THIRD REPORT AGRICULTURE OF MASSACHUSETTS SENATE No. 36. THIRD REPORT AGRICULTURE OP MASSACHUSETTS, WHEAT AND SILK, Br HENRY COLMAN, COMMISSIONER FOR THE AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF THE STATE. BUTTON AND WENTWORTH, PRINTERS TO THE STATE. 1840. : Mar. 1840.1 SENATE—No 36. Boston, M March, 1840. To the Hon. Daniel P. King, President of the Senate of Massachusetts Sir, The Commissioner for the Agricultural Survey of the State, has the honor to submit to the Senate a Re- port on the Cultivation of Wheat in Massachusetts, pre- pared in compliance with the order of the Legislature of March 20, 1839, which is annexed. The duty would have been sooner executed, but the Returns were not accessible to the Commissioner, until a considerable time after the passage of the order ; and the season afterwards being that of active duty abroad, he was under the necessity of postponing the report. The number of individual returns to be looked over, amounting to nearly four thousand, have necessarily occupied a long time. The subject being of great im- portance, he has devoted to it much labor and inquiry. Though not within the terms of the order, yet the Commissioner asks leave of the Senate to subjoin his Report on the Culture of Silk in the State. The infor- mation he proposes to give on this subject is of much consequence. Knowing the importance of this subject, and the impatience and curiosity of the public mind in regard to it, the Commissioner travelled more than six- teen hundred miles, the last autumn, that he might 4 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [March, make inquiries, in person, in places where Silk had been produced, and obtain information, which he could pre- sent in an authentic form. He desires, therefore, to connect it with his Report on the Culture of Wheat, instead of delaying it for his more general Reports. He respectfully, through you, sir, submits the sub- ject to the Senate ; and has the honor to subscribe himself, With the highest respect, Your obedient servant, HENRY COLMAN. 1840.1 SENATE—No. 36. orommontDta^ltlj of J^assatftttfiietts. In Senate, March 20, 1839. Ordered, That the Governor be requested to obtain from the Ag- ricultural Commissioner, a full report of the cultivation of Wheat, in this Commonwealth, the last year ; in reference to all those particulars specified in the act of 1838, offering a bounty upon the product of Wheat ; which have a practical bearing on its culture ; collating such facts from the returns, as will secure, as far as practicable, the great object of granting the bounty, by gathering the experience of the past year, as far as may be, to aid the future culture of Wheat in this Com- monwealth ; with such other information respecting the cultivation of Wheat, as may be deemed important ; and lay the same before the Senate, when obtained ; and that for this purpose, the Agricultural Commissioner be allowed the use of the Wheat Returns, in the office of the Secretary of State, as far as they may be needed by him. Sent down for concurrence. CHA'S CALHOUN, Clerk. House of Representatives, March 20, 1839. Concurred. L. S. GUSHING, Clerk. A true copy. Attest. JOHN P. BIGELOW, Secretary of the Commomoealth. AGRICULTURAL REPORT. WHEAT RETURNS OF COUNTIES. 1838-9. BERKSHIRE COUNTY. ADAMS.—No. of Claimants, 10. Acres not reported. Product, 310i bush. Average yield of 18^ acres reported, \\% bush, per acre. Largest crop reported, 15 bush, per acre. Remarks. One crop highly manured, 14^ bs. per acre, injured by insects. ALFORD.—Claimants, 7. Acres sown, \7%. Product, 215 bush. Average pr acre, 12^ bush. Crops -20 bush. ; 18 bush. ; two 16 bush, each pei" acre. Remarks. No manure for largest crop. In several cases 1.^ bushel of plaster applied per acre, without marked results. Two cases of grain insect. BECKET.—Claimants, 20. Acres sown, 33^. Product, 397 bush. Average, 12 bush, per acre. Crops, 20 bush. ; 18 bush, per acre. Remarks. Seed, Tea wheat. Amount of seed generally, 1| bs. per acre. In two cases, two bushels were sown to the acre, but without marked advan- tage. One crop, 18 bs. received 20 bush, leached ashes; one, five loads leached ashes. The application of lime, not exceeding four bushels to the acre, without perceptible effect. Soil " loamy or sandy loam." Twelve crops suffered from drought, and three from wire worm. CHESHIRE.—Claimants, 21. Acres sown, 41. Product, CG6| bush. Average per acre, \G^ bs. Crops, 22 bs. 11) bs. ; four, 16 bush, per acre. Remarks. Best crops, on "slate soil," and" black muck." Six crops injured by grain insect. No lime excepting on the seed. 8 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [March, CLARKSBURG.—Claimant, 1. Acres sown, 3. Product, 40 bush. Average per acre, 13| bush. Largest yield, 5^0 bush, per acre. Remarks. Seed, the Leghorn. Injury from hail. DALTON.—Claimants, 16. Acres sown, 231. Product, 382 bush. Average per acre, IS^ bush. Crop?, 23 bush, per acre ; 22 bush. ; two 19 bush. Remarks. Crop of 22 bush, with 15 bush, ashes per acre. Of 19 bush, with 1 cask of lime and 6 bush, ashes, and six loads long manure. Three cases of lime, two bush, per acre ; without advantage. Seed, tea-wheat. Two crops blasted; four cases of grain worm. EGREMONT.—Claimants, 27. Acres sown 52]. Product, 788^ bush. Average, 15 3-10 bush, per acre. Crops, 24 bush. ; 20 busji. ; 19^ bush.; two, 18 bush. Remarks. Largest crop, with ten loads stable manure, on gravelly loam. Plaster customarily applied ; 1^ bush, per acre. Three cases grain insect; four of cut worm ; one smut-wheat rolled in lime, but not soaked in brine ; one case rust, one mildew. The soil of Egremont peculiarly favorable for grain. Five loads of coarse straw applied to an acre ; the yield, 10 bushels. FLORIDA.—Claimants, 2. Acres sown, 4^. Product, 73 bush. Average per acre, 17 1-6 bush. Remarks. Crop of 20 bushels per acre, with 50 bushels leeched ashes^ and 2 bushels lime per acre. GT. BARRINGTON.—Claimants, 54. Acres, 122 11-24 bs. Product, 1764 bs. Average, 14| bush, per acre. Crops 26^ bs. ; 25^ bs. ; three, 21 bs. ; 20 bs. pr. acre. Remarks, Crop of 20 bushels per acre with 4 loads of light rotten ma- nure spread on the grain. Twenty-eight crops with plaster ; 1 h bushels per acre; twenty -nine cases of grain insect. ; one of worm at the root ; one of grasshoppers. HANCOCK.—Claimants, 13. Acres sown, 17f. Product, 285;!. bush. Average per acre, 16 bush. Crops, 24 bush. ; 22; 21 ; 20 bush, per acre. Remarks. Crop of 24 bushels, had 8 bushels of ashes per acre ; 21 bush- els, 15 bushels ashes, per acre ; of 19 bushels with 3 bushels'gypsum and 2 of ashes. With 8 bushels ashes, crop 15 bushels per acre. HINSDALE.—Claimants, 28. Acres sown, 44^. Product, 683| bushels. Average, 15A bush, per acre. Crops, 28 bush. ; 25 bs. ; bs. ; two, ; ; 24 22 21 two, 20 ; 19 ; 18 bush, per acre. 1 1840.] SENATE—No. 36. 9 Remarks. Crop of 28 bush, with four bushels of lime per acre. Of 21 bushels with 25 loads of manure in 1837. One case of ashes, the crop 14 2-5 bushels per acre. One case of smut: the seed limed, but not soaked in brine. LANESBORO'.—Claimants, 45. Acres sown, 85 1. Product, 1183^ bs. Average crop, 13 bs. per acre. Remarks. With 100 bushels lime per acre, the yield ]1| bushels per acre. Saltpetre and lime applied, but quantities not given. Yield 15 bush- els. In one case, land manured the year of the wheat. Plaster in 16 cases, 1 to li bushels per acre. No definite results. LEE.—Claimants, 29. Acres sown, 59 Product 80G^ bushels. Average crop, 13| bs. per acre. Crops, 2G| bs.; 24 bs. ; two of 18| bs. Remarks. With 20 bushels lime to 1^ acre, crop 11:^ bushels; suffered from drought Three ap])lications of plaster, but no perceptible result. With four bushels of ashes to the acre, the crop 125 bushels; suffered from drought. On the same farm, one acre of spring wheat, gave 18 bushels; 2 of winter wheat, 5 bushels each. Three cases of grain insect ; one of rust from late sowing ; one of smut ; the seed soaked in brine, and rolled in plaster. LENOX.—Claimants, 50. Acres sown, 108:^. Product, 1413 bushels. Average crop, 13A bs. per acre. Crops, 26 bs. ; three of 20 bs. per acre; two of 18 bs. Remarks. Crop of 26 bushels, with si.x loads yard manure, and ten bush- els of lime and ashes, amount not stated; sown on 30th April. Soil, a dark loam. Prevailing rocks of this locality, mica slate.—A second piece on the same farm, with six loads of barn manure, and ten bushels of lime, and two bushels of plaster, produced 12^1 bushels to the acre ; sown on 22d May. This farmer, Eldad Post, harrows his wheat repeatedly, after sowing, even after it has germinated ; considers the exposure of the seed and soil to light and air, highly beneficial. His cultivation usually successful ; two years since, his spring wheat was more than 34 bushels peracre.^Results in these returns quite various. One acre, with five bushels lime, and two bushels of gypsum, produced 11| bushels to the acre. One with 60 bushels lime, 13 bushels wheat. Twelve cases of grain insect; four worm at the root. One of smut; seed rolled in lime, but not soaked in brine. NEW ASH FORD.—Claimants, 12. Acres sown, 22. Product, 366 bs. Average crop, 16 7-11 bs.