BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 347 



The state agricultural society under his management, had 

 the active and cordial cooperation of all the county societies. 

 It held a number of fairs, which, as instructive exhibitions of 

 live stock, and the products of the farms, gardens, and of the 

 manufactures of the state, were really wonderful, and acknowl- 

 edged as unequaled at the time, even by the shows of the 

 Umted States Agricultural Society, or by any state society. 



It was chiefly through his influence that the publication of 

 "The Homestead" was commenced in 1855, which, until after 

 the breaking out of the great Rebellion was published at Hart- 

 ford, and was the recognized organ of the society. Mr. Dyer 

 was one of the four gentlemen who were associated as editors 

 of The Homestead. His writings were notable for their dis- 

 tinct aim, for their perspicuity, and for always leaving a valu- 

 able impression upon the mind. The annual reports prepared 

 by him, in addition to the regular and necessarily dry details of 

 the operations of the state and county societies, were written 

 in an interesting and perspicuous style, and were replete with 

 useful information. Through Mr. Dyer's influence as corres- 

 ponding secretary, Professor Johnson, of the Yale Scientific 

 School, was appointed chemist to the society, and that re- 

 markable attack upon fraud in fertilizers was made during the 

 years 1866, '67, and '68. The facts developed by it have ever 

 since been working among agriculturists like leaven. The 

 fertilizers examined were obtained personally by the corres- 

 ponding secretary chiefly from the hands of the farmers who 

 bought them for use, and the result of the analysis showed 

 not only what commercial fertilizers were of the greatest 

 value, but to what an extent the farmers were defrauded in 

 the purchase of many kinds supposed to be of the most reli- 

 able character. These exposures, and the knowledge dissem- 

 inated among the farmers then, and more or less ever since, 

 have made Connecticut farmers enviably secure from loss 

 from these despicable frauds. 



As an agricultural writer, Mr. Dyer was strong, clear, con- 

 vincing, and matter of fact ; avoiding anything that looked 

 like ornament, yet all that he wrote was not only practically 

 excellent, but very pleasant reading. 



