Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-21

IuN FdTHlNT > NluDy Ol uHhbdINSlOu uuu Nll'lT
annual fair yesterday. The numbers in attendance
were larger than customary, owing to the new
means of Accommodation by rail. There was a fine
show Of cattle, confined entirely to a native stock
some sixty head being exhibited. The show of
fruit and vegetables also large, the quality ex-
ceediug the quantity of fruit exhibited owing to
the popularity of the season. There were some one
hundred and fifty plates of fruit, comprising twenty
one varieties Ofappcs, Ofwhich latter Andw Gleason
Horace Underwood and Jas II Harris each contrib
utcd ten varieties, and J. C. Wright. VIM Stowe,
G. W. Marpau Seth +. II. Hale and Edwin Bennett
each six varieties, and Messrs Stowe Harms Mo
reau, J. Browning and Sewcl Moulton five varieties
ofpears There were thrtyfve plates oFpears and zen
grapes. The exhibition of fruit, vegetables, and
fancy manufactured articles in the vcStry of the
Unitarian Church, there being no town hall in the
place
The blowing match did not take place, on account
of no place being secured for the trial TO Off
The trial of working oxen, of which there were
nine entries, took place about ten O'Clock, just
south of the common, on the Worcester road At
eleven O'Clock there was a procession of Jokes of
oxen and horses on exhibition, along Main street,
escorted by the HubbardstOn brass band. At half
past twelve o'clock procession of members of the
club and citizens formed in front of the Uni
tartan church, and marched preceded by the band
TO the Crystal house, kept by C. Hunton, where an
excellent dinner in waiting. Daniel Witt
acted as chief marshal of the day. After the eata-
bles were disposed Of the company proceeded to
the Methodist church, where the annual address
was delivered by Rev b. +. Mcdaniel, of the Uni
tartan church. The speaker was introduced by
Deacon Andrew Gleason president of the club,
after appropriate Introductory re marks.
REV MR.. MCDAMELs' ADDRESS
Occupied about an hour IN the delivery and was
able, practical, scientific treatise on the value
and advantages of scientific knowledge to the
farmer. He began with the material on which the
farmer works. the soil-saying that the aacurate
knowledge of its origin, composition, and needs,
possessed by any farming community, is far below
what it should be. How many, said he, imagine it
has existed in its present form from tine creation
How few imagine there is any intimate or neces-
saTy connection between it and the rocks resting on
and underlying it! In the briefest terms, the agri
cultural soil is the pulverized rock The agencies
which produced it have been ice, water and chemi-
cal decomposition. Geology teaches us that from
the north pole to 40 deg. north lat, and from the
south pole to Al deg south lat, our globe was COW
cred by vast glaciers during what is known as the
ice period. The formation, movement, and final
dissolution of these stupendOus masses, in many
places 5000 or 5000 feet thick, comminuted trans,
ported, and disposed in its present position, that
formation known as dilveiUm drifts. This
includes all the earthy matter, sand,
gravel and boulders, with tho fossils and
simple minerals contained in The mass that forms
the covering of the rocks our globe. and which
was all disposed before the advent of man. The
formation called alluyium is accepted, which in
cludes swamps, marshes, peat boys, and the deltas
of rivers, and which has probably been disposed
since the advent of man. Now if the farmer de-
sires to know the nature of his SOIL he must first
understand the general geology of the region he in
h abits and of that TO the north of him. If the
rock that underlies his soil extends thirty or forty
miles to the northward he may be certain that they
essentially the same. The farmer in this section
of Worcester county derived his soil from the Mo-
nadnock region of New Hampshire and beyond.
The speaker said he had found rocks containing
simple minerals in that town tHubbardstonl, which
not found in place this side of Monaduock
and thelocation of some is beyond that If, on the
contrary, the formations TO the northward are diff
feren from those in place the soil will Darake of the
nature of both. Chemical decomposition and the
action OF running waterwil have blended the trans
ported drifts with the detrtus of the rock in place
1t would be seen from this that a knowledge of the
geology Of the whole country is necessary. This
could be gained as readily and would be more salts
factory than knowledge of ones limited district.
BY the study which this brief sketch implies
farmers here would be enabled to know accurately
the materials on which they work. BY studying
one evening week though a winter with the aid
of specimens which can be picked up on their farms,
they may acquire sufficient knowledge of geology
and mineraOgy for all agricultural purposes.
Special agricultural rcatises will tell the particular
merits of each ingredient of rocks when applied
to particular crops In the rocks of this region pot
ash abounds in the fedspar and mica and there
fore exists in a soluble state in the soil Reason
ing from the nature of the SOIL the peculiar tenden.
cy of the rocks to decomposition from the presence
of the sulphuret of IRON and the chemical affinity
which the roots of plants are supposed to have for
the potash the soil Of Worcester county should be
the most fertile in the state, especially for potatoes
and the cereals OF course the potash could not be
drained from the soil by persistent cultivation
without repenishing It by liberal system of ma
nuring. There was limit TO the recuperatiye pow
ers of the best of soils
p Geology has a word TO say on the situation of
farms, telling us to look for the best land on the
south sides of hills. This fact is generally attrb-
utcd to the action of the SUM- but the sun had no
agency in the disposition of the land. The fact is
Itr ar1,ns
of, You may test this by observation On Dayis's |
and Underhlll's hills, in Hubbardston you will find
the mass OF bouders and coarse gravel on the north
and east slopes, The south slope is of finer mate
rial The general movement of the glacier in the |
northern hemisphere from northwest TO south |
east, and this direction might be traced by the lines
of boulders in the majority of cases. Knowing |
these facts we should be enabled to tell the depth
and richness of the soil at sight and be saved many
plumbers, consuming time and money. Closely con-
nected with this was the subject of natural manures.
The superficial farmer would spend large sums of |
money for some patent medicine for his dropping |
land when great stores Of mineral manures lie hid on
his own farm in the form among Others of vast muck
deposits, the store houses of ammonia prevalent all
over New England and especially in fnis section |
These beds should be drained, etc. The bottoms |
of ponds might be probably dredged once a year |
Intelligent agric llturiss are becoming con-
WINGED every day that in these muck deposits lies
the salvation of the farmer. Scientifically viewed,
they are anthracite in the making, and may be |
made an equal blessing with it TO the race. They
are practically ineXhausiDe, for their formation
will continue while vegetation exists.
The speaker passed TO consideration of the ne |
cessity of the application of the knowledge of |
natural history, zoology ornitholOgy, ETC. for pro-
lection against noXious insects, the canker worm,
and other destructive creatures and closed with |
some plain and excellent advice TO his townsmen, |
the application of the knowledge gained by the
study of agricultural science to the profit and |
Identification Of the town.
At the close of his address, vote of thanks was
unanimously extended to the speaker for the same
The premiums were then announced as follows:
Working OXen-9 entries five premiums to A |
Huckins, George Davis, Moses Bennett, George |
Davis and S Lamphear The committee also men,
nett, weighing only 1900 lbs, which drew load of
about 1900 lbs. up the hill in good shape, which |
they thought could not be beat in the county by |
any of the weight. A Bennett exhibited among |
$3.50 lbs.
old, weighing 275O pounds: ID to II Lamphear for
his two years old, weight 100 lbs.
Mich Cows-Lyman Greenwood, Samuel
Heers-Two years old, Addison Bennett, H |
I.amphear yearlings, IL Lamphear, A BEN |
nett the latter exhibitedS including two of Dutch
breed
Sheep-only premium to Mr. VIM Stowe for his |
South Downs.
Swine-9 entries, LIST premium to Moses Bennett |
for his boar; I'd to Lyman Greenwood for his sow |
and pig.
I'd to Moses Bennett for his brood of bantamsi I'd
to Gleason for his Spangled Amburgs.
Butter-Chas w Blood, David Pollard, Cheese,
Mrs Albert Bennett.
Vegetables-Danforth Clark, Wright Jona-
than Gates, Jewett. Sweet Corn Danforth |
Clark. King. Corn-Lyman Greenwood, Asa |
Merriam, Carlos Davis
Sguashes-Anthony Lester, c NJ Boman, G |
Wright, d Campbell.
Apples, q entries-Premiums TO II Harris, G w
Maneau WIN Stone, Horace Underwood.
rioMers-Mrs jonathan Gates for "BrugruNnsia"
and Mrs q Davis for "Jusicia" very rare plants.
Cut tlowers-hlrs Reuben Stowe, Mrs II A Will
der. Other beantifnl snenimens 1rern ny hil1ited-