other purposes, will be the means of her being rivalled in her merited reputation for fine cheese.

Dairymen of Herkimer county, will you give heed in due time to save yourselves from being slaves to an unprofitable business by manufacturing a poor quality of cheese when a good quality can be made as cheap. In view of the vast increase of cheese making in other counties and other States, it behooves us to improve the quality of our cheese to keep good our former reputation in market, and to increase a demand proportionate to increase of product. Let us try.

A. L. FISH,
ANSON RIDER,

WM. STEWART,

Committee.

ADDRESS OF the President to the Judges.

My object in addressing a few words to you on this occasion, before entering upon your respective duties, is to call your attention to the necessity of adopting such a rule of action, as will enable each class of judges to present to the society a formal report, for publication in the journal of the society, as the result of their observations, and careful examination of all the articles and animals exhibited for inspection, with such details and suggestions as will, when published and spread abroad, excite new reflections by those who are interested in productive labor, and thus open the door to new and important improvements.

Strict conformity to such a rule seems to me to be indispensable to the best interests of the society.

It is to be regretted that we have not at our former fairs, been able to collect such facts from the experience of successful competitors, and record them in the journal of the society, as would now show us by referring to them, what improvement has been made, and what is the cause. It would be gratifying indeed to look back through the records of the society, and see what the particular merits of the articles and animals for which premiums have been awarded, consisted in; to see what was the breed and live weight of animals at a certain age, and the particular manner

of feeding and raising such animals, that we might judge correctly of their comparative value as a breed. If their superior excellence was the result of some freak in nature, changing their physical economy for the better, we want the breed. But if produced by judicious management in feeding and grooming, then we need the practice.

So in relation to cultivating grain, fruit, vegetables, and all other products. Whatever practice is followed by the best success, every member of the society should be made acquainted with, by publishing the reports of the several committees annually in the journal of the society, which in my view is justly due to the unsuccessful competitor, and members who do not compete for premiums, and to the whole community.

A large proportion of those who are now standing members of this society, have never competed for a premium offered, and perhaps did not join the society with that view, but to aid improvement in different vocations, by disseminating through the society such information as will facilitate labor and improve our social condition. These are the primary and professed objects of forming and sustaining agricultural societies, and the object aimed at no doubt by the Legislature in appropriating funds for the use and benefit of agricultural societies.

For accompanying the act of appropriation was a condition, requiring that before any premium shall be delivered to the person or persons to whom they are awarded, they shall deliver in writing to the proper officers of the society an accurate description of the process of preparing the soil and raising the crop, or of feeding the animal; also the expense and product of the crop or the increased value of the animal; with a view of showing accurately the profits of judicious cultivation of the crop, or of feeding, by which it appears intended that those contributions to the funds of the society should be reciprocated, not in dollars and cents, but in publishing such a knowledge of cause and effect as may be obtained through a well organised agricultural society, as a proper medium.

The competitor, while doing much credit to himself, would promote the objects of the society and greatly facilitate the labors of

the several committees by writing out in a plain form the details of his system of management. But as it has not been strictly enforced heretofore as a rule of the society, it is not expected that competitors generally will be prepared to present to the several committees such statements in writing as are requisite; the amount of information obtained, therefore, will depend much upon the earnest and inquisitive investigation by the judges as to the whys and wherefores.

I do not propose to dictate a particular manner of the numerous inquiries necessary to be made, but would respectfully invite your attention to proper cultivation and rotation of crops, to retain the productions of the soil, the requisite amount of seed, and when to be sowed or planted in seeding for various purposes, the suitableness of particular soils for particular crops, and their comparative cost and value for different purposes, a proper application of manures appropriate to vegetabla growth, adaptation of food to the physical economy of the animal. Breeding and rearing animals for specific purposes, a judicious selection of farm and mechanical implements, as matters that come within the routine of our every day's practical operations, and should engage our earnest attention.

I am aware that the limits prescribed by the rules of the society will not admit of awarding premiums for all the animals that may be exhibited, yet a proper commendation upon the merits of such as are worthy, would be just and encouraging to unsuccessful competitors, and perhaps excite them to useful exertions to excel at a subsequent fair. A very prominent object of an agricultural society, is to get an exhibition annually of a great variety of things that pertain to our domestic enjoyment, so that all who wish, can avail themselves of an opportunity to view and compare the relative merits of the products of well or ill-directed labor, such an opportunity is well worth improving by all classes, and especially by the young and inexperienced; long will the impressions last, which are made upon the ardent and inquiring mind while examining and comparing the numerous articles that are exhibited at an annual fair. To make those impressions more indelible, the comparative merits of different articles and animals

should be written out and published in detail, so that they may be read and reflected upon as means of maturing our judgment.

The prospect before us indicates a much larger exhibition than we have formerly had, and many articles may be presented that are not included in our list of premiums offered. It will be the duty of the committee on unspecified articles, to see that all such articles are examined, and receive due comment, and such awards as the society will admit.

I trust it will be borne in mind by the several committees, that the great objects of our labors, as officers of the society, is to collect information from the experience of practical persons, and I hope we shall be able to gather such an amount of facts as will be worth publishing, and be a volume worthy of a place in every family library in the country.

FRUIT AND FRUIT GROWING.

A. L. FISH, Esq.,

COLUMBIA, January 14th, 1853.

President of the Herkimer County Agricultural Society:

Dear Sir-By your request I have been induced to say a few words on the subject of fruit growing and of the kinds I have grown which I deem best for cultivation in this section of the county.

It would be presumptuous in me to say much on the subject of fruit culture, when such men as J. J. Thomas and P. Barry, have written and published so much and so ably on the subject. Their works through the agricultural societies of the State are getting so extensive a circulation, that every one disposed to obtain knowledge on the subject can readily obtain a copy. Those of us who go into the cultivation of fruit beyond what is wanted for home use, do it for profit, and I have no doubt with a little care and attention, can make it so with many kinds. Of apples I would recommend Rhode Island Greening, Swaar, Roxbury Russett, Herfordshire Pearmain, (by some called English Pearmain,) Northern Spy, Spitzenbergh, Baldwin, Golden Russett, Tallman Sweet, Blue Pearmain, (large kind,) Fall Pippin, Rambo, Lowel [Ag. Tr. '53.] BB

or Tallow Pippin, Rag Apple, Tart Bough, Sweet Bough and Nonesuch, so far as my experience goes these are as good if not the best of any we can grow for market or for home use. The Gravenstein, Hubbardston Nonesuch, Porter, Pomme Gris, Early Joe, and many other kinds I have growing, but these have not as yet come into bearing sufficiently for me to test their worth; they are all highly recommended and are worthy of a trial.

The Middle apple, a native of this county, is one of the very best, but unless it can be improved by cultivation, will not pay to grow for market, is rather a shy bearer and too large a proportion of unfair fruit; so with the Newtown Pippin, (as regards its unfairness,) so much thought of in some sections. I have cultivated it for several years and have occasionally got some very fair specimens, but in general they are wanting in the high flavor they have when grown on the North river and further south. I would not advise their cultivation for market; the high lands in this county, on the south side of the Mohawk, is probably from eight to ten or twelve hundred feet above the level of the Mohawk, consequently I think we don't have quite as long a growing season, nor in general as warm a sun as in the valley. This may, and probably does, in some measure, account for the difference of many kinds of fruit not growing larger and fairer, or maturing better. I have paid some attention to the cultivation of the Pear for the last few years, not, however, of a very great variety, and would especially recommend the White Doyenne (or Virgalieu,) and the Bartlett. They, with me, have borne well, been fair, and of first rate quality. I had a few for the first, last season, of the Flemish Beauty, they were large and first rate; my Louise Bonne de Jersey, are on standard stocks, have borne well, but have been deficient in flavor; those I have on the quince have not come into bearing; I had a few the past season of what is called the Earl Pear, said to be a native of this county, originated or is now growing on the premises of Samuel and Robert Earl, in the village of Herkimer. From what I have seen of the thriftiness and bearing of the trees, size and quality of the fruit, on these premises, together with the growth and bearing of two years from grafting on my own, I think it highly deserving and would recommend its cultivation; I have several other kinds growing, some have borne and some