feelings, and propose the premiums merely as evidences of successful competition. M. W. BATES, JACOB RAYMOND, GEORGE W. CUMMINS, T. L. TEMPLE, JUSTUS LOWERY." Mr. Bates offered the following resolution which was adopted. Resolved, That the day of the annual meeting of this society, being the first Thursday (4th) of October next. shall be the day for the show of cattle and exhibition of the products of Agriculture, Horticulture, Silk culture and the improvements of husbandry, and that the members of the society are hereby requested to contribute to said show and exhibition. On motion-Resolved, That 200 copies of the proceedings of this meeting be printed and distributed. On motion, The meeting adjourned. PETER F. CAUSEY, Pres't. pro. tem. Attest-JOSEPH P. COMEGYS, Sec'y. My friend Dr. John Rhea Barton of this city, brought with him from Europe last summer a few peas of a description new to us on this side of the Atlantic. As they are so highly esteemed in Europe, especially in the southern parts where only they come to perfection, their successful propagation in our country would be a great desideratum. The climate and soil of the lower counties of Delaware should, I think, be very favorable to their growth, and it is with the hope that they may be naturalized among you and form a luxury for home consumption, and ultimately a source of profit to those who may undertake to cultivate them on a large scale, that I have distributed a few of these peas among some of your townsmen, whom I think may give them a fair trial and aid in promoting their propagation. The vegetable in question differs materially from all the common kinds of pea. It is not a vine. The plant shoots from the seed in a single stalk, which, at the height of about six or eight inches from the earth, branches out and develops itself, in a bushy form, as it ascends to its final height of about eighteen or twenty inches. The leaves are small, and are thought to resemble, somewhat, those of the common rue. It flowers like the common kinds of pea; but the pods which hang amongst the branches, are shorter and rounder, containing from two to four peas; most commonly three. The plants are so strong as to need no artificial support. They should be planted in rows about sixteen or eighteen inches apart, and the plant being tender requires in our variable climate, more care to protect them in the spring. As a vegetable this pea is abundant and in general use in Spain, where it is well known by the names of Garbanzos and Garbanzas. The last kind are the most choice, being larger, more delicate and tender than the first named. Peas of this description grow in the south of France, but they are not so highly esteemed as those obtained from Spain. In Paris it is occasionally found for sale in the markets and grocery shops, under the names of "Garbanzo," "Pois Chiches" and "Pois d'Espagne." The usual price in the dried state is 24 cents per pound. Their flavor is delicate and something between that of the marrowfat pea and Lima bean. The pellicle or covering is so thin and tender that it seems almost lost in the culinary preparation. They are served up in a variety of forms→ boiled and dressed as common peas, combined in innumerable ways with other articles,-ground into flour for soups, gruels, and beverages, or, roasted and eaten like chesnuts and ground nuts. When in the dried state, they require soaking in cold water during the night previous to the day when they are used. They do not seem to be the prey of any worm, and keep sound and sweet for several years. Hoping that the above information derived from my friend Dr. Barton in relation to the Spanish pea, may be useful in extending its propagation among you, I remain, Very respectfully, Your ob't. servant, G. EMERSON. Philadelphia, June, 1838. From the Genesee Farmer, BRIEF HINTS FOR THE SEASON. A subject too much neglected during the middle of summer is the extirpation of weeds. If the nourishment which goes to support the weeds on some farms were applied to the crop, the owners would soon get rich. Weeds are as injurious to the crop as a herd of intruding cattle, and should therefore be removed with as much determination. There is one rule which will apply in destroying all weeds of whatever kinds; this is, that they cannot obtain access to the air. Hence weeds, the most difficult of extirpation, are soon routed by cutting them off as fast as they appear above ground, or by burying them repeatedly with a plough. Repeated ploughings for destroying weeds is best whenever they have obtained possession of the ground, as in case of Canada thistles, St. Johnswort, and some others; and indeed it is much better to devote the ground a year or two to clearing, where they have spread extensively, than to lose two-thirds of the use of it by them perpetually. Some weeds are easily removed with a common hoe, as for instance, mulliens, thistles, &c., which infest pastures; cutting them off at the surface of the ground generally destroys them at once. Docks are very easily removed when the ground is softened with rain, by pulling them up. In order to prevent the trouble of destroying a field of weeds, they should be watched and rooted out at their first appearance, when it will not cost a thousandth part of the labor. Canada thistles, milk weeds, oxeye daisy, couch grass, charlock or field mustard, and others; whenever they first appear, should be immediately destroyed. Whole fields are frequently seen covered with a luxuriant crop of the large field thistle; if they were cut and raked with a horserake into large heaps, they would make excellent manure. Farmers should use every means practicable to obtain and preserve all the manure that can be done-they should recollect that a good load of manure properly applied, is better than a silver dollar. What most needs attention now, is to preserve the manure which remains unspread during summer, to prevent its wasting by fermenting and evaporation. This is effected by covering it, with a coating of earth mixed with about one quarter lime. Farm implements should always be of the best kind, even if they cost considerably more; if a workman with a good tool can do one-third more labor, he will soon repay the additional cost. The advantages of frequent stirring of the earth among crops have been sufficiently proved;-"a rusty hoe in summer is a sign of a poor farmer." But the practice of hilling in cultivating hoed crops, is injurious; and it is found by experience that in all common cases, preserving the surface of the ground flat or nearly so is much preferable. For this reason, the cultivator should be used in preference to the one horse plough, and if the rows have been planted straight and even, all the weeds may be cut up by it within two or three inches of the plats. Mowing should not be commenced until the stalks of grass begin to change a little to a brown color, or when the seeds are approaching maturity. A greater quantity of nutriment is then contained, the hay is sweeter to the taste and is not so tough as otherwise, and the hay is more easily dried. Grass beaten down by rain should, however, be cut before it becomes injured in this way while uncut. A great defect in curing hay, and more especially clover, is drying it too much in the sun. The more improved practice is to dry it partially in the swath and finish by what is termed the sweating process, or drying in small cocks, the heat of a very slight fermentation assisting. The labor of spreading is thus saved, there is little injury from exposure to dew, and the thin leaves and succulent stalks become equally dried together. Where this plan has been tried, many successive days of rainy weather have not prevented the making of excellent hay; and indeed, while the out side of the cock is wet by the falling rain, the interior has been constantly drying by the slight heat generated. Every farmer should at least try this method, and every one who tries it fairly, adopts it. We still see, in many places, the common hand-rake employed to collect the hay on the meadow. This should be no longer tolerated. When it can be raked by a horse with one fifth the expense, it is surprising that so many adhere to the old practice. If farmers are unwilling to procure a revolving rake, let them at least provide themselves with the common horse rake. The cost is only two dollars, and it will pay for itself in less than half a day, and in half an hour, if a shower of rain is coming upon a crop of new hay. Attach the draught ropes to the other teeth cut to about onethird the length of others, and no difficulty will be found in managing it. We last year saw a meadow of fifteen acres raked with a common horse rake in about six hours of time actually employed, a part of which yielded three tons to the acre, and the whole of the hay was drawn to the stack, chiefly from the winrow, by the horse and rake, sufficiently fast to keep a strong active man (who had previously laughed at the plan,) hard at work all day to pitch it on the stack. By regulating properly, by means of the handles, the pitch of the teeth, loads were collected which were a load for one horse to draw. One man only (without any rider) was sufficient to manage it. It abridged the labor so much, that cutting the grass was more than two-thirds of the work done on the meadow. On extensive and smooth meadows, we would by all means recommend the revolving rake in preference to any other, and the hay sweep (described last year in the Farmer,) to collect and draw it to the stack or place of deposit. But the common horse rake may be used on any meadow, if not intolerably rough. Mowers should commence work by four o'clock in the morning, when the air is cool and the grass moist, and then they may rest in the heat of the day. In harvesting grain, it is much better to cut it a few days before it is perfectly ripe, than to allow it to stand too long. If cut when not entirely ripe, and bound up before the straw becomes dry, it will derive nourishment from the stalk sufficient to ripen it before the sheaves become thoroughly dry. The great advantages of cutting early rye, the grain is not wasted by shelling, the straw is worth more, and it enables the farmer to drive business and prevent losses from bad weather and other delays. Lodged and rusty grain should in all cases be cut as soon as admissible, as little is gained by suffering it to stand long. Whenever it is necessary to leave grain upon the field after it is cut, it should be put up so as to withstand any rain without injury. This may be easily effected by placing about six sheaves closely together, pressing their heads to a point, and capping the whole with a seventh. The cap is made by binding a sheaf firmly near the lower end, and spreading the straw on all sides by breaking it down over the band. At this busy season of the year, the garden must by no means be neglected the ground must be kept clear from weeds—plants which need it watered in dry weather, always in the evening to allow the water to penetrate the soil before evaporating; herbs, as they come in flower, must be cut and dried for future use; they must be cut in dry warm weather, and always dried in the shade; fruit trees which bear too thick must have their fruit thinned, if it is wished to have it of any value as to flavor. In the flower garden, seeds must be gathered, labelled, and preserved as they ripen, and the roots of bulbous plants taken up as the tops wither and die; they are best preserved by drying them somewhat, in small heaps covered with sand or dry soil, to protect them from the rays of the sun. As soon as taken up they should be labelled to prevent mixing. From the Franklin Farmer. PRODUCTS OF ESSEX COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS. The Rev. Henry Colman, commissioner of the Agricultural Survey of the State of Massachusetts, gives the following in his first annual report, as the products of the following agricultural commodities, in Essex county of that State: Wheat, 24, 25, and 32 bushels per acre. Indian corn, 70, 74, 84, 90 901, 105, 110, 113, 115, 1174, bushels per acre. Barley, 50, 51, 52, 54 bushels per acre. Rye, 40, 56 bushels per acre. Oats, 1000 bushels on 20 ahres, being 50 bushels per acre. Potatoes, 400, 484, 518, bushels per acre. Carrots, 849, 864, 878, and 900 bushels per acre. Mangel Wurtzel, 924 and 1340 bushels per acre, at 56 lbs. to the bushel. Beets, 782, bushels to the acre. Ruta Baga, 688, 903 bushels to the acre. English turnips, 636, 687, 672, 751, 814 bushels to the acre. From one acre of land upwards of 3 tons of well cured Millet. From one acre of reclaimed meadow, 4 tons of English hay, were weighed and sold in 1836-7. From 6 acres of land more than 29 tons of good English hay weighed at the town scales, have been cut in a season. $600 worth of winter squashes were sold the last season from 2 acres of land. The market price very high. |