The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-01-18

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ed the mprorer Improved. a work full oi
iudicious maxims and sensible advice. Soon
after this, clover and turnips were intro
duced, and made a complete revolution IN
the agricultural system of England.
After the efforts of Jethro Tull with his
drill husbandry, and his thorough tillage as
substitute for manures, at the beginning
of the last century, there was little advance
in agricultural science, with the exception
of great attention paid to live stock by
Bakewell and Others, till the Board of Ag-
riculture was established in the year 1913,
under the charge of Sir John Sinclair.
The first settlement Of New England was
under circumstances Of peculiar diihculty'-
Wholly unacquainted with the climate and
the soil, il was mot to be expected that the
early settlers would make rapid progress in
agriculture. Casting behind them all that
was dear to their hearts from early childhood,
and consecnted by tender associations, they
were to begin life anew. Their former ex-
pcrience could not serve them much. For
months after landing, they had no beasts OF
burden to share their tolls, and the woodman
must work in the two-fold capacity OF team
stcr and team. Afterwards, when few cat
tie were obtained from England they were
poorly fed on meadow hay and were liable to
fall prey to the wolves and the Indians
The price was so high that 1t was impossible
for poor man to procure them. a long
time after the pilgrims had established them
selves in the country, two year heiier sold
for twenty-five pounds sterling. 1t is a Gu
rious fact that red calf was much cheaper
in those early days than black one, because
the wolves mistaking it for a deer were much
more likely to kill it.
While stock was 50 high, quart of new
milk could be bought for penny and four
eggs at tho same price.
The difficulty of procuring proper agricul-
tural implement was an additional obstacle
to improvement. No metal could be OBJ
tanned but Taunton iron, made of bog ore,
very brittle and liable, at any moment, to
break and put stop to days work. Steel
was not then to be had.
On landing, the pilgrims found nearly all
the plants then cultivated or raised as food
by the Indians, such as corn, beans, pump
kins and squashcs.
They were indebted to the Indian women
for many hints as to the modes Of farming
adapted to the new circumstances in which
they were placed.
From them the settlers learned the use of
corn, and the manner and time Of planting,
wedding and shelling it. They dug small
holes about four feet apart, sometimes using
an instrument, which seems to have answer
ell the purpose of q shovel and hoe, and
sometimes with nsthing more convenient
than large clam-shclls. Into each of these
they usually put horseshoe crab, and some |
times two, and planted four kernels upon it,
covering the hills with the same instrument
with which they dug the hole. After the
corn was up, beans We're planted in each hill
and were supported by the corn.
In the interior, three or four small fishes
served the purpose of a fertilizer. The pnc-
tice of using any such materials was not uni
yersal. They were neat and clean in their
cultivation, much more 80 than the settlers
Not weed was allowed to grow, and they
took special care to guard againt the dcstrc-
ton of the corn by insects and birds. The
custom of hilling corn for its support was so
general among the Indians, that to this day,
the spots which they cultivated may be found
in all parts Of the country.
The picture of the farming of the Indians,
which was the model Of that of the colonists,
would not be complete without brief allu-
sion to their mode of storing the products of
their labor. The women dug large holes in
the earth and carefully lined the sides with
bark. Into these holes they threw the corn
and beans, after having dried them in the
sun, and covered them up level with thesur-
face Of the earth. There they We're well pre-
served through winter. These excavated
barns were concealed by the women from
their lazy husbands, lest they should eat up
all they had; yet however carefully all this
was done, the hogs of the colonists sometimes
unhingcd their harm doors and helped them
selves to the contents. One of these Indians
barns was discovered by the pilgrims, at the
time their granary was reduced so low us to
contain only five kernels Of corn to each in
dividual.
Another plan Of providing for their win
ter supply, was by making large boxes, shap-
ID little like barrels, of a kind of wicker
work. These barrels were kept in the wig
warm for the more immediate use Of the
family.
wintering Farm Stock---Horses.
First amony the duties of the farmer may