellow and white, in twenty to twenty-five ; oaks, in from
twenty to thirty-three. Where the trees are principally oak ....
the forest may be cut clean three times in a century. Cedar
swamps, which grow from seed, cannot be profitably cut in less

than forty years. Pitch pines require from forty to

sixty years to be in a condition to be felled. In many places, the
experiment has been tried of burning over the surface, ploughing
and sowing with rye. When the trees have been of hard wood,
t'lis practice has been strongly condemned. In the case of pitch
pines it is recommended. The seedhng pines make most rapid

progress when the surface has been softened by cultivation

The trees best for fuel shoot again most readily and grow most
vigorously whoa cut under twenty-five years. The wood is form-

10

74

ed -svithin that time as rapidly, taking a forest together, as at any

other age ; and, for fuel, it is then of most value Stumps

of young, healthy, growing trees shoot most vigorously. They

should not be under fifteen years, nor much over twenty

Shoots will not come fi*om very old trees Evergreens

never give permanent shoots from the stump. Several persons,
who have attended to the growth of the sugar maple, say that the
stump of this tree makes no shoots ; and the same is said of the
beech.

The convenience of the woodcutter will generally lead

him to fell the forest in the early part of the winter ; and, proba-
bly, taking into consideration both the quality of the wood cut and
the welfare of the future forest, this may be best.

When the object is to destroy the growth, summer is univer-
sally declared to be the best season to fell the forest.

It is among the things most unfavorable to

the growth of trees, to gather the leaves together, as is frequently
done, either to burn them, or to add to the compost heap. This

is bad economy The other circumstances particularly

unfavorable to the growth of trees, are browsing, pruning, a thin
soil, exposure to sea breezes, to high winds and to frosts. The
first of these, completely within the control of the forester, is the

browsing of cattle All should be entirely excluded from

woodlands intended to be valuable and to renew themselves.

I have already spoken of pruning. Where the object is wood,
it may be doubted whether any pruning is advisable, except in the
case that the branch of one tree materially interferes with the
growth of another. Plants receive food by their roots, and digest
and convert it to their various products, by and in their leaves.
Both roots and leaves should, therefore, be left to extend and

expand themselves as freely as possible Whatever

checks this expansion has a tendency to lessen the product of
wood.

On thin soil, the roots cannot penetrate far, and a tree, sur-
rounded by others, will soon exhaust the proper nutriment within
its circle, and must then begin to fail. As soon as this happens
it must be removed, and trees of other families must be sown or
planted in its stead.

Most forest trees are injuriously affected by the sea breeze, and

75

we generally find them stunted and dwarfed by its influence.
The remedy is to plant, numerously, the hardiest trees along the
seaward border

Wherever trees are planted for use in the arts, it is important
to give them the most rapid growth possible. Of wood growing
on the same soil, that which grows most rapidly is strongest.
That of which the circles of growth are narrowest is also weakest.

The strength of trees is proportioned to its weight. And as
young trees grow more rapidly than old ones, they are more valu-
ble as fuel.

It has long been known that summer or early autumn

is the season most favorable for the felling of timber, where the

object is strength and durability Nearly a quarter of a

century ago, Timothy Pickering showed by experiments which he
adduced, and by sound reasoning, that summer is better than win-
ter for this purpose. A writer in the New England Farmer, who
" has wrought more timber than most men, and for more uses than

he knows of," is satisfied that September is the best

time for felling trees ; and that if the tree be disbarked in June,
and allowed to stand till September, the timber will be stronger

and more durable ; that timber felled in September will

not suffer from red rot or from powder post.

The naturalist, Bufibn, after numerous experiments

carefully made on a large scale, and continued through many
years, arrived at the conclusion that nothing contributes so much
to the sohdity, strength and durability of timber as completely
stripping the trees of their bark some years, at least three, before
they are to be felled. This should be done in the spring, when

the bark is most easily separable Timber, managed in

this way, was found to be sometimes a fourth part stronger than
that from trees in the same forest, and in all other respects pre-
cisely similar, treated in the usual way ; that is, felled with the
bark on, and dried under the open sky, or under sheds.

In regard to the planting of forests, Mr. Emerson remarks : —
All the birch trees, especially the black and the white, are so val-
uable for timber and for fuel, that their cultivation should be earn-
estly recommended. They flourish on all kinds of soil, even the
poorest, spring most readily from seed, and grow very rapidly.
" Birch seed ripens in September and October, and may

76

be either gathered and sown immediately, or preserved in a dry
loft and sown in spring." " It is scarcely possible," observes Savy,
" to cover birch seeds too little, if they be covered at all." The
plants, if sown in autumn, will come up in March or April follow-
ing. If sown in spring, they will come up in May or June, which,
in very cold climates, is the preferable season.

" Young birch plants, taken out of coppice woods

when about two years old, are found to root much better than
seedlings of the same age and size, taken out of a regular seed
bed ; doubtless because, in the latter case, a greater portion of the
tap root requires to be cut off."

"In France and Germany, plantations of birch are

frequently made by sowing the seed where the trees are intended
finally to remain. For this purpose, the poorest soils are harrowed
in humid weather, in the month of October or of November, and
fifteen pounds of seed, as it is taken from the catkins along with
the scales, is sown on an acre, and afterwards covered with a bush

harrow It is observed by Michaux, that burnt soil is

peculiarly favorable to the growth of the birch, which, in America,
re-appears as by enchantment, in forests that have been burnt
down."

The pines are most readily propagated by seed If

the trees are to be propagated artificially, the seed must be de-
posited on or near the surface ; it should not be buried beneath,
or in case this is absolutely necessary, as when they are sown in
open fields, the covering should not exceed an eighth of an inch,
and should be light and loose. A soil and surface formed by the
decay of the leaves of deciduous trees is best, as it is precisely

that in which the seed naturally vegetates All pines

require to be cultivated in large masses. They naturally grow
thus, and although, when so growing, they seem to be extremely
hardy, they do not thrive when solitary, but are parched by the
sun, and stunted by the cold and wind.

The cones, which are mature after one, two, or three seasons,
may be gathered in the winter, as the scales do not usually open

to allow the seeds to escape till the spring The best

time for sowing the seeds is early in the spring, as soon as the

frost is out of the ground When poor, thin, rocky or

sandy soil is to be clothed with wood, and it is important to save

77

the time and expense of the several transplantations, the seeds
may be sown where the trees are intended to remain. They
must be sown abundantly, as they arc obnoxious to destruction by
various enemies. On a rocky surface, they may be cast into the
crevicies of the rocks, or beneath the thin soil which covers them.
On an open plain, they require protection, which may be found in
various low bushes, such as sweet fern ; or, if sown on a Avaste,
sterile land, they must be sown with the seeds of some quick grow-
ing shrub or tall grass, which shall protect them for two or three
years. For the first two or three years these plants are of slow
growth ; but after the fifth they grow very rapidly, and continue,
in favorable situations, to make one or two feet annually, until
they have reached twenty or thirty feet ; and, in case of the taller
species, a much greater height. The root, in most species, pene-
trates at once, in the first or second year, to the depths of one or
two feet, but never to a much greater depth.

The evergreens are transplanted with less facility and success

than most deciduous trees All the pines are, however,

successfully transplanted, if sufiicient care be taken not to injure
the roots nor heads, and to have a pit sufficiently large for all the
roots to be fully spread, and not to set them too deep. The most
difficult are the white and pitch pines. To ensure success, these
should be transplanted in winter, the pits having been formed and
the plant to be moved having been surrounded by a circular trench
in the previous autumn. In this way, the whole of the roots, with
the frozen earth adhering, may be removed in a single fall, and
set at once in the pit, and surrounded by loose earth kept for the
purpose.*

On account of the very valuable qualities of the wood, the hack-
matack (American larch) would deserve to be extensively culti-
vated, and there are thousands of acres of cold and swampy land
where it was found naturally, which are now unproductive, and
which might be clothed with it. It has, however, been found to
be far inferior, in rapidity of growth, to the European larch, which
very nearly resembles it in appearance and in the excellent quali-

* White pines, ten or fifteen feet in height, have been transplanted, in
the autumn, and with entire success, in the grounds of H. H. Hunnewell,
Esq., of West Needham.

78

ties of its wood. This, therefore, should be preferred, as likely to
produce, in the same time, a larger quantity of timber from the
same surface, and at the same expense.

On favorable soils, the European larch is fit for every useful
purpose in forty years growth. Its annual rate of increase, in
Scotland, has been found to be from one to one and a half inches in
circumference, at six feet from the ground, on trunks from ten to
fifty years of age. It has, moreover, the property of flourishing on
surfaces almost entirely without soil, thickly strown with fragments
of rocks, on the high and bleak sides and tops of hills, where veg-
etation scarcely exists The most desirable situation is

where the roots will neither be drowned by stagnant water in win-
ter, nor parched by drought in summer.*

The value of oak timber is already so great, and it is so con-
stantly and surely increasing, from the diminution of the home
supply, and the increased difficulty of getting it from abroad ; all
the kinds of oak are, moreover, of so slow growth, and the number
of years necessary to create a forest so very great, and dependence
on a foreign supply is so unsafe, that it is obviously important that
means should be immediately taken to convert into future forests
some of the many thousands of acres susceptible of this, which

are now lying waste In consequence of the great cost

of labor in this country, it would be desirable to sow the acorns
where the trees are to stand, if any way could be contrived to de-
fend them from mice and squirrels ; and this might probably be
done by sowing a sufficient quantity to allow for the destruction
which would be caused by these animals.

As to the management of the acorn, the following extract from
Loudon will give the most approved mode. " The acorns need
not be gathered from the tree, but may be collected from the
ground immediately after they have dropped ; and, as in the case
of other tree seeds, they may either be sown then or kept till
spring. If they are to be kept, they should be made perfectly
dry in the sun, or in an airy shed, mixed with dry sand, in the
proportion of three bushels of sand to one bushel of acorns, or

* A very valuable account of every thing relating to the whole cultiva-
tion, management and uses of the larch, is found in Loudon's Arboretum,
pp. 2353-2399.

'it

79

with dry moss, and then cxckided from the air and vermin." ....
The French nurserymen make the acorn, or other seed, germinate
in moist earth, or saw dust, and, before phmting it, pinch off the
end of the root. This causes the pLant immediately to throw out
side fibres. For the same purpose it is the practice, in Enghind,
either to transplant the oak after one or two years growth, re-
moving at the time a part of the top root, or to cut it off, without
removing, by inserting a spade, obliquely, six or eight inches be-
neath the surface. In either case, the plant had several roots to
depend upon, in place of its single, original top root. In some
cases, after it has grown in the place where it is to remain for
two or three years, it is cut down to the ground ; it will then thi-ow
up vigorous shoots, and send down perpendicular roots. All but
the most promising of the shoots may be carefully removed. This
has been tried with marked success by Rev. Morrill Allen of Pem-
broke, who has paid much attention to the cultivation of the oak.

The oaks are better fitted than almost any other trees,

to stand along the borders of cultivated fields ; as, where the soil
is deep enough to allow it, they send their roots to a considerable
depth, and thus disturb but slightly the growth of grass and other
herbaceous plants and low shrubs.

REPORT ON FRUIT AND FRUIT CULTURE.

The great importance of this branch of our agricultural indus-
try has been frequently urged upon the consideration of the peo-
ple of New England ; and it would seem to have had fittle effect,
if we judge by the condition of a majority of our orchards. But
very few of our cultivators realize a profit from this branch, — and
why ? Because it is not pursued with the same degree of intelli-
gence that is bestowed on other branches. Still there is no mystery
about it. It requires no more sagacity to manage a tree than to
cultivate a patch of potatoes or corn properly ; and the same care
and cultivation will make the orchard a source of profit and plea-
sure. Many say that their land is not suitable for fruit, and offer
this as a reason for their failure in this matter. We believe this

80

not to be true in most cases ; any land that will produce good
vegetables and English grass will, with proper cultivation, pro-
duce good fruit. It is folly to set fruit trees on land saturated
with water three-quarters of the year, thus making them, if they
live, amphibious. The tree is obliged to subsist on substances en-
tirely injurious to their natures. The roots become diseased, con-
sequently the whole tree is diseased. Still, this land may be
made, by proper draining and cultivation, the very best for fruit ;
those poisonous substances are thrown off and the properties neces-
sary are generated. Deep tillage and proper drainage will fit
nine-tenths of our land for fruit. Soil and location have their
effect, but generally it is the management that makes the profits.
When we learn to treat our fruit trees with the same degree of
care that we do our cattle, and other matters, in order to be suc-
cessful, then, and not till then, will the "cultivation of fruit become
a profitable business.

To those who have noticed the fine display of apples and pears
that have graced our tables the last three years, from the grounds
of William and Thaddeus Clapp of Dorchester, I would say, — Go
and examine their orchards, and you will no longer wonder how
they raise such fine fruit. If you go in the right spirit, I will
guarantee a cordial reception. You will not find the pattern of
our modern gentleman, but the true blue. You will find them at
the head of their work, their motto,

" He that by the plough would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drive."

V

By constant study and practice they have arrived at the true
method of fruit cultivation. Their orchard and garden take up
about five acres, and contain 200 apple trees of stately growth,
set out originally for cider making. Some of these trees were of
goodly size when Dorchester Heights were occupied by Wash-
ington, and they are as hale and hearty as a man forty years old.
The oldest inhabitant can hardly claim the honor of their nursery
acquaintance. Most of the trees have been grafted, within the
last thirty years, to our standard market kinds ; when a variety is
found not to succeed, they are re-grafted to kinds that do. The
trees are kept properly pruned and clean, and are scraped and
washed at proper times. The borer, that worst enemy of the

81

orchard, finds no convenient abiding place. The canker worm,
which claims the young foliage of most of the orchards in this vicin-
ity, are nearly deprived of their claims by a very simple contriv-
ance,— the female, which is Avingless, is prevented from climbing
up the tree to deposit her eggs. This is done by making an
open box or curb with 'boards, about a foot wide, which en-
closes the body of the tree, the lower edge resting on the ground.
The curb or box is made larger than the body of the tree, and the
inside is filled with soil, or a composition of ashes, or any other
substance ; and a trough is made around and near the upper edge
of the box, which is filled with tar and oil in proportions to make
it impassable for all insects, bound up or down. This method also
prevents the borer from working near the roots, which is an im-
portant consideration. The cost of the article for a large sized
tree, is about twenty-five cents, and, Avith a little care, will last
from twelve to twenty years. The boxes now used by Messrs.
Clapp have been in use about eighteen years. They also use the
necessary precaution to gather all fruit that falls prematurely,
and the ground is kept in constant cultivation. Where the trees
cover the whole ground, they are permitted to remain ; but
where there is room, beets, turnips, &c. are raised. Between the
rows, in a part of the orchard, currant bushes are cultivated, and
succeed very well. The yield, the present season, was 300 bush-
els, which were sold to one establishment at two dollars per bushel,
being quite a clever little sum for an under crop. The apple or-
chard will yield from 350 to 400 barrels, the present season, which,
at present prices, will pay handsomely. Their peach crop they
consider almost a failure, as they had only about sixty bushels,
which they sold at three dollars per bushel. They sometimes
gather from 300 to 400 bushels. Their peach orchard is the best
we have ever seen. They practise the cutting-back system, and
every tree is in perfect form. Nothing but good land could give
so fine a collection of trees. They cannot boast of so great a col-
lection of pears as some of their neighbors ; but their beauty and
quality no one will question who took notice of their specimens
on our tables.

We have brought these facts to your notice, to prove that
this branch of agriculture may be so managed as to give as good
returns as any other.

11

82

The Committee would like to give a few more facts and hints
on these important subjects, but time will not permit.

We regret that in this department so small an amount of money
should have been appropriated. Forty-five dollars for premiums
is a mere pittance. Our fruit table has ever been worthy a place
in any Exhibition in the country. But under the present restric-
tions, the premiums must inevitably be carried off by a few and
the same competitors, leaving a large number of worthy contribu-
tors without any thing but the satisfaction of doing something for
the credit of the Society. May we not hope that some of the
profits arising from the attractions of our outside circles may be ap-
pHed to the encouragement of the more legitimate objects of our
gatherings, — the improvement of agriculture and the mechanic arts.
All which is respectfully submitted,

ELIPHALET STONE, Chairman.

Dedliam^ Novemher 1, 1856.

-*-

REPORT ON FRUIT TREES.

The Committee on Fruit Trees ask leave to make the following
report : —

They have aw^arded to John W. Shaw of Needham, the second
premium on his apple orchard of $10.00.

To Thaddeus Clapp of Dorchester, the first premium on his
peach orchard of $10.00.

No other orchards have been offered for premium.

All of which is respectfully submitted,

EDWARD M. RICHARDS, Ohairman.

MR. THADDEUS CLAPFS STATEMENT.

Gentlemen : — The peach orchard offered for your inspection
contains 146 trees, set out, a part, in 1854, the remainder in
1855. They are from stocks raised on the place, and budded

83

■with the large early Crawford variety. The trees, when set,
were two years from the bud, and stand in rows, fourteen feet
apart, and at intervals of twelve feet in the row. The trees of
one row arc placed, not at right angles with those of another, but
obliquely, so as to receive to the best advantage the sun's light.
Perhaps a greater interval between the trees would have been
better ; but it was expected that, by an annual shortening in of the
branches, they might be kept within due compass.

The trees have borne fruit the past season, but only in small
quantities, having suffered, in common with others throughout the
country, the effects of cold the previous winter.

In pruning, the shortening in method has been followed, the
object being to give a round apple-tree shape to the tree, and to
prevent overbearing. The time selected for this purpose has usu-
ally been the last of March or beginning of April.

For the prevention of the borer, various remedies have been
tried, but none with so much success as ivhiteiv ashing. This has
been done two or three times during the season, commencing
about the 1st of July, and repeated at intervals of three or four
weeks. The wash was applied to that portion of the trunk extend-
ing from the surface of the ground, twelve to eighteen inches
above and two to three inches below, the earth being removed to
this depth, and a careful examination made for the borer at the
same time. After whitewashing, the earth was replaced and hill-
ed up about the trunk three or four inches. This method has
usually been found sufficient to protect the root ; but if prevented
from depositing its eggs there, the parent insect will not unfre-
quently resort to other parts, as to the forhs of the branches, or
any wounded or diseased spots, unless similai'ly protected ; so
that to ensure complete exemption from its attacks, a careful in-
spection of these parts also becomes necessary.

Another insect noticed in the peach tree is a small beetle, not
larger than a grain of mustard seed, of a black color, which
makes for itself a lodgment in the bark, causing the gum to ex-
ude, and so giving an unhealthy appearance to the tree. It is
found in considerable numbers, the latter part of summer, im-
bedded in the bark, particularly of old trees, and its perforations
then may be easily mistaken for those of the young peach borer.

84

The injury, however, which it does is mueh less, and may be pre-
vented by the apphcation of a coat of whitewash to the whole
trunk.

Respectfully,

Thaddeus Clapp.
Dorchester^ December 6, 1856.

MR. JOHN W. SHAW'S STATEMENT.

The apple orchard which I offer for premium was planted on
high, dry and strong land, in April and November, 1852. It
consists of 105 trees, 80 Baldwins, 15 Rhode Island greenings,
and 10 russets.

The holes were made four feet in diameter and two feet deep,
and a one horse cart load of compost of meadow mud and loam
was put into each hole before setting the trees. In 1853, 1 raised
a crop of oats, and laid down the land to grass ; but the grass not
taking well, in November, 1854, I ploughed in, and 1855 raised a
crop of potatoes, and the present year corn.

Yours, very respectfully,

John W. Shaw.
Grantville, November 14, 1856.

-*-

REPORT ON FLOWERS.

From Lauretta Guild, Dedham, a collection of cut flowers.

Mira Smith, Needham, 1 moss basket of flowers, tastefully
arranged ; 1 pyramid of dahlias.

H. Howard, Dedham, 2 plants — perilla nankinensis ; tropteolum
peregrinums.

John Fussell, West Roxbury, a collection of cut flowers.

E. S. Rand, jr. Dedham, 3 pots cryptomeria japonica, a beau-
tiful tender evergreen ; 1 cissus discolor, very beautiful ; 1 Eu-
genie myrtifolia ; 1 cyclamen Europaeum, fine ; cut flowers,
comprising asters in great variety ; dahlias, aycratum, verbe-

85

nas, heliotropes, stocks, salvias tropceolum, fuchsias, geraniums,
balsams, datura, and many others; bj far the largest display.

Mary A. ScAvall, INIedficld, 4 baskets and 3 bouquets.

B. V. French, Braintree, asters, verbenas, dahlias, coreopsis,
salvias, roses. A good display.

II. H. Ilunncwell, Needhara, 1 cone of flowers, very fine ;
1 most beautiful basket of roses and other rare flowers ; 2 bou-
quets ; 2 boxes of arranged flowers.

Thomas G. Whytal, West Roxbury, a fine display of cut
flowers.

E. F. Calder, Dedham, 3 bouquets ; cut flowers.

Mrs. Whiting, Dedham, dahlias.

E. Stone, Dedham, cut flowers in great variety, including fine
roses, asters, balsams, stocks, tropeeolums, and many others.

Lyman Kinsley, Canton, 1 fine floral decoration.

Macey Randall, jr., Sharon, 6 large bouquets.

Miss H. W. Carroll, Dedham, 1 moss flower basket. Very
pretty.

Mrs. Hodges, Dedham, 1 salvia splendors ; 1 arbutilon stri-
ata ; 1 heliotrope ; 2 geraniums. Very fine specimens.

Mrs. Hannah P. Mcintosh, East Needham, dahlias, asters, ver-
benas, amaranths ; 1 large bouquet ; 2 bouquets dried grasses,
well arranged.

Miss White, West Dedham, 1 mantel bouquet.

John Lathrop, Dedham, 4 baskets of flowers, tastefully ar-
ranged.

Lewis Davenport, Milton, a splendid display of roses, dahlias,
salvias, geraniums, ageratum, carnations, asters, balsams, cen-
tradenia verbenas, heliotropes, maurandias. A fine display.

Emma J. Baker, Dedham, tropreolum peregrinum.

Robert Watt, West Roxbury, seedling verbena ; Rob Roy.

Nathaniel Smith, Dedham, dahlias.

Parker Barnes, Dorchester, pansies, salvias, delphincums, helio-
tropes, pyrethrum, centaureas, phloxes, gladiolas, verbenas, cox-
combs, marygolds, carnations, phlox, colored Dundas, new and
fine, roses in variety, and a most magnificent display of named
dahlias.

86

The committee would award the following premiums and
tuities :

For the best display of cut flowers —
First premium to Parker Barnes, ....
Second premium to Lewis Davenport,
Third premium to B. V. French, ....

For the best bouquets or baskets not less than four —
First premium to H. H. Hunnewell, for baskets, .
Second premium to Macey Bandall, for bouquets.
Third premium to Mary A. Sewall, for baskets, .

Dahhas, for the best twenty named flowers —
First premium to Parker Barnes, for Lady Cathcart, Beau-
ty of the Grove, Brilliant, Annie, King of Yellows, Chel-
tenham Queen, Napoleon, Claude Lorraine, Delight,
Comet, Topsey, Bartonia, J. Longstreth, Mrs. Rawhngs,
Miss Matthews, Pigeon, Mad. Panignon, Bagatelle, Miss
Frampton and Gen. Fauschier, ....

Second premium to Lewis Davenport, for Emperor of Mo-
rocco, Jenny Lind, Beeswing, Tyson d'Or, Princess
Badsville, Prince of Wales, Mrs. Handsard, Grandissi-
ma, Duchess of St. Albans, Lady Cooper, Magnificent,
Cleopatra, Beauty of the Grove, Com't de Merode, Ad-
miral, Isis, Privateer, Gen. Fauschier, Marchioness of
Cornwallis, and Picotee, ......

Specimen bloom.
To Lewis Davenport, for standard of perfection,

Pot plants. Specimen plant.
To Mrs. Hodges, for arbuilon striata, ....

Seedling verbenas.
To Lewis Davenport, for best collection.

Best seedling.
To Robert Watt, for Rob Roy, .....

Grratuities.

To Thomas G. Whytal, for display, ....
To J. W. Clark, " " ....

To Mary A, Sewall, for boquets, ....
To M. P. Wilder,

gra-

00
2.00
1.00

4.00
2.00
1.00

3.00

a

a

2.00

1.00

1.00
2.00
1.00

1.00
1.00
1.00
2.00

87

To H. 11. Ilunnewell, for pyramids, .... $5.00

To Lyman Kinsley, for floral decoration, . . . 2.00

To Hannah Mcintosh, for display, .... 2.00

To John Fussell, " " .... 1.00

To Mira Smith, for basket and pyramid, . . . 2.00

To Hattie W. Carroll, for moss basket, . , . 1.00

To Mrs. Hodges, for pot plants, .... 2.00
To John Lathrop, for four baskets of flowers, entered too

late to compete for premium, . . . . .2.00

The Committee feel they have cause to congratulate the Society
on the complete success of the Floral Exhibition. When it was
first proposed to arrange a table for the display of flowers and
bouquets, the project met with comparatively Httle approbation,
and the entire failure, on previous years, to produce even a fair
collection, gave great cause for discouragement.

At length, however, suitable stands were arranged, and, much
to the surprise of many, on the day of exliibition, were well filled
with a good collection of flowers.

The success of this display in 1855 only prompted to greater
efforts the present year, and so entirely have the exertions of the
Committee been crowned with success, that the exhibition not
only far exceeded in beauty, variety of flowers, and tasteful adap-
tations, any ever before held in Norfolk county, but almost rivalled
the splendid displays of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

It is a great and prevalent error to suppose that flowers are
only for ornament, and, therefore, of no practical use ; one of the
first principles of refinement is found in the love of the beautiful
in Nature, and most certainly in no department can beauty be
studied in more pleasing and more varied forms than in the floral
kingdoms.

It is not necessary that, in the pursuit of the useful, the beau-
tiful should be wholly neglected and overlooked ; beauty gives the
charm to utility, and robs the stern practical of much of its harsh-
ness.

Norfolk county has reason to be proud that she has been the
first to introduce such a pleasing clement into the annual county
fairs, for it is the belief of the Committee that in no county of the
State is the " Cattle Show " graced by such a pleasant feature.

88

It is but in justice to tlie contributors, that the Committee no-
tice some of the principal features in the Floral Exhibition more
at large.

The display of Mr. Hunnewell was most excellent, and the
Committee must accord the highest praise for the beautiful and
tasteful arrangement of his contributions. The beauty of one bas-
ket of flowers could hardly be surpassed.

Mr. Barnes presented a most magnificent show of dahlias,
which, in themselves, were a feature in the Exhibition. These,
and the choice display of roses from Mr. Davenport's, attracted
universal attention.

The displays of Messrs. Stone and Rand were very large and
varied, but were not entered for premium.

A new seedling verbena, " Rob Roy," presented by Robert
Watt, and for which the first premium was awarded, bids fair, in
the opinion of the Committee, to rival many long established favor-
ites. The color is a most dazzling scarlet, which contrasts beau-
tifully with the pale white eye ; the petal is firm and very large ;
habit, strong and vigorous ; foliage, large and of a dark glossy
green.

In conclusion, the Committee would signify their entire satis-
faction with the Exhibition, and can only express the wish that the
displays of coming years may more than justify the bright hopes
they form for the future.

For the Committee,

EDWARD S. RAND, Jr., Chairman.

REPORT ON DAIRY.

The Committee on Dairy beg leave to report : — That of " the
best produce of butter, on any farm within the county, for four
months, from the 20th of May to the 20th of September," no
sample was presented ; and no premium was this year, as in
former years, offered by the Trustees of the Society for the best
specimen of a lot of forty pounds.

Six parcels were presented for premium in boxes " of not less

89

quantity than tAvelve pounds." Among these, the Committee
award

To James R. Fisher of West Dedham, for a box containing

twelve pounds, the first premium of . . . $10.00

To Lucy Morse of Medfield, for a box containing fifteen

pounds, the second premium of . . . .5.00

To John Mansfield of West Needham, for a box of twelve

pounds, the third premium of . . . . . 3.00

The Committee were very happy to inspect a box containing
twelve pounds of very excellent butter offered for exhibition, not
for premium, by Simon Plympton of Holliston, without the limits
of the county, for which they recommend a diploma of the
Society.

The Committee regret to add that no specimen of cheese was
presented.

For the Committee,

A. LAMSON, Chairman.

Dedham, October 1, 1856.

. REPORT ON GRAIN CROPS.

The Committee on Grain Crops report that there have been
five apphcations made for premium on corn, four for rye, and one
for barley. Subsequently, however, three of the entries on corn
and one on rye were withdrawn. The crop of barley and one
crop of rye entered, having been raised on less than one acre of
land each, their claims for premium could not be considered. The
season has been considered as favorable for grain generally.
Many pieces of corn, however, failed to come up well, and con-
siderable damage was done to the crop generally by the winds in
August. But notwithstanding these drawbacks, we beUeve the
corn crop to have been above the average of preceding years.
The large quantity of snow, and its long continuance the past
winter, left the rye crop in fine condition for an early start in the
spring, and the weather continuing favorable through the spring
and summer, we have had many fine fields of that grain.

12

90

All tlie crops offered for premium were visited by one or more
members of the Committee during the season.

A field of corn, entered by Mr. Brown, in Milton, looked re-
markably promising until it was prostrated by a high wind, which
injured it so badly that it was withdrawn. The yield, however,
was very creditable, he having obtained at the rate of about
seventy-six bushels per acre, as was ascertained by measurement.
Two pieces of corn, planted on reclaimed meadow, one in Milton
and one in Quincy, appeared uncommonly well. The Committee
were in hopes of receiving some account of them, but were dis-
appointed.

Mr. P. Ruggles of Milton, who has been heretofore very suc-
cessful in raising large crops of corn, would have been a competi-
tor this year, had he not been unfortunate in not having his corn
come up well. His corn, although very thin, yielded at the rate
of eighty-four bushels per acre, which, under any circumstances,
would be considered a very large crop.

A field of rye was offered by Mr. C. L. Cunningham of Milton,
but a part of the field lodging badly, it was withdrawn. It ought,
perhaps, to be stated that this field w^as sown with the intention of
cutting green, for soiling cattle in the summer, and having been
manured highly, it lodged so much as to injure the grain. This
field, we were informed, yielded at the rate of thirty-nine and a
quarter bushels of grain and 5136 pounds of straw per acre.

The statement of Mr. Fenno is annexed. We regret that the
quantity of land in his field was less than was required by the rules
of the Society, as otherwise a premium might have been awarded
to him.

From the facts presented in the following statements, we learn
that the raising of grain may not only be made to pay, but, in
some cases at least, can be made profitable. From these state-
ments, as well as from those of previous years, we have the facts
presented that from 80 to 100 bushels of corn, and, in some cases,
even more, have been raised to the acre, and that, too, in seasons
and on soils which seemed quite unfavorable. In view of these
facts, the question very naturally arises, why may not these
products be obtained by any or all of our farmers. We certainly
can see no reason why, wdth similar treatment, similar results may
not be obtained.

91

The Messrs. Sias, whose statement is annexed, have demon-
strated, bj their own experience in several successive seasons, that
more than 100 bushels of corn can be obtained from the acre.
This product is not the result of accident, but of carefully con-
ducted experiments in testing the capacity of their soil ; and they
assure us that they shall not remain satisfied with their experi-
ments until they have raised a greater crop than any they have
yet obtained. If all our farmers who cultivate grain, would do so
with the same carefully conducted experiments, and with the same
determination to test to the utmost the capacity of their soils, we
should soon have a practical solution of the problem as to whether
grain can be profitably raised in this county.

The many failures which have attended the cultivation of wheat,
have led to the supposition that this grain cannot be profitably
raised in this part of the State ; yet we have good evidence of the
fact, from many who have tried the experiment in different parts
of the county, that from twenty to thirty-five bushels have been
raised to the acre. These results (equal to, if not exceeding the
average crop in the best wheat growing States,) are certainly suf-
ficient to induce our farmers to continue their experiments on this
most important grain ; and may we not yet hope that some definite
results will be obtained, by which we may calculate with as much
certainty upon a crop of wheat as of any other grain.

The statements of the applicants for premium on rye show
what may be expected from this grain, when liberally treated.
The usual method of cultivating rye (sowing our poorest soils
without manure,) would not certainly lead us to expect any very
great returns ; but, with liberal treatment, we think as good re-
turns may be expected as from any other crop. We believe it to
be true economy for every farmer to raise all the grain necessary
for consumption upon his own farm. If this course does not bring
money into the pocket, it certainly prevents a good deal from go-
ing out ; and the farmer will have the satisfaction, at least, of
having his bread made from the products of his own farm.

Many people are becoming convinced that, with proper man-
agement, corn and rye can be raised at a profit in Norfolk county,
even if all the manure is to be bought and all the labor hired. A
gentleman of good judgment and great experience in farming, but
who has hitherto been rather skeptical about raising 100 bushels

92

to the acre, tells us he thinks corn has been a slandered crop ;
that he was becoming more and more convinced every year of its
value ; that although he had been sadly disappointed this year in
his corn not coming up, he should continue to plant largely of it,
satisfied as he was that it could be raised at a profit.

The Committee award
To E. and J. Sias, the first premium on corn of . . ^8.00
To Abner L. Smith, the second premium of . . 5.00

To Samuel D. Bradford, the first premium on rye of . 4.00
To Josiah F. Twombly, the second premium of . 2.00

For the Committee,

L. CLAPP, Cliairman.

E. AND J. SIAS' STATEMENT.

The field of corn entered by us for a premium was measured
by Mr. Charles Breck, and contained one acre ; but as you and
Mr. Hawes measured and weighed the produce of one square rod,
you can tell your own story from actual observation, and we will
give ours from the whole field. The land, which had been in
grass for several years, was ploughed May 5th, with two horses
and a common plough, about seven inches deep. May 13th we
spread on four cords of horse manure, and three and a half cords
of compost horse manure. May 14th, harrowed lightly and culti-
vated both ways. From May 15th to 19th, planted with Ply-
mouth county or smutty white corn. After putting about two
cords of compost manure in a hill, which was made from the hen-
coop and out-houses, mixed with loam, we furrowed out each both
ways, intending to have the hills three feet apart each way ; but
afterwards, by actual measurement, we found that the whole field
averaged three and a half feet. It was planted the same as last
year, four making a square, with two near the centre ; but from
some unexplainable cause it came up very poorly, having upon an
average only four to the hill. We cultivated the field three times
and hoed twice. In many hills there were but one or two stalks,
and, consequently, as the ground was slightly manured, there was
a large quantity of suckers, which were all cut, with the stalks,

93

between September 8th and ITtli. They were cut one clay and got
in the next, and set up on a neighbor's barn floor, where we had
plenty of room to cure them. The corn was harvested (excepting
the rod which was left for you to harvest,) from October 7th to
the 18th ; and there was on the whole field 162| baskets of sound
corn and six of refuse, equal, as Ave thought, to 165| of good
sound corn on the acre, one basket of which was laid by itself, to
dry until November 10th, when it was shelled and Aveighed in the
presence of one of the Committee, and there was found to be 37 1
pounds of corn, making, as we have calculated, 110,82 bushels
per acre, being a fraction more than the rod which you har-
vested.

In order to arrive at the just weight of the fodder, as we inform-
ed you, we cut the stocks and suckers from two rows through the
centre of the field, and after carefully drying, Ave kept them by
themselves until Aveighed by you, Avhich weight you have on your
minutes, also the Aveight of the butts and husks, on tAvo rows,
Aveighed by you.

We observe that it is usual with applicants for premiums on
corn crops, to deduct one-third of the value or cost of manure as
not taken up by the crop, Avhich was done by ourselves last yea*r.
We, however, are inchned to the opinion that Avhen there are 110
bushels of corn and five tons of fodder taken from an acre of land,
there should be but little, if any, deduction made for the manure
left in the ground. We have, accordingly, in our estimate of ex-
pense, added the whole cost of manure. But of this as well as
the value of the fodder, you can judge as Avell as any one, and
can make your own calculations. We make our estimate as fol-
lows : —

Cr. One acre of land, 110,82 bushels of corn at $1.00

per bushel, $110.82

One acre of land, 5310 pounds of stalks, at $12.00

per ton, ....... 31.86

One acre of land, 4792 pounds of butts and husks,
at $6.00 per ton, 14.37

157.05

94

«

Dr. Interest on land, at $200.00 per acre, . . $12.00

Taxes on land about . . . . . 1.35

Nine and a half cords of manure, at $6.00 per cord, 57.00
Ploughing, ....... 4.00

Spreading manure, cultivating and harrowing, . 5.00

Crossing out, manuring in hill, and planting, . 7.00

One peck of seed, ..... .50

Cultivating and hoeing twice, .... 9.00

Cutting and getting in stocks, . . . 5.00

Harvesting, . . . . . . .7.00

Net profit, (after paying for the manure, $49.20,) $157.05
per acre ; or if, as is usual, we deduct one-third of the manure,
there will be a net profit of $68.20 per acre.

You will observe that we have made quite a deduction in weight
from the butts and husks since you weighed them. Then they
were somewhat moist, but have since been drying on rails over
the barn floor and now appear to be perfectly dry, and instead of
68 pounds to the row, they now weigh only 53^, making, as we
stated, 4792 pounds per acre.

The way we have managed our corn fodder, drying the top
stalks under cover and salting down the butts and husks, we are
confident, from past experience, that they are actually worth more
to us than we have put them at.

E. &. J. SiAS.
Milton, November 14, 1856.

A. L. SMITH'S STATEMENT.

The acre of ground on which the corn was raised which I offer
for premium, has been in grass for the last fourteen years. The
soil is a gravelly loam, and was ploughed in November of last year,
with a Michigan double plough, ten inches deep. The second
week of May I spread on and ploughed in, four inches deep, four
cords of compost manure, made of ditch mud, bottoms of coal pits.
loam, and the droppings of cattle. The field was furrowed only one

95

way, in rows three feet apart, and manured in tlie hill with three
cords of the compost manure. It was planted the 21st and 22d
of May, in hills two and a half feet apart, with a kind of corn
which I obtained from Rhode Island, called the Andrews corn.
This variety of corn Mr. Andrews has been improving for the
last six years ; the original was a large cap yellow, the small
Canada yellow, and a red cap corn ; — his object in planting the
large yellow was to increase the size of the ears, the Canada to
make it ripen earher, and the red to increase the number of ears
on a stalk, all of which he has accomplished to his entire satisfac-
tion. The corn was ploughed and hoed twice ; cut the stalks the
12th of September.

The 24th of the present month Charles Breck, Esq. of Milton,
measured a rod which he considered a fair average of the piece ;
the result was as follows : —

The corn on the cob weighed .... 35| pounds.
Shelled corn, 30 J pounds, ) <^ni a

Cobs, ' 5| " - ( • • • ^

Husks and butts 25 pounds, after allowing 2 pounds on each
rod for drying. Stalks 9 pounds per rod. Making 8,642 bushels
of corn per acre ; butts and husks 4,000 pounds per acre ; stalks
1,440 pounds per acre.

The expense of the crop was as follows : —

Ploughing, $4.00

Spreading manure, ...... 2.00

Ploughing in manure, ...... 1.75

Furrowing, manuring in the hill, and planting, . 5.00

Ploughing among corn and hoeing, .... 5.00

Cutting stalks and harvesting, .... 8.00.

One-half manure at $4.00 per cord, . . . 14.00

Seed corn, ....... .50

Interest on land and taxes, 5.00

45.25

96

The value of the crop is as follows : —

86,42 bushels of corn, at $1.00, .... $86.42

2 tons of husks, at $8.00 per ton, . . . 16.00

btalks, ......... 8.50

110,92
Decluctmg cost of crop, . . . 45.25

Leaves a net profit of . . . 65.67

Yours respectfully,

Abner L. Smith.

Dover, October 25, 1856.

S. D. BRADFORD'S STATEMENT.

The piece of land on which my rye was sown is a gravelly loam,
and had been in grass eight years in 1854, at which time, in Oc-
tober of that year, it was ploughed. It had not been manured for
eight years, nor cared for in any way. In the spring of 1855, it
was again ploughed deep, manured in drills with a compost of
muck and stable manure, say about five cords, and planted with
potatoes. The crop looked promising up to the beginning of Au-
gust, when, on being dug, it was found the rot had commenced
and destroyed three-quarters of them.

Early in September it was laid down with winter rye, herds
grass and red top, in the usual proportions, having been dressed
with about four cords of the same compost as has been already
described. The rye soon made its appearance in the autumn, and
grew very strong and thick before winter. It made rapid pro-
gress after the snow disappeared in the spring, which, however,
was unusually late. It was reaped on the 24th and 25th of July.
On being threshed in August, it produced 46 1 bushels of winnow-
ed rye, weighing 59 pounds each, and 3 tons and 793 pounds of
straw of a very superior quality. The land on which it was pro-
duced has been measured, and contains one acre and thirty-nine
rods. Before sowing the rye and grass seeds, about the 8th of
September, the ground was ploughed and left to get thoroughly
dry, after which it was harrowed to break up the lumps. After

97

this the ground was again ploughed, the manure having been
spread before ploughing at all. Having then put in the seed, it
was harrowed three times more, so that the manure became well
mixed Avith the soil, and the latter well pulverized.

Expenses of the crop.

Manure, $24.00

Spreading the same, ploughing, harrowing and sowing, 10.00

Cost of seed, 1.50

Reaping, 12.00

Threshing, 6.00

Interest on land, 12.00

Taxes, 1.50

67.00

Value of the crop.

46| bushels of rye, weighing 59 pounds, equal to 49

bushels of 56 pounds, at $1.00 per bushel, . . $49.00

3 793-2000 tons of straw, at $18.00 per ton, . 61.13

Deduct half the manure, ..... 12.00

122.13
Deduct cost, .... 67.00

Net profit, 55.13

S. D. Bradford.
West Rozhury, November^ 1856.

STATEMENT OF R. P. FENNO.

The land on which the crop was raised contains 142 rods. It
was planted last year with potatoes, and manured last fall Avith
about two cords of piggery manure, mixed with the same quantity
of loam. The rye was sown the middle of October, at the rate
of one bushel and three pecks per acre. The soil is light and
loamy, and was ploughed shallow with one horse, when the seed
was sown and harrowed. The piece produced forty bushels.

13

98

Expenses of the crop.

Expenses, seed, &c., $1.75

Ploughing, harrowing and sowing, .... 2.00

Manuring and spreading, ...... 14.00

Harvesting and threshing, . . . . . 10.00

Interest on land, 6.00

33.75

Value of the crop.

40 bushels of rye, at $1.00 per bushel, . . . $40.00
2| tons straw, at $16.00 per ton, . . . 36.00

76.00
Deduct cost, 33.75

Net profit, 42,25

R. P. Fenno.
.Milton, November, 1856.

JOSIAH F. TWOMBLY'S STATEMENT.

The field of rye offered by me for a premium contains one acre
and thirty-four rods, and is the same which I planted with corn
last year, (less seventeen rods,) a report of which is made to the
Society. In October of 1855, after the corn was harvested, the
land was ploughed with a horse, and without any additional ma-
nure, sown with rye. Several rods of the field, which received
the wash from the barn, was very rank, and lodged so much that
it produced but very little, if any, grain. The field was harvested
about the middle of August, and produced 52 bushels of rye and
6050 pounds of straw.

Dr. Interest, $14.50

Taxes, 2.00

If bushels of seed, ..... 2.18

Ploughing, sowing and harrowring, . . 3.50

Harvesting, threshing, &c., . . . . 15.80

37.98

99

Cr. 52 bushels of rye, at 1.00 per bushel, . . $52.00
5050 pounds of straw, at .75 per hundred, . 37.89

89.89
Deduct cost, 37.98

Net profit, 51.91

Or at the rate of $42.78 per acre. Bye, per acre, 43 bush-
els ; straw, per acre, 4160 pounds.

JOSIAII F. TWOMBLY.

Milton, October 25, 1856.

CHAELES BRECK'S STATEMENT.

In order to test the value of Plymouth county or Webster corn,
in other localities than this, last winter I sent some of it to a friend
of mine, Judge Marcy of Rojalton, Vt., who had seen some of it
growing in this vicinity, and on Saturday last I received from him
an account of it. He says : " I planted all you sent me but two
or three ears (which I reserved to compare with the product on
my own land,) on the 1st day of May, in hills three feet apart
each way, the land being sufficiently dry, and manured with com-
mon barn-yard manure, ploughed in. This is from ten to twenty
days earlier than corn is usually planted here. I planted a part
of it on AVhite River meadow lands, and the rest on land about a
mile back. The corn came up well and grew very rapidly till
September came in, when there was a greater burden of it than I
ever saw of any other kind of corn raised here ; but it was not so
forward as other kinds, and I thought from appearance it would
not get ripe, and, consequently, we picked and used a good deal
of it as ' green corn ' for the table. But as the frost held off
later than usual, (about the 20th of October,) that part which
was planted on the river lands ripened perfectly, every ear of it
becoming sound, and most of them well filled out, and it is as fine
corn as I ever saw or could wish for, and makes excellent meal.
The ears are longer and larger round, and the kernels much longer
and larger than than those you sent me. This is unaccountable
to me. Can vou conceive of a reason for it ? I have saved a

100

quanity of ears to show you when I have opportunity. You
will see from the circumstances I have named, that I cannot now
ascertain, by weight or otherwise, the quantity produced per acre.
I think, from the best means of judging I have had, that on the
meadow lands the yield would have been 100 bushels per acre. I
picked from some hills which had remained entire till ripe, eight
large and well filled sound ears. There was an equally large
growth of that raised on the hill land, though I doubt the expe-
diency of planting this kind of corn on hill land in this State.
Yet I think that, even in common seasons, it might be profitably
raised on the White River meadows and other favorable locations
for producing corn ; for though it might not all get quite ripe, yet
I think enough would to more than equal the average crop of corn
usually raised in this State."

You are aware that most of the corn which was planted in this
vicinity came up very poorly, many losing their entire crops, and
many having to re-plant. The corn which I sent to Vermont I
obtained of our neighbor, Mr. Ruggles, who has become famous
for raising large crops of corn ; and while that planted by him
came up so badly that he gave up all thought of a premium crop
this year. That sent to Judge Marcy came up well, and he states
that he believed every kernel which he planted came up, although
planted there nearly two weeks earlier than here. Will this give
any clue to the reason or cause of corn not coming up well here ?
I can think of none except this : — The corn I sent to Vermont was
the basket of ears which Mr. Ruggles selected as the earliest and
best in his field, and which were intended for the Exhibition at
Dedham ; while that planted by himself was taken from his bin,
without any knowlededge as to its early or late ripening, or Avhether
it was injured by the frost, which affected its vitality without be-
ing perceptible to the sight. Now whether this be the cause of
failure or not, our farmers will lose nothing from following its sug-
gestions, and may gain much.

Respectfully yours,

Chares Breck.

Milton, November 24:th, 1856.

101

REMARKS ON THE CULTIVATION OF CRANBERRIES.

BY REV. C. C. SEW ALL.

The Cranberry is universally regarded as one of the most val-
uable and delicious fruits. Its general use and ready sale have
made it an important article of commerce. Its cultivation re-
quires no large outlay of expense, and is attended with no more
difficulties or disappointments than are common to all fruit cul-
ture, while its harvest is, ordinarily, one of the most remunerative
of all the products of the farm.

There are many acres in this county already devoted to the
growth of this fruit. The estimated value of the crop for the last
year, 1855, was greater than that of either of the small grains, —
oats, rye, barley and wheat, — or than that of any vegetable pro-
duction except potatoes. But it is believed that the quantity and
value of this fruit may be increased very largely, without impov-
erishing our farms, or endangering the profitable sale of the arti-
cle in the market.

We are reluctantly compelled to defer any particular descrip-
tion of several extensive cranberry meadows, which were visited
by us during the past summer. Of one in particular, situated
in Franklin, which has been planted and nurtured with great
care, and now affords the best promise of large returns, we shall
hope to be able to give a full account when the result of the ex-
periment is completely established. Of another, OAvned by Captain
Tucker of Canton, and familiarly known as the " Punkapoag
Meadow," we shall here only state that it exceeds in extent
and value any within our knowledge, and is yet capable of being
greatly enlarged, by the removal of the coarse grass and low
bushes which obstruct the growth of the vines. This process the
owner is gradually effecting, and will have, when it is completed,
a bed of cranberry vines covering forty acres or more. It is not
many years since any systematic endeavors to increase and pre-
serve the crop were commenced. Indeed, it is a well authenti-
cated tradition, that a large portion of the meadow had been the
fishing ground of men not long since deceased. The soil is ex-
ceedingly moist, and by a slight pressure of the foot a large area

102

of surface is easily shaken. There are many patches where the
vines have completely covered the surface, and these Avere full of
berries. We saw fifteen able bodied men employed in gathering
the berries, and understood that they would be occupied, in this
work, for six Aveeks. They were using the rake, but were re-
quired to pick by hand any fruit Avhich it did not gather, and thus
the whole Avas thoroughly gleaned.

It is Avorthy of remark how attentive is the OAvner of the
meadow to provide for the comfort of these laborers, who are ex-
posed to stand in the AA-atcr many hours each day. Probably
much of his success may be attributed to his kind treatment of
those Avho thus Avrought faithfully and with more than ordinary
care for his benefit.

It may not be improper to state that, for the berries gathered
upon this meadoAY last year, the owner received, in a single pay-
ment, $3250.00 ; and that the crop was enlarged, the present
year, to at least fifteen hundred bushels, Avhich Avas all contracted
for hy one firm, at eight dollars per barrel.

Many of the natural cranberry meadoAvs in this county are lia-
ble to much injury from late and early frosts, which destroy, —
the one the blossoms, and the other the ripening fruit ; nor can
this evil be guarded against, except the advantage be had of
easily flowing the land. The danger of such injury, hoAvever, is
less upon the seaboard than in the interior, and in the upland cul-
ture than in low meadoAvs. Near the sea the finest and most
hardy fruit is groAA'n, on beds of pure moist sand, often washed by
the waves ; and in other localities, by upland culture, on a good
soil, Avith the use of peat, or other absorbent, as a covering. On
the borders of large rivers, Avhere freshets occur, the growing
crops are often destroyed, by being overfloAved too long. This
has been the case, to a great extent, in our OAvn county this year,
along the banks of the Charles and Neponset rivers. There is,
too, another evil, and Avhich results from the artificial floAving of
extensive tracts of meadoAA', for the groAvth or preservation of
cranberries. Where the Avater is alloAved, as is commonly the
case, to remain upon the meadoAV till after vegetation has com-
menced, and is then only gradually removed, or is renewed on
the first apprehension of early frost, a malaria is often created,
by evaporation, injurious to the health of all nearly exposed to it.

103

Instances of such evil are not unkno-wn to medical men, and the
fact is worthy of consideration, in connection with the increased
cultivation of cranberry meadoAvs.

For these and other reasons, we are disposed to recommend
more attention to the upland culture of the cranberry. We be-
believe it to be attended with less risk, and productive of a fruit
equal, if not always superior, to that grown in meadows, Avhether
naturally or by cultivation. An instance of most successful culti-
vation of this sort, in Essex county, has been brought to our no-
tice by a friend, whose account of it we here introduce.

" Mr. Needham's cranberry patch is situated on the lower side

of his garden, in front of his house The land is high,

though the position of the bed is in a valley of somewhat moist
land, but good for the products of a garden, or for Indian corn.
It cannot be called meadow, in any sense of that term. It has
been used for field garden and culture, for many years, by the

present proprietor and his ancestors The probability

is, that, being in a hollow, it has been fertilized by the wash from
the adjacent hills, as well as by apphcations made to it of ma-
nure.

" Mr. N. obtained the plants from the neighboring meadows,
and has watched them with unremitted attention, — never suffering
the growth of cJiiekweed, grass, or an^ weed whatever, among the
vines, and always doing his work so early that the removal of
weeds does not disturb the delicate fibres of the growing cranber-
ries. In fact, his son told me this was the grand secret of his
father's success in growing the cranberry ; and that the end could
not be accomplished without patience and persevering industry,

such as his father had applied His products have always

given him a fair compensation for all his labor. He has realized
from the sale of his berries, the present season, nearly /o?<r hun-
dred dollars, and could have readily sold as many more at his
price, — -four dollars per bushel. Whoever has used them would
prefer these canberries to any others grown on wet meadows, at
half price He gathers his fruit by hand, carefully avoid-
ing any disturbance of the roots of the plants. He apphes no
fertilizer whatever, except mud from the meadow, after it has
been pulverized by frost, and this for the double purpose of check- *
ing the growth of grass and weeds, and of retaining a moisture

104

for the benefit of the plants. The cranberry is a dear lover of
water, and wants nothing stronger, and, in this particular, is well
entitled to our confidence."*

C. L. Flint, Esq., the Secretary of the Mass. Board of Agricul-
ture, says, in his admirable Report for 1853 : " The experiments
which have already been made clearly show the practicability of
raising cranberries on upland. I have seen flourishing plantations
of them on all varieties of soils, from a high and light gravelly loam
to a very deep, rich, garden soil. Indeed, the universal opinion
seems to be that such cranberries are better than those growing
naturally in wet meadows. In the instances which I have myself
seen, the land had been carefully ploughed and prepared, as it
usually is for strawberries, or plants of that description. The
plants were taken from their original situation in the manner
described, in the sod, and freed from grasses and roots ; they
were then put into shallow trenches or drills, dug for the purpose,
about two and a half or three feet apart. In consequence of the
large space left between the drills, constant and careful attention
was necessary for two or three years, so that far more labor was
spent on them than the same area of strawberries would have
required."

The chief obstacles to the upland culture of the cranberry ap-
pear to be the difficulty of preventing the growth of grass and
weeds, and the necessity of preserving moisture in the soil.
These are, neither of them, it is proved, insuperable ; and we ap-
prehend that, on soils similar to that alluded to in both the fore-
going extracts, some other substance than meadow mud might be
used with advantage for both purposes. Perhaps spent tan, pure
beach sand, or where these cannot be had, any fine sand, put
between the vines, would retard the growth of grass and weeds.

* We coppy the following from a late issue of the Salem Register.

" Cranberries. — Elias Needham, Esq., of West Danvers, has a lot of up-
land, bordering upon the Danvers Railroad, containing five-eighths of an ace.
Upon this, some five or six years since, he set out cranberry plants, and has
cultivated them with great care. This year he picked ninety-seven bushels
of excellent cranberries, which he sold for four dollars per bushel ; and be"
sides these there were some ten bushels of damaged berries. From trees
^on the same land he picked fourteen barrels of apples, which he sold for
four dollars per barrel, — making the gross income from five-eighths of an
acre, /oi«r hundred and forty-four dollars !"

105

Salt and plaster would absorb and retain moisture ; and the former
we think to be most serviceable, if not necessary, to the perfection
of the fruit, from the fact that the best cranberries are grown
nearest the sea. The experience of cultivators, too, as we shall
presently show, confirms the supposition.

Several instances of comparative success, in this mode of cul-
ture, are described in the Report of the Plymouth County Society
for 1852, contained in the volume from which our last extract was
taken.

Mr. Austin J. Roberts says, in his statement : " In the fall of
1847, I noticed that the cranberries on a certain low, swampy
soil, were much benefited by the sand washed from an adjoining
hill. In size, the berries were larger and the yield there was
more abundant, compared with the product of the vines further in
the swamp, where the sand had not reached. This led to the de-
termination to ascertain how far the cultivation of the cranberry
on a sandy loam might be profitably carried. Accordingly, in
November,' 1848, 1 commenced setting out about an acre of land
to cranberry vines.

" The piece of land in question had a gentle slope to the west ;
the upper portion was very light and porous, and so poor that it
had, in previous years, been considered hardly worthy of cultiva-
tion. The middle part, comprising one-third of the piece, was
good, hght, loamy soil, not liable to bake or sufier from drought.
The third portion of the lower part was strong loam, inclined to
moisture, and may be termed good grass land

" The way of planting was as follows ; the land was ploughed
eight inches deep and harrowed ; light furrows, three and a half
feet apart, were then run lengthwise ; cranberry sods, of the Bell
variety, were cut eight to ten inches square, with a sharp spade,
wheeled out of the swamp, carted on the upland, and deposited
in the furrows three feet apart, although two feet would have been
better ; so that the sods, as placed in the furrows, were three and
a half by three feet apart. Clean cultivation Avas, for the next
two years, carried on by the cultivator and the hoe. The third
year the vines had commenced extending themselves in all direc-
tions, and at the end of the season^ had, in many places, nearly
covered the ground. Runners, from three to four feet in length,
were thrown out with great luxuriance, rendering the cultivator

14

106

and hoe of no further use in keeping clown the grass and weeds.
Fingering (cleaning bj hand,) an acre of cranberries was now
out of the question, so that weeds, grass, and cranberries were
left to conflict for the mastery. During the drought of 1852,
the cranberry vines, on the upper or dryest part of the land, be-
gan to fail, evidently suffering from the severity of the drought.
0)1 the middle portion, the soil being deep and mellotv, they grew
finely, overpowering the weeds and grass, and, in places, bearing
at the rate of half a bushel to the square rod, and apparently not
at all affected by the dry weather. In the lowest part, which was
the moistest, the grass appeared to gain the ascendancy, and al-
though the vines spread as well as the grass, the yield of cran-
berries was not more than one-third as great as on the middle por-
tion, owing, doubtless, to the natural tendency of the soil to grass.

" This year (1852) the vines in the central part overrun the
ground to the exclusion of every thing else, and the yield appears
(October 13) greater than that of any preceding year, and the
fruit far superior in size and color to that raised in swamps.
Whether the grass in the lower part will eventually yield to the
cranberry is a matter which time will prove, but which I think is
likely.

" Salt, at the rate of four bushels to the acre, I would recom-
mend as a preventive for worms, which are so troublesome on light
soils. One-tenth of my upland berries were destroyed by the
worms or the plum curculio last year ; but their ravages, I believe,
have ceased, as I have not observed a berry stung this year.

" Salt I believe to be a benefit to the upland cranberry, inasmuch
as it attracts the moisture, keeps down the weeds in a measure,
and aids the growth of the vines, to say nothing of the vermin.
On a small scale, I have applied at the rate of fifteen bushels of
salt per acre over the vines, in the spring, with impunity.

" The conclusions to which I arrive, after experimenting with
the cranberry five years, are as follows : —

" 1st. That the cranberry will flourish and yield best on moist
sand ; that they will grow and produce well on loamy soils, but
moderately dry, is an established fact in my own mind, though as
a matter of choice, poor moist sand would be preferable.

" 2d. That porous, sandy loams for the cultivation of the
cranberry, are unsuitable and contrary to the nature and require-

107

ments of the plant. In a wet season, the vines may grow well
and throw out vigorous runners, thus deceiving the cultivator, but
let a severe drought come, and they will suffer and die. In a
moist climate, like that of England, the case might be different ;
but throughout our country, the profitable cultivation of the cran-
berry, without moisture, is impracticable."

We have italicised a portion of this extract, to draw attention
to the particular nature of the soil, which was found to be entirely
suited to profitable upland cultivation of the cranberry. And the
whole statement is suggestive of serviceable reflections for the culti-
vator.

We recommend further trial of the upland culture of the cran-
berry, then, because we believe it to be perfectly practicable, and
that multiplied experiments may bring to light advantages in it
sufficient to give it claims to more general regard, if not to pre-
cedence over any other. Among the products of the garden, few
would be more desirable, or more easily cultivated and protected
from frost, Or supplied with moisture. And the value of it, in this
regard, should commend it to more general attention.

Considering the uncertainty of the crop, in consequence of the
frosts and freshets, we think that meadows may be more profitably
devoted to the growing of grass, unless cranberries are already
growing naturally there, and the right and the means of control-
ling a neighboring stream of water belong to the cultivator.

From the volume recently prepared and published by the Sec-
retary of the Commonwealth, on the Industry of Massachusetts,
we have gathered the following facts in relation to the cultivation
of cranberries, which are highly suggestive and worthy of consid-
eration.

108

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109

LETTER ON CARROTS.

Boston, December 8, 1856.

Dear Sir : — You ask for facts in relation to tlic cultivation of
carrots, and the product per acre.

I have had five successive crops, (1855-1856,) the yield vary-
ing from 850 to 950 bushels per acre, and from one to two acres
under cultivation.

The soil naturally good, having a thick loam surface, and clay
and gravel subsoil ; rather too wet, and never having been drain-
ed and subsoiled. I hope for increased product. It has been
ploughed once in autumn and twice in the spring. Southern
slope of a hill and well cleared of stones.

The first year I put on seven to eight cords of manure, the land
having previously been badly used ; subsequently, about six cords
of cow and hoi-se manure. The rows twenty-four inches distance
for four seasons ; at the last, eighteen inches. Three weedings
by hand. I think I should have been a gainer by giving seven or
eight cords of manure.

At forty bushels a ton of two thousand pounds, the crops have
averaged twenty-four tons. Sold, deliverable on the ground, at
$11.00 per ton, and if delivered, $12.00 per ton. In the spring
prices are two to four dollars higher. At $10.00 to $12.00
per ton, carrots, I apprehend, are cheaper food than hay at $25.00
to $30.00 per ton, or oats at sixty cents per bushel, — equal to
two cents per pound against carrots at half a cent per pound.

My experience is too limited to give much weight to my returns,
but I am satisfied that carrots, at 600 to 700 bushels per acre,
are more profitable than hay, potatoes or maize, at such an ex-
tent as would be required for the consumption of Massachusetts.
But farmers whom I have consulted say they are unprofitable, and
one may see the reason by reference to the returns, which give
220 to 428 bushels to an acre, costing probably nearly as much
per bushel as my 900 bushels.

I apprehend that fifty per cent, more potatoes and hay can be
obtained from our lands, if their cultivators would devote more
labor and capital to them, and emigrate less West, where capital
is wanting. The average of hay, (Enghsh hay,) in this State, is

110

under one ton to an acre. I get two tons on the average of sea-
sons, and with moderate top dressing every year or two. The
expense of cultivating will not much more than meet the expenses ;
but it would be otherwise in the hands of farmers.

Massachusetts, poor as she is in soil and limited as it is in
quantity, — with three or four months less time in the field than in
the Southern and Southwestern States, — produces a larger amount
of commodities than South or North Carolina ; and much may be
added to the existing quantities, if more knowledge, skill and en-
terprise are applied to agriculture.

If I am right in these views, you must, when addressing the
farmers, say what you think on the subject.

Yours truly,

HENRY LEE.
Hon. Marshall P. Wilder.

REPORT ON MEADOW AND SWAMP LANDS.

The Committee on Improving Meadow and Swamp Lands, submit
the following report : —

That Mr. Asa Pickering of Bellingham, has called their atten-
tion to a lot of meadow land, containing eight acres, which he has
reclaimed, and which he presents for premium.

There are many points in the statement of Mr. Pickering of
more than ordinary interest. When we consider that these re-
sults have been brought about by the almost entirely unaided
efforts of one man, without the help of ploughing or manuring, it
is an encouraging instance of Avhat man can do, single handed, in
overcoming the sterility of our northern soil.

Your Committee do not recommend the award of a premium to
Mr. Pickering on account of the gross amount produced by his
meadow, for in that respect it would not bear comparison with
many others. But when Ave take into consideration the fact that
this work has been undertaken by a man already past the meridian
of life ; that he has Avith a common mattock hoe turned over eight
acres of soil ; gravelled the entire surface ; dug and stoned the

Ill

«

drains, and built over these drains substantial stone walls, and as
a result shows a net gain of $448.00, we think him as fairlj en-
titled to the Society's first premium of fifteen dollars, as he would
have been if, by the means of greater expense, he had somewhat
increased the gross amount produced by his land.

For the Committee,

B. F. DUDLEY, Chairman.

REPORT ON BULLS.

The Committee on Bulls would respectfully ofier the following as
the result of their examination : —

By the rules, the awards were confined to pure blood animals,
and they have not awarded any premium where a doubt existed,
as by so doing they would be vouching for the purity of the
animal.

The first on the list was the Alderney and Jersey breed. There
were eight entries, and all of fine promise. Except in awarding
the first premium, the Committee were much embarrassed in their
decision, but finally decided unanimously as follows, on those over
one year old.

Alderneys.

To Jonathan French of Roxbury, the first premium of . $5.00
To J. S. Eldridge of Canton, the second premium of . 3.00

Alderneys under one year old.

To H. H. Hunnewell of Needham, the first premium of . 3.00
To William Bacon of Roxbury, the second premium of . 2.00

There was but one entry made of Ayrshire Bulls. The Com-
mittee award

To Nathan Phillips of Dedham, the first premium of . $5.00

The Committee were not satisfied that there was a pure breed
Durham on exhibition.

112

*
Of North Devons there were two entries. The Committee
award

To B. V. French of Braintree, for his Bull Maj Boj, sixteen
months old, the first premium of ... . $5.00

To Henry Goulding of Dover, for his Devon Bull, the second
premium of ....... . 3.00

The show of Grade and Native Bulls was highly respectable,
and the Committee regret that the means of the Society do not
allow of more liberal awards.

For the Committee,

B. V. FRENCH, Chairman.

-■%-

REPORT ON MILCH COWS.

The Committee on Cows regret that the ill health of their Chair-
man, Mr. Daniel C. Bacon of West Roxbury, deprived them of his
services. They were, however, unanimous in awarding the fol-
lowing premiums : —

Jerseys.

To Aaron D. Weld of West Roxbury, the first premium of $5.00
To William Bacon of Roxbury, the second premium of 3.00

Ditrliams.

To Mary D. Gibbons of Quincy, the first premium of . 5.00
To William Bacon of Roxbury, the second premium of . 3.00

Grrades.
No one, in the opinion of the judges, being entitled to the first
premium, they award
To Stephen Welch of Dedham, the second premium of . 3.00

They also recommend gratuities of two dollars each to A. D.
Weld of West Roxbury, and Henry Goulding of Dover.

Natives.

To Calvin Richards of Dover, the second premium of . 3.00
To George Fuller of Dedham, a gratuity of . . . 2.00

113

•

The Committee likewise recommend a gratuity of three dollars
to J. C. Bachi of Dorchester, for a very promising young cow,
■which he had not owned long enough to entitle liira to a premium.

For milch cows only one person, in the opinion of the Commit-
tee, complied with the requisitions of the Society in making his
statement, namely, Mr. Charles H. Harmon of West Needham,
to whom they award a premium of $10.00.

In the book containing the premiums and the rules for award-
ing them, there are two sections relating to cows. The jSrst oifcrs
a premium for the different breeds, without requiring any written
statement. The second, headed Milch Cotvs, requires a particular
description, in writing, of the expense of feeding, and the quantity
and quality of the milk at different times. At the late Exhibition,
nearly all the cows entered for premium might, with propriety,
have been called milch cows, many of them having calves with
them. The Committee considered the cow entered by Mrs. Gib-
bons of Quincy, the best one on the ground ; but they felt obliged
either to. violate the rules of the Society, or to exclude her from
receiving a premium as a milch cow. They would, therefore, re-
spectfully recommend that all competitors, for the future, be more
explicit in making their statements.

The increasing demand for milk, the rise in the value of land,
and the present high price of labor and produce, in the vicinity of
our cities and villages, it would seem, ought to be a sufficient in-
ducement for farmers to pay more attention to the breed, expense
of keeping and manner of milking their cows.

They should be fed and milked regularly, and if practicable, by
the same person ; and when the number of cows requires more
than one milker, each person should invariably milk the same, as
a cow will yield her milk more readily and freely to one with
whom she is acquainted, if kindly treated, than to a stranger.

Yankee ingenuity has invented almost every thing to save labor,
but whether a machine better than the hands will ever be invented
to draw milk from the udder of a cow, remains to be seen.

Probably, as a general rule, the most profitable age of a cow
is from six to twelve ; some, however, arrive at maturity and de-
cline at an earlier age than others. The writer of this Report
once owned a small Native that gave sixteen beer quarts per day
for several months, after having her second calf, and although

114

kept till twelve years old, she never exceeded that quantity. It
may not be improper, in this connection, to state that there is
now in the west part of Milton, a cow in milk that was raised and
has always been owned by the same j)erson, that was twenty-three
years old last March.

For the Committee,

ELIJAH TUCKER, Chairman.

REPORT ON HEIFERS.

The Committee on Heifers award the following premiums : —

To Horatio H. Hunnewell of Needhara, on Jersey heifer

and calf, two years old, the first premium of . . $3.00
To J. S. Eldridge of Canton, on Jersey heifer, one year

old, the second premium of .... . 2.00
To Nicholas T. Whittaker of Needham, on Ayrshire heifer,

sixteen months old, the first premium of . . . 3.00
To S. J. Capen of Dorchester, on Ayrshire heifer, one

year old, the second premium of ... . 2.00
To W. G. Wood of Dedham, on two Durham heifers,

twins and calves, two years old, the first premium of . 3.00
To William Bacon of Roxbur^'-, on Durham heifer, two

years old, the second premium of . . . .2.00
To B. V. French of Braintree, on Devon heifer, two years

old, the first premium of . . . . . .3.00

To B. V. French of Braintree, on Devon heifer, one year

old, the second premium of ..... 2.00
To William Bacon of Roxbury, on Grade heifer and calf,

two years old, first premium of . . . . . 3.00
To Mar-shall P. Wilder of Dorchester, on Grade heifer,

two years old, the second premium of . . . 2.00

And the Judges recommmend gratuities of $2.00 each to the fol-
lowing persons : — To Merrick P. Sumner of Dedham, A. D. Weld
of Roxbury, on heifers, two years old. Also to Stephen Welch of

115

Dedham, on heifer, two years old, and Solomon Flagg of Need-
bam, on his heifer, one year old.

To Humphrey Smith of West Roxbury, on Native heifer,

sixteen months old, the first premium of . , . ^3.00

To Mary D. Gibbons of Quincy, on Durham calf, four

months old, second premium of .... 2.00

To Eliphalet Stone of Dedham, on Native calf, eight months

old, the first premium of . . . , . . 8.00

To J. D. Dunbar of Canton, on his heifer, the third pre-
mium of ........ 1.00

ASAHEL S. DRAKE,
JAMES CAPEN, I

JAMES BARTLETT, K'^^^^^'
JAMES P. CLARK, j

REPORT ON WORKING OXEN.

The Committee report that ten entries were made for ti*ial, and
they have awarded premiums as follows : —

To E. G. Edson of Dedham, the first premium of . $8.00
To Horace and Moses Whitney of Dedham, the second

premium of ....... . 6.00

To B. V. French of Bralntree, the third premium of . 5.00

To Luther Eaton of Dedham, the fourth premium of . 3.00

The exhibition this year Avas much larger than usual, and the
work was very creditably performed by the competitors. The pair
of oxen belonging to E. G. Edson was particularly well trained, and
backed with much ease to themselves and their driver. Mr. B.
V. French had a very good pair for drawing Avorthy of notice.
With the exception of that pair, and those for which premiums
have been awarded, none were of superior merit. As the ox is
in a measure necessary to the farmer, and as much time and labor
may be saved by the use of Avell trained animals, your Committee
would suggest that more care should be taken in their manage-
ment, particularly in learning them to perform their labor with
less use of the whip and voice. Could this be done, the trial of

116

working oxen would be rendered much more agreeable both to the
Committee and spectators.

For the Committee,

ELLIS TUCKER, Chairman.

REPORT ON STEERS.

The Committee report that there were but one pair of steers
and two pair of steers (calves) entered. As the Society have
offered no premium for the latter, the Committee could award
none. They therefore award to Whitney Grant of Wrentham,
for his three year old steers, the first premium of $5.00.

For the Committee,

ELLIS TUCKER, Chairman.

REPORT ON FAT CATTLE.

The Committee on Fat Cattle have attended to their duty.
The number entered for preminum was six, and we make the
aw^ards as follows : —

To Wilham Palmer of West Roxbury, the first premium of $8.00
To Asa Pickering of Bellingham, the second premium of 5.00
To Cheever Newhall of Dorchester, the third premium of 3.00

For the Committee,

ABIATHAR RICHARDS, Chairman.

REPORT ON SmNE.

The Committee on Swine award the following premiums : — ^-i
For the best Boar, not less than six months old.
To Joseph T. Ludden of Braintree, the first premium of $6.00

.<c.

117

For the best Breeding So\j.

To B. V. Frencli of Braintree, tlio first premium of . $0.00
To G. F. Darling of Needham, the second premium of 5.00

To W. T. G. Morton of Needham, the third preminm of 4.00

For the best litter of Weaned Pigs, from ttvo to six months old.

To C. C. Sewall of Medfield, the first premium of . . $G.OO
To W. T. G. Morton of Needham, the second premium of 5.00
To G. F. Darhng of Needham, the third premium of . 4.00

For the best Fat Hog.
To J. W. Clark of Dcdham, the second premium of . $5.00

Cfratidties.

To Henrj Wood of Needham, 2.00

Joseph T. Ludden of Braintree, . • . . 2.00

Tohn Fussell of West Roxbury, for four black Essex Pigs, 2.00

For the Committee,

JOHN H. ROBINSON, Chairmayi.

REPORT ON POULTRY.

The Committee on Poultry find thirteen competitors of the dif-
ferent kinds of fowls, and award the following premiums : —

To C. F. Blanchard of Dorchester, for the best conducted,

&c. of expense with statement, the first premium of . $6.00

To Henry Newcomb of Randolph, for the best lot of

Geese, ......... 3.00

Samuel Kingsbury of Needham, for the best lot of Tur-
keys, 3.00

Edward M. Sewall, of Medfield, for the best lot of Ban-
tams, ........ 2.00

Edward M. Sewall of Medfield, for the best lot of Ducks,

&c., 4.00

Zebina Smith of Dedham, for the best lot of Fowls, . 4.00

118

George G. French of Braintree, for the second best lot of

Fowls, 3.00

To James Calder of Dedham, for the third beSt lot of

Fowls, ......... 2.00

To C. B. Ward of Dedham, for the best pair of Black

Spanish, ........ 2.00

To John Fussell of Jamaica Plain, for the best pair of

White Shanghai, ....... 2.00

To Thomas Smith of Dedhara, for the best pair of Fowls, 2.00

The Committee would award the following gratuities : —

To A. W. Austin of West Eoxbury, on a lot of Geese, . $2.00
To Charles Sloan of Milton, " " " . 1.00

To C. H. Small of Dedham, on a lot of Golden Seabrights, 1.00

For the Committee,

WILLIAM R. MANN, Chairman.

-*-

REPORT ON HORSES.

TJiorougli Bred and Part Tliorough Bred.

To J. Merrill & Co. of Roxbury, for Stallion " Trustee, jr."

by Imported Trustee, ..... Diploma.

An accident to this horse prevented his inspection bj the Com-
mittee, and he was withdrawn by his owners ; otherwise he would
have received the first premium.

To A. R. Mathes, Roxbury, for five year old Stallion
Young Trustee, by Imported Trustee, second premi-
um of ........ . 10.00

John Dunn of Roxbury, for Stallion, the third premi-
um of ........ . 8.00

To Thomas Parsons of Brooldine, for three year old Filly,

by Tri Color, the first premium of ... . 6.00

To G. Howland Shaw of Brookline, for two year old Colt

Trustee, by Imported Trustee, the first premium of . 5.00

119

To Joseph 11. Billings of West Roxbury, for two year old
Cold St. Patrick, bj Imported Trustee, the second pre-
mium of ........ 1^3.00

To Arthur W. Austin of West Roxbury, for two year old

Colt Rainbow, by Tri Color, the third premium of . 2.00

To G. Howland Shaw of Brookline, for one year old Colt

Young Sutton, by Ethan Allen, first premium of . 5.00

To Arthur W. Austin of West Roxbury, for one year old

Colt " Sunbeam," by Tri Color, the second premium of 3.00

To Arthur W. Austin of West Roxbury, for one year old

Colt Starlight, by Tri Color, the third premium of . 2.00

To Lyman Kinsley of Canton, for Brood ]\Iare and Colt,

colt by Ethan Allen, the first premium of . . . 10.00

Horses of all Wor-k.

To John Fussell of Roxbury, for four year old Stallion,

Black Hawk breed, the first premium of . .15.00

To Arthur W. xiustin of West Roxbury, for Brood Mare

and Foal, by Ethan Allen, the first premium of . 10.00

To E. G. Cobb of Foxboro', Brood Mare and Colt, pedi-
gree unknown, the second premium of . . . 8.00

To Lowell Mann of Walpole, Brood Mare and Colt, by

Morgan Horse Boston, the third premium of . . 6.00

To William Blake of Jamaica Plain, Brood Mare and Colt,
the fourth premium of . . . . . .4.00

To David ElUs of Cambridgeport, for his beautiful Black
Hawk Mare, a gratuity of $10.00 and the Society's
diploma.

To J. C. Bachi of Dorchester, for Black Hawk Colt, three

years old, the first premium of .... 6.00

To W. W. Upham of Dover, for Black Hawk Colt Zach

Taylor, three years old, the second premium of . . 4.00

To John Fussell of Roxbury, for Filly, three years old, the

third premium of . . . . . . .3.00

To Daniel C. Bacon of West Roxbury, for Black Hawk
and Harailtonian Colt, two years old, the first premium of 5.00

To Samuel Eldridge of Canton, for Black Hawk Colt, two

years old, the second premium of ... . 3.00

120

To S. J. Capen of Dorchester, for Empire State Colt, two

years old, the tWrcl premium of . . . .2.00

To E. Bojden of Walpole, for two year old Colt, a gratu-
ity of 2.00

To John D. Bradley of Milton, for one year old Filly, the

first premium of ...... . 5.00

To John Fussell of Roxbury, for one year old Filly, the

second premium of . . . . . . . 3.00

To George E. Holbrook of Wrentham, for one year old

Colt, the third premium of . . . . .2.00
To Albert Hoayo of Brighton, for one year old Colt, the

Society's diploma.

To Thomas Adams of Roxbury, one pair of Carriage

Horses, the first premium of 20.00

To S. W. & E. Nash of Weymouth, for chaise and buggy

Horse, first premium of ..... . 10.00

To William Churchill of Brooldine, for chaise and buggy

Mare, the third premium of 6.00

To C. G. & H. M, Plympton of Walpole, for chaise and

buggy Horse, the fourth premium of . . . . 4.00
To Joseph L. Brigham of Roxbury, for chaise and buggy

Horse, the Society's diploma.

To James McLamer of Dedham, for Farm Horse, seven

years old, the first premium of .... 10.00

To G. & H. M. Plympton of Walpole, for Farm Horse,

nine years old, the second premium of . . . 8.00

To Cheever Newhall of Dorchester, for one pair of Farm

Horses, the first premium of . . . . . 10.00

To Amory Fisher of Dedham, for one pair of Team Horses,

the third premium of . . . - . .6.00

Trotting Horses.
To Lemuel Dickerman of Foxboro', for the best Trotting

Horse, five years old, the Society's diploma.
To John D. Bradley of Milton, for Trotting Mare, seven

years old, the Society's diploma.
To Alden Bartlett of Dedham, for Trotting Mare, four

years old, the Society's diploma.

121

REPORT ON PLOUGHING.

The Committee on Horse Teams make the follo^ying report : —

The whole number of entries were five, and the premiums are
awarded as follows :

To Joel Morse of Medfield, the first premium, . . $8.00

To Hiram W. Jones of Dover, the second premium of . G.OO

To Cheever Newhall of Dorchester, the third premium of 4.00

To Luther Eaton of Dedham, the fourth premium of . 2.00

The Committee recommend the Society's diploma to William
G. Lewis of Framingham, for the exhibition and superior per-
formance of his Michigan plough.

For the Committee,

SOLOMON FLAGG, Chairman.

-•%>-

REPORT ON DOUBLE TEAMS.

The Committee on Ploughing with Double Teams report that
there were five entered for the match, and the premiums are
awarded as follows :

To B. N. Sawin of Dover, with Michigan double plough,

the first premium of . . . . . . $10.00

To Henrj Goulding of Dover, with Prouty & Mears'

plough. No. 155, the second premium of . . . 8.00
To B. V. French of Braintree, with Prouty & Mears'

plough, No. 155, the third premium of . . . 6.00
To H. & M. Whiting of Dedham, with Ruggles & Nourse's

Michigan double plough, the fourth premium of . . 4.00

The Committee were unanimous in the opinion that the plough-
ing Avas well done, and doubt if it can be beaten any where in the
State. The teamsters, as well as the ploughmen, deserve praise
for the ease and quiet manner in which they performed their work.

The Committee were also well pleased with the work done with

16

122

the Michigan double plough, manufactured by Prouty & Mears,
and would cheerfully recommend it to the notice of the farmers of
Norfolk county.

For the Committee,

E. W. ROBINSON, Chairman.

REPORT ON SINGLE TEAMS.

The Committee on Single Teams report that the whole number
of entries were four. Mr. Hammond of Needham, in conse-
quence of injury to his cattle, did not appear on the field. The
Committee were somewhat in doubt in regard to who should re-
ceive the first premium, but decided to give

To B. V. French of Braintree, the first premium of . $8.00

To E. G. Edson of Dedham, the second premium of . 7.00
To Abner T. Smith of Dover, the third premium of . 6.00

The Committee regret that so many of the members, appointed
by the proper authority, were absent, as to make necessary the
filling up of the Committee upon the ground.

For the Committee,

BENJAMIN G. KIMBALL, Chairman.

-*-

REPORT ON SPADING.

The Committee on Spading have awarded the following pre-
miums :

To Thomas Flinn, on lot No. 2, the first premium of $8.00 and

diploma.
To Peter Ford, on lot No. 7, the second premium of . $7.00
To Dennis Doody, on lot No. 4, the third premium of . 6.00
To Dan McAnliff, on lot No. 9, the fourth premium of . 5.00
To William Hickey, on lot No. 8, the fifth premium of . 4.00

123

To Timothy Ilickey, on lot No. 6, the sixth premium of $3.00
To Peter McAnliff, on lot No. 5, the seventh premium of 2.00
To Joseph Barber, on lot No. 1, the eighth premium of 1.00

For the Committee,

AARON D. WELD, Chairman.

REPORT ON LADIES' WORK.

The Committee on Ladies' Work are much gratified to notice
the marked improvement in the articles pertaining to this depart-
ment in comparison with former years.

The specimens of embroidery are very beautiful, and the Com-
mittee recommend a premium of $2.00 to Miss Lucretia Town-
send, of Medfield, for four collars, handkerchief and skirt.

For an elegantly wrought collar, the Committee recommend a
premium of $1.00 to Miss Ann E. Davenport, of Milton.

To Miss Deha White, of West Dedham, for an embroidered
collar and sleeves, a diploma.

To Miss Mary L. C. Smith, Readville, Dedham, a gratuity of
$1.00, for collars and handkerchief.

To Mrs. J. Champion, of Dedham, for one worked skirt, a gra-
tuity of 50 cents.

Mrs. John White, of West Dedham, and Miss Nancy Noyes, of
Dedham, contributed very handsome specimens of embroidery, for
which the Committee recommend a gratuity of 50 cents each.

To Miss Z. Shepard, of Canton, for beautiful specimens of
Grecian, Pastile and Oriental painting on glass, and an elegant
ornamental frame, the Committee recommend a premium of $2.00
and a diploma.

To Miss M. A. Mansfield, of West Needham, for a beautiful
specimen of hair work, a premium of $1.00.

To Mrs. William H. Mann, of Dedham, for a child's em-
broidered dress, a diploma.

The Committee notice with pleasure the display of counter-
panes, nine in number, which exhibits an advance in this branch
of industry. The Committee recommend

124

To Mrs. Nancy White, of Weymouth, eighty years of age, who
contributed a very substantially made knit quilt, the first premium
of $3.00.

To Mary B. Corey, of Milton, for patchwork quilt, the second
premium of $2.00.

To Mrs. Elizabeth Arnold, of West Roxbury, for knit quilt, a
gratuity of $1,00.

To Mrs. Hannah Pettee, of West Needham, for two quilts and
two rugs, a gratuity of $1.00.

Other counterpanes contributed by Mrs. Whiting Metcalf, of
Franklin, Mrs. Emma Baker, of Roxbury, Mrs. Sarah M. Marsh,
of Stoughton, and Ehza H. Carter, of Weymouth, are worthy of
special notice and commendation, and the Committee recommend
a diploma to each.

The articles of crotchet work are generally of superior exe^-
cution. The Committee recommend

To Miss Bridget Crow, for a chair tidy, a gratuity of 50 cents.

To Miss Rosa Harkins, of Dedham, for crotchet specimens, a
gratuity of 50 cents.

To Miss Sarah Turner, of Dedham, twelve years old, for highly
creditable specimens, and also for an ornamented picture frame,
a gratuity of 75 cents.

The Committee recommend

To Mrs. W. Willey, of Dedham, for hearth rug woven in a
hand loom, the Society's diploma.

To Hannah Plimpton, of Walpole, for a specimen of hair work,
a gratuity of 50 cents.

To Mary A. Plimpton, for lamp mat, a diploma.

To Miss Amanda Thompson, for embroidered cape, a gratuity
of 50 cents.

To Miss C. A. Howard, of Dedham, for specimens of pencil
drawing, a diploma.

To Emily S. Shepard, of Wrentham, for pair of net mittens,
50 cents.

To Miss R. Newall, of Brookline, for knitting, a gratuity of
50 cents.

To Miss Martha B. Evans, of Needham, for a shell work table,
a diploma.

125

To Mrs. George Alden, of Dcdham, for specimens of knitting,
a gratuity of $1.00.

To Miss Mary J. Wilson, twelve years of age, for specimens of
painting, a gratuity of 25 cents.

To Mrs. J. W. Dennis, of Stoughton, for specimens of em-
broidered flannel, a gratuity of 50 cents.

To Mrs. J. Hill, of Stoughton, for very beautiful tape trimming
skirt, a diploma.

To Miss Sarah B. Everett, twelve years of age, for a collar and
tidy, a gratuity of 25 cents.

To Mrs. J. P. Clark, of East Medway, for one pair of cotton
hose, a premium of 50 cents ; for woollen hose, a premium of
$1.00 ; woollen half hose, a premium of 50 cents ; — being the
best specimens.

To Miss JuUa Kingsbury, of Dedham, for two worsted tidys, a
diploma.

To Miss Mary E. Foster, of Dedham, for worsted knitting, a
premium of $1.00.

To Mrs. T. L. Brown, of East Needham, for specimen of hair
work, a premium of $1.00.

To Mrs. J. M. Merrill, of Mill Village, Dedham, for wax flow-
ers, a gratuity of 50 cents.

To Miss Ann Maria Gilbert, of Dorchester, for pencil drawing,
a diploma.

To Miss Frances C. Pafh, of Canton, for painting, a diploma.

To Miss A. L. Metcalf, of Dedham, a wrought Ottoman cover,
a diploma.

To Mrs. M. Metcalf, of Wrentham, a wrought Ottoman cover,
a diploma.

To Miss Mary F. Fairbanks, of Medfield, for specimens of
bead work, a gratuity of 25 cents.

There are many other articles worthy of notice.

For the Committee,

Mrs. NATHANIEL CLAPP.

126

REPORT ON DOMESTIC MANUEACTURES.

The Committee on Domestic Manufactures, award as follows : —

To L. W. Puffer, of Stoughton, for case of dentistry, a diploma.

To Timothy Phelps, of Dedham, for hats, a premium of $1.00.

To Samuel W. Hodges, of Stoughton, for yarn, socks, hose and
fancy knit woollen goods, a premium of $2.00 and a diploma.

To Cushman & Baker, of Medfield, for carryall and wagon,
a premium of $4.00.

To James Daniels, of East Medway, for hickory whip stocks, a
gratuity of $1.00.

To Evans & Mayo, of Needham, for samples of glues, a
diploma.

To Messinger & Brother, of Canton, for specimens of sewing
silks, a premium of $2.00.

To E. R. Clarke, of Sharon, for corn starch, a diploma.

To C. Brigham, of West Dedham, for bird cages, a gratuity
of $1.00.

To J. Bostwick, of Dedham, for woollen hose socks, a premium
of $1.00.

To Wilham Palmer, of Needham, for one tin house cage, a
gratuity of 50 cents.

To Wilham Baker, of Dedham, (a bhnd man,) for whips and
whip lashes, a gratuity of $1.00.

To Robert Campbell, of Dedham, for one dress coat, a gratuity
offl-OO.

To R. Wilhams, of Stoughton, for hquid stove polish, a gratuity
of $1.00.

For the Committee,

OTIS CARY, Chairman.

REPORT ON STRAW MANUFACTURES.

The Committee on Straw Manufactures regret that the number
of the contributors to this important branch of industry has not
increased the present year, though the few specimens presented
were superior, in some respects, to those of former exhibitions.

127

They award to Sanford Leonard, of Foxboro', the first premium
of $8.00 and a diploma, for the best straw bonnets ; and to Mrs.
Samuel Whiting, of East Mcdway, for the second best straw bon
net, a gratuity of $3.00,

For the best specimen of straw braid, not less than 100 yards,
the first premium of $3.00 to Sanford Leonard, of Foxboro'.
The second premium of $2.00 to Mrs. J. R. Cushman, of Med-
field, and Miss C. Ilayford, of Medway, $1.00 to each, both
specimens being equally meritorious.

For the Committee,

CHARLES HAMANT, of 3Iedfield.

REPORT ON BREAD.

The Committee on Bread report as follows : —

Of wheat bread thirteen specimens were offered, all of excellent
quality. The Committee were unanimous in their decision award-
ing the first premium of $3.00 to Mrs. Olive Guild, of Dedham,
and the second premium of $2.00 to Mrs. R. D. Page of West
Roxbury.

Of unbolted wheat bread five specimens were ofiered, differing
much in quality. The first premium of $3.00 is awarded to Mrs.
Horatio Mason, of East Medway, and the second premium of
$2.00 to Mrs. Eliza B. Adams.

Of wheat and Indian bread only two specimens were offered,
and the Committee award the second premium of $2.00 to Mrs.
Horatio Mason, of East Medway.

Of rye and Indian bread there were five specimens ; but as the
Committee had been brought up on such, their tastes were found to
be very critical. In spite of themselves, the old taste of mother's
nice brown bread would come up, and they could find nothing
like it. However, they at last agreed upon loaf No. 5 as coming
nearest to their standard. They find that this was offered by
Mrs. Hannah P. Mcintosh, of East Needham, and they accord-
ingly award to her the second premium of $2.00.

For the Committee,

JAMES RITCHIE, Chairman.

128

REPORT ON HEDGES.

The Committee on Hedges beg leave to report : —

That but one application has been made for an examination, in
reference to a premium, the present year. By invitation of Mr.
Francis Marsh, of Dedham, the Committee visited his grounds
and inspected his hedges on the 7th of July last. The visit
afforded them much pleasure, from the extent of the hedges, the
order in which they are kept, and their vigorous and healthful
appearance. The length of Mr. Marsh's hedges, which are of
buckthorn, is in all nineteen hundred and twenty-four feet. They
are of different ages, and the plants in all nine inches apart. That
about his garden and house lot is tlie longest in a continuous line,
being eleven hundred and seventy-four feet. A part of this has
been set eleven years ; other parts not so long. The whole of it
is in a fine condition, presenting, when in leaf, an exceedingly
pleasant object to the eye. Near this, and in full view, on the
road side, is a hedge one hundred and fifty feet in length, en-
closing a triangular space, in which stand several beautiful maples.
This hedge has been set eleven years, and is doing well, forming,
together with the maples, an object very agreeable to the sight.

But the best of Mr. Marsh's hedges, and one which the Com-
mittee viewed with great admiration, remains to be noticed. It
bounds his lot on Court Street, and is in all six hundred feet in
length in a straight line. A part of this has been set but three
years, and is three and a half feet high, wedge-shaped, the plants
being in a single row, as in all Mr. Marsh's hedges. The other
part of this hedge has been set thirteen years. From this, in
summer, when in leaf, it is difficult to take off the eye, so beauti-
ful and symmetrical is it. The sides are perfectly smooth, pre-
senting one dense, unbroken mass of foliage. It is three hundred
and fifty feet in length. The sides are sloping off, the hedge
measuring at the surface of the ground seven feet, and three feet
across the top, being four and a half feet in height. This hedge
appears to the Committee to be as perfect as any thing of the
kind can be. It is impervious to the eye, smooth, regular, and in
every way beautiful. The Committee cannot close their report
withous expressing the very high satisfaction which the visit to

129

Mr. Marsh's grounds aiForded tliem. Mr. Marsh is a genuine
lover of trees and foliage, and by his liberality and efforts in differ-
ent ways, has done much for the ornament of his native village.

The Committee take great pleasure in awarding to him the first
premium on Hedges, $10.00.

For the Committee,

EBEN WIGHT, Chairman.

-#-

REPORT ON ESSAYS.

The design of this Society in offering premiums for Essays, is
to induce the careful preparation of instructive and useful papers,
worthy of publication in the volume of Transactions annually dis-
tributed to its members. Extracts from this volume are always
made part of that most valuable work, — " The Agriculture of
Massachusetts," — which is prepared and published every year by
the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture. The circulation
of this work is very extensive. No better channel could be
afforded, therefore, for the wide dissemination of theoretical or
practical treatises on any subject relating to the labors and inter-
ests of the farmer.

We believe there are many persons familiar with such subjects,
both theoretically and practically, who seldom make themselves
known beyond the circle of their immediate neighborhood, by
whom brief treatises might be furnished, that would do honor to
themselves and confer great benefit on the community. The im-
portance of communicating, in this way, the knowledge of opinions
confined to men of science, and of practices successfully pursued
by a limited number of laboring men, cannot, we think, be over-
estimated. Treatises, prepared for an Association like this, would
command attention where their authors would most desire to have
it, — relatinor to the dailv labors and vital interests of farmers,
they would, at once, be made the subject of reflection and conver-
sation,— or be put into use by those, whose experience would help
to estabhsh the truth and value of them. Working farmers are,

generally, thinking men. Often their minds are as active as their

17

130

muscles. They detect fallacies of opinion, and discover advan-
tages of action more readily than is usually supposed.

Hence the importance of obtaining suitable Essays, to be made
part of our annual publication. Several such Essays are already
embraced in our former volumes. We had hoped that the premiums
still offered would have secured a continued supply of them. But,
we regret to say, that only one Essay has been submitted to our
examination the present year. This is upon the subject of Bees ;
— their history, their habits and their wants, &c. The writer
signs himself " A llembe}',''^ and he is evidently one who feels
much interest in the subject. But your Committee have found in
this Essay no opinions and no mode of practice, in relation to Bee
culture, not already known, of sufficient value or utility to justify
the allowance of so much space in the Transactions of the Society,
as its publication would require. They, therefore, feel obliged,
after deliberate consideration, to withhold it.

For the Committee,

MARSHALL P. WILDER, Chairman.

131

RECAPITULATION OF PREMIUMS

AWARDED BY THE

NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR 1856.

PLOUGHING.

Benjamin N. Sawin,
Horace & Moses Whiting,
Benjamin V. French,
Henry Gouldini^,
Mrs. E. G. Edson,
Abner L. Smith,
Joel Morse,
Hiram W. Jones,
Cheever Newhall,
Luther Eaton,

SPADING.

Thomas Flynn,
Peter Ford,
Dennis Doody,
Daniel McAuliff,
William Hickey,
Timothy Hiekey,
Peter McAulift",
Joseph Bai-ber,

$10
8
14
4
7
6
8
6
4
2

IMPROVING IVIEADOW LANDS.
Asa Pickering, $15

FARMS.

Samuel D. Bradford, $25

James S. Wiggin, 15

ORNAJVIENTAL TREES.

Whiting Metcalf, $20

Alfred H. Metcalf, 10

ORCHARDS.
Thaddeus Clapp, $10

John W. Shaw, 10

BULLS.

Jonathan French, $5

John S. Eldridge, 3

Horatio H. Hunuewell, 3

William Bacon, 2

Nathan Phillips, 5

Benjamin V. French, 5

Henry Goulding, 3

WORKING OXEN.

Mrs. E. G. Edson, $8

Horace & Moses Whiting, 6

Benjamin V. French, 7.50

Luther Eaton, 3

Whiting Grant, 5

MILCH COWS.

Charles H. Harmon, $10

Aaron D. Weld, 7

William Bacon, 6

Mrs. Mary D. Gibbons, 5

Stephen Welch, 3

Henry Goulding, 2

Calvin Richards, 3

George Fuller, 2

Ignatius C. Bachi, 3

HEIFERS.

Horatio H. Hunnewell, $3

John S. Eldridge, 2

N. T. Whitaker, 3

Samuel J. Capen, 2

William G. Woods, 3

William Bacon, 5

Benjamin V. French, 5

Marshall P. Wilder, 2

Mirick P. Sumner, 2

Aaron D. Weld, 2

Stephen Welch, 2

Solomon Flagg, 2

Humphrey Smith, 3

Mrs. Mary D. Gibbons, 2

Eliphalet Stone, 3

I. D. Dunbar, 1

FAT CATTLE.

William Palmer, $8

Asa Pickering, 5

Cheever Newhall, 3

HORSES.

Albert R. Mathes, $10

Thomas Parsons, 6

G. Howland Shaw, 10

Joseph H. Billings, 3

Arthur W. Austin, 17

Lyman lunsley, 10

John Fussell, 21

E. G. Cobb, 8

Lowell Mann, 6

William Blake, 4

Ignatius C. Bachi, 6

Walter W. Upham, 4

Daniel C. Bacon, 5

Samuel Eldridge, 3

Samuel J. Capen, 2

E. Boyden, 2

John D. Bradlee, 5

George £. Holbrook, 2

182

Thomas Adams,

$20

S. W. & E. Nash,

10

William Churchill,

6

C. G. & H. M. Plimpton,
James McLoren,

12
10

Cheever Newhall,

10

Amory Fisher,
David Ellis,

6
10

John Deane,

8

SWINE.

Joseph T. Ludden,
Benjamin V. French,

$8
6

G. F. Darling,
William T. G. Morton,

9
9

Charles C. Sewall,

6

Joseph W. Clark,
Henry Wood,

5
2

John Fnssell,

2

SHEEP.

Whiting Grant,

$3

POULTKY.

C. F. Blanchard,

$6

Henry Newcomb,
Lemuel Kingsbury,
Edward U. Sewall,

3
3
6

Zebina Smith,

4

James Calder,

2

George F. French,
Charles B. Ward,

3

2

John Fussell,

2

Thomas Smith,

2

Arthur W. Austin,

2

Charles Sloan,

1

C. H. Small,

1

'H. H. Hunnewell,
John D. Bradlee,
Caleb S. Holbrook,
Charles Sampson,
Lyman Kinsley,
Joseph W. Clark,
Lewis Wheeler,
Mirick P. Sumner,
Eliphalet Stone,

FLOWERS.

Parker Barnes,
Lewis Davenport,
Benjamin V. French,
H. H. Hunnewell,
Macey Eandell, Jr.,
Mary A. Sewall,
Mrs. Hodges,
Robert Watt,
John Lathrop,
Thomas G. Whytal,
Joseph W. Clark,
Marshall P. Wilder,
Lyman .Kinsley,
H. Mcintosh,
John Fussell,
Myra Smith,
Hattie W. Carroll,

GRAIN CROPS.

Eliphalet & John Sias, $5

Abner L. Smitli, 5

Samuel D. Bradford, 4

Josiah F. Twombly, 2

VEGETABLES.

Horatio H. Hunnewell, $10

Benjamin V. French, 5

Cheever Newhall, 4

Eliphalet Stone, 3

Thomas G. Whytal, 2

Joseph W. Clark, 1

Andrew Read, 1

Henry Cormerais, 2

A. Turner, 1

Asahel Newton, 1

FRUITS.

Thaddeus Clapp, $8

Lewis Davenport, 3

Benjamin V. French, 4

Marshall P. Wilder, 5

Henry Goulding, 3

Willard Lewis, 2

Humphrey Smith, 2

BREAD.
Hannah P. Mcintosh,
Mrs. Olive Guild,
Mrs. R. D. Page,
Mrs. Horatio Mason,
Mrs. Eliza B. Adams,

$2
2
5
3
3
2
2
1
2

$7
7
1
9
2
2
3
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
1
2
1

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

James R. Fisher, $10

Lucy Morse, 5

John Mansfield, 3

$2
3
2
5
2

STRAW MANUFACTURES.
Sanford Leonard, $11

Mrs. Samuel Whiting, 3

Jacob R. Cushman, t 1

Miss C. Hayford, 1

DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

Timothy Phelps,

$1

Samuel W. Hodges,

2

Cushman & Baker,

4

James Daniels,

1

Messinger & Brother,

2

T. C. Brigham,

1

John Bestwick,

1

William Palmer,

50 cts.

William Baker,

1

Robert Campbell,

1

R. Williams,

1

LADIES'

WORK.

Premiums oh pp. 123

—125,
Total,

$25.50

$897.50

133

TREASURER'S REPORT.

Hexry W. Richards, Treasurer, in account with the

Agricultural Society.

Dr.

Balance in Treasury, Nov. 30, 1855,

Cash received for admission fees of 35 new members,

" " from J. L. Brigham, Esq., amount of subscrip-

tions for premiums on horses for 1855, .

" " from the Commonwealth,

" " at Cattle Show of 1855, balance,

" " at Cattle Show of 1856,

Cash borrowed,

Norfolk

S3

92

170

00

250

00

600

00

1,463

58

1,842

25

3,900

00

,229 75

Cr.

Cash paid for printing and incidental expenses,
" " premiums, . . . . ,

" " expenses Cattle Show of 1855,
" " " " " of 1856,

" " for land and improvements on same,
" " Secretary's salary, . . . .
" " for interest, . . . . .
Borrowed money returned,
Balance in Treasury, Nov. 29, 1856,

S761 60

832 50

1,112 29

814 01

2,929 11

50 00

70 25

500 00

1,159 99

S8,229 75

The Society have purchased several acres more of land during the past
year, making the whole value of their property $10,414. The last pur-
chase, amounting to $1,355, is not yet settled for, which will increase the
debt due from^the Society to $5,755.

HENRY W. RICHARDS, Treasurer.

Dedkam, Nov. 29, 1856.

ORDER OF EXERCISES AT CHURCH,

ON THK DAY OF THE

EIGHTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION

OF THE

NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

At Dedliam, October 1, 18§6.

At twelve o'clock, M., a procession was formed on the grounds
of the Society, by Major Moses G. Cobb of Dorchester, the
Chief Marshal, who was assisted during the day by the following
gentlemen as Aids : — Messrs. Thomas Adams of Roxbury ; F. A.
Heath of Brookline ; Francis Williams of Quincy ; J. W. Wol-
cott of Roxbury ; H. 0. Hildreth of Dedham, and Alexander
Boyd of Roxbury. Preceded by the Weymouth Brass Band, the
procession moved to Rev. Dr. Lamson's Church, the galleries of
which were already filled with ladies. The preliminary exercises
consisted of a voluntary, performed in excellent style by the choir
attached to Dr. Lamson's Society, Hon. Marshall P. Wilder,
the President of the Society, then made the usual Introductory
Address, giving a brief account of the progress and present con-
dition of the Society. Prayer was then offered by Rev. J. H.
Morrison of Milton, after which the following hymn was sung : —

HARVEST HYMN.

BY B. P. 9HILLABER, K34.

God of the harvest ! unto thee
With grateful sense avc bend the knee,
While to thy throne our thanks arise,
The full heart's earnest gacrifice.

136

God of the Seasons ! God our trust !
Thy loving kindness from the dust
Has quickened with a living birth
The flower and fruitage of the earth.

Thy care has sent the sun and rain
To ope the bud and swell the grain ;
Thy lavish hand has filled our store
Till with thy gifts it runneth o'er.

Oh may our hearts, dear Father, be
A field devoted more to thee.
Wherein may never dare intrude,
That poisonous weed — ingratitude.

The seasons as they come and go,
Thy constant love and goodness show ;
Oh may they, like the sun and showers,
Call forth our souls' divlnest powers.

The President of the Society then offered a few remarks of a
congratulatory character, and introduced to the audience Hon.
Josiah Quincy, jr., who was received with applause.

Mr. Quincy announced as his theme, " Agriculture, and its
Position in Europe," and drew from the subject an interesting
and eloquent address upon the present position of Agriculture in
Europe. He commenced with a brilliant description of the agri-
cultural portion of the great exhibition in Paris, and took the
occasion to show how greatly the English and French differed in
their ideas of what constituted the most desirable features of
horned cattle, sheep, &c. The American portion of that exhibi-
tion he showed was small, but for what there was, we were in-
debted to the enthusiastic friendship of M. Vattemare. Ameri-
cans were warned against following too closely the European
schools, as in Europe land was dear and labor cheap, while here
it was the contrary. The position and circumstances of the
American and European farmer were compared, to show what an
enviable position our farmers occupied, not bound down by taxes,
or regulations, or want of territory ; and the consequent higher
social and intellectual position of the American farmer was illus-
trated. Then followed a comparison of the farmer, in his true in-
dependence, with the portion of those who left the plough to seek
fortune in large cities, nine out of ten of whom never advance
one step, and those who do, do so at the expense of health, and

187

life, and perhaps of morals. An eloquent tribute to the farmer's
vocation closed the address, which was listened to with interest
and attention, and was enlightened by frequent sallies of wit.
The following ode was then sung.

ODE.

BY REV. E. PORTER DYER.

Old Norfolk County, thee we bail !

Thy proudest day is come,
We meet thy rural praise to sing,

And shout thy harvest home ;
And shout thy glorious harvest home,

And shout thy h rvest home ;
With grateful hearts we meet to-day

To shout thy harvest home !

The increase of the rolling year

A bounteous God has given ;
He bless'd thy fields with fruitful showers,

And gentle dews from Heaven.
Thy fields were tilled with care and skill, —

With fat thy cattle shine ;
Thy groaning granaries are filled

From Ceres' golden mine.

Since God on Agriculture smiles,

And crowns the yeoman's toil, —
Who would not be a husbandman,

And till his native soil ?
And till the good old Norfolk fields.

And dwell mid fruits and flowers.
As fragrant, rich, and fair as these

Which grace this show of ours ?

In ancient Eden's primal days,

When labor first began,
'T was Agriculture made its wilds

A Paradise to man :
A Paradise to man below,

A Paradise to man ;
'T was Agriculture made its wilds

A Paradise to man.

There lovely Eve with taste adorned

His bowers of sweet repose,
With pansles, pinks and tulips fair —

The lily and the rose.
18

138

And ever since hath woman lent,

A charm to rural life,
While happiness hath yearly crowned

The farmer and his wife.

We prize the manufacturer's trade —

The good mechanic's skill ;
They give us raiment for our need,

And tools our soil to till.
But while with right good will we praise

The anvil and the loom,
We love the good old rural art

Which makes the desert bloom.

EXERCISES AT THE DINNER.

After the benediction, the procession was re-formed and pro-
ceeded to the Hall of the Society, where an excellent dinner had
been provided by Howard & Gregory of Boston. The tables
were finely decorated with fruit and flowers, and the feast was
graced by the presence of a large number of ladies.

At the conclusion of the dinner, Mr. Wilder made a short and
appropriate speech, after which he announced the following toast :

The Orator of the Day — The representative of an honored ancestry.
His valuable services this day furnish a fresh claim to our grateful remem-
brance. Honor to the son as well as the sire !

Hon. Josiah Quincy, jr. responded pleasantly and appropriately,
closing with the sentiment —

The .True Aaristocracy of the United States, of Massachusetts, and of
this county, the Norfolk Farmer, — He who is entitled to the dignity of that
appellation need seek for no higher.

The President then gave —

The health of the delegate from the Board of Agriculture, Mr. Lewis.

William G. Lewis, Esq. of Framingham, responded in an ap-
propriate and practical speech, and closed with

The Norfolk Agricultural Society — Its brilliant success equalled
only by the untiring exertions in the cause of agriculture of its worthy
President.

The following Song, written by S. D. Hayward of Braintree,
for the prize of $10.00, was then sung in beautiful style by a

139

Glee Club, consisting of Messrs. Thomas Tucker, Bridge Wheat,
J. E. Clark, and J. II. D. Blake, to the tunc of " The Pirate's
Glee."

THE FARMER'S SONG.

Come on, come on, ye sturdy Farmer,
Who hold the plough and hold the mold ;
At close of year we've ■well stored garners.
The worth of which cannot be told.

We plough, we sow, we end with reaping,

Reward is sui-c for those who toil ;

The morn we never spend in sleeping, —

The evening — never in turmoil.

D

Plough on, plough on, we take the prizes
By honest, toil and not by stealth ;
Our business mind — shun the assizes —
At home — " sweet home," content and health.

We plough, we sow, we end with reaping, &c.

Sow on, sow on, soon comes the mowing, —
The ground well burdened needs relief;
No seeds of petty strife we 're sowing —
No fertile lands we hold in fief.

We plough 'we sow, we end with reaping, &c

Rake on, rake on, though brow is sweating,
'T is better far than sweat of strife ;
The prize we win is not by betting,
No jealousies embitter life.

We plough, we sow, we end with reaping, &c.

Reap on, reap on, the fruits now swelling,
Are more than we can name or count ;
Than Arab's spice their fragrant smelling
The Wilder ones — themselves a fount.

We plough, we sow, we end with reaping, &c.

Go on, go on, good brother Farmer,
The years pass by — they 're quickly flown ;
Make each successive year a charmer,
For by our fruits we shall be known.

We '11 plow, we '11 sow, we '11 end with reaping.

Reward is sure for those who toil.

The morn we '11 never spend in sleeping,

The evening never in turmoil.

140

The next regular toast was-

The Clergy — Patient and persevering agriculturists, who plant their
seeds in time, but look for the full fruits of the harvest only in eternity.

Rev. John H. Morrison of Milton responded in a most beautiful
and instructive speech, of which we hoped to have had a report.

Letters were then read from W. P. Dickinson, Esq., President
of the Hampshire Agricultural Society, and other gentlemen.

Rev. Mr. Sanger of Dover responded to a toast in a few face-
tious remarks, closing by offering a sentiment with reference to
the forlorn condition of bachelors.

The President then gave " The Ladies " —

They are our heartfelt pride and boast.

Their praise we 'II alwaj'S utter ;
Woman we 11 make our constant toast,
And do n't want any but her (butter).

This was hailed with applause. The President called on the
Chief Marshal of the day, as the special guardian of the ladies,
to respond in their behalf. Major Cobb responded in a feUcitous
strain of remark, which was loudly applauded. He closed by
offering the following sentiment: — -

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and her Children, Agriculture,
Manufactures and Commerce — Though she cannot grant her first-born the
rights of primogeniture, yet she can and will make her the residuary lega-
tee of her estate, and executrix of her last will and testament.

The next sentiment was to " Agriculture," which called forth a
complimentary allusion to the President from Mr. Quincy, which
was applauded. Mr. Wilder briefly returned thanks, and called
on Mr. James S. Wiggin of Wrentham, (formerly of Boston,) to
respond to the toast on agriculture, which he did at considerable
length and in a happy manner, as a farmer of Norfolk.

Hon. E. L. Keyes, Secretary of the Society, then read the list
of premiums awarded by the various committees.

The company then joined in singing, as usual, the parting song
of " Auld Lang Syne," and thus closed the Eighth Annual Exhi-
bition of the Norfolk Agricultural Society, alike successful with its
predecessors.

Mi'un^ of t|£ Satittg.
1856.

President,
MARSHALL P. WILDER, of Dorchester.

Vice Presidents,
BENJAMIN V. FRENCH, of Braintree,
DANIEL C. BACON, of West Roxhury,
CHEEVER NEWHALL, of Dorchester,
JOHN GARDNER, of Dedham,
RALPH SANGER, of Dover,
CHARLES C. SEWALL, of Iledfield.

Corresponding & Recording Secretary,
EDWARD L. KEYES, of Dedham.

Treasurer,
HENRY W. RICHARDS, of Dedham.

Executive Committee,
MARSHALL P. WILDER, of Dorchester,
OTIS CARY, of Roxhmj,
AARON D. WELD, of West Roxhury,
JOSEPH H. BILLINGS, of West Roxbur. ,
TRUMAN CLARKE, of Walpole.

142

Finance Committee and Auditors,
CHARLES B. SHAW, of Bedham,
MARTIN B. INCHES, of Bedham,
HENRY 0. HILDRETH, of Bedliam.

ASA PICKERING,

Board of Trustees.

BELLINGHAM.

PAUL CHILSON.

BRAINTREE.

EDWARD POTTER, DAVID N. HOLLIS,

JONATHAN FRENCH, CALEB HOLLIS.

BROOKLINE.

MARSHALL STEARNS, SAMUEL HENSHAW,

JAMES BARTLETT, GEORGE CRAFT.

ELISHA WHITE,
WILLIAM TUCKER,

CANTON.

ELLIS TUCKER,
CORODON SPAULDING.

COHASSET.

JAMES C. DOANE, SOLOMON J. REAL,

LABAN SOUTHER, ABRAHAM H. TOWER.

D E DH AM.

WILLIAM KING GAY, COLBURN ELLIS,

JESSE FARRINGTON, LUTHER EATON.

DORCHESTER.

EDWARD KING, ELI W. ROBINSON,

JOHN H. ROBINSON, SAMUEL J. CAPEN,

AARON D. CAPEN, NATHAN CARRUTH.

BEN.JAMIN NEWELL,
EPHRAIM WILSON,

DOVER.

HOLLIS MANN,
LUTHER RICHARDS.

143

FREEDOM GUILD,
SIMEON BURR,

F O X B O RO' .

JAMES CAPEN,
SAMUEL B. LEONARD.

FRANKLIN.

WARD ADAMS, MAXCY FISHER,

GEORGE W. MORSE, SHADRACH ATWOOD.

MEDFIELD.

JACOB R. CUSHMAN, ISAAC FISKE,

GEORGE DAVIS, ELIJAH THAYER.

HORATIO MASON,
JOHN P. JONES,

M E D W A Y .

JAMES P. CLARK,
RICHARD RICHARDSON.

CHARLES BRECK,
ELIJAH TUCKER,

MILTON.

BENJAMIN F. DUDLEY,
SAMUEL COOK.

WILLIAM PIERCE,
DANIEL KIMRALL,

NE ED H AM.

GEORGE K. DANIELL,
WILLIAM T. G. MORTON.

Q UIN C Y.

HORATIO N. GLOVER, JOSEPH W. ROBERTSON,

JOSIAH BRIGHAM, LEMUEL BILLINGS.

RANDOLPH.

ROYAL W. TURNER, ADONIRAM WHITE,

JOSEPH LEEDS, CALEB S. HOLBROOK.

BOXBUR Y.

AARON D. WILLIAMS, JAMES GUILD,

WILLI A3I B. KINGSBURY, JOHN FUSSELL,
GEORGE DAVENPORT, JOSEPH L. BRIGHAM.

144

SHARON.

OTIS JOHNSON, ASAHEL S. DKAKE,

WILLIAM R. MANN, HAEVEY MORSE.

LUCIUS CLAPP,
LUTHER PORTER,

STOUGHTON.

ROBERT PORTER,
ASAHEL SOUTHWORTH.

:j

JOHN A. GOULD,
EDWIN WILSON,

W A L P O L E .

JOHN M. MERRICK,
WILLARD LEWIS.

WEST ROXBURY.

STEPHEN M. WELD, CHARLES A. HEWINS,

JOHN PARKINSON, THOMAS G. WHYTAL.

WEYMOUTH.

LEMUEL HUMPHREY, NATHANIEL SHAW,

JAMES JONES, JAMES TIRRELL.

W R E N T H A M .

ARTEMAS ALDRICH, HARVEY E. CLAP,

BENJAMIN HA WES, EDMUND T. EVERETT.

145

^qi7)ea of IPci^bei*^.

BELLINGHAM.

Chilson, Paul

Pickering, Asa 2.

BRAINTREE.

Arnold, John B.

Arnold, Joseph A.

Blake, Joseph II. D.

Bowditch, Ebenezer C.

Chace, George

Djer, Isaac

Dyer, Joseph

Fogg, Charles M.* 1854

French, Benjamin V.

French, Mrs. B. V.

French, George F.

French, Jonathan

Hollis, Caleb

Hollis, David N.

Hollis, John A.

Hollis, Josiah

Ludden, Joseph T.

Mansfield, John

Mansfield, Warren

Morrison, Alva

Niles, Daniel H.

Penniman, Ezra

Perkins, Oliver

Potter, Edward

Rand, William T.

Randall, Apollos,

Stetson, Amos W.

Stetson, Caleb

Thayer, Ebenezer C.

Thayer, Ilezekiah* 1854

Vinton, Thomas B.

Wales, George

Willis, George W.* 1852 33.

BROOKLINE.

Amory, James S.
Babcock, George
Bartlett, James
Bird, Jesse
Blake, George Baty
Bramhall, William
Churchill, William
Craft, Charles
Craft, George
Craft, Samuel* 1856
Corey, Elijah
Corey, Timothy
Dane, John* 1854
Dane, John H.
Ferris, Mortimer C.
Fisher, Francis
Frazar, Amherst A.
Griggs, Thomas
Henshaw, Samuel
Howe, Frank E.
Howe, James Murray
Howe, John
Jameson, William H.
Kellogg, Charles D.
Lawrence, Amos A.
Parker, Montgomery D.
Parsons, Thomas
Sampson, George R.
Shaw, G. Howland
Stearns, Charles, Jr.
Stearns, Marshall
Thayer, John E.
Trowbridge, John H.
Turner, John N.
White, Henry K.

35.

* Deceased.

19

146

CANTON.

Abbott, Ezra
Billings, Uriah
Billings, William
Bowditch, J. Ingersoll
Bray, Edgar W.
Capen, Samuel
Deane, Francis W.
Deane, Oliver
Downes, George
Draper, Thomas
Dunbar, James
Dunbar, Nathaniel
Eldridge, John S.
Endicott, John* 1855
Everett, Leonard* 1852
Fenno, Jesse, Jr.
French, Charles H.
French, Thomas
Fuller, Daniel
Guild, Horace
Howard, Lucius
Huntoon, Benjamin
Kinsley, Lyman
Kollock, Jeremiah
Lincoln, Frederic W.
Mansfield, William
Mcintosh, Adam
Mcintosh, Roger S.
McKendry, Wilham
Messinger, Vernon A.
Messinger, Virgil J.
Morse, Wilham
Shepard, James S.
Spare, Elijah
Spaulding, Corodon
Stetson, Joseph
Sumner, James T.
Tilt, Benjamin B.
Tucker, Edmund
Tucker, Ellis
Tucker, Jedediah
Tucker, Nathaniel, Jr.
Tucker, Phineas
Tucker, William
Wentworth, Edwin
Wentworth, Nathaniel

White, Elisha
White, Nathaniel S.

COHASSET.

Beal, Solomon J.
Beal, Mrs. S. J.
Doane, James C.
Johnson, William B.
Sohier, William D.
Souther, Laban
Tower, Abraham H.

DEDHAM.

Adams, Benjamin H.
Alden, Abner
Alden, Francis
Alden, George
Alden, Leonard
Alden, Samuel F.
Ames, William
Babcock, Samuel B.
Bacon, Silas D.
Baker, David A.
Baker, Joel M.
Baker, Obed
Baker, Timothy
Balch, Benjamin W.
Barrows, Thomas
Bartlett, Alden
Bates, Martin
Bean, Albion
Bickner, Samuel R.
Blaney, Henry
Bosworth, Isaac C.
Boyden, Addison
Boyden, Benjamin
Brooks, Edward C.
Bryant, Austin* 1851
BuUard, Elijah
Bullard, John* 1852
Bullard, Lewis
Burgess, Ebenezer
Burgess, Edward P.
Capen, Charles J.
Capen, Oliver
Carroll, Sanford

48.

147

Chase, James M.
Chickcring, Horatio
Clapp, Edward
Clapp, Nathaniel
Clark, Joseph W.
Clarke, Horatio
Cleveland, Ira
Cobb, Jonathan H.
Colburn, Allen
Colburn, Nathaniel* 1853
Colburn, Waldo
Coolidge, George
Cormerais, Henry
Cox, John, Jr.
Crane, Ebenezer P.
Crocker, Amos H.
Crossman, Charles B.
Clashing, Henry W.
Damrell, Wilham S.
Daniell, Ellery C.
Day, Joseph
Deane, John
Dixon, Rufus E.
Doggett, John
Donahoe, Patrick
Downing, James
Drayton, John* 1856
Duif, John
Dunbar, Thomas, Jr.

Eaton, John

Eaton, John Ellis* 1854

Eaton, Luther

Ellis, Calvin F.

Elhs, Charles

Ellis, Colburn

Ellis, George* 1855

Ellis, MerriU D.

Ellis, Oliver

Endicott, Augustus B.

Fairbanks, William

Farrington, Charles

Farrington, James

Farrington, Jesse »

Farrington, John B.

Field, William

Fisher, Alvan

Fisher, Alvan J.

Fisher, Amory
Fisher, Ebenezer S.
Fisher, Freeman
Fisher, James 11.
Fisher, Joseph
Fisher, Thomas
Fleming, Douglas
Fogg, David fe.
Foord, Enos
French, Abram
Fuller, George
Gardner, John
Gay, Ebenezer F.
Gay, Jeremiah W.
Gay, Luhser* 1855
Gay, William King
Gleason, Daniel
Gould, George
Green, EHsha
Guild, Calvin, Jr.
Guild, Francis
Guild, Henry
Harnden, Harvey
Hartshorn, Richard D.
Henck, John B.
Hildreth, Henry 0.
Holmes, Edward B.
Houghton, William A.
Howe, Francis
Howe, Josiah D.
Hoyle, Mark C.
Inches, Martin B.
Jackson, Marcus B.
Johnson, Edwin* 1856
Keyes, Ebenezer W.
Keyes, Edward L.
Kingsbury, Lewis H.
Kingsbury, Moses
Lamson, Alvan
McLoren, James
Mann, Henry A.
Mann, Herman* 1851
Mann, Samuel C.
Mann, William H.
Marsh, Francis
Marsh, jNIartin
Marsh, Mrs. Martin

148

Mason, William

Mason, William H.

Mitchell, Francis N.

Morgan, John

Morse, Curtis Gr.

Morse, Otis

Morse, John

Morse, John L.

Motley, Thomas

Noyes, Nathaniel

Onion, Henry

Onion, Joseph W.

Otis, Benjamin H.

Patterson, Albert C.

Phelps, Timothy

Phillips, Nathan

Quincy, Edmund

Rand, Edward S.

Rand, Edward S., Jr.

Rice, John P.

Richards, Abiathar

Richards, Edward M.

Ptichards, Henry White

Richards, Jeremiah E.* 1852

Richards, Mason

Richards, Reuben* 1855

Richards, William B.

Rodman, Alfred* 1853

Russell, Charles

Russell, Ira

Sampson, Ezra W.

Scanlan, David

Scott, Joel

Shaw, Charles B.

Sherman, Charles B.

Sherwin, Thomas

Sigourney, Henry PI. W.

Slafter, Carlos

Smith, EdAvin

Smith, Henry

Smith, Lyman

Smith, Nathaniel

Smith, Nathaniel, Jr.

Smith, Thomas

Spear, Henry P.

Stimson, Jeremy

Stone, Eliphalet

Sumner, William R.
Sutton, Enoch* 1853
Taft, Ezra W.
Thompson, Joshua P.
Thompson, Robert* 1854
Tower, William B.
Tubbs, Benjamin H.* 1854
Van Brunt, Gershom J.
Vose, George H.
Wakefield, Thomas L.
Wales, Samuel, Jr.
Washburn, Alexander C.
Waters, Joseph W.
Weatherbee, Comfort
Weatherbee, Jesse
Weatherbee, John E.
Webb, Moses E.
Webb, Seth, Jr.
Welch, Stephen
Weld, Joseph R.
Wellcome, Jacob H.
White, John* 1852
Whiting, Ilezekiah
Whiting, Horace
Whiting, Moses
Whiting, William
Whitney, Samuel S* 1855
Wight, Ebenezer
Wilson, John E.* 1853
Winslow, George
Wood, Mrs. Amos
Woods, Wilham G. 206.

DORCHESTER.

Abbott, William E.
Adams, Benjamin W.
Austin, William R.
Bachi, Ignatius C.
Bacon, Charles H.
Baker Edmund J.
Baker, Walter* 1852
I^aldwin, Enoch
Barnes, ParRer
Barry, Michael 0.
Bass, Seth B.
Billings, Lemuel

149

Bispham, Eleazer J.
Blanchard, Charles F.
Bradlec, James B.
Bradstreet, Samuel
Bramhall, Cornelius
Breck, Henry, Jr.
Brewer, Darius* 1854
Briggs, Franklin
Brooks, Noah* 1852
Brooks, Williams B.
Brown, Augustus
Browne, George M.
Capen, Aaron D.
Capen, Samuel J.
Capen, Thomas W.
Carruth, Charles
Carruth, Nathan
Chllds, Nathaniel R.
Clapp, Frederick
Clapp, Lemuel, 2d
Clapp, John P.
Clapp, Richard
Clapp, Thaddeus
Clapp, William
Cleveland, Stephen 11.
Cobb, Moses G.
Codman, John
Codman, Robert
Copenhagen, Arnold Wm.
Crane, Nathaniel
Curtis, Ebenezer
Cushing, Abel
Cushing, Benjamin
Davis, Barnabas
Dearborn, Axel
Denny, Daniel
Doody, Dennis
Dorr, James
Downer, Samuel
Flynn, Thomas
Follansbee, Isaac W.
Foster, William H.
Fowler, U. Field
Gardner, Henry J.
Gilbert, Samuel, Jr.
Gleason, Moses* 1856
Gleason, Roswell

Gleason, Sewall* 1854
Grew, Henry
Groom, Thomas
Hall, Oliver
Hall, Samuel
Hammond, Horatio
Hardy, Alpheus
Haven, John A.
Haynes, Edward, Jr.
Hewins, John C.
Hickey, Timothy
Hickey, William
Holbrook, Nathan
Holmes, Ebenezer
Hooper, Frankhn Henry
Hooper, Robert C.
Hooper, Robert C, Jr.
Houghton, George A.
Howe, Charles
Humphrey, Henry
Hunt, Charles
Igoe, Patrick
Jacobs, Benjamin
Jones, Nahura
King, Edward
King, Franklin
Lee, James, Jr.
Leonard, Joseph
Liversidge, Stephen* 1852.
McAuliffe, Daniel
Marshall, William
May, John J.
Means, James, H.
Mears, John
Mears, John, Jr.
Miller, Erasmus D.
Minot, John
Moseley, Flavel
Nazro, John G-
Newhall, Cheever
Newhall, John M.
Payson, Thomas
Perrin, Augustus W.
Peters, Henry H.
Pierce, Charles Bates
Pierce, Edward L.
Pierce, Henry L.

150

Pierce, Jesse* 1856
Pierce, Lewis
Pierce, Robert
Pierce William
Pierce, William B.
Pierce, William P.
Pope, Alexander
Pope, William, Jr.
Preston, Edward
Preston, John* 1856
Preston, John
Prince, William G.
Proutj, Lorenzo
Rice, George Woods
Richardson, George
Richardson, William H.
Rideout, Asa
Robie, John

Robinson, Mrs. Diantha A.
Robinson, Eli W.
Robinson, John H.
Robinson, Stephen A.
Ruggles, Edward H. R.
Safford, Nathaniel F.
Scudder, Horace* 1851
Spear, Luther
Spooner, John P.
Sumner, Clement
Swan, James
Temple Hannaniah
Temple, William F.
Thayer, Benjamin W.
Tileston, Edmund P.
Tileston, Samuel
Tolman, Ebenezer
Tolman, Wilham
Train, Enoch
Tremlett, Thomas
Trull, John H.
Trull, Mrs. J. H.
Trull, John W.
Tuttle, Joseph
Vose, Robert
Vose, Robert, Jr.
Welch, John H.
Welch, Mrs. J. H.
Whipple, John L.

Wilder, Marshall P.
AVilder, Mrs. M. P.* 1854
AVilliams, Sidney B.* 1854
Woodman, James
Worthington, William
Worthington, William F.
Wright, Edmund

Wright, Mrs. Edmund
Wright, Otis

DOVER.

Allen, Jared
Allen, Timothy
Bacon, Aaron
Baker, Jabez
Battelle, John
Battelle, Ralph
Beatie, Thomas
Bigelow, Calvin
Bigelow, William A,
Chickering, Daniel
Chickering, Otis
Cleveland, William
Fearing, Perez L.
Gannett, William W.
Gay, Francis G.
Goulding, Henry
Jones, Hiram W.
Mann, Daniel
Mann, Daniel F.
Mann, HoUis
Newell, Benjamin
Newell, Jesse
Perry, Elijah
Perry, Mrs. Mehitable
Richards, Calvin
Richards, Luther
Sanger, Ralph
Sawin, Benjamin N.
Shumway, Amos W.
Shumway, John W.
Smith, Abner L.
Tisdale, William
Upham, Walter W.
Wall, Patrick
Wilson, Ephraim

162.

35.

151

FOXBORO'.

Aldrich, Henry D.* 1854
Belcher, Lewis W.
Burr, Simeon
Capen, James
Carpenter, Daniels
Carpenter, Erastus P.
Cary, Otis
Cobb, E. G.
Dickerman, Lemuel
Fisher, Albert
Foster, James W.
Guild, Freedom
Hersey, David
Hodges, Alfred
Kingsbury, Joseph
Leonard, Samuel B.
Leonard, Sanford
Pettee, David
Pettee, Joseph G.
Pettee, Simon E.
Shepard, Jeremiah M.
Sherman, Job
Smith, Silas
Sumner, Charles C.
Torrey, Martin
\ Wyman, David

FRANKLIN.

Adams, Peter
Adams, AVard
Atwoocl, Shadrach
Baker, David P.
Bullard, Piam
Daniels, Albert E.
Daniels, Charles F.
DeWitt, Archibald
DeWitt, Mrs. Mary Ann
Fisher, Herman C.
Fisher, Maxcy
Fisher, Walter H.
Green, INIartin
Harding, Lewis
Hills, Theron C.
Knapp, Alfred
Metcalf, Alfred G.
Metcalf, Erasmus B.

26.

Metcalf, Whiting
Metcalf, William
Miller, John W.
Miller, Phihp W.
Morse, George W.
Morse, Joseph
Nason, George W.
Ray, James P.
Ray, John P.
Rockwood, Erastus
Thayer, Davis, Jr.
Wadsworth, Joseph H.
Wales, Otis, Jr.
Whiting, Joseph
Whiting, Joseph M.
Whiting, William E.

MEDFIELD.
Adams, George F.
Allen, Noah
Allen, William C.
Baker, Joseph H.
Balch, Albert
Barney, Thomas L.
Bullard, John E.
Carson, Joseph
Chenery, William
Cheney, Nathaniel H.
Cheney, Seth
Cushman, Jacob R.
Davis, George
Ellis, Caleb
EUis, John
EUis, Samuel
Fisher, Hinsdale
Fisher, Wm. Quincy
Fiske, George
Fiske, Isaac
Hamant, Caleb S.
Hamant, Charles
Hamant, Daniels, Jr.
Harding, Nathan
Hartshorn, Joseph
Hartshorn, AVarren
Hewins, AVilliam P.
Jones, John P.
Morse, Joel

34.

152

Partridge, Mrs. E. A.
Partridge, Henrj, Jr.
Richardson, Simeon
Roberts, Mrs. Helen M.
Roberts, Robert
Salisbury, William
Sewall, Charles C.
Sewall, Edward U.
Shumway, Benjamin F.
Smith, George M.
Stedman, Cyrus
Thayer, Elijah
Turner, John A.

MEDWAY.

Adams, Edward
Adams, Ehsha
Adams, Lyman
Adams, Wyman
Barber, George* 1851
Barber, Thomas
Carey, William H.
Clark, James P.
Clark, Willard P.
Crosby, George
Daniels, Adams
Daniels, James Willard
Daniels, Paul
Daniels, Mrs. Paul
Daniels, William
Ellis, James H.
Fisher, Milton M.
Harding, Theodore
Henderson, William
Hurd, Julius C.
Kingsbury, Gilbert
Lovell, Asahel P.
Lovell, Zachariah
Levering, Warren
Mann, James
Mason, Horatio
Metcalf, Luther
Morse, Asa D.
Partridge, Clark
Partridge, George
Richardson, Ehsha F.
Richardson, Jeremiah D.

42.

Richardson, Joseph L.
Richardson, Moses
Richardson, Richard
Slocumb, Christopher
Walker, John S.
AValker, Timothy
Wheeler, Abijah R. 39.

MILTON.

Adams, Samuel
Amory, Francis
Arnold, John, Jr.*
Babcock, Josiah
Babcock, Lemuel Whiting
Babcock, Samuel
Baldwin, Edward
Beal, Jonathan
Bradlee, John D.
Breck, Charles
Bunton, Jesse
Cook, Samuel
Copeland, Charles L.
Copeland, Lewis
Cornell, Walter
Cunningham, C. Loring
Cunningham, Francis
Curtis, Daniel T.
Davenport, Lewis
Davenport, Nathaniel T.
Davis, William H.
Dow, John R.
Dudley, Benjamin F.
Emerson, Joshua
Fenno, Rufus P.
Forbes, John M.
Forbes, Robert Bennett
Hall, George W.
Hinckley, Thomas H.
Hobson, Miss Martha J.
Houghton, Jason W.
Hunt, Charles K.
Hunt, George
Kent, George W.
Pope, Ebenezer* 1853
Raymond, George
Richards, Reuben A.
Bobbins, James M.

153

Rodgers, Octavius T.

Rogers, Ilemy, Jr.* 1855

Rowe, Joseph* 1856

Ruggles, Philemon

Sias, Ehphalct

Sias, John

Stone, Charles

Thayer, Jason

Thompson, Gcorgo

Todd, Robert M.

Tucker, Elijah

Tucker, Timothy

Twombly, Josiah F.

"West, Henry 52.

NEEDHAM.

Alden, Otis

Ayling, Isaac

Ruck, Charles

Buck, Miss FronaP. II.* 1855

Buck, Miss Mary M.

Bullen, Ichabod

Carter, Josiah H.

Daniell, George K.

Darling, G. F.

Dewins;, Warren

Eaton, George E.

Eayrs, William C.

Emmons, Charles P.

Flagg, Solomon

Flagg, William

Gardner, Elbridge

Goss, Daniel J.

Harmon, Charles H.

Harmon, Cyrus

Harris, John

Harris, John M.

Harvey, Stephen F.

Holland, John

Holhs, Elisha P.

Howland, George

Hubbard, Gardner G.* 1856

Hunnewell, Horatio H.

Hunting, Israel

Kimball, Benjamin G.

Kimball, Mrs. Betsey G.

Kimball, Daniel

20

Kingsbury, Lauren

Kingsbury, Lemuel

Kingsbury, Thomas

Kingsbury, William A.

Longfellow, Nathan

Lovewell, Charles B.

Lyon, William

Mansfield, John

INIansfield, Robert

Mansfield, Mrs. Robert

Mansfield, William

McCrackin, John

Mcintosh, Mrs. Hannah P.

Mills, John

Mills, Matthias

Morton, Otis, Jr.

Morton, William T. G.

Newell, Artemas

Newell, Mrs. Martha S.

Noyes, Josiah

Peabody, Ezekiel

Phillips, Freeman

Pierce, William

Revere, George

Robinson, Henry

Sawyer, Otis* 1855

Scudder, Marshall S.

Seagrave, Saul S.

Shaw, George W.* 1852

Shaw, John W.

Snelling, Nathaniel G.

Stedman, Francis

Stedman, William M.

Stone, David

Stone, Henry L.

Sumner, Lewis

Sumner, Samuel B.

Ware, Dexter* 1851

Ware, Reuben

Webber, Aaron D.

Wells, John

Whitaker, Edgar K.

Wood, Henry 74.

QUmCY.

Adams, Charles Francis
Adams, Ebenezer

154

Bartlett, Ibrahim* 1853

Bass, Josiah

Bass, Lewis

Baxter, Daniel

Baxter, Elijah

Baxter, George L.

Beale, George W.* 1851

Beals, Nathaniel H.

BilUngs, Lemuel

Brackett, Lemuel

Brigham, Josiah

Carr, John J.

Curtis, Noah* 1856

Eaton, Jacob F.

Emmons, Nathaniel H.

Eellows, Ensign S.

Frederick, Eleazer

Glover, Horatio N.

Green, John A.

Greenleaf, Daniel

Greenleaf, Thomas* 1854

Horton, Lloyd G.

Miller, Charles E.

Morton, WilHam S.

Munroe, Israel W.

Newcomb, James

Newcomb, John B.

Quincj, Josiah

Richards, Lysander* 1852

Bobertson, Joseph W.

Rodgers, Clift

Savil, John

Spear, Charles A.

Stetson, James A.

Thayer, Gideon F.

Torrey, WilHam

Walker, William

White, Nathaniel

Willard, Solomon

Williams, Francis 42.

RANDOLPH.

Alden, Ebenezer
Alden, Horatio B.
Belcher, Allen A.
Belcher, J. White
Buck, Nathan* 1853

Burrill, David
Gushing, Abner L.
Holbrook, Caleb S.
Holbrook, Elisha
Leeds, Joseph
Maguire, James
Maguire, James F.
Mann, Ephraim
Niles, Jacob
Snow, Zenas
Stevens, Richard
Tower, Isaac
Turner, Royal W.
Turner, Seth
Wales, Apollos
Wales, Ephraim* 1855
Wales, John, 2d
Wales, Jonathan
Whitcomb, Alfred W.
White, Adoniram
White, Jairus
White, Jonathan

ROXBURY.

Adams, Thomas
Andrews, Alfred A.
Appleton, Charles T.
Bacon, William, Jr.
Bartlett, Henry
Blake, S. Parkman
Bowditch, Azell
Bowditch, Azell C.
Bray, Charles F.
Brigham, Joseph L.
Bryant, Charles W.
Bufford, John H.
Chadwick, Joseph H.
Chandler, John G.
Clarke, John J.
Codman, Henry* 1853
Comins, Linus B.
Copeland, Benjamin F.
Copeland, Charles* 1853
Copeland, Franklin
Cotting, Benjamin E.
Crawshaw, Joseph
Crosby, Benjamin H.

27.

155

Davenport, George

Davis, Gilman

Dearborn, Henry A. S.* 1851

Ellis, Charles

Ellis, Charles M.

Eustis, William

Fisher, Warren

Fiske, George A.

Francis, Ebenezer

French, Jonathan

French, Mrs. J.

Fuller, 11. Weld

Fussell, John

Gardner, Francis

Gray, Henry D.

Guild, Frederick

Guild, Henry

Guild, James

Hendee, Charles J.

Hewes, John M.

Hewins, Whiting* 1855

Hickling, Charles

Huckins, James

Huckins, James W.

Huston, William R.

Keene, James

Kidder, Frederic

King, William S.

Kingsbury, WilUam B.

Kittredge, Alvah

Lee, William Raymond

Lemist, Edwin

Lewis, Daniel

Lewis, Franklin H.

Lewis, Samuel S.

Lowell, John A.

Mann, Benjamin

Mathes, Albert R.

McBurney, Charles

Mcintosh, William H.

Parker, Augustus

Parker, George J.

Pickering, Henry W.

Pike, Charles S.

Putnam, Allen

Rich, Naphtah D.

Ritchie, James

Robinson, Jonathan P.
Ropes, Joseph S.
Sargent, Epes
Shed, Henry P.
Simmons, David A.
Skinner, Elias
Sleeper, John S.
Stevens, Amos
Stone, Ebenezer W.
Sturgis, James
Thacher, Thomas, Jr.
Thwing, Supply C.
Tolman, James
Trescott, Elijah, Jr.
Vinson, Cornelius M.
Walker, Samuel
Ware, Leonard
Way, Samuel A.
Weston, Lycurgus B.
Whiting, Wm. (Montr. Av.)
Williams, Aaron D.
WiUiams, Aaron D., Jr.
Williams, David W.
Williams, Mrs. D. W.
Williams, Dudley
Williams, G. Foster
Williams, George H.
Williams, Stedman* 1852
WilUams, Thomas B.
Wilson, Granville W.
Winslow, Edward
Wis wall, Samuel
Wolcott, John W. 103.

SHARON.

Bullard, Benjamin
Clark, Edwin R.
Drake, Asahel S.
Gay, George W.
Hewins, Elijah
Johnson, Lucas
Johnson, Otis
Lothrop, Howard A.
Mann, George R.
INIann, William R.
Morse, Harvey
Sanger, John M.

156

Smith, Le^vis

Turner, Calvin 14.

STOUGHTON.

Atherton, James
Atherton, William
Belcher, Orin
Belcher, Wilham S.
Capen, Samuel
Clapp, Lucius
Curtis, Samuel W.
Gaj, Lemuel
Goldthwait, Daniel A.
Hodges, Leonard
Hodges, Samuel W.
Hodges, Mrs. S. W.
Littlefield, Charles
Page, Frederick A.
Porter, Luther
Porter, Robert
Southworth, Amasa
South worth, Asahel
Southworth, Consider A.
Sumner, Francis C.
Swan, EHsha
Talbot, Newton
Tolman, Ebenezer W.
Tucker, Wales 24.

WALPOLE.

Allen, Jeremiah
Allen, Lewis
Bacon, William
Bird, Charles
Bird, Francis W.
Boy den, Horatio
Clap, Edmund W.
Clap, Samuel G.
Clap, Warren
Clarke, Mrs. Betsey M.
Clarke, Truman
Conant, George
Ellis, James
Ellis, Joseph* 1851
Gould, John A.
Gray, Smith
Guild, Charles

Hawes, Joseph* 1849

Hyde, George B.

Lewis, Willard

Mann, Lowell

Merrick, John M.

Neal, Benjamin

Page, William A.

Pierce, Shadrach S.

PHmpton, Calvin G.

PHmpton, H. M.

Shepard, E.

Smith, Metcalf

Stone, Ebenezer

Thompson, Edwin

Wilson, Edwin 32.

WEST ROXBURY.

Allen-, Stephen M.
Arnold, Joseph* 1855
Austin, Arthur W.
Austin, Miss Florence
Austin, William Percy
Bacon, Daniel C* 1856
Bacon, William B.
Bailey, Luther C.
Balch, Joseph* 1849
Balch, Joseph W.
Billings, Joseph H.
Billings, Mrs. Joseph H.
Billings, Miss Mary
Blake, William
Bond, George William
Bradford, Samuel D.
Bradish, Levi J.
Brewer, Charles
Brewer, Otis
Brown, Benjamin
Browne, Horace E.
Butters, John A. C* 1856
Cabot, Stephen
Cass, Aaron
Cass, Francis W.
Cass, Henry W.
Curtis, Joseph H.
Dabney, Charles W., Jr.
Davis, Francis
Dixwell, John J.

157

Dudley, Epiiraim M.
Dunn, Theodore
Enslin, William
Farrington, Ebenczer T.
Gilbert, Luther
Gooding, George
Gould, Joseph D.
Greenough, David S.
Hall, David P.
Head, Francis C.
Henchman, Nathaniel H.
Hewins, Charles A.
Keith, William
Lamb, Reuben A.
Lawrie, Andrew B.
Low, John J.
Mackintosh, Charles G.
March, Andrew S.* 1854
Mcintosh, William
Meserve, Andrew T.
Meserve^ Isaac H.
Minot, George R.
Morse, Charles
Morse, Robert M.
Motley, Thomas, Jr.
North, George G.
Orange, Thomas
Page, Kilby
Palmer, William
Parkinson, John
Pratt, John C.
Prichard, Jeremiah
Richards, Edward
Richmond, Thomas T.
Russell, George R.
Sampson, Charles
Seaverns, Thomas W.
Shaw, Francis G.
Smith, Humphrey
Smith, Joseph M.
Smith, ]\Ielancthon
Spaulding, Solomon R.
Sturgis, Russell
Swett, Samuel W.
Taft, Reed
Taylor, Horace B.
Ticknor, William D.

Townsend, David
Tufts, James
Watt, Robert
Weld, Aaron D.
Weld, Mrs. A. D.
Weld, xVaron D., Jr.
Weld, Miss A. K.
Weld, Stephen M.
Westcott, Stephen
Whytal, Thomas G.
Williams, Benjamin P.* 1856
Williams, Henry II.
Williams, Moses
Williams, Nehemiah D.* 1852

91.

WEY^IOUTH.

Burrlll, Ansel
Fifield, Noah
Howe, Appleton
Humphrey, Ebenezer
Humphrey, Lemuel
Hunt, Atherton N.
Hunt, Ehas
Jones, James
Kingsbury, Fisher A.
Loud, Joseph, Jr.
Nash, Abner P.
Nash, Erastus
Nash, Stephen W.
Richards, Elias
Shaw, Nathaniel
Shaw, Theron V.
Tirrell, Albert
Tirrell, James
Tirrell, Wilson
White, James
White, Thomas

WRENTHAM.

Aldrich, Artemas
Cheever, Otis G.
Clap, Harvey E.
Clay, Nehemiah
Cowell, Wilham W.
Dupee, Erastus

21.

158

Everett, Edmund T.
Everett, Melatiah
Faxon, Francis G.
Fisher, Calvin, Jr.
Fisher, Hiram B.
Fisher, Silas P.
Ford, Peter
Fuller, Chauncj G.
Gassett, Henry, Jr.
Grant, George
Grant, Robert P.
Grant, Whiting

Hawes, Benjamin
Ide, Edwin S.
Larkin, Lyman B.
Mann, Howard
Parker, Ebenezer B.
Pond, Jabez E,
Pond, Lucas
Starkey, Gardner H.
Stone, Curtis
Ware, Asa
White, James A.
Wiggin, James S.

30.

MEMBERS RESIDING OUT OF THE COUNTY.

Balch, Wesley P., Boston
Copeland, R. McCleary, Boston
De Reynoso, Bernard
Edmands, J. Wiley, Newton
Ellis, David, Cambridge
Goddard, Thomas, Boston
Gould, George, Newton

Minot, George W., Boston
Slade, Robert, Boston
Smith, George W., Boston
Tappan, Lewis W., Boston
Wainwright, Peter, Boston
Wheeler, Lewis, Cambridge

13.

Members admitted,
Members deceased.

1,192

68

^mMk ggncultuKil §m'ul\j.

[Successful competitors may receive their premiums in plate
or moxey, at their option.]

LIST OF PREMIUMS FOR THE YEAR 1857.

PROGRESSIVE HUSBANDRY.

For th.e best conducted and most improved Farm during five
consecutive years, commencing in the year 1856, — of which the
occupant shall present annually to the Trustees a satisfactory
account of the whole management of the Farm, — of the crops
produced, of the improvement made, and of the stock kept, — a
premium of One Hundred Dollars, to be paid in 1860.

Note. Whenever any Farm shall be entered for this premium, the Secretary of
the Society shall give notice thereof to the Committee on Progressive Husbandry
annually in September, who will be required to examine the Farm, and to certify the
general management of it.

]\IANAGEMENT OF FARMS.

For the most valuable and economical improvements in the
cultivation and management of Farms entire, during the year,
including lands, crop, stock, and all other appendages,

First premium, $25.00
Second " 15.00

Third premium, $12.00
Fourth " 8.00

Competitors for these premiums must give notice of their inten-
tion to the Secretary, on or before June 15. Farms offered for
inspection will be vieAved by the Committee from the 20th June to
10th July, and also in September. Any extraordinary field crop
will, on notice, be visited by the Committee, and a report of the
same be made to the Society.

160

IMPROVING MEADOW AND SWAMP LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment in reclaiming wet meadow
or swamp lands, by drainage or otherwise, on not less than one
acre, with a statement, in detail, of the course of management,
and the produce, &c.,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

OLD PASTURE LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment in restoring and improving
old pasture lands, with an account of the means employed and the
expense of the same.

First premium, $8.00 | Second premium, $6.00

For the best written report given by any member of the Soci-
ety, and worthy of publication, of any improvement observed in
any meadow, or swamp, or old pasture lands in the County —
other than those lands for which the above-mentioned premiums

may be claimed,

A premium of $10.00.

CLEARING AND ENCLOSING UNIMPROVED LANDS.

For the best conducted experiment of clearing unimproved
lands, on not less than one acre ; conditions and specifications the
same as in meadow and swamp lands.

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

PLOUGHING.

Double Teams. For the best performance in ploughing, at
least one-eighth of an acre — within an hour — not less than eight
inches in depth. The Michigan double plough may be used.

First premium, $8.00

Second " 6.00

Third premium, $4.00

Single Teams. For the best performance in ploughing, at
least one-eighth of an acre, not less than six Inches deep.

First premium, $8.00 Fourth premium, $5.00

Second " 6.00 Fifth " 3.00

Third " 4.00 Sixth " 2.00

161

Horse Teams. For the best performance in ploughing with
horses,

First premium, $8.00 Third premium, $4.00

Second " 6.00

Fourth " 2.00

Note. A Double Team will consist of two yokes of oxen, with or without a driver;
or .1 team of one yoke of oxen and a horse also, with or without a driver. Single
Team, one yoke of oxen without a driver. Competitors must own their teams and
ploughs, and enter the same in their own names. Notice to compete must be given to
the Secretary on or before the Saturday previous to the Exhibitiou. In awarding
premiums, one hour will be allowed for the performance of the work, regard being had
to tiie width and depth of the furrow-slice, and the evenness, ease and quiet with
wliich the w rk is performed.

EXPERIMENTS IN SUBSOIL PLOUGHING.

For the most satisfactory experiment, on not less than one acre
of land, of the effect of subsoil ploughing, to be determined by the
difference in the value of the crops, raised on equal portions of
equally manured land, of equal quality, one half of which having
been subsoil ploughed, the other half ploughed in the usual man-
ner,— statements of the depth of ploughing, in each instance,
together with all the particulars of culture required,

First premium, $10.00 ( Second premium, $T.OO

SPADING.

For the best performance in spading, not less than ten inches
in depth, on a piece of not less than one hundred square feet of
sward land ; due regard being had to time, the thoroughness of
the pulverization of the soil, and the state in which it is left for the
reception of seed, —

First premium $8, and diploma ; second do., $6 ; third do. $4 ;
fourth $2.

EXPERIMENTS ON MANURES.

For an exact and satisfactory experiment in the preparation
and application of manures, either animal, vegetable or mineral,
due regard being had to economy, a premium of $15.00.

For an exact and satisfactory experiment in the application alone
of manures, in the best manner, and with the greatest economy.

First premium, $10.00 | Second premium, $5.00

21

162

TURNING IN CROPS AS A MANURE.

For the most satisfactorj experiment of turning in crops as a
manure, either green or dry, on not less than one-half acre of land,
a detailed account of the "whole process to be given in writing,

Eirst premium, ^8.00 j Second premium, $6.00

COMPARATIVE VALUE OF CROPS AS FOOD FOR

CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment upon a stock of cattle, not
less than four in number, in ascertaining the relative value of the
diiferent kinds of fodder used, with a statement in detail of the
quantity and value of the same, as compared with English hay,
the experiment to be made in the three winter months,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

FATTENING CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment in feeding cattle, with a
statement in detail of the process and the result,

First premium, $10.00 J Second premium, $5.00

FATTENING SWINE.

For the most satisfactory experiments in feeding swine, with a
statement in detail of the process and the result.

First premium, $8.00 J Second premium, $5.00

SOILING OF CATTLE.

For the most satisfactory experiment of the soiling of cattle,
with a detailed statement of the process and the result, — regard
being had to the saving of manure, and to the comparative ex-
pense of 2)cisturing,

First premium, $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

GREEN FODDER.

For the best conducted experiment in raising com fodder or
other succulent feed to be used green, — on not less than one-half
acre of land, — with a statement, in detail, of the mode and cost of
cultivation, a premium of $7.00

163

HAY.

For the largest quantity and best quality of English Hay per
acre, produced on any farm in the county, regard being had to
the mode and cost of cultivation, a premium of $6.00

CULTIVATION OF GRAIN CROPS.

1. For the best conducted experiment in Wheat, first premi-
um, $6 ; second do., $4.

2. For the best conducted experiment in Rye, first premium,
4 ; second do., $2.

3. For the best conducted experiment in Oats, first premium
$4 ; second do., $2.

4. For the best conducted experiment in Barley, first premi-
um, $4 ; second do., $2.

5. For the best conducted experiment in Indian Corn, first
premium, $8 ; second do., $5; third do., $3.

6. For the best conducted experiment in raising White Beans,
a premium of $6.

Claimants for premiums on Grain Crops are required to notify
the Chairman of the Committee on Grain Crops on or before the
loth of November, by a -written statement, containing the follow-
ing particulars : — a description of the soil ; the value of the land ;
the interest on that value ; the amount of taxes ; the value of
manure, or ashes, or plaster used ; the cost of seed ; the expense
of preparing the ground, of sowing or planting ; of cultivating and
harvesting the crop, and the total value of the crop raised ; that
by a single glance the net profit of the production may be seen ;
regard being had to the quantity of crop and extent of ground.

Note. Applications for premiums on small Grains to be made on or before the first
of July, and oti Indian Corn on or before the fifteenth of August; not less than a half
bnshel of each kind to be shown at the annual exhibition. The quantity to be ascer-
lainod by weight, as follows: — Corn, 56 lbs. to the bushel; Rye, 56; Barley, 46 3
Buckwheat, 46 ; Oats, 30 ; Wheat, 60.

MIXED CROPS.

For the best conducted experiment in the cultivation of mixed
crops of grains and vegetables, in alternate rows — first premium,
$G ; second premium, $4. This must be made on not less than
one acre of land, and a statement in detail of the expense and
product will be required,

164

ROOT CULTURE.

1. For the best conducted experiment in raising Potatoes, a
premium of $6.00

2. For the best conducted experiment in raising Sugar Beets,
a premium of $5.00

3. For the best conducted experiment in raising Carrots, a
premium of $5.00

4. For the best conducted experiment in raising Parsnips, a
premium of $5.00

5. For the best conducted experiment in raising Ruta Baga,
a premium of $5.00

6. For the best conducted experiment in raising Mangel
Wurtzel, a premium of $5.00

7. For the best conducted experiment in raising Flat Turnips,
a premium of ' $5.00

8. For the best conducted experiment in raising Onions, first
premium, $5 ; second do., $4.

Samples of one bushel to be presented at the annual exhibition,
which may be on one-quarter of an acre, the quantity of crops
ascertained by weight, as follows : — Carrots, 55 lbs. ; Sugar
Beets, 60 ; Mangel Wurtzel, 60 ; Ruta Baga, 60 ; Parsnips, 45 ;
Round Turnips, 50.

Note. Application for premiums on Root Crops to be made on or before the 10th
of September. It shall be the duty of the several Committees on these experiments, to
take into consideration the character of the soil on which the crops have been raised, the
capital employed, the whole management and cost of the experiment, and to award the
premiums wiih ]5arlicular regard lo the general merits of the applicant, who shall be re-
quired to niake a detailed statement on or before the 20Lh of JMovember.

VEGETABLES.

Autumn and Winter Squashes. For the best conducted
experiment on raising the Autumnal 3Iarrow and Winter Crook-
necked Squash, at least one dozen, to be exhibited at the exhibi-
tion, a premium of $5.00

Cabbages. For the best conducted experiment in raising
Cabbages, a premium of $5.00

For the best Collection and Variety of Garden Veget-
ables, regard being had to the quantity as well as quality ex-
hibited— first premium, a Silver Cup of the value of $10 ; second
do., $5; third do., $4; fourth do., $3; fifth do., $2; sixth

165

do., $1. $10 may be awarded at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

Potatoes. For the best new variety of Seedling Potatoes,
superior to any kind now in cultivation, a premium of $20.00

For the best collection of Potatoes, not less than ?t, peck of each
variety, a premium of $5.00

KITCHEN GxVRDEN.

For the best kitchen garden, regard being had to the quantity,
variety and excellence of the vegetables tlierein, and the mode and
expense of cultivation — first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.00.

ANIMALS.

To he entered in the names of those persons who have had them in
their 230 ssession in the County six months before Exhibition.

WoTE. Ill all cases where it is found that animals enlilled to the first premium, have
before received tiie same at any former exhibition of the Society, a Diploma, certifying'
that said animal is the best, siiall be awarded instead of the premium. The Diploma of
the Society shall be awarded, at the discretion of the several Committees, for animals
exhibited from wiihoul the limits of the County.

Fat Cattle. For the best beef animal^ fattened within the
county, regard being had to the manner of feeding, and the ex-
pense thereof — first premium, $8 ; second do., $5 ; third do., $3.

Bulls. For the best Bidl, not less than one year old, on sat-
isfactory evidence being given that he shall be kept for use in the
county for nine months from the day of exhibition — Jersey, first
premium, $5; second do., $3. Ayrshire, first premium, $5;
second do., $3. Durham, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.
Devon, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.

For the best Bull Calf of any of the above classes, under one
year old — first premium, $3 ; second do., $2 ; third do., $1.

Bulls and Heifers raised in the county, two years old and
under, fifty per cent, more than the regular premium.

Cows. For Cows not less than three years old — Jersey, first
premium, $5 ; second do., $3. Ayrshire, first premium, $5 ;
second do., $3. Durham, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3.
Devon, first premium, $5 ; second do., $3. Grade, first pre-
mium, $5 ; second do., $3. Native, first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3.

166

Heifers. For Heifers from one to three years old — Jersey,
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2. Ayrshire, first premium,
$3 ; second do., $2. Durham, first premium, $3 ; second do.,
^2. Devon, first premium, $3 ; second do,, 2. Grade, first
premium, $3 ; second do., $2. Native, first premium, $3 ;
second do., $2.

Best Heifer under one year old — first premium, $3 ; second
do., ^2 ; third do., $1.

Milch Cows. For the best Milch Cow, not less than three
years old, with satisfactory evidence of the quantity and quahty
of her milk, and the manner in which she has been fed, certificates
of which must be filed in writing, of the product of her milk and
butter made from the cow during two periods of ten days each.
Three months, neither more nor less, shall elapse between the two
periods of trial aforesaid, and the last trial shall be completed be-
fore the date of the Annual Exhibition. In cases where the milk
is not made into butter, the quantity and weight of the milk must
be stated, time of the cow's calving, and quality of the calf. Ver-
bal statements cannot be depended upon or received. First pre-
mium, $10 ; second do., $8 ; third do., 6 ; fourth do. $4.

Produce of Milk for the entire year. For the best con-
ducted experiment with a stock of Milch Cows, not less than ten
in number, and yielding, each Cow, not less, on an average, than
eight quarts per day, for a period of one year — with a statement,
in detail, of the character, age and breed of the cows, and of the
method and expense of feeding them, a premium of $25.

For a similar experiment, with a stock of not less than six cows,
and with the same conditions, a premium of $15.

For a similar experiment, with a stock of not less than four
cows, and with the same conditions, a premium of $10.

Heifers in Milk. Not more than three years old, — first
premium, $6 ; second do., $5 ; third do., $1.

WORKING OXEN.

For the best pair of Working Oxen, not less than four years
old, regard being had to their size, strength, docility, training and
appearance. In testing their power, the load is not to be less
than 3,000 pounds,— first premium, $8 ; second do., $6 ; third

167

do., $4 ; fourth do., $3. In case the oxen are raised and owned
bj the exhibitor, 50 per cent, shall be added to the premium.

Steers. For the best pair of three years old Steers, and
under four, broken to yoke, — first premium, $5 ; second do., $4 ;
third do., $3. Same as in the case of oxen.

^Two YEAiis OLD AND UNDER THREE, — first premium, $5;
second do., $4.

One tear old and under two, — first premium, $3 ; second
do., $2.

Town Teams. For the largest and best team of Oxen from
any town or city in the county, — first premium $20 ; second do.,
15 ; thu:d do., $10.

THOROUGH BRED AND PART THOROUGH BRED

STOCK.

Stallions, with same guarantee as preceding.

For the best Stallion of 4 years old and upwards, a pre-
mium of $15.00
do. 2d best do. do. do. do. 10.00
do. 3d best do. do. do. do. 8.00

Three years old colts or fillies.

For the best 3 years old Colt, a premium of $6.00

" 2d best " " " 4.00

" 3d best " " " 3.00

Two years old colts or fillies.

For the best 2 years old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

One year old colts or fillies.

For the best 1 year old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

« 4th best " " « 1.00

168

Brood mares and foals.

For best Brood Mare and Colt by her side, a premium of $10.00
" 2d best " " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " " " 6.00

" 4th best " " « " 4.00

Carriage horses 15 to 16 hands high, open to all de-
scriptions.

For the best pair of Carriage Horses, a premium of $20.00

" 2d best " " " 15.00

" 3d best " " " 10.00

Single horses, open to all descriptions.

For the best Buggy or Chaise Horse, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " " 6.00

'' 4th best" " " 4.00

Saddle horses, open to all descriptions.

For the best Saddle Horse, a premium of $8.00

" 2d best " " 6.00

" 3d best " " 4.00

Horses of all work.

For best Stalhon of 4 years old and upward, a premium of $15.00

" 2d best " " " " 10.00

" 3d best " " " " 8.00

No Stallion to be entitled to a premium without a guarantee of

his remaining in the county six months.

Brood mares of all work, with foals at side.

For the best Brood Mare and Colt, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " 8.00

" Sdbest " " " 6.00

" 4th best " " " 4.00

169

Three years old colts or fillies of all work.

For the best 3 years old Colt, a premium of $6.00

" 2d best " " " 4.00

" 3d best " " " 3.00

Two YEARS OLD COLTS OR FILLIES OF ALL WORK.

For the best 2 years old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

One YEAR OLD COLTS OR FILLIES OF ALL WORK.

For the best 1 year old Colt, a premium of $5.00

" 2d best " " " 3.00

" 3d best " " " 2.00

" 4th best " " " 1.00

Single farai or draught horses of all work.

For the best Farm or Draught Horse, a premium of $10.00

" 2d best " " " • 8,00

" 3d best '' " " 6.00

" 4th best" " " 4.00

Pairs of farm or team horses.

For the best pair of Farm or Team Horses, a premium of $10.00
" 2d best " " " 8.00

" 3d best " " " 6.00

The premiums proposed to be offered by this list amount to the
sum of $333.

Assurances are given from several gentlemen, members of the
Society, that if necessary to carry out this recommendation, the
sum of $200 shall be furnished the Treasurer for that purpose.

Every entry for premium must be made before 12 o'clock of
the first day of the exhibition, and the Stock must be present the
second day.

It must be distinctly understood that premiums will not be
awarded to any animal that does not, in the opinion of the Com-
mittee, possess decided merit.

22

170

SWINE.

For the best Suffolk Boar, not less than 6 months old, first premi-
um, $6 ; second do., $4.
For the best Suffolk, first premium, $6 ; second do., $4.
For the best Essex Boar, not less than 6 months old, first pre-
mium, $6 ; second do., 4.
For the best Essex Sow, first premium, $6 ; second do., $4.
For the best Boar of any other breed, first premium, $6 ; second
do. $4.

For the best litter of Weaned Pigs, not less than four in num-
ber, and from two to six months old, regard being had to their
breed and age — first premium, $5 ; second do., $3 ; third do.,

SHEEP. .

For the best flock, not less than six in number — first premium,
$6 ; second do., $4; third do., $3.

LIVE FOWLS.

For the best pair of Black Spanish, $2 ; do. do. Black Shang-
haes, $2 ; do. do. White Shanghaes, $2 ; do. do. Marsh or
Forbes Shanghaes, $2 ; do. do. Dorkings, $2 ; do. do. Poland,
$2 ; do. do. Bolton Grays, $2 ; do. do. Barn-yard Fowls, $2 ;
do. do. Fowls, $2 ; do. do. Guinea Fowls, $2 ; do. do. Bantams,

For the best conducted experiment in raising, keeping and fat-
tening any of the various breeds of fowls, with a statement, in
detail, of the method, expense and profit of the same, particularly
of the amount of eggs produced from a given number of hens, in
order to determine their laying properties, and also their condition
in flesh and market value — no premium to he aivarded without
such statement — first premium, $6 ; second do., $4.

For the best lot of Geese, $5 ; do. Turkeys, $5 ; do. Ducks,

For the best lot of Live Fowls, not less than twelve, $4 ; second
best lot, not less than six, $3.

No Fowls entered after nine o'clock, on the second day, shall
be entitled to a premium.

171

DAIRY.

For the best produce of Butter, on any farm within the County,
for four months, from the 20th of May to the 20th of September,
a sample of not less than twenty pounds to be exhibited — quayitity
as well as quality to be taken into view, with a full account of the
manner oi feeding the Cows, and the general management of the
milk and butter — first premium, $10 ; second do., 8 ; third do.,
$5 ; fourth do., $3.

Note. It will be seen that these premiums are offered for the best produce on the
Farms, and not simply for the best specimens exhibited. Compelilors will tlierefore be
parlioular in keeping an account, and preparing a statement of the entire produce wiiliin
the time mentioned. Each lot presented for premium must be numbered, but not
marked ; any public, or known mark, must be coinplelcly concealed, nor must the com-
petitors be present at the examination.

For the best box of Butter, of not less quantity than 12 lbs. —
first premium, $10 ; second do., $5 ; third do., $3.

Note. Butter to be presented on the morning of the second day.

CnEESE. For the best specimen of Cheese, of not less than 50
lbs. — first premium, $5 ; second do., $3 ; third do., $2.

Butter. For the best and most satisfactory statement at the
Annual Exhibition in 1857, of the quantity produced from the
milk of any number of Cows, not less than four nor more than
seven, from January 1st, 1857, to the day of exhibition, in the
Fall, including a description of the character, age and breed of the
Cows, and a particular account of the feeding and general man-
agement— first premium, $8 ; second do., $6.

For any number of Cows more than seven — first premium, $10 ;
second do., $8.

BREAD.

For the best loaf of Wheat and Indian, of two to four lbs.
weight — first premium, $3 ; second do., $2.

For the best loaf made of Unbolted Wheat, which shall be
grown in the county, of two to four pounds weight — first premi-
um, $3 ; second do., $2.

For the best loaf of Rye and Indian, of four to six lbs. weight —
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2.

172

For the best loaf of Wheat Bread, of two to four lbs. weight —
first premium, $3 ; second do., $2.

The bread presented for premium must be made on the day
previous to the Exhibition, by some female member of a family,
exclusive of hired persons, in whose name the entries shall be
made, and to whom the premiums shall be awarded. The bread
shall be baked in the oven commonly used by the family in which
it shall be made. A written statement of the process of making
the bread shall accompany each loaf.

There shall be Committees appointed to judge of the several
descriptions of bread, to whom the names of the contributors shall
not be known, and no person shall serve on said Committees if
any member of his family shall be a competitor.

FOREST TREES.

For the best plantation of Forest Trees, of either of the follow-
ing varieties, viz. : — White Oak, Yellow Oak, Locust, Birch,
White Ash, or Walnut, Scotch 'Larch, Norway Spruce, Pitch
Pine and White Pine, or other varieties, not less than three years
old, and not less than one thousand trees, a premium, to be
awarded in 1857, of $20.

For Uie best Plantation, to contain not less than five hundred
trees, a premium of $10.

Ornamental Planting. To any city or town of Norfolk
County, for the largest number and best growth of ornamental
trees, which shall be planted in a public square or on the road-
side— first premium, $30 ; second do., $20.

To any individual or society, regard being had to the number
of persons associated, for the largest number and best growth of
ornamental trees, which shall be planted in a public square or on
the roadside — first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

These premiums to be awarded in the autumn of 1857, and if
awarded to a city or town, to be graduated by the population
according; to the census of 1850.

^fcj

FRUIT TREES.

Apple Orchard. For the best Apple Orchard, of not less
than seventy-jive trees, which shall have been set out since 1851,

173

and which shall be in the best and most thriving condition in
1857 — first premium, $15 ; second do., $10 ; third do., $7.

Pear Trees. For the best engrafted or budded Pear Trees,
set out since 1851, and which shall be in the most thriving con-
dition in the autumn of 1857, not less than twenty-jive trees —
first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

Renovation of Old Apple Orchards. — For the most satis-
factory expei-iment in the renovation of old Apple Orchards, not
less than ten trees, on any one farm, which, being reclaimed, shall
in 1857 be in fine productive fruit — first premium, $10 ; second
do., $6.

Peach Orchards. For the best Peach Orchard, of not less
than fifty trees, set out since 1851, and which shall be in the
most thrifty bearing condition in the autumn of 1857 — first pre-
mium, $10 ; second do., $5.

For the Peach Orchard, of not less than fifty trees, grown from
pits planted since 1852, on the spot where the trees stand, which
shall be in the best condition in 1857 — first premium, $10 ;
second do., $5.

Seedling Apples or Pears. For the best variety of new
Seedling Apples or Pears, of decidedly superior quality, 07ie
dozen sjjecimens to be exhibited, together with a history of its
origin, a description of its growth, and the bearing character of
the tree — first premium, $10 ; second do., $5.

SEEDLING GRAPES.

For a new variety of Native or Seedling G-rape, equal or supe-
rior to the Isabella, ripening, in this county, in the open air, by
the middle of Septemher, prolific and suitable for the table — first
premium, $20 ; second do., $10.

CRANBERRY VINES.

For the most successful experiment in transplanting Cranberry
Vines, or raising them from the seed, which shall be in the most
flourishing and productive state on the first of September, 1857.

174

Competitors will be required to give a particular account of their
several operations.

First premium, . $15.00 | Second premium, $10.00

CHINESE SUGAR CANE.

For the best experiment in cultivating the new Chinese Sugar
Cane, not less than half an acre, regard being had to its manu-
facture into sugar or molasses, with a detailed account of the soil,
process, result and cost,

First premium, $20.00 | Second premium, $10.00

HEDGES.

For the best live Hedge Fence, of not less than one thousand
feet in length.

First premium, $10.00 ] Second premium, $5.00

DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

Fancy Articles — including Needlework, Crotchetwork, Shell-
work, Millinery, Drawings, Paintings, &c.

For such articles in this department as may be deemed worthy,
a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Note. It should be understood that, in this deparlmeiit of Ladies' work — while other
thiiio's will receive due consideration — the premiums are intended solely for newly made
articles which are really useful, or particularly beautiful. For well made garments of
anvkiiid; for stocking knitting of wool, cotton or silk ; for bonnet and cap making j for
all articles of children's wear, well made or tastefully embroidered ; for neat and thorough
mending, patching, and darning ; for drawing, designing, or painting in oil or water
colors ; for models in plaster, wood, or marble, &c.

Children under 12 years of age, attending the public schools, are not invited to ofTer
any thing for premium, except such articles as will show their docility, diligence and
good behaviour at school, and shall be accompanied with a certificate of approbation
from their school teacher. To such articles particular attention will be given, and
premiums at the discretion of the Committee.

Manufactures of Straw. For the best Straw Bonnet —
■ first premium, $8 ; second do., $6.

For the best specimen of Straw Braid, not less than 100 yards
— first premium, $3 ; second, do., $2.

Manufactures of Cloth, Flannels, Hosiery, &c. Ootton
Cloth. For the best specimen of Cotton Cloth, of any descrip-

175

tion, not less than tAventy-eight yards in quantity, a premium or
gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Woollen Cloth. For the best specimen of Woollen Cloth, of
any description, not less than twenty yards in quantity, a premium
or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Cotton and Woollen mixed. For the best specimen of Cotton
and Woollen Cloth of any description, not less than twenty yards
in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

Flannels. For the best specimen of Flannel, not less than
twenty yards in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion
of the Committee.

For the best specimen of Cotton Flannel, not less than twenty
yards in quantity, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the
Committee.

For the best pair of Woollen Blankets, a premium or gratuity,
at the discretion of the Committee.

Hosiery, ^c. For the best specimen of Silk Hose, a premium
of $1.50.

For the best specimen of Silk Half Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Woollen Hose, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Woollen Half Hose, a premium of 50
cents.

For the best specimen of Cotton Hose, a premium of 50 cents.

For the best specimen of Cotton Half Hose, a premium of 25
cents.

For the best specimen of Worsted Hose, a premium of %1.

For the best specimen of Worsted Half Hose, a premium of 50
cents.

For the best specimen of Sewing Silk, not less than one pound,
a premium of $2.

For the best specimen of Knitting Yarn, not less than one
pound, a premium of §1.

For the best specimen of Spool Thread, not less than one
pound, a premium of $1.

For the best Fleece of Wool, a premium of §1.

For the best dozen Grain Bags, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of neat and thorough mending, patching,
or darning of garments, hose, &c., a premium of $1.

176

Carpeting, Rugs and Floor Cloth.

For the best " Common" Ingrain 2-ply Carpeting ;
do. do. "Fine" do. do. do.

do. do. " Superfine" do. do. do.
do. do. " Common," " Fine," or " Superfine " Ingrain

3-plj Carpeting ;
do. do. Brussels Floor Carpeting ;
do. do. Tapestry do. do.
do. do. Velvet Carpeting.
For each of these descriptions of Carpeting, a premium or the
Society's Diploma, at the discretion of the Committee.

Note. Ingrain 2-ply Carpetings will be judged by the comparative merits of pieces
ot similar weight ; or, disregarding weight, by the quality of colors, the taste of shading
and the evenness in spinning and weaving.

For the best piece of Stair Carpeting, the Society's Diploma. ,

For the best Hearth Rug, the Society's Diploma.

For the best specimen of Painted Floor Cloth, a premium or
the Society's Diploma, at the discretion of the Committee.

Counterpanes. For the best Counterpane — regard being
had to quality and expense of materials — first premium, $3 ;
second do., $2.

Note. Any article, in either of the foregoing departments, which shall have been
manufactured in the family of the person presenting it, will receive the particular con-
sideration of the Committee, and, if worthy, a suitable premium.

Glass, Earthen, Stone and Wooden Ware. For the finest
collections and best specimens of articles in each of these depart-
ments, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Brass, Copper, Tin, Iron and Britannia Ware. For the
finest collections and best specimens of articles in each of these
departments, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

Cabinet Work. For the best specimen of Cabinet Work, a
premium, or the Society's Diploma.

Iron Fencing, Gates and Posts. For the best specimens of
each — regard being had to cost and utility, as well as ornament
— a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Stoves. For the best Farmer's Cauldron Stove ;
do. do. Cooking do.

do. do. Parlor do.

' — a premium of $2.

177

Horse and Ox Shoes. For the best specimens of Horse and
Ox Shoes, a premium of $1.

For the best specimen of Horse Shoes /or meadoiv land, a pre-
mium of

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

smium of

$2.00

do.

3.00

do.

2.00

do.

2.00

do.

1.00

do.

1.00

do.

1.00

India Rubber Goods. For the finest collection and best
specimens of India Rubber goods, a premium or gratuity, at the
discretion of the Committee.

Brushes, Combs, Hats, Caps and Gloves. For the finest
collection and best specimens of each of these articles, a premium
or gratuity, at the discretion of the Committee.

Leather, and Articles manufactured therefrom.

For the best specimen of Thick Boots, a premium of

Calfskin,
Thin Boots other
than Calfskin,
Kipskin,
Thick Brogans,
Fine Brogans,
Ladies' Boots,

For the best specimen of Upper or Sole Leather, or Morocco,
a premium or gratuity, each, at the discretion of the Committee.
For the best single Carriage Harness ;
do. do. double do.

do. do. Cart Harness — a premium or gratuity, each, at
the discretion of the Committee.

For the best Riding Bridle, a premium of $1.00

do. do. do. Saddle, do. 2.00

do. do. Carriage or Cart Whip, a premium of 1.00

Carriages, Wagons, Carts, &c.

For the best specimen of Family Carriages, for one horse or

for two horses ;

' For the best Covered Wagon ;

do. do. Open do.

do. do. Farm do.

do. do. do. Cart ;

do. do. Farm Wheelbarrow — a premium or gratuity,
each, at the discretion of the Committee.

23

178

Jellies, Preserves, Pickles and Ketchups. For the finest
collection and best specimens of each, made of articles of domes-
tic growth, a premium or gratuity, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.

New Inventions. For any new invention of decided superi-
ority and usefulness to the farmer, a premium or gratuity, at the
discretion of the Committee.

Note. Il is to be undtrstood tliat all articles presented for premium, in each of the
foregoing departments, shall have been manufactured or produced within the County
during the last year, and by the person presenting them. Also, that in every case, the
Examining Committee shall have the right to substitute the Society's Diploma for a
premium or gratuity, or to give it where no premium or gratuity has been awarded, at
their discretion.

Articles in either of the above departments, contributed to the exhibition by persons
not resident in the County, shall receive suitable attention from the Committee, and'
if worthy, be awarded the Society's Diploma.

FRUITS AND FLOWERS.

Accommodations will be provided for the exhibition of Fruits
and Flowers, and Committees will be appointed to examine and
report on such as may be presented. Whoever may present, is
requested to furnish a minute, in writing, of the name of the
owner, and a list of his contributions.

The following premiums will be awarded : —

For the best collection of cut flowers, $4 ; second best, $2 ;
third best, $1. For the best bouquets, or tastefully arranged
baskets of flowers, not less than four, $4 ; second best, $2 ; third
best, $1. For the best collection of twenty named dahlias, regard
being had to colors and symmetry of flower, $3 ; second best, $2.
For the best single bloom, $1. For the best collection of twelve
pot plants, regard being had to new and rare varieties and well
grown specimens, $3 ; second best, $2. For the best single
specimen, $1. For the best collection of new seedling verbenas,
$2. For the best new seedling, $1. To be awarded in gratui-
ties, at the discretion of the Committee, $12.

FRUITS.

For the best collection of Apples — first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3 ; third do., $2.

For the best collection of Pears — first premium, $5 ; second
do., $3 ; third do., %2.

179

For the best collection of Peaches — first premium, %b ; second
do., $3 ; third do., 2.

Eor the best dish of Pears, not less than one dozen specimens,
a premium of $2.

For the best dish of Apples, not less than a dozen specimens,
a premium of $2.

Grapes. For the best collection of Foreign Grapes — first
premium, $5 ; second do., $3.

For the best collection of Native Cfrajjes, a premium of $3.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

For the most extensive and finest collection of Agricultural
Implements — first premium, $15 ; second do., $10 ; third do. $5.

For the best Agricultural Implements manufactured within the
county, and exhibited by the manufacturer — first premium, $6 ;
second do., $4.

For the best report, by any member of the Society, of any new
or improved Agricultural Implement — describing its construction
and operation, its cost and its benefit, and, in particular, its appli-
cability to the soil of Norfolk County — a premium, if worthy of
record, in proportion to the value of such report, at the discretion
of the Committee.

AGRICULTURAL LABORERS.

For a certificate — signed by his employer, and countersigned
by any two Trustees of the Society residing in the same town —
of the superior character and qualifications of any man or boy, in
the employment of a member of the Society for a period, next
preceding, of not less than two years, attesting the industry, in-
tegrity, respectful demeanor, and general good habits, during that
time, of the bearer of such certificate,

A premium of Membership of the Society and a Diploma.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

For the best Essay on either of the following subjects, which
may be considered by the Trustees worthy of publication : —

180

Forest Trees. For the best Essay on the raising and culti-
vation of Forest Trees, a premium of $10.

Insects. For the best Essay for the destruction of Insects
injurious to vegetation, such as Curculio, Borer, Canker- Worm,
Caterpillar, Cut- Worm, Squash-Bug, Striped-Bug, Rose-Bug,
^c, ^c, a premium of $20.

Potato Disease. For the best Essay on the prevention of
the Potato Disease, a premium of $10.

Preservation of Winter Fruit. For the best Essay on
the preservation of Apples and other Winter Fruits, $10.

Preservation of Vegetables. For the best Essay on the
preservation of Vegetables, a premium of $10.

Agricultural Education. For the best Essay on Agricul-
tural Education, a premium of $10.

Farm Accounts. For the best Essay on a system of Farm
Accounts, $10.

For the most valuable Essay upon the comparative value and
adaptation to the climate and soil of Norfolk county of the several
foreign and native breeds of Cows and Oxen, $10.

For the best Prize Essay on Domestic Poultry, $10.

For the best Essay on Fences for Farms, uniting economy,
strength, and appearance, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the extermination of Weeds and Plants,
destructive to crops, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the preservation and application of
Liquid Manure, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the Introduction of new Fruits and new
articles of Field Culture, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the best manner of subdividing farm cul-
tivation with reference to Economy and Profit, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on the value and application of Phosphate
of Lime, as a fertilizer of the soil, a premium of $10.

For the best Essay on Bees, and Structure of Hives, with par-
ticular reference to feeding Bees, and guarding against the spolia-
tions of the Bee Moth, a premium of $10.

For an Essay on any subject connected with Agriculture, Hor-

181

ticulture, Manufactures, or Mechanics, -which the Trustees may
consider worthy, a premium of $10.

For the best plan for a Barn and Barn Yard, -with regard to
the keeping of the Hay, the comfort of the Cattle, the ease and
convenience of tending them, and the making and preserving the
Manure, a premium of |10.

These premiums will not be awarded unless the Essays offered
shall, in the judgment of the Committee appointed to decide upon
them, be deemed in themselves worthy of an Award without refer-
ence to their comparative merit.

RULES AIS^D GE^TE£4^L REMARKS.

It is understood that all premiums will be restricted to articles
of the growth and manufacture of the County, unless otherwise
specified in connection with it. Essays and Agricultural Imple-
ments being excepted from this rule, are open to general com-
petition.

Any gentleman, not a member of the Society, entitled to a
premium of five dollars or upwards, shall receive the amount
exceeding the sum of five dollars, and shall thereafter become a
member.

The stock and articles intended for exhibition and premium,
butter excepted, must be on the ground at or before 12 o'clock
on Tuesday, the first day of the Exhibition. Animals will not be
allowed to be removed from the pens before 3 o'clock on Wednes-
day, the sacond day, and all other articles not until 5 o'clock,
without the permission of the Committee.

The animals, while on the ground, will be fed at the expense of
the Society.

No person serving on any of the Committees shall have a vote
in any case, when he shall be personally interested as a com-
petitor.

All other Entries for premiums must be made in writing, and
shall be placed in the hands of the Recording Secretary, on or
before the 15th of November.

Premiums awarded, and not called for within six months, will
be considered as given to the Society, in aid of its funds.

After the objects for Exhibition are arranged, they will be
under the care of the Committees, and cannot be removed without
their consent.

183

No object or article will be entitled to a premium, unless it
possesses points of superiority ; and the Committees have the dis-
cretionary power of withholding premiums, if, in their opinion, the
articles or objects are not deemed worthy to receive the same.

The Trustees have carefully revised and approved of the
foregoing proposals for Premiums. The respective Committees,
appointed to award the same, are required to enforce a strict
conformity to all the rules in relation to Entries and Certificates.

In the appointment of Committees, the Trustees will seek for
the most judicious and skilful individuals in the various towns in
the County, to award the Premiums ; but should they fail to
secure the aid of the ablest and most experienced men in the
above capacity, they will rely upon the forbearance which, they
believe, will be generously extended towards sincere and un-
wearied efforts.

As it will become the duty of the Society to make to the Legis-
lature an exact report of its doings, the Trustees deem it of the
highest importance, that earnest and persevering efforts should be
made by the citizens of every town in the county, to bring out
the results of their skill and industry.

MARSHALL P. WILDER, President.
Edward L. Keyes, Secretary.

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