O

ABSTRACT OF RETURNS

OF THE

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES

OF

MASSACHUSETTS,

1868.

EDITED BY,

CHARLES FLINT,

SECRETARY OF THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

BOSTON:

& POTTER, STATE PRINTERS,

79 MILK STREet, (Corner of Federal).

WRIGHT

PREFACE.

I am indebted to the owners of the animals illustrated in this volume for the use of the engravings, and my thanks are due to them on behalf of the Board.

The thoroughbred stallion "Gray Eagle" was bred in Kentucky, and is now owned by WINTHROP W. CHENERY, Esq., of Belmont. He was got by 66 Gray Eagle "--he by "Woodpecker,”—out of "Ophelia" by " Wild Medley," and he by imported "Medley," dam by "Wildair,”—imported “Medley" by "Gimcrack,”-out of " Arminda" by "Snap,"-grand dam, "Miss Cleveland," by "Regulus,"—" Midge," by a son of " Bay Bolton,”—by "Bartlett's Childers,"-by "Honywood's Arabian," dam of the two "True Blues." Dam of "Gray Eagle" by imported "Trustee,"-he by "Catton," out of "Emma" by "Whisker,"-grand dam "Gibside Fairy" by "Hermas,”"Vicissitude" by "Pipator,"-" Beatrice" by "Sir Peter,"-" Pyrrha" by "Matchem,"—" Duchess" by Whitenose,"-" Miss Slamerkin" by "Young True Blue," by Lord Oxford's "Dun Arabian,”-D'Arcy's black-legged Royal mare, grand-dam of "Gray Eagle" by "Columbus," (sire of "Eliza Bailey")-grand grand-dam by "Stockholder,"-he by "Sir Archy," by imported "Diomed,"-grand grand grand-dam by " Pacelot,"-he by imported "Citizen,”—dam, "Mary Gray" by "Tippoo Saib."

66

Gray Eagle" is of a beautiful gray color, stands about 16 hands high, and is a horse of great symmetry and power. He had a good reputation as a running horse, prior to being trained as a trotter.

The beautiful Shorthorn cow" Mattie Newell" was bred and is owned by Jos. A. HARWOOD, Esq., of Littleton, Mass. She is red with a little white; and was calved April 25th, 1867. Got by "Sheridan," 6,179-out of "Eva," by "Backwoodsman," 226-" Ann Gwynne," by "Prince Albert," 85366 Daisy Second," by "Dandy," 50-"Daisy," by "King Charles Second," 84-" Dafodill," by "Sampson," (5,081)-"Young Daisy," by "Dandy," (1,900)—" ," by Wilkinson's bull, (2,838)-" "by Greathead's bull, (3,936) etc. The Caraman, or Fat-tailed Sheep, were imported from Karamania, in Asiatic Turkey, by W. W. CHENERY, of Highland Stock Farm, Belmont. There appear to be many varieties of the fat or broad-tailed sheep found in Asia and Africa, and among naturalists they form a group by themselves. The tail, in some of these varieties or families, will weigh fifteen to twenty pounds; but in some of the larger kinds, when well fattened, it will weigh seventy, eighty, and, in rare cases, even so high as one hundred and fifty

pounds. This overgrown appendage becomes often a great inconvenience to the animal. In the Syrian varieties it is less developed. The fatty deposit is oleaginous, of a consistence between fat and marrow, and is often used in place of butter. When the animal is young it is said to be equal to the best

marrow.

Thanks are also due to the inventors and manufacturers of the ploughs and other implements illustrated in the Report, for the use of cuts designed to give some idea of the recent improvements in agricultural mechanics, as shown at the Trial of Ploughs at Amherst in May last, and at the Exhibitions of the County Societies.

It is worthy of the consideration of the societies whether the method, too often adopted, of awarding premiums on implements, without a practical trial on the field or elsewhere, is not, on the whole, productive of more harm than good. Some of the societies have already voted to discontinue this practice. To decide the comparative merits and value of many machines without a careful trial is simply impossible, and awards without such trial often mislead the farming community.

Many statements of crops are still too indefinite to be of general value, and such are necessarily excluded from this volume, when they might otherwise be of great value. The secretaries of the societies can do much to secure greater detail and accuracy of statement on the part of competitors for premiums.

BOSTON, January 27, 1869.

CHARLES L. FLINT..